Manila Standard - 2022 September 28 - Wednesday

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SC warns of red-tagging judges

Violators face contempt, jail time as police probe Badoy; Palace neutral

By Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz and Vince Lopez

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday warned those who red-tagged and threatened violence against judges and their families that they faced contempt charges and jail time.

The warning came as a lawmaker said the police would investigate the former spokesperson of an anti-commu nist task force, Lorraine Badoy, for her social media attacks on Manila regional trial court Judge Marlo Magdoza-Mala gar, who had junked the government’s

Peso at new low: P58.99 vs $1, PBBM tracks dev’t

uities. (Full story on B4)

bid to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, terrorist organiza tions earlier this month.

“The Court sternly warns those who continue to incite violence through

Former CJ Bersamin buckles down as new ES

By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sworn in former Chief Justice Lu cas Bersamin as his new Executive Secretary vice Victor Rodriguez, who resigned from the post to become the Presidential Chief of Staff.

Karding toll: Death now 8, agri losses P160m

in San Miguel, Bulacan. Two fatalities were reported in Zambales and one was from Quezon, the NDR RMC said.

Three missing persons are also reported in Mer cedes, Camarines Norte.

THE reported death toll due to Typhoon Karding rose to eight, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Tuesday.

Five of the fatalities were rescuers who drowned

In its 8 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said a total of 60,817 persons or 16,476 families were affected by

Marcos, Senate extol heroism of 5 rescuers

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Lea Salonga gets Time100 Impact Award as role model

FILIPINO singer and actress Lea Salonga is among the recipi ents of the TIME100 Impact Awards, giv en by TIME Maga zine to personali ties who have “gone above and beyond” to move their respective industries forward.

In a feature posted on Sunday, TIME dubbed Salonga, 51, as the “Voice of Disney Princesses” and a “role model for children of color.”

Putin grants US whistleblower Snowden Russian citizenship

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin on Monday granted Russian citizenship to US whistleblower Edward Snowden, who exposed mas sive surveillance by the US National Security Agency on Americans and then sought refuge in Russia.

A presidential decree published Monday included Snowden on a list of newly-minted Russian citizens, at

“The President said that he is well qualified to be the executive secretary. Having put in so many years in the

DOH sees optional face mask use as factor in spike of COVID cases

By Willie Casas

OPTIONAL masking outdoors is one of the factors driving the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the country, the De partment of Health admitted Tuesday.

This is as the Private Hospitals Asso ciation of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) called on the public to keep wearing face masks amid the reported increase in coronavirus cases, which may over whelm its members anew.

Malacañang announced on Septem ber 12 that President Ferdinand Marcos

Jr. signed an executive order allowing the optional masking in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.

Although the rise in COVID-19 cases cannot be attributed to a single factor alone, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire admitted in a press briefing that not wearing masks out doors was a factor.

“Expectedly, cases are increasing because of increased mobility, face-toface classes, and maybe because this

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. commended the heroism of the five rescuers who died while respond ing to flood-hit villages in San Miguel, Bulacan at the height of Typhoon Karding.

“I am deeply saddened to hear that we lost five good

to Typhoon Karding yesterday. Our prayers go to the families of George Agustin, Troy Justin Agustin, Marby Bartolome, Narciso Calayag Jr., and Jerson Res surreccion,” he said In a Twitter post.

By Othel V. Campos, Willie Casas, Alena Mae Flores, Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano

Press Secretary Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles confirmed the appointment of Bersamin, who also attended Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in Malacanang after tak ing his oath before the President.

“Former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin has taken his oath of office as Executive Secretary before President Ferdinand

Romualdez Marcos Jr. He began his du ties immediately by attending the 9th Cabinet meeting right after swearing in,” Cruz-Angeles said in a statement.

SERIOUS DISCUSSION. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presides over the 9th Cabinet meeting at the Palace on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. The meeting focused on the government’s response to Typhoon Karding as well as on the administration’s economic growth strategy. Inset photo shows Mr. Marcos standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his new Executive Secretary, former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his economic managers are “con stantly monitoring” the continued depreciation of the Philippine peso against the US dollar, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

The peso plummeted to a new low of 58.99 against the US dollar, while the local stock market entered bear territory Tuesday on the increasingly hawkish tone of the US Federal Re serve that led to sell-off in global eq

“The President is in constant touch with the economic team and they are closely monitoring this,” said Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles in

Lea Salonga

Edward Snowden

at the

Tripoli

docks at the port area in Manila on Tuesday,

built

ICC prosecutor seeks drug war probe resumption

THE prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has opposed the request of the Philippine government to dismiss the probe into the bloody war on drugs during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Marcos administration earlier argued the ICC tribunal lacks jurisdic tion, the alleged crimes are insufficient ly grave to warrant further action, and the government has investigated and prosecuted the alleged crimes or is cur rently doing so.

“The Prosecution respectfully sub mits that none of those arguments have merit,” ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said in his response.

Khan also renewed his request that the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber order the re sumption of the probe.

“The GovPH (Philippine govern ment) argues that its criminal justice system generally functions well and that certain administrative and other mechanisms may or can result in crimi nal proceedings. However, nothing in the observations nor in the hundreds of pages of associated annexes substanti

ates that criminal proceedings actually have been or are being conducted in anything more than a small number of cases,” Khan said.

The government earlier asked the PreTrial Chamber of the ICC to deny the request of Khan to resume the body’s investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity committed under the Duterte administration in the implemen tation of its anti-illegal drug war.

The ICC is seeking to investigate the killings related to Duterte’s war on drugs for the period between July 1, 2016 and March 16, 2019, and those that happened in the Davao region between November 1, 2011 and June 30, 2016.

the Philippine Judges Association, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and Hukom Inc. condemned the vilification and red-tagging of Magdoza-Malagar of the Manila RTC Branch 19.

“Their courage and bravery will live on in our memory,” Mr. Marcos added.

At the Senate, three resolutions were filed by Senators Robin Padilla, Lito Lapid and Joel Villanueva hon oring the rescuers.

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Go reaffirmed that he will push for legisla tive interventions to improve the social protection of all government employees risking their lives to save others, no mat ter what their status of employment is.

He then acknowledged the sacrifices being made by first responders or frontliners during calamities and crises, saying that granting them what is due to them is the least that the government can do to compensate them properly for all of their hard work, especially during these challenging times.

In Senate Resolution 234, Padilla lauded the heroism of the five members of the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

with me,” Badoy’s post said.

“Whereas, the heroism and bravery shown by these five men, who sacri ficed their lives to save their people, is an exemplary act worthy of praise and emulation and more importantly, an embodiment of dedication, cour age, devotion to duty and commit ment to public service,” Padilla said in his resolution.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate, as it is hereby resolved, to express profound condolences to the bereaved families of and to posthu mously accord highest commendation to Narciso Calayag, Jerson Resurrecci on, Marvy Bartolome, George Agustin and Troy Justin Agustin who perished while performing their heroic and sol emn duties in the rescue operations at the height of Super Typhoon Karding,” he added.

Under Senate Resolution No. 235, which he filed Sept. 27, Lapid rec ognized the fatalities from the Bula can PDRRMO which included George Agustin, Troy Justin Agustin, Marby Bartolome, Jerson Resurreccion, and Narciso Calayag Jr.

actors and the rule of law,” the lawyers said in a statement.

a Palace briefing, when asked if the weakening of the Philippine peso was discussed during the 9th Cabinet meet ing presided by Marcos at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Tuesday morning.

The peso’s rapid depreciation was not among the issues tackled during Marcos’ meeting with his Cabinet, Cruz-Angeles said, but added that the President closely monitors the cur rency movements “on a regular basis.”

To date, the Philippine peso is trad ing at the 58-level against the US dol lar after starting the year at 51-level.

The peso slipped to its new record low on Sept. 23 after closing at P58.50 a dollar.

On Monday, the International Mon etary Fund (IMF) slashed its 2022 growth forecast for the Philippines from 6.7 percent to 6.5 percent due to the im pact of the global economic slowdown.

Marcos’ economic team lowered its growth expectations for this year to 6.5 percent from 7.5 percent.

The IMF also noted that its growth forecast for the Philippines in 2023 is at 5 percent.

The Palace said the President and the Cabinet discussed several initia tives to improve the skills of the work force, the Palace said on Tuesday.

Cruz-Angeles said developing the competitiveness of the country’s workforce will help the Marcos ad ministration fulfill its goal of trans forming the Philippine economy.

Cruz-Angeles noted that the De partment of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) presented to Marcos several reforms that would strengthen human capital develop ment. Vince Lopez

social media and other means, which endanger the lives of judges and their families, and that this shall likewise be considered a contempt of this Court and will be dealt with accordingly,” the jus tices said in a statement.

Malacañang, for its part, said it will let the legal process run its course over the Manila Regional Trial Court’s ruling.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the Palace will rely on the Depart ment of Justice’s decision to file a new petition before the Court of Appeals (CA), which has jurisdiction under Re public Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terror ism Act (ATA) of 2020.

“This administration will adhere closely to the rule of law and only to the rule of law. We do not endorse any illegal activities and we have relied on the statement of the Secretary of Justice [Jesus Crispin Remulla] saying that this particular case is to be refiled under the Anti-Terrorism Act,” Cruz-Angeles said in a Palace press briefing.

Earlier, several organizations such as

In their en banc session Tuesday, the justices also tackled “possible actions” against Badoy, the former spokesper son of the National Task Force for the Elimination of the Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

In denying the government’s case against the CPP-NPA, Magdoza-Mala gar held that the communist movement was not organized for the purpose of en gaging or committing terrorism.

The judge also cautioned those who had a propensity for red tagging, saying it put the lives of activists in danger.

Badoy in a Facebook post last Friday accused Magdoza-Malagar of “lawyer ing” for the CPP-NPA when she ruled that rebellion and political crimes are not acts of terrorism.

“So if I kill this judge and I do so out of my political belief that all allies of the CPP NPA NDF must be killed because there is no difference in my mind be tween a member of the CPP NPA NDF and their friends, then please be lenient

Badoy also called the judge a “friend” and “true ally” of the communist armed movement, saying that her 135-page decision was a “gift” and “propaganda material” for them.

Badoy deleted the post on Saturday and denied making a hypothetical state ment about killing the judge, calling it “fake news.”

It was not the first time that a judge was vilified and threatened.

Last year, Mandaluyong RTC Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio was also red-tagged in two tarpaulins hung on footbridges along EDSA after she dis missed the illegal possession of fire arms charges against activists Lady Ann Salem and Rodrigo Esparago.

The SC responded to QuisumbingIgnacio’s red-tagging then by issuing a rare, strongly-worded statement con demning threats and killings of lawyers and judges.

More than 170 lawyers on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to take “firm action” against Badoy.

“We call on the Supreme Court not to let this pass and to take immediate, con crete, and firm action to protect justice

“The Court must hold accountable those who threaten and malign our judges and lawyers,” they added.

The SC earlier warned that fine or im prisonment or both will be imposed on “those who continue to incite violence through social media and other means which endanger the lives of judges and their families.”

However, it was not known immedi ately if the Court would order Badoy to explain why she should not be found in contempt.

Hukom Inc. an organization of trial court judges, condemned Badoy’s at tacks on Magdoza-Malagar.

“Another member of the bench is again challenged,” the organization said in a statement on Saturday. “A much re spected, upright and competent judge, after resolving a case against the gov ernment over a repealed law, had been red-tagged.”

The organization noted that the mem bers of the court usually “kept silent” whenever their decisions came into at tack, as they usually just allow their de cisions to speak on their behalf.

factor of optional outdoor masking is coming into play. But the important thing is, severe and critical cases at hospitals should not rise,” she said.

Vergeire explained that infections are due to multiple factors, including a person’s activities and lifestyle, the characteristics of circulating variants, the environment, and the opening up of different sectors.

PHAPI president Dr. Jose de Grano also pointed out that the removal of the face mask mandate does not di rectly correlate with the rise in cases.

“But let’s not be too complacent...if pos sible, let’s bring back the mandate to wear face masks especially outside because we are seeing an increase in cases,” he said.

The Philippines logged 17,891 new COVID-19 cases from September 19 to 25, 2022 — 22% higher than those logged from September 12 to 18, the DOH noted.

With this, De Grano stressed that wearing a face mask is “not difficult,” so people should keep doing it even outdoors, as they are not certain if those around them are infected with the coronavirus or not.

He noted the hospital group has been monitoring the rise in active and new daily COVID-19 cases over the past two to three weeks.

“Although it is not getting worse, it seems that our hospital utilization rate is not rising, but we still see that those who are testing positive are increas ing,” De Grano added.

In its latest report, the DOH noted that Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna had shown an up ward trend in COVID-19 cases while the rest of the country was at a plateau.

Karding’s onslaught. They were from 948 barangays in Ilocos Region, Cagay an, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mima ropa, Bicol, and the Cordillera Admin istrative Region (CAR).

A total of 49,092 persons or 13,129 families were preemptively evacuated, the NDRRMC said.

The NDRRMC said Mimaropa re ported an initial damage estimate of P3 million. The typhoon also caused P1.525 million in damage in the Cordillera.

The NDRRMC also said 74 areas ex perienced flooding in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Bicol. The flood wa ters have subsided, it said.

A total of 16 bridges and 13 roads are not passable in Cagayan, Central Lu zon, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Cordillera due to the impact of the typhoon. How ever, eight roads previously not pass able are now passable.

Power outages were also experienced in 99 cities and municipalities. Of these, 28 areas already have their power sup ply back.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) spokesperson Cynthia PerezAlabanza said three towers providing supply to Nueva Ecija and Aurora were down due to Karding.

Bypass lines, she said, are set to be established for faster restoration of power supply as repairing these towers would take months.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), meanwhile, said it is ready to distribute needed assistance to farmers affected by Typhoon Karding, which destroyed properties and livelihood in various parts of Cordillera Administrative Re gion (CAR), Ilocos Region, Central Lu zon, Calabarzon and Bicol Region.

Aside from rice seeds, corn seeds and vegetable planting products, DA will dis tribute drugs and medicines to enable the livestock and poultry sector to recover..

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will also disperse fingerlings and fishing paraphernalia to help small fishers bounce back from their losses.

As of Sept. 26, agricultural damage was reported at P160 million, which translates to a production loss of 7,457 metric tons of rice, corn, high value crops and fisheries.

To kickoff immediate rehabilitation of affected areas, DA will be using the P500 million Quick Response Fund. It has also set aside financial assistance, which may be accessed under the Sur vival and Recovery Loan Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

Following the declaration of a state of calamity in Nueva Ecija, an automatic prize freeze will also be enforced.

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday that at least 21 health care facilities were damaged by the on slaught of typhoon Karding.

DOH officer-in-charge Undersecre tary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the typhoon ripped off roofs and flooded some facilities.

“We have a total of 21 facilities

the executive office,” the state insurer said in a statement.

that were partly damaged because of Karding... but there (was) no disrup tion of services,” Vergeire said during a press briefing.

Repairs are underway with the help of local government units, Vergeire said.

She also said there were no COVID-19 vaccines wasted due to the typhoon.

Meanwhile, only one electric coopera tive (EC) affected by typhoon Karding re mains without power. This was the Nueva Ejica Electric Cooperative (NEECO I), according to data from the National Elec trification Administration.

NEA data showed that 88 percent of af fected ECs are fully restored, while dam age has been estimated at P2.829 billion. Twelve ECs, however, continue to ex perience partial power interruption.

Also on Tuesday, Rep. Elpidio Bar zaga Jr. of Dasmariñas City on Tuesday filed a resolution calling for a congres sional inquiry into the degradation of Sierra Madre mountains.

In seeking the inquiry in aid of leg islation, Barzaga, chairperson of the House committee on natural resourc es, filed House Resolution 430, citing “an urgent need to save Sierra Madre” and “how we shall protect our ‘Mother Mountain Range’ to prevent the oc currence of floods in various places in the Philippines.”

“There is an urgent need to determine whether human activity such as illegal logging, gold mining, limestone mining, construction aggregate quarrying, defor estation and dam construction are being conducted at the Sierra Madre Moun tains,” Barzaga said in the resolution.

(SRA) to draft the controversial Sugar Order (SO) No. 4.

Having been the voice of Disney princesses Jasmine in “Aladdin” and “Mulan,” Lea told TIME she is happy to “be that for someone else,” espe cially the kids.

“Salonga prides herself on promot ing representation in Hollywood and on Broadway and showing underrep resented groups that their stories mat ter,” the magazine said.

The magazine also noted how Sa longa proved that a child from South east Asia can reach great heights when she won the prestigious Tony Award for her performance as Kim in “Miss Saigon” in 1989 – the first Filipino and Asian to do so in a lead role.

Salonga’s other notable performances are Eponine and Fantine in “Les Miser ables” on Broadway – as the first Asian woman to play the role – and currently in the HBO Max show “Pretty Little Li ars: Original Sin,” where she plays the overbearing mom Elodie.

Apart from her work as a singer, Sa longa appeared in various stage pro ductions. Her first professional theat rical performance was for a Filipino production of “The King and I,” when she was 7 years old.

judiciary, he has the necessary legal background and the ability to deal with paperwork. Plus of course, he is trusted and well-qualified for this,” the Press Secretary said.

The move confirms reports that started two weeks ago, as various sectors had al ready congratulated Bersamin, who was also chairman of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) under the Du terte administration before Mr. Marcos tapped him to replace Rodriguez.

“As Executive Secretary, Bersamin will directly assist the President in the management of affairs of the govern ment, as well as direct the operations of

Born and raised in Abra, Bersamin served as the top magistrate starting November 2018 and retired from the judiciary in October 2019. Among the early well-wishers for his appointment as “ES” was constitutionalist Fr. Ra nhilio “Rannie” Aquino, who posted it on his Facebook page on Sept. 16.

The former Chief Justice replaced Rodriguez, the lawyer and spokesperson for Mr. Marcos since his bid for the vice presidency in 2016 and when he ran suc cessfully for President in the May 9 polls.

Rodriguez stepped down as Execu tive Secretary after getting dragged into the sugar importation controversy when he admitted to asking officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration

SO4 was later revoked by Mr. Marcos, saying it was drafted without his permis sion as concurrent Agriculture Secretary and chairman of the Sugar Board.

Bersamin, meanwhile, brings al most 20 years of expertise and experi ence in the judiciary, including over 10 years in the High Court, to the Marcos administration.

“As I step down as GSIS Chairman after two years and seven months, I feel extremely grateful to the men and wom en of GSIS, including my colleagues at the Board of Trustees, for the remark able work that they have been putting in to promote the interest of GSIS mem bers, pensioners, and their families,” he said in a statement.

a time when relations between Wash ington and Moscow are at historic lows over the conflict in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies that Snowden had received Russian citizenship as a re sult of his own request, made in 2020 to make it easier for his American wife Lindsay Mills to travel back and forth.

“After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no de sire to be separated from our SONS,” Snowden wrote on Twitter.

“After two years of waiting and nearly ten years of exile, a little stability will make a difference for my family,” he said.

The former American intelligence contractor, 39, leaked secret documents to media outlets in 2013 revealing that the NSA was collecting massive amounts of communications metadata and other in formation on US citizens, in violation of their constitutional right to privacy. AFP

PBBM eyes Russian fuel, fertilizer for PH

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has disclosed that his administration initiated talks with Moscow to explore the possibility of importing Russian fuel and fertilizer.

Presidential spokesperson Trixie Cruz-Angeles however, was mum on the matter, saying for the moment, she cannot reveal details of the negotia tions.

In an interview with Bloomberg at the sideline of his six-day working visit in the United States, Marcos said he was looking at Moscow for petro leum products despite the tight glob al supply of fuel due to the RussiaUkraine armed conflict.

The U.S. has initiated sanctions against Russia in the process exacerbat ing further the global oil supply crisis.

But Marcos maintained there may be a need for the Philippines to “approach Russia and say maybe they can loosen up and provide us with some fuel.”

Asked if he is currently negotiat ing with Moscow, Marcos answered in the affirmative. “Yes, we are,” he told Bloomberg.

He added that he was also look ing into possibility of buying fertil izer and animal feeds from Russia. Country, adding he was considering government-to-government arrange ments on the matter.

Marcos also underscored the need to diversify the Philippines’ food sup ply chain and shift from the tradition al sources of fuel.

Russian Ambassador Marat Pavlov has said his government was willing to help the Philippines in terms of en ergy and supply needs.

Angeles declined to comment on the transactions “until such time that the agreement has been entered into and finalized.”

“We cannot disclose the pe nding transactions, if any,” Angeles said.

Arellano University law grad appointed new CHR Commissioner

By Rio N. Araja

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday announced the ap pointment of lawyer Beda Angeles Epres from the Office of the Ombuds man to be its new Commissioner under the 6th Commission en banc (CEB). Out of the five appointments of the

new CEB members, Epres was the first appointed commissioner.

CEB is the highest decision and poli cy-making body of the CHR.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. chose Epres to work at the CHR. CHR executive director Jacqueline Ann de Guia has initially met with Epres.

Epres, 51, is to serve a seven-year

term ending in 2029.

He is alumnus of the Far Eastern University with a degree in Political Science in 1990 and Arellano University School of Law in 1995.

He was admitted to the Bar in 1995. He is a civil servant as part of the Of fice of the Ombudsman since 1997.

“CHR is optimistic that Commis

sioner Epres will continue to con tribute in making the Commission a steadfast and formidable institution that caters to all people, especially the weak, vulnerable, and marginalized, and in responding to the present and emerging human rights challenges of our time,” the CHR said in a state ment.

Senate passes bill deferring brgy., SK polls

THE Senate on Tuesday night passed on third reading and final reading the mea sure to postpone the Barangay and Sang guniang Kabataan (SK) elections, along with Senate Bill 1310 or the Mandatory SIM Registration Bill, and the Bicycle Lanes, Walkways and Slow Street Act.

With 17 affirmative votes, two No votes and zero abstention, the senators opted to defer the December 5, 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls.

However, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros op posed the postponement of the elections for next year.

Instead of holding the elections on De cember 2023, Ontiveros said it should be conducted on May 2023.

Senator Imee Marcos, the sponsor or the measure, rejected Hontiveros’ sug

gestion.

However, Senator Alan Peter Cay etano recommended an amendment that a candidate eligible to run for the Decem ber 5, 2022 SK elections should also be eligible in in the December 2023 polls.

Under the proposed measure, the Ba rangay and SK elections will be held on the second Monday of December 2023.

The term of the elected officials will commence on January 1, 2024.

The next Barangay and SK elections will be held during the second Monday of May 2026.

From then on, the elections will be held every three years.

The term of the winners in the May 2026 will start on June 30, 2026.

On the Mandatory SIM Card Reg istration bill, 20 senators supported it while nobody opposed to it.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Las Piñas awes Lingig, Surigao del Sur officials

LOCAL officials of Lingig town in Surigao del Sur have hinted they would emulate Las Piñas City as a role model for best practices in good governance.

Lingig Mayor Elmer Evangelio and other local officials of the town recently visited Las Piñas and were amazed with the hospitality afforded them by Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar.

During the benchmarking held at the Excelsior Hotel last Friday, Evangelio and his team were also impressed with the presentation made by the Las Pi nas City government in demonstrating its successfully implemented practices making Las Piñas a progressive and safe place to live in.

Makati launches ‘MakaTurismo’ website

By Joel E. Zurbano

MAKATI City officials on Tuesday launched a website designed to boost the city’s tourism industry.

Dubbed the “MakaTurismo” website, Makati Rep. Luis Campos said it was a critical tool to boost tourism and inform visitors about the city’s attractions.

The website is the first tourism web page in Metro Manila dedicated to attracting tour ists in a post-pandemic environment.

This project also aimed to help com mercial establishments attract clients and customers since it contains information about the city’s tourist destinations, ac commodations, and free walking tours.

Besides lifestyle centers, restaurants, and hotels, the City of Makati possessed many hidden gems, including unique heritage sites.

Among them were the Cu-Un jieng and Tolentino Heritage Houses, which were built during the American

Apart from the hub in Glorietta 2, the tourist information center will help pro mote the city’s must-see places, provide information and assistance to local and foreign tourists, and serve as a meeting point for the city’s free walking tour.

At present, Makatizen Free Walking Tours Program covers five tours from Tues day to Sunday, including the St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Church-Garden Way of the Cross, Central Business District, Poblacion Heritage Sites, Salcedo Community Mar ket, and Legazpi Sunday Market.

POGO-related crimes spiked this year—PNP

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday admitted that kidnapping in cidents involving personnel of the con troversial Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) spiked from Janu ary to September this year, compared to the same period last year.

This developed as legislators ap peared to disagree on what the govern ment should do to resolve the problems associated with the POGOs.

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito expressed his support for the summary deportation of some 2,000 illegal and overstaying POGO workers.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda warned however, that banning the PO GOs might worsen the social costs as sociated with gambling as “it will only drive their operations underground be yond the reach of the law.”

Citing the latest data, the PNP’s antikidnapping task force said a total of 17 POGO-related kidnapping cases were re ported so far this year, compared to 12 inci dents from January to December last year.

PNP records showed however that the first nine months of 2022 saw 13 kidnap for ransom (KFR) cases, compared to 24 traditional KFR cases logged in 2021.

Authorities also recorded one casinorelated kidnapping this year.

So far, a total of 31 kidnapping cases have been recorded, still lower than a to tal of 36 cases in 2021.

The victims of POGO-related kid napping incidents last year include 19 Chinese nationals and one Vietnamese, while from January to September this year, the victims consisted of 19 Chinese nationals, a Vietnamese, a Malaysian, and a Taiwanese.

Villar group wins extended TRO in row vs. BF Resort

OFFICIALS of the BF Resort Vil lage Homeowners Association, Inc. (BFRVHAI) lost another round in their legal fight with a group of like-minded Las Piñas residents led by Sen. Cynthia Villar over the opening of a particular street to the general public.

This developed after the Las Pinas Regional Trial Court (RTC) extended to 20 days ending on Oct. 9, 2022 its ini tial 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) issued on September 19 granted to Villar’s camp.

Meanwhile, the court set arguments for the issuance of a preliminary writ of injunction on Sept. 27-30.

The TRO as petitioned by Villar’s group prohibits the implementation of the new village traffic scheme whereby Onelia Jose St. inside the BF Resort Vil lage (BFRV) would be open to the public as classified under the so-called Las Pi nas Friendship Route.

The court initially upheld the peti tioners’ claim that the BFRV’s traffic scheme was causing irreparable injury to non-residents of the village.

Villar, a resident of BFRV since 1976, along with Rommel Dela Cruz and Vir gilio Hernandez filed last Sept. 19 the petition for prohibition and mandamus with application for TRO and/or Prelim inary Injunction against the BFRVHAI and its officers specifically Euan Rex Toralballa, Michael Roxas, and Angelo Ted Diesmos, among others.

Period; St. Peter and St. Paul Church and Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church, two of the oldest churches in the country; and the Museo ng Makati, which used to be the Presidencia or town hall of Makati from 1918 to 1961.

During the launching held at the Museo ng Makati in Barangay Pobla cion, Campos led the ribbon cutting of the city’s second tourist information center at the Museo ng Makati.

WHEN A PAINTER AND A SONGWRITER MEET. Multi-awarded visual artist Kristine Lim once again took center stage in her visual interpretation of the songs of equally award-winning Jonathan Manalo, a composer, songwriter, and producer rolled into one who celebrated his 20th year in the industry with the launch of “Kuwento ng Alon” exhibits and an art book. Norman Cruz

FILL HER UP. Members of the Department of Public Safety and Traffic Management motorcycle unit of Caloocan City refuel at the gas station, saving a few pesos as oil companies on Tuesday slashed anew their pump prices, gasoline by P1.65 per liter and diesel by P1.25 per liter. Ben Briones

ROAD MISHAP. A team from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Road Emergency Group uses a heavy duty crane to extract a container van that fell off its truck along J.P. Rizal Ave. in Guadalupe, Makati City, causing a monstrous traffic snarl that rippled all the way to EDSA. Manny Palmero

COA: Restore P723m slashed from ‘23 budget

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Commission on Audit on Tuesday asked the Senate to restore P723 million slashed from its proposed budget for 2023, but Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he “understood” if the lawmakers kept his agency’s budget at the same level as this year, citing the country’s current situation.

Both agencies’ budgets have already passed the committee level in the Senate.

During the deliberation of its P13.8billion budget for next year, COA Com missioner Roland Pondoc said their outlay under the National Expenditure Program is 5 percent lower than its pro posed budget of P14.5 billion.

The Audit agency’s recommended allocations for personnel services and maintenance and other operating ex penses were slashed, Pondoc noted.

“That is why we are requesting this hon orable committee, if possible, to restore the P723-million budget cut,” said Pondoc, add ing that the reduced budget will affect their audit operations, especially in the provinces.

Senate Finance Committee Chairper son Sen. Sonny Angara, who presided over the budget hearings, related that the chamber worked on increasing COA’s budget in the past years.

“We acknowledge your request and also place in the record that this com mittee in the Senate has increased the COA budget for the last four years, and probably even longer,” said Angara.

Three Cabinet officials get CA approval

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Commission on Appointments confirmed on Tuesday the ad interim appointments of Secretary Conrado Es trella III of the Department of Agrarian Reform, Secretary Antonia Loyzaga of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Secretary Christina Frasco of the Department of Tourism, and 62 military officials.

Estrella vowed before the CA that he will not be an “armchair” executive. “I shall bring the government closer to the people,” he said.

CA members acknowledged Es trella’s role in the one-year moratorium on unpaid land amortization of agrar ian reform beneficiaries approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Meanwhile, Loyzaga assured the DENR will be under an ethical, sci ence-informed, and risk-based stew ardship and will be “inclusive, consul tative, and transparent.”

“We will pursue these goals very carefully but also expeditiously,” she said.

On the other hand, Frasco said she is focused on using tourism as a major economic tool to contribute to the eco nomic resurgence.

“Notwithstanding all the difficulties that the country has faced, all of the up heavals that our people have suffered through, none of these have served to dampen the beauty of our natural re sources and none of these have served to diminish in any way the strength and spirit of Filipino people which we intend to herald under the helm of the Department of Tourism,” the former mayor of Liloan town in Cebu said.

House to end debates on 2023 budget today

THE House of Representatives will wrap up plenary debates on the proposed 2023 national budget today (Wednesday), Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo said Tuesday.

“It is the second stage of the budget process where Congress members dedi cate another pair of eyes to review the proposed budget. So far, we have ter minated the debates for 61 agencies and constitutional bodies, leaving us with 14 more to deliberate,” Quimbo, House ap propriations committee vice chair, said during the Ugnayan sa Batasan forum.

“It is vital that the President has certified the immediate enactment of the 2023 GAB.

Usually, bills go through three independent readings on three separate days. With the President’s certification of urgency, the pro cess will be expedited because the second

and third reading doesn’t have to be done separately,” she continued.

The House appropriations body ex pressed confidence that it is on the right track to pass the budget before Oct. 1, after which it will transmit the spending bill to the Senate, which has its own version.

Soon after, a bicameral conference will be held to consolidate the versions of each chamber. The target is to pass the budget bill by the end of this year to avoid having a re-enacted budget.

“If the budget is re-enacted, new pro jects and programs will not be funded. This would be hard, especially for time-

Speaker hands over resolution honoring Queen Elizabeth II

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, on Tuesday handed over a resolution ex pressing its sympathy and profound condolences to King Charles III, the royal family, and the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Romualdez handed over to British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils, who was acknowledged in the Plenary Hall during budget delibera tions, Resolution No. 12.

“People around the world remember

Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection for dedicating her life to serving her nation. She never failed to show the importance of lasting values in a modern world through her service and commitment,” Romualdez said.

Resolution No. 12 was adopted on September 12, 2022.

The resolution was principally filed by Romualdez, House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan, sen ior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Mar cos, and Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre.

‘Hike funds for hazard waste program’

By Maricel V. Cruz

A CONGRESSIONAL leader has urged Congress to increase funding for the in fectious healthcare waste program of the Environmental Management Bureau un der the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR).

House Deputy Majority Leader and Il oilo Rep. Janette Garin made the appeal as she noted the country continues to struggle with its COVID-19 medical waste more than two years since the pandemic hit.

The Department of Budget and Man agement has approved a P1.22 billion budget for the EMB-Environmental Reg ulations and Pollution Control Program under the DENR 2023 proposed budget, which is P1.53 billion or 55.7% less than its allocation of P2.75 billion in 2022.

Because of the funding cuts, programs under the EMB will be greatly affected, including the implementation of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Solid Waste Management Act and hazardous waste management regulations.

sensitive projects such as infrastructure constructions. Aid and health services programs which are our key to recovery from the pandemic will not be expand ed,” Quimbo said.

A re-enacted budget would mean de lays in the delivery of public services to the detriment of our people.

The National Economic and Develop ment Authority (NEDA) estimated that in 2019, the re-enacted budget has result ed in the country losing 1 to 1.2 percent age points of the gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

“We may have been running on a tight schedule since the budget season started, but the appropriations committee led by Chairperson Elizaldy Co is elated that we have stayed on track,” the Marikina lawmaker added.

Solons okay bill waiving fees for college entrance exam

By Maricel V. Cruz

WITH an overwhelming 252 votes in favor, the House of Representatives on Monday night approved on third and fi nal reading a bill seeking to waive col lege entrance examination fees at pri vate schools for qualified students.

House Bill (HB) 5001 is one of two proposed national laws the House passed, which also saw the chamber continue its budget deliberations dur ing a marathon session presided over alternately by Deputy Speakers Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and Ralph Recto.

The other approved national bill is the proposed Ease of Paying Taxes Act.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez also said the chamber is on track to ap prove the proposed P2.268-trillion “Agenda for Prosperity” 2023 national budget on the second and third and fi nal reading today (Wednesday) before Congress goes on its first recess on Saturday.

He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified the budget bill as urgent Monday, paving the way for the spend ing measure’s early approval.

Romualdez said the proposed Free College Entrance Examinations Act would benefit thousands of poor but bright students.

“This is our commitment to helping promote lifelong learning opportunities and boost sustainable development in the countryside. We know the impor tance of quality education in changing the world,” Romualdez said.

HB 5001 is entitled, “An Act mandat ing private higher educational institu tions to waive the entrance examination fees to underprivileged graduating high school students and high school gradu ates belonging to the top 10 percent of their graduating class.”

It is authored by 31 House members led by Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunt ing and Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, who chairs the committee on higher and technical education, which endorsed the bill.

The measure defines a “private high er education institution” as one “not owned or controlled by the government or its instrumentalities and may be sec tarian (usually non-stock, non-profit, duly incorporation, owned and oper ated by a religious organization) or nonsectarian (not affiliated to any religious organization, duly incorporated, owned and operated by private entities).”

Jail time sought in ‘anti-incest’ bill

By Maricel V. Cruz

A GROUP of legislators from the Bicol region have filed a bill proposing to put behind bars persons 18 years of age and above who engage in incestuous sexual relations even if they are fully aware of their close relationships.

The lawmakers led by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte filed House Bill (HB) 4704 or the “Anti-Incest Act” to criminalize consensual incestu ous sexual relations between adults who have knowledge of their close relation ships by blood or marriage.

It proposes to slap on guilty relatives a jail term of prision correccional in its mini mum to maximum periods, which ranges from six months and one day to six years.

“This bill criminalizes such sexual relations because they are contrary to public policy and public morals. It also

responds to reports of rising incest statis tics among families of overseas contract workers,” Villafuerte and the three other HB 4704 authors said.

Alongside Villafuerte, the other au thors of HB 4704 are Camarines Sur Reps. Miguel Luis Villafuerte and Tsuy oshi Anthony Horibata, and Bicol Saro Rep. Nicolas Enciso VIII.

“Articles 37 and 38 of the Family Code state that incestuous marriages are void ab initio (from the start) for being contrary to public policy. Fur ther, Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code imposes the death penalty for rape when the victim is under 18 years of age and the offender is a parent, as cendant, step-parent, guardian, relative by consanguinity or affinity within the third civil degree, or the common-law spouse of the parent of the victim,” the lawmakers said in HB 4704.

BACKBONE OF LUZON.

The Sierra Madre mountain range is pictured from the Ortigas Business District two days after Typhoon Karding battered several parts of Luzon. It is considered the barrier or backbone of Luzon that protects the island from the onslaught of typhoons. Manny Palmero

SOLEMN EXCHANGE. Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday presents to British Ambassador Laure Beaufils Resolution No. 12 expressing the profound condolences of the House of Representatives to King Charles III, the royal family, and the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Ver Noveno

PLANTING FOR THE FUTURE. Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna leads the ‘Nilad for Maynila’ tree planting activity inside the Manila Zoo on September 27, 2022. Nilad is a peculiar, stalky rice-like plant with flowers of bright white and yellow. Norman Cruz

Opinion

Attracting American investments

But it appears that, as of now, American investors are taking a wait-and-see attitude as we did not read reports of investment pledges by specific US busi ness during the Marcos visit.

US Peace Corps returning to PH

With economic ties with the US on the upswing, can people-to-people exchanges and humanitarian assistance be far behind?

Not at all.

IF THERE’S one thing the recent working visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the United States managed to achieve, it was to revitalize PhilippineAmerican economic relations and to bring it to a new and higher level in the years ahead.

Marcos underscored the importance of the bilat eral relations between the Philippines and the US, declaring that he could not see a future for the Phil ippines without the US as its partner.

In his remarks at the New York Stock Exchange on September 19, Marcos pointed out that since American corporations are among the drivers of our economy, the country has adjusted its ways of doing business to conform to standards set by the US government and business enterprises. This, he said, will give both countries “great opportunities in the future.”

To attract more American investments, he cited the country’s sound macroeconomic fundamentals as indicated by the projected GDP growth, im proved employment situation, accelerated manu facturing activity and double-digit growth of trade.

The government has enacted policies to further liberalize the economy and welcome more foreign investments.

These include legislation to lower corporate in come tax rates and rationalize fiscal incentives. The reduced minimum paid-up capital requirements for foreign retailers and foreign startups bringing in ad vanced new technology is another incentive.

The Philippines now also allows full foreign ownership of companies providing public services, such as telecommunications, shipping, air carriers, railways, subways, airports, and toll roads.

Marcos said the Philippines now offers invest ment opportunities to American businesses in areas such as information technology and business pro cess management, medical products and devices, electric vehicles and batteries, agribusiness, and telecommunications infrastructure and services.

The Philippine economy has returned to its path toward upper-middle-income country status, which he said is achievable within the next few years.

In addition, the country has maintained its invest ment grade credit ratings and is currently gearing up for “A” territory credit ratings in the medium term.

During his visit, Marcos also met with American firms related to energy and defense.

He first met with NuScale Power, which de signs and markets small modular reactors, then with Wastefuel, a California-based next-generation waste-to-fuels firm.

Later, he also held talks with Boeing, among the largest global aerospace manufacturers and top de fense contractors worldwide.

Marcos noted that the United States has been among the country’s steady partners in its trans formation into one of the most promising emerg ing markets in Asia. For that, he said, “we are truly grateful.”

The question now is: Can we expect more American investments in the years ahead? We cer tainly hope so.

In fact, the two aspects of bilateral relations are likely to heighten with the recent announcement that the US Peace Corps is returning to the country in January next year.

The US government pulled out over 100 Ameri can volunteers in March 2020 shortly before the Duterte administration imposed the Luzon-wide lockdown at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Dr. Lyn Cheevers, the Peace Corps director for programming and training, 60 Peace Corps volunteers would arrive in the country at the beginning of 2023.

Many Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines have been recognized for having a long-term impact on their host communities through the development projects they have initiated

Their presence here would be coordinated with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coor dinating Agency, an attached unit of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The Peace Corps was established back in 1960 by then US President John F. Kennedy. Its members render volunteer work in various places, its mission of service high, by living and working in the devel oping countries.

Prior to the Peace Corps withdrawal in March 2020, it had established the largest foreign volun teer presence in the country with 120 volunteers deployed in various locations.

Volunteers who participate in the Peace Corps’ regular programs, such as teaching or helping build service infrastructure like water pumps in remote villages, normally serve for two years, he added. But there are also specialists who serve for six months to a maximum of one year.

The Peace Corps wants the incoming volunteers to form small clusters and be assigned in remote ar eas near health facilities.

Because of the health crisis and the country be ing vulnerable to calamities, the organization would “focus on supporting economic livelihood and re covery from the pandemic.”

Many Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines have been recognized for having a long-term im pact on their host communities through the devel opment projects they have initiated.

Together with volunteers particularly from other developed nations in Europe, they are helping uplift the quality of life of Filipinos in the countryside.

We should welcome their presence here.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

‘A whole range of assistance’

SUPER Typhoon Karding cut a swath of destruction after it roared in sundown on Sunday from the Pacific and ruthlessly sliced through heavily populated Luzon, particularly the rice-rich Central Luzon plains and farther north which is still reeling from a major tremor nearly two months earlier.

Metro Manila, where nearly 13 mil lion of the 114 million people live, and the Calabarzon region (Cavite, Lagu na, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), were not spared as Karding, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, insensately whipped everyone on its path.

But thanks to presidential prescience, underlined by prudent planning, the government, through the different agencies on the ground, was physi cally immediate while the weather dis turbance looked down on the flooded plains that destroyed hectares of agri cultural crops, kilometers of roads and bridges and other infrastructure proj ects.

Not to mention the emotional punch inflicted by the typhoon that killed eight people, canceled incoming and

outgoing flights, suspended classes and office work in affected areas.

But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after surveying the situation from an aircraft, gave assurances at the Office of Civil Defense briefing of a “whole range of assistance” from the govern ment for those affected.

President Marcos Jr., after surveying the situation from an aircraft, gave assurances during a briefing at the Office of Civil Defense of a ‘whole range of assistance’ from the government for the people in the hardest hit areas

Straight away, the President directed agencies to airlift food materials, food packs and water into Polillo at the frontyard in the country’s eastern sea board which was among those merci lessly hit.

The government has also intended to get the basics there, in the President’s words – “again food, water, shelter and even clothes, all of these things... The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) is also prepared to provide AICS (assistance to individu als in crisis situations) for those that will need assistance.”

It is remarkable the government will also provide financial assistance to the displaced residents in stricken areas in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac, but only after rescue and rebuilding efforts have ended and evacuees are provided with their immediate needs.

The President said: “The whole range of assistance is prepared, is ready to go. But right now, having cash is re ally not very useful for them. So, we will prioritize their immediate needs and then when the time comes they can already make use of the AICS, we will give it to them.”

We share with President Marcos his pride as he saw the preparedness of frontline government agencies even before Karding hit land, relieved even tually that this one of 20 typhoons to hit the Philippines each year only caused “minimal” damage.

The President has a point, saying “I think we may have gotten lucky at least this time, a little bit. But I think it’s clear from this – from what we did these last two days is that very, very important is preparation.

“Get people out of the areas of dan ger. Put all of your assets that you are going to use for rescue, relief efforts, put them in place as much as possible. ... It’s really in the preparation.”

We are sure the presidential guide lines are not lost on the people, exposed very often to calamities and other trag edies during the rainy season or even during summer.

Free fall

restrain currency outflows.

THE Philippine peso has sunk to its lowest since the currency was adopted at the then fixed exchange rate of P2 to $1 in 1946. Not to worry though.

The Philippines is one of the strongest and most dynamic economies in Asia. It will grow by an aver age of 6.5 percent per year – until 2028.

President Marcos Jr. has the most experienced economic team ever assembled by any chief execu tive, on top of the economy.

In February 1970, the government unpegged the peso from the US dollar to trigger a massive 69 per cent devaluation, from P4 to P6.76 per dollar. Today, the peso hovers at P59 for every dollar. You can say the peso is at its historic 76-year low.

less than a year – that’s super massive. The Fed has indicated it will continue increasing interest rates until “it gets the job done.”

Previously, in 1994, the biggest interest rate in creases imposed by the Fed were a total 2.25 percent age points, after which it began cutting interest rates.

Since money commands higher yields in the US than here in Manila, naturally the tendency is for money in Manila to fly to America.

“At the heart of the turmoil is the relentless rise of the American dollar and global interest rates. There is little relief on the horizon.

“Each market has its own idiosyncrasies. Britain’s new government plans the country’s largest tax cuts in half a century. Japan is attempting to keep interest rates at rock-bottom levels, bucking the global trend.

“China’s government is struggling with the con sequences of a “zero-covid” policy that has isolated it from the world.

The IATWG-AT calls for the greater and more widespread use of active transport, better infrastruc ture, and greater protection for those using such methods such as walking and cycling.

ONE OF my advocacies that I’ve often written about in this column is green transportation – in other words, forms of transportation that use little to no fossil fuels, and instead make use of human power and environmentally-friendly power such as solar and electricity.

I am happy to note that some government and private agencies have this on their agenda too.

Last Sept. 22, World Car-Free Day, the Interagency Technical Working Group on Active Transport (IATWG-AT) issued a statement affirm ing “the continued relevance of active transport in advancing inclusive, people-oriented, and environ mentally sustainable mobility that prioritizes public health and well-being of Filipinos.”

Active transport or active mobility is the trans port of goods and people via human physical activ ity using non-motorized means.

Examples of these are walking and running, as well as using bicycles, skateboards, kick scooters, and roller skates.

Places that have adopted active mobility mea sures such as policies supporting bike use and in frastructures such as biking and walking lanes have shown that health indicators tend to improve due to the higher levels of physical activity.

Rates of obesity and diabetes are reduced.

In addition to better health, people also gain other benefits such as reduced use of fossil fuels and lower air pollution.

According to the IATWG-AT, with over 28 million Filipino students returning to face-to-face classes this school year, active transport becomes even more important and necessary.

Given the continued fuel price hikes and everexpanding traffic volume, the returning students and school personnel will add to the numbers of people on the streets, competing for the limited number of rides on public transportation.

The group reiterated the benefits of “inculcating healthy habits among children” via active mobility: “Children who engage in regular physical activity not only reap lifelong physical and mental health benefits, they also show stronger academic perfor mance. Better test scores and fewer drop-outs signal healthier minds and bodies among the Filipino lead ers of tomorrow.”

Don’t bar, hinder, or get in the way of those of us who believe that this is something important we need to do, not only to enable us to get places but also because we want to improve our health

The members of the IATWG-AT are the De partments of Education, Health, Transportation, Public Works and Highways, and Interior and Local Government; as well as the National Eco nomic Development Authority, Pasig Transport, Rizal High School, and the University of the Philippines- National Center for Transportation Studies.

The foreign partners are the Netherlands Embas sy and the Australian Embassy-The Asia Founda tion in the Philippines. There are also some 12 or so private sector companies and civil service organiza tions that have joined the effort.

The Makati Business Club also issued a state ment for World Car-Free Day, calling on “manag ers and policymakers to ask about or even experi ence the challenges and benefits of public transport and active mobility (walking and cycling).”

They added that they “support increased invest ment in public transport that is well- and holisti

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, a topnotch analyst, thinks the peso could sink further, to P65 to P68 per dollar which means the peso is about to be devalued, by as much as 34 percent, from its end-2021 average of P50.774, and by 41.56 percent, from its end-2020 average of P48.036 per dollar.

In 20 months thus, the peso will lose 41.56 percent of its value. The P100 you had in end-2020 will be equivalent to just P58.44 by end-2022.

Put another way, if you had $10,000 (or P480,360 in end-2020, that $10,000 can be exchanged for P680,000, a gain of P199,640 or 41.56 percent by end-2022.

Since the transaction is in dollar, the P199,640 gain is tax free, for an effective gain (assuming a 20 per cent tax) of 61.56 percent in just 18 months.

The peso began moving down, against the US dollar, on June 4, 2021 – when the peso-dollar rate was just P47.568. Since June 2021, til Sept. 27, 2022 rate of P58.51, the Philippine currency has lost 23 percent of its value.

Why is the peso sinking?

The No. 1 reason is the strong dollar. The Ameri can currency is strong because the US Fed or central bank wants to bring inflation down to just two percent from 6.3 percent in July 2022.

To contain inflation, the Fed has increased its pol icy interest rate, three times, each by 0.75 percent, to 2.25 percent this year – its highest since 2008.

The Fed plans to raise its policy rate further to 4.75percent in 2023. From zero to 4.75 percent in

cally-studied as well as pedestrian sidewalks and bike lanes that are safe and inclusive. We support evolving discussions around motorcycles given the fast-growing role they are playing in our lives. We believe these investments are an essential part of a transport and mobility system that will enable all Filipinos to work and do other activities they need or want to do.”

The MBC supports bike commuting via its Busi ness For Biking Program that it established last year “to help Filipinos who bike to get to work and for whom biking is work.”

The influential business organization also called on “government, businesses, and civil society orga nizations to promote and build more protected bike

To discourage you from changing your pesos into dollar, you have to be penalized. That penalty is the higher dollar rate against the peso

So you exchange your pesos into US dollars. Since dollar supply is not enough or is limited, the dollar reserves has gone below the $100-billion mark (to $98.97 billion as of end-August 2022), from its peak of $108 billion in 2021.

To discourage you from changing your pesos into dollar, you have to be penalized. That penalty is the higher dollar rate against the peso.

Demand for the US dollar is strong. This is be cause of food consumed by Filipinos is imported; 92.2 percent of all oil in the Philippines is imported, per Joey Salceda’s data.

America’s relentless rate increases are causing tur moil worldwide. There is no immediate relief in sight.

Reports The Economist in its latest issue, however: “Around the world, financial markets look increas ingly distressed. In Britain government-bond yields have surged (see chart) and sterling has slumped, prompting the Treasury and Bank of England to is sue statements attempting to soothe markets.

“In Japan the government has intervened in for eign-exchange markets to stem the fall in the yen for the first time since 1998.

“In China the central bank has increased reserve requirements for foreign-exchange trading, in a bid to

lanes, bike ramps, and end-of-trip facilities (bike racks, showers, and lockers).”

This is a very practical way of looking at things and a starting point for those who want to promote this method of mobility.

As for those who summarily dismiss the idea of a bike culture by saying, well, “it’s too hot for a bike culture” here or point out that the country is in a mon soon belt or that most people work more than 10 ki lometers from where they live or that there’s “a better alternative to bike culture” (what?), then don’t bike!

But don’t bar, hinder, or get in the way of those of us who believe that this is something important we need to do, not only to enable us to get places but also because we want to improve our health.

“But all face a shared set of challenges. Most of the world’s currencies have weakened markedly against the dollar. The dxy, an index of the dollar’s worth against a basket of rich-world currencies, has climbed 18 percent this year, reaching its highest in two decades. Persistent inflation in America and the simultaneous tightening of monetary policy are mak ing markets febrile.

“Just before the wild volatility of the past week, the Bank for International Settlements, a club of central banks, noted that financial conditions had turned, as central bankers’ commitments to interest-rate rises were priced in by markets and liquidity in the American government-bond mar ket deteriorated. After a brief and modest uptick in August, global stocks have hit new lows for the year: The msci All Country World Index is down by 25 percent in 2022.

“Stress is clear elsewhere, too.

“American junk-bond yields have climbed back to almost 9 percent, more than double their level a year ago. Corporate bonds that are just inside invest ment-grade quality, with ratings of bbb, yield almost 6 percent, the highest for 13 years, according to Bloomberg.

‘Volatility is expected by corporate treasurers, in vestors and finance ministries. Hedges are purchased and plans made accordingly. But conditions have now strayed far beyond expectations.

“Just a year ago, few forecasters predicted dou ble-digit inflation in many parts of the world. When markets perform worse than anyone had previously expected, problems emerge and policymakers face a menu of bad options.

‘The Federal Reserve’s commitment to crushing inflation no matter the cost is clear.”

biznewsasia@gmail.com

For all the Villar family’s pushing for better bik ing policies in their careers as lawmakers, for all the laws passed last administration regarding this, a lot of work still needs to be done before active mobility methods are normalized and made safe.

Private groups and individuals can only do so much. The rest is up to the government and the po litical will of government administrators and elected officials who want to do right by commuters tired of waiting for a seat on public transportation.

(Dr. Ortuoste is a board member of the Philippine Center for International PEN and a member of the Manila Critics Circle, which established the Na tional Book Awards. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO)

Rolando

Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor

Japan honors murdered Abe at controversial state funeral

JAPANESE

and foreign dignitaries paid tribute to assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe at a controversial state funeral on Tuesday, as long lines of people gathered to offer flowers and prayers.

Abe’s ashes, carried by his widow Akie, arrived at the storied Budokan venue in Tokyo, where a 19-gun salute sounded in honour of the slain former leader.

The motorcade carrying his remains had traveled from his widow’s home in the capital, past a row of white-uniformed armed troops who stood to attention.

Outside the Budokan, thousands of Japanese people stood in line as the ashes arrived, waiting to deliver flowers and say a prayer in two mourning tents.

Toru Sato, 71, leaned on his cane as he waited. “I only know Abe-san on TV. He worked so hard. His death was so tragic. I felt so sorry for him,” he told AFP.

Koji Takamori came all the way from northern Hokkaido with his nine-year-old son. “I wanted to thank him. He has done so much for Japan,” the 46-year-old said.

“The way he died was so shocking. To be honest, I also came because there has been so much opposition. It’s almost like I’m here to oppose those who are oppos ing this (funeral),” he added.

Those opponents were also out, albeit in much smaller numbers, marching near the tents before an expected demonstra tion in front of the parliament.

Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime

Pompeo: ‘Blind’ engagement with Beijing ending

FORMER US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told an audience in Taiwan on Tuesday that the era of “blind engage ment” with China is ending, and that Beijing’s increasingly aggressive be haviour has brought like-minded nations closer together.

One of former president Donald Trump’s most hawkish advisers on Chi na, Pompeo is the latest in a recent spate of Western politicians to visit Taiwan, often angering Beijing.

Pompeo’s visit comes ahead of a ma jor gathering of Chinese Communist Party officials next month, where Presi dent Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented third term.

In a speech to a business forum in the city of Kaohsiung, Pompeo described Xi’s decade in power as a turning point in relations between Washington and Beijing -- as well as many of China’s neighbors.

“China’s aggressive conduct, dip lomatically, militarily, economically... have changed this region. And it brought those who prefer peace and commerce even more closely together,” he said.

“If we want a free 21st century, and not the Chinese century, the century which Xi Jinping dreams of, the old paradigm of blind engagement must end,” he added, praising countries such as Japan and Australia for boosting their defence spending.

Washington ramped up official con tacts with Taiwan under Trump, espe cially towards the end of his four-year term as relations with Beijing worsened.

Pompeo was a key architect of that more hawkish later phase.

Washington has long maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan.

President Joe Biden has begun mov ing to a less ambiguous stance, saying in multiple interviews that the US would come to Taiwan’s aid in the event of an attack.

Pompeo, who since leaving office has advocated for diplomatically recogniz ing Taiwan as an “already independent” nation, criticised what he described as Biden’s “muddled and confusing state ments.”

“Concerning America’s true commit ment to Taiwan, the ambiguity that had been American policy has now become even more ambiguous. This concerns me greatly,” he said on Tuesday. AFP

minister and one of the country’s most recognisable political figures, known for cultivating international alliances and his “Abenomics” economic strategy.

He resigned in 2020 over recurring health problems, but remained a key po litical voice and was campaigning for his ruling party when a lone gunman killed him on July 8.

The shooting sent shock waves through a country with famously low gun crime and prompted international condemna tion.

But the decision to give him a state funeral – only the second for a former premier in the post-war period – has pro voked opposition, with around 60 percent of Japanese against the event in recent polls.

Abe’s accused killer targeted the for mer leader believing he had ties to the Unification Church, which he resented over massive donations his mother had made to the sect.

The assassination prompted fresh scru tiny of the church and its fundraising, and uncomfortable questions for Japan’s po litical establishment, with the ruling party admitting around half its lawmakers had links to the religious organisation. AFP

US Vice President to visit DMZ on Sokor trip

US VICE President Kamala Harris will visit the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone on a trip to South Korea later this week, the White House said Tuesday. Harris, who is currently in Tokyo to at tend the state funeral of assassinated for mer Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, will go to the DMZ on Thursday, a White House official said.

The move is likely to spark an angry reaction from North Korea, which de nounced US House Speaker Nancy Pe losi as the “worst destroyer of interna tional peace” when she visited the DMZ in August.

On Monday, Pyongyang warned that South Korea and the United States risked triggering war after the allies launched their first combined naval exercise near the peninsula in five years.

Harris’s visit to the DMZ will “under

score... the United States’ commitment to stand beside (South Korea) in the face of any threats posed by” North Korea, the US official said.

Harris will “reflect on the shared sac rifice” of US and Korean soldiers killed in the Korean War, which ended with a ceasefire that split the peninsula nearly 70 years ago in 1953, the official said.

Harris arrived in Japan on Monday and met Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ahead of Abe’s funeral on Tuesday, which will be attended by hundreds of foreign dig nitaries.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also held talks with Harris in Tokyo on Tuesday and said the DMZ visit would offer “very symbolic dem onstrations of your strong commitments to the security and peace to the Korean Peninsula.”

North Korea has conducted a recordbreaking blitz of weapons tests this year, including firing an intercontinental ballis tic missile at full range for the first time since 2017.

Washington and Seoul officials have repeatedly warned that North Korea is preparing to carry out what would be its seventh nuclear test – a move that the United States warned would provoke a “swift and forceful” response.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-ye ol, who took office in May, has vowed to beef up joint military drills with the Unit ed States after years of failed diplomacy with North Korea under his predecessor.

On Monday, South Korea’s navy said the joint naval exercise “was prepared to demonstrate the strong will of the South Korea-US alliance to respond to North Korean provocations.” AFP

Kremlin proxies in Ukraine hold last day of voting for annexation

ANNEXATION polls organised by Kremlin-installed authorities in four re gions of Ukraine mostly controlled by Russian forces were due to close Tuesday, with Moscow’s threats of nuclear weap ons looming.

Kyiv and its allies have denounced the votes as a sham and said the West would never recognise the results of the ballots which are ratcheting up the stakes of Rus sia’s seven-month invasion.

Russian forces in Ukraine this month have suffered serious setbacks, both in the east and south of the country, which observers say pushed President Vladimir Putin to rush ahead with the vote to ce ment Moscow’s authority there.

Putin said Russia would use any and all available means to defend its terri tory, implying that after the four regions were annexed Moscow could deploy strategic nuclear weapons to repulse

Ukrainian attempts to take back the ter ritory.

He also announced that Moscow was calling up 300,000 reservists, a move that sparked some protests and saw Russian men fearing deployment to Ukraine flee to neighbouring countries.

The four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine – Donetsk and Lugansk in the east and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south – announced that they would hold the votes just days before voting began on Friday.

US President Joe Biden said the polls were a “sham” and little more than a “false pretext to try to annex parts of Ukraine by force.”

Even Moscow’s closest ally since the start of the invasion, Beijing, said after the votes were announced that both Rus sia and Ukraine should respect territorial integrity in the war. AFP

North Korea, China resume cross-border train trade

NORTH Korea and China have re sumed cross-border freight train trade, Seoul said Tuesday, ending a five-month suspension linked to COVID-19.

North Korea has maintained a rigid blockade since the start of the pandemic, with even trade with China – the North’s economic lifeline – slowing to a trickle.

Cross-border freight train services were suspended in late April, after Chi na’s border town of Dandong reported COVID outbreaks, reports said at the time. Pyongyang confirmed its own Omicron variant outbreak soon after.

“We believe the freight train service

has resumed between China and North Korea,” an official from Seoul’s unifica tion ministry, which handles relations with the North, told AFP on Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of ano nymity.

China’s foreign ministry said Monday that after “friendly consultations” the neighboring countries had decided to re start railway freight.

“The two sides will continue to strengthen coordination and coopera tion, (and) actively ensure the safe and stable operation of railway freight,” said Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign minis

try spokesman.

A locomotive towing around ten train cars crossed the Dandong-Sinuiju bridge from China into the North on Monday, Seoul’s Yonhap News Agen cy reported.

North Korea confirmed an outbreak of the Omicron variant in the capital Pyongyang in May. It has blamed “alien things” from the South for causing the outbreak.

Kim Jong Un – who fell ill during the outbreak – declared victory over the virus in August, and ordered the lifting of the country’s “maximum emergency

epidemic prevention system” after offi cially reported cases fell to zero.

North Korea refers to “fever patients” rather than “COVID patients” in case re ports, apparently due to a lack of testing capacity.

It has recorded nearly 4.8 million “fe ver” infections and just 74 deaths for an official fatality rate of 0.002 percent, ac cording to state media.

Experts, including the World Health Organization, have questioned Pyong yang’s COVID statistics, as well as its claims to have brought the outbreak un der control. AFP

Iran steps up activist, journalist arrests in crackdown on protests

IRAN is stepping up arrests of activists and journalists in a crackdown against civil society as anti-regime protests rage nationwide, activists say.

Twenty journalists have been im prisoned since the protests erupted ear lier this month over the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been arrested by the country’s notorious morality police, according to the Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Numerous activists and lawyers have also been held, including the prominent freedom of speech campaigner Hos sein Ronaghi who was arrested over the weekend.

The arrests come on top of severe in

ternet restrictions and blocking of sites including Instagram and WhatsApp, which activists say is aimed at prevent ing details of the protests from reaching the outside world.

“By targeting journalists amid a great deal of violence after restricting access to WhatsApp and Instagram, the Iranian authorities are sending a clear message that there must be no coverage of the protests,” Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

Ronaghi, bitterly critical of Iran’s Is lamic leadership, said in a video posted at the weekend that he had initially eluded arrest by escaping his flat when agents came for him. AFP

FINAL FAREWELL. The widow of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Akie Abe (center) bows toward an altar during his state funeral at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on September 27, 2022. AFP

ELBOW-TO-ELBOW. Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai (right) bumps elbows with former US Secretary of States Mike Pompeo during the Global Taiwan Business Forum in Kaohsiung on September 27, 2022. AFP

BRACING FOR TYPHOON NORU. A border guard vessel patrols at a port before super typhoon Noru slams Vietnam in Danang on September 27, 2022. Vietnam has tried to evacuate almost 400,000 people as typhoon Noru, one of the biggest to make landfall in the country, draws near. AFP

GAINERS

Dollar dips after rally; Asian stocks stabilize

ECB to keep raising rates, says Lagarde

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME

1 SMC 15,698,070 1,529,921,894

2 SM 953,030 725,910,980

3 ALI 27,554,800 661,020,125

4 SMPH 15,663,900 507,775,255

5 ICT 2,785,280 501,654,475

6 BDO 4,095,630 476,883,127

7 AC 675,560 442,638,925

4,157,800 370,987,082

3,042,290 342,853,725

185,145 288,170,040

Dow, S&P drop, ending at lowest level of the year

NEW YORK, United States—Wall Street stocks fell again Monday as recession fears brought volatility to financial markets, pushing the pound to an alltime low against the greenback and pressuring oil prices.

After last week’s rout, US indices climbed early in the session before tumbling back into the red.

Both the Dow and S&P 500 dropped more than one percent to finish at their lowest value of the year. The Dow also entered a “bear market,” defined as a 20 percent retreat from its last record.

London shares closed flat, paring earlier losses after the pound hit a record low against the dollar on surging fears about the ailing UK economy, before recovering ground.

“Investors are reacting to a really toxic brew of bad news that was made worse by what happened in the UK on Friday, which was the stimulus spending into an already bigger inflationary problem,” said Andy Kapyrin, co-chief investment officer at RegentAtlantic.

“I’m not sure that we’ve seen the bottom here,” Kapyrin said. “But I think it does make sense for investors to dip their toe into the water, the stock market is materially cheaper than it started the year.”

Having extended losses in morning trading, Frankfurt and Paris edged higher by mid-afternoon, only to close the session in the red.

The pound on Monday struck an alltime low at $1.0350, days after new UK finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng’s inflation-fighting budget.

The Bank of England said it was paying close attention to financial markets and would “not hesitate to change interest rates by as much as needed” to curb inflation.

Economists expressed concerns that last week’s huge tax-cutting budget from the government of new Prime Minister Liz Truss—aimed at helping the recession-threatened economy—could actually spark massive borrowing and further fuel inflation.

Sterling has struggled in recent years as the UK fails to strike major trade deals following its exit from the European Union. AFP

HONG

KONG, China—The dollar lost a little of its strength Tuesday after starting the week by surging against major peers, including a record high versus the pound, but while equity markets stabilized, sentiment remained dampened by recession fears.

While central banks around the world are ramping up interest rates to fight inflation, the main focus is on the US Federal Reserve’s increasingly hawkish tone that has seen it unveil three successive bumper hikes with a warning of more to come.

That has seen investors pile into the dollar, sending it to record or multi-decade

peaks, which has rattled governments from Tokyo to Beijing and London.

On Monday, it hit its highest-ever level against the pound—touching $1.0350 after traders were spooked by a massive tax giveaway mini-budget by new UK finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng.

Sterling staged a small recovery but fell back again after traders were left disappointed by a lack of solid action from the Bank of England, with Governor Andrew Bailey saying only it would not hesitate to increase rates by as much as needed.

However, speculation is rife that officials will announce a huge 1.5-percentage point hike at their next meeting in November.

The dollar’s rally against the pound was matched by advances across forex markets, with the euro hitting a new 20-year low and the yen pushing back to the level it hit when the government intervened to support the currency last week.

But the greenback surge ran out of steam Tuesday as a little stability re-

turned to markets, though analysts warned that volatility would remain high as more global rate hikes were in the pipeline and geopolitical crises remained unresolved.

Added to that were concerns that inflation remained stubbornly high.

“The market is pricing in some Fed increases, but we’re a bit worried that it might not be pricing in everything,” Laila Pence, of Pence Wealth Management, told Bloomberg Television.

“We got whipsawed in August when inflation was up not down—everyone is nervous.”

‘Wrecking ball’

Another selloff in Wall Street stocks saw the S&P 500 suffer its lowest close since December 2020, though Asia was mixed.

Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei and Mumbai all rose while Hong Kong eked out marginal gains but Singapore, Wellington, Bangkok and Jakarta were in the red. AFP

FRANKFURT, Germany—The European Central Bank expects to keep hiking interest rates to combat soaring inflation, its president Christine Lagarde said Monday, even as economic activity slows and fears of recession mount.

The ECB raised its rates by a record 75 basis points this month after eurozone consumer prices hit an all-time high, driven by soaring energy costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Addressing a committee of the European Parliament in Brussels, Lagarde reiterated there was more to come.

“We expect to raise interest rates further over the next several meetings to dampen demand and guard against the risk of a persistent upward shift in inflation expectations,” she said.

She added that the ECB expects “activity to slow substantially in the coming quarters,” due to high inflation, coupled with slowing consumer demand as central banks lift borrowing costs worldwide.

Lagarde noted that ECB projections were still forecasting growth for the 19-member eurozone in 2023.

But she added that in the “downside scenario”, the eurozone may slip into a recession.

“Given the level of uncertainty... it’s difficult to predict what the real outcome will be in (2023),” she said.

“But it will be certainly a difficult year.”

She added that “higher energy and food prices are weighing in particular on the most vulnerable households and the situation is expected to get worse before it gets better.”

However, any measures to support such households should be “temporary and targeted,” she added.

Eurozone inflation climbed to 9.1 percent in August, a record high and way above the ECB’s two-percent target.

Concerns are growing about a looming recession, particularly in Germany, with a string of surveys predicting that Europe’s economic powerhouse is heading for a contraction.

Price rises have been spurred by soaring energy costs after Russia cut crucial gas supplies as tensions soared with Europe following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

Major dates for sterling after falling to record low vs. US currency

By Joseph Sotinel

LONDON, United Kingdom—Sterling on Monday plunged to a record dollar low nearing parity on surging fears about a long-lasting UK recession.

Economists expressed concerns that last week’s huge tax-cutting budget by the new British government, aimed at helping the economy, could actually spark massive borrowing and further fuel infl ation.

The pound on Monday struck an alltime low at $1.0350.

Here is a chronology of key events in the history of Britain’s currency: Pre-1940:

The pound has existed since the Middle Ages, making it one of the world’s oldest currencies.

In the 19th century, it was pegged to the value of gold—a measure suspended, however, during economic shocks and war.

The pound, for example, slumped to below the equivalent of $3.5 from $5 at the start of the First World War before rising after the conflict.

When the UK left the gold standard in 1931, sterling dropped under $3.7.

Three years later when the United States devalued the dollar, the pound rose above $5—the last time it reached such a level.

Both the pound and dollar-pound pairing are referred to as “cable” by traders, a term dating from the mid19th century when an undersea transatlantic cable enabled communications between Britain and the US.

1940-1971: Bretton Woods

From 1940, the pound was pegged to the US currency at an initial rate of $4.03, a system formalized by the Bretton Woods agreement in 1944.

The following years saw the British government devalue the pound several times.

Following the end of the peg, the pound starts to fluctuate daily, from $2.4 in 1971 to a post-Bretton Woods high of $2.644 a year later.

1976: Pound crisis

Following the oil shock of 1973 that sent crude prices and wider inflation soaring, the UK won a bailout from the International Monetary Fund that sent the pound plunging to $1.6.

A period of austerity demanded by the IMF, applied even more vigorously from 1979 when Margaret Thatcher became prime minister, saw sterling hit $2.4460 in 1980.

1985: Record low and Plaza agreement

The pound resumes its slide as the greenback wins support from its reserve currency status, with sterling tanking to an all-time low at $1.0520.

Major powers then agree to voluntarily depreciate the dollar in the Plaza agreement.

Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States seal the deal at the New York Plaza hotel, ending the strong dollar era which brought US industry to its knees.

The pound rises back to $1.4 by the end of that year.

1992: ‘Black Wednesday’ crash

In 1990, the pound joins the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), a system designed to help countries

eventually adopt the euro.

However, Britain is forced to pull sterling out of the ERM in September 1992 as investors like George Soros bet heavily against the currency.

“Black Wednesday” sparks a markets earthquake, sending the pound crashing from $2 in September to less than $1.5 by the end of the year.

2007: Slide under $2 on financial crisis

The pound recovers as the global economy sees its longest period of growth following the Second World War. Sterling hits $2.1 in 2007 but falls under $2 a year later as the global financial crisis takes hold.

2016: Brexit and ‘flash crash’

Following Britain’s surprise vote in favor of exiting the European Union, the pound freefalls from $1.5 to $1.3 on June 24.

In October, it tumbles to $1.2, the result of a “flash crash,” said to have been caused by high-frequency trading propelled by algorithms or possibly just human error.

2020: COVID

In March 2020, sterling strikes $1.1412, the lowest since 1985, as the COVID pandemic takes hold worldwide.

The pound also suffers from troubled post-Brexit trade negotiations.

2022: Ukraine

The pound suffers turbulent losses, culminating in a series of 37-year lows against the greenback in September. Sterling is propelled lower by worries of a prolonged economic downturn as energy prices rocket following the invasion of Ukraine by major oil and gas producer Russia.

On September 26, a few days after a landmark budget from finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng, traders send the pound tumbling to a record nadir against the dollar in a blow for new Prime Minister Liz Truss. AFP

Apple bares plan to manufacture iPhone 14 in India in shift away from China

MUMBAI, India—Apple will manufacture its new flagship smartphone in India, the US tech giant said Monday, as it seeks to diversify production away from a dependence on China.

The iPhone supply chain is based mainly in China but the country’s zero-COVID policies and tensions with the United States have hurt production, analysts say.

“We’re excited to be manufacturing iPhone 14 in India,” Apple said in a brief statement.

The California-based firm already makes older

iPhone models in India via Taiwanese manufacturers such as Foxconn, which has a factory in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The latest announcement comes just weeks after Apple launched new smartphones. The tech behemoth is commencing production of the iPhone 14 in India much earlier than it did for previous models, Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said.

“Over the last couple of years, it has been increasingly diversifying its supply chain to India,” Chaurasia told AFP.

About 7.5 million iPhones—around three percent of Apple’s global production—were made in India last year, the analyst added.

“We expect that the local production of iPhones could reach more than 11 million this year,” he said.

Apple’s announcement will be a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” strategy under which he has urged foreign businesses to manufacture goods in the South Asian nation. AFP

This file photo taken on April 22, 2022 shows pounds and US dollar banknotes displayed on a table in London. The pound plunged to a record low against the dollar on September 26, 2022 as traders grow increasingly fearful of a deep UK recession after new finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled a controversial taxcutting mini-budget. AFP

REOPENED BORDER. The first truck from Colombia crosses the Simon Bolivar International Bridge from Cucuta to San Antonio del Tachira in Venezuela, during a ceremony to officially reopen the Venezuela-Colombia land border—closed since 2019—on September 26, 2022. Venezuela and Colombia reestablished formal ties on August 29, reopening their shared land border and resuming commercial flights. AFP

Eñano,

Business

PEZA ready to approve four Japan projects

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority said Tuesday it is set to approve four big-ticket investment projects from Japanese industrial companies that are into production of multilayer ceramic capacitors, brushless DC motors and biomass carbonization.

“[We] got this assurance on continued robustness of Japanese FDI inflows into the Philippines from my recent meetings with the top executives of the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines, Japan External Trade Organization, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines Inc., Japan International Cooperation Agency and Cavite Economic Zone Investors Association,” said PEZA officer-in-charge Tereso Panga.

Panga did not identify the four Japanese investors.

He said PEZA was pushing for a presidential proclamation on new ecozone developments with Japanese equity in First Philippine Industrial Park, Lima Industrial Park, West Cebu Industrial Park and Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing Corp..

Panga said Japanese locators continued to expand their projects inside economic zones particularly in the sectors of electronics; chemicals such as oleo and activated carbon; automotive and automotive parts; computer and optical products; and transport and logistics.

He said with the Japanese government’s stimulus program for manufacturing companies to shift their production from China to ASEAN, PEZA was hoping that more Japanese firms would relocate to the Philippines.

PEZA registered 903 locator companies with Japanese equity, generating total investments of P735.9 billion and providing employment to 350,486 Filipinos.

“Given the current 27.2-percent share of Japan in the total ecozone FDIs and the steady increase/share of Japanese ecozone investments even amid pandemic and threat of global recession, we remain bullish that the Japanese will continue to be our number 1 investor in PEZA not only this year but for the many years to come,” Panga said.

BSP seen making another o -cycle interest rate hike

A BANK economist said Tuesday the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may be compelled to make another off-cycle interest rate hike this year in the wake of the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting in early November, when another 75-basis-point increase is expected.

Bank of the Philippine Islands lead economist Jun Neri expressed hope the next rate hike by the BSP would not be a repeat of the low rate hike in June when “we were caught between two meetings of the FOMC with a much lower policy rate [adjustment].”

“Because in June, if you remember, the BSP hike [was] by 25 basis points when the FOMC hike [was] 75,” Neri said.

He said before BSP’s scheduled meeting took place in early July, the US inflation was reported to have printed well above expectations, triggering a sharp jump in the peso-dollar exchange rate.

Neri said monetary authorities “were forced to increase by 75 basis points off-cycle.”

The BSP raised the policy rate by another 50 bps to 4.25 percent on Sept. 22 to rein in the elevated inflation rate.

Neri said the US was not only signaling another rate hike of 75 basis points in November, but would continue to increase up to 2023. “It’s higher, faster, longer now for the US,” Neri said, adding that indications were strong they would keep the rates high up to 2024.

Neri said the country’s rate hike was being seen by a number of analysts as dovish, as “almost everywhere in the world the hikes have been more aggressive than expected because of the surprise announcement of FOMC.”

Neri said this was in contrast with the action of Indonesia which was not having a current account problem. “They have a current account surplus in Indonesia, and yet they were conservative enough to hike by 50 basis points,” he said. Julito G. Rada

Peso plunges to

Stocks enter bear territory

By Julito G. Rada and Jennifer B. Austria

THEpeso plummeted to a new low of 58.99 against the US dollar, while the local stock market entered the bear territory Tuesday on the increasingly hawkish tone of the US Federal Reserve that led to sell-off in global equities.

The peso lost P0.49 Tuesday from P58.50 a dollar on Sept. 23, as investors now expect another 75-basis-point hike by the US Federal Reserve that boosted the greenback against global currencies.

The peso-dollar trading volume reached $1.062 billion, up from $985 million on Friday.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort in an emailed statement attributed the stron-

ger dollar to Fed signals of another l75basis-point rate hike in November.

Ricafort said the “higher US interest rates/bond yields increase the attractiveness of the US dollar with high interest rate income on US currencydenominated deposits/bonds/other fi xed income instruments.”

He said the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield reached a new 12-year high of 3.93 percent on Sept. 26.

The record low British pound and weaker euro also added to the strong US dollar narrative.

“The recent sell-off in the global stock and bond markets also due to more aggressive Fed/other central bank rate hikes and risks of US recession also supported the US currency as a settlement currency for global investors as well as a safe haven amid increase global market risk aversion,” Ricafort said.

The US Fed raised the policy rate by 75 basis points last week to control inflation in the world’s biggest economy.

Meanwhile, local stocks entered the bear territory after the Philippine Stock Exchange index plunged to a 23-month

low amid massive market sell off caused by rising inflation rate, weakening of the peso and increasing interest rates.

The PSEi fell below the 6,000-point level before closing at 6,020.70, down 3.8 percent or by 239.47 points from the previous trading day.

A bear market occurs when share prices fall 20 percent or more from recent highs due to negative investor sentiment.

“The market sell-off resumed with local shares on the back of an aggressive Federal Reserve and surging interest rates, which in turn have roiled currency markets,” Regina Capital and Development Corp head of sale Luis Limlingan said.

“The Federal Reserve’s aggressive hiking campaign, coupled with the UK’s tax cuts announced last week caused the US dollar to surge, pushing the peso to the P59 territory,” he said.

The dollar lost a little of its strength Tuesday after starting the week by surging against major peers, including a record high versus the pound, but while equity markets stabilized, sentiment remained dampened by recession fears.

Globe and Phil-Tower sign P20-b deal on sale of 1,350 towers

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Tuesday it signed a P20-billion sale and leaseback deal with Phil-Tower Consortium involving 1,350 cellular towers.

The towers, which consist of 90-percent ground-based and 10-percent rooftop towers mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao, will be leased back to Globe for an initial period of 15 years.

Globe said the initial closing of the transaction for the 1,350 towers was expected by the end of 2022, with subsequent closings happening when conditions were met.

The latest deal would bring Globe’s total towers sold to 7,059, with expected total proceeds of P91 billion. The com-

pany plans to use the proceeds of the sale to finance capital expenditures and maturing debts.

Globe said the completion of the whole transaction would represent the Philippines’ largest tower sale and leaseback deal.

“This record-setting deal shows Globe’s commitment to capital efficiency and financial sustainability. Through this initiative, we ensure our balance sheet health, which allows us to properly complete and fortify our market leading position,” Globe chief finance officer Rosemarie ManiegoEala said.

Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said the partnership with Philtower, which has a proven track

Aboitiz Group exiting Sri Lanka feeds business

CONGLOMERATE

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. said Tuesday it is leaving the Sri Lanka animal feeds business with the sale of its 100-percent stake in Gold Coin Feed Mills (Lanka) Limited.

AEV said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Gold Coin Management Holdings Pte. Ltd., along with Glen Arbor Holdings (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., signed a share sale and purchase agreement with New Anthoney’s Farms (PVT) Ltd. over the sale and disposition of 100-percent equity interest GCFL.

The company did not disclose the value of the transaction.

AEV said the exit from Sri Lanka is aligned with its thrust to expand its animal feeds business in other parts of Southeast Asia and China.

GCFL is a company engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of animal feed products in Sri Lanka, while Glen Arbor and Gold Coin are Singapore-based subsidiaries of AEV, whose shares are held

through Pilmico International Pte. Ltd.

The sale is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

AEV also disclosed that it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission an application for the planned P12-billion bond offering.

The bonds consist of P7.45 billion to be issued from its P30-billion shelf registration program registered with SEC in 2019 and up to P4.55 billion to be issued from the new P30-billion shelf registration program.

AEV said it would use the proceeds from the fund raising activity to partially fund the acquisition of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. and the repayment of certain outstanding bonds of AEV.

AEV plans to issue the bonds in the fourth quarter, subject to market conditions. The bonds will be listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

AEV said the bonds obtained a credit rating of PRS Aaa, with a stable outlook, from the Philippine Rating Services Corp.

record and expertise in telecom tower infrastructure, showed Globe’s commitment to ensuring the improvement in the Philippines’ internet condition and the success of the country’s digital transformation.

“Also, these monetization efforts will provide an uplift to Globe’s overall value, supporting our goal of enabling the digital lives of Filipinos,” Cu said.

“We are honored by the trust Globe has placed in PhilTower and are delighted to deepen our strategic partnership with Globe through this transaction,” said Phil-Tower president Devid Gubiani.

He said the expansion into Visayas and Mindanao would give PhilTower a nationwide reach.

Obligations rated “PRS Aaa” are of the highest quality with minimal credit risk, an indication that the obligor’s ca-

Tuesday,

27, 2022 -239.47 PTS.

6,020.07

1.00000058.3490

Japan Yen 0.0069120.4033

UKPound1.06820062.3284

Hong KongDollar0.1273987.4335

SwitzerlandFranc1.00623958.7130 CanadaDollar0.72822642.4913 SingaporeDollar0.69531440.5709 AustraliaDollar0.64550037.6643 BahrainDinar2.652801154.7883

Saudi Arabia Rial 0.26595715.5183 BruneiDollar0.69290540.4303 IndonesiaRupiah0.0000660.0039 Thailand Baht 0.0263501.5375

UAE Dirham0.27227915.8872

EuroEuro 0.96110056.0792

Korea Won 0.0007000.0408 ChinaYuan0.1401668.1785 IndiaRupee0.0122530.7150 MalaysiaRinggit0.21734412.6818 New Zealand Dollar 0.56360032.8855 TaiwanDollar0.0314331.8341

Source: BSP

CebuPac, Shell sign fuel supply contract

SINGAPORE―Cebu Air Inc. said Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Shell Aviation to receive supplies of sustainable aviation fuel from 2026 to 2031.

Shell Aviation global president Jan Toschka said the energy firm would supply 25,000 metric tons annually of SAF to Cebu Pacific starting 2026.

Toschka said aviation accounts 3 percent of all global Co2 emissions.

Cebu Pacific chief strategy officer Alex Reyes said the airline is committed to its sustainability goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Reyes said the airline would operate all-NEO aircraft by 2028 to reduce carbon emissions. “We are expecting 51 brand-new NEO aircraft until 2028,” he said.

Cebu Pacific became the first lowcost airline in Asia to incorporate the use of SAF into its operations when it took delivery of its third A330NEO in May this year. Darwin G. Amojelar

PetroGreen building 27-MW solar project

PETROGREEN Energy Corp., the renewable arm of PetroEnergy Resources Corp. of the Yuchengco Group, started the development of the 27-megawatt Dagohoy Solar Power Project in Barangay San Vicente, Dagohoy, Bohol.

The solar project will be built on a 22-hectare site and utilize 61,200 panels.

“Once operational, we expect DSPP to produce approximately 36 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to serve around 15,000 households,” PGEC assistant vice president for operations Maria Victoria Olivar said.

Olivar said PGEC was completing the necessary pre-development permits for the project.

“Barring any delays, we expect to complete and commercially operate the solar power facility by the fourth quarter of 2024, at the earliest,” said Olivar.

ADB eyes $14-b loan to ease Asian food crisis

THE Asian Development Bank on Tuesday announced plans to provide at least $14 billion over 2022–2025 in a comprehensive program of support to ease a worsening food crisis in Asia and the Pacific and improve long-term food security by strengthening food systems against the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.

The assistance expands ADB’s already significant support for food security in the region, where nearly 1.1 billion people lack healthy diets due to poverty and food prices which have soared to record highs this year.

The funding will be channeled through existing and new projects in sectors including farm inputs, food production and distribution, social protection, irrigation, and water resources management, as well as projects leveraging nature-based solutions.

“This is a timely and urgently needed response to a crisis that is leaving too many poor families in Asia hungry and in deeper poverty,” said ADB president Masatsugu Asakawa, in remarks at ADB’s 55th annual meeting.

pacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Ray

Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, together with key local government officials and senior executives of PGEC, attended the symbolic laying of the capsule containing the project’s conceptual design. Alena Mae S. Flores

DMCI’S AWARDS. Diversi ed engineering conglomerate DMCI Holdings Inc. and integrated energy unit Semirara Mining and Power Corp. are among the listed companies recognized in the Asiamoney 2022 Asia’s Outstanding Companies Poll. DMC wins as the Most Outstanding Company in the Philippines for the construction and engineering Sector while SCC emerges as the Most Outstanding Company in the Philippines for the materials sector. Receiving the awards for DMC and SCC are DMC chief nance o cer and SCC director Herbert Consunji (second from left), DMC senior vice president for corporate communications and investor relations Cherubim Mojica (center) and investor relations o cer Hannah Cecille Chan (second from right).

IP AGREEMENT. ITechConnectPH Inc., a new technology company, signs a memorandum of agreement with Cebu-based Suki Trading Corp. to market its intellectual property in di erent regions nationwide. Signing the agreement at Midas Hotel in Pasay City are (from left) Victoriano Ocon of Suki Trading Corp., Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Sancho Mabborang and Filipino Inventors Society Producers Cooperative president and ITechConnectPH representative Francisco Pagayon.

Nationals score semis sweep

Games tomorrow (Thursday)

2:30 p.m. – VNS vs Navy (best-of-3 for third)

5:30 p.m. – Cignal vs NU-Sta. Elena (best-of-3 for title)

NATIONAL University-Sta. Elena repulsed VNS-One Alicia, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21, 27-25, on Tuesday to sweep the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference semifinal round, keeping its guns blazing for the confidence and momentum needed for the finals grind at the Paco Arena in Manila.

The Nationals put premium on hitting, net defense, reception and cohesion as they bounced back from a second set struggle then pounced on the Griffins’ erratic finish in the extended fourth set to pound out the victory and prime themselves up for the best-of-three title series tipped to be rough and furious beginning tomorrow.

Nico Almendras and Mike Buddin fired 26 and 13 points, respectively, keeping their competitive fire in preparation against either the Cignal HD Spikers or the Navy Sealions, who were disputing the second championship berth at presstime.

The Nationals rallied from two sets down to stun the HD Spikers then swept the Sealions to clinch the first finals seat. Cignal and Navy, on the other hand, split their first two games in the round robin Final Four to seal a do-or-die match for the other finals slot.

“Credit to my players, they did their best, played within the system,” said Sta. Elena coach Dante Alinsunurin. “They played a little bit relaxed the last time out (against Navy) but at least we still got the win.”

The Griffins, who bowed out of the finals race after dropping their first two matches, actually looked poised to forcing a deciding set against the highly fancied Nationals. But after Sta. Elena survived a match point at 24 and yielded its own on a service miscue, Ben San Andres served into the net then the highflying, hard-hitting Griffin fumbled in serve receive, enabling the Nationals to escape with the victory in one

Sports

hour and 43 minutes.

“Hopefully, this win will help us, so that we can keep going in the finals,” said Almendras in Filipino. “This also gave us the momentum, especially for my teammates.”

While matching the Griffins’ assault, blocking and digging, the Nationals likewise came out

of the match they could afford to lose free of any health concerns that would hamper or jeopardize their title drive.

Obed Mukaba, a block specialist, went on an attack mode, producing 12 points and adding two aces for a 14-point output while Gerard Diao and Ken Malinis combined for 15 points.

The Griffins matched the Nationals’ 58 attack points and five blocks with Kevin Montemayor finishing with 13 points, San Andres and Michael Doria adding 12 points apiece and Yoyong Mendoza coming through with 11 hits. But they yielded four more aces and five points off their miscues and ended up with a 0-3 slate.

Asiad to give PH boxers added motivation in hunt for Paris slots

THEAssociation of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines welcomes the challenge of doing good in the Asian Games and qualify as many boxers in the 2024 Paris Olympics at the same time.

ABAP Executive Director Marcus Jarwin Manalo believes Filipino boxers will have added motivation competing in next year’s Asiad in Hangzhou, China following the decision of the International Olympic Committee to make the quadrennial showcase as one of the qualifying events for the next Olympics.

“At the end of the day, you really prepare for these tournaments, and you’re really aiming to qualify through tournaments. And obviously, we’re going to prepare for the Asian Games, so now it’s like hitting two birds in one stone. You perform well in the Asian Games, and get the chance to also qualify in the Olympics. So I think it’s going to be better for us,” said Manalo on Tuesday during the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

The IOC recently simplified the boxing qualification to the Paris Games by declaring regional multi-sports events as Olympic qualifiers such as the Asiad,

European Games, Pan-American Games, Pacific Games, and similar tournaments in Africa.

Two more world qualifiers will be held in 2024 to be supervised as well by the IOC as AIBA (International Boxing Association) remains suspended by the Olympic body owing to leadership and credibility issues.

So far, no guidelines have been made as to how many Olympic slots are at stake among the continental events.

“There’s no specific guidelines as to how many slots are going to be available in the Asian Games,” said Manalo. “It’s really a big challenge, but we’re up on it. We’re just going to focus on what we can control. And obviously, we need to take care of our preparations.”

The Asiad is slated on Sept. 23 to October 8 next year.

Head coach Don Abnett, who also graced the session presented by San Miguel

Corporation, MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Amelie Hotel Manila, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, is planning to have the national boxing team exposed in various overseas competitions, and possibly spend training camp in China.

“We’re sticking to our normal training program, but we’d like to see our athletes get exposure possibly to China prior to the Asian Games next year. We’d like to go over there for a couple of months,” said Abnett, credited for giving the boxing team a multiple medal finish in last year’s Tokyo Olympics courtesy of silver winners Nesty Petecio and Carlo Paalam, together with bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial.

Petecio, Paalam, and Marcial are again medal prospects for the country in Paris, according to Manalo, while also adding the likes of Rogen Ladon, Aira Villegas, Irish Magno, Ian Clark Bautista, and upcoming women’s middleweight bet Hergie Bacy-

adan, who Abnett describes as very promising.

“She has a strong chance in the middleweight. She’s improving all the time and boxing very well at the moment,” said the Australian coach of Bacyadan, the wushu athlete-turned boxer who recently won a gold in the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament.

The boxing team, which is currently training in Baguio, will have its initial preparation and training for the Olympic qualifier when it campaigns in the Asian Boxing Championships set in Amman, Jordan from Oct. 30 to Nov. 13.

In three weeks, the team is going to leave for Jordan initially, for a training camp, and eventually, for the tournament proper.

“We will have a two-week training camp in Jordan, so it’s a pre-tournament training camp that starts on Oct. 14. First couple of weeks we’ll do training camp before we start competing in the Asian Championships,” said Manalo.

Lee grateful to headline ONE Fight Night 2 with Xiong

ANGELA Lee has broken through many barriers in her storied career, including becoming the youngestever mixed martial artist World Champion.

Now, the ONE Atomweight World Champion looks to make history once again when she fights strawweight queen Xiong Jing Nan in a trilogy match in the headliner of ONE Fight Night 2 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Saturday, October 1.

This will be Lee’s second attempt at Xiong’s ONE Strawweight World Title, and although she came up short in her first try, she’s wants to prove this time around that she can nab the gold while entertaining the crowd.

“I love being the main event. Luck-

ily, I’ve had the honor of doing so for many shows already. That’s one thing I love and respect about ONE Championship. They put so much faith in us as female athletes, or just athletes in general, believing in our skills and techniques and knowing that we’re going to put on a hell of a show and close out the night,” she said.

“I’ve always loved to rise to the occasion, and every main event that I’ve [been] put on, I feel like it’s been a great event.”

For “Unstoppable,” this bout is monumental for a number of reasons. First, she’ll be fighting in her father’s native home country—Singapore. Second, Singapore just so happens to be where she won her first ONE World

Title. Third, if Lee can unseat “The Panda,” she’ll make history as the first woman to hold ONE titles in two different weight classes.

But the feat won’t be easy because both women know each other all too well.

Xiong defended her ONE Strawweight World Title against Lee at ONE: A NEW ERA in March 2019. Six months later, Lee guarded her atomweight strap from her 34-year-old opponent at ONE: CENTURY PART I in October 2019.

Now, the “mom-champ” promises that this match will be the most exciting of their three meetings.

“We’re not point fighters. We go in there to get the job done. I’ve had a couple of decision fights. I’ve gone the

joins Athletic Challenge in Japan

By Peter Atencio

LONG jumper Janry Ubas is headed for Japan on Wednesday to join the Athletics Challenge at the Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata.

The event is part of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour from Oct 1 to 3.

Coach Dario Darosas will be with the 28-year-old Ubas to guide him.

Ubas made the cut for the tour when cleared 7.73 meters for the silver medal in the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games.

“As it is a World Athletics rated event, first he needed to qualify to get into the competition. His recent performance for the period of 2021 to present made him qualify,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field secretary general Edward Kho, who added that the points that Ubas will earn will give him opportunities to compete in world championship events.

“Essentially it will serve as a good basis to assess, where his prep is at the moment. We are sure he will slug it out,” added Kho.

Ubas is currently ranked no. 142 in the world in long jump.

The 2022 World Athletics Continental Tour, also known as the 2022 Continental Tour, is in its third season.

Organized by World Athletics, the tour forms the second tier of international one-day meetings after the Diamond League.

distance. I have gone to deep waters,” Lee said.

“But of course, the goal is always to finish early, and we’re preparing if it does go the distance. But the game plan is definitely still the same as always, which is to finish the fight as soon as possible.”

Before Lee steps back into the Circle, watch all the action at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai on Thursday, on One Sports and One Sports+ at 6 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT). The main card will follow on One Sports and One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m.

SMART/MVP Sports Foundation National Inter-School Taekwondo slated Oct. 1, 2

THE best and brightest taekwondo jins in the collegiate level take centerstage as the Philippine Taekwondo Association on Tuesday announced the staging of the 2022 SMART/MVP Sports Foundation National Inter-School Taekwondo Championships on October 1 and 2 at the Ayala Malls, Manila Bay, Pasay City.

The competition has two divisions – the Novice and Advance—with five divisions under each category: Seniors, Juniors, Cadet, Grade School and Toddler—to be played separately for male and female competitors. It also includes Poomsae, which is open for colored and blackbelt students for the following events:

Individual, Pair and Team events.

Poomsae means “Forms” is performed by a systematic time of movement in a consecutive sequence against an imaginary opponent or multiple opponents. It consists of movements using the hands and feet and interconnected techniques like blocking, punching, striking, thrusting, and kicking.

Constant training of Poomsae will help improve flexibility and control in breathing, balance, power, eye focus and mental discipline.

About 2,000 students from all schools affiliated with the Philippine Taekwondo Association all over the country are confirmed to participate

in the biggest school-based tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympics Committee and MILO.

Among the schools and universities participating in this two-day event are Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, St. Paul Pasig, Diliman Preparatory School, Emilio Aguinaldo College,De La Salle University, University of the East, National University, University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Competition will start at 9 a.m. onwards.

Martial arts enthusiasts and sports aficionados are invited to witness this event, especially children who are interested to learn the sport.

Angela Lee

A young player connects to the body of his opponent during a recent competition.

Marcus Manalo

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

Mike Budin of NU scores against two VNS defenders in a Spikers’ Open Conference semi nal game won by the Nationals.

PH, Mongolia renew rivalry in 3x3 World Tour in Cebu

THE Philippines and Mongolia will once again be crossing paths in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas FIBA 3x3 World Tour Cebu Masters that will be held on October 1 and 2 at the SM Seaside City in Cebu.

The Philippines, the 22nd country in the FIBA 3x3 world ranking, will be represented by two teams—Cebu Chooks which has a guaranteed spot in the main draw, and Manila Chooks which will go through the qualifying draw. Mongolia, 4th in the world and the highest ranked Asian country, will also be fielding two teams: Sansar, seeded in the main draw, and Ulaanbaatar, playing in the qualifying draw

The teams from the two proud, basketball-loving Asian countries have matched up 21 times this year in five tournaments.

The Mongolians sent two teams to the Philippines last April 30 for the Chooksto-Go Pilipinas Asia Pacific Super Quest held in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Zaisan fell to Manila Chooks in the group stage. Sansar prevailed over Butuan Chooks, but dropped a close one to Cebu Chooks in the group stage. Sansar and Cebu Chooks met again in the finals with the home team prevailing, 17-15.

A week later, it was the Philippines’ turn to visit Mongolia for the Ulaanbaatar Super Quest. Cebu Chooks defeated Amgalan, but were downed by Ulaanbaatar and Zavkhan. Manila Chooks earned better results as it notched two victories over Zaisan and Sansar and lost two games to Zavkhan and Zaisan in the semifinals.

The Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas FIBA 3x3 World Tour Manila Masters last May 28 and 29 staged at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay saw four Mongolian teams flying over to the Philippines.

The two countries went 2-2 against each other in the competition. Ulaanbaatar started hostilities with a 2211 win over Manila Chooks. Cebu Chooks exacted some payback on a Mac Tallo game-winner by prevailing over Zavkhan, 21-19. Chico Lanete also had his chance to play hero as his two free throws helped Manila Chooks edge Zaisan, 21-19. But Mongolia would have the last laugh in the knockout stage as Sansar triumphed over Manila Chooks, 21-16.

It would take three months before the two countries faced each other anew. This happened in the Penang Challenger in Malaysia. Cebu Chooks, featuring a debuting Vince Tolentino, would go 2-1 up in their head-to-head encounters with Zavkhan which they defeated in thrilling fashion, 18-15.

The Mongolians dominated their Filipino counterparts in the Chooksto-Go Pilipinas FIBA 3x3 International Quest held last September 16 at the Ayala Malls Solenad. Zaisan blasted Butuan Chooks, 22-7, while Zavkhan escaped with a nail-biter over Manila Chooks, 19-17. Zaisan also posted victories against Cebu Chooks and Manila Chooks. It took another clutch free throw from Lanete to notch for the Philippines its lone win over Mongolia when Manila Chooks downed world number eight Ulaanbaatar, 21-20.

LeBron prioritizing fitness, not records, in 20th season

“I’m not going to put too much pressure on (the record) throughout the season. But it’s a historical moment when it gets there, and as long as my family and friends are there to see it, that’s the most important thing.”

The 37-year-old heads into the campaign determined to lead the Lakers back to the playoffs after a dismal 2021-2022 season that saw the franchise’s hopes torpedoed by a combination of injuries and poor form.

James, who played just 56 times last season, told reporters at the Lakers media day maintaining fitness would be his focus this season.

“Just being available, that’s what’s most important,” James said.

“Obviously some injuries you can’t control, but that’s my whole mindset.

For me as one of the leaders of the team, availability is the most important thing in this league—to be available on the floor.”

James moved into second place in the NBA’s regular season points scoring standings in March, overtaking Karl Malone during a game against the Washington Wizards.

He enters the 2022-2023 season 1,325 points behind all-time regular season points leader Abdul-Jabbar—

meaning that if he maintains his average points per game totals, the record should fall this season.

James said however that he does not obsess about surpassing Lakers legend Abdul-Jabbar’s record.

James ‘in awe’ of record

“The only time I’ve thought about it is when someone’s posted something on my social media and I’ve been scrolling through my feed and I see it,” James said.

“And every single time I’m kind of in awe of it, like ‘Wow’.

“I’ve never played my career thinking about records, just making sure I’m in the best shape possible going into the season and being available.

“But to sit here knowing I’m on the verge of breaking the most sought-after record in the NBA, is super humbling for myself and super cool

“To be able to be in the same breath as (Abdul Jabbar) who wore this same uniform and was a staple of this franchise, it’s super-duper dope to be in that conversation.

James meanwhile spoke warmly about new Lakers coach Darvin Ham, the former Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach who replaced the sacked Frank Vogel in June.

“Every single day it continues to get better and better and better, but I think the transparency that we have from the time he was granted the head coach here has been great,”

James said.

“We’ve had multiple conversations, not only about the game of basketball but things off the floor as well. I think it was well overdue for him to be a head coach.

“I’m happy to be part of his journey and try to do some special things.”

James, who last month inked a twoyear contract extension with the Lakers, added that he remained firmly committed to the franchise that he joined in 2018.

“I came here because I believed in the franchise and I’m still here. It’s literally that simple,” James said.

“I’m committed to the franchise as long as my contract is here. I look forward to get going tomorrow.” AFP

Chess champ Carlsen slams Niemann for recent cheating

OSLO—Chess superstar Magnus Carlsen for the first time openly accused American Hans Niemann of cheating Monday, saying the rising star had done so more recently and more often than he previously admitted.

The chess world has been shaken for three weeks by the CarlsenNiemann controversy, since the 31-year-old five-time world champion withdrew from the Sinquefield Cup in the US after losing to Niemann, 19.

Last week, the Norwegian’s abrupt withdrawal from a match against Niemann in the Julius Baer Generation Cup online tournament reignited the furore.

In a letter published on Twitter and addressed “Dear Chess World,” Carlsen said: “I believe that Niemann has cheated more— and more recently —than he has publicly admitted.

“His over the board progress has been unusual.”

He did not specify the exact form of the alleged cheating, but added there was “more that I would like to say”.

Niemann has acknowledged cheating online twice, when he was 12 and 16, but says he has never played fraudulently in a face-to-face match and is even willing to play nude to prove his good faith.

In early September, the huge chess platform chess.com banned the American for cheating on the site.

AFP contacted Niemann for comment but he did not immediately reply.

During their Sinquefield Cup match, Niemann did not seem tense or even to be “fully concentrating on the game in critical positions, while outplaying me as a black in a way I think only a few players can do”, Carlsen continued in his letter.

He called cheating in chess “an existential threat to the game” and said: “I don’t want to play against people that have cheated repeatedly in the past.”

He concluded by saying he hoped the truth would come out, “whatever it may be”. AFP

Fury says Joshua fight’s off after lapsed deadline

LONDON—Tyson Fury says his proposed heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua is off after a deadline set by Fury’s camp expired without a deal on Monday.

Fury set Joshua an ultimatum on Friday night, insisting if the deal could not be done in time then he would walk away from the blockbuster allBritish bout.

Speaking on Instagram on Monday evening, the WBC champion said: “Well guys, it’s official. Dday has come and gone. It’s gone

PNVF head named to important

post

THE International Volleyball Federation reaffirmed the appointment of Ramon “Tats” Suzara as Secretary of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Commission during the FIVB 38th World Congress held over the weekend in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

3 “The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Commission is tasked to strengthen and empower national team programs around the world,” said Suzara, who was joined in the congress by PNVF secretary general Donald Caringal. “As a national federation representative, we are so proud to be chosen here.”

The program, Suzara said, covers 222 national teams. He is joined in the commission by representatives from Canada, Kenya, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Maldives.

past five o’clock, Monday. No contract has been signed.

“It’s officially over for Joshua. He is now out in the cold with the wolfpack.”

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had already said there was “no chance” of contracts for being signed by Monday.

Speaking on an Instagram Live, Joshua said: “It ain’t in my hands— it’s with a legal team. That’s why you hire lawyers.

“You know the history of boxingmake sure you get your legal terms right. That’s why you get good man-

agement and good lawyers.

“So, of course, I’m going to sign the contract. It’s just with some lawyers at the minute.”

Joshua’s team have already verbally accepted Fury’s offer of a 60-40 purse split.

Joshua suffered a second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last month, and Fury’s hopes of a title unification match were dashed after the Ukrainian indicated he does not intend to return to the ring until 2023. AFP

Suzara said the commission will draft the best guidelines on how to improve national team programs. This includes assignment of foreign coaches, friendly matches and exposures.

“They’re all aimed to enhance competition levels,” said Suzara, adding that a naturalization policy is also tops on the commission’s agenda.

“We are here together with the five other countries to help the FIVB create policies that will strengthen all the national team programs,” he said. “It’s not only the Philippines but the entire world.”

The congress also tackled the 2023 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) with the Philippines again guaranteed to host one leg. The PNVF hosted a women and men leg last June at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

ELSEGUNDO—Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said Monday staying injury free will be his priority as he prepares for a 20th season in the NBA which could see him break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks with the media during media day at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. AFP

Tyson Fury

PNVF resident Ramon “Tats” Suzara addresses the FIVB 38th World Congress in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

Pinoy talents take centerstage at K-pop Star competition

GEN

Z pop star

Zephanie continues to make waves in her career as she recounts her half a year’s time in GMA.

Sparkle’s youthful and charming star was officially welcomed into its roster of talented stars in March, and since then, her career has continued to flourish.

At present, Zephanie is one of the mainstays in the weekend variety show All-Out Sundays where she showcases her power vocals as one of the divas in ‘Queendom.’

She also sang the theme songs of some of GMA’s television series including “Tunay Na Minamahal” for Apoy Sa Langit and “Kaagapay”

By Windie Khyla Pultam

THE Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines treated mallgoers to stellar performances of aspiring Filipino talents during the recently concluded Pinoy K-pop Star at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia.

Ten participants in the vocal and performance categories vied to be the country’s representatives at the 2022 Changwon K-pop World Festival in Korea.

In the performance category, girl group ALPHA bagged the grand prize with their performance of “O.O” by NMIXX PRINCIPIUM’s cover

A joint project of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines, the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, and KBS World, in partnership with SM, the event highlighted the promotion of Korean culture through music. The event was also a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange.

of “HOT” by Seventeen placed them second, while Project One’s dance performance to the tune of “JIKJIN” by TREASURE got them third place.

Joy Lorenze Locsin was hailed the grand winner in the vocal category with her iconic performance of “So What” by Hyolyn Merry Mia Sinaguinan’s rendition of “My Sea” by IU won her second place, and Sandra Faith Dela Cruz placed third for her version of “Hello” by

Kim Sohyang Korean Embassy Consul General Lee Kyooho led the distinguished panel of judges which included Anne Luis, Head of the SentroRizal Cultural Affairs Office (NCCA); Dasuri Choi, content creator and celebrity; Happee SyGo, vice president and COO of Pulp Live World Production Inc.; and Joseph Francia, first vice president of GMA International.

The jam-packed K-pop Day started with a K-pop Open Stage led by the Philippine Kpop Convention Inc. (PKCI) that featured fan merch booths, games, and performances from K-pop fan cover groups and P-pop boy group VXON

Rising P-pop girl group KAIA also wowed the audience with performances of their debut single “Blah Blah” and a cover of Le Sserafim’s “Fearless.”

A special awarding ceremony for the 2022 Pinoy K-pop Star Competition was held at the Korean Embassy.

GEN Z pop star makes waves in her new mother network

“I’m a very shy person but since I’m already here and I start to mingle with other actors, parang very interesting po ‘yung acting field. So if ever po na mabibigyan ako ng chance na magkaroon ng teleserye, talagang buong puso ko pong tatanggapin ‘yun.” Meanwhile, Zephanie is hopeful about her upcoming album, “We

are working on a new album. New music po, maybe new style and ngayon po naghahanap na kami ng iba’t-ibang songwriters para matulungan kaming mabuo itong susunod ko pong album. So I’m really excited po na ma-release ‘yung mga song na ‘to, at mashare po sa inyong lahat.” “Luv Is” is now available on all digital streaming platforms.

Marilyn Monroe biopic ‘Blonde’ hits Netflix

for the sports-themed primetime drama Bolera. Her latest single “Luv Is,” in collaboration with P-Pop boy group VXON, is the official theme song of the upcoming romance series Luv Is: Caught In His Arms

Zephanie reiterated the highlights of her career, “Ang bilis po talaga ng panahon. I think so far, the highlight of my journey as Kapuso is my being part of All-Out Sundays family My journey in GMA started performing and sharing my talent in the show. And I’m also able to explore. ‘Yun po ‘yung lagi kong nare-realize na nakakapag-explore po ako ngayon sa iba’t ibang fields or like sa pagpe-perform ko.”

The Gen Z Pop Star revealed that apart from singing, she is willing to try acting as well, “I’m really open to acting and I believe I still have a lot more learn.”

captivates fans during premiere telecast

investment skills, his early life was not a flowery road. Tristan is an orphan who lived with his abusive aunt at a young age until he ran away from their house with his prize laptop, a scene original to the adaptation. But because of his turn to independence, he came across Lola Joy, Dani, and her older sister Ina.

Start Up PH premiered on GMA Network on Monday evening.

The drama opened with a colorful animation lain with an upbeat tune featuring iconic items from the drama like the sisters’ music box, the bird house which served as the mailbox for young Dani and young Tristan’s letters, Lola Joy’s, played by veteran actress Gina Alajar, food truck, and a mobile phone and a laptop used by Jeric’s character, Dave Navarro, for the mobile app and programming.

Though an adaptation, Start Up PH made notable differences from the original series that #TeamGoodBoy is celebrating.

The first scene, much like in the original series, kicked off with a drone shot introducing Sandbox PH, the place serving as an incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators’ ideas and projects. Along the way, the first look of the main cast was presented;

Alden as Tristan Hernandez looking up from the bridge, Bea as Danica “Dani” Sison sitting on the bench, and Jeric as Davidson “Dave” Navarro among the excited crowd watching the drone show.

To further introduce Tristan, bits of his past were teased with a flashback. Despite being a successful team leader with great

For those who were not aware, the first appearance of Tristan’s female artificial intelligence device “Maria” may have hinted at a well-known voice talent. Inka Magnaye, the voice artist behind the sassy AI that tipped Tristan’s reunion with Dani. This role marks Inka’s first in a series that she was very much excited to show everyone.

From makulit to sweet and tender, we were also presented with lola-apo moments between Lola Joy and Dani. Lola Joy is a well-loved character in the original series as Dani’s guardian. She provided for

her granddaughter by selling merienda favorites, turon and banana cue. Her unconditional support and love for her aspiring and proactive granddaughter surely melt our hearts.

Yasmien was also praised for how she executed the estranged, cold, and composed older sister Karina “Ina” Diaz. During her first meeting with Dani, her politely smiling face shifted to a shock upon recognizing her sister among the crowd was a chef’s kiss.

It was at that moment when Tristan also recognized who Dani was. Prior to that moment was the kilig first encounter outside the Sandbox PH building wherein Dani tripped, thanks to her old heels, and Mr. Good Boy Tristan was there just in time to catch her.

The premiere episode of Start Up PH looked promising. Although not much was shown about Dave Navarro in the first episode, just like in the original series, it leaves the viewers with more to look out for in the succeeding episodes.

It was an episode packed with lots of feels. There was the kilig, the tension, the heartwarming moments, the comforting and motivating parts.

The beautiful scenery and amazing cinematography also deserve commendation. It was pleasing to the eyes, enough to invoke a spark in our chests to dream once again.

Start Up PH is a K-drama with a Filipino twist, a feel-good and inspiring teleserye that will keep the viewers wanting and curious about what is there to come.

For ID magazine, Blonde is “guttural, instinctive, anguished filmmaking that bends space, time, and every cinematic tool at its disposal in service of attaining emotional truth.”

Or viewers might take the position of the New Yorker’s Richard Brody, who called it “ridiculously vulgar,” seeing the endless torment that Monroe experiences on-screen as “a special kind of directorial sadism.”

There are certainly no punches being pulled by Australian director Andrew Dominik in his adaptation of the hit semi-fictional book of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates

From the trauma of a mentally unstable and violent mother, through her rape at the hands of a studio boss, to a particularly sordid scene with president John F. Kennedy, Monroe’s life is depicted as one of relentless abuse and anguish.

Dominik spent 11 years trying to get the film made, and has credited the #MeToo movement against sexual assault with finally generating interest in the story –though he reportedly fought long and hard with Netflix over long running time and graphic scenes.

Armas told reporters at the Venice Film Festival, where the film premiered this month, that she had to go to “uncomfortable, dark, and vulnerable” places for the role.

“She was all I thought about, all I dreamed about, all I could talk about. She was with me, and it was beautiful,” she said.

The crew filmed in the real locations where Monroe was born and died, with Dominik saying the shoot “took on elements of a seance.” AFP

Nickie Wang, Editor

Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant

Girl group ALPHA, 2022 Pinoy K-pop Star Performance

Category grand prize winner, shines in their performance of the song ‘O.O’ by NMIXX

P-Pop boy group VXON entertains the K-pop lovers with performances during the event’s pre-show

Project One, 2022 Pinoy K-pop Star Performance Category third prize winner, dances to the tune of ‘JIKJIN’ by TREASURE

DESTINED to be one of the most divisive films of the year, Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde finally lands on Netflix on Wednesday after more than a decade of troubled production.

While there is almost universal praise for the visceral lead performance by Ana de Armas, critics cannot agree whether the uncompromising, nearly three-hour film is an artistic tour de force or another cruel layer of exploitation perpetrated against the 20th century icon.

THE Filipino adaptation of South Korea’s awardwinning television drama series, Start Up, started off with a bang. Starring Bea Alonzo, Alden Richards, Jeric Gonzales, and Yasmien Kurdi

Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe

Tristan (left) and Dani’s (right) first encounter in Sandbox PH after Dani lost her footing due to worn-out heels

Karina “Ina” Diaz’s reaction upon recognizing her sister who stood up to ask her a question at the Sandbox PH event

Despite being a successful team leader with great investment skills, Tristan (Alden) has an unfortunate past

PH

Zephanie showcases her power vocals as one of the divas in ‘All-Out Sundays’

Zephanie makes waves as a Kapuso artist

Training the spotlight on indigenous people’s rituals

AS A continuous effort in keeping Filipino traditions alive, the award-winning documentary series Dayaw’ is finally back for its 12th season, which showcases the indigenous culture and customs, on ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) on September 29, 8:00 p.m.

In light of this season’s title “Kakaibang Sigla: Our Boundless Energy,” the program focuses on the cycle of life exhibited in traditional societies — from the rituals of baptism and other rites of passage to courtship and marriage, and death. Aside from this, viewers will also get a glimpse of traditional weddings of the Ga’dang of Mountain Province, the T’boli of Lake Sebu, and the Sama Dilaut of Tawi-Tawi.

Despite her busy work as a lawmaker, Senator Loren Legarda, four-term senator and chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, continues to lead “Dayaw” as its mainstay host.

She pushes for the appreciation of the Filipino arts and culture by exhibiting these vibrant and colorful traditions on television, especially catering to younger viewers.

Of film and languages

ONCE, an acquaintance asked me what was on my movie playlist. At that time, I was so into Korean films. Well, honestly, I have yet to outgrow my K-addiction. As I always say, once bitten by the K-bug, you can’t go back.

Back then, my watch list was probably as long as the queue at an MRT station because I kept adding more. I’ve always been fascinated with sageuk (historical dramas). Their beautiful hanbok (Korean traditional clothes), the hanok (Korean traditional houses), and the political turmoils during the Joseon period – became delicious fodder for my cinematic hunger.

A Frozen Flower was my first introduction to sageuk films, and probably my first BL film. Then, there was War of the Arrows, Warriors of the Dawn, The Treacherous, The Admiral, The King and the Clown (where I met my OG flower boy, Lee Joon Gi), among others.

I’ve seen The Throne, a film retelling about Crown Prince Sado who died after he was confined in a rice chest on the orders of his father King Yeongjo. I followed it with The Fatal Encounter, which is about King Jeongjo, the son of the unfortunate crown prince.

When I rattled off the films I’ve seen, was watching at the moment, and would be watching, that acquaintance scoffed at me and asked me if I didn’t have any other interests. He told me why don’t I try watching this and that Western series, as well as some superhero movies.

Before I could stop my mouth from running, I told him my movie preference was none of his business. I can watch whatever I like, thank you very much.

Truth is, I do love superhero movies.

I’m a sucker for romantic comedies. I watch the so-called “bakya” movies, even those “kabit” movies. I geek out on anime movies. I love those goodtriumphing-against-evil kinds of movies, as well as action-packed films that put viewers on the edge of their seats.

When I want to cry a little, I go for

tearjerker films. Often, I’d look for humanitycentered films that make me believe there are still good people out there doing good things for the greater good.

I’m no film critic. I probably can’t explain what makes a film good or bad. But the best films for me are those that grab my soul, those that make me think and reflect on life, leaving me to question my humanity, and those that take me through a roller coaster of emotions. A film that lingers long after the end credits have stopped rolling.

There is another reason I watch Korean films. I use them to practice what I’ve learned from my Korean language classes. Watching movies in foreign languages is one of the most fun ways to learn a new language. (Another way is through videoke; I do practice reading Korean characters while singing at videoke).

Through watching, I become familiar with conversational talks. Films set in contemporary times reflect the current street lingo, and the speech nuisances that people use in their daily lives; while historical films provide me with formal speech. Films also give a glimpse into the daily life of people and share visual cues that provide context to certain phrases or words.

In the Philippines, we have several film festivals that screen foreign films. There’s the Japan Film Festival (formerly Eiga Sai), the CineEuropa, and the French Film Festival.

This year, after two years of online editions, Pelicula Spanish Film Festival returns to on-site screenings this October 5 to 16 at the Shangrila Plaza cinemas, Cine Adarna at UP Diliman, and Instituto Cervantes Intramuros branch. For its 21st edition, it expands its reach in Malaysia and Australia.

The Spanish film festival features more than 20 films, opening with El buen patrón (Fernando León de Aranoa, 2021).

If you like comedies, try to catch La boda de Rosa (Icíar Bollaín, 2020), El test (Dani de la Orden, 2022), Con

quién viajas (Martín Cuervo, 2021). There are also documentaries such as A las mujeres de España María Lejárraga (Laura Hojman, 2022), as well as dramas Maixabel (Icíar Bollaín, 2021)

or El olvido que seremos (Fernando Trueba, 2020), thriller La hija (Manuel Martín Cuenca, 2021), and Latin American films like the Colombian documentary Jinetes del Paraíso (Talia Osorio Cardona, 2020) and the Panamenian comedy Algo azul (Mariel García Spooner, 2021).

Don’t miss the Official Competition, a comedy starring Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Oscar Martinez. Directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, it is a satire on filmmaking and the ever-conflicting creative process of putting together a worthy film along with the laundry list of issues that go with it. In sum, it pokes fun at the moviemaking business but also shows such a great deal of passion for the cinematic craft.

This year, there will be short feature films coming from the Basque Country, and a special selection of classic Spanish films to be shown online, including Esa pareja feliz (Juan Antonio Bardem and Luis García Berlanga, 1951), Muerte de un ciclista (Juan Antonio Bardem, 1953), Mamá cumple cien años (Carlos Saura, 1979), and El sur (Víctor Erice, 1983).

The festival also premieres Con tu latido. Fillipinas canta a Aute, the tribute film about Spanish-Filipino musician and artist Luis Eduardo Aute, will be screened on October 11, at Instituto Cervantes (Intramuros branch).

Pelicula culminates with the screening of the Audience Choice Award, the film with the highest votes from the audience, on October 16.

One of the most successful film festivals of Instituto Cervantes globally, Pelicula showcases a variety of acclaimed Spanish films while fostering better communication between cultures through filmmaking and cultural exchanges. It aims to connect both Spanish and Filipino cultures and audiences through a well-curated selection of awardwinning films.

For updates on the Festival, please visit the website of the Festival (https:// pelikula.org) or the Facebook page of Instituto Cervantes de Manila: www. facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila

remains lacking.”

According to her, because of globalization and technological advancements, people overlook the rich and substantial culture the Philippines has to offer. However, with the launching of Dayaw’ s 12th season, they aim to present and preserve these traditions by using their platform.

Furthermore, the senator emphasized that the goals of Dayaw are connected to her work in the Senate. Along with her committee, they filed several bills that concentrate on the enrichment of the Philippine arts and culture.

Since 2015, Dayaw has been a vessel in the presentation of the country’s culture, featuring multiple facets of Filipino customs – from our diverse languages, traditional sports and games, clothing and accessories, to dances and rituals, and culinary heritage.

Senator Legarda thanks the public for all the love the show got throughout its airing. “Dayaw is a project close to my heart and I am proud and thankful for the support it has gained over the years.”

Ushering in the renaissance of live performances

THE double bill is a rare treat for fans as it will feature all the beloved elements of performing arts such as opera, popular, OPM, and orchestral music.

Ballet Manila returns to live performance at the newly renovated Aliw Theater with Rise! , a double bill that features a pop program Ballet & Ballads and a retelling of the opera La Traviata in ballet as choreographed by Lisa Macuja Elizalde

While the moving performance of Ballet Manila is the centerpiece of the show, Rise! also features the highly respected Maestro Gerard Salonga as musical director and conductor, one of the country’s best female vocalists, Bituin Escalante, and award-winning opera singer

Supporting these prominent artists is a powerhouse creative team, led by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as overall artistic director, theater artist Michael Williams as the stage director, playwright Luna Inocian as the scriptwriter, and Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance as choreographers.

There is also a 12-person opera ensemble and a 60-piece bespoke orchestra handpicked by the Maestro Salonga himself.

Rise! will be staged on October 7 at 8:00 p.m. and on October 9 at 5:00 p.m. at the Aliw Theater. Tickets are available exclusively through Ticketworld. Visit www.ticketworld. com.ph or call 8891 9999.

Bayanihan bags prize at Cheonan World Dance Festival

In 2011, Bayanihan also bagged the top prize, winning over 100 other

Nickie Wang

Joba

Patricia Taculao

“It is paramount that we continue to push for the promotion of Philippine arts and culture precisely because, despite the seemingly growing

interest in indigenous culture, particularly our textiles and handwoven products, the level of cultural appreciation of our indigenous peoples

Jade Riccio

BAYANIHAN , the national dance company of the Philippines, won the grand prize at the Cheonan World Dance Festival held from September 21 to 25 in Cheonan, Korea by showcasing the beauty of the Philippines through dances and music.

Bayanihan bested other dance groups from Europe and Asia that participated in the international dance competition. It is the 14th international recognition garnered by Bayanihan.

participants in the World Dance Festival.

Meanwhile, the Federation of International Dance Festivals (FIDAF) has appointed Bayanihan Trustee and Executive Director Marielle Benitez Javellana as FIDAF Philippine National Representative and elected her as co-vice chairman for Asia during its General Congress held in Cheonan, Korea on September 22.

FIDAF is the organization for international dance festivals, represented by more than 80 countries.

Sen. Loren Legarda (5th from left), chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, continues to lead “Dayaw,” an award-winning documentary series showcasing our indigenous culture and customs

Ballet Manila returns to live performance with a retelling of the opera La Traviata in ballet as choreographed by Lisa Macuja Elizalde (4th from left)

Bayanihan bested other dance groups from Europe and Asia at the competition

Bersolari film follows a journey of improvised poetry, silence, and art laid bare

Official Competition, a comedy starring Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Oscar Martinez Panamanian comedy Cartel Algo Azul

For comedy lovers, try La Boda de Rosa

Official poster of the Spanish Film Festival this year