Manila Standard - 2022 September 26 - Monday

SUPER Typhoon “Karding” was on its way out of the Philippines on Monday morning after its "explosive intensification" on Sunday gave way to its weakening to typhoon level as it crossed and exited the Luzon landmass overnight, the state weather bureau said.

Karding (international name: Noru) was packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 195 kilometers an hour after showing an unprecedented build-up in

the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. But once it made landfall—first at Next page

Marcos orders suspension of gov’t offices, all classes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended work on Monday in government offices in eight regions, including Metro Manila, and classes were also suspended as Super Typhoon “Karding” made landfall in Quezon province and was seen to cross the Luzon landmass on Sunday night.

Mr. Marcos heeded the advice of the National Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which briefed the President on the expected heavy to intense torrential rain that would be brought by the super typhoon.

Besides Defense Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., who chairs the NDRRMC, Mr. Marcos said in a statement he was also “in constant Next page

By Joyce Pañares blasts through Luzon

By Vince Lopez and Rio N. Araja

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Sunday he hopes that his just-concluded working visit to the United States will serve as a “good start” for programs and opportunities under his administration.

At an arrival statement on Sunday morning, Mr. Marcos said the trip identified areas that could be developed into programs and projects that benefit Filipinos.

The President, arriving at the

By Rio

IN KARDING’S A police vehicle lies broken after a tree fell on it Sunday, hours after Super Typhoon “Karding” hit the island town of Jomalig in Quezon The storm forced the Meanwhile, floodwaters at Marikina Jomalig

ONDOY’S the Luzon years people, in damages.

BACK IN MANILA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. happily shakes the hand of Vice President Sara DuterteCarpio as he arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday morning following a successful six-day visit to the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Ver Noveno

‘Ondoy’)," said one of the patrons in the restaurant, looking at her watch while eating kare-kare, as if to remind herself to go home early before the heavy downpour starts.

Karding eventually made landfall in the vicinity

DOH cancels PinasLakas activities

THE Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday listed 3,520 new COVID-19 cases, boosting the total nationwide caseload to 3,938,203.

Sunday’s total was the highest in six days and came after three days straight of more than 2,000 new infections.

Meanwhile, all PinasLakas vaccination activities on Monday in areas affected by Super Typhoon Karding are canceled, Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire announced on Sunday.

‘Karding’...

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Burdeos town in Quezon province at 5:30 p.m. and then at Dingalan, Aurora at 8:30 p.m. -- the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Karding was projected to weaken to 130 kph as it headed west-northwest at 20 kmh.

At press time, the state weather bureau said Karding would be over the coastal waters of Masinloc, Zambales by 5 a.m. Monday and 360km west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan in the afternoon.

Filipinos, however, still had to brace for the strongest storm to hitthe Philippines this year, as it dumped heavy rain and raised floodwaters across Luzon and in Metro Manila.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 5 remained hoisted in several areas on Sunday night, including portions of Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, and Rizal, while the rest of Luzon including the National Capital Region was under Signal No. 3. "We ask residents living in danger zones to adhere to calls for evacuation whenever necessary," Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said.

Marcos...

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contact” with Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo and Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum.

“The President is also in constant communication with DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) Secretary Benhur Abalos for possible evacuations, especially in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding,” the Palace statement added.

In anticipation of Karding, the Department of Education, under Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, also issued Department Order No. 37 that set guidelines allowing schools to automatically cancel classes from kindergarten to Grade 12 if Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 or worse was raised in their areas by the state weather bureau.

Class suspensions would also be automatic for areas under orange or red rainfall warnings, under flood warnings issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), or for areas hit by earthquake Intensity 5 or worse as reported by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the DepEd order added.

"There will be an automatic cancellation or suspension of classes in the event that there are power outages/power interruptions/brownouts in schools," it said further.

In all instances, local chief executives “shall decide on the cancellation or suspension of classes" where there is bad weather but is not due to a typhoon, heavy rainfall alert, or flood warning from PAGASA, the Education department order added.

"In the event of canceled or suspended classes, modular distance learning, performance tasks, projects or make-up classes shall be implemented to ensure that learning competencies and objectives are still met," the order stated.

Private schools and community learning centers, along with state/local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs) "have the option to abide by the provisions of the DepEd Order".

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rules committee chairperson, said he created various teams to manage the flow of deliberations in the plenary.

With the system in place, the House under Speaker Martin Romualdez has approved the budget of a total of 54 departments, attached agencies, and constitutional bodies, and will have to act on the budget of four remaining agencies.

“The implementation of schedules and the flow of the plenary discussion has been executed flawlessly by our team of deputies in the rules committee and the committee on appropriations,” he said.

“I see longer and more heated discussions on the budget of some agencies this week, but it is nothing we cannot handle. I’m confident we will terminate all debates by Sept. 28 and approve the budget bill by Sept. 30,” Dalipe added.

The House leadership decided to defer until this week the discussion and the

The DOH was supposed to kick off its PinasLakas Special Vaccination Days on Monday, September 26, until September 30 to ramp up the booster uptake in the country.

Based on the DOH’s national COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, there are 19 million Filipinos who have received their booster shots. Meanwhile

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday announced that 97 families or 336 persons have been preemptively evacuated in Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley) and 3 (Central Luzon) as of posting time (see related story on A1 – Editors).

During Sunday’s NDRRMC emergency operations center briefing, PAGASA warned the amount of rainfall can be similar to “Ondoy" in September 2009 and “Ulysses” in November 2020.

The Philippines is regularly ravaged by storms, with scientists warning they are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.

Weather forecaster Robb Gile said Karding's rapid intensification as it neared land was unprecedented. The meteorology agency said its wind speeds had increased by 90 kilometers per hour in 24 hours.

"Typhoons are like engines—you need fuel and an exhaust to function," said Gile.

"In the case of Karding, it has good fuel because it has plenty of warm water along its track and then there is a good exhaust in the upper level of the atmosphere -- so it's a good recipe for explosive intensification," he said.

In Manila, emergency personnel braced for the possibility of strong winds and heavy rain battering the city of more

The Department of Agriculture (DA), meanwhile, advised farmers to closely monitor the movement of Karding and take necessary actions to minimize the impact on 1,469,037 hectares planted for rice, and 281,322 hectares planted for corn.

Faustino said that based on the latest track of PAGASA, "In this regard, the NDRRMC recommends the suspension of work in government offices in the National Capital Region, including provinces in Regions 1, 2, CAR, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and 5 on Sept. 26, 2022 (Monday), excluding frontline agencies which are providing emergency services.”

"The same course for action for private companies, offices, and schools is left to the discretion of their respective heads," Faustino said.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday said it has already alerted all its units for possible humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations in areas expected to be affected by Karding.

These include the Northern Luzon Command, Southern Luzon Command, and Western Command, and all units under their joint operational control.

Deployment of trucks and personnel is ongoing to assist in the mandatory evacuation of residents in vulnerable areas. Air and naval assets are also on standby for deployment as soon as the weather clears for aerial assessment, transport, and evacuation operations.

"We call on the public to be vigilant and cooperate with government authorities. Let us all do our part in keeping the damage low and averting casualties in the wake of this super typhoon," AFP public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army (PA) through its 7th Infantry Division whose area of responsibility covers Central Luzon and parts of Northern Luzon and the 525th Engineer Combat Battalion, has prepared humanitarian assistance and disaster response teams.

The 69th Infantry Battalion, 70th Infantry Battalion, 71st InfantryBattalion, and 84th Infantry Battalion of 7th Infantry Division marshalled disaster response teams that will be deployed to save lives in

approval of the budget for the Department of Finance, including its attached agencies, the National Economic Development Authority and its attached agencies, and the Energy Regulatory Commission, he said.

The funding for the Department of Social Welfare and Development was approved Friday, but not the budget for the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, an attached agency.

Dalipe said this was to avoid unnecessary delays, adding there were a lot of Congress members who wanted to raise questions on the budget allocations of these agencies, so they decided to list them up this week to give time for lengthier debates.

“We will have fewer agencies to tackle on the floor so we can give our members more time to discuss their budget while expediting the budget approval of the other government offices. But certainly, their budget will be approved in time before our Sept. 28 deadline,” he said.

at least 72.9 million individuals are now fully vaccinated against the viral disease.

The DOH launched PinasLakas in July with the hope of administering booster shots to 23.8 million Filipinos or 50% of the country's eligible population within the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.

Based on the DOH’s latest data, the country’s active cases increased to 35,399 from 32,323 on Saturday, the third straight day with more than 30,000 active infections.

The number of recoveries climbed to

than 13 million people. Forced evacuations have started in some "high risk" areas of the capital, officials said.

"NCR is prepared. We are just waiting and hoping it will not hit us," said Romulo Cabantac, regional director for the civil defense office, referring to the National Capital Region.

Karding comes nine months after another super typhoon devastated swathes of the country, killing more than 400 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Residents in several municipalities in Quezon province, where this latest storm could make a direct hit, were being evacuated from their homes, said Mel Avenilla from the provincial disaster office.

In the neighboring province of Aurora, residents of Dingalan municipality were being forced to seek shelter.

"People living near the coast have been told to evacuate. We live away from the coast so we're staying put so far. We're more worried about the water from the mountains," said Rhea Tan, 54, a restaurant manager in Dingalan.

Tan said residents were securing the roofs of their houses and boats were being taken to higher ground while the weather

Central Luzon, the region that is expected to bear the brunt of Karding, the third super typhoon to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility this year.

On Sunday, the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) announced the suspension of work on Monday due to Super Typhoon Karding.

“All officials and key personnel should, however, keep an open line of communication,” OPS Undersecretary Maria Pamela Pedroche said in a memorandum.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also suspended the session and all hearings on Monday due to Karding. Senate employees will resume work on Sept. 27.

In preparation for the storm, the Department of Agriculture (DA) urged all regional field units (RFUs) to activate the DA regional disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) operation centers while prepositioning rice and corn seeds, drugs, and biologics for livestock and poultry in safe storage facilities.

RFUs are expected to coordinate with local government unit (LGU) counterparts, and other regional DRRM-related offices in monitoring Karding while continuously disseminating advisories to the local farmer leaders to trickle the information down to the community level.

The DA also advised farmers to monitor damages and losses that may be incurred in livestock and fisheries.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said it was coordinating with different agencies and energy stakeholders to minimize the impact of typhoon Karding on the energy sector. DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said they were readying manpower and equipment for the immediate response to damaged facilities.

"We are monitoring the status of the generating facilities, particularly those in Luzon...They have already started operationalizing their contingency and resiliency program," DOE Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan added.

Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said its systems and personnel are ready to respond immediately to power outages that may result from Typhoon Karding.

“Our crews are on standby to attend to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that might be hit by the typhoon,”

PBBM...

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NAIA Terminal 2 at 6:09 a.m., said he felt his US trip was successful and that he was satisfied with its results.

"The work continues but I am happy to report that we have had a very good and strong start,” he said.

Speaker Martin Romualdez congratulated the President on his successful trip, highlighted by his participation in the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and meeting with US President Joe Biden.

“The President wasted no time in his efforts to put the Philippines again on the investments map of the world. At a time when nations struggle to bounce back from the ill effects of the pandemic on economies, our President hit the ground running and worked almost round the clock to bring home much-needed investments,” he said.

Mr. Marcos said he and the Philippine

3,840,041 while the death toll rose by 31 to 62,790.

According to the DOH, the regions with the most cases in the last two weeks were the National Capital Region with 13,808 followed by Calabarzon with 5,054, and Central Luzon with 2,804.

The Health Department said at least 16,093 individuals were tested, while 327 testing labs submitted data on September 24. It said that the bed occupancy in the country was 26%, with 7,425 beds occupied, while 21,130 were vacant.

Willie Casas

was still calm.

"We're even more anxious if the weather is very calm, because that's the usual indicator of a strong typhoon before it hits land," Tan added.

Karding could have wind speeds of up to 205 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall, the weather bureau said.

It is expected to weaken to a typhoon as it sweeps across central Luzon, before entering the South China Sea on Monday and heading towards Vietnam.

The weather bureau has warned of dangerous storm surges, widespread flooding, and landslides as the storm dumps heavy rain.

It could topple coconut and mango trees, and cause "severe losses" to rice and corn crops in the heavily agricultural region, as well as inundate villages.

The coast guard reported more than 2,000 people had been left stranded by ferry cancellations as vessels took shelter ahead of the storm.

Classes have been cancelled and nonessential government services suspended for Monday.

The Philippines -- ranked among the most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change -- is hit by an average of 20 storms every year. Vince Lopez with AFP

Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.

In other developments:

• The Taguig City government reminded residents to stay updated by monitoring weather updates through television, the internet, or radio. Power interruptions may also occur so gadgets must be fully charged, the city government said.

• In Marikina City, Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said they have deployed disaster and rescue personnel to respond to the needs of residents and evacuation centers are open. “We have pre-positioned our rescue equipment which will be immediately utilized if needed,” Teodoro said in a statement. “We are monitoring the water level along the Marikina River 24/7, as well as the rainfall count. Residents, especially those dwelling in low-lying areas, are advised to prepare if there is a need to evacuate.”

• Aside from suspending classes on all levels, public and private, and online and face-to-face, Mayors Honey Lacuna of Manila and Francis Zamora of San Juan announced work suspension in local government departments and offices except those involved in disaster response.

The cities of Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Quezon, and Malabon and the province of Rizal also announced the class suspension on all levels, public and private.

• The Metro Manila Development Authority said it won’t implement the number coding scheme on Monday.

• The Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of work Monday in all courts in the National Capital Region, Region III (Central Luzon), and Regions IV and V (Southern Luzon) due to Super Typhoon Karding. Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen issued the work suspension, as Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo is on an official trip abroad and will be back on Sept. 27. Leonen’s directive mandates there will be no work in the SC, Court of Appeals in Manila, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and all trial courts in the four areas covered by his order. Trial court judges outside of the four areas were given the discretion to suspend work in their areas of jurisdiction. Vince Lopez, Rey E. Requejo, Othel V. Campos, Alena Mae Flores

delegation achieved what they sought to do on the trip, which was to meet with several American business leaders, as well as some state leaders.

“There will be, I believe, good news to share in the next few months, particularly in terms of their plans to expand and further broaden their investment footprint in our country,” Mr. Marcos said.

“Our discussion with the US business community affirms the optimism with which international investors view the Philippines today,” he added.

The President met with executives from several American firms such as P&G, the World Bank, and some state leaders including Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Mr. Marcos held formal and informal bilateral meetings with leaders of Philippine key allies, such as the US and Japan.

He left for New York City on Sept. 18 and attended the UN General Assembly, where he met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to reaffirm the country's

PSE suspends Monday trading over storm fears

THE Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) over the weekend announced the suspension of trading today, September 26, as the country faced Super Typhoon “Karding.”

In an advisory released Sunday evening, PSE president and chief executive officer Ramon Monzon said there will be no trading at the local bourse on Monday and no clearing and settlement in the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines.

The bulletin released by the state weather bureau at 8 p.m. on Sunday indicated that heavy to intense rains are expected in Metro Manila due to “Karding.”

The local stock barometer closed at 6,259.54 on Friday, September 23, down by 42.17 points or 0.67%. The broader All Shares index lost 14.95 points or 0.45% to end the previous week at 3,341.29.

Today...

From A1 of Burdeos, Quezon province at around 5:30 p.m.—exactly a day and 13 years since Tropical Storm “Ondoy” submerged communities and dumped 455 millimeters or a month's volume of rain across Luzon for six hours on Sept. 26, 2009.

But according to Vicente Malano, administrator of the state weather bureau PAGASA, while Karding is a super typhoon, it is not expected to have the same effect as Ondoy that caused severe flooding and killed 464 people 13 years ago.

Unlike Ondoy, he said Karding has fewer cluster of clouds that will bring heavy rains.

Malano said Karding's winds are also weaker in terms of intensity compared to Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

Ondoy, which made landfall near the boundary of Aurora and Quezon provinces, affected a total of 1,785 barangays from 154 municipalities and 30 cities across 12 regions—including 239 barangays in Metro Manila.

The tropical storm also affected over 4.9 million people and left in its wake at least P11 billion in damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

In Quezon City, a 68-year-old Ondoy survivor anxiously looks outside her window. She and her family have since left their two-story house in Pasig City —the entire first floor was submerged by floodwaters as Ondoy wreaked havoc in the metropolis—but she has yet to forget the trauma she experienced 13 years ago.

It will be a sleepless night for her, but the woman is lucky, as she and her family now live in a condo unit on the highest floor.

Local governments in Metro Manila, placed under Signal No. 3, have already ordered preemptive evacuations of residents in high-risk areas.

Billboards along the South Luzon Expressway, the East and West serviceroads, as well as other areas in Muntinlupa City have also been rolled down due to Karding.

For Dinagat Islands Rep. Alan Ecleo, whose province was struck by Super Typhoon “Odette” last year, lawmakers must “institutionalize” learnings from past disasters and streamline the government’s disaster response He said remembering the devastation caused by Ondoy, Yolanda, and Odette, among other weather disasters, was "not enough."

“We need to institutionalize our learnings so that we can minimize the damage future typhoons will bring. We have paid dearly for these lessons,” said Ecleo, chairman of the House Committee on Disaster Resilience.

partnership with the United Nations, of which it is a founding member.

Mr. Marcos also met several business leaders from different companies who committed to be a part of Philippine development and economic growth.

The Chief Executive also addressed global investors, traders, and other guests at the New York Stock Exchange, where he was asked to ring the closing bell on the trading floor.

Mr. Marcos urged companies to come to the Philippines and tap its potential as one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

Before his US trip, the President also made fruitful state visits to Indonesia and Singapore, which were able to bring in more than $14 billion in investment pledges.

“We at the House of Representatives will help in making these investment pledges come to fruition. If the President needs any piece of legislation to materialize the objectives of these bilateral trade and investment agreements, we will answer the call,” Romualdez said.

IN BRIEF

Barbers lauds SWS poll on Duterte admin

SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers in Sunday commended the recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showing an 88 percent satisfaction rating with the perfor mance of ex-President Rodrigo Du terte from June 26 to 29, his last days in Malacañang.

“The results only prove that for mer President Duterte’s leadership style which is like no other com pared to the past presidents of our country, is favored by the people and was well received by the busi ness community. As a matter of fact, the economy is expected to grow by 6.5% this year. Likewise, the unemployment rate has gone down significantly and the crime rate dropped to unprecedented lev els pre-covid period. He ended his term as the ‘most popular’ president post-EDSA,” he said. Rio N. Araja

‘Maintain peace and order amid POGO issues’

SEN. Christopher “Bong” Go said the government must prioritize maintaining peace and order, amid reports of rampant crimes related to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).

He stressed that law enforcement authorities should continue stepping up their efforts to crack down on reported crimes, particularly those linked to POGO.

He said the government must care fully weigh the advantages and dis advantages of POGO operations in the country. However, he pointed out that peace and order must come first. Macon Ramos-Araneta

PH leans on working age population for growth

THE Philippines is banking on its robust working-age population to steer it toward full socioeconomic development fueled by a state of de mographic dividend.

During the seventh edition of the United Nations Economic and So cial Commission for Asia and the Pacific-Committee on Social De velopment (UN ESCAP-CSD), the Commission on Population and De velopment’s (POPCOM) Officer In Charge-Executive Director (OICED) Lolito R. Tacardon delivered the Philippines’ statement on areas of social development that are part of the committee’s overview.

Malapitan leads turnover of new housing project

DSWD needs P300m more for student aid plan—Tulfo

DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

Secretary Erwin Tulfo said the department needs up to P300 million for the revival of its education aid program

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Tulfo said that the P1.5-billion budg et for the program was not enough, considering that the number of stu dents who registered in their system reached two million. He said some of them also registered twice or thrice, GMA News reported.

The proposed P200 to P300 million ad ditional funding for the cash assistance program could be distributed per district, and the registration could then be done in every region, the official said.

“We will look for funds because what we have allocated is nearly exhausted. We will look for savings under the AICS. If we find something, then we may provide educational assistance again for those who have not been given yet,” Tulfo, quoted in the report, said.

DSWD Undersecretary Jerico Javi er said that as of 6 p.m. of September 24, the overall amount disbursed un der the cash assistance program was at P1,631,350,000, GMA News further reported.

The official pointed that this amount resulted in a 108 percent utilization of the original P1.5-billion budget for the initiative. Javier said that the excess P131 million was obtained from DSWD’s reg ular funds under the AICS program.

Since August 20 the program ca tered to a total of 676,922 beneficiar ies. The DSWD initially targeted to serve only about 400,000 students all over the country.

Under the program, up to three students per indigent family could receive P1,000 for elementary stu dents, P2,000 for high school students, P3,000 for senior high school students, and P4,000 for college students or vo cational courses.

DepEd asked to explain rise in voucher fund

SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has questioned the Department of Education (DepEd) vouch er program which ballooned from P16.534 billion to P39.326 billion under the 2023 National Expenditures Program.

He also sought assurance that the cash grants will go to the intended beneficiaries of the program.

“This voucher program being ad ministered by the Department of Edu cation has ballooned exponentially,” Pimentel said. “Why did it increase to more than double? What is the guar antee that the budget will go to its in tended beneficiaries?”

Pimentel also said that the budget for the voucher program for private senior high school (SHS Voucher Program) was only P13.692 billion in 2021; P23.93 billion in 2020, and P18.756 billion in 2019.

He said the DepEd’s SHS Voucher Program is among the items in the budget that got the biggest increase.

“I am not saying that I am against it or it is anomalous. But I wanted to be clari fied because this is such a huge increase that should not skip scrutiny,” he said.

“We are entrusted with the job of being the Senate’s chief fiscalizer and it will be a huge disservice to the Filipino people if we do not bring this to the attention of the agency involved,” he added.

He is joined by Social Housing Fi nance Corporation (SHFC) president Federico Laxa and District 1 Repre sentative Oca Malapitan.

According to the Housing and Reset tlement Office (HARO), the beneficiar ies were rescued from living in high-risk areas such as creeks and riverbeds.

In a short speech, Malapitan wel comed the residents and urged every one to foster a good community. He noted that some of the beneficiar ies came from different cities but said they are still welcome to stay. He also gave assurance that the local govern ment “will take care” of the residents.

Malapitan further urged the resident to foster unity in the community and support the programs of the local government to futher improve the community. Jun David

By Rio N. Araja

UP TO 12,000 more students in education institutions (HEIs) scholarships from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), according to Northern Sa mar Rep. Paul Daza.

He said it was through the intervention of ex-President and Pampanga Rep. Glo ria Arroyo that around P400 million in CHED’s 2021 continuing appropriations can be allocated to new scholarships.

“No less than the former president and Senior Deputy Speaker, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, mediated and as

In the 2021 Commission on Audit report, the SHS voucher program has benefited 1,107,083 students, below the DepEd’s target of 1,417,613, Pi mentel noted.

Despite the huge increase, Pimentel noticed that the target beneficiaries for 2023 will from 1.132 million to 1.383 million this year.

sisted in some discussions with Minor ity Leader Nonoy Libanan and CHED chairn Popoy De Vera regarding 2021 continuing appropriations,” he said.

“There’s roughly P1.8 billion remaining [from the 2021 appropriations],” he added.

Daza, a former taxman and finance legal counsel in the US, sifted through

THE Southeast Asian Fisheries Devel opment Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) is seeking to promote “pompano” as an alternative to more popular fish varieties in the Philippines.

The SEAFDEC/AQD is an interna tional research center based in Tig bauan, Iloilo.

“We have been actively researching the snubnose pompano since 2007, but in the past two years we have intensified our commercialization projects to show the industry that pompano farming is a good investment,” Dan Baliao, chief of the SEAFDEC/AQD said.

Pompano, a silvery fish with a pearly white meat when cooked, is known as “apa han” or “dawis lawin” in the Philippines. Its

market price is between P300 and P500 per kilogram, depending on size, which is usu ally between 250 to 500 grams.

However, despite its proven culinary and aquaculture value worldwide, pom pano is yet to take off in the Philippines. This is mainly because of the lack of pompano fingerlings to stock into cages and ponds, and sea lice infections.

Between January and August 2022, Baliao added that they harvested pom pano 10 times from both marine cages and brackishwater ponds, netting a total of 14 tons of the high-value commodity through its multiple experimental runs.

The research center is also construct ing a dedicated pompano hatchery at its Tigbauan headquarters to further boost

the commission’s audit records and fi nancial reports where he was able to identify an opportunity to fund more indigent college scholars.

He thanked Arroyo, who assured him that the identified funds “would be utilized this year and allocated for poor and deserv ing students, specifically for Listahanan.” center seeks to promote for 12k higher education scholarships

its research and commercialization ac tivities. The new facility has a rearing capacity of 80 tons and may also supply private farmers.

Baliao also shared that SEAFDEC/ AQD has already published research and continues to do studies on multiple fronts, including the development of a low-cost diet, strategies to accelerate growth in the nursery stage, reducing sea lice infes tations, and preventing transmission of nervous necrosis virus that affects pom pano breeders and larvae.

Because pompano is relatively easy to raise and uses the same pond and cage setup, Baliao said the pompano is a good alternative to milkfish, which is current ly the top-farmed fish in the Philippines.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

CALOOCAN City Mayor Dale Gon zalo “Along” Malapitan led the cer emonial turnover of the high-density housing project at Gloria Ville, Baran gay 178 on Friday.

PREPARING FOR ‘KARDING.’ The Caloocan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office prepares for super typhoon Karding. The center is also monitoring for weather updates about the typhoon in accordance with the order of the Mayor Along Malapitan.

POMPANO HARVEST. Fishermen harvest Pompano (known as “jacks”) at the Igang Marine Station of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department in Guimaras. NG Armada

ECOTOURISM OCULAR TOUR. Mina Gabor, president of the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), shows and defines ecotourism in her latest project during a recent ocular inspection of the ISST compound in Silang , Cavite with Dr. Theresa Lim executive director of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity and her group for the  forthcoming International EcoTourism and Travel Mart on March 30 to April 2, 2023.

‘No PPE rule for departing OFWs’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

DEPARTING overseas Filipino workers are not required to wear Personal Protective Equipment, Sen. Pia Cayetano said.

The senator said she talked to the De partment of Migrant Workers Sec. Susan Ople, who informed her of no such re quirement for OFWs leaving the country.

Cayetano sounded the alarm after personally seeing departing OFWs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport bound for countries in the Middle East who are wearing PPEs and gloves.

She noted that the Philippine Over

Tulfo to agency: Probe land grabs vs. farmers, IPs

SENATOR Raffy Tulfo called on the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to investigate allegations of rampant land grabbing in Palawan and other provinc es by powerful personalities victimizing farmers and indigeneous peoples (IPs).

In a statement Sunday, he also urged LRA to address what he described as “widespread corruption” in the agency.

According to Tulfo, he has received several complaints from farmers who lamented they have been pawning ti tles of their lands to influential people to address their needs.

He said the farmers failed to get back their titles as these have been transferred to another person.

“We really need to protect the land of our farmers and indigenous peoples,” he said.

Tulfo told LRA Administrator Gerardo Sirios that he received reports of rampant corruption in the agency.

According to Sirios, who has been as signed to head the LRA less than a month ago, he also got a marching order from Justice Secretary Boying Remulla to make sure to clean the ranks of the agency.

Without giving details and names, Tulfo said powerful people are tak ing advantage of the vulnerability of farmers and IPs who would mortgage their land title to a loan shark in ex change for a small amount of money to finance their needs, such as medicines for a sick family member.

Without giving them any grace peri od to pay for the money they owe, Tulfo said the loan sharks would immediately transfer the ownership of the pawned land titles. Macon Ramos-Araneta

seas and Employment also issued Ad visory No. 62, which prohibits any re quirement for OFWs to wear full PPEs.

“With this order in place, violators must be immediately reported to authori ties and dealt with,” the POEA said.

Cayetano said there could be unscru pulous people making money by forc ing OFWs to pay for PPEs.

Senate Committee on Migrant Work

ers chairman Sen. Raffy Tulfo shared the theory of Cayetano.

“They are making money from order ing our OFWs to wear PPEs,” he said.

“They were asking them to wear those PPEs to earn extra money whoever they may be, whether manpower agencies or from the government. They’re requir ing [because] they have cuts [from the PPE sales],” he added.

In a privilege speech, Cayetano two photos showing OFWs wearing com plete sets of PPEs.

“I was shocked to see groups of Fili pinos in complete PPEs. So I asked around, and I was also rushing to line up and get to my gate on time. So I was

not able to converse with them length ily,” she said.

She said the OFWs were even wear ing footsies [shoe covers] that are usually used only in operating rooms, and gloves.

“It’s like the height of ridiculous ness that you have to wear those foot sies because they are walking around the whole airport where thousands of people enter, walk around every day, so there is nothing hygienic about being in footsies, as opposed to being in their regular rubber shoes or walking shoes,” she said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Lor en Legarda also said this is a clear case of discrimination.

Navarro appeal to junk charges denied by court

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Court of Appeals has denied the ap peal of comedian and television host Fer dinand “Vhong” Navarro for a reprieve after it junked his motion for reconsidera tion on the rape by sexual intercourse and acts of lasciviousness charges against him.

In a seven-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Florencio Mamauag Jr., the CA’s Special Fourteenth Divi sion also rejected Navarro’s camp mo tion for the issuance of a status quo ante order to enjoin the filing of the said cases against him.

“Here, the issues raised by Navarro in his motion -- the parties’ credibil ity, the truthfulness of their respec tive claims and the strength of their evidence -- are matters best left to the determination of the trial court after a full-blown trial on the merits,” the appellate court ruled.

In its July 21, 2022 decision, the CA reversed and set aside the 2018 and 2020 resolutions of the Department of Justice dismissing the complaint filed by model Deniece Cornejo in 2014.

The CA held that based on its review of the complaint filed by Cornejo, it showed that all the elements of rape by sexual intercourse under paragraph (1) of Article 266-A are sufficiently alleged.

It stressed that it was “erroneous” for the DOJ to dismiss Cornejo’s peti tion on the ground that her statements in the complaint-affidavits are incon sistent and incredible.

In his motion for reconsideration, Navarro through his counsel, Alma Mallonga, accused the appellate court of “unwarranted interference” with the prosecutor’s power to determine the existence of probable cause with out justifying how the DOJ committed grave abuse of discretion.

Navarro lamented that such action by the CA is prohibited under estab lished jurisprudence considering that the determination of probable cause by prosecutors is considered an execu tive function.

‘Weaker peso hits low-income homes more’

“The bottom 30 percent of house holds in terms of income spend 58.2 percent of their total expenditures on food. And 24.9 percent of total food consumption in the country is import ed,” Salceda noted.

Libanan eyes police academy as self-governing HEI

4PS party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan is batting for the passage of new legislation that would strengthen the Philippine Na tional Police Academy as a self-governing public higher educational institution (HEI).

He filed House Bill No. 3507 or the proposed PNPA Charter of 2022 to build up the school that produces com missioned lieutenants for the country’s 202,000-strong police force.

“In the years ahead, we are counting on the PNPA to produce the best and the brightest law enforcement officers imbued with exceptional leadership qualities and

the highest standards of professional com petence and personal integrity,” he said.

The bill guarantees the PNPA would enjoy academic freedom in accordance with the 1987 Constitution’s mandate for all higher learning institutions to de termine for themselves “who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.”

All PNPA graduates earn a Bachelor of Science in Public Safety degree, and are then commissioned as police lieu tenants, or as inspectors of the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail

Management and Penology.

The Commission on Higher Education chairperson, the National Police Commis sion vice chairperson, and the PNPA Alum ni Association Inc. chairperson would also sit as board trustees under the measure.

The rest of the trustees would be com posed of the chairpersons of the House committee on higher and technical edu cation; Senate committee on higher, tech nical, and vocational education; House committee on public order and safety; and the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs. Rio N. Araja

“So, a peso depreciation of 25 per cent increases their total spending by at least 3.64 percent because of food alone due to first round effects alone. Second round effects, or the effects of increases of imported input costs on domestically produced output, could also pressure household budgets further,” he said.

The upper 70 percent, the lawmaker noted, only spend 39.5 percent of their income on food, thus the same de preciation will only hit them by 2.47 percent of expenses. “And of course, they earn more and have more space for savings,” he added.

“Fuel accounts for around 30 percent of transport and energy costs, on which the poor spend around 15 percent of their income. So, you’re looking at another 1.13 percent increase in those areas due to a 25-percent peso depreciation, which we are on track to reach year to date by the coming weeks,” Salceda said.

PROVINCES, cities, municipalities, and barangays whose natural resources such as mineral deposits and energy supplies are being harnessed commercially stand to receive a combined P10.1 billion in ad ditional development funding from the national government next year.

“The P10.1 billion covers the 40 per

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro wants the Department of Agrarian Reform to examine the use of P909.5 million in spe cial funds for implementation under the Na tional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2021.

Castro said she is hoping DAR Sec retary Conrado Estrella III, a former

cent share of local government units in the national treasury’s gross earn ings from mining taxes, royalties from mineral reservations, forestry charges and revenues from renewable power assets,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said on Sunday.

“The sharing is in accordance with

The P10.1 billion is 80 percent high er than the P5.6 billion share of LGUs this year and is provided for in the 2023 National Expenditure Program, the lawmaker said. Rio N. Araja resources dev’t funds on fund

Abono party-list lawmaker, would rec tify the mistakes committed by the pre vious administration.

She disclosed the Commission on Audit report citing DAR’s failure to identify the program’s recipients — rebel returnees.

DAR was asking for a P15.85-billion budget for 2023.

the Local Government Code of 1991 and the Renewable Energy Law of 2008,” he added.

According to Castro, COA’s report from pages 144 to 151 showed that DAR received P909.5 million sourced from the 2021 General Appropriations Act, of which 59.4 percent of P540.16 million was obligated and distributed in the implemen tation of the programs and activities to support the NTF-ELCAC. Rio N. Araja

By Rio N. Araja

THE weak performance of the Philip pine peso relative to the US dollar will affect lower-income households more than rich households, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda warned Sunday

MARITIME WEEK. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) joins relatives and friends of seafarers, passengers, and fishermen who passed away from sea tragedies in offering flowers and a special anchor while onboard a PCG patrol boat during the celebration of Maritime Week at the Manila Bay on Sunday. Norman Cruz

TANGLAW NG BAYAN AWARD. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) recently conferred the Tanglaw ng Bayan Award to Dr. Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr. (4th from left), president of Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) and Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP). Photo shows PUP president Dr. Manuel Muhi (4th from right) presenting the award to Ortiz Luis Jr. with PUP officers Prof. Adam Ramilo (left), vice president for administration; Prof. Pascualito Gatan (3rd from left), vice president for branches and campuses; Prof. Edelyn Mariano (2nd from right), assistant to the vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Cindy Fetalvero- Soliman (right), associate dean, College of Business Administration; and ECOP Director General Jose Roland Moya (left) at the ECOP office in Makati City.

CREEK CLEANUP. Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Valenzuela City Jail Female Dormitory headed by Jail Officer 2 Ampy Castro join Barangay Councilor Azon Francisco in conducting a clean-up drive along S. De Guzman Creek in Barangay Parada, Valenzuela City over the weekend. Andrew Rabulan

A tax loophole in e-commerce

dering from the shopping platforms like Shop pee and Lazada, you can see how your order makes its way from the packing of the seller, the customs inspection of the country of origin and destination, the local sorting centers, then finally delivered to your doorstep in about a week or sometimes just days.

ACCORDING to 2021 data from the Depart ment of Trade and Industry, e-commerce gen erated US$22.6 billion or P1.1 trillion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). This year the target in e-commerce rev enues is US24.2 billion or P1.2 trillion which would be 5.5 percent of GDP.

The DTI is anticipating exponential growth in the number of e-commerce businesses from 750,000 in 2021 to 1 million by 2022 with the last year’s launching of the government’s Ecommerce Roadmap.

Its goal is to drive industry development, create quality job opportunities, and a sus tained and inclusive growth. By 2025, the gross merchandise value is seen to reach US$15 billion.

This e-commerce explosion -- when the global pandemic forced everyone in lock downs to be offsite, and really gave no choice but to shift to online platforms to stay con nected, continue work and sustain business –is now an indispensable economic pillar of the new normal.

The exponential growth of e-commerce transactions and how Filipino consumers were able to adapt almost overnight to online trans actions demonstrates our potential to thrive in a global digital economy.

I am myself a regular online shopper –one should be familiar with the convenience, health safety factors and the much-improved services of the e-commerce and e-payment platforms and the red flags up in online trans actions – and have developed a confidence as a consumer at a comfortable level.

However, the rise of any technological in novation that creates new opportunities al ways brings with it disruptions that require policy reforms that have become obsolete or even a hindrance to progress.

The fast growth of e-commerce platforms carries new challenges to existing domestic industries that have prospered and positively contributed to our society for generations.

An example is a loophole in the de minimis threshold which was increased in the Bureau of Customs Administrative Order 2-2016 to P10,000 from the decades old level of only P10.

This allows recipients of imported goods and parcels not classified as prohibited with value not exceeding the de minimis limit to not undergo the regular importation proce dures facilitating its fast release and not be subject to duties and taxes.

This privilege has been allowed to sup posedly benefit micro, small, and medium (MSMEs) “as it will accelerate delivery of goods, reduce business costs, and improve business trade efficiency.”

Online sellers, in the leading shopping platforms, which are dominated by foreign products from China, are now exploiting this policy.

Apparently, foreign exporters are bi-passing tariff duties by simply breaking shipments down into small packages instead of consoli dating in 40-foot containers.

If you trace your delivery tracking after or

For consumers the big benefit is convenient access to low costs products thru e-payment platforms or even via cash-on-delivery.

But the big risk is, since these are long dis tance deals from sellers using virtual identities and locations, becoming a victim of fraud and receiving poor standard or fake products is common.

While there is no doubt that e-commerce will be a key pillar of our economic recovery, there must be fair competition and a wellbalanced enabling policy environment that will instill discipline in the online marketplace

I’ve had my share of these “budol” or scam transactions that were too small to exert efforts on to rectify. Being at the receiving end of the wrong product, sub-standard, damaged, fake, and even products with poisonous substances is a reality of dealings thru the internet.

The penetration of cheap foreign products via these virtual shopping stores has affected the viability of many local brick and mortar enterprises that for decades or even genera tions, supported the livelihood of millions of Filipinos.

Just look around malls and commercial areas and you’ll see how many shops have closed.

The de minimis loophole is not unique to the Philippines.

There are big debates in the United States raising the same issue of de minimis depriv ing government of tariff revenues with the growing influx foreign products slipping thru because of their US$800 threshold. Minimal customs inspection also made the entry of il legal items easier.

The rush to e-commerce as a preferred platform for retail and even wholesale transac tions is putting pressure on policy makers to urgently act on updating government policies to be more dynamic and anticipatory of more change and disruptive innovations that digital technologies will surely bring.

While there is no doubt that e-commerce will be a key pillar of our economic recovery, there must be fair competition and the same time a well-balanced enabling policy environ ment that will instill discipline in the online marketplace.

Sellers must ensure that goods delivered are correct, of best quality and free of toxic chemi cals.

Consumers must be protected from fraud, identity theft, and access to rectifying mea sures when rights have been violated.

CIA chief: I’m no Jason Bourne, I drive an old Subaru

CIA Director Bill Burns said in the US spy agency’s first-ever podcast that his life is noth ing like Jason Bourne and James Bond, rip ping hot cars through crowded cities and de ploying unimaginable lethal gadgets. Popular spy films show “a world of heroic individuals who drive fast cars and defuse bombs and solve world crises all on their own every day,” Burns said Thursday last week.

“That, I have to tell you, is a constant source of amusement for my wife and daughters.”

“I’m most comfortable driving our 2013 Subaru Outback at posted speed limits and, for me at least, the height of technological daring is when I can finally get the Roku remote to work at home,” he admitted.

Burns, 66, a veteran diplomat who has run the Central Intelligence Agency since March 2021, made the comments in the first episode of “The Langley Files,” a podcast that pledges to demystify the super-secret agency.

Burns’ main point was to stress that while the CIA has many officers undercover in the field, they are not dramatic solo operators like Bond, Bourne or Jack Ryan of Hollywood fame.

“The truth is that intelligence is very much a team sport. It’s a profession of hard collective work and shared risks,” Burns said.

And besides field operators, it involves teams of people – scientists, digital specialists and other analysts – sifting information in of fices.

He held up the operation that found and

killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in July, as well as CIA intelligence in December and January showing Russia planned to in vade Ukraine, as important successes.

(CIA’s Bill Burns) held up the operation that found and killed alQaeda leader Ayman alZawahiri in July, as well as CIA intelligence in December and January showing Russia planned to invade Ukraine, as important successes

“Our successes are often obscured, our fail ures are often painfully visible, and our sacri fices are often unknown. But a certain amount of discretion certainly comes with the terri tory,” Burns said.

The podcast is hosted by “Dee” and “Wal ter,” but a CIA spokesperson would not give their last names or even say if the first names were authentic.

Asked how often the podcast would appear, the spokesperson said, “Periodically.” AFP

EDITORIAL

Bangsamoro self-rule

IN HIS inaugural speech and first State-of-the-Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made no mention of what his administration planned to do with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

But the omission may have been unintentional as he more than made up for it by attending the re cent inauguration of the Bangsam oro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament.

His presence in that gathering indicates his administration’s com mitment to consolidate the gains already made in the peace process in Muslim Mindanao and to forge unity and solidarity with all sectors in Philippine society.

At the same time, it highlights the national government’s determined bid to accelerate socio-economic development in a region that has lagged behind the others in fighting poverty and improving the quality of life of Muslim Filipinos.

The attendance of Nur Misuari in the event is also significant as it af firms his commitment to peace in the region.

As the founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), he led the separatist war from the early 1970s that cost many lives on both sides and hindered economic progress in Muslim Min danao.

But not even the signing of the Tripoli Agreement between the Phil ippine government and the MNLF

in 1977 that would have ended the fighting could bring lasting peace to the region. A breakaway group of the MNLF, the Moro Islamic Lib eration Front (MILF), continued the armed struggle to demand self-rule for Muslim Mindanao.

The inauguration of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament last week should therefore be seen as an important milestone for Muslim Mindanao’s quest for peace and progress that have proved elusive for so many decades since the 1970s

The MILF’s struggle for selfdetermination under successive ad ministrations came to an end with the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement on the Bangsam oro under the Noynoy Aquino ad ministration in 2014.

The inauguration of the Bangsam

oro Transition Authority Parlia ment last week should therefore be seen as an important milestone for Muslim Mindanao’s quest for peace and progress that have proved elu sive for so many decades since the 1970s.

The inauguration of the BTA Par liament is part and parcel of a long peace process as ending armed hos tilities is just the beginning.

The more difficult task after polit ical negotiations is facing the many challenges that lie ahead in the po litical, economic and social spheres.

At the helm of the BTA are for mer officials of the MILF with long years of fighting the national gov ernment with guns but are now in leadership positions in region.

That gives them another vantage point in securing the peace and uniting Muslim Filipinos behind a platform of governance that should be inclusive and thus ensure the par ticipation of all sectors.

It’s one thing to dig in one’s toes in trenches in the battlefield and quite another to sit hours behind a desk signing papers and holding long meetings with constituents to know what their problems are so that solutions can be found.

But that’s the formidable chal lenge now faced by the BTA as it goes about its work.

If, as has been said, war is the continuation of politics by other means, it may also be said that peace is the continuation of war by other means—through dialogue and negotiations, not violence and bloodshed

Fasten your seat belts

WE’’RE in for a very rough ride in the months ahead, well into the whole of next year. So fasten your seat belts, folks.

Sometime in April, I told my friends who were watching how the dollar was appreci ating towards the peso, that I predict a 58 to 1 US dollar exchange rate by Christmas 2022.

We started this year at 51 pesos to the American dollar. It’s 91 days before Christ mas, and 58 came sooner than I estimated.

It’s now 58.50, and still going up. The US Federal Reserve, counterpart of our Mon etary Board, has been relentless in fighting inflation through monetary tools, which means increasing their interest rates.

At the risk of triggering a recession, of ficialdom finds controlling inflation, the scourge of the ordinary man, as the more urgent priority.

So it is most likely that we will have to shell out 60 pesos for every dollar by Christ mas.

The eminent House economist, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, fears 65 to 68 by next year, and our BSP can do little or nothing about the plunging exchange value. The dollar strengthens and the backlash on weakened currencies is worldwide.

Sugar hasn’t gone down to pre-crisis levels, although there is the sweet promise from the newly-formed SRA that prices will go down by November when the mills go on high gear just as their 150,000 metric ton imports come in.

But don’t count on a return to the 50-60 peso per kilo level.

Livestock will still be on the high side, and that is not just because of the seasonal year-end demand.

It will still be cost-driven, with the price of feed, principally corn, not getting any lower, and logistics still quite high. Even imported pork will be costlier, especially with the peso exchange rate.

Poor families used to be happy with a noche buena of nilagang baboy or tinolang manok; this time they will have to content themselves with pancit laced with a little pork and vegetables.

It’s the middle class who will be most hit by high food prices, with ham and queso de

bola prohibitive, along with the canned fruit medley that makes up the traditional fruit salad. By the end of the festive season, most of our middle class will be feeling like they have become nouveau pauvre.

Rice prices are on a gradual upswing in the world market, with devastating floods in Pakistan, drought in China, the export tax in India, plus Vietnam and Thailand eager to cash in on the supply situation.

It is a deadly cocktail which can only mean bad news for the price of our rice im ports.

With the RussiaUkraine conflict continuing to drag, winter coming up, and the peso value continuing to go down, today’s relief might be very temporary

Yet, because our traders over-imported this year and last, we have enough to last us for the year, even if government holds no more than four days inventory.

Which means the privates will still call the shots, ready to cash in on any shortage of supply between the wet season harvest now and the summer crop in April-May next year. Government, with a neutered NFA, will be no more than a helpless observer.

Still, our farmers are crying. Traders are buying at 13 to 14 pesos per kilo of palay, just enough to cover the cost of production as fertilizer costs have trebled.

Worse, if as feared, farmers scrimped on the use of fertilizers, the season’s harvest will be lower than last.

And then again, watch the typhoons which are yet to come. As we write this piece, Signal No. 3 has been hoisted over swaths of the palay-producing regions, courtesy of Typhoon Karding.

I recall the Sept. 26 anniversary of the National Food Authority in 2011, when Ty phoon Pedring caused landslides and mas sive flooding in Central Luzon, and flattened

a million metric tons of soon-to-be harvest ed palay (that’s about 600 million kilos of rice) when muddy floodwaters rushed from the Sierra Madre. “Dumapa ang palay,” the Nueva Ecija farmers cried, and ruined their harvest.

Incidentally, and ironically, today is the 50th anniversary of the National Food Au thority, an agency decreed by the president’s father through PD 4 with the mandate of en suring availability and affordability of the country’s staple food.

Farmers in Isabela and Cagayan began harvesting their yet to fully ripen palay, fearing a repeat of the Pedring ravage. This means the rice they mill will be “hinog sa pilit,” easily broken immature grains. That will translate into lower incomes.

Pray that Typhoon Karding will not be deadly, and that succeeding storms will not hit the rice-producing regions.

Sardine canneries are complaining about two of their most important inputs: the cost of tin cans, and, would you believe it, the lesser harvest of fish from our seas.

Our fishing boats come to shore with just about 20 to 40 percent of their regular catch of sardines. The urban poor’s fish, galung gong, has long been scarce and expensive, and in its stead, the tinned sardines on top of loads and loads of rice, has become staple, along with the instant noodles the price of which has also almost doubled.

Is there any good news in the food depart ment?

Well, the president, mismo, has identified agriculture as first priority.

Because of him, the Department of Ag riculture will be getting the biggest budget ever for 2023. Yet even with that, there is a long gestation period between promise and fruition.

Whatever is done now and next year should start producing good results by 2025, assuming proper and effective implementa tion.

And though news readers smile when ever oil on the pump goes down marginally, perish the happy expectations of final relief.

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict con tinuing to drag, winter coming up, and the peso value continuing to go down, today’s relief might be very temporary.

Meanwhile, we just have to fasten our seat belts, pray for the best and whisper the hope for better times to come sooner.

IN BRIEF

Inflation may peak in September—UAP

PRIVATE sector economists expect infla tion to peak at 6.7 percent by September or October, which may dampen the economic prospects in the second half.

Economists of First Metro Investment Corp. and the University of Asia and the Pacific said in the September issue of the Market Call report that the gross domestic product could grow by 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter.

“The inflation outlook, however, may put a damper in H2 [second-half] outlook, as it will likely remain above 6.5 percent in Q4 as the mild dip of -0.1 percent in August to 6.3 percent year-on-year from 6.4 percent in July,” they said.

“The second-round domestic effects of the sharp surge of crude oil prices in the first half have not completely played out. Besides, food inflation in the US and other advanced countries remains stubbornly high due to droughts and other supply issues,” they said.

The economy expanded by 7.8 percent in the first half, following the 8.2-percent growth in the first quarter and 7.4 percent in the second quarter. Julito G. Rada

Maya promotes use of blockchain

ONLINE payment gateway Maya asked entrepreneurs and online merchants to con sider the adoption of blockchain, the tech nology behind cryptocurrency, as it goes mainstream and becomes accessible in the Philippines.

Maya chief marketing officer Pepe Tor res said there is a lot of promise around the core technology behind cryptocurrencies like bitcoin that can make transactions more seamless.

“So there is a lot of promises around the core technology behind cryptocurrency, which is blockchain, [as it] has a lot of promises in terms of international remit tances, making it easier to buy goods and services around the world and also in terms of developing more secure and smart con tracts for goods and services,” Torres said during the Franchise Asia Philippines 2022 virtual conference.

Citing the Visa Consumer Payment Atti tudes Survey, Torres said there is a growing interest to pay and get rewarded in crypto currency.

“It is also worth noting that there is sig nificantly growing interest in the Philippines and across the world to pay in crypto so there is increased interest, at 72 percent here in the Philippines, but also get rewarded in crypto currency by 76 percent,” he said.

Othel V. Campos

BC Net bags DBP technology contract

BC NET, a preferred provider of IP technology solutions, seamless high-speed internet service and voice/video over internet protocol communication, secured a contract with the Development Bank of the Philippines to provide broadband connectivity to 36 provincial branches of the state-run bank.

“We’re extremely honored and happy to be able to provide broadband connectiv ity to these DBP provincial branches. This takes us one step closer to fulfilling our goal of addressing the low internet penetration by supplying wireless connectivity to farflung areas in the country,” BC Net chair man Dioceldo Sy said.

Sy is also a founder of Ever Bilena Cos metics Inc.

DBP tapped BC Net for the project to en sure reliable connectivity for its branches, especially during calamities. The award ing of the project to BC Net is also part of DBP’s

Nine Asian textile makers plan to open PH factories

By Othel V. Campos

ditional procedures like ocular trip for assessments and project studies.

NINE

foreign companies expressed keen interest to put up textile or garment factories in the Philippines that will help increase the country’s exports by more than $500 million a year, an industry executive said over the weekend.

Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines president and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. trustee for textile, yarn and fabric sector Robert Young said the investments would help the Philippines adequately respond to the growing demand here and abroad.

“Demand for textile is high for the 110 million Filipino population with no local manufacturing source. Annual domestic clothing spending amounts to approxi mately $2 billion, not to mention the po

tential in the export business,” he said.

Young said four companies from Cambodia, three from India and two from Vietnam indicated their intention to invest in the Philippine garments and textile industry during their one-on-one business-to-business meetings as part of the 54th Asean Economic Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings in Cam bodia in Sept. 11 to 18.

He said investments might start com ing in before end-2022, following tra

The planned investments, which are estimated at a minimum of $1 million for a textile fabric mill and $300,000 to $500,000 for a garment factory, are expected to generate at least 9,000 jobs, initially, he said.

Industry data showed the Philippines exports $1.5 billion worth of garments and textile each year, with a growth rate of 10 percent annually.

Young said once investments started to snowball, the local industry could start accessing key export markets like the US, the European Union and Southeast Asia.

Exports to the EU enjoy trade ben efits under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus. The country expects the US to reinstate the GSP privileges of the Philippines soon.

DMCI Homes eyes sales of P12.4b from Makati condo

By Jenniffer B. Austria

DMCI Homes, the real estate arm of conglomerate DMCI Holdings Inc., expects to raise up to P12.4 billion in sales from a newly-launched upscale residential condominium project in Makati City.

DMCI Homes president Alfredo Austria said during the launch of Fortis Residences on Friday that it is the group’s most high-end project, with units to be sold at P240,000 per square meter.

The 37-story residential tow er will rise along Chino Roces Ave. and will be part of the spe cial mixed-use zone called Makati Southwest Gateway.

Fortis Residences is the company’s second project under the premium brand DMCI Homes Exclusive.

Austria said while the company started with the development of con dominium projects for the middle-in come market, it gained enough expe rience in luxury residential segment after launching Oak Harbor Resi dences―a residential condominium in Asiaworld City, Parañaque.

Fewer companies plan to hire workers in fourth quarter—BSP survey

By Julito G. Rada

FEWER companies are planning to hire more workers in the fourth quarter be cause of higher inflation, rising oil prices and peso depreciation, results of the thirdquarter Business Expectations Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.

The employment outlook index for the fourth quarter declined to 22.7 per cent from 25.4 percent in the previous survey results.

Employment outlook for the next 12 months was steady at 30 percent.

“The lower reading in Q3 2022 sug gests that hiring intentions may turn less favorable for the next quarter, while employment prospects for the next 12

months remain optimistic,” it said.

Data showed that the percentage of businesses in the industry sector with expansion plans for the fourth quarter increased to 23.4 percent from 17.9 per cent in the previous survey.

Meanwhile, the percentage of indus try firms with expansion plans for the next 12 months decreased to 23.2 per cent from 24.4 percent.

The same survey showed that the business sentiment weakened in the third quarter as the overall confidence index declined to 26.1 percent from 35.4 percent in the second quarter.

The respondents’ less optimistic sen timent in the third quarter was attributed to higher inflation, rising fuel prices, de

cline in sales and demand, peso depre ciation and the continuing public health threat of the pandemic.

It said that for the next quarter, the business sentiment weakened for the second consecutive quarter as the over all confidence index decreased to 43.9 percent from 46.4 percent a quarter ago.

The survey said that for the next 12 months, the business sentiment also de clined as the overall confidence index de creased to 57.7 percent from the previous quarter’s survey result of 59.9 percent.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country’s un employment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in July, the lowest this year and the low est of all July rounds since 2005.

DMCI Homes senior project de velopment manager Sherilyn Benosa said the company initially launched 480 units in Fortis Residences. The size of a two-bedroom unit ranges from 72.5 sq. m. to 92.5 sq. m, while the three-bedroom unit ranges from 100 sq. m. to 152.5 sq. m. Benosa said that as Fortis Resi dences is geared toward upscale liv ing, residents can expect grand floor plan options, which will be delivered with exceptional fixtures and quality finishes. Each unit will come with essential appliances, including splittype air-conditioning units, cabinets, rangehood, water heater and digital lockets.

Fortis Residences will also have sustainability features including elec tric vehicle charging, full water-recy cling facility, use of LED lights and Lumiventt technology which enables natural light and fresh air to surround the units.

The project is slated for completion by December 2027.

Meralco expects 6% growth in power revenues on big commercial demand

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MANILA Electric Co., the biggest re tailer of electricity, forecasts a 6-percent sales growth in the first nine months, driv en by the recovery of the commercial and industrial sectors, an executive said over the weekend.

“[In] third quarter, we can reach 6-per cent growth in energy sales. That’s within the target because the commercial sector is still recovering. After all, there are no more lockdowns,” said Meralco chief commercial officer and head of customer retail services Ferdinand Geluz.

Geluz said sales rose 6 percent to 8 percent per month from July to September.

“The commercial sector bounced back. Commercial is growing double-digits, technically. It’s just a recovery, and we are

still below 2019 levels, but because it was the one that was severely affected, there are months it’s 15-percent and 19-percent [sales growth],” Geluz said.

Geluz expressed optimism the com mercial growth trend would continue as the economy recovers.

He said the resumption of face-to-face classes by November would also boost commercial sales.

Geluz said small and medium enter prises would benefit from the re-opening of schools.

“One growth driver in August is the resumption of face-to-face classes. Al though not yet fully face-to-face, by No vember, we expect commercial to go up,” he said.

He said the industrial growth was ex pected to remain steady at 3 percent to 4 percent from the previous year.

Zubiri recognizes role of ARTA in enhancing country’s competitiveness, streamlining gov’t processes

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri lauded the Anti-Red Tape Authority in help ing the country boost its competitiveness by streamlining government’s processes.

Citing the recent ruling of the Court of Appeals recognizing ARTA’s juris diction over government agencies per forming quasi-judicial and legislative functions, Zubiri said “this is a victory not only for ARTA but for the law.”

The Special Eighth Division of the Court of Appeals resolved in July AR TA’s powers over the quasi-judicial functions of the National Telecommu nications Commission. This concerns the case of News and Entertainment Network Corp., an affiliate of publiclylisted NOW Corp. against the NTC.

The CA division resolved that the au tomatic approval granting NEWSNET the 26-GHz frequency based on ARTA decision under former ARTA director-

general Jeremiah Belgica’s leadership was unappealable and irreversible.

The new ARTA officer-in-charge issued a decision reversing Belgica’s decision.

The CA decision has profound signif icance in the delivery of much-needed Internet and Pay TV services to the pub lic as Newsnet intends to expand nation wide using cutting-edge technologies.

It also states that regardless of the fact that said frequencies are now con sidered 5G (fifth generation) by the In

ternational Telecommunications Union, Newsnet maintains rights over it.

“And I’m confident that the legal vic tory such as this, we are setting a good precedent for similar cases in the future. And we are sending strong message to all government agencies to listen to ARTA, follow ARTA’s directives. In this way you, we can effectively serve our people and promote the Ease of Do ing Business,” Zubiri said.

The reforms under Republic Act No.

11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 shook up many government agencies that based their actions on dis cretionary means. The ARTA law force fully stopped such common practice.

The Special Eleventh Division of the Court of Appeals on Aug. 16, 2022 re solved to reverse and set aside the ter mination of provisional authority and the cease and desist order issued by NTC against Newsnet.

Darwin Amojelar

BATAAN-CAVITE BRIDGE. Public Works Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain (sixth from left), along with Bataan province officials, witness the geotechnical investigation survey to evaluate underground conditions and site characterization for the BataanCavite Interlink Bridge—a 32-kilometer inter-island bridge project over Manila Bay that will connect the provinces of Bataan and Cavite. The Department of Public Works and Highways expects to complete the detailed engineering design works for the project by the first quarter of 2023.

PFA known for digital technology and business solutions, re-affirms its partnership with the Philippine Franchise Association, which is striving to make the country the fifth largest franchise market in the world, as it copresents Franchise Asia Philippines 2022, Asia’s biggest franchise show. Signing the agreement are (from left) PLDT Enterprise retail industry business consultant Jerry Dy, PFA chairman Sherill Ramos Quintana, PLDT Enterprise corporate relations management head for small and medium business Armie Sason and PFA president Sam Christopher Lim. Franchise Asia Philippines 2022 with the theme

Live.Love.Franchise. staged its highly successful international virtual conference on Sept. 20 to 22 and will hold its onsite international franchise expo at the SMX Convention Center-Manila on Oct. 14 to 16 this year.

A most effin’ chic place to be

DON’T

let the mellow yellow double door and French windows fool you.

Everything is indeed properly fine in side the two-storey Pardon My French restaurant – with its white-linen tables and plush seating, the distinct French blue walls that surround the main dining area, and the three private alcoves upstairs, including the Bur gundy room that has all the Parisian feels.

But at night, the restaurant’s open space transforms into a roaring dance floor – a nod to the supper clubs of the storied Jupiter Street in Makati.

Pardon My French marries the elements of a restaurant gastronomique (think three-hour lunches and wine-pairings) and a dining establishment that also functions as a social club where one can let his or her hair down while enjoying live music.

Even the menu reflects the chic yet welcoming vibe of this dining and entertainment destination.

“A lot of people get intimidated when they think of French menu. That is not what we want. We want people to enjoy the food, so we decided to do a combination of French-Asian dishes,” said Chef Ariel Manuel of Lolo Dad’s and Bistro Manuel that were known for well-executed French-style dishes.

There’s the escargot served with burgundy butter and garlic

sauce that transported me to L’Escargot Montorgueil – a heritage site in France – where I and two other Asian journalists ( Amie Arimbi of Indonesia and Zarni Mann of Myanmar) only had all of about 10 hours to explore Paris before heading back to our school in Brussels sev eral years ago. (I can distinctly remember our pleas to the chef – “Please serve all the food at once.” – and his horrified look – “Please finish first the soup, and then we will serve the burrata, and then the escargot.” Pardon us, French chef, but we are Asians and we are journalists – we are trained to eat quickly plus we still had a lot of exploring to do.)

The French onion soup did not skimp on the raclette, and felt like a mother’s warm hug on a rainy day, while the Caesar Salad has an anchovy dressing and a six-minute boiled egg.

The Pondicherry Prawn Curry Indienne was an explosion of flavors, while the duck confit was pure indulgence, with duck au jus and cranberries on the side.

Pardon My French also has different cuts of steak, including the hefty Chateaubriand that is good for two.

As the sun goes down, the restaurant hosts a myriad of local musical bands and talents handpicked by renowned musical director Mel Villena, making it, pardon my French, the hottest effin’ place to be on this side of the metropolis.

“The idea of Pardon My French as a supper club was borne out of my experiences of entertaining at home where I get to

Inner peace and calm in Pansol

ONE of the myriad things I like about being in the tourism indus try is the opportunity to discover new places to spend time in with family and friends. Not too long ago, a friend of mine told me about this beautiful “cocoon” of peace and quiet in Pansol. You can imagine how thrilled I was, as I pictured myself being far away from the madding crowd, while being refreshed by the therapeutic hot springs that the place is known for. I immedi ately scheduled an ocular. About an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Ma nila is this lovely resort perfect for family va cations or teambuilding activities of corporate entities. 893 Camia, named after its exact street location inside Miramonte Village in Pansol, lives up to its name.

As you know, Camia is that fragrant white flower, also called Ginger Lily, which adds a very pleasant scent to any garden and produces

essential oils that bring inner peace and calm to anyone. Not only does the flower make any garden look dain ty, elegant, and attractive, it can also easily dress up any patio, when grown in attrac tive clay pots.

Owned by a lovely Rus sian lady, Alina Celine Faulkner, who has established her permanent home in our country, the resort has the classy elegance of its owner. Its subtle beauty beckons city dwellers like me who clamor for a healthy way to spend some “ME” time, away from the hubbub of the city jungle.

The resort has two swimming pools filled with healthy hot spring water that Los Baños is known for. Inside the compound are large, shady trees that protect those in the pools from harsh sunlight. There are five spacious fully airconditioned bedrooms that can accommo date a total of 25 adults, and each room has its

own toilet and bath that also use hot spring wa ter. These bedrooms are housed in two build ings flanking the swimming pools. One of the buildings has a rooftop hall without walls, per fect for group activities or just plain relaxation, as the cool breeze blowing from all directions easily lulls anyone to sleep.

893 Camia also has complete kitchen facilities--a portable stove and a barbecue grill, in case the occupants prefer to cook their own meals. It also has a large refrigerator and several dispensers for hot and cold water. Naturally, it has a strong

share my love for sumptuous food and great live mu sic. We don’t have enough of these kinds of places now and I’m hoping to open more in the near future,” said Jun Sy, president of PYC Foods Corporation.

Pardon My French’s location was formerly known as Strumm’s, which for years had become a landmark in live acts and a favorite institution among Makati’s professionals who enjoyed listening to ‘80s and ‘90s tunes from different genres.

Relish the nostalgia once again with Pardon My French’s impressive lineup of live entertainment, em ploying state-of-the-art acoustics to take the experi ence up a notch. Each night offers a different musical genre: Pop Jazz on Tuesdays, Party Retro on Wednes days, ‘80s Dance on Thursdays, Latin on Fridays, the Artist Series on Saturdays, and Easy Listening on Sundays.

A portfolio of wines and other tipples complete the culinary escapade, with bar chow like Mushroom Chicharron, Beef Shawarma, and Duck Fat Fries that go well with your poison of choice.

The restaurant also offers casual but elevated lunch sets (starting at P850) from Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The menu changes every two weeks. Pardon My French is located at 110 Jupiter St., BelAir, Makati.

Wi-Fi signal so you won’t really be completely detached from the outside world. There’s even a videoke machine, in case the guests want to show off their musical talent among themselves. The best part about 893 Camia are its very-easy-onthe-pocket rates – whether for day use or for over night stays. Either way, you’ll pay a paltry sum, if you compare it with what hotels usually charge for a staycation.

The hot springs in Los Baños come from the geothermal heat and steam from the nearby Mount Makiling, which is a dormant volcano. Soaking one’s body for about an hour in soothing warm water helps relieve physical pain and stress, as it improves blood circulation by in creasing oxygen flow. It then relaxes the muscles, and the dangerous toxins in the body are removed through perspiration.

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE

heart diseases have reportedly been cured by repeated immersions in the hot springs. One Laguna resident I talked to, who suffered from insomnia, now claims to be able to sleep easily. As for me, I went to visit 893 Camia to seek ref uge from the continuously hectic, toxic schedule I have, due to my professional commitments in many organizations. Since I was just by myself and, thank God, there was nobody else in the resort because it was a weekday, I found my longed-for peace and quiet. It certainly was a stress reliever, as I soaked my weary muscles and threadbare nerves in the therapeutic pool of hot spring water. I came out of it more than an hour later, recharged and reju venated. I easily noticed that I was feeling light and upbeat the following day, driving back home from my newly discovered cocoon of inner peace and calm in Pansol.

The water in the spring is odorless and has a potent mineral content that is responsible for its reported curative properties. Immersing the body in the hot spring water also softens and whitens the skin, and cures various types of skin diseases. Even high blood pressure and

Reservations requests for 893 Camia may be made through +63908-419-1633 or +63917877-9171, care of Jon, and it’s very easy to find it via Waze or Google Map.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Okada Manila’s signature Italian restaurant La Piazza reopens with a delectable new menu

THE dining scene at Okada Manila is abuzz as the resort continues to expand its offerings to food enthusiasts. To add to its roster of restaurant choices, the fivestar property recently reopened its beautiful and elegant Italian restaurant, La Piazza Ristorante Italiano. The restaurant is located along the Pearl Wing’s Crystal Corridor and has a spectacular view of the property’s iconic The Fountain. Guests can now once again savor a delightful Italian dining experience with a new menu.

An All-new Well-curated Menu

La Piazza Ristorante Italiano has spruced up its menu, featuring a combination of elevated Italian staples and the restaurant’s all-time classic dishes. From scrumptious appetizers to delectable main courses, flavorful steaks and decadent desserts, the restaurant offers a gastronomic journey for discerning palates.

Fresh on the menu is a marvellous selection of aperitivi (aperitifs) such as prosciutto e melone (Parma ham, cantaloupe, gorgonzola and walnuts), salumi (salame, prosciutto crudo, mortadella, prosciutto cotto, etc.), burrata, guazetto di mare (prawns, mussels and red chilies) and more. There are also two kinds of zuppe (soups), namely the rich crema di zucca (pumpkin soup) and the robust zuppa di mare (fish and seafood soup).

For the main course, check out La Piazza Ristorante Italiano’s dalla griglia (from the grill) menu that includes tomahawk, T-bone, tenderloin, rib-eye and striploin steaks, carrè d’agnello (rack of lamb), grilled Iberico pork rack, gambero (prawns) and aragosta (lobster) with appetizing sides. For those who prefer the classics, the restaurant has pollo arrosto (roasted chicken), spigola al cartoccio (Chilean seabass), and veal Milanese (breaded veal escalope), among others. There is also a mouthwatering selection of spectacular fresh pasta dishes and popular pizza varieties that remain crowd favorites.

Not to be missed is an assortment of decadent desserts at La Piazza Ristorante Italiano, like diplomatico (puff pastry, sponge cake with chamomile ice cream), panna cotta, tsokolate tart, tiramisù, and raviolo fritto kesong puti e miele, a unique dessert with some Filipino fusion.

The restaurant serves an interesting variety of wines and cocktails to complement each meal. Drawing attention from wine connoisseurs is La Piazza Ristorante Italiano’s collection of the most premium and sought-after wines. Each bottle is carefully selected, preserved, and displayed at the restaurant’s exclusive wine cellar.

Dining preferences

La Piazza Ristorante Italiano has two main dining areas to cater to diners’ preferences. Upon entry, there’s the Trattoria, which is accentuated with high tables and barrels and a bar and makes for a more relaxed and casual setting. A few steps away is the luxurious Ristorante, a beautiful dining area adorned with stunning Swarovski crystal chandeliers hanging on a high Gothic ceiling and sophisticated accents and plush seating perfect for a romantic date or an intimate get-together with friends or family. For private dining, there are three function rooms, which can accommodate ten people each and twenty to twentytwo guests if combined.

The restaurants at Okada Manila

The Restaurants at Okada Manila is a roster of Okada Manila’s signature restaurants that offers guests unforgettable and exciting dining options. Serving up traditional classics alongside innovative culinary creations, it offers guests to taste an array of the world’s flavors: the center of local and international gastronomy at MEDLEY BUFFET; traditional Japanese grill / kushiyaki at ENBU; oriental flavors at RED SPICE, which specializes in Cantonese cuisine; Korean barbecue and more at GORYEO; and Filipino staples at KIAPO and the soon-to-open SINAG.

Nickie

The hefty Chateaubriand that is good for two Pondicherry Prawn Curry Indienne

MAURICE CHEVALIER:  Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.

One buildings that house very comfortable bedrooms, glows at night

World’s top music acts come together against poverty

METALLICA and Mariah on Saturday led an A-list of musicians, and President Joe made a surprise video appearance, as the Global Citizen Festival sought to mobilize action against poverty and climate change.

Marking its 10th year, the six-hour festival brought thousands to New York’s Central Park and featured a sister show in Ghana’s capital Accra, where performers included American R&B great Usher and British grime icon Stormzy Global Citizen awards tickets to fans in exchange for their commitment to take action

Ka Tunying named first endorser of top insurance firm

STRONGHOLD Insurance Company Inc. has introduced award-winning Filipino broadcaster Anthony “Ka Tunying” Taberna as its very first celebrity endorser.

After 62 years, Stronghold, one of the leading well-funded insurers in the Philippines, picked Taberna as its endorser with hopes of a stronger service to more corporate clients and individuals, including ordinary Filipinos, in terms of basic insurance protection.

The firm believes that Taberna, one of the most trusted Filipino broadcast journalists, is the personality that completely represents its aim to be the top non-life insurance company in the country.

During the official contract signing, Taberna encouraged Filipinos to acquire non-life insurance from Stronghold. “Doon tayo sa #SubokNa,” he said.

In March 2022, the Insurance Commission (IC) reported that Stronghold was the third highest paid-up capital among 57 non-life insurance companies.

With a total of 1.5 billion paid-up capital, as of 2021, the insurance firm recorded a yearly increase in the number of clients, corporate companies, and individuals.

The commission explained that Stronghold’s impressive standing in corporate governance was emphasized when it was declared as top 10 nonlife insurance company in the country, contributing more than P2.3 billion net worth.

The firm rose from very humble beginnings and reached the pinnacle of success after the then Mabuhay Insurance & Guaranty Co., Inc. was established on March 21, 1960 as a wholly owned Filipino non-life insurance company.

Meanwhile, Stronghold President Romulo Delos Reyes said they look forward to serving their clients better.

“We’re elated and excited to embark on a new journey with Ka Tunying as our endorser,” he said.

For his part, Taberna said he is thankful for the opportunity to endorse Stronghold as he himself represents a stronger brand after his career, business, and even his family were put to test due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said those challenges taught him two things—to be prepared and strong for the worst in any obstacle that life throws at him—and the values that are very much aligned to that of Stronghold’s, choosing him as their very first endorser.

Now with branches in key cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, Stronghold is committed to covering the Philippine market with excellent service and non-life insurance that guarantees the protection of their clients’ hard-earned investments.

To check their products, you may visit the following platforms: https:// strongholdinsurance.com.ph https://www.facebook.com/StrongholdInsuranceCoInc

SUE Prado and Kalil Almonte topbill Hulagway, a two-part documentary linked together by a love story and features the endangered languages of the Dupaninan Agta in Isabela, and the Tandulanen Tagbanua in Palawan, Philippines.

The film follows the journey of Consuelo (Prado) and Robert (Almonte) against the backdrop of the changing ecosystem in the grasslands of Isabela, where endemic grasses are being slowly displaced by invasive foreign species, and ends on the beaches of Palawan once inhabited by mythological crabs.

As a poetic and lyrical rumination on the beauty of words, this film shows how language is indeed the soul of a culture.

“As the writer and director, I had to read the dictionaries and wordlists previous

to eradicate extreme poverty – such as contacting elected representatives to encourage foreign aid – and coincides with the annual UN General Assembly in hopes of raising pressure on world leaders.

“We’re inspired and grateful for all the work you’ve done and want you to know – your fight is our fight,” First Lady Jill Biden said in a video appearance next to her husband.

President Biden – along with top Senate and House Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, who both appeared in person – highlighted a new climate package that is the most far-reaching legislation ever in the United States to spur clean energy.

But Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados warned that action against climate change cannot come quickly enough for islands such as hers.

“Yes, my friends, our time is running out,” she said.

Thrash metal legends Metallica got the crowd headbanging with eight songs including a version of “Nothing Else Matters” featuring vocalist Mickey Guyton, who has been outspoken about her experiences as one of the most prominent Black women in country music.

Guests sought to raise awareness on an array of issues including women’s rights, especially in light of major protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini who was allegedly beaten to death after her arrest by morality police who enforce clerical rulers’ dress codes on women.

“I have seen my sisters forced to flee abuse, oppression, and femicide globally, women like Mahsa Jina Amini,” said Anuscheh Amir-Khalili, a refugee advocate in Berlin of Iranian descent.

“We must speak up for oppressed women. I stand here for them,” she told the crowd.

European Union chief Ursula von der

Leyen, appearing on stage, said, “We have to take care of our girls and our women. They deserve it.”

She highlighted recent pledges by Europe including 600 million euros for food security in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific amid rising hunger in much of the world worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mariah Carey was introduced by leading ballerina Misty Copeland, who called the singer with her famed vocal range an inspiration, and was accompanied by a choreographed dance for her classic song “Hero.”

Other performers included Maneskin the new-generation Italian glam rockers who put on an energetic set, Spanish pop star Rosalia, and the Jonas Brothers, with Nick Jonas’s wife, Indian screen star Priyanka Chopra, serving as master of ceremonies. AFP

New things Bea Alonzo learned from ‘Start-Up PH’

By Patricia Taculao

AFTER two decades of headlining the Kapamilya network, Bea Alonzo signed with GMA Network. Her first project in the network is the highly-anticipated Start-Up PH , the Philippine adaptation of the Korean series, Start-Up

In the star-studded series, Bea plays Dani and stars alongside Kapuso star Alden Richards The pair met in Bangkok during an endorsement project. Since then, Alden has looked forward to working with Bea on an acting gig, which came true with Start-Up PH

While Alden finds himself focusing because of the professionalism Bea exudes during shoots, the actress has learned the opposite thing in the presence of her co-star.

“He’s very playful on set na parang siya yung nagse-set ng tone sa set namin, yung happy lang. Kadalasan kasi may pagka-serious type ako pagdating sa trabaho Natutunan ko sa kaniya na [I] don’t have to take so many things seriously, na minsan pwede ka ding mag-enjoy,” Bea shared during the red carpet screening of Start-Up PH last September 17, Saturday.

She added that Alden also served as her welcoming committee in GMA and how he’s familiar with the staff and other celebrities within the network. Within her few months as a member of the network, Bea learned more from her co-stars and directors.

With Bea’s transfer to GMA, it seemed like her career was starting again. However, Bea doesn’t view it as a hindrance or fear. Instead, she sees it as a challenge, which she welcomes with open arms.

“Siguro ang kaibahan ng nag-uumpisa ako, noon ang dami kong gustong patunayan, and, of course, I was in my teenage years so mas takot pa [ako] sa mga sasabihin ng mga ibang tao Bea said.

Now that she’s in her 30s, Bea cares less about what other people think and more about what makes her happy.

The actress also shared that she’s always on her toes around her new co-stars because it’s her first time working with them, trying to gauge if she’s a good colleague.

“I try to let them feel

okay ako katrabaho, and I always try to be the best version of myself in front of them,” she said.

Meanwhile, her co-stars, including Yasmien Kurdi Jeric Gonzales Gina Alajar, among other actors, ensured she felt welcome among them.

Start-Up PH became her platform to begin anew in showbiz and has allowed her to apply what she learned in the past. Unlike before, Bea is learning to enjoy every minute of her career instead of feeling pressure and fear.

Besides her co-stars, Bea had the opportunity to work with Director Dominic Zapata for the first time. The actress describes him as a jolly and energetic person to work with because he makes them feel comfortable on set.

On the other hand, Director Jerry Sineneng has worked with Bea several times before for other projects. The actress now considers him as her safety blanket on set.

Kilalang-kilala na niya ko. Lahat naman tayo merong mga bad days or good days. Alam niya how to handle me kahit ano pang day yan,” she said.

Start-Up PH airs its first episode tonight, September 26, on GMA Telebabad.

researchers had already gathered and look for patterns that somehow stand out from their anthropological, ethnographic, and linguistic work,” says director Alvin Yapan

“These researchers and linguists were all acknowledged in the closing credits of the documentary. From what I have read, the Dupaninan Agta language depicts and upholds a culture of walking.

On the other hand, the Tandulanen Tagbanua language distinguishes between what is real and what is not, what is seen and unseen, and what is visible and invisible. These are the main linguistic characteristics we tried to show and capture in the documentary,” he carries.

From the words collated from the dictionaries and wordlists, the team

behind the film went to the areas of these linguistic groups and validated the data. They tried to confirm if these words were still in use and in circulation and how much have already changed since they were first recorded and studied.

“The validation interviews were included in the documentaries. We tried as much as possible to interview a representative cross-section of the linguistic group from the elders to the much younger generation,” Yapan shares.

Hulagway also features a previously undocumented folksong sung by one of the tribal leaders. As Baket Edna sings this folksong, Consuelo recounts a summary of an Agta epic song already forgotten but recorded and transcribed several years back by linguists and

A still from ‘Hulagway’ researchers much like Consuelo.

The film raises questions as to the validity of ethnographic intervention in the preservation of dying languages, raising once more the contentious debate between etic and emic, the outsider and insider, viewpoints in ethnography.

Hulagway is funded by Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination and presented by National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Rolyo Productions in cooperation with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Mariah Carey headlines the Global Citizen Festival against and

Anthony Taberna (center) with wife Rossel (second from left) and Stronghold insurance executives

The new Kapuso actress always tries to be a good colleague around her co-stars

Bea Alonzo plays Dani Sison in ‘Start-Up PH’

Alden Richards’ energy encourages Bea to be less serious on set

Jeric Gonzales joins the cast of ‘Start-Up PH,’ forming a love triangle with Bea and Alden’s characters

Celtics owner: Udoka ban

LOS ANGELES— Boston Celtics

owner Wyc Grousbeck said Friday the NBA team’s one-season suspension of coach Ime Udoka was “well warranted and appropriate.”

Grousbeck and Celtics executive Brad Stevens offered no further details in a press conference on the team policy violations that led to Udoka’s ban.

But Grousbeck said the punishment was the result of a months-long investigation by an independent law firm, brought in after the Celtics learned of what he called a “situation” affecting the franchise.

“I personally feel that this is well warranted and appropriate, backed by substantial research and evidence and facts, and so I’m standing by the decision and Ime has accepted it,” Grousbeck said.

Grousbeck cited privacy reasons in declining to comment on reports by ESPN, The Athletic and other US media outlets that Udoka had an improper intimate relationship with a female member of the Celtics staff, violating the club’s code of conduct.

“I’m not going to comment on the investigation, but we found there was enough there to take action,” Grousbeck said, adding that no one else in the organization is facing penalty or reprimand.

Grousbeck said the decision to suspend Udoka, rather than fire him, for “multiple violations” of team policies “felt right.”

“There’s no clear guidelines for any of this,” he said. “This is really a conscience and gut feel and being here 20 years and I’m responsible for the decision, ultimately.

“It was clear that something substantial needed to be done, in my view, and it was.”

Players ‘very concerned’

There is still no certainty that Udoka will coach the club again after his suspension ends on June 30, 2023.

In announcing the punishment the team said that decision would be made at a later date, and Grousbeck said criteria on his possible return had not been decided.

Celtics open training camp on Tuesday in preparation for the October 18 start to the 2022-23 NBA season.

Stevens, the former Celtics coach who moved into the front office last season following the departure of Danny Ainge, confirmed that assistant coach Joe Mazzulla would take over head coaching duties this season.

Grousbeck said that he and Stevens had met with Celtics players to discuss the matter. AFP

SAN Juan and Pasig routed their opponents on Saturday to boost their drives for top four spots in the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season Presented by Xtreme elimination round at the Orion Sports Complex in Bataan.

The San Juan Knights pounced on the cold-shooting Bataan Risers to prevail, 9074, while the Pasig Realtors dumped the Laguna Krah Asia Heroes, 74-58, to rise to 13-5 and seize second spot in the North division behind unbeaten pacesetter Nueva Ecija (19-0).

Bacoor also dumped Valenzuela, 98-83, to climb to 8-11 in the South division.

The top four finishers in each division

Fury tells Joshua to sign fight contract by Monday

LONDON—Tyson

Fury has set Anthony Joshua a deadline of Monday to sign a contract for their hugely anticipated all-British showdown or forget about facing him for the world heavyweight title.

There have been protracted talks between the two camps of World Boxing Council champion Fury and Joshua, a former holder of the sport’s other major heavyweight titles. Only last week the deal, based upon a 60-40 split in Fury’s favour, was

said to have been accepted by Joshua’s management team.

Veteran promoter Frank Warren said a contract had been sent to Joshua’s camp.

Eddie Hearn, the promoter of Joshua, added minor issues remained to be resolved ahead of a fight expected to take

will have the homecourt edge in the bestof-three quarterfinal playoffs.

Bracing for a tough fight, the Knights found the Risers an easy target as they led by as many as 23 points, 82-59, behind the guns of Judel Fuentes and Dexter Maiquez to improve to 12-6, good for the fourth spot in the North division.

Fuentes drilled in 24 points while Marquez poured 20 plus 11 rebounds to power San Juan as Bataan gunners James Dwrin Castro, Ernesto Bondoc and Arvie Bringas could only score 12, 11 and 9 points, respectively.

Like San Juan, Pasig stormed to a 63-38 spread and was never headed by Laguna.

Robbie Manalang led Pasig to its

place before the end of this year.

Fury, however, is now convinced Joshua is trying to back out, prompting an expletive-filled social media post about his rival on Friday.

He remained highly critical, if more measured, when talking about Joshua on Saturday.

“I was optimistic about three weeks ago but it shouldn’t be taking this long to sign a contract,” Fury said in a video posted on the Twitter feed of Queensberry Promotions.

“We’ll know by Monday anyway because if it’s not done by Monday then I’m moving on.”

“I’m not waiting around for some guy who’s lost three of his last five fights. He’s lucky that I’m giving him a world title shot.”

The 34-year-old added: “He is an invited guest at my party - my rules. So, if you want to play the game, come to the banquet and take your seat.”

Warren, however, remained optimistic the fight would go ahead, telling BT Sport: “There is a meeting taking place on Monday and I am hoping that is going to resolve what I feel is just a few outstanding issues, not for us, but it seems for them.

“Let’s hope they are good as their word and they don’t duck out of it.” AFP

seventh straight win with 18 points, followed by Rey Anthony Peralta with 14 and Ryan Paule Costelo with 13.

Laguna, which skidded to 3-14, got 17 points from John Paul Nietes and 10 each from Floyd Dedicatoria and Mico Bren Pallares.

The Bacoor Strikers, who drew 19 points each from Mark Montuano and Salvador Galit, pulled away at 71-46 and were never threatened on their way to seventh spot. Montuano and Galit added 7 and 6 rebounds, respectively.

Valenzuela fell to 9-10 despite the 26-point effort of Patrick Cabahug and the 20-point output of Jaymar Gimpayan.

The Swiss 20-time Grand Slam champion and Rafael Nadal lost their Laver Cup doubles match 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 11-9 to Team World’s Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock.

The defeat for Europe left the two teams locked at two points apiece after the first day of the Ryder Cup-style event at London’s O2 arena.

But the match itself was ultimately a sideshow on an emotional occasion for the 41-yearold, who made a lengthy and tearful address to the crowd, his rivals and family afterwards.

“This is not the end-end, you know, life goes on,” he told a post-match press conference in the early hours of Saturday, having recovered the poise that was the hallmark of his career.

“I’m healthy, I’m happy, everything’s great.

“The message from me was just making sure

I relay my passion for the sport to the fans, and I let them know that hopefully we’ll see each other again on a different type of tennis court somewhere around the world,” he added.

“I have no plans whatsoever, where, how, when. All I know, I would love to go and play places I have never played before or go say thank yous for years to come to all the people that have been so supportive of me.”

Federer, who had not played tennis competitively since Wimbledon in 2021 due to a knee injury, said at times during the build-up to the match, which started late on Friday, he had been “horribly nervous”.

“The last two days have been tough, you know, to say the least,” he said. “Thankfully in moments I totally forgot about it, slept great, everything was wonderful, I could enjoy it, I feel.

“And because of that I think I will be able to have a better recollection of how it went, because if it’s all just stress throughout and I want it to be only perfect, I know I will remember half of it.”

BERLIN—Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge has beaten his own world marathon record by 30 seconds, running 2hr 01min 10sec in Berlin on Sunday.

At the halfway point the back-toback Olympic champion in Rio and Tokyo looked set to become the first to officially run under the elusive two-hour mark.

But despite slowing slightly the 37-year-old held on to best his own record from Berlin in 2018.

Kenyan Mark Korir finished second behind his countryman with a time of 2:05:58, while Ethiopian Tadu Abate came third with 2:06:28.

Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu, who kept up with Kipchoge for around two thirds of the race, held on for fourth.

In the women’s field, Ethiopian Tigist Assefa ran the third fastest time in history, setting a course record of 2:15:37.

Assefa was not among the pre-race favourites and sensationally beat her previous best by 18 minutes.

Kipchoge, who on Friday said his only goal was “to run a good race”, burst out of the blocks, clearly aiming not only for a world record but to beat the two-hour mark.

A pod of around seven runners kept up with Kipchoge for the first 10 kilometres, before 2021 winner Guye Adola and Belihiu pulled away after 15 kilometres.

Adola was unable to maintain the pace and began to fall back after 18 kilometres, with both Kipchoge and Belihu reaching the half marathon mark in less than an hour.

Kipchoge emerged on his own after 25 kilometres and was still on pace for the sub-two-hour mark, but began to slow slightly despite still keeping the world record in his sights.

Kipchoge became just the second man to win four Berlin Marathons, joining Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie who owned the event from 2006 to 2009.

He boasts an unmatched record over the marathon, having now won 15 of his 17 career outings over the event, including not only his two Olympic triumphs but also 10 World

Kipchoge beats world mark at Berlin Marathon foes

Nadal also admitted it had been a tough day, with a “super-emotional” ending.

“For me it has been a huge honour to be a part of this amazing moment of the history of our sport, and at the same time a lot of years sharing a lot of things together,” he said.

“When Roger leaves the tour, an important part of my life is leaving too.”

Federer and Nadal, who have won 42 Grand Slam singles titles between them, spoke warmly of their friendship even though they have been fierce rivals for nearly two decades.

“It’s been great,” said the Swiss. “I think we enjoy each other’s company, and we have so much to look back on, but also just enjoy spending time together.

“We have a million topics to cover. I always feel like any evening we ever spend together we never have enough time.”

Nadal, 36, said his relationship with Federer had been a “super-long and positive journey”. AFP

LONDON (AFP) -- Roger Federer promised his fans they had not seen the last of him after bringing the curtain down on his glittering career, saying he would see them on a “different type of tennis court” in future.

‘Super-emotional’

PBA MOTOCLUB VS MAVS. G Channel PH representatives coach BJ Tongco, together with his players Kirst Viray and John Edward Custodio, are joined by former pro players Marc Pingris, JayJay Helterbrand, Rico Maeirhofer, Billy Mamaril and the Mavs Phenomenal Basketball Team, headed by coach Mavs together with Dane Grospe, Team Manager and PoyPoy Actub during an event announcing the game between the PBA Motoclub and the Mavs team. G Channel PH will bring the one of the most awaited games of the year on Oct. 22 at the San Juan Arena.

Mark Montuano delivers anew for Bacoor.

Tyson Fury (left) is now convinced Anthony Joshua is trying to back out, prompting an expletivelled social media post about his rival.

Switzerland’s Roger Federer (left) sheds a tear after playing his nal match, a doubles with Spain’s Rafael Nadal (right) of Team Europe against USA’s Jack Sock and USA’s Frances Tiafoe of Team World in the 2022 Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London. AFP

Floyd kayoes MMA star; Pacquiao not on his radar

PSC sees blueprint in successful PH athletes

By Peter Atencio

THE blueprint for success of Philippine sports can be found in the journey and achievements of numerous athletes who conquered the world stage.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala is a firm believer of this as the government sports agency continues to evaluate the plans and programs of the previous administration of exchairman William Ramirez.

“Nakikita na natin iyung blueprint kung paano manalo,” said Eala, as he noted the successful campaigns of the country’s top pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, gymnast Carlos Yulo, tennis ace Alexandra Eala, along with boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial.

Their achievements, according to Eala will help improve the country’s sports program.

He took note of the recent conquests of Obiena and his niece Alex.

Obiena claimed eight gold medals in 17 outdoor events that he has joined since May in Europe, while Eala became the first Filipina to win the girls’ singles’ crown in the 2022 US Open.

Junna Tsukii’s gold medal victory in the -50 kg category in the kumite competitions of the Karatedo World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama is also something which the PSC is looking into.

“This is the kind of momentum we need in Philippine sports. This will provide the impetus to really look for support, for more support for Philippine sports. These are the people who are now the faces of Philippine sports,” added Eala.

TOKYO—Floyd

Mayweather knocked out mixed martial arts fighter Mikuru Asakura in the second round on Sunday in Japan in the latest of the boxing great’s post-retirement exhibitions.

The 45-year-old Mayweather floored his opponent with a right hand as his former welterweight foe Manny Pacquiao watched ringside in Saitama.

Philippine great Pacquiao is not on his radar.

“I retired for a reason,” said Mayweather. “I’m here to have fun and enjoy myself... but I’m not going to take no punishment to the point to where I can barely walk and barely talk.

“People will always pay to get a glimpse of Floyd Mayweather,” he said, before asking, “so why would I

go out there and... fight a top fighter when I can get the same amount of money for three rounds with whoever?”

The American Mayweather, who retired in 2017 with an unbeaten 50-0 record, afterwards dismissed any prospect of a fight with the similarly retired Pacquiao.

Mayweather arrived at Saitama Super Arena, north of Tokyo, just an hour before the fight.

He was shown on TV relaxing in a dressing room full of takeaway fast food, prior to making his ringwalk.

On another easy payday for the selfstyled “Money” Mayweather, the bell to end the second round sounded as Asakura hit the canvas, but it failed to save the Japanese fighter and he was unable to beat the count.

“It was another blockbuster turnout... boxing for me is like breathing,” Mayweather said, adding he is looking to fight more “YouTubers and MMA guys”.

Asakura, an MMA star and popular YouTuber in Japan, gave Mayweather more of a workout than the last time the American fought an exhibition in Japan, against kickboxing prodigy Tenshin Nasukawa in December 2018.

“I’m glad he threw a few shots, got the crowd excited. That’s what it’s about,” Mayweather said.

“I’m proud of him. I’m proud he came out here. He helped me entertain

people. He did what he was supposed to do... We both had fun.”

Mayweather is reportedly close to agreeing a rematch in 2023 with UFC star Conor McGregor.

Mayweather beat McGregor in his final fight before retirement.

The Mayweather-Asakura bout had no judges, meaning the result would not count on the fighter’s record.

Mayweather predicted last week that the fight would be an “easy payday, easy cheque, easy opponent”.

His retirement has not stopped him from raking in millions of dollars from a series of exhibitions.

In his 2018 match with Nasukawa, a kickboxer less than half his age, Mayweather floored him three times in the first round in a two-minute fight that he hinted online had netted him $9 million. AFP

Not only will the PSC pour in government support for the Filipino athlete, it will also seek out the assistance of the private sector to its programs.

PBA, NCAA, SSL games reset due to super typhoon

AS Super Typhoon Karding made landfall on Sunday in the Luzon area, organizers have called off games in three ongoing tournaments.

PLAYING more games together help sharpened the resolve of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in Season 85 of the University Athletic Association Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

Coach Goldwin Monteverde said this as the Maroons get ready to defend their crown.

“It (the field) has the same conditions from the last season. The only difference is that most of the players have game-play exposure from tournaments held in preseason,” said Monteverde.

He explained that the young players of the squad had a chance to experience different situations when they played in pre-season tournaments like the FilOil-EcoOil and the UCBL Pre-Season tournaments.

The Fighting Maroons also went to South Korea in the last week of August for a three-week camp and had friendlies with Korean Basketball League teams Changwon LG, Jeonju KCC, Seoul Samsung, Ulsan Hyundai Mobis, and Seoul SK.

Last season, there was a lack of tournaments because of the quarantine lockdowns. But the presence of numerous intercollegiate tournaments in between the two seasons of the UAAP this year was helpful in their buildup.

“We needed to play as many games as possible to jell as a team,” added Monteverde.

Senior players Ricci Rivero and Noah Webb have graduated and left, leaving the Maroons to up-and-coming players like Carl Tamayo and JD Cagulangan, the hero in Game 3 of their best-of-three finals with the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

The return of Fil-American cager Zavier Lucero, who decided to play professional basketball in Taiwan, is expected to keep the Maroons in contention for the crown.

On the other hand, National University, Far Eastern University and University of Santo Tomas managed to do well in their pre-season campaigns. Peter Atencio

“You have the benefit of longer preparation. So it’s unpredictable. And when you’re unpredictable, there’s excitement,” said UAAP executive director Rene Saguisag Jr. on the ongoing buildups.

The Maroons battle the La Salle Green Archers at 4 p.m. on opening day (Oct. 1) at the Mall of Asia Arena, while the Adamson Falcons meet the Growling Tigers earlier at 2 p.m. Peter Atencio

Affected by the heavy rains were the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup, National Collegiate Athletic Association season 96 cagefest and the second playdate of the Shakey’s Super League 2022 Collegiate spikefest.

The double-header featuring the Meralco Bolts against the NLEX Road Warriors, and Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings versus Converge was rescheduled for another date.

Three weekend matches of the NCAA on Saturday and Sunday have also been scrubbed

at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan, also due to the bad weather and after six players of the San Sebastian College Stags tested positive for COVID-19.

The second playdate of the Shakey’s Super League 2022 Collegiate Pre-season volleyball Championship at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Sunday have been moved to another day as well.

Organizers also called off Leg 3 of the PBA 3×3 scheduled on Monday and Tuesday at the Robinsons Place Antipolo.

Meanwhile, six players of the Stags have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the squad to go into quarantine. Three playdates of the

NCAA have initially been called off as well.

Members of the Stags need to undergo a weeklong isolation before resuming their activities.

Under the NCAA’s health and safety protocols, if two or more players are affected, there will be an automatic postponement of game(s) in the next seven days.

Sunday’s showdown between the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers and the College of St. Benilde Blazers, along with the collision between the San Beda Red Lions and the University of Perpetual Help Altas, have been arranged to happen in the second week of October. Peter Atencio

Diamante shines brightest in COPA swim meet

NICOLA Queen Diamante emerged as the most bemedalled swimmer with a near-perfect campaign at the close of the 1st Novice Swim Championship on a rainy Sunday at the Teofilo Ildefonso swimming pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

Diamante, a member of the RSS Dolphins Swim Team, nearly made a sweep as she shone brightest in the 11-year-old division, winning the girls’ class A 25-meter free style with a time of 14.30 seconds, butterfly (14.80), backstroke (16.30), breaststroke (21.40), 50-meter freestyle (30.40) and 100-m Individual medley (1:29.40). Diamante missed completing a sweep as she fell short in her duel against Alex Pasia of Sharknado Swimming Team in the 100-m freestyle (45.80) as she clocked 1:09.10.

The tournament is a grassroots development program of the Congress of Philippine Aquatics, Inc., headed by Batangas 1st District Rep. Eric Buhain and supported by Speedo.

Last month during the COPA’s Reunion swimfest, Diamante also emerged as the most prolific swimmer with a fourgold medal haul in the Class A 100-m butterfly (1:21.30); 100-m backstroke (1:24.70); 100m freestyle (1:11.00) and the 200-m back (3:04.90).

“Masayang masaya po ako at nagpapasalamat sa COPA dahil tuluy-tuloy ang tournament nila sa

mga kabataang tulad ko. Mas gagalingan ko pa po sa susunod. Medyo maginaw na kanina kaya hindi na ako masyadong nakahirit,” said Diamante as Manila started feeling the effects of typhoon ‘Karding’.

A storm signal no. 4 was declared in Metro Manila late afternoon, just after the event was concluded at noon.

“Inagad nga namin after we received the info about the signal warning. Pasalamat naman kami at natapos ng maaga at napauwi natin ang lahat bago pa bumuhos ang ulan. Hindi na kami nagawarding, inabot na lang ‘yung mga medals,” said technical director head Richard Luna.

COPA Board member Chito Rivera said he expected a huge participation from public school students as the organization announced a plan to double the number of participants in the next tournament—the Reunion 3rd leg Swim Challenge on Oct. 22 and 23. Also lined up is the Sprint meet with the introduction of SKINS Swim event (Nov. 12 and 13) and the Short Course Yuletide Swimming Championship (Dec. 10 and 11).

“Masayang –masaya ‘yung mga estudyante natin mula sa public schools. ‘Yung isa ngang coach, pasalamat ng todo dahil ngayon lang daw sila nakalaro bukod sa mga division meet ng DepEd para sa Palarong Pambasa. Sabi ko, sagot ng COPA ang participation fee ninyo kaya huwag na kayong mag-alala, basta may event ang COPA kasali kayo,” said Rivera, also the head coach of the Jose Rizal University varsity squad.

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines waves as he enters the arena to attend the exhibition match between US boxer Floyd Mayweather and Japanese mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama. AFP

PSC chairman Noli Eala

Nicola Queen Diamante shows her medal and trophy.