THE Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) asked President Ferdinand Mar cos Jr. to investigate the worsening undervaluation of rice imports, which is estimated to have shortchanged the government by as much as P3.84 bil lion during the first seven months of 2022FFFalone.national manager Raul Mon temayor said the group has had nu merous meetings with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and attended several Senate hearings, but “very little has actually been done to curb undervalu ation of rice imports.”
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By Othel V. Campos
Abalos orders PNP to verify recent spate of crime reports
Farmers ofundervaluationdecryriceimports
Initial investigation by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) indicated that of the total inven toried sugar, some 264,000 sacks were
No walk-ins now in student’s aid payout, must first register online PH seeks stronger ties among ASEAN navies to curb threats
N EARLY 500,000 sacks of raw sugar were found in surprise visits to several warehouses in Cagayan de Oro City Tuesday as the Palace announced that six Customs officials in the Port of Subic were relieved amid an investigation into sugar smuggling.
Acting on orders from the Office of the President (OP), Customs agents examined three warehouses of Crystal Sugar Milling located in North Pobla cion in Cagayan de Oro City and found 466,142 sacks of raw sugar.
“There is a lot of attention on smug gling but government losses from un dervaluation are probably much larg er. And it is easier to plug loopholes
FLORITA’S WAKE. In Isabela province, a farmer inspects her damaged corn plantation in Tumauini town after the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm ‘Florita’ on Wednesday, August 24, 2022. In the National Capital Region, workers from the Manila Department of Public Services and Metro Manila Development Authority remove garbage along the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach while Marikina City, firemen wash off mud at the Marikina River Park. Norman Cruz, Manny Palmero and AFP
• 500k sacks found in Cagayan de Oro relieved
• 6 Customs execs in Subic
NEWS / A3 BUSINESS / B2SPORTS / C1
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development will no longer accept walk-ins during the distribution of fi nancial assistance to indigent students to avoid crowding at the payout sites. To conduct a more orderly payout, the DSWD and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have agreed to release aid only to those who registered online or have a QR Code. “That is the difference now, we will only cater to those (who) have already registered online or have acquired the QR code. We will no longer ac cept walk-ins to avoid what happened on the first day of the roll-out,” Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said on Wednesday during the ceremonial sign
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IN SOLIDARITY. The University of Santo Tomas main building is illuminated in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine’s flag, in solidarity with the war-torn country that is celebrating its 31st Independence Day. The lights will be visible from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm until Aug. 26, 2022. Danny Pata
MMDA tags socmed post about NCAP ‘fake news’ ‘Florita’ exits, leaves swathe of damage in northern Luzon Ex-NBI chief on floating status ABS-CBN, TV-5 to ‘pause’ deal as NTC starts review Eric Distor caption VOL. XXXVI • NO. 191 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
In a statement Wednesday, the bu reau said the operation was initiated based on intelligence reports that the owners were allegedly hoarding sugar.
About P915,176.05 worth of food and non-food assistance has been provided to areas affected by Florita in Ilocos, Bicol, and Cordillera. The NDRRMC has yet to release re ports on damage to agriculture, infra structures, and housing.
By Vito Barcelo, Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta
Customs agents found thousands of sacks of sugar worth P285 million inside a warehouse on Araneta Ave., Quezon City. A report on GMA-7’s ‘24 Oras’ said the warehouse was padlocked even as its administrative officer said they have an importation permit and clearances from the BOC and the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
INTERIOR Secretary Benhur Abalos on Wednesday directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to submit reports regard ing the recent abductions, killings, and violence in the country. According to Abalos, he wants to make sure the reports are not “fictitious.” “I had a talk with (PNP) Chief Jun Azurin (Rodolfo Azurin Jr.), I asked him to give a report to me because there are many reports coming out of the media. I just want to make sure the timeline, are these true? Are these fictitious? Give me that report so that we could immediately report this to the public,” he said
By Vince Lopez
By Joel E. Zurbano TRAFFIC enforcers will still flag down violators in Metro Manila because the Non-Contact Apprehension Program is not yet in full force, contrary to a mis leading post on social media . The Metropolitan Manila Develop ment Authority on Wednesday warned the public against disinformation with a Facebook post saying “The No Con tact Policy is now in full force. This means that no MMDA traffic enforcer will flag down any driver for any traf fic violation on the road but instead, will monitor violations onscreen via the CCTV camera.”
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By Rio N. Araja, Vito Barcelo, Alena Mae Flores and Joel E. Zurbano SEVERE tropical storm “Florita” left the Philippine area of responsibility Wednesday, leaving in its wake an estimated P10 million worth of dam age and displacing 1,344 families, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) re ported Wednesday. In its latest situation report, the agency said the figure is equivalent to 4,646 individuals from 60 barangays in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera regions. The NDRRMC noted that about 956 families are sheltered in 19 evacuation centers while the rest are staying with relatives and friends. It also reported that 290 families or 1,013 persons from Ilocos and Cordil lera were pre-emptively evacuated.
PHILIPPINE Navy flag-officer-incommand Vice Adm. Adeluis Bordado has pushed for strengthened coopera tion between the navies of the Asso ciation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be able to curb emerging maritime challenges in the region. Bordado made this remark during the viewpoint exchange of the 16th ASEAN Navy Chiefs Meeting (ANCM) held in Bali, Indonesia.
in a press briefing at Malacañang. “I’ll have to see the report. He in formed me that some incidents hap pened years ago, months ago, they were supposedly rehashed,” Abalos added.
Acting SRA Administrator David Alba said the prices of sugar are expect ed to stabilize in about a month as the milling season begins. Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Alba said that it would take a month for the newly milled sugar to reach Manila and stabilize prices. The SRA chief said that prices of re fined sugar may “go over P80 per kilo.” Data from the Department of Ag riculture showed that the prevailing price of refined sugar is at P100 per kilo while washed sugar and brown sugar are sold at P75 per kilo and P70 per kilo, respectively. Some supermarkets have started sell ing refined white sugar for P70 per kilo, but purchases are limited to one kilo per customer, under an agreement reached with the Palace. Also on Wednesday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri dismissed sugges tions that Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez was part of a plot to illegally import sugar. “I absolutely do not believe that he is part of this plan of coming out with an illegal order to import sugar,” Zubiri said, noting that it was Rodriguez who told President Marcos about the plan to import sugar. It was also Rodriguez who told the President about Sugar Order No. 4,which was signed and released by then Agriculture undersecretary Leo Sebas tian, without Marcos’ knowledge. “If he was part of this plan, why would he bring it to the attention of the President?” Zubiri said.
“I think this is a blessing in disguise because the President wants to digi tize government transactions and that digitalization will start here,” he said. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tapped the DILG shortly after the “messy” distribution last Aug. 20. Tulfo said the applicants will re ceive a text message from the DSWD on when they should go to the payout sites, which will be identified by the local government units. The benefi ciaries will be called in alphabetical order, he “Maybeadded.this coming Saturday we will start with those whose surnames start with letters A to F, it will be na tionwide,” he added. The local government units will provide the payout site and addition al manpower such as social workers who will help check the documents and police and barangay officers for peace and order. Tulfo said the beneficiaries only need to bring their certificate of enrollment and identification card. They will be interviewed by personnel from DSWD central office and will immediately re ceive cash assistance right after. “The payout will be right after the interview. We expect the process to be done in five to 10 minutes,” he said. The DSWD will resume the payout distribution this Saturday after sus pending it last week when huge crowds of students and parents flocked to the agency’s main and regional offices. Through the DSWD’s program under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), cash aid will be pro vided to “students-in-crisis” to help de fray costs of school tuition fees, school supplies, transportation allowance, and other school-related expenses.
As this developed, the Philippine Army said its reservists in Cagayan Valley have joined the repacking and hauling of relief items to be distributed to families affected by the storm at the regional social welfare office ware house in Barangay Ugac Sur, Tuguega rao City, Cagayan. Army units in the region have mobi lized humanitarian assistance and dis aster response teams to help families affected by floods or landslides due to the onslaught of Florita. Meanwhile, three roads are closed to traffic in Cordillera and Cagayan Val ley due to the effects of Florita. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - Bureau of Main tenance said two national roads in Apa yao and Mountain province and one in Isabela are not accessible to vehicles as of 6 a.m. Wednesday. The roads in Cordillera are the Clave ria-Calanasan-Kabugao Road section in Namaltugan, Calanasan, Apayao due to road cut and soil collapse; and the Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur Road via Tue, Beto Section, Tue, Tadian, Moun tain Province due to rock collapse. Also closed to all types of vehicles is the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Road, Cabagan Overflow Bridge in Isabela due to high waterTheelevation.Luna-Bangar Road in La Un ion was flooded and not passable to lightThevehicles.DPWH’s quick response teams have already installed warning signs and barricades along affected sections. Clearing operations will resume once the weather is deemed safe for mainte nance teams. In Ilocos Norte, the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said the biggest damage was to infrastructure, which included an old bridge in Barangay Badio that collapsed Monday afternoon due to rag ingOtherwaters.ongoing flood control projects and a temporary bridge in Nagrebcan, San Nicolas town were also washed out.
“We have our own opinions regarding the death penalty if it is a deterrent or not. I too have my own opinion regard ing this issue,” he said. Abalos said he will be doubling the police presence amid the report ed“Don’tincidents.worry. When I became DILG chief and when I went to Camp Crame, I mentioned police visibility. It’s impor tant that police presence can be felt,” said the former mayor and lawmaker. Among the reports that raised con cerns and fears was that of the 25-yearold man who was abducted in Taal, Batangas, last week and found dead in Sariaya, Quezon, the following day, ac cording to Police Regional Office 4A. There was also the case of a 34-yearold man who was abducted by armed men in Batangas and has remained missing for over two weeks now. The senator said the police and other law enforcement agencies should boost their efforts in ending the series of dis appearances and killings in many areas of the country, especially since school children have started returning to faceto-face classes. to prevent undervaluation than to run after smugglers,” he said. The group cited a recent intercep tion by the Bureau of Customs of a shipment of 38,400 tons of rice be ing unloaded at Iloilo port on suspi cion of However,smuggling.BoC Region 6 offi cials claimed that the shipment was aboveboard and that the import ers had even paid Customs duties amounting to P83 million. But the FFF said the BoC should have collected at least P350 million on the P1 billion shipment based on the official tariff rate of 35 percent, indicating that the imported rice was undervalued by as much as 75 percent. The group said data from the BoC showed that the incident is not an iso lated case. Between January and June 2022, 85 percent of the 2.28 million tons of imported rice were underval ued by an average of P5,664 per ton. In 2021, the average rate of undervalu ation was P4,764 per ton. Imports of Basmati rice, a premium rice grade from India and Pakistan, have been undervalued by 44 percent despite the fact that the former Presi dent had already reduced the tariffs on its importation from 50 percent to 35 percent starting in May 2021. The FFF lamented the fact that the BOC inexplicably stopped publishing reference prices starting August 2021 for certain rice grades that were being regularly imported. As a result, 14 percent of the import volume in the first seven months of 2022 could not be checked for under valuation, compared to only 7 percent in The2021.FFF also asked the President to investigate the pattern of imports in certain ports of entry. Montemayor noted how difficult it is to understand why importers are un loading huge volumes in Iloilo, when the province, and the whole Region 6, is the rice granary of the Visayas.
“Vice Admiral Bordado high lighted the collective responsibility of ASEAN and ASEAN navies to strengthen lines of communication, engage in functional cooperation, and find new avenues of collabora tion,” said Philippine Navy spokes person Commander Benjo Negranza in a statement Wednesday. Bordado said ASEAN navies must work together to address several trans boundary maritime security challenges that no single country can face alone.
On Aug. 18, MMDA chairman Carlo Antonio Dimayuga expressed his sup port for the NCAP being enforced by local government units in the National Capital Region. In a one-page “statement of solidar ity”, Dimayuga said his agency “fully supports NCAP which is being imple mented by some Metro Manila Local Government Units (LGUs) and stands in solidarity with them in this respect.” He cited empirical evidence clearly showing that the MMDA’s own version of the policy was and continues to be an effective force multiplier to its traffic enforcers on the ground and has, in fact, raised public awareness of and compli ance with the existing traffic and trans ports laws, rules and regulations.
The Metropolitan Manila Develop ment Authority (MMDA) announced on Wednesday the Pasig Ferry River Sta tion (PRFS) has resumed its operation following a day suspension on Tuesday due to bad weather. MMDA spokes man Crisanto Saruca Jr. said the agency is offering free rides to commuters of the ferry, provided they are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The PNP spokesperson said there are different suspects in the recent kidnap pings and that they have different mo tives for doing so.
In other developments:
“If we look into the circumstances of the discovery of cadavers and the re ported abduction of people who were later found dead, we do not see any se rial killer here because different people and motives are involved. We also do not have reported incidents of a white van being used in abducting people,” said PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajar do in a television interview. Fajardo, however, acknowledged the importance of social media posts in raising public awareness against crimes and resolving cases being probed by the police.
Tulfo expressed the belief that the glitch in the payout system last Sat urday was a blessing in disguise as it forced DSWD to use a digital system.
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The PNP, which is supervised by the Department of the Interior and Lo cal Governments led by Abalos, on Wednesday dismissed a rumor that a serial killer and members of a criminal group aboard a white van are behind the series of reported killings and disap pearances of several individuals.
The delegation also conducted bilateral talks with several ASEAN Navy“Thecounterparts.Philippine Navy’s articipa tion in the ANCM allows it to en hance its relations with counterpart navies because it provides an avenue to exchange ideas about strategic steps that can be taken together to maintain maritime security in Southeast Asia. It also offers opportunities to col laborate with Asean navies, especially in areas where it shares mutual con cerns,” Negranza said. said to have been already sold to traders but the stocks have not yet been with drawn from the warehouse. According to the warehouse manag er identified as Javier Sagarbarria, the Crystal Sugar Milling produces 2 mil lion bags of sugar a year. He added that “the one holding or safekeeping the documents was not around” when authorities demanded copies of sugar transaction documents to verify if the numbers would confirm that the discovered sugar was author izedCustomsstock. agents from Northern Mind anao were assisted by a representative from the Sugar Regulatory Administra tion (SRA) as well as security units pro vided by the local units of the military and police based in the municipality of Maramag in Bukidnon province. Earlier, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced that the BOC and other agencies are continu ously inspecting sugar warehouses, in accordance with the intensified cam paign of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against the illegal importation of agricultural products.
“There will be problems if we ac cept walk-ins again. That is my in struction,” he added. The agency will create a virtual system for registration. While it is yet to announce the online system, the DSWD’s contact details for the pro gram are 0931-796-0362 or ciu.co@ dswd.gov.ph.DSWDsaid qualified students must wait for the text confirmation for the schedule and processing of the cash assistance.
“There is no doubt that the same ex perience is true for the Metro Manila LGUs,” Dimayuga said. Last week, some Metro Manila may ors insisted on carrying out the NCAP despite mounting opposition from mo torists and transport groups, some of which have filed a petition before the Supreme Court to challenge the policy.
News ing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DILG at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City.
The huge volume of sugar discovered in various inspected warehouses in Lu zon and lately in Mindanao has led Pal ace officials to conclude that the sugar shortage was artificial, caused mainly by the hoarding of the commodity by traders who want to profit from the sud den spike in Meanwhile,prices.Malacanang said acting BOC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz relieved six Port of Subic officials and transferred them to the Office of the Commissioner.
“The damage could have been worse. We are thankful the storm did not di rectly hit us,” said Marcel Tabije, head of the PDRRMC. The Department of Agriculture ini tially reported about P3.01 million in damage, affecting 310 farmers in the province. This translates to 220 metric tons of lost production volume cover ing 628 hectares of rice and other highvalueThecrops.DAsaid additional damage and losses are expected in areas affected by Florita, pending an ongoing assessment and field validation.
No walk-ins... From A1 ‘Florita’... From A1 Farmers... From A1 More... From A1 MMDA... From A1 Abalos... From A1 PH... From A1 mst.daydesk@gmail.comTHURSDAY,AUGUST 25, 2022A2
Sen. Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Monday urged authorities to investigate the reported disappearances and killings, especially those involving women and the youth. Marcos made the call following the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl, who was later found dead in Bustos, Bula can. Authorities have arrested a suspect in Camarines Sur, according to a GMA NewsAskedreport.ifthe incidents would mean there is a need to reinstate the death penalty, Abalos said every person has their own opinion regarding it.
Except for the reported drowning of two cows, two carabaos, and five pigs in Batac City and in the towns of Pin ili and Burgos during a flash flood, no other typhoon-related casualty was re ported in the province. With a total of 827 affected families in the province, Provincial Social Wel fare and Development officer Lilian Rin said they have prepared more than enough food packs for relief operations. Before the storm made landfall in Maconacon, Isabela on Tuesday, a preemptive evacuation was conducted in Badoc town to ensure that those living in areas highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides were trans ferred to evacuation centers. Despite Florita’s exit, the south west monsoon is expected to continue bringing rains over the western sec tions of Luzon. Gusts reaching strong breeze to near gale-force strength may still be expe rienced especially in the coastal and mountainous areas over Mimaropa, Cavite, Quezon, Metro Manila, Bula can, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Aurora, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administra tive Region, and Cagayan Valley. The center of Florita was estimated at 490 km west of Calayan, Cagayan or out side the Philippine area of responsibility. It was moving west northwestward at 25 km/h, packing maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 125 km/h.
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The Department of Energy (DOE) announced Wednesday that 378 out of 405 municipalities whose power sup ply was affected by Florita are now re stored, with 17 partially restored and 10 still for restoration, based on a report submitted by the National Electrifica tion Administration (NEA) at 11 a.m. on Aug. 4. Electric cooperatives with total or partial power interruption and ongoing restoration include Cagayan Electric Cooperative I and II and Isabe la Electric Cooperative II. DOE said all power generation plants in the affected areas connected to the grid are under normal operations.
“The government crackdown against hoarders and profiteers is part of the campaign of the Marcos government to bring down the price of sugar,” she said. In less than a week, simultaneous op erations were conducted by the BOC, the SRA, and the Department of Agri culture (DA) to inspect sugar warehous es in Deparo, Caloocan City; Balut in Tondo and San Nicolas in Manila; Ro sales, Pangasinan; San Fernando, Pam panga; Ibaan, Batangas; and Davao. A few days after the Chief Execu tive met with owners of Robinsons Supermarket, SM Supermarket, and Puregold, prices of sugar in their Met ro Manila stores dropped to P70 per kilo from a high of P110 per kilo a few weeksOverback.theweekend, four warehous es in Guiguinto, Bulacan jointly in spected by the BOC, SRA and the DA yielded at least 60,000 bags of sus pected hoarded sugar.
“It would be more logical to bring them directly to deficit provinces like Cebu, Samar and Leyte. To make mat ters worse, the imports are coming in just when farmers in Iloilo are just about to start harvesting,” he said.
“Acknowledging the array of mari time security threats in the Southeast Asian region, this year’s iteration emphasized the vital role of Asean navies in addressing these challenges through cooperation,” Negranza said. The Philippine Navy also presented the concepts for the workshop for the crafting of the ANCM Guidelines for Maritime Interaction, the 17th Asean Navy Chiefs’ Meeting, and the 2nd Asean Multilateral Naval Exercise.
Earlier, Cruz-Angeles said heads would roll after its probe of an illegal sugar import order is completed.
The relieved BOC officials were Subic district collector Maritess The odossis Martin, deputy collector for assessment Maita Sering Acevedo, deputy collector for operations Gio vanni Ferdinand Aguillon Leynes, chief of assessment division Belinda Fernando Lim, Enforcement Security Service commander Vincent Mark Solamin Malasmas, and Intelligence and Investigation Service supervisor Justice Roman Silvoza Geli. The six BOC officials were being in vestigated after Malacanang discovered that importers used recycled permits in an attempt to smuggle 140,000 bags or 7,021 metric tons of imported sugar from Thailand at the Port of Subic. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are investigating the sugar import mess after President Fer dinand Marcos Jr. rejected Sugar Order No. 4, which called for the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar. Three SRA board members have re signed as a result of the “unauthorized” signing of the resolution.
“The misinformation is being spread about the MMDA’s reminders on the No Contact Apprehension Policy. MMDA traffic enforcers will continue to look for motorists who violate traffic laws,” the agency said in an advisory yesterday. “Don’t just believe the messages or posts you receive on social media. It is good to first find out the source of the information or verify the data that is read or received from legitimate sourc es,” it added. The MMDA urged the public, espe cially motorists, to call the agency’s Hotline 136 or send a message to the MMDA official page on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with any con cerns about the policy. The agency also asked the people to be more responsible in sharing posts on social media, especially on Facebook where millions of Filipinos are users. Spreading lies would only cause pan ic among the people and would not help the efforts being done by government agencies, local government units, and other stakeholders, the MMDA said. Spreading false information car ries the penalty of imprisonment from six months and one day to six years, it warned.
“We respect the authority of the Quezon CIty government and we will comply with whatever order that they would want us to do,” Dorado said. The institution also defended the sudden closure, saying it held out until the last minute amid its “desire and hope” to keep the school open and that an investment was initially expected to sustain its operations.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com A3News
remainsWreckedstatusboatwithhumanfoundoffSamar
“We will give them an ultima tum, I just have to speak with the Cybercrime Division again so that we will know how long it will take for these key persons to comply with the law. I’ll be speaking to the heads of our Cybercrime Di vision both the DOJ and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) so we will know what it would take for them to comply and what is needed. But I will definitely issue an ultimatum,” Remulla said. Remulla said he is giving the telcos and ISPs until September 15 to comply with the installation of anti-child por nography software. Rey E. Requejo
“We did not think it would happen. At the last minute, we were hoping that the investment would materialize. We were closely communicating with a possible investor [and] we were expecting a certain number of [enrollees], and that was not reached,” Dorado said. In an earlier statement, the school management cited financial instability brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and low enrollment turnout as reasons behind the closure. Dorado added that the family’s private funds had been used to compensate for the required financial resources for the school’s continuity as it hoped for new investments which did not materialize.
CDSL claims insolvency, students to get refunds
THE cash-strapped Colegio de San Lorenzo (CDSL) in Quezon is set to file for bankruptcy after attempts to find new investors failed, prompting its owners to close the school amid enrolment for the coming school year.
By Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel V. Cruz, Lee Gabriel Seril and Stephanie Caesar
By Rey E. Requejo JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday viewed the visit of a congressional delegation from the United States to detained former Senator Leila de Lima as a sign that the “justice system in the country is Remullaworking.”stressed that concerns on human rights were “very much on top of the agenda” of the admin istration of President Ferdinand Marcos“BecauseJr. they always make it into our curricular system that ICC (In ternational Criminal Court) needs to enter. You will see, in the De Lima case, the US congressional delega tion went to court to seek permis sion to visit Senator De Lima, and they were granted permission by the courts. That just means, our courts are functioning,” Remulla said, dur ing the Kapihan sa Manila Bay when asked if he has made any suggestions to the speech of President Marcos at the United Nations General Assem bly.Last week, the eight-man delega tion led by US Senator Edward Mar key spent over an hour at the Phil ippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City. The secretary also reiterated that the DOJ will protect possible wit nesses in extrajudicial killings. “If they have any knowledge about EJKs and they’re willing to testify, just tell us and we will be there to protect you and to make sure your testimony is used in the best way possible,” Remulla stressed. “If I will be put on the delegation, it will depend on the president, but I’m willing to go if my services will help put forward the image of the country,” Remulla said.
IN BRIEF Cops nab 2 for P50k extort try on Zubiri NCRPO seizes P1.73m shabu in QC buy-bust TWO suspected members of a wellentrenched syndicate, one introduc ing himself as Siquijor governor, were arrested in an entrapment op eration in Zambales after they tried to extort P50,000 from Senate Presi dent Juan Miguel Zubiri. A composite police team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Southern District Field Unit, along with operatives from the Castillejos Police Station, and the Office of the Senate President ar rested Danilo Guillermo Ledesma, 46, farmer, and his companion Bryan Reyes Ledesma, 23, online seller. The suspects were caught at the PrK5 Villa Garcia, San Pablo, Cas tillejos, Zambales last August 15. Ledesma was earlier arrested for violation of RA 9165 on May 2021, also in ComplaintsCastillejos.for robbery extortion and usurpation of authority were filed against the suspects. An additional complaint for vio lation of RA 10591 was filed Ledes ma on August 16, 2022 at the Provin cial Prosecutor Office in Olongapo. Macon Ramos-Araneta
THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Wednesday an nounced the seizure of 25.5 kilos of shabu worth more than P170 million in an entrapment operation in Qu ezonTheCity.raid also resulted in the arrest of suspected drug dealer Rodgene Umali,Anti-narcotics36. teams from the Qu ezon City Police District - PNP Spe cial Operations Unit - National Capi tal Region, Special Operations Unit 7, and Regional Intelligence Unit- NCR conducted the buy-bust operation along Roosevelt Avenue in Barangay San Antonio around 6:30 a.m. Seized from Umali were shabu with a market value of P173.4 million and nine bundles of boodle money used by the authorities in the entrap ment. Joel E. Ex-reporterZurbanoto launch new book on farming
DOJ gives ultimatum to telcos, ISPs to comply with law on child abuse
A FORMER newspaper reporter is set to launch next month her new book on innovative technologies and organic farming methods envisioned to help address mass poverty and hunger in the country. The author, Virginia Rodriguez, said she wanted to help the Marcos administration, so she decided to write and produce the book with the title “Leave Nobody Hungry.”. Rodriguez is confident that her book would help millions of farmers in the country to increase their har vest, including rice, corn and other crops.She added that the contents of the book was an answer to Presi dent Marcos’ “food crisis agenda”, including the “Masaganang 150” which was being promoted by the Chief Executive himself.
“I believe that the very purpose of the probe is to make sure that the students’ well-being will be prioritized,” Dorado said.The city’s local government said following the closure that even as the school continued to accept enrollees, its property had already been put up for sale.
FISHERMENadded.recovered on Tuesday the debris of a wrecked motorized boat and human remains which were found float ing off Tarangnan, Samar. The grisly discovery took place ap proximately 1.5 kilometers from the shoreline of Barangay Poblacion B, Tarangnan, operatives of the Philippine Coast Guard and the police reported fol lowing the retrieval operations. Meanwhile, the Tarangnan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office, said the retrieved body part belonged to a female. “Lower part lang po ng isang tao ang na-retrieve. Yung bangka ay total wreck at nagkahiwa-hiwalay. Unang nakita ang bandang buntot ng bangka, sumunod na yung iba pang mga bahagi na mukhang inanod ng malakas na alon kaya mag kakalayo nung ma-retrieve. Sa tantya ng mga residente kung saan dinala ang wreckage, may kapasidad na mahigit sampung katao ang pwedeng sumakay sa nasirang bangka,” the probers said. “The retrieved remains consist of lower part of a human body. First spotted was the tail or rear end of the boat, followed by parts that looked washed away by the strong strong current. The recovered de bris are far from each other. Residents of the area estimated the wrecked boat can seat at least 10 people),” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Joint Task Force Storm spokesman Capt. Ryan La yugThesaid.human remains and the debris were initially turned over to Tarangnan Municipal Police Station. Philippine National Police (PNP) Scene of the Crime Operatives later ar rived to document and gather evidence and laboratory samples. Soldiers, coast guard, and police personnel had been doing search-andretrieval operations along the waters of Samar province since Monday after government security forces chased a suspicious boat reportedly carrying ex plosives.Occupants of the boat fired upon the law enforcers, and a firefight ensued, followed by a loud explosion. Amid DOJ probe, ex-NBI chief on floating
By Willie Casas FORMER National Bureau of Inves tigation (NBI) Eric Distor has been placed on floating status as the Depart ment of Justice (DOJ) looks into the legal ramifications of his appointment, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Re mulla said on Wednesday. “Distor? Floating, because we have to determine the legality of his being given a co-terminous position vis-avis his career [post], kasi he accepted a - position,” Remulla said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum. Distor was an assistant director, a permanent post, before he was appoint ed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as NBI officer in charge (OIC) on Feb ruary 22, 2020. On March 22 this year, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued a memorandum creating a senior deputy director (SDD) post, to which Distor was appointed on the same day. But President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. eventually appointed long-time NBI as sistant director Medardo De Lemos as new NBI Director. In early August, the DOJ said Distor will return to his post as assistant direc tor, not senior deputy director because the latter has been deemed “invalid, in effective and non-existent” as it is out side the staffing pattern of the agency under RA 10867 or the “National Bu reau of Investigation Reorganization and Modernization Act.”
TURBULENT WATER. This seemingly angry rush of white water is not your usual destructive flood, but just plain water being released from the Bustos Dam in Bulacan to avoid overfilling it in anticipation of heavy downpours during the rainy season. Norman Cruz
RA 9775 mandates telcos and ISPs to install a program or software that will block access to or transmittal of any form of child pornography in the internet.Thelaw also requires ISPs to notify authorities within seven days from the discovery that any form of child pornography is being committed us ing their servers or facilities.
Meanwhile, the CDSL asked parents and students to come to the Accounting Office to get their refunds. “We hope to complete this process by Friday, but our offices will be open until September 20, 2022 for those who would want to collect their refunds later. We are establishing an open line of communication to reach out to everyone who has been affected,” the school said in a statement. CDSL lawyer Vixen Dorado said in a virtual press briefing that his clients would cooperate with the Quezon City legal department which had said it would initiate legal action against the beleaguered school to protect the interest of the students and the stakeholders.Inanother development, Quezon City Rep. Juan Carlos Atayde urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure the smooth transfer of the CDSL students to other schools. The Department of Education (DepEd) said it was not notified of the closure of the 35-year old private Catholic school.
RICH HAUL OF SHABU. Operatives of the QCPD-District Drugs Enforcement Unit (DDEU), check out the seized illegal drugs following a buy bust operation along Roosevelt Ave., Brgy. San Antonio, Quezon City, resulting in the confiscation of 25 pieces of vacuum-green tea bags containing VIRGINIA
R. RODRIGUEZ
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday vowed to issue an ultimatum to all telecommunication companies and internet service providers (ISPs) to perform their obligations under the law requiring them to install software that will block access to or transmittal of any form of child pornography in the internet.During Kapihan Sa Manila Bay news forum, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed that the government would not hesitate to file criminal charges and impose sanc tions against non-compliant telcos and ISPs for failure to fulfill their duty under Republic Act 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.
Remulla insists justice system in PH ‘is working’
In a letter to Distor dated July 27, the Civil Service Commission said the SDD position was among those deemed va cant with the issuance by Malacañang of Memorandum Circular No. 1 dated June 30, 2022, but that he is entitled to go back to his assistant director post. Remulla said there was a need to amend the law that created the NBI. “We really have to amend the law creating the NBI charter. If we don’t amend that, everything becomes, most of it becomes co-terminous,” he said.“Ang nangyari, under the Revised Administrative Code, the continuing power to reorganize the government is vested in the government. So if he al lows it to happen, if he reorganizes the government but if the Charter is not changed, it will just become a politi cally-charged position that will be co terminous with the appointing power,” Remulla
COURTESY CALL. Foreign Affairs Acting Secretary Enrique Manalo pays a courtesy call on Speaker Martin Romualdez at the Speaker’s Office in the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno EXECUTIVE MEETING. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. meets with Cabinet and representatives of other agencies. The Chief Executive also met with the staff of the National Food Authority (NFA) to ensure sufficient supply of rice in the country.
THE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday announced that the 2022 online and regionalized Bar exami nations will be held on Nov. 9, 13, 16, andThe20.SC through Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, chair person of the Bar examinations com mittee, stressed that “unforeseen circumstances and contingencies” may necessitate rescheduling of the dates.“Details pertaining to the exam venue selections will be announced in a later bulletin,” Caguioa said, in a Bar Bulletin.
In a letter to Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman also worried that the House inquiry on the matter “may result in the derogation of press freedom and free speech—the bedrock of democratic governments.” Lagman wrote Romualdez as the joint House committees on legislative franchises and on trade and industry conducted Wednesday a congressional inquiry on the proposed partnership al lowing ABS-CBN to acquire 34.99 per cent of TV5’s total outstanding capital stock (see related story on B4 – Editors). This developed as Philippine Competi tion Commission (PCC) told legislators that the ABS-CBN-TV5 partnership is exempted from notifying the body and seeking the approval of the agreements.
ing House investigation which may result in derogation of press freedom and free speech, the bedrock of demo cratic governments,” Lagman said in his“Mr.letter.Speaker, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that arrangement. What is definitely errant is when au thorities trample on the freedom of expression and of the press,” Lagman stressed.Lagman, a lawyer and human rights advocate, clarified the deal of the two networks is not a merger as they will remain separate and independent ju ridical“Theentities.contract is an investment agreement wherein ABS-CBN invests in TV5 by putting in P2.61 billion in exchange for 34.99 percent of TV5’s voting stock, and an additional P1.84 billion in Convertible Notes which can be exchanged for additional voting shares only after eight years and will increase ABS-CBN’s stake in TV5 shares to only 49.92 percent or less than a controlling absolute majority, and this is still inchoate and subject to requisite approvals,” Lagman said.
Lawmakers OK new fiscal plan for mining firms
Gatchalian vows to seek funding for classrooms
By Maricel V. Cruz ASENIOR lawmaker on Wednesday defended the pro posed partnership between ABS-CBN and TV5, which announced Wednesday they would “pause” their deal until it passes government scrutiny.
Rey E. Requejo SENATOR Win Gatchalian on Wednesday guaranteed to push for enough funds to build classrooms to address the country’s classroom shortage.Henoted that huge funding would be needed by schools that were dev astated by the recent strong earth quake and typhoon Odette in De cember last year.
“As part of our continuing commit ment to President Marcos and the Mar cos administration, with the approval of this measure, the House committee on ways and means is done with all SONA and Cabinet tax bills,” Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, the panel’s chairperson and House resident economist, said. Salceda, who was also the first prin cipal author of the measure, said that the committee adopted the version of the Department of Finance, which would “bring the country’s effective tax rate on mining (considering all taxes) to 51 percent, up from 38 percent under the current“Thatsystem.”bringsus closer to the middle of the pack among major mining coun tries, instead of near the bottom of the list. 51 percent is a good number, be cause it brings us closer to Australia’s effective tax rate, at around 51 percent as well, counting royalties.” “Among major countries, only Chile and South Africa have lower effective tax rates than us. This proposal brings us closer to Australia and Indonesia, which are our regional comparatives. China is at a very high 71 percent ef fective tax rate for gold mines,” Salceda added.“With this measure, we are fulfilling our commitment to the President and to the DOF to raise revenues to fund PBBM’s priority programs,” Salceda said. Salceda explained that under Mar cos’s Medium Term Fiscal Framework, which the House of Representatives adopted with Salceda as a major spon sor, the revenue program assumes a taxto-GDP growth of 0.3 percent annually.
Scuttling ABS-TV5 deal will ‘derogate’ press—Lagman
IN BRIEF SC announces dates for online Bar exams
THE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is “confident” that it will reach the target date of the printing of the National ID cards of Filipinos by the end of the year, according to Press Secretary Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles. Angeles said that as of August 23, the PSA has transferred to the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) some 17.6 million physical National ID cards for de livery to the residences of ID applicants. The PSA is an attached agency of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) which is headed by Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
It said the transaction does not meet the P50 billion threshold set by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. “Even if it’s not notifiable because it does not meet the threshold under the law. It does not preclude the parties from voluntarily notifying the PCC,” said PCC officer-in-charge Johannes Bernabe.SAGIP party-list Rep. Marcoleta, who opposed the renewal of the fran chise of ABS-CBN expressed the belief that TV5 has violated its franchise by entering a deal with ABS-CBN. He added the ABS-CBN should settle their obligations before “riding” on another station’s franchise.
THE House of Representatives com mittee on tourism on Wednesday ap proved a bill declaring Mt. Arayat in Pampanga as a tourist destination. The panel, chaired by Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, ap proved House Bill 181 of Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. During the hearing, Gonzales told the committee that Mt. Arayat “con tinues to attract tourists who are na ture lovers because of the splendor of the mountain, which, among others, possesses a rich bio-diversity as at tested by the recent discovery of new plant species pyrostria arayatensis.”
“PSA is making considerable progress to hit the end-year target of 30.1 million physical Phil ID cards, which is 58 per cent of the overall target,” Balisacan said. Balisacan has reported to the Palace that in the last 11 days, the daily average of physical cards produced at the printing facilities of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi nas is 103,000 per day, which is above PSA’s daily target. “Note that the target number of IDs issued by the end year is 50 million, of which 30.1 million are physical IDs, and the balance of 19.9 million is digital/print able IDs,” Balisacan said in his report. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has earlier instructed the PSA to deliver the 30 million National IDs by the end of 2022, and reach the target benchmark of 92 million by the middle of 2023 as he cited its vital role in digital transforma tion during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 25. Marcos, during his first SONA said that the national ID will enable “seam less” transactions between citizens and national and local governments. “The National ID will play an impor tant part in this digital transformation. For citizens to be able to seamlessly transact with the government, their identity must be verifiable. The target is to accomplish the issuance of about 92-million IDs by the middle of 2023,” the President said.
A4 THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 News
THE 86-strong Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI), chaired by Representative Yedda Ma rie K. Romualdez of the Tingog Party List, formally formed its new set of of ficers for the 19th Congress during its Organizational Meeting held on Au gustRep.23.Linabelle Ruth Villarica of the 4th District of Bulacan, who served as President during the 17th Congress, was elected for the same position. Rep resentative Florida Robes of San Jose Del Monte was elected Senior Vice President, along with Representatives Emmarie Oano-Dizon of Mandaue City and Ma. Lucille Nava of Guima ras who were chosen as Internal Vice President and External Vice President, respectively.Inhermessage, Romualdez said that after more than a decade, the AWLFI is proud to have accomplished a great many things from series of dialogues and projects to legislations aimed to ward the advancement and inclusion of Filipino women, and the protec tion and promotion of their rights. She congratulated the outgoing officers, led by former Deputy Speaker Baby Arenas, for a successful and meaning ful term.
PSA says it is on track to deliver National IDs
By Maricel V. Cruz
The Department of Education (DepEd) eyes a budget of P86.5 billion to construct classrooms in 2023. Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, had made rounds in some schools in Va lenzuela. Macon Ramos-Araneta Mt. Arayat declared new PH tourist attraction
“It is also the home of Arayat Na tional Park. Located in San Juan Baño, its cool springs, covered by green fo liage of trees, offer a family-friendly resting place excellent for swimming and picnic,” he said. Maricel V. Cruz
SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he is preparing for a quick delib eration on the 2023 General Appropria tions Bill (GAB) in the Senate. “It seems this would not take long, this deliberation. This won’t take long because the increase (in the budget) is not that big,” Zubiri said in a media briefing Wednesday afternoon. He noted that the proposed P5.268 trillion has a “very minimal” increase from the current fiscal year’s P5.024 trillion appropriations. “Actually, very minimal, almost the same amount as this year’s budget,” Zubiri said, adding that “we’re looking at only a 4-percent increase.”According to Zubiri, they will scru tinize the different programs of the government in the National Expendi tures Program but there won’t be too many changes. Zubiri said they expect to deliberate on the national budget in November.However, lawmakers will still hold briefings ahead of the official submis sion of the House of Representatives of the proposed 2023 GAB to the Senate.
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
“I write on behalf of my constituents and concerned citizens about the loom Zubiri prepares for quick review of 2023 budget
By Vince Lopez
AWLFI has new set of officers for the 19th Congress
By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives Commit tee on Ways and Means has approved a new fiscal regime for the mining sector, which is set to increase revenues for min ing by up to P37.5 billion in its first full year of implementation.
Lino M. Santos Photographer
And so the SRA officials as well as the chief of staff/undersecretary of the Presi dent who concurrently sits as agriculture’s top honcho, are made to squirm in their seats, forced to submit resignations, and are immediately replaced by a new set of ap pointees who most likely will have to con front the realities of the Philippine sugar market, sooner or later. Despite their resignation, they are haled before the inquisitors of both houses of Congress to answer the same questions over and over again, “in aid of legislation,” bad gered to say what the distinguished mem bers of the “august” chambers want to hear, and to Andprove.whatis to be proved? That there is no real shortage of the com modity, and the supply crisis is just made up by greedy officials whose palms were greased by the just as greedy middlemen in the food chain. The inquisitors have made their usual conclusion, similar to that medieval Grand Inquisitor, Tomas de Torquemada. Meanwhile, the public, groaning at the high prices of one of the basics of their ev eryday lives at a time when everything but their stunted children are going upwards, goaded by media, have someone to blame andThecurse.middlemen in the food supply chain, from big-time traders (whatever happened to the Big Seven “cartel”?) to importers to wholesalers to retailers, are just cringing in their seats while waiting for the storm to blowTheyover.are like scarecrows, “straw men” who cannot answer back, because the argu ments against the businessmen are too loud, and it is not for them to answer back. In the midst of all these investigations, these accusations and passing the buck, the wise choose to fasten their seat belts, and wait for the seasonal disturbance to abate.And who are the wise? The importers, the millers, the traders, the wholesalers whose bodegas were not raided (yet perhaps), and even the retailers. The big-time supermarkets, at the behest of the president and/or his executive secre tary, have agreed to lower their retail prices to 70 pesos from 100/110 the day before. Why so fast, and why so huge a discount? First, no one says “no” to power at its height.Two, they have yet to pay the trader from whom the stocks were sent them on the “usual” 60-90 day credit. So when these supermarkets pay their suppliers, they can always pass on the “forced” discount to the unfortunate middleman. The millers get 40 percent of the con tracted price of the cane they mill, the “quality” and the “sugar content” of which canes they decide, and which go through their antiquated crushers, milling and refin ing facilities, some of which are a century old (yes Virginia, there are still some relics of our colonial past fit to be part of a Sug arland museum and whose sugar yield is so low compared to Thailand or even Indone sia!), so what do they care? It is the small planters (damn that illconceived agrarian reform law) who carry thePrimero,brunt. the weather has not been coop erating. In some sugar-producing areas, the sun has been hiding behind thick clouds. Photosynthesis is stunted. Sugar content and quality are diluted. Segundo, the price of fertilizers has more than tripled, and much of their soil have been addicted to chemical or inorganic fer tilizers that these will not produce unless given enough of their addicted fertilization. Tercio, labor costs have gone up. The usual sacadas would rather be caregivers or domestics abroad, or welders in Kazakh stan, while many are given freebies through the 4Ps and other forms of ayuda, and would rather wallow in their governmentsupported
The answer is: We don’t know yet. But the Senate may soon find out, if Resolution 128, calling for a probe into the implementation of the Unified Stu dent Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), starts rolling.Sen. Risa Hontiveros is leading the charge in uncovering what the Com mission on Audit has flagged as “ques tionable releases” under the program. The alleged irregularities involve the release of close to P7 billion in funds earmarked for the government’s student assistance program. The lawmaker said her office has been swamped with testimonies from college students who were supposed recipients of UniFAST, an attached agency under the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) mandated to implement Re public Act 10931, or the Universal Ac cess to Quality Tertiary Education Act. Signed into law in October 2015, RA 10931 seeks to provide underprivileged Filipino students the opportunity to pursue college degrees through free tu ition and exemption from other fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs) through a faster, unified, and more com prehensive system. But apparently the law is not working in favor of its intended beneficiaries.
By Bénédicte Rey TWENTY-five years ago on August 31, 1997, Britain’s Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a high-speed car crash in Paris. For the next week leading up to her spectacular funeral, Britain was plunged into an unprecedented outpouring of pop ular grief that jolted the monarchy, which was seen by some as out of touch with the moment.Hereis how the week unfolded: High-speed crash Divorced for the past year from heir to the throne Prince Charles, 36-year-old Di ana and her wealthy new lover, Egyptian playboy Dodi Fayed, are stalked by press photographers over their summer holiday in theTheyMediterranean.arriveinParis in the afternoon of August 30 and dine that evening at the Ho tel Ritz, owned by Fayed’s father Mohamed Al-Fayed. They try to leave discreetly from a back entrance shortly after midnight, in a Mercedes.Chased by paparazzi on motorcycles, the car careers at high speed into a pillar in an underpass near the Alma Bridge opposite the Eiffel Tower on the north bank of the River Seine. Fayed and their chauffeur Henri Paul, who had a high level of alcohol in his blood, die instantly. Their bodyguard Trevor ReesJones is seriously injured. Rescue workers pull Diana out alive from the twisted wreckage of the Mercedes. Seven photographers are arrested. Photo graphs of the crash are offered to newspa pers for vast fortunes. Diana is taken to Pitie-Salpetriere hospi tal where at 4:00 am (10 am Manila time) she dies of massive chest injuries after two hours of desperate surgery. The royal family are officially informed.
The
(A refiled bill) must state that the PTSB will only step in to assist in any investigationacompetentagencieswhenmakewhenaccidenttransportationinvestigationlineagenciesarequestortheselinearenottohandlemorecomplex
College assistance fund 8-5646229 (connecting (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. Box
President Marcos Jr. has so much in his plate, and that’s in agriculture alone. So many problems
assistancegovernment’searmarkedtotheirregularitiesallegedinvolvereleaseofcloseP7billioninfundsforthestudentprogram
“The [SLP] remained unimplement ed as of Dec. 31, 2021, or more than four years since the enactment of RA 10931 [and is] largely attributable to the defect in the tripartite memoran dum of agreement between the CHEd, UniFAST Board and the Development Bank of the Philippines, particularly the absence of a loan repayment mecha nism,” the COA report said. According to Hontiveros, those de prived of funding assistance included students who have health issues, those with solo parents, and those with par ents who lost their jobs during the pan demic.Also among them were students whose parents are farmers and fisher folk and indigent families under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or CHEd4Ps.
THIS sugar brouhaha, replete with con gressional investigations and the raid of warehouses, brings to mind a scene from the classic movie Casablanca, where police Captain Renault, apprised by a subordinate about a crime while drinking in Humphrey Bogart’s night club, very calmly told the lower officer to “round up the usual sus pects.”There is now a mad rush to look for scapegoats in the sugar price fiasco hound ing the Marcos administration in its second month in office. Always and as usual, the “middlemen” who must be “hoarding” their sugar stocks to create an “artificial shortage” of the vital commodity are the suspects. Secondary suspects are government of ficials who must be “in cahoots” with the usual (and characteristically “greedy” as media loves to describe them) “profiteers.”
mess Opinion Why PTSB is badly needed EDITORIALThe usual suspects 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
P.O.
Nearly a million people line the streets to watch Princess Diana’s funeral procession pass in a deep silence punctuated by sobs, cries and tolling bells
SENATOR Grace Poe was quoted as saying, it was unfortunate the Philippine Transpor tation Safety Board bill was vetoed by the President.Fromwhat was reported in media, reason the bill was vetoed was mainly due to per ceived duplication of functions. It appears that Malacanang did not want the BTSB to be investigating transportation accidents because that function is already performed by various government line agencies. I tried to find a copy of the bill actually vetoed but could not find any. But I came across the rationale behind the filing of the bill in Congress. Although the intended law mentions all transportation ac cidents involving all modes like road, rail, air and sea, majority of the justifications given were on road accidents. This being the case, I could understand why the bill was vetoed. I assume, however, that the intention of the proponent of the law was not to concen trate on road accidents. If I understand the intention of Congress man Edgar Sarmiento, the principal pro ponent of the bill, the proposed PTSB was patterned after the Transportation Safety Board of the United States which investi gates transportation accidents that normally cannot be handled by local authorities like catastrophic airplane crashes involving the death of dozens of people if not hundreds. Some of the many ships that the country have lost at sea with thousands of lives on board were, for instance, never satisfactorily investigated to everyone’s satisfaction. This is where the proposed PTSB could come in. Based on my experience, many of the line units are not capable of conducting highly complicated and technical investiga tions. There is therefore an urgent need for a PTSB. The bill should be refiled specifically stat ing that the intentions of the law is not for the proposed PTSB to take over functions currently being performed by other agen cies but to perform specialized investiga tive work that current line agencies cannot perform.Thiswill be similar to the relationship that exist between the National Bureau of Investigation with the Philippine National Police.One can argue that that the PNP and the NBI are performing the same functions and one should therefore be abolished. But both agencies are complementing each other, thereby strengthening law enforcement. This is what a future PTSB should be and the refiled bill should be very clear on this. It must state that the PTSB will only step in to assist in any transportation accident investigation when line agencies make a request or when these line agencies are not competent to handle a more complex inves tigation.Asan illustration, the Land Transporta tion Office, for instance, hardly conducts any routine traffic accidents investigation because this is being handled by the Phil ippine National Police, depending on where the traffic accident occurred. There are, however, some vehicular ac cidents that are more complex that the local police will be unable to handle. In such a case, a request can be made for the PTSB to come in and assist in the inves tigation.Inarail accident, for example, there is currently no agency competent to handle any rail accident investigation in case there is aOfneed.course, we do not have an extensive rail network system wherein we have experienced accidents such as derailment. But as a country, it does not mean that we should not have the capability. Air crashes is another. We have had several airplane crashes in the past and I have not come across any pub lication of any investigation report. For instance, that C130 military plane crash two or three years ago that killed doz ens of civilians and military personnel. We do not know exactly the official cause of the crash.Was it technical or pilot error? Again, this is where the PTSB can come in. Many shipping accidents that we had, to my mind, have really never been satisfacto rily investigated to everyone’s satisfaction. Take the case of the sinking of the Super ferry on February 27, 2004. The ship sank due to an alleged bomb explosion, killing 116Althoughpeople. terrorism was suspected. no in vestigation report was ever published to this day and we do not know whether it was a planted bomb that sank the ferry. Another is the Dona Paz sinking on June 8, 2008 that killed more than 4,000 people – the worst shipping accident in Philippine history.Allthis is simply telling us that there is a need for PTSB. The problem was that this was not made clear in the proposed law. Congress should refile the bill correct ing what were missed and adding the de lineation of functions between the proposed PTSB and the existing functions of the line agencies.Whether we like it or not, we will unfor tunately be experiencing catastrophic trans portation accidents involving various modes in the future. It is time the country started modernizing its technical investigative capabilities so we can join the modern investigative world.
12, are holidaying at Balmoral, the mon arch’s private summer residence in Scotland.
Editor
Estabillo Publisher Honor Blanco Cabie
2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.manilastandard.net MEMBER Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine NewspapersPPI can be accessed manilastandard.netat: 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 Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board ManilaStandard ONLINE Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor
Finalmente,indolence.many of the “reformed” lands have been converted into subdivi sions, while those still held by “haciende ros” have been sold by third or fourth gen erations. I kind of pity those SRA officials and the hapless Usec Serafica (I have never met them).They are asking everyone and his mother to please look at the numbers to understand why there is a real shortage and not an arti ficial shortage that the two branches, execu tive and legislative, are trying to project in the public mind. At first instance, there is no pity for those soft drink bottlers who claim they need 450,000 tons of premium refined sugar to keep them producing their unhealthy prod uct. But on second thought, beer needs sug ar too, he he he. The problem I submit, is nobody is inter ested in numbers. That should be quite easy to figure out. It’s arithmetic, not even STEM. The millers submit periodic reports to government, which should also know the regular demand of consumers, from food processors to bottlers of sugared drinks, to bakers and confectioners, to the ordinary family.Unfortunately in this country, people do not care about numbers. That is either because they cannot do simple arithmetic (haven’t you noticed how tinderas in wet markets need a calculator to do simple ad dition and multiplication, which seniors like me can compute faster?) or they simply conclude that the “usual suspects” are mak ing hay while they suffer. But if you read through this article, you will easily spot what needs to be done by our legislators, from amending the charter and responsibilities of the Sugar Regula tory Administration, to changing the millerplanter sharing which gives no incentives to modernize milling facilities, to doing away with the US sugar quota, and many more reforms.President Marcos Jr. has so much in his plate, and that’s in agriculture alone. So many problems. Wait till a strong typhoon comes around in September or October, when palay harvests come around. Huwag naman sana!
Chief
Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip, Charles and the couple’s two chil dren, Prince William, 15, and Prince Harry,
‘People’s princess’ Britain awakes in mourning. Tearful Lon doners start to lay flowers in front of Buck ingham Palace and Kensington Palace, the princess’s residence. Tony Blair, the new Labor prime minister, pays an emotional homage to “the people’s princess.”Theroyal family, as usual, goes to church on Sunday morning. Diana is not mentioned in the service, for fear of upsetting her chil dren.The family clash over how to treat Diana in death, as she was no longer an official roy al. Charles insists on using the royal plane to collect her body in person, against the initial wishes of Queen Elizabeth. The press is the first to be accused. Di ana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, says newspapers have blood on their hands. Rattled, the British tabloid press tries to minimize the damage over the coming days. It lionises Diana and turns its attention on the“Bornroyals.a Lady. Became our Princess. Died a Saint,” writes the Daily Mirror. Popular grief The popular fervour grows. Well-wishers queue for up to 11 hours to sign the books of condolence.Organizing the funeral proves complex. Since her divorce, Diana was no longer known as “Her Royal Highness” and did not have the right to a state funeral, although she still had the title of princess. But Britons call for a tribute worthy of their “queen of hearts.” Royal silence Anger mounts at the silence of the royal family, who are still holed up in the Scottish Highlands. Newspapers vent fury that the British flag is not flying at half-mast over Buckingham Palace and call on Queen Elizabeth to return to London and address her subjects. AFP Full version on www.manilastandard.net
GUESS who’s laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of poor college students?
Chair Prospero de Vera III said his office takes Hontiveros’ allega tions “seriously” and that he was ready to meet with the senator and clarify her concerns.Headded that the “questionable releases” have been answered by CHEd-UniFAST in its reply to the COA report. We really hope that the Senate inves tigation will ferret out the truth as many students coming from the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors desperately need financial assistance to continue and finish their studies for them to se cure a better future for them and their families.
Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 B1
The COA report said UniFAST had P3.4 billion worth of “delayed and nonsubmissions of billings and documents” to SUCs and local universities and col leges for a period of 20 to 44 months. UniFAST also posted some P1 bil lion in “unimplemented and unreverted funds” for the student loan program (SLP), and another P1 billion in “de layed release of financial benefits.”
Rolando G. Opinion
all departments),
Diana’s death: Week of grief that shook British monarchy
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Floor Aklan Polyclinic & Drugstore, Goding Ramos Street, Kalibo, Aklan. hard copies at the Asia Pacific Medical Center - Aklan at the Office of the Company located in 2nd Validation of proxies
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“Lingering worries over US rate hike plans weighed on the market,” said Hiromi Kanamaru, senior strate gist at Daiwa Securities. Tokyo closed down 0.5 percent and Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei also fell while Seoul, Sydney and Wellington rose. “Asian markets have turned risk-averse ahead of the Jackson Hole meeting,” Natixis economist Gary Ng said. With AFP
(MS-AUG. 24 & 25, 2022) Manila
15
Stockholders’ Meeting IV. Presentation
3.
Per SEC Memorandum No. 06-2020, stockholders may attend and participate in the Annual Stockholders Meeting through and other remote or means of If wish to attend through kindly inform the ZHANIKA MARIE O. CARBONELL Corporate Secretary P.S. documents may be accessed through any of the following: 1. Go to the CIP website via this link: https://www.chemphil.com.ph/main_cip.htm; and; 2. Go to the PSE EDGE portal via https://edge.pse.com.ph/ (MS-AUG. 24 & 25, 2022)
5. Election of Directors 6. Ratification of the Board Resolution Amending the Amended Articles of Incorporation to Change the Primary Purpose 7. Appointment of External Auditor 9. New Business8. Unfinished Business 10. Adjournment If you are unable to attend the meeting, please accomplish the proxy form . . ., and present the same to the Corporate Secretary/Assistant Corporate Secretary or their representatives not later than 6:00 p.m. on 9 September 2022, for validation purposes. The validation of proxies shall be conducted on 9 September 2022 at at the 7th Floor Boardroom, Chemphil Building, 851 A. Arnaiz Avenue, Legaspi Village, Makati City. Please take note that the proxy executed by a corporation should be in the the said corporate officer(s) to execute the said proxy.a Corporate Secretary’s certificate quoting the board resolution authorizing proxy form executed by a duly authorized corporate officer accompanied by form of a Board resolution duly certified by the Corporate Secretary or in a
COVID-19 global pandemic and government policies on quarantine and health protocols, the Company will once again conduct a virtual annual stockholders’ meeting. The conduct of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting will be thru Zoom Teleconference on 15
2022. Participants may send in questions or remarks via Company’s email asiapacificmedicalcenter.aklan@yahoo. com If you wish to cast your votes as a stockholder, you may vote remotely or in absentia, or through proxy.
Stockholders
Company’s
V.
Gibraltar gets 63 bids for Russian superyacht
10
SHARE prices rose slightly Wednesday on mild bargain hunting after two days of losses, with traders picking up select blue chips.ThePhilippine Stock Exchange Index added 25.07 points, or 0.4 percent, to 6,643.45 on a value turnover of P5.4 billion. Gainers beat losers, 119 to 74, with 42 issuesMajorunchanged.property developer Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group climbed 3.4 percent to P28.80, while Se curity Bank Corp., the eighth biggest lender in terms of assets, advanced 2.8 percent to P91. BDO Unibank Inc. of the Sy Group, the largest lend er, increased 1.6 percent to P127, but Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp. fell 1.2 percent to P1.65. The rest of Asian markets were mostly lower on Wednesday as investors await news on the next US interest rate hikes. With the Jackson Hole meeting of central bankers this week, focus is on what US Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell will say about plans to tackle high prices—with many fearing officials could send the economy into recession in its battle to rein in inflation. The Fed “is probably going to use this weekend to reiterate the fact that rates have more room to climb because they really want to bring inflation down,” Kel vin Tay, Asia-Pacific chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, told Bloomberg TV. Central banks face a delicate balancing act between battling inflation, with Russia’s war in Ukraine sending energy prices soaring, and avoiding recession. “With European gas prices continuing to trade at record highs, investor anxiety is growing that a combination of central banks raising rates and higher energy prices will tip the global economy into a long recession,” said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson. Wall Street ended mostly lower, and key markets in Asia followed suit. Tokyo started in positive territory but the upward drive was short-lived.
CHARDONNAY HARVEST. Winegrowers load a traditional wine press with Chardonnay grapes for Champagne wine during the harvest, in Montgueux, central France, on August 23, 2022. AFP
the
III.
Business THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 || B3 extrastory2000@gmail.com Stocks up slightly; Ayala Land climbs MOSTVOLUMEACTIVEVALUE (PHP) 1 ICT 1,870,660 345,196,426 2 BDO 1,843,570 234,347,284 3 ALI 5,811,800 166,252,720 4 CNVRG 6,824,400 127,780,862 5 SPNEC 76,471,000 126,700,770 6 SMPH 3,369,400 122,991,785 7 SECB 1,293,320 117,284,597 8 TEL 66,600 115,226,125 9 JFC 473,880 110,350,240 10 EMI 5,177,400 108,668,085 TOP LASTGAINERS % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 1 MJC 1.5 0.21 16.28% 2 PHR 1.08 0.15 16.13% 3 ATNB 0.475 0.055 13.10% 4 SOC 0.61 0.07 12.96% 5 LAND 1 0.09 9.89% 6 OPMB 0.012 0.001 9.09% 7 ACEX 16.88 1.34 8.62% 8 MAH 0.89 0.06 7.23% 9 PMPC 5.95 0.39 7.01% 10 PAL 6 0.34 6.01% TOPPRICELASTLOSERS%CHANGECHANGE 1 ABG 3.71 -0.38 -9.29% 2 CPM 2.52 -0.2 -7.35% 3 GPH 10.22 -0.78 -7.09% 4 HOME 4.29 -0.31 -6.74% 5 APVI 14.32 -0.96 -6.28% 6 PRMX 2.43 -0.11 -4.33% 7 CNPF 24.5 -0.95 -3.73% 8 MVC 5.2 -0.2 -3.70% 9 FOOD 0.53 -0.02 -3.64% 10 ABSP 12 -0.36 -2.91% PSEi August 24, 2022
Annual
and Financial Statements VI. Election
AFP
CHONGQING, China—China’s autumn harvest is under “severe threat” from high temperatures and drought, authorities have warned, urging action to protect crops in the face of the country’s hottest summer on record.The world’s second-largest economy has been hit by record temperatures, flash floods and droughts this summer—phenomena that scientists have warned are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. Southern China has recorded its longest sustained period of high temperatures and sparse rain since records began more than 60 years ago, the agriculture ministry said. Four government departments issued a no tice on Tuesday urging the conservation of “every unit of water” to protect crops. “The rapid development of drought su perimposed with high temperatures and heat damage has caused a severe threat to autumn crop production,” the statement said. China produces more than 95 percent of the rice, wheat and maize it consumes, but a re duced harvest could mean increased demand for imports in the world’s most populous country—putting further pressure on global supplies already strained by the conflict in Ukraine.Temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) have led multiple Chinese provinces to impose power cuts, as cities struggle to cope with a surge in demand for electricity that is partly driven by people cranking up the air conditioning. The megacities of Shanghai and Chongqing have cut outdoor decorative lighting, while authorities in Sichuan province have im posed industrial power cuts after water levels dropped at key hydroelectric plants. The searing heat is also drying up the criti cal Yangtze River, with water flow on its main trunk about 50 percent lower than the aver age over the last five years, state media outlet China News Service reported last week. ‘Worst heatwave ever’ In Chongqing, where more than 1,500 peo ple were evacuated after hot and dry condi tions sparked multiple wildfires, locals were struggling.“Ifeeltoo hot to sleep every night, and I’m awakened by the heat every morning,” Xu Jinxin, a 20-year-old student, told AFP. “Because of the electricity shortage, we don’t leave the air conditioner on all day but rather turn it off once it’s cooled down a bit.” The national meteorological service re newed its warnings for drought and high tem peratures on Tuesday, calling for 11 provincial governments to activate emergency responses. Authorities have already turned to cloud seeding—a method to induce rainfall—in parts of the country. State broadcaster CCTV published foot age this month showing meteorological staff shooting catalyst rockets into the sky and fire fighters transporting water to farmers in need.
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Inc. (the “Company”) will
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“This is the worst heatwave ever record ed,” climate and energy expert Liu Junyan of Greenpeace East Asia told AFP. “Climate science shows extreme heat is be coming exponentially worse,” she said. hereby given that the Meeting of of Asia Pacific Medical Center (APMC)-Aklan be held on September, Thursday, 9AM. The meeting conducted at link provided in the website at http://www.asiapacificmedicalcenter-aklan.com/. The Agenda* of the meeting is as follows: Call to Order Proof of Notice of Meeting and Declaration of Quorum Reading and Approval of the Minutes of the Previous of the President’s Report Presentation and Approval of the 2021 Annual Report of the Members of the Board of Directors continuing Sept before Sept Voting by remote communication or in absentia may be done using the online voting portal. Online voting is available to stockholders who register through the portal starting on 5 Sept 2022, 0800H until 9 Sept 2022, 1700H The procedures for attendance and voting during the 2022 ASM will be send to your email after successful registration and posted in Company’s website. Stockholders may send their duly accomplished proxies on or before 1700H of 8 Sept 2022 to the Corporate Secretary through email at asiapacificmedicalcenter.aklan@yahoo.com and will be on 9 Sept 2022 at the Office of the Company Marsha Lourdes P. Conanan-Morato, MD rationale for each Agenda item is explained in the attached Annex “A” Standard TODAY 24 August 2022 To the ChemicalStockholdersIndustries of the Philippines, Inc. Subject: Annual Stockholders’ Meeting and Gentlemen:
AFP Manila Standard TODAY NOTICE AND AGENDA OF THE 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS NOTICE is
I.
China warns of ‘severe’ threat to harvest from worst heatwave
2022 and stockholders may attend by registering on or
*The
NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of Chemical Industries of the Philippines (CIP) will be held on 15 September 2022 at 9:00 a.m. to be conducted virtually, to consider the following Calling the Roll Presentation of Secretary’s Due Notice of the Meeting Reading and Disposal of Any Minutes Presentation of the 2021 Annual Reports
Unapproved
teleconferencing, videoconferencing
Corporate Secretary at least five (5) business days prior to 15 September 2022 so that the proper link may be sent to you. transfer five (5) business days prior to the meeting, or from 26 August 2022 The Stock and Transfers Books of the corporation shall be closed for to 15 September 2022. Immediately after the Stockholders’ Meeting, the Organizational Meeting of the Board of Directors will follow. . . Thank you. Very truly yours, (sgd.) ATTY.
II.
VII. Ratification of the Acts, Resolutions and Proceedings of the Board of Directors, CorporateOfficers and Management from 2021 up to September 15, 2022. VIII. Appointment of External Auditor IX. Construction and Interior Design Update X. Other Matters XI. Adjournment Only stockholders on record as of August 26, 2022 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at this Inmeeting.lightof the
GIBRALTAR, United Kingdom—Gibraltar has received dozens of bids after putting a Russian oligarch’s seized superyacht on auction, a court in the British enclave said Tuesday.“Sixty-three bids have been received,” bil lionaire businessman Dmitry Pumpyansky’s luxury vessel, the court said in a statement. Bidding is now closed. The winner will be selected by the enclave’s Admiralty Marshall. The transaction is expected to be completed within two weeks after which the sale value will be disclosed. The auction does not include an estimated 150,000 euros worth of wine and other bot tles which were aboard the yacht when it was seized.AGibraltar court ordered the sale of the su peryacht, which was seized in March under sanctions imposed on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. Authorities in the tiny British enclave on the southern tip of Spain impounded the 72-me ter (236-foot) vessel My Axioma following a complaint filed by US bank JP Morgan. In December 2021, the lender granted a loan of 20.5 million euros ($21.7 million) to a com pany registered in the British Virgin Islands whose shareholders included a Cypriot firm owned by Pumpyansky. JP Morgan considered the inclusion of Pumpyansky on Britain’s sanctions list a breach of the loan contract since it led to the freezing of his assets. As a result, the bank asked authorities to seize the Malta-flagged yacht, which was listed as one of the loan guarantees, and requested that it be sold to repay the loan. Gibraltar’s Supreme Court will decide how to distribute the auction funds, by determining “the priority of claims brought by creditors” of the Russian oligarch. AFP People are seen on the driedup riverbed of the Jialing river, a tributary of the Yangtze River, in southwesternChina’scityofChongqingonAugust24,2022.
PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, August 24, 2022 25.076,643.45PTS. F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 Currency Unit US Dollar Peso United States Dollar 1.000000 56.1070 Japan Yen 0.007274 0.4081 UK Pound 1.176900 66.0323 Hong Kong Dollar 0.127449 7.1508 Switzerland Franc 1.037560 58.2144 Canada Dollar 0.766225 42.9906 Singapore Dollar 0.715666 40.1539 Australia Dollar 0.687600 38.5792 Bahrain Dinar 2.653153 148.8605 Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266297 14.9411 Brunei Dollar 0.713114 40.0107 Indonesia Rupiah 0.000067 0.0038 Thailand Baht 0.027697 1.5540 UAE Dirham 0.272279 15.2768 Euro Euro 0.994700 55.8096 Korea Won 0.000745 0.0418 China Yuan 0.146034 8.1935 India Rupee 0.012523 0.7026 Malaysia Ringgit 0.223065 12.5155 New Zealand Dollar 0.616900 34.6124 Taiwan Dollar 0.033185 1.8619 Source: BSP TOTAL VOLUME 47,580603,194,358 TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) 5,444,098,046.42 ADVANCES 119 UNCHANGED 42
THE Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Labor and Employment are working closely to revise the imple menting rules and regulations of the law that created the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.“Thepandemic has shown that work ing from home for BPOs [business process outsourcing] could be a viable alternative. In fact, it’s a preferred alternative by many employees in the BPO sector. And we are addressing that, and there are solutions we are trying to see whether amendment of the law is the more efficient way of doing it,” Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said Wednesday at the opening of the two-day 43rd National Conference for Employers.
SMIC hikes stake in Airspeed Group to 51% to build up logistics business
By Alena Mae S. Flores MGEN Renewable Energy Inc. and Vena Energy said Wednesday their 68-megawatt solar project in Currimao, Ilocos Norte province will be completed this year. The parties recently held a ceremony to lay a time capsule in celebration of the progress of the project. The two companies said they are set to complete energization of the power plant by the end of 2022 and start commercial operations by the first quarter of 2023.
IN BRIEF BusinessRay S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor extrastory2000@gmail.combusiness@manilastandard.net B4 THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 ABS-CBN, TV5 Network ‘pause’ investment deal
The BSP authorized Tonik Digital Bank Inc. and Maya Bank Inc. to operate as digital banks in the first quarter, and Overseas Filipino Bank Inc. of state-run Land Bank of the Philippines and UN Obank Inc. in the second quarter. The BSP issues the certificate of author ity to operate to digital banks that substan tially complied with the conditions for approval and pre-operating requirements. These include capitalization, risk and gov ernance structure and information technol ogy systems, among others. It said the process for securing a cer tificate of authority to operate begins with the application to establish a digi tal bank to be approved by the Mon etaryOnceBoard.approved by the MB, the BSP issues a certificate of authority to reg ister which would be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. After registration and completion of all other requirements, digital banks may then obtain the certificate of au thority to operate from the BSP. Overseas Filipino Bank Inc., Tonik Digital Bank and Maya are now fully operational, while UNObank, Union Digital Bank and GoTyme Bank stat ed limited operations targeting select customers.Operating initially under limited capacity is a conservative approach adopted by digital banks to further ensure that all aspects of their digital operations are ironed out prior to fully launching their services to the public. UNObank, UnionDigital Bank and GoTyme Bank are expected to public ly launch their operations in the second half of this year. Digital banks, unlike brick-and-mor tar banks, have no physical branches. Their financial products and services are processed end-to-end through digi tal platforms or electronic channels. Data showed that from January to June, the volume and value of elec tronic payments and financial ser vices processed through digital banks reached 1.4 million transactions and P8.45 billion, respectively.
MJCI
LAUREATE FOR HUMANITARIANISM. Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry honorary chair and treasurer Dr. Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr. (second from right), who is also the president of Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. and Employers Confederation of the Philippines Inc., on behalf of Sino-Phil Asia International Peace Awards Foundation Inc., presents the nomination letter to Rotary International president-elect Dr. Gordon McInally (right) as Laureate for Humanitarianism on Aug. 17, 2022 at Conrad Hotel Manila. Witnessing the event are SPAIPAFI Philippines board members (from left) Dr. Rhoda Gonzales and Dr. Rose Gonzales.
DTI wants to update PEZA law guidelines
“We are pleased to note that this vital in frastructure project aimed at easing travel achieves another milestone as it reaches 80-percent completion. This inspires op timism for the logistics sector since in a few months’ time, truckers will have a 24/7 alternative route which will enable unim peded delivery of goods,” NLEX president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista said. The segment has on and off ramps and toll plazas along C3 Road and España Bou levard, crosses over the Blumentritt Station of Light Rail Transit Line 1 and Dima salang Bridge and uses steel box girders for its curved and highly-elevated areas. The new road, which is also part of the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, offers a much-need recourse to shorten the travel time of cargoes going to and from the north and south of Luzon.
By Darwin G. Amojelar ABS-CBN Corp. and TV5 Network Inc. said Wednesday they deferred the planned P2.16billion investment deal amid oppositions from certain lawmakers and the National Telecommunications Commission.
By Jenniffer B. Austria MANILA Jockey Club Inc., one of the oldest horse racing clubs in Asia, said Wednesday it is ending its horse racing operations in Cavite province to focus on real estate business. MJCI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors decided not to pursue an application for extension or renewal of its legisla tive franchise, which is set to expire on Oct. 23, 2022. The company, however, said that subject to market conditions, it would file an application for a new horse rac ing franchise either under its own name or through a wholly-owned subsidiary to be formed specifically to engage in the horse-racing business. “Pending said new franchise, the company shall, in the interim, focus on its real estate business, i.e., devel opment and/or leasing of its existing real estate properties,” said MJCI. The MCJI said its board expected no significant impact of the closure of horse racing operations on the com pany’s financial condition. The company said it is generating lease revenues from office buildings in San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park in Carmona, Cavite. MJCI said it was expecting a sub stantial reduction in operating ex penses that would more than offset the loss in horse racing revenues. MJCI was established in 1867 and con ducts horse racing activities in Carmona, Cavite where it transferred from Manila. The company formed joint venture partnerships with various property developers to develop its former race track in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
By Julito G. Rada THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday it approved the applica tions of two more digital banks, bring ing to six the number of accredited digital lenders in the country.
Ilocos Norte solar farm set to begin operations in 2023
WELLNESS DAY. Metro Pacific Investments Corp. chief finance, risk and sustainability Officer Chaye CabalRevilla (left) and MPIC president, chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan Pangilinan underscore the importance of sustainability initiatives such as National Wellness Day, which is in support of the MVP Group’s GabayKalusugan advocacy focusing on quality and affordable healthcare. Doctors, hospitals and mental health advocates rallied behind the biggest nationwide online medical mission on Aug. 27 and 28.
Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT unit expands data center capacity PLDT Inc. through wholly-owned ICT sub sidiary ePLDT expanded its data center ca pacity to meet the rising demand from local and global enterprises. “We will continue to add more to ensure we are ahead of the demand not only for local enterprises, but also for hyperscalers. This supports the reinforced push of the government, particularly the Department of Trade and Industry, for hyperscaler data centers as the second coming of the BPO industry,” PLDT and Smart Communica tions Inc. president and chief executive Al fredo Panlilio said. Operating 10 Vitro data centers, ePLDT has 4,541 of 6,133 ready racks in service. The ICT arm plans to further expand the capacity of three of its major data centers in Makati, Paranaque and Clark. “We are currently expanding capacity in three of our existing data center sites and building our 11th Vitro data center in Sta. Rosa. The target is to add 1,500 racks by the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 and 1,500 racks by the end of 2023. So all told, you’re looking at an additional 3,000 avail able racks from now until the end of next year,” ePLDT president Viboy Genuino said. Darwin G. Amojelar
“We are looking forward to commencing its operations soon and witnessing how it would help advance economic progress and create better lives for all,” said Meralco PowerGen Corp. president and chief executive JaimeAzurinAzurin.welcomed the support of the local governments of Currimao and Ilocos Norte workers on the ground for the timely accomplishment of the solar project with Vena Energy.
“We are grateful to the government of Currimao and Ilocos Norte for their continued support for our second project here, and we look forward to delivering it on time safely for the benefit of the nation and our host communities,” said Vena Energy Philippines head Samrinder Nehria.
“Take note that the PEZA law was passed when there was no concept of BPOs. [There were] only production plants and industrial companies,” said Pascual. Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the work-from-home arrangement was one of the immediate concerns the depart ment has been working on since the first week of July. Othel V. Campos NLEX Connector nears completion NLEX Corp. said Wednesday the first fivekilometer section of NLEX Connector be tween Caloocan Interchange on C3 Road and the future España Interchange in Ma nila is now 80-percent complete and will make a positive impact on the traffic condi tion in Metro Manila.
“We hope that through our partnership with MGreen, this project will play an important role in accelerating the energy transition in the Philippines,” Nehria said. Among those who attended the event were Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manatoc and Vice Governor Cecillia Araneta-Marcos and Currimao Mayor Edward Quilala and Vice Mayor Sandra Cabreros. MGreen signed a partnership with Vena Energy in February for the solar project’s development, construction and operation.
The BSP issued the certificates of authority to operate to UnionDigital Bank Inc. and GoTyme Bank Corp. on July 12 and 29, respectively.
CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp. said Wednesday it increased its stake in logistics firm AIC Group of Com panies Holding Corp., or Airspeed Group, to 51 percent from 34 percent. SMIC said in a disclosure to the stock ex change its board of directors approved the exercise of option to acquire additional com mon shares in Airspeed, which was founded by businesswoman Rosemarie Rafael. Airspeed will become a subsidiary of SMIC after the latter’s acquisition of the additional stake. SMIC did not provide in formation on the acquisition cost. Airspeed is an end-to-end logistics so lutions and express courier company that has been in operations for more than 35 years.Itprovides freight solutions manage ment that offers a wide range of transport options via air, sea or land. Airspeed also has capabilities to do customized logis tics, warehousing and distribution and customs clearance. The SM Group initially acquired a 34-percent stake in Airspeed in 2018 as part of its expansion in the logistics space. Airspeed in 2021 acquired and opened new offices in Cubao, Quezon City and Bacolod, Negros Occidental to cater to the growing requirements in the logistics and online businesses. It also established new warehouses in Paranaque City and Carmona, Cavite to support e-commerce enabler platforms which in turn reinforce online sellers’ back end Airspeedoperations.launched serval services in cluding Speedgifts, an online gifting platform for global Filipinos who wish to send gifts anywhere in the Philippines; UnboxMe, a cross-border delivery plat form that allows customers to seamlessly shop on U.S. websites and facilitate de liveries to their Philippine addresses; and Pinaspeed, an online pick-up and delivery service which makes sending gifts easier andSMIChassle-free.isone of the country’s largest conglomerates with investments in bank ing, real estate and retail sectors. It also in vests in ventures that capture high-growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.Shareprice of SMIC rose 1.1 percent Wednesday to P851. Jenniffer B. Austria
tohorse-racingleavingconcentrateonrealestate BSP 2applicationsapprovesofdigitalbanks
The two broadcast networks said they agreed to “pause their closing prepara tions” on ABS-CBN’s investment for 35-percent interest in TV5 owned by MediaQuest Holdings Inc. of the Metro Pacific Group “to address the issues which have been raised by certain regu lators and NTC.” The P2.16-billion investment agree ment between ABS-CBN and TV5 was supposed to be completed this month, “subject to obtaining applicable regula tory“Thisapprovals.”pausewill give the space for both media organizations to respond to the issues and accommodate any rel evant changes to the terms,” ABS-CBN said.“Both ABS-CBN and TV5 believe that an agreement between the two media companies will have a favor able impact on Philippine media and on free-to-air television—which re mains the most affordable and exten sive source of entertainment and pub lic service to Filipinos,” ABS-CBN said.SAGIP Party List Rep. Rodante Mar coleta earlier asked the Philippine Com petition Commission and the National Telecommunications Commission to probe the joint venture between ABSCBN and TV5 to prevent a monopoly or consolidation of market power that would lessen competition in the mar ket.TV5 chairman Manuel Pangilinan, in a recent interview, denied the al legation of monopoly, saying that the network was still small compared to the other network, referring to GMA Network“MaliitInc.pa ang TV5. I don’t know why people [think] it’s a major media organization. Its revenue this year will be I think slightly below P2 billion. We are nowhere near GMA, probably less than 10 percent of their revenue,” he said.Terry Ridon, convenor of Infrawatch PH, said the transaction between TV5 and ABS-CBN “does not require the prior approval of Congress as this does not involve the sale of controlling shares of TV5 to another entity.”
THE weather was fair and there was not much wind on the tracks when world no. 3 Ernest John “EJ” Obiena of the Philippines cleared 5.81 meters and finally upstaged no. 2 Chris Nilsen in winning the Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting in Germany on Tuesday (early Wednesday morning, Manila time).
Mikey Williams of the TNT Tropang Giga drives to the lane in between two San Miguel Coliseum.thetitleCupPBA2defendersBeermeninGameoftheirteams’Philippinebest-of-sevenshowdownatSmartAraneta
ECOOIL-La Salle kept its title hopes alive, staving off Marinerong Pilipino with a feisty 70-63 win in Game 2 of the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Finals Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Green Archers unleashed a scorching start but needed one last stand in the crunch to hold off Marinero’s comeback attempt and drag the quick race-to-two titular showdown to a winner-take-all GameWith3. little to no break, both teams go at it one last time next Wednesday at the same venue for all the Michaelmarbles.Phillips led EcoOilLa Salle’s revenge after a close 72-67 loss in Game 1, collaring a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds plus four blocks, while Schonny Winston, Evan Nelle, CJ Austria and Kevin Quiambao provided support down the stretch. Winston added 15 and Austria had 11, while Nelle (8) and Quimbao (6) put on the finishing touches in the last minute for the Taft“Weside.just caught them napping at the start. We came out strong. I know we’re tired as we’re playing almost every day but it’s the mindset for us. We just came out ready and we played our game unlike in the first game where we played tentative,” said coach Derick Pumaren. “I’m proud of the way the boys kept their pressure. We were playing not to lose but we’re able to correct that and make big mistakes.”Withits backs against the wall, EcoOil-La Salle started like a house and fire and raced to an 18-8 lead, setting the tempo that kept Marinerong Pilipino at bay all gameEarlylong.in the fourth, the Green Archers were still up comfortably at 51-41 following Bright Nwankwo’s thunderous dunk before the Skippers came back and uncorked a 21-12 rally capped off by Conference MVP Juan Gomez de Liano’s booming trey in the 1:21 mark to strike within a point, 62-63. Nelle then swished three free throws after Kemark Carino’s foul as Quiambao hit a fadeaway dagger in back-to-back possessions to ice it for EcoOil-La Salle.
La Salle forces deciding Game 3 vs. Marinero
By Peter Atencio
But Obiena failed on his attempt to set a new personal and Asian record of 5.95.Nevertheless, it was Obiena’s fourth gold-medal win this year, to go with three bronzes from 10 outdoor competitions he joined since May. Obiena holds the Asian and national marks of 5.94m, which he set en route to winning the bronze at last month’s World Championships in Oregon. The Germany event was the first of seven competitions lined up for Obiena as he continues his mission of breaching the 6-meter height. The American Nilsen settled for the silver after clearing of 5.71 meters on his second attempt, while Kurtis Marshall of Australia and Bo Kanda Lita Baehre of Germany shared the bronze, also at 5.71 meters, after both made it on their third“Greattries.start for the second part of the season. We got the (gold medal) and we got the standard for next year’s World Champs in Hungary,” said Obiena in his post on ObienaFacebook.willbe at the Athletissima Lausanne next in Switzerland on Friday.
Roosevelt Adams. Completing the squad are Japan B.League’s Kiefer Ravena, Thirdy Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks, Jr., and Dwight Ramos. “We can’t wait to bring the FIBA World Cup to the Philippines on August 25, 2023. To watch the best players in the world—including current NBA greats— means everything for Filipino basketball fans. We at Smart are honored to make this possible,” says Alfredo S. Panlilio, Smart President/CEO and President of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). “To give us a taste of what’s going to happen one year from now, we will host the Gilas vs. Saudi Arabia game on Aug. 29 at the MOA Arena. Our national team will be led by no less than Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto,” added Panlilio. Aside from his roles with Smarst and the SBP, Panlilio also serves as the Chairman Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos and Jordan Clarkson of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 local organizing committee, and the Second Vice President of FIBA Asia Central Board. Ernest John Obiena
DRIVE.BARRELING
FIBA global partner Smart Communications, Inc. has officially begun its year-long countdown to the muchanticipated Philippine hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 with a glimpse of world-class basketball action from the FIBAWC Asian Qualifiers Window 4 games that will pit Gilas Pilipinas against Lebanon on Aug 26 at 2 a.m. and Saudi Arabia on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. In time for the countdown, Gilas Pilipinas announced that NBA star Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto of the Adelaide 36ERS will be suiting up for the FIBAWC Window 4 games, which will be streamed live on the Smart GigaPlay App. Fans may also experience the Gilas vs. Saudi Arabia action live at the Mall of Asia Arena on Aug. 29 (Monday). Joining Clarkson and Sotto in the Gilas Pilipinas 13-man team bound for Lebanon are current stars from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) led by reigning league MVP Scottie Thompson. Also on the list are Japeth Aguilar, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Carl Tamayo, and free agent
Smart starts year-long countdown to FIBAWC 2023 as Clarkson, Sotto beef up Gilas Pilipinas lineup
Peter Atencio
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 C1 Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor Germany gold aids Obiena’s goal to become world no. 2
Obiena, who was recently reinstated to the Philippine national team, bested two familiar rivals, World Athletics World Championships silver medalist Nilsen and hometown challenger Oleg Zernikel. Sweden’s Armand Duplantis is far ahead in the pole vault rankings with 1612 points, while Nilsen is at 1435 points, a more realistic target for Obiena, who has 1408 points. “EJ’s immediate goal is to pursue in earnest the no. 2 world ranking. Every competition is different in outdoor with differing weather and wind conditions. Sometimes, you go for height, other times simply to win. (But) Importantly, EJ won gold last night,” said Obiena’s adviser and main supporter James Lafferty The 26-year-old Obiena could have gone up to a higher elevation if conditions were right and with the temperature hovering between 11*C and 15*C, and with northerly winds going down to 5 kph as the night went on.
THE first-ever Philippine Intercollegiate Badminton Championships will serve as a preseason tournament for the upcoming UAAP and NCAA seasons later this year. The tournament, organized by Philippine Badminton Association, co-presented by SMART, and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, will be on September 10 and 11 to be held at Centro Atletico in Cubao, Quezon City. “The main objective of this tournament is to give another avenue for our athletes at our collegiate level,” said Project Director Imee Moreno in the press conference held at Gloria Maris in San Juan on Wednesday.“Asweall know here in the Philippines there are very few avenues... that can serve as their training ground,” added Moreno, who is also serving as a councilor in Cagayan de Oro City. Also attending the announcement were PBAD Secretary-General Christopher Quimpo; PBAD Vice President and PLDT/SMART Head of Sports Jude Turcuato; and SMART Communications FVP for Go-To-Market Melvin Nubla. The league is targeting eight competing universities and colleges but has yet to divulge which schools will participate. However, they said most teams from the UAAP have already verballySMARTcommitted.willcontinue to partner with PBAD in promoting badminton, this time entering collegiate levels, after the Philippines’ hosting of the 2022 Badminton Asia Championships last April. “SMART is here to support the initiatives of PBAD especially since we started already with Badminton Asia a few months ago,” said“WithNubla.the opening of the classes also happening, we decided to really work with PBAD to have a preseason badminton tournament.” This will also serve as a jumpstart to the national badminton rankings, according to Turcuato, who is also the executive director of the TheMVPSF.organizers agreed to waive the registration fee for all participating schools.
Sports
LEBANON banked on the heroics of Bryan Mansour to ease out the Philippines, 99-83, on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship at the Azadi Basketball Hall in Tehran, Iran. Mansour knocked in a gamehigh 28 points and his gamelong presence enabled the Lebanese side to barge into the semifinals with China, which ousted Qatar, 88-44.The Lebanese cagers wasted no time in taking control of the game, with Mansour firing two triples in the first five minutes of the match to move ahead by 10, 15-5. From there, the Lebanon widened their edge to 23, 53-30, at halftime off Karl Zamatta’s jumper with 46 ticks to go. Mansour, who had six triples, scored on another three-pointer with 7:20 left, giving Lebanon its biggest lead, 93-56. Team Philippines will now fight for its rightful place in the classification stage with Qatar. Mason Amos, who shot 28 points when he led the Philippines to an 84-73 stopping of Chinese Taipei, banged in 11 points this timeHisaround.teammates Kyle Gamber and Manuel Pablo contributed 11 pointsGilasapiece.entered the game confident after pulling off a three-game sweep of Group C, blasting Syria, 112-48, swamping Qatar, 77-61 and whipping Chinese Taipei, 84-73. The loss ended the Philippines’ chances of snaring one of the four Asian slots for the 2023 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary next year.
Michael Phillips led EcoOil-La Salle’s revenge after a close loss in Game 1, collaring a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds plus four blocks. Game 3 Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 12 noon - Marinerong Pilipino vs EcoOil-La Salle
The woman was briefly removed from Centre Court but later returned.Anna Palus accused Kyrgios of making a “reckless and entirely baseless allegation” against her that was broadcast around the world.The player’s claim that she “looks like she’s had about 700 drinks” caused her and her family “very substantial damage and distress”, sheAftersaid.reflecting, she said had “no alternative” but to instruct her lawyers to bring defamation proceedings to clear her name. “The need to obtain vindication, and to prevent repetition of the allegation, are the only reasons for taking legal action,” she added in a statement.“Anydamages recovered will be donated to charity.” She added: “I hope that Mr Kyrgios will reflect on the harm he has caused me and my family and offer a prompt resolution to this“However,matter. if he is unwilling to do this, I am committed to obtaining vindication in the High Court.”
Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets looks set to remain with the Nets after holding talks with the club’s management team, the Nets said in a statement. Durant, who requested a trade from the club on June 30, met Nets chiefs in Los Angeles on Monday to discuss his future.
British media said Palus is a 32-year-old Polish medical lawyer, who insisted she was not drunk and was supporting Kyrgios, not distracting him. The threat of legal action is the latest to hit Kyrgios, who is facing a court hearing in Canberra for allegedly assaulting a former partner.Hehas carved out a reputation as the bad boy of tennis after a series of run-ins with umpires, line judges, spectators and the media. Wimbledon was the world number 26’s first Grand Slam final. He is due to play at the US Open from next week.
Vietnam sweeps South Korea for 3rd AVC Cup victory Spikers from Vietnam foil a smash from South Korea’s Choi Hosun.
The Volkswagen subsidiary is enjoying “high demand” and has an order book covering the next 18 months.
AFP
AFP TIFFANY Nocos and John David Velez set out for another title crack in the premier division as the PPS-PEPP national juniors tennis championships wrap up its Cebu swing beginning today (Thursday, Aug. 24) at the Consolacion courts in Laray, Consolacion. Nocos and Velez shared the 18-andunder honors in varying fashions in the City of Naga leg last leg with the former, a rising star from Lapu-Lapu City, foiling Ormoc’s Kimi Brodeth’s bid for a golden double with a 6-2, 4-6, 10-4 victory. Velez, on the other hand, stopped Mcleen Gomera’s own two-title bid with a clinical 6-2, 6-1 win with the Ormoc City ace going all-out for a third straight crown in the centerpiece category of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop. With Brodeth opting to take a rest after a grueling campaign in the Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Naga stages of the four-leg Cebu tour that netted her four titles, including three in 16-U play, this week’s battle looms to be a tossup between Nocos and Judy Ann Padilla with Juliana Tenepre, Floresque Hingoyon, Dominique Serrato, Amygray Olalo, Jean Sarap and Lea Balacuit out to spoil their projected title clash. Velez also braces for a tougher outing this week with Gomera raring to get back at him while the likes of Hans Cabellon, Ivan Manila, Cyril Paster, Ethan Ondoy, Gerald Gemida and Gio Manito are all coming into the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro ready to stir upTheplay. unranked Tenepre, meanwhile, goes all-out for defense of the 14-U diadem after the Mandaue bet upended a slew of seeded players to reign in Naga while Alexa Cruspero and Donna Mae Diamante gear up for a showdown in girls’ 12 side of the week-long event backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating). Like Velez and Nocos, Gomera tries to extend his run in boys’ 16-U division but expects a formidable challenge from the likes of siblings France and Frank Dilao, Paster and Manila, while the boys’ 14-U class is also likely to produce surprises with its full-packed 64-player roster.
“(Head coach) Steve Nash and I, together with (owners) Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday,” Marks said. “We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to TheBrooklyn.”statement appears to draw a line under the frenzy of speculation surrounding Durant’s future. A slew of teams had reportedly been interested in restructuring their rosters in an effort to accommodate theEarliersuperstar.this month, multiple US reports said Durant had issued an ultimatum to Nets owner Tsai -- telling him to either fire Marks and Nash or grant his request for a trade.
NEWtoDurantYORK—Kevinlookssetremainwith the Brooklyn Nets after holding talks with the club’s management team, the Nets said in a statement on Tuesday.Durant,who requested a trade from the club on June 30, met Nets chiefs in Los Angeles on Monday to discuss his future.Astatement from Nets manager Sean Marks on Tuesday indicated that the 33-year-old 12-time NBA All-Star would remain a Brooklyn player.
FRANKFURT, Germany—Italian sports car maker Lamborghini has already pre-sold the entire production run to early 2024, its boss told AFP on Tuesday, with luxury goods seemingly unaffected by global economic uncertainty.TheVolkswagen subsidiary is enjoying “high demand” and has an order book covering the next 18 months, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said. Wealthy customers are flocking to the brand despite the global financial fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We have more and more stepping into Lamborghini. Because they trust the brand, they see how beautiful the cars are, how (high) performing they are,” Winkelmann said. The global economy only has to “stay a bit stable” for that to continue, he added. The long order times are also the result of a shortage of components, particularly chips needed for new electric models.
Lamborghini is planning a hybrid version of each of its models by 2024 and the first fully electric Lamborghini in the second half of the decade. This is “a lot in just two years” and the company is doing “as much as we can, as fast as we can to keep all the things updated and rolling in a positive way”, Winkelmann said. Lamborghini in early August reported the best half-year in its history with record sales andTheprofits.carmaker’s operating margin reached 32 percent, while operating profit jumped to 425 million euros on 5,090 cars sold. Fellow luxury carmaker Ferrari also posted record results in the second quarter and raised its annual forecast, with orders at record levels. In late July, the world’s top luxury consumer goods group LVMH also reported a jump in sales and profits in the first half of the year despite the uncertain economic
suethreatensspectatorWimbledontoKyrgios Nocos, Velez seek PPS junior repeattenniswins
VIETNAM topped South Korea, 25-13, 25-13, 2516, to end its Pool A campaign with a two-match winning streak Wednesday in the AVC Cup for Women at the Philsports Arena. The Vietnamese turned to Nguyen Thi Uyen, who led the way with 13 points, including two blocks.Vietnam still chalked up its third win in four games even without captain Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, who sat out for this one to keep her fresh in the quarterfinals.Five-timewinner China remains on top of the Pool A table with a perfect 3-0 record. Ly Thi Luyen had four blocks for a 10-point outing, while VI Thi Nhu Quynh chipped in nine points for the Vietnam. Winless in three matches, the Koreans have one final shot to secure a place in the quarterfinals.
Durant to stay with Nets after management talks
SportsTHURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022C2
Lamborghini has already sold all its cars until 2024
South Korea, which is parading high school students in the continental tournament, will face the Philippines in the final day of preliminaries at 7 p.m. Thursday. The young Koreans hope to give the hosts a good fight as they try to capture a quarters’ berth.“We’ve seen them play and they played well against the other team (China on Tuesday night). So our goal for tomorrow is to at least win against the Philippine team,” said South Korea captain Hwang Jimin through an interpreter. “We have to focus on their wing players,” she added, referring to Tots Carlos, Michele Gumabao and Jema Galanza. Choi Hosun paced the Koreans with eight points, while Kim Seyul, fielded in the second and third set, contributed seven kills.
LONDON—Nick Kyrgios is facing potential legal action for defamation from a woman he accused of being drunk and disruptive at this year’s Wimbledon final. During his four-set defeat to Novak Djokovic on July 10, the controversial Australian called on the umpire to eject the spectator.
Durant’s trade demand in June came less than a year after he signed a fouryear $198 million contract extension withHoweverBrooklyn.the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise according to reports, and was eager for a change of scenery.TheNets had hoped to build a superteam around Durant, James Harden and KyrieHoweverIrving.the trio of stars were unable to turn Brooklyn into championship contenders and were swept in the first round of this year’s playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
AFP
The annual award recognizes creators who have embraced the value of TikTok and have created a big impact on the platform in the past year. The network’s news and public affairs accounts Unang Hirit , and 24 Oras were among the nominees for Top Media Publisher award while the GMA Network handle and YouLOL were both nominated for the Top EntertainmentKapusoAward.artists Kyline Alcantara, Althea Ablan, Cassy and Dasuri Choi were likewise some of the contenders for Celebrity of XOXO was also shortlisted for the PPOP Group of the Year award. KMJS, which continues to be a force to be reckoned with on other social media similarlyplatforms,remainstheFilipinos’favoriteSundayviewinghabit on TV.
IWANTTFC’S first original musical series, Lyric and Beat, has viewers singing and dancing to its show-stopping performances ever since it premiered on the streaming platform. The series showcases the powerful vocal numbers and electric dance moves from young, talented artists Andrea Brillantes, Seth Fedelin, Darren Espanto, AC Bonifacio, Kyle Echarri, Sheena Belarmino, Jeremy Glinoga, Angela Ken, and Awra Briguela Viewers are already raving about the first three episodes and have gotten “LSS” (last song syndrome) over songs that have been given a fresh twist such as “Tara Tena,” “Kabataang Pinoy,” “Hindi Kita Iiwan,” and “Patuloy ang Pangarap.” All the songs featured in the series are a part of award-winning composer Jonathan Manalo’s 20-year discography. Nylon Manila magazine called the series “the new gen musical series you’ve been waiting for” and added that it is a palate-cleanser that “looks to give Pinoy musicals its deserved moment in the spotlight.” Village Pipol also praised the show’s feel-good story and called it a “once-in-ablue-moon” series that will leave viewers “stomping your feet to the majestic beat.”
To stream and download:orcd.co/ayusenhttps://
‘Lampas Langit’ director Jeffrey Hidalgo (left) with BermasChristine left)
The fearless women of ‘Lampas Langit’
A&R (Artist & Repertoire) executive Paulo Perez known in the music scene as King Promdi and a member of the famed VVS Collective, is the group’s perfect collaborator for a track bound to make waves in the trap beats populace. The quartet’s single and composition “Ayusen,” described as a modern rendition of a classic story, is now in popular digital stores. It made the cut for Spotify’s Fresh Finds Philippines playlist.“’Ayusen’ goes through many of the tumultuous emotions all of us experience when going through a breakup. It especially calls out how we often look back and wish we could still fix things,” Soultary said of the Musicsong. insiders are vouching for Soultary members Mirikle, Keyaru, L Frost, and Liens who “effortlessly narrate the highs and lows of wanting an explanation, searching for a way to fix things” in their track. “Ayusen” is published by Widescope Entertainment, the mother label of Bandido Rekords. It essentially means the song and the artist behind it are backed by a solid team of music industry experts headed by executive producer Vic de Vera and supervising producer Neil Gregorio King Promdi as the song’s co-producer only enhanced the strength of the single. His skill should definitely benefit the cause of both the new label and its roster of artists. For superior take-off, he vocal engineered, mixed, and mastered the track. Another emo trap enthusiast Chan Beatz is also credited as producer. Sentimental yet upbeat, “Ayusen” provided some profound thoughts to reflect upon, as Soultary implied, “what happens when two people decide to call things quits.”
Nickie Wang Editor
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Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant
Chloe Langit’inonIkemotoandBermas,ChristineJenna,Milanatakedaringroles‘Lampas
By Patricia Taculao JEFFREY Hidalgo had spent several years marketing his psychological thriller Lampas Langit for production. Lucky for him, Vivamax saw the potential for his film and invested in its creation. Hidalgo can’t be happier about his dream finally coming to reality. Apart from a compelling story that spirals around numerous twists and turns, the movie also features known actors such as Baron Geisler and Ricky Davao . Yet, the most gripping performance comes from the three female characters played by Chloe Jenna, Christine Bermas, and Milana Ikemoto The film was mentally, emotionally, and physically demanding, especially with the story’s progress and intense sexy scenes peppered throughout the movie.Hidalgo couldn’t ask for a better cast than the three actresses as they gave him the performance he wanted and realized his vision. In the film, Chloe plays Baron’s wife, Mylene. Their scenes are intense because they don’t have a stable relationship, especially with Jake (Baron) cheating on her with Belle (Christine). Chloe didn’t let the scenes stop her from giving it her all. Before filming the sexy scenes, Hidalgo would first instruct his actresses on what to do and ensure they were comfortable with the circumstances. He commended Chloe, however, for being game at whatever he threw at her. There was one instance during shooting, Hidalgo recalls, when Chloe was so eager to shoot the scene that she was already removing her robe so she could efficiently execute the director’s instructions. Chloe’s character is bipolar, a far cry from her real personality.Chloehas a theater background, which helped her act professionally and effectively despite being her first time working for Vivamax. Other than preparing for her role mentally and emotionally, Chloe also keeps herself fresh before doing scenes with her co-stars as common courtesy.Meanwhile, Christine found the movie more challenging Scorpio , which earned a lot of attention for its daring scenes. She sees it as an acting piece because the story is about manipulation. She describes her character as a “scheming manipulator with her designs on the other characters.”Christine stars alongside veteran actor Ricky, who gave her sound acting advice and treated her like a daughter.Yetanother challenge for Christine was doing an intimate scene with Chloe and Milana because she didn’t feel comfortable doing it with members of the same sex. According to her, they remind her of her female relatives, making it an awkward experience.
Tiktokerist
‘KMJS’ wins Top Media Publisher in TikTok Awards Home Buddies founder launches new community for hangout spot lovers
WITH a new addition to its long list of accolades, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) was hailed as the Top Media Publisher in this year’s TikTok Awards Philippines.Alsothemost followed Philippine news publisher on TikTok, the highly acclaimed news magazine program hosted by GMA News and Public Affairs pillar Jessica Soho has so far amassed over 600 million views with over 3.7 million followers and 48.9 million likes. Its top stories on the platform include the search for the 22-year-old female who mysteriously disappeared in Palawan. These videos have collectively gained over 40.4 million views. “Thank You, Tiktok for this honor and an even bigger Thank You for allowing our content to thrive and flourish in your platform,” said Soho of KMJS’ latest recognition. “To everyone and to all our followers, let’s continue spreading good cheer and good vibes that lift people up as well as correct information that help people cope better during these hard times,” she added. “TikTok has become a source of viral and trending stories that we have featured in the program. Dahil ang TikTok na unang sumikat sa filters and dance challenges, naging platform na rin para ipakita ang husay, talento, at kuwento ng Pilipino – na mapapasabi ka ng ‘i-KMJS Na Yan!,” said GMA Public Affairs Asst. Vice President and KMJS Program Manager Lee Joseph Castel who received the award on behalf of Soho and the KMJS team. GMA Network Senior Assistant Vice President for News and Public Affairs Digital Media Jaemark Tordecilla underscored KMJS’ on air and online presence. “KMJS has always been a trendsetter on any platform, whether it’s television or online, to bring their worldclass brand of storytelling to the widest audiences possible. This award reflects the thrust of GMA News and Public Affairs to bring Serbisyong Totoo to Filipinos everywhere, whatever device they may use.”
NEW record label Bandido Rekords has entered the local music scene to further push for the beats and ideals of hip hop music, its subgenres, and the community in general. Its entry is celebrated in the form of a debut release by a group named Soultary With its common respect and love for Emo Trap which empowers lyricism over a driving beat, Soultary fits the bill in being at the forefront of promoting hip hop in the Bandidocountry.Rekords
Soultary’s ‘Ayusen’ gives birth to hip hop label Bandido Rekords ‘Lyric and Beat’ earns rave reviews for jaw-dropping musical numbers
Lim Cabatuando is behind Home Buddies Hangouts, a newest Facebook Community for go-to sources for authentic finds and reviews GMA News and Public Affairs pillar and KMJS host Jessica Soho. KMJS is the Top Media Publisher in this year’s TikTok Awards Philippines
Entertainment THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 C3 E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com
Seth respectivelyon-screenBrillantes(left)FedelinandAndreashareaspecialbondasBeatandLyric, The hopintotrapanticipatescommunitymusicemoactSoultarymakewavesthelocalhipscene
Along with Lyric and Beat’s musical madness, viewers also sang praises for the series on social media for its captivating storyline with an inspiring message to never give up on one’s dreams. In the current story, Lyric (Andrea) and Beat’s (Seth) Team Werpa is practicing hard as they prepare for a group showdown against the famous Prime Belters, which is led by their team captain Jazz (Darren). Amidst the rivalry between the two groups, a special bond seems to be developing between Lyric and Beat as they help each other succeed in school. Which team will earn the right to represent their school in the highlyanticipated grand national competition? Stream new episodes of Lyric and Beat for free every Friday on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and website (iwanttfc.com).
Although it was Christine’s first time doing such a scene, she found comfort in the fact that it was her co-stars’ first time as well. With Hidalgo’s guidance, she learned to conquer the uneasiness and do the scene.Milana, who played Ginny in the movie, shared that despite having only a short screen time, she found inspiration from her character. She admires Ginny’s openness as a person and hopes she can channel that energy when suitable opportunities come her way. The movie will take viewers on a journey as they discover the truth about themselves in a variety of plot twists that add to the story’s charm. Lampas Langit premiered last August 19 and is now available exclusively to stream on Vivamax.
NYMA Talent Mayora Frances Lim Cabatuando of Home Buddies is expanding her online city. Home Buddies Hangouts is an expansion of the massively successful Home Buddies Facebook Community.HomeBuddies, a Facebook community born during the pandemic was created with one goal in mind – to inspire and equip Filipinos with ideas on how they can live and work comfortably while stuck at home. Home Buddies has been and continues to be a massive success and is now the largest Facebook Community in the APAC region (excluding India), with a community of 3 million online neighbors. It has also been awarded over $80,000 in funding from Meta’s Facebook’s 2021 Community Accelerator Program. Mayora Frances Lim Cabatuando hopes to keep this momentum going with Home Buddies Hangouts, her newest Facebook Community.“Frommerely being a home enthusiasts group, Home Buddies has become one of Filipinos’ go-to sources for authentic finds and reviews. Since we’ve been successful in helping Filipinos navigate the pandemic home improvement era, we believe there’s a role for us to play in helping them enter this revenge travel phase. The goal of Home Buddies Hangouts is to inspire better vacations, with strong focus on better accommodations. Because we believe that the best trip is a well-rested one.” Cabatuando said. As a community leader for a positive impact on society, Cabatuando also sees how Home Buddies Hangouts can give the local tourism industry a boost. Home Buddies is known to be a hugely influential group, especially in the Metro where it has caused product shortages and trending hashtags like #TeamPuti and #TeamKahoy through its members. Home Buddies Hangouts aims to replicate the same success for travel and hangout spots. “This idea has been brewing at the back of my mind. I always knew I’d expand to Hangouts because I personally enjoy traveling and I’m seeing the sentiments of people about missing travel. I just needed to find the perfect timing, and now seems to be it,” Cabatuando said. Home Buddies Hangouts soft-launched on April 17, 2022 while Cabatuando was finding a place to celebrate her brother’s 21st birthday. She was lucky to find a secret lake house in Pililia, Rizal that has not been listed on travel apps yet. Cabatuando adds, “I think people are seeing the merit of this little big travel group. In 2 months, we’re now at 20,000 members and over 300 posts. We’ve actually already given out two overnight stays, one in Cavite and one in Quezon City. More to come as we continue to grow.”Join the rapidly growing Home Buddies Hangouts now via Buddieshomebuddieshangoutsfacebook.com/groups/orsearch“HomeHangouts”underGroups.MayoraFrancesLimCabatuando,who is also a TV host, is one of the exclusive talents under NYMA, a talent agency focused on nurturing trailblazers to break through all media spaces. She currently posts regular vlogs on her channels: youtube.com/c/NobiHome on YouTube and facebook.com/MayoraFrances on Facebook.Makesure to watch her on Piesilog every morning from 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. only on the newest interactive channel, PIE. NYMA’s vision is to be the home of the best Filipino talents in the country and the world. The agency is one of the eight brands under tradigital entertainment company KROMA. To know more about NYMA, visit nyma.ph.
Championing good health at affordable cost
The National Museum of Singapore opened its doors for free to the public featuring live performances, storytelling sessions through films, and scavenger hunts among many other activities as part of the country’s National Day Celebrations.
Kuya Kim is an advocate for health and wellness and is the new ambassador of Watsons Brand Vitamin B Complex
The art of slow traveling
IT’S ALL systems go for the biggest na tionwide online medical mission, “Na tional mWellness Day,” on August 27 to 28, mounted by Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s health app, mWell. Fully endorsed by all the celebrity moth ers who have pledged their full support to the mWell advocacy right from the start, the “National mWellness Day” brings to gether volunteer doctors and health practi tioners nationwide to provide free online consultation to Filipinos from all parts of theNowcountry.inits second year, National mWell ness Day is even bigger, bringing together more doctors from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Filipinos nationwide can con sult with a range of doctors on the mWell app where they can receive free quality health consultations from general practi tioners, specialists, and mental health ex perts.This advocacy initiative is part of MPIC’s sustainability mission to bring healthcare closer to more Filipinos nation wide.The annual event, which began in Sep tember 2021, is built on compassion that cures. Using digital technology through the mWell PH app, access to healthcare is made more convenient, just like any on-ground face-to-face medical mission but from the comfort and security of your home.This year, as our countrymen rebuild their lives in the new normal, primary care, specialized doctors and mental health experts will be a few taps away, ready to provide much-needed medical advice. Booking fees and doctor fees will be waived from August 27 to 28. On top of the free consultation, the first one hundred patients will receive vitamin vouchers from MedExpress and Watsons, with free shipping. They will also be given free laboratory exams in cluding x-ray and complete blood count, and emergency outpatient coverage val id for one year.
Kuya Kim with Watsons Team
The National Museum of Singapore
AFEW years ago, I read about a Facebook friend’s post about how she was relishing her slow travel abroad with her family. I was fascinated and at the same time desirous knowing that such privilege is not given to However,everyone.itdoesn’t and shouldn’t stop us from aiming for something we want and working towards it. Indeed, not everyone, no matter how much we want it can simply take off, and travel for weeks or months. Life sets us back. That’s just a fact for many. But one can plan. I look at slow traveling as a kind of silent revolution, some sort of protest (against) the soul-crushing, body-burning fast traveling, which is counterproductive to what traveling should be. Travel should allow your body to rest and relax, inspire you, and awaken your creative spirit. Or at least that is how it should be to me. The web defines slow travel as “an ap proach to travel that emphasizes connection: to local people, cultures, food, and music.” Further, it explores the idea that a trip is edu cational, that it should leave an emotional impact, and that one must be conscious about doing the part in making or leaving a sustainable footprint for the local communi ties and the environment. I know, big words. Simply put, slow travel means going back to the roots of why we travel. It’s not just about you— it’s also about the people and the communities you visit. I liken it to hiking where one is encouraged to — as the popu lar quote goes — ‘Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.’On a more personal level, slow travel should take off travel fatigue and whatever it is that (proverbially) ails the body as you ful ly immerse yourself in various experiences. If I were to take slow traveling in that sense, then perhaps, what I am doing now is slow traveling. As I write this, I am well into my second week here in Sin gapore. I sit by the win dow from the 11th-floor apartment in one of the several mid-rise buildings in an area outside the bus tling business districts of the city, which is minutes away by its efficient Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). On the couch and small work tables arranged in the living area are my friend and her housemates, all hunched over their computers; we are all working in silence and harmony. The pandemic has introduced the hybridwork set-up, and for many, it has allowed them to travel and work at the same time. I know a few new friends here who are employed in the Philippines but have been “working from home” in SG for a few months already. It can be done, although it’s not for everyone, and not all prefer it anyway. This slow-paced kind of traveling has al lowed me to fully appreciate this neighbor of my home country. When work is still hours away, and I have a bit of time to explore the city, I look for a new cafe to try, put on my shades, observe my surround ings, and take all the beauty in. My last visit here last June where I only stayed for five days did not allow me to rel ish my favorite spots. So far, my favorite places to explore on foot are Chinatown and the Bugis area. I don’t have a solid itinerary, and that’s the point. I don’t have to pressure myself into following a rigid schedule, something I am used to in my previous travels. Yesterday, my friend and I were thinking of going to a nearby hot spring and eco-park, we ended up taking a long walk in this nice community park at the back of the apartment building she’s living in. We have plans of hiking in one of the many eco-trails in and outside the city, but we will do it when “the weather is right.” Last weekend, the National Museum of Singapore opened its doors for free to the public featuring live performances, storytell ing sessions through films, and scavenger hunts among many other activities as part of the country’s National Day Celebrations. We happened to be free that day, so we were able to enjoy these activities. The country has been allowing live events and gatherings, while still putting in place safety measures against COVID. The CO VID cases here have been steadily dropping, mainly because the people and the govern ment work together, perhaps something we should learn from as Filipinos. This is just one of the many observations this slow trav eling had afforded me. As days roll on, I get to learn more about the diverse mix of people that make up the society here, their culture, and the places I have been to. I’m certain, there is much more to learn and see. Perhaps, I’ll tell you more about it next time. For now, if slow traveling is something you have been meaning to do, it is my hope that you get to plan and do it soon. A life well lived is a job well done. For feedback, you may email the author at joba.botana@gmail.com
The Chinatown was extra colorful during the National Day of Singapore on August 9 At the end of Pagoda street in Chinatown, you will see Sri Mariamman Temple, the city’s oldest Hindu temple built in 1827 The Chinatown is one of the author’s favorite areas to explore in Singapore
LifeC4 THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 Nickie Wang Editor Joba Botana, Associate Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com
MPICmWellPresident, Chairman and CEO, Manny V. Pangilinan with Chaye Cabal-Revilla, Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer of MPIC
TELEVISION personality Kim Atienza believes that it’s good to be part of a company with advocacies that center on making Filipino lives better. Thus, when he was asked to be part of Watsons Philippines, he said yes“It’simmediately.anhonor, a privilege, and a re sponsibility to be included in their ros ter of endorsers. First, I have to live up to their advocacy and to the principle behind it which is to lead a healthy life,” he told Manila Standard Life in anTheinterview.husband and dad, athlete and TV personality has previously opened up about health issues that he“Therefaced. was a time in my life when I was so busy with that I neglected my diet. I didn’t do any physical activity beyond getting up and going to work,” heAftersaid. his 2010 stroke, Kuya Kim changed his life habits. He ate better and started exercising regularly. These days, he starts the morning with an hour on the NordicTrack treadmill. A triathlete, Kuya Kim also bikes and runs.He is also an advocate for health and wellness and is the new ambassador of Watsons Brand Vitamin B Complex. “I take my vitamins and supple ments every day, especially Vitamin B Complex. With this partnership, I want to tell people that it does not cost a lot to be healthy. Anyone can Switch and Save to Watsons Vitamin B Complex, which is of high qual ity and affordable,” said Kuya Kim. Vitamin B Com plex is composed of eight vitamins, in cluding thiamine, ri boflavin, niacin, pan tothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, and cobalamin. As the building blocks of a healthy body, Vitamin B Complex has a direct impact on en ergy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism. It is vital in maintaining good health and overall wellness and helps repair damaged cells and keeps the nervous system healthy.
Chaye Cabal-Revilla, Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer of MPIC, said that this advocacy shows mWell’s compassion in action, “Healthcare is a basic right. Our advocacy of bringing healthcare closer to more Filipinos is part of our sustainability anchor. We are truly passionate about making a difference in the lives of our countrymen through our responsive, highly convenient platform.” National mWellness Day is in support of the MVP Group’s Gabay Kalusugan ad vocacy focusing on quality and affordable healthcare. MPIC President, Chairman and CEO, Manny V. Pangilinan says, “Filipinos now have better access to healthcare through mWell’s integrated digital healthcare ecosystem with a wide and sustainable network of medical ex perts and services.” Along with hundreds of volunteer doc tors nationwide, National mWellness Day is supported by top insurance compa nies—PhilCare and Generali, pharmacy partners MedExpress and Watsons, mental health experts from Mind Nation, doctors from Makati Medical Center Founda tion and Makati Medical Center Wellness Center. MPIC Foundation is also in full support of the advocacy. mWell’s diverse partnerships give better access to health care for all as a fully integrated healthcare platform. Be a volunteer doctor Doctors and clinics all over the coun try are welcome to be part of the National mWellness Day to reach more patients nationwide and provide them with acces sible, responsive, and convenient medical care. It takes less than an hour to sign up via www.mwell.com.ph Only PRC ID is required.Bybecoming an mWell partner doctor even after the event day, doctors can widen their patient base and consult at their con venience. For regular consultations, doc tors can charge their own professional fee without any deductions. They can also en joy an exclusive high-speed internet plan from PLDT Home Fibr: 100mbps for only P1499. Plus, get free EMR and clinic man agement system powered by mWellMD. mWell provides training and technical op erations support to ensure smooth consul tations via the app. Security measures are in place to ensure data privacy. Marketing programs and PR support are provided constantly to bring in more patients from different areas of the country. As a fully integrated health app, mWell allows doctors to conveniently issue eprescriptions, medical certificates, and laboratory requests.
mWell is committed to work towards the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. It also sup ports the MVP Group’s Gabay Kalusugan advocacy focusing on quality and afford ableThehealthcare.National mWellness Day online medical mission is just a few taps away on your mobile gadgets. Just download the mWell PH app and register, choose from the roster of hundreds of volunteer primary care and specialized doctors and avail of the free consultation. Download the mWell PH app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
mWell mounts biggest online medical mission
Health practitioners for
With the purpose of letting Filipi nos know that high prices should not stop them from taking care of their health, Switch and Save offers high quality, effective and affordable prod ucts that were created with customer care and satisfaction in mind. Switch and Save is Watsons’ lon gest-running campaign, marking its 10th year in the Philippines this year. Switch and Save encourages every one to make the switch to Watsons brand essentials and enjoy up to 80 percent savings on top-quality prod ucts. Watsons brand offers thousands of products covering all categories— from health essentials, personal care, skin care, baby care, paper goods and cotton, hair care, and more. With more than 900 stores nation wide, Watsons Philippines celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and will open its 1000th store in the Philippines by yearend. For more information, follow @wat sonsph on Instagram, like and follow Watsons PH on Facebook and follow @watsonsphilippines on TikTok.
