Manila Standard - 2022 October 2 - Sunday

4k Mactan workers laid off

Gloomy business condition forces MEZ apparel firms to retrench

SOME 4,000 workers at the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) in Cebu province stand to lose their jobs after five garment companies announced they would have to lay off at least 25 percent of their employees.

“In the midst of economic difficulties, it is very difficult to lose employment and it

PBBM supports devolution of powers to LGUs

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos assured lo cal government units (LGUs) that his admin istration will help them in their devolution plans through the setting up of support and equity funds as the Mandanas ruling takes

effect this year.

Mr. Marcos, speaking before the newly elected officers and directorate members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Malacañang, also urged local leaders to welcome

innovations and new ideas, which could include partnerships “to maximize the service that we bring to the people.”

The Chief Executive said this will include

Private hospitals bear brunt of health workers shortage

healthcare workers,” De Grano said.

n

By MARICEL V. CRUZ

THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) estimated that the cost of damage to agriculture brought by Typhoon Kard ing has reached more than P3 billion as the Department of Agriculture reported that retail prices of various vegetables have increased by as much as P20 in Metro Manila due to the devastation.

The NDRRMC said damage to livestock, poultry, and fisheries was estimated at P14.14 million.

The agency added that 104,500.90 farmers and fisherfolk and 166,630.11 hectares of crops were affected by the typhoon

The death toll remained at 12, with the number of missing at five, and inju ries at 52, the NDRRMC said.

It further said that 247,016 fam ilies or 913,893 individuals were affected by the typhoon in seven regions, and 47,388 persons were displaced. Displaced families have sought shelter in evacuation centers in various areas.

In terms of infrastructure, the NDRRMA said 57,080 houses and 43 roads, schools, utility services facilities, etc. were also damaged.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, local government units, and nongovernment organiza tions have released P51,463,930.95 worth of assistance, the agency said.

In terms of price increases, Agricul ture Undersecretary Kristine Evange lista said the DA has seen increases in the prices of some vegetables in Metro Manila markets. The official said in the NCR, the price movement is around P10 to P20.

THE Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) said private hospitals are bearing the brunt of the shortage of healthcare workers as the country continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PHAPI president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano said while private hospitals are

prepared to accommodate COVID-19 patients, the private hospitals’ problem is the shortage of healthcare workers.

“A lot of healthcare workers who left private hospitals have either transferred to public hospitals or have gone overseas. Private hospitals are feeling the impact of shortage of

The Department of Health earlier said the country is in need of at least 160,000 nurses in public and private facilities and hospitals across the nation.

Health workers also appealed for higher pay to help them cope with the high cost of living.

The DOH also said the workforce gap spans other health care professionals such as doctors, physical therapists, and dentists, with the total shortage at around 194,000, the agency said.

The breakdown, according to the department, is as follows:

Text scammers tap

THE National Privacy Commission said on Saturday it is facing difficul ties in going after text scammers as these are now utilizing “text aggre gators.”

The NPC said messages are sent through an aggregator's clients, such as online applications.

Aggregators can have access to a list of telecommunication com panies where they can send these messages.

NPC Deputy Commissioner Lean dro Angelo Aguirre said this is the reason the NPC mounted another probe into these text messages.

dire situation

“Aggregators have a list of telcos that they can use for sending SMS. If you are a company, you can use the aggregator’s platform and they will push the messages to the tel cos,” Aguirre said. The official said this “application to phone” mes saging, instead of “phone-to-phone messaging," is difficult to “solve.”

He said an aggregator can use mobile applications such as Agoda or Booking.com to push the said texts through the telcos. Aguirre

and Vertex One Apparel Phils –temporarily ceased operations during the height of the pandemic and resumed only when the restrictions were eased.

With several of the displaced workers based in Lapu-Lapu

City, the city council has asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide assistance to retrenched workers.

is urgent for the local government to step in and provide assistance to our residents who are included in the retrenchment,” read the city council resolution authored by Council Annabeth Cuizon.

BUSINESS MATTERS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holds a dialog with members of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. The business leaders shared their thoughts on how to speed up the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Long COVID still baffles experts, millions ‘suffer in silence’ globally

MILLIONS of people around the world are believed to suffer from long COVID, yet little remains known about the condition—though research has recently proposed several theories for its cause.

Between 10 to 20 percent of people who contract coronavirus are estimated to have long COVID symp toms – most commonly fatigue, breathlessness, and a lack of mental clarity dubbed brain fog – months after recovering from the disease.

The US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that nearly 145 million people worldwide had at least one of those symptoms in 2020 and 2021.

In Europe alone, 17 million people had a long COVID symptom at least three months after infection during that time, according to IHME modelling for the World Health Organization (WHO) published earlier this month.

Lady solons launch breast cancer info drive

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

THE Association of Women Leg islators Foundation, Inc. (AWL FI) chaired by Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez of Tingog party-list, in cooperation with the House commit tee on women and gender equality, leads anew the observance of the Pink October or the Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the House of Representatives.

The month-long international health campaign is intended to support breast cancer patients, raise awareness of the disease and pro mote early detection.

The celebration kicked off with a privilege speech by Represen tative Linabelle Ruth Villarica, president of the 85-strong AWL FI of the 19th Congress, during which she noted that the Philip pines has the highest prevalence of breast cancer in Asia and the ninth highest in the world.

Aside from the established risk fac tor related to women’s reproductive cycle like early age upo menstrua tion, late age at first full-term preg nancy, number of children, weight and genetic predisposition, there is an indication that women who work the graveyard shift may face up to 60% higher risk of breast cancer compared to those who never work at night.

Nighttime sleep deprivation or exposure to light at night interrupts melatonin production, and this stimulates the ovaries to release additional estrogen which is a known hormonal promoter of breast cancer, according to her.

FromtheFRONTPAGE

4K... The five apparel companies said the effects of the pandemic as well as the global recession forced them to implement a retrenchment program and keep only at least 75 percent of their workforce.

“As the world is now on the brink of global recession, with higher than expected inflation and the global financial conditions are becoming tighter, our business and that of our customers are not an exemption especially being classified as a nonessential luxury product,” the firms said in a statement.

However, they promised to release the separation pay of the affected workers as well as other benefits due them.

“The sudden dropping and reduction of orders from our clients while increasing operational costs left us to face head-on to deal with the economic struggles and financial shortage thus, our company perceived objectively and in good faith the need to downsize our current manpower through retrenchment program,” the firms said.

Cuizon, for her part, asked the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) to profile the retrenched workers from the five MEZ locators and assist them

QCPD crime drive nets 55 in two days

THE Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has rounded up 55 suspects in a two-day crackdown on criminali ty conducted on Friday and Saturday. The arrests included an actor and18 individuals in the Most Wanted Per sons (MWP) list.

Of the 55 suspects, 11 were caught in separate buy-bust operations.

These millions “cannot continue to suffer in silence”, WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said, calling for the world to act quickly to learn more about the condition.

Researchers have been racing to catch up but the vast array – and inconsistency – of symptoms has complicated matters.

More than 200 different symptoms have been as cribed to long COVID so far, according to a University College London study.

“There are no symptoms that are truly specific to long COVID but it does have certain characteristics that fluctuate,” said Olivier Robineau, the long COVID coordinator at France’s Emerging Infectious Diseases research agency.

“Fatigue remains in the background,” he told AFP, while the symptoms “seem to be exacerbated after intellectual or physical effort – and they become less frequent over time.”

One thing we do know is that people who had more severe initial cases, including needing to be hospitalized, are more likely to get long COVID, according to the IHME.

Researchers have been pursuing several leads into exactly what could be behind the condition.

A study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases in September found that COVID’s infamous spike protein --- the key that lets the virus into the body’s cells – was still present in patients a full year after infection.

This suggests that viral reservoirs may persist in some people, potentially causing inflammation that could lead to long COVID-like symptoms, the researchers said. AFP

Actor Dominic Roco, 33, and four others were nabbed in Barangay Holy Spirit at about 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, according to a QCPD news release on Saturday.

Also in the list were Reynaldo Sanchez, 45; Eugene Marvin Tolenti no, 27; Renz Anthony Cruz, 33; and Dexie Diamante, 21.

Confiscated from them were sus pected shabu with an estimated street value of P112,000, dried marijuana leaves worth P14,000, a weighing scale, and the marked money used in the buy-bust operations.

The Novaliches police arrested three suspects; the Anonas police got one; and the Project 6 police nabbed two.

Among those taken in was rape suspect Herbbie Laque Barro, 33, of Barangay Bagbag who was arrested at Michael Homes; and German Natingga, also facing rape charges, who was apprehended in Tipas, Taguig City.

QC forms panel on child labor, exploitation

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

THE Quezon City government has created a special unit mandated to protect minors from forced labor and ex ploitation by providing them and their families with target-specific programs and interventions.

Mayor Joy Belmonte announced over the weekend the formation of “Task Force Sampaguita,” also called the Quezon City Interagency Task Force for the Special Protec tion of Street Children and Child Laborers.

BTA eyes 3-year savings for health workers’ pay

n By NASH MAULANA

COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA) may consider legislating the appropriation of a buffer fund out of unused bud gets over the past three years.

Bangsamoro Autonomouns Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament member Obaid Pacasem filed BTA Parliament Bill 41 seeking to utilize financial resources that the autonomous government has gener ated from unspent funds during its fledgling operations.

Pacasem, a lawyer-public accoun

in finding new jobs.

PESO head Kim Francisco said this is the biggest retrenchment in Lapu-Lapu City since the pandemic started.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan said he has already sought the help of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to extend livelihood training to the displaced workers.

In a separate statement, Partido Manggagawa-Cebu spokesman Dennis Derige described the mass layoff as “alarming.”

“For the biggest MEZ employer to retrench 1/4 of its workers may be a portent of worse things to come,” Derige said.

AGRI... Based on in its price monitoring, the DA said as of Sep tember 29, the price of Baguio beans increased to P120 per kilo from P100 per kilo the previous day; carrots went up to P150 per kilo from P140 per kilo; while eggplants rose to P100 per kilo from P85 per kilo.

High-value crops — fruits, vegeta bles, legumes, and spices — are the second most damaged crop group following Karding’s onslaught, with a total value loss of P754.8 million and crops destroyed at 18,536 metric tons across 2,964 hectares of farmlands, the DA said.

Evangelista said the DA will be on the lookout for profiteering or indi viduals or groups who might take

tant, also heads BARMM’s Ministry of Finance, Budget and Management (MFBM).

Concerns are mounting on social media that BARMM’s frontline health workers who were hoping their sal aries are paid on time, while serving for national government programs under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (RA 11519).

BTA Bill No. 41, titled Buffer Fund Act of 2022, seeks to initially allocate P 500-million for among other purposes to ensure on-time payment of salaries and other remuneration of national ly-funded programs in BARMM.

advantage of the devastation to jack up prices.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, chair of the House ways and means commit tee, meanwhile said he is appealing to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who sits as Secretary of Agriculture, to pri oritize integrated pest management as a flagship program of the Department of Agriculture, calling it “one of the more successful agriculture programs in the country.”

PRIVATE... nurses, 106,541; physicians, 67,345; pharmacists, 6,651; x-ray technicians, 5,502; medical technologists, 4,416; nutritionists and dietitians, 1,680; occupational therapists, 884; midwives, 785; physical therapists, 223; and dentists, 87.

DOH officer-in-charge

Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the shortage would not be solved solely by implementing a deployment cap.

Policies on benefits and salaries will have a greater impact on bolstering the country’s health workforce, she said.

“We’re proposing to [amend] the Magna Carta bill to cover both private and public workers. The second one will be a bill on the standardization of salaries,” she said. “This means that the workers in the private sector will get the same salary as those in government service.”

The BTA Parliament is the highest policy making body of the BARMM.

Pacasem said appropriating a lump sum amount for a buffer fund can help address fiscal problems such as delays in releases of salaries of workers for such nationally funded programs in BARMM.

He pointed out that while the BARMM government is grateful for the continued implementation of national ly-funded programs in the autonomous region, “we cannot close our eyes (on) the systemic challenges that our fellow Bangsamoro are facing with respect to payment of their salaries.”

PBBM... prospects in infrastruc ture and digitalization in preparation for the full devolution of localities this year.

“Let me assure you that this na tional government will do, to the best of our ability, to help you meet the demand of this devolution, including the realization of your respective transition plans,” Mr. Marcos said.

He added that “the provision of the local government support fund growth, equity fund, is to ensure that no LGUs shall be left behind in the implementation of full devolution.”

The Mandanas ruling by the Su preme Court in 2018 entitles LGUs to a share of all national taxes.

LGUs previously got their internal revenue allotment from 40 percent of the national internal revenue taxes gotten by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

TEXT... said identifying aggrega tors can be easier compared to the previous sources of spam such as SIM cards, which supposedly have sender IDs.

Messages sent to aggregators could be located and authorities could also find out their clients, the official said, but added the problem has become global.

Another possible source of scams is that the aggregators' official accounts or platforms might have been hacked or compromised, Agu

The task force was set up through Executive Order 41 series of 2022 to address the prevalence of sampaguita vendors along the city’s commercial thoroughfares.

In a joint surveillance activity con ducted by the QC Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and the Social Services Development Department (SSDD) along Tomas Morato last August, children selling sampaguita necklaces have reportedly proliferated notably with the onset of the holiday season.

Belmonte will serve as the chairper son of the task force, with PESO head Rogelio Reyes as co-chairman and SSDD chief Fe Macale as vice-chair person.

irre said.

“What can happen is that a mes sage with a sender ID identifies XYZ company. This does not auto matically mean that the message from XYZ company is fake. There is a possibility that the official account of XYZ company has been compromised,” he said.

EXCHANGE...In the Philip pines, the peso continued to recover against the US dollar on Friday after hitting a fresh historic low earlier in the week.

The local currency gained 34.5 centavos to close at P58.625 from Thursday’s finish at P58.97 to the greenback.

Several analysts have said the peso hitting P60 to a dollar is possible.

“The dollar is the one strengthen ing against all currencies, not just the peso. It’s the US dollar that’s ex tremely strong,”AB Capital Securities Vice President and Head of Research Jovis Vistan said.

Most other major central banks also are forcefully tightening mone tary policy to bring down inflation, but so far the moves have not helped stabilize the currency market, nor has Japan’s direct intervention to support the yen last week.

Many fear that the same will be the case with the Bank of England’s plan announced Wednesday to conduct emergency purchases of government bonds to support the pound. AFP

Former

Rolando

BEAUTIFUL BEAST. Malabon Zoo and botanical garden owner Manny Tangco and Indian priest Fr. Maria Michael Jeyaseelan from the Sta Maria Dela Strada Parish Katipunan are delighted over a cub during the blessing of the animals at the menagerie two days ahead of the observance of World Animal Day. Norman Cruz

One dead, dozens injured after quakehits Sumatra island

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sumatra island early Saturday, according to the US Geological Survey, killing at least one person and injuring dozens as locals rushed out of buildings seeking safety.

The quake hit at a relatively shallow depth of 13 kilometers (eight miles) just before 2:30 am (1930 GMT), about 40 kilome ters from the town of Sibolga in North Sumatra province, accord ing to the USGS.

A man in his 50s died from a heart attack triggered by the quake and at least 25 other people were injured, regional di saster mitigation agency official Febrina Tampubolon told AFP.

Authorities are still gathering reports on damage but electricity poles and telecommunication towers have been hit, knocking out services, said Tampubolon.

More than 50 aftershocks were recorded by the Indonesian Me teorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

Putin annexes Ukraine territories, defiant Kyiv vows to fight back

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin staged a grand ceremony in Moscow on Friday to celebrate the annex ation of four parts of Ukraine occupied by his army, while Kyiv pushed for expedited NATO membership.

Putin was defiant during his address to Russia’s political elite, telling the West that the internationally condemned manoeuver was irreversible and urging Ukraine to negotiate a surrender.

“I want to say this to the Kyiv regime and its masters in the West: People living in Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zapor izhzhia are becoming our citizens forever,” Putin said.

“We call on the Kyiv regime to immedi ately stop fighting and stop all hostilities... and return to the negotiating table.”

The packed hall erupted into chants of “Russia! Russia” after the deal was inked.

Putin – rarely seen making physical contact since the pandemic – joined hands with his proxy leaders from the annexed regions and they shouted along in unison on state TV.

Washington announced “severe” new sanctions against Russian officials and the country’s defence industry, and said

G7 allies support imposing “costs” on any nation that backs the annexation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelen sky immediately urged the US-led military alliance NATO to grant his country fasttrack membership.

The Ukrainian leader doubled down in an address to the nation, vowing never to hold talks with Russia as long as Putin was in power.

“We will negotiate with the new presi dent,” Zelensky said.

US President Joe Biden condemned Friday’s ceremony in Moscow as a “sham routine” that Putin put on to show strength but instead demonstrated that “he’s struggling,” and pledged to continue backing Kyiv.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg slammed the annexation as “illegal and illegiti mate” but remained non-committal after Ukraine said it was applying to join the Western alliance.

N. Korea fires two ballistic missiles: Japan coast guard

NORTH Korea on Saturday fired what appeared to be two ballistic missiles, Ja pan’s coast guard said, citing the defence ministry.

At least two projectiles were launched from North Korea, the coast guard said, while Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said the objects appear to have fallen out side Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

“What appears to be a ballistic missile was launched from North Korea,” the coast guard said in a statement issued at 6:47 am (2147 GMT).

In a second statement issued about 15 minutes later, the coast guard said another apparent ballistic missile was launched.

NHK said the both projectiles seemed

to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zones, citing government sources.

Nuclear-armed North Korea has carried out a record-breaking blitz of weapons tests this year, including two ballistic missiles launched on Thursday, just hours after US Vice President Kama la Harris left South Korea.

South Korean and US officials have also been warning for months that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to conduct another nuclear test.

North Korea, which is under multiple UN sanctions for its weapons programs, typically seeks to maximise the geopoliti cal impact of its tests with careful timing.

AFP

Musk teases ‘useful’ humanoid robot

presentation was mounted to a small plat form. The robot, which remains a workin-progress, waved to the audience and raised its knees.

“Our goal is to make a useful humanoid robot as quick as possible,” the billionaire tech pioneer Musk told the audience at the event in Silicon Valley.

“There is still a lot of work to be done.”

Tesla is adapting its autonomous car technology to give Optimus capabilities such as walking safely or working on a fac tory floor, company engineers said during the presentation.

Another version of the robot, built with off-the-shelf components rather than Tesla-made parts like Optimus, walked slowly onto the stage, pumped its fists and thrust its hips briefly in time with music as if dancing.

“The robot can actually do a lot more than we just showed you, we just didn’t want it to fall on its face,” Musk quipped.

Tesla is designing Optimus robots to be produced at high rates, pushing the price perhaps lower than $20,000, Musk said.

“This means a future of abundance; a future where there is no poverty, a future where you can have what you want in terms of products and services,” Musk said.

“It really is a fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it,” he said. AFP

The United States and Canada voiced support for Ukraine’s membership but steered clear of promises to fast-track it.

Despite warnings from Putin prior to the annexation that he could use nuclear weapons to defend the captured territo ries, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv would “continue liberat ing our land and our people.”

US National Security Advisor Jake Sul livan said Friday that Washington would announce an “immediate” new weapons shipment for Kyiv next week.

Sullivan also said that while there is a “risk” of Putin using nuclear weapons, there is no indication that he would immi nently do so.

Hours ahead of the annexation ceremo ny, an attack in Zaporizhzhya in the south killed at least 30 people and wounded dozens as civilians were preparing to leave to pick up relatives, Ukrainian officials said. AFP

BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati advised residents to watch for further tremors and urged people to seek shelter on safe ground.

“For those whose houses were damaged, it is advised to not stay inside as possible aftershocks could worsen the damage,” Karnawati said in a virtual press conference.

Aftershocks could also trigger landslides, she added.

Indonesia experiences fre quent earthquakes due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide.

In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 people.

In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia. AFP

ELON Musk on Friday showed off the latest version of a humanoid robot that the world’s richest man said could one day eliminate poverty.

An Optimus prototype wheeled on stage during an annual Tesla AI Day

AFTER THE QUAKE. This handout from regional disaster management agency Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) taken and released on October 1, 2022 shows medical workers treating a survivor, injured from falling debris from buildings after an earthquake, in North Tapanuli in northern Sumatra. AFP

The event at the Kremlin – a turning point in post-Soviet history – came hours after shelling killed 30 people in Ukraine’s southern region of Zaporizhzhia in one of the worst attacks against civilians in months.

Women engineers rise to break glass ceiling

By Othel V. Campos

THE Council of Engineering Consultants of the Philippines Young Professionals Forum, in partnership with the Women’s Leadership Initiative, Women in Infrastructure Foundation and Geoladies PH, launched the first Philippines National Women in Engineering survey.

The survey seeks to collect statistical and qualitative data from women engineers, affiliated professionals and their employers, which could serve as a roadmap to produce programs and policies to

promote gender equality, inclusivity and diversity in the sector.

It focuses on perspectives on how women are perceived in the workplace, key gender issues in engineering and if there are ade quate gender-related policies in the workplace.

“There is a glass ceiling that might not currently be there on pa per, but is visible in the social and economic pressures it creates it for women. We want to do something about it. We want to understand where we are right now, and so we want to hear from women engi neers,” said CECOPHIL-YPF chair person Jean Jacquelyn Nathania De Castro.

The Philippine Council of Wom en, in its Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Plan 20192025, recognized the lack of women in science, technology, engineering and math.

In a 2019 report, the Nation al Economic and Development

Former DTI chief joins Packworks to support MSME development

PACKWORKS, a local startup that provides a business-to-business open platform to sari-sari stores, announced the addition of former Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and three other industry leaders to its board of advisors.

Joining ex-DTI chief Lopez to the pack are Angkas founder Angeline Tham, ZQR Corp. founder and chief executive Simon Paterno, who is also a former president and chief executive of the Development Bank of the Philippines and Integrated Microelec tronics Inc. vice chair man and chief executive Arthur Tan, who is also the president and chief executive of AC Industrial.

ment through technology and innovation, to take their business to the next level and im prove their efficiencies,” Lopez said.

Authority said less than 7 percent of women were employed in the construction industry, but did not provide data on whether those women were employed in manage rial or entry positions.

There is lack of current, focused statistical data on how large the gender gap in the infrastructure industry might be, according to De Castro.

“Every one of us, men and wom en, play a vital role in the construc tion industry. This survey will serve as a starting point in coming up with programs and policies that will further elevate the role of women,” she said.

The CIAP and the Federation of ASEAN Consulting Engineers endorsed the survey.

PHI Corp. president and chief ex ecutive Mary Joy Maraat noted the Philippines’ prominence for higher degree of parity between men and women in the economy, particularly in managerial roles.

“We may not be conscious about it, but having women in STEM poses a huge advantage for busi nesses. Women’s involvement and leadership in STEM pushes eco nomic growth and advances gender equality,” she said.

PHI Corp. serves as the third-par ty consultant for the survey. The survey has been coursed through several key organizations to gather respondents from all fields of the construction sector.

CECOPHIL-YPF, along with partners from CIAP, the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board and Urban Land Institute Philip pines, reached out to contractors, consultants and developers to en courage their employees to answer the survey and share their experi ences.

Qualified individual engineers and allied professionals who were not able to participate through their affiliated organizations were also invited to answer the public survey.

I-Remit leverages blockchain technology to upscale operations

I-REMIT, the largest non-bank remittance service provider in the Philippines, said it will expand its use of Ripple’s on demand liquidity solution to improve cross-border treasury flows.

As a partner of Ripple since 2018, I-Re mit is an early adopter of ODL and has been using the blockchain-enabled enter prise solution to clear cross-border pay ments in real-time and cost-effectively into the Philippines.

“As one of the earliest adopters of Rip ple’s ODL solution, we’ve been able to scale and accelerate our extensive pay out capabilities in the Philippines. We’re excited for this next chapter of our well established partnership with Ripple to fur ther utilize ODL for treasury management and provide the best possible service for our customers,” said I-Remit chairman and president Harris Jacildo,

ODL leverages XRP, the digital asset built for payments as a bridge between two fiat currencies, thus enabling instant and low costs settlement without the need to hold pre-funded capital in a destination market.

I-Remit chose to expand the use of ODL to improve its internal treasury manage ment. Due to the archaic infrastructure that correspondent banking relies on, tradition al treasury payments are subject to the same barriers and friction associated with cross-border payments.

By leveraging ODL for treasury pay ments, I-Remit is now able to get 24/7, all-year-round access to liquidity for their funding requirements, thereby enabling same day settlement globally.

Having eliminated the need to pre-fund destination accounts over several days, I-Remit can channel these funds to scale the business operations of their overseas subsidiaries and support partners.

Ripple, a leader in enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions, was the first enter prise company to leverage crypto to tackle the trillion dollar challenges with cross-bor der payments.

“Ripple’s strong business traction and continuous growth in ODL volume would not have been possible without partners like I-Remit looking to take advantage of blockchain and crypto technology to solve real-world problems. We’re excited at the expansion of our partnership with I-Remit to help bridge liquidity gaps so they can grow and scale other aspects of their business,” said Ripple senior vice president and managing director Brooks Entwistle.

RippleNet leverages blockchain tech nology to help partners across a global network accelerate their business perfor mance and scale.

It delivers a superior end-customer ex perience, simplified network partnering, liquidity management solutions, lines of credit and state-of-the-art infrastructure to enable real-time payments.

I-Remit joins companies including FOMO Pay, Novatti, FlashFX, Tranglo, SBI Remit, Pyypl and more who benefited from ODL for their business and customers.

Othel V. Campos

From home-baker to Bangkok exhibitor

MORE than a “marine wonderland”, Occi dental Mindoro is home to a thriving baking industry with several pastry shops and other bakeries fulfilling the sweet cravings of every Mindoreño.

Former Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez

“I believe digitalization of MSMEs is a great equalizer, bringing prosperity for all. Pack works is a great business and model aligned with this advocacy. It is a change-maker, improving the lives of others. The suc cess in scaling up the community of MSMEs through digitaliza tion is the success of Packworks. It is an honor to be a part of Packworks, a busi ness with a purpose,” Lopez said.

A budding name in the industry is Cara mela Sweets from the municipality of San Jose. Relatively new in the business, Ana Carmela Paredes, owner, accepted and ful filled custom-made cake orders from their home kitchen. These orders usually came from their friends and families. Slowly, their business grew by teaming up with event or ganizers.

Despite being relatively young in the busi ness landscape, they were able to hire ad ditional full-time and part-time employees to amplify their business operations. Their sales notably increased in a short period.

Carmela is also a proud “Green Baker”, implementing sustainable and eco-friendly baking.

Lopez, who chaired DTI institutions such as the Board of Investments, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the Export De velopment Council, Anti-Red Tape Authori ty Advisory Council, Philippine International Trading Corp., CITEM and the Halal Board, will draw on experience in the trade sector to further push his advocacy to support mi cro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises that provide development and ease of doing business to the retailers.

“It is my intention, after my stint at the DTI, to pursue my advocacy on MSME develop

Packworks’ Sari Superstore App pro vides a free one-stop app for “sari-preneurs” where they can process business inventory, bookkeeping and data collection. The app also offers delivery services for store owners when their supply is low.

“The inclusion of these distinguished leaders in the industry will greatly help us in achieving our goals to provide an open platform not only to our million sari-sari store owners in the country, but also to other huge brand companies. Digital inclusion will help these ‘sari-preneurs’ to accelerate their game in the retail industry,” said Packworks co-founder and chief marketing officer Ibba Bernardo.

They acknowledge the impact of the De partment of Trade and Industry in Occidental Mindoro on the immediate growth of their business.

With the help of the agency’s micro, small and medium enterprise development programs like the Negosyo Center, the owner was able to join and graduate from the online Kapatid Men tor ME program. The opportunity kickstarted their structured development as an enterprise. In terms of market access and development, they joined the province’s sought-after trade fair, the Agbiliwa Trade Fair.

The DTI opened an international oppor tunity for them as they were given a slot to join the 29th International Processing and

Packaging Exhibition for Asia (ProPak Asia) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Carmela joined the delegation of other MI MAROPA MSMEs in the leading international processing and packaging trade event where they were able to acquire potential packag ing suppliers, build linkages with internation al brands and learn from industry experts from around the world.

Carmela leaves a few words for those who wish to start their own business journeys.

“Being a start-up company is difficult and full of pressure. Everything has to be done by

Ninja Van opens 5,000-sqm hub in Novaliches

TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED logistics company

Ninja Van Philippines launched a new 5,045-square-meter Novaliches hub to improve its capabilities in bringing hassle-free delivery services for shippers and shoppers in northern part of Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Northern Luzon.

The compound, which features two newly-built warehouses, is expected to boost Ninja Van’s capacity in sorting and accommodating more packages to address increasing demand for has sle-free delivery services in the Philippines.

“As we begin to mark our sixth year in the Philip

pines, Ninja Van continues to strive for operation al excellence by strengthening the core delivery business, improving delivery speed and develop ing more value-added services. The launch of our new Novaliches hub is a testament to Ninja Van’s ethos of ‘todo hustle, no hassle’ amid the chang ing e-commerce landscape in the Philippines,” said Ninja Van Philippines chief operating officer Vin Perez.

The hub is expected to generate 190 jobs to help meet operational requirements and will be equipped with a conveyor belt that can automati cally measure parcel dimensions.

The entire compound also features a fire pro tection system, an improved lighting system, a security center and insulated roofs for the safety of both employees and parcels that will be housed in the facility.

“The growth of e-commerce in recent years, accelerated by the pandemic, now requires third-party logistics providers to stay ahead of shippers and shoppers’ changing demands,” Perez said, adding that the new Novaliches hub can process more than 50,000 parcels a day to support robust demand in Metro Manila and Luzon.

you from planning to execution. You are ac countable to the future of your company and employees and that is what makes it more arduous,” she said.

“Having an entrepreneurial mindset is the key. Avoid being dissuaded by negative thinking and self-doubt because it will man ifest in your action. Instead, learn to over come it. Take all the opportunities given to you and continue to move forward. Every de cision should be data-driven. Don’t rush and take one step at a time. It takes years to build a business,” said Carmela.

From left are Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board executive-director Herbert Matienzo, Construction Industry of the Philippines director-in-charge

Doris Gacho and Council of Engineering Consultants of the Philippines Young Professionals Forum chairperson Jean Jacquelyn Nathania De Castro

I-Remit chairman and president Harris Jacildo

Ana Carmela Paredes (third from left) joins the 2022 ProPak Asia in Bangkok Thailand.

Ninja Van Philippines opens a hub in Novaliches, Quezon City

By Patricia Taculao

FROM her career as a star athlete in college to a respected news anchor and sports host, audiences often see Gretchen Ho in action, whether staying physically fit or acquiring a story. Yet focusing on her career in the news industry isn’t Gretchen’s only goal in her life.

Often dubbed by many as a “woman in ac tion,” Gretchen also focuses on her projects and advocacies, making a big difference in people’s lives. And her advocacies aren’t just a spur of the moment; these came from her childhood dream of traveling and helping others around the Philippines.

“When I was young, I imagined myself work ing for an NGO. ‘Yun talaga ang gusto ko. Gusto ko mag Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity. And I wanted to travel the Philippines and to help people and go to communities, pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko,” she said during a virtual mediacon last Friday.

Because of her desire to travel around the Philippines, Gretchen eventually realized she was already doing it. And as if by manifestation, she found the opportunity to live out her dream as a woman in action with a new travel infotainment show.

Pag meron kang pangarap or calling, and you stay true, you eventually would be led to that no matter what the detours are. So this show is in honor of that childhood dream. Hopefully, we get to travel not just in the Philippines but around the world and connect people,” she said.

Through the show titled Woman In Action, Gretchen explores remote places in the country, highlighting their beauty and the unique stories of the communities to inspire and move people to action. She will take viewers on a riveting journey in different provinces of the Philippines while

Gretchen Ho as a ‘Woman In Action’

bringing to light the situation of each community, encouraging them to become socially responsible travelers.

Bukod sa travel show, we also have public ser vice. So tuloy-tuloy yung pagtulong namin through this show. But we want to do the public service sustainably. Yung tulong na ibibigay namin, hindi yung nagpakain lang kami, tapos pag-alis namin wala na. So ganun din yung tinuturo namin sa audi ences namin na everytime you go to a place, you can actually leave a mark that will last,” Gretchen emphasized.

Apart from living her childhood dream and satisfying her athletic side, Gretchen also sees

Young Filipina startup founder launches platform for accessible movies to the public

Woman In Action as a medium for her as a media practitioner to connect people from local commu nities to local audiences to create memories and opportunities.

Staying true to her title as a woman in action, Gretchen takes a more active role in the show as its producer while writing and documenting the stories.

Woman In Action premiered October 1, 7:30 p.m. on One News via Cignal, available on CH. 8 SD and CH. 250 HD. The travel infotainment show is also available on SatLite CH. 60 and on the Cignal Play app. Re-watch the episodes every Sunday at 8:00 p.m. on One PH,  CH. 1.

Shopee announces biggest brands sale of the year with the 10.10 Brands Festival

AFTER watching an indie film in class, then-college student Karen Jane Salutan was inspired to dream: to con tinuously showcase movies to the general public, with an emphasis in reaching out to remote areas.

Armed with a Business Ad ministration degree from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Salutan then pursued a Masters in Media Studies

Major in Film at the Univer sity of the Philippines Film Institute, with only her thesis currently on pause.

During her time in Diliman, she began to show films at Cine Adarna, a campus cin ema which displays the hard work of aspiring filmmakers and established auteurs.

And thus, this exploration of the realities of Philippine cinema motivated her to cre ate EdukSine, an independent Filipino film platform and social enterprise, which was recently launched at the Cine Adarna at UP.

With a generous grant from the Department of Science and Technology, it was an integral push to serve as an avenue for independent film makers to highlight local films which strengthen cultural roots and narratives.

Co-founded with Romae Marquez, together they envi sioned the project as an alter native to the sad fate of indie films that get abruptly pulled out of mall cinema theaters after low turnout.

EdukSine proposes a dif ferent way to promote these

films to the right audience: through pre-arranged physi cal screenings in schools and universities, government officers and private compa nies, to include barangays and villages in the provinces. This is in addition to an online website and even hybrid setups.

The team wishes EdukSine to be a sustainable avenue for independent film producers and directors.

“ EdukSine bridges the gap between indie filmmakers and their markets which serves as a new and uncon ventional platform to promote Filipino culture and arts,” she shared.

Today, EdukSine carries over 40 films accessible through their website eduksine.

com , while oth ers are available in physical screenings.

The themes include his tory, indige nous culture, gender and develop ment, political and social issues, agriculture, sex education and more.

Aside from EdukSine, Salutan champions her Cine Kabundukan

advocacy, which brings quali ty Filipino movies to far-flung areas through sponsored public shows. In fact, before the continued lockdowns caused by the pandemic, the profits from her daily film screenings were channeled to this cause.

For more information, visit EdukSine at https://eduksine. com.

ECOMMERCE platform Shopee is collaborating with the country’s leading brands to bring Filipinos bigger, better, and more affordable deals on brand favorites with the 10.10 Brands Festival.

From October 1 to 12, official brand stores are work ing with Shopee to offer shoppers 50 percent off brand deals, 15 percent off daily discounts, and free shipping vouchers with no minimum spend.

The 10.10 Brands Festival is the second in Shopee’s series of year-end shopping events, giving Filipinos more exciting deals to look forward to and get a head

start on their holiday shopping. Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines  enthused, “The 10.10 Brands Festival continues to enliven the promise of offering mas mura prices to Filipino shoppers. We have worked closely with our partner brands in bringing the best of brand deals to create a more meaningful year-end shopping experience.”

To drum up anticipation for its 10.10 sale, Shopee welcomes Toni Gonzaga as its newest brand ambassa dor. Shoppers can look forward to watching Gonzaga belt out the “Mas Mura sa Shopee” jingle as she stars in Shopee’s latest TV commercial.

Fans will also be treated to entertaining content when they visit the app and Shopee’s official accounts on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

The 10.10 festivities started on October 1, with a wide assortment of official brand stores on Shopee offering exciting discounts for shoppers. The sale kicks off with back-to-back Super Brand Days from October 2 to 9, where users can enjoy up to 50 percent off on products from leading brands in fashion, electronics, beauty, and home and family essentials.

Unbeatable offers from top brands also await earlybird shoppers with the Big Midnight Sale from 12 midnight to 2:00 a.m. on October 10.

AS PART of an ongoing collabora tion with a London-based brand that has revolutionized contempo rary fashion, global apparel retailer Uniqlo has recently announced that it is launching the Uniqlo and JW Anderson 2022 Fall/Winter Collec tion on October 14. The latest line embodies minimalism through simple, comfortable styling that is comfortable and fun in keeping with Jonathan Anderson’s free-spirited design ethos.

Commenting on the collection, designer Jonathan Anderson said,

“Inspiration for this season came from some great examples of mod ern British architecture, mainly those with a stripped back, minimalist sen sibility. Complementing the design’s simplicity is an attention to detail that comes from the design codes of architectural minimalism.”

2022 Fall/Winter cleverly em ploys highly functional fabrics to enhance comfort. Examples include a lightweight, high-quality doublefaced belted coat and track pants incorporating fasteners to adjust and personalize fits. An Ultra Light Down

parka with quilted stitching, a track jacket with subdued color blocking and fastener pockets, and a turtle neck sweater with clear colors all feature simple, chic designs that look great in modern, vibrant interiors. Now in its fifth year, the collabora tion line was originally developed on the theme of British classics: designed for life today. This LifeWear offering combines the innovative designs that JW Anderson brings to Britain’s traditional apparel with Uniqlo’s commitment to fit, materi als, and functionality.

Gretchen Ho will take viewers around the Philippines and highlight the conditions of local communities through 'Woman In Action'

'Woman In Action' sums up Gretchen's personality and advocacies

Salutan shows

film at

EdukSine

Karen Jane Salutan

Shopee’s 10.10 festivities started on October 1, with a wide assortment of official brand stores offering exciting discounts for online shoppers

NATIONAL U-Sta.

Elena crowned itself the new Spikers’ Turf kings by ending Cignal HD’s reign in gripping fashion, essaying a 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 2523 victory to sweep its way to the Open Conference crown before a packed crowd at the Paco Arena on Saturday night.

Buds Buddin blasted in a power hit that bounced off the out-stretched arms of two Cignal defenders and outside the court, capping the Nationals fightback from 12-15 down in the fourth and their rise to the men’s volley throne dominated by the HD Spikers with a sweep of the Reinforced and Open conferences in 2019 before play was halted due to pandemic. But the young Nationals proved they’re ripe for the picking, stamp ing their class in the elims and then sweeping the Final Four and the HD Spikers in the finals to claim the crown after finishing third the last time out.

But this new batch, made up of certified stars, led by conference MVP Nico Almendras, Buddin, Ken Malinis and best setter Ave Retam ar, showed it can measure up with the best of the best, besting Marck Espejo and the rest of the seasoned HD Spikers in the opener, 25-21, 20-25, 25-23, 25-18, and then repeating the feat in two hours and two minutes of top-notch hitting and blocking to complete their remarkable title run.

The HD Spikers looked headed to forcing a decider and a Game 3 as they fended off a series of the Nationals’ fightbacks in the fourth, the last at 22-20 on an Espejo crisp backrow attack.

But Malinis came through with a clean hit and Buddin scored on a tip off a broken play to tie the count and the Nationals sustained their momentum by winning three of the last four points, highlighted by

HOBBIES & COLLECTIONS

NU-Sta. Elena cops

‘Turf’ Open crown

Buddin’s decisive hit.

Buddin wound up with 22 points and deservedly clinched the Fi nals MVP honors, overshadowing Almendras’ 18-point output while Malinis backed them up with a solid 10-point showing. Retamar added seven points on top of 20 excellent sets and Oben Mukada finished with six points, including four kill blocks for the Nationals’ whose title romp should install them the team to beat in the coming UAAP wars.

Ysay Marasigan, whose late net violation put Sta. Elena at champion ship point, topscored for Cignal with 17 points while Espejo and Louie Ramirez fired 16 points apiece and JP Bugaoan added 12 points and Peter Torres chipped in eight points, including three quick running at tacks in the stretch, the last forcing the last deadlock at 23.

Sta. Elena and Cignal split the first two sets in come-from-behind fash ions with the Nationals battling back

from four points down midway in the opening frame to win by a margin and the HD Spikers rallying from 15-19 down in the second then holding sway in the stretch to squeak out a two-point victory.

But the Nationals pulled through in a wild third set which they dominated majority of the way until the HD Spikers battled back from seven points down, 14-21, to threaten at 23-24 on an Almendras’ backrow attack that sailed long, ending a long tense-filled rally in a duel of spurts.

But Buddin scored on an off-theblock hit, moving the Nationals a set away from winning it all.

Meanwhile, Sta. Elena’s crisp-hitting Nico Almendras bagged the MVP trophy while Cig nal’s Marck Espejo and VNS-One Alicia’s Ben San Andres shared the best outside spiker honors during awards rites graced by league presi dent Alyssa Valdez and tournament director Mozzy Ravena along with Sta. Elena and Cignal team man agers Dennis Abcede jr and Ken Ucong, respectively.

NU-Sta. Elena’s Ave Retamar took the best setter plum, Cig nal’s Ysay Marasigan claimed the best outside spiker honors, Obed Mukaba of Sta. Elena and Cignal’s JP Bugaoan were named the best middle blockers, and Cignal’s Man uel Sumanguid III copped the best libero title.

BRONZE WINNER

Navy recovered from a tough first-set setback and swept the next three, pouncing on VNS-One Alicia’s costly miscue in the fourth to carve out a 26-28, 25-18, 25-16, 25-23 victory and nail the bronze medal.

UST drubs SSC-R for 2nd straight win

UNIVERSITy of Sto. Tomas rode the momentum of its opening day conquest to cruise past San Sebastian College, 25-16, 25-21, 25-18, on Saturday in the Shakeys’ Super League Collegiate Pre-season Cham pionship at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Tigresses easily dismantled the Lady Stags for their second straight win in as many games to take the solo lead in Pool B.

Mary Joe Coronado delivered 12 points while Regina Jurado scored eight of her 10 markers on attacks for UST, which sur vived a grueling five-set showdown over Adamson University last week.

“Our win against Adamson last time was a huge morale boost for the team,” said UST coach Kungfu Reyes. “I just told them to execute our game plan which they did and we got the result we wanted.”

Smelling blood after taking the first two sets, UST built a 15-10 lead in the third frame before widening it to a 23-15 gap off

a Jurado ace.

SSC-R answered with three straight points to trim it down to 23-18 but the Ti gresses were quick to quell the Lady Stags’ rally to seal the victory.

The Tigresses were sloppy in second set after a dominating opening frame as they allowed the Lady Stags to keep pace until late in the set.

UST saw an opening to shatter an 18-18 deadlock and mounted a 6-2 run to create a 24-20 separation. SSC-R saved a set point before Jurado scored off a kill block to finish the set.

Jonn Perdido and Elisha Apostol com bined for 18 points for the Tigresses, who opted to use ace hitter Eya Laure sparingly. Laure had two points playing jut in the second set.

Alexia Sison led the Lady Stags with 12 points while Bianca Ordona added nine.

Meanwhile, action resumes today with

Cebu Chooks bows out of Cebu 3x3 Masters

in their bounce-back win after suffering an 18-14 loss to Pool A top seed Antwerp earlier. Trey Bardsley and Dylan Travis scored five each, while Mitch Hahn added two.

The hometown bets fell prey to the Americans' pinpoint accuracy from two-point distance, so much so that they trailed by as much as seven points with less than four minutes to go, eventually failing to book a ticket to the quarterfinals.

It sure is a heartbreaking defeat for Chooks 3x3 per se as none of the program's teams advanced to the next round, indeed a far cry from the Manila Masters last May that saw both Cebu and Manila reach the knockouts.

Manila had to go through a qualifying draw in the ongoing World Tour Masters leg, but could not advance after bowing to Doha QSC, 21-16.

Mike Harry Nzesseu carried the fight for Cebu with eight points and six rebounds in the loss. Mac Tallo and Brandon Ramirez had three each.

Malik Hluchoweckyj led Omaha with nine points

Omaha is now bound for the quarters set on Sunday, together with three other teams that completed the cast in the last stretch of the pool stage.

The playoffs will commence at 4:00 p.m, be ginning with Antwerp locking horns with the sec ond-best team of Pool C in Saitama, the reigning Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 International Quest champions.

Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy, the best team in Pool D, and Pool B's no. 2 Utsunomiya Brex take on one another next in an all-Asian affair.

Familiar foes Riga and Lausanne will duke it out in the third QF duel, while Omaha and Amsterdam are facing each other to finalize the semis cast.

Champion at the end of this max-level FIBA 3x3 tournament will take home USD 40,000, with the runner-up settling for USD 30,000.

NCAA nullifies Cardinals’ opener win over Lions

n By PETER ATENCIO

THE Mapua Cardinals forfeited the lone game that it had won so far in season 98 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament.

The management committee on Saturday ruled to nullify the result of the Cardinals’ opening-day win over the San Beda University Red Lions.

The forfeiture was handed down after the Cardinals were found to have fielded an ineligible player in Gab Gamboa.

A memorandum from the NCAA management committee informed league commissioner Tonichi Pujante of their decision not to recognize the Cardinals’ 66-55 victory over the Red Lions last September 10.

This means that Mapua’s record stood at 1-5, will now be 0-6 slate.

This will allow San Beda to im proved at 3-2, while the defending champion Letran Knights will now have a 4-1 slate.

“The ManCom, after investiga tion, found out that Mapua Uni versity (MU) player Mr. Gabriel

Dan Gamboa, who played last 10 September against San Beda University (SBU) where MU won, was ineligible to play,” said the Mancom in a statement on their decision.

Pujante said that Gamboa will now be banned from playing in the NCAA for life.

According to findings, Gamboa was still enrolled in St. Clare Col lege of Caloocan.

Gamboa still played for the school ruled the NAASCU tourna ment last June, when he suited up in the opening game for the Cards.

University of the Philippines making its debut in Pool A against University of Per petual Help at 10:00 a.m.

SSC-R and Adamson University seek to barge in the win column in their 12:30 p.m. battle in Pool B followed by the 3:00 p.m. Pool A encounter between Mapua Univer sity and San Beda University.

Jose Rizal University and Arellano Uni versity will cross paths in the Pool C pairing scheduled at 5:30 p.m.

In the second game, University of Perpet ual Help swept University of the East, 25-22, 27-25, 25-16, to take the solo lead in Pool A.

Fueled by an amazing comeback in the second set, the Lady Altas grabbed their second straight win in as many games.

Perpetual saved four set points after trailing, 20-24, in the second set. Janine Padua put the Lady Altas at set point advantage, 25-24 before Janine Lana tied it at 25.

UP slips past DLSU; Cabañero stars for UST

DEFENDING champion Univer sity of the Philippines needed to dig deep to dispose of De La Salle University, 72-69, in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball opener on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Trailing by three, Kevin Quiam bao, who has been struggling all night, drilled a trey to put La Salle within two with 1:36 to go, 6466 but Carl Tamayo and James Spencer answered back with four straight points to put UP ahead, 70-64, with 16 seconds left.

But the Green Archers were able to produce two quick points off a Mike Phillips putback on Schonny Winston’s miss with 12.2 ticks to go, 66-70.

Then in the ensuing play, Ta mayo caught the inbound but the ball slipped off his arms to give La Salle the ball back which Evan Nelle translated to a triple off the board with 6.6 seconds remaining, 69-70.

Tamayo was then sent to the line with four ticks left when he drained

two clutch freebies before Nelle fumbled the next play and failed to take a shot.

“Actually I just felt ‘yung defense namin mag pick-up especially noong third quarter. Malaking bagay ‘yung depensa talaga,” said UP head coach Goldwin Mon teverde.

Tamayo had a monster dou ble-double of 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Malick Diouf got nine points and 13 rebounds.

Terrence Fortea stepped up in lieu of Season 84 hero JD Cagu langan who did not play due to a hamstring injury with 15 points, nine assists, and five rebounds.

UP will look for its second straight win on Wednesday at the PhilSports Arena when it clashes with Adamson University at 1 pm.

In the other game, Nic Cabañero unleashed 33 points to give Universi ty of Santo Tomas a 69-60 squeaker over Adamson University in the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament opener at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday.

CEBU - Cebu Chooks bowed out of the 2022 Chooksto-Go FIBA 3x3 World Tour Cebu Masters after los ing via 21-14 decision at the hands of a hot-shooting Omaha 3BALL on Saturday evening at a packed SM Seaside City here.

Carl Tamayo’s late-game heroics helped save the day for UP while it looked like just another hard day’s work for Nic Cabañero (left).

Kamille Tan of San Sebastian College attacks the defense of UST’s Pia Abbu

MVP AWARDEE

The newly crowned NU-Sta. Elena spikers celebrate the back-to-back victory over Cignal.

Nico Almendras (extreme left) with his MVP of the Conference trophy and other individual awardees.

This generation’s action queen

S

CREEN star Lovi Poe is on cloud 9 these days. Reason for this are the glowing reviews she received for portraying Iris Castillo-del Rosario in the Philippine adaptation of Flower of Evil, her first entry in the suspense - mystery and action genre.

to my father, FPJ, and I really enjoyed having that illusion, even if it’s just for a short moment.”

As a police detective in Flower of Evil, Lovi was required to do a lot of action sequences, fight scenes, chase scenes, and instead of a purse, her accessory this time is a handgun.

“I’m really proud of our show, and I am extremely grateful for having the best production staff, the best directors and a wonderful cast”, admits Lovi. “I loved working with all my co actors in the show because

they were extremely dedicated to the project, Piolo Pascual, my leading man, was very supportive and encouraging, and so were Paulo Avelino, JC De Vera, and the rest of the cast.”

What’s next for Lovi? The actress will again show another facet of her personality with her musical skills, this time, to our fellow Filipinos in the United States, as she takes part in Asap Natin To tour to be staged on November 5 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Five reasons why ‘Lyric and

is

Finding purpose through music, kindness, and positivity

By Patricia Taculao

MANY Filipinos have a penchant for singing, as evident in our love for karaoke and numerous singing competitions. While some view singing as a lucrative career, others consider it a hobby.

And some found a deeper purpose in music, much like OPM artist DK Tijam. He is known for covering songs from classic to modern hits on streaming platforms like KUMU and SoundCloud. Unknown to many, he was also a grand finalist for the television competition Star in a Million on ABS-CBN during the early 2000s.

Unlike the other competitors on the show, DK didn’t pursue his passion for music outright. Instead, he moved to Toronto, Canada, to provide for his family. Yet his life there wasn’t a walk in the park.

DK worked three different jobs while overseas. One being a barista for an internationally-known coffee shop and the other as a music coach for kids. Although some people convinced him to join Canadian Idol, he still had to fix his citizenship, thus hindering him from participating in the competition. While there, however, he learned to appreciate and sing classic OPM hits by Basil Valdez and other icons.

Eventually, DK slowly lost confidence in himself and succumbed to depression. Despite the overwhelming waves of self-doubt, he held on due to his love for his family. But life gave him opportunities to shift his attention to the positive side.

As a vocal coach for children, DK saw how his teachings, partnered with positive affirmation, brought life to his student’s dreams. It renewed a sense of purpose and brought him back to his love for music. But life had other plans for him back then.

For 16 months, DK lost his voice. It rekindled his self-doubt because his voice served as his bread and butter and brought him self-assurance. His doctor advised him to rest his vocal folds, but he found it impossible because of his work.

Shortly after the diagnosis, the pandemic happened, allowing DK to get the much-needed rest for his vocal folds. By August 2020, he got on KUMU to pass the time and sing his heart out. He started with ten to 12 viewers at the time, but his following later grew until his fans showed their support for him on the platform.

This 2022, DK returned to the Philippines to pursue music, but not for selfish gain. Instead, he planned an intimate homecoming concert for his KUMU fans and other supporters to show how much their support helped him regain his confidence and reconnect his love for music.

Audiences can expect DK to perform covers of hit OPM songs, medleys, and more. Afterward, the OPM artist plans to focus on developing the original songs he wrote.

It may have taken years before DK pursued a more active presence in the Philippine music scene, but he’s not late to the party. All good things take time, and the ups and downs in his life made him a musician who values kindness and positivity above all else.

DK Tijam had an intimate homecoming show last night at the Bevitore on Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

PINOY talent at its finest! Avid fans of musicals have been longing for a Filipino musical series to watch and Lyric and Beat, iWantTFC’s first original musical series, definitely lives up to the hype.

The series recently concluded with an explosive finale featuring a jawdropping showdown with the stars - Andrea Brillantes, Seth Fedelin, Kyle Echarri, Darren Espanto, AC Bonifacio, Jeremy Glinoga, Angela Ken, Sheena Belarmino, and Awra Briguela

Viewers can now binge-watch all eight episodes for free on iWantTFC and they should also watch out for the Lyric and Beat exclusive movie cut wherein they can relive the musical extravaganza. Part 1 became available on September 30 and part 2 will be on October 7.

Here is a list of why you should watch Lyric and Beat:

It features show-stopping song and dance numbers

Musicals are defined by how impressive the performances are and how seamlessly they are incorporated into the story, and Lyric and Beat surely does not disappoint. A lot of this has to do with the series’ director, Dolly Dulu, who has a background in musical theater. So whether you are being serenaded with “Hindi Kita Iiwan” by Beat (Seth), and feeling the good vibes with Team Werpa’s “Tara Tena,” or feeling ready to slay along with the show-stopping finale showdown between Team Werpa’s “Lyric and Beat” and Modern Pop’s “Let It Loose,” the musical extravaganza will definitely get you on your feet and grooving to the infectious beat.

Jonathan Manalo’s discography is given a fresh twist

The series celebrates and honors the 20 years in the industry of the multi-awarded songwriter and record producer Jonathan Manalo. Every single song in the show, which ranges from ‘90s jams to modern bops, are from Jonathan’s catalogue. His remarkable songs, such as “Kabataang Pinoy,” “Pangarap Kong Pangarap Mo,” “Patuloy Ang Pangarap,” and “Bakit Lumuluha,” are given a fresh twist and viewers are able to appreciate them in a different light thanks to the on-point choreography that comes with each performance.

Young talented stars are given the spotlight    Each and every character in Lyric and Beat were given their own moment to showcase their talents in singing, dancing, and acting. Some of the notable performances are Lyric (Andrea), Jazz (Darren), and Melissa’s (Sheena Belarmino) emotional take on “Bakit Lumuluha” after they discovered that they only have one dad, Jazz’ heart-wrenching scene of “Duyan,” and Verlyn (Angela) and Stevie’s (Jeremy) enchanting duet of “May Pag-Asa Ba?” when they went on their awkwardly cute first date.

There are an overload of ‘kilig’ and light-hearted scenes    Aside from the music, viewers are also hooked on the kilig-fest moments of Lyric, Beat, and Grae (Kyle), as well as best friends Jazz and Cadence (AC), and Verlyn and Stevie. Andrea and Seth’s oozing chemistry as Lyric and Beat cannot be denied as they

exchange playful remarks while being sincere with one another whenever they find the confidence to open up. On the other hand, Kyle’s Grae has a strong appeal that definitely gives his relationship with Lyric a different charm.

There are also more swoon-worthy moments care of real-life best friends Darren and AC, whose roles as Jazz and Cadence make viewers’ hearts flutter with their cute and straightforward relationship. Similarly, it was endearing to watch how Verlyn’s friendship with Stevie blossomed into something more, especially when Stevie confessed his true feelings to her.

The story revolves around one’s love for friends and family    Aside from the light-hearted scenes and impressive production numbers, Lyric and Beat focuses on how one chases their dreams with the unconditional support of friends and family. For instance, Lyric’s stepdad, who was really hesitant in allowing her to enroll at the Philippine National Conservatory of Music, ended up encouraging her to pursue her dreams when he realized how passionate she was about it.

Lyric, Jazz, and Melissa also found it in their hearts to accept that they are all siblings, while Viola (Agot Isidro), Jazz and Melissa’s mom who has a deep grudge against Lyric, learned how to let go of her scandalous past in order to prioritize her kids’ dreams and happiness. Team Werpa and Prime Belters, who were once rivals, also decided to join forces to become a stronger and better group of performers.

Kice mentioned that the show made him closer to his loved ones. “Yung family ko from all over the world, they connected even mga family members ko na hindi ko kilala, naglalabasan lang because they watch me,” he shared.

He also thanked the people who pushed him in joining the competition. “Actually po, I wasn’t supposed to join Idol Philippines, pero sa tulong po ng mga taong nakapaligid po sa’kin na mag-push po talaga na sumali dito. Ngayon po, I’m beyond thankful po na sumali po ako rito sa Idol Philippines,” he adds.

For Ryssi, the competition allowed her to clean her name and for her talent to outshine the controversies thrown at her.

“Idol changed my life, it gave me a chance to showcase my talent at iyon ang tignan nila at hindi yung mga controversy na nagdaan sa buhay ko,” she says.

Ann and Bryan are also grateful for the opportunity that was given to them and how the show recognized their talents.

Last Sunday (September 25), the Top 5 were welcomed to the ASAP Natin To family as they performed with other Top 12 contestants. Currently, the originals for the Idol Philippines Top 5, namely “My Time” by Khimo, “Totoo Na ‘To” by Ryssi, “Angels” by Kice, “Sa Wakas” by Bryan Chong, “Power” by Ann Raniel, and “Ang Pinakaiibigin” by Delly Cuales are now available on Spotify and other various music platforms.

KHIMO Gumatay, Ryssi Avila, Kice, Ann Raniel, and Bryan Chong feel blessed to be part of the biggest talent reality show in the country, Idol Philippines Season 2 and shared how it made a difference in their lives.

Idol Philippines was indeed a humbling experience and also a blessing,” says grand winner Khimo.

“At least for the duration of this series, I fulfilled my dream of being an action queen,” says Lovi. “The people on set started calling me LPJ or DA Queen in reference

DK Tijam sings covers and other song requests from his followers on KUMU

champion Khimo Gumatay

The cast of ‘Lyric and Beat’

Lovi Poe as police detective Iris

Castillo-del Rosario

Screen star Lovi Poe receives glowing reviews for her performance in the Philippine adaptation of ‘Flower of Evil’

Holistic Healing for Pets to Celebrate World Animal Day

By Aimee Emejas

MORE and more pet parent or caretaker want to help heal and improve the wellbeing of their pets without relying on medication and treatments only. The good news is there are alternative methods to prevent illnesses, and complementary nonmedicine-based way to heal one’s pet. These include a change in diet, use of herbs and specific food for a specific ailment, use of crystals, and ScalarPrana Therapy.

In this article, I would like to discuss with you ScalarPrana Therapy.

Rewarding furparent-pet relationship

Being a pet parent or caretaker is both wonderful and rewarding. Pets are a great source of happiness and joy. They provide great companionship, cheer us up whenever we feel down, and help us relax and lower our stress levels. For them, it doesn’t matter what your physical appearance is, how much money you have in the bank, your age, your gender, and your status quo.

However, being a pet parent comes with hardships too. Especially when they are sick or worse, suffering from chronic illness or old age. Do you agree?

When our pet is sick, whether it’s a minor or major health concern, we can’t help but feel anxious and distressed. Seeing them not as energetic as they used to be, not eating any food we give them, and just sleeping all day long is enough to make us stressed and worried.

And whenever you call their names, stroke them, and ask what’s wrong, they just look at you feeling hopeless and sad about their conditions. That breaks our hearts!

If only they can talk, and say what they feel or what’s wrong, it would be easier for us to help and take care of them, right? But

they don’t communicate verbally! And this situation makes us feel more anxious, sad, and frustrated.

Yes, we can bring them to our vet and see what’s wrong, but veterinary clinics are not open 24/7. And not all veterinar ians are available to give us instructions on what to do if our pets are vomiting or moaning in pain.

As a parent, we will do everything to provide comfort at that very moment. Even to the point of neglecting our well-being!

I still vividly remember that afternoon when I was checking out our cats and see ing if they were okay.

That was a cold season where respira tory infections were prevalent among dogs and cats.

Sia, my Siamese cat was lying down and seemed to be sleeping. But a part of me felt there was something wrong. When I called her name, she didn’t respond. So I caressed her but she didn’t move.

Fear started to creep in.

I shook her up and she moved a little but she was too weak. I immediately brought her to the vet clinic nearby, and the veterinarian gave antibiotics. He also gave me medicine and vitamins to help her fight the respiratory infection.

I went home feeling relief but the next few hours were full of worries and distress.

Even though she already took the medicine needed, I saw how she had dif

ficulty breathing, and that jade me more anxious. The next few days were like a battlefield between me and Sia. She didn’t want to eat and drank very little water.

My sister who is my pet co-parent was in Boracay and I was the only one left at home to feed and take care of her.

I also struggled in giving her the re quired medications because it had to be given using a syringe. I would have had her confined even just for a few days, but I didn’t have enough money at that time. The vet bills I paid from her previous treat ment and medications were huge already.

I found it overwhelming and difficult that it negatively affected my physical and psychological health. The uncertainty, not knowing what to do next, the self-blame, guilt, and feeling inadequate to help my pet affected me.

Can you relate to this experience?

As pet parents, we’ll do everything to make them well and free from pain.

But we can’t deny that taking care of our pets especially when their case is chronic can also negatively affect our physical, mental, and emotional health.

Is there a better way for us to take care of them and support their needs during these difficult times without sacrificing our health?

The good news is… there is! You can influence the healing of your pet and possibly reverse its health condition with ScalarPrana Therapy.

What is ScalarPrana therapy?

ScalarPrana Therapy is an alternative healing modality that integrates two uni versal energies— Scalar energy and Prana.

This combination of energies makes ScalarPrana a potent and effective healing method for physical and psychological ail ments both for humans and animals.

So how does ScalarPrana Therapy work?

Human Beings are made up of physical and non-physical bodies. The truth is we are more of an energy than matter; 5 per cent (%) physi cal and 95 per cent (%) non-physical.

Your invisible bodies play a crucial role in keeping you healthy and alive by properly assimilating and processing life energy. If your energy bodies are out of balance and life energy is disrupted within your energy system, a disease or illness in your physical and psychological health may develop.

Our pets have invisible bodies too! They have chakras, energy channels, and auric fields that work together to sustain their health and life.

ScalarPrana Therapy helps in removing energy blockages from their energy sys tem and infusing them with Scalar energy.

This process creates healing from the inside out at the cellular level and restores balance and harmony within the energy system.

When the energy system of your pet is working well, its body’s healing mecha nism is automatically activated.

Learning how to work with the nonphysical part of your pet and balancing the energy can bring positive change to his state of wellness and enhance his overall well-being.

Make sense right?

Now the next question is…

Is ScalarPrana therapy effective in healing and improving the health condi tion of my pet?

Well, Shiela, the parent of Botcho proved that it works!

A few months ago, Botcho suffered from a skin disease. Unfortunately, the family vet was not around to help the fur baby. So Shiela decided to take the matter into her own hands and apply ScalarPrana therapy on her dog every day.

And in just six weeks, the pet healed from the skin disease without any drugs!

Check out the before and after photos

of Botcho below.

Would you like to learn more about how you can also apply the same healing technique to your pet?

Join us in Holistic Healing for Animals on October 8, 2022, at 3:00 PM (Philippine Standard Time)

To celebrate World Animal Day 2022, Save Animals of Love and Light- Save ALL Inc. and Bioenergetics Training Center join forces to hold an online talk to help pet parents, pet caretakers, and pet rescuers heal their pets and enhance their overall well-being with ScalarPrana Therapy.

In this online talk, you will learn about aura, energy channels, and chakras, and the crucial role they play in keeping you and your pets healthy and promoting longevity.

You will also learn how and why Scalar and Prana energies are powerful healing tools you can use to heal yourself and your pets from sickness of mind, body, and soul.

At the end of the talk, there is a healing session to release stress, cleanse auras, and strengthen the auric fields of your pets.

The healing session is limited to only 14 slots so don’t miss this opportunity! Please message Save ALL Inc. for the slot.

Join us and celebrate World Animal Day 2022 by helping your pets improve their overall health!

To register for free, visit the official Face book page of Save Animals of Love and Light –Save ALL at https://www.facebook. com/saveanimalsofloveandlightPH or contact Ms. Desiree Carlos (profile pic is a shihtzu in pink dress).

For more information on energy healing sessions outside of the Oct 8 session, please contact them at ScalarPrana Therapeutic System Email: global.scalarprana@gmail.com Mobile numbers: +63917-1350220 or +639171287855 Website: www.scalarprana.com

About the Author: Aimee Emejas is a digital marketing specialist. She has advocated energy healing since 2012. She works for Bioenergetic Training Center Inc. and is on a mission to help people learn to heal themselves and others through ScalarPrana Therapy. She is also a pet parent of four cats and loves to write inspiring articles and content that helps enhance the well-being of people and animals.

By Mariana Burgos

MOST of us see pets as more than just house guards at night or morning jog partners. They are the kind of friends who we should consider as family. Our dogs and cats deserve the utmost care, just like any mem ber of our family.

We try our best as owners to keep them safe from danger. When they become ill, we provide them with additional sensitive loving care because we don't want them to get hurt. Knowing your pet won't be able to walk due to a broken leg, a birth deformity, or due to age is the worst nightmare you can imagine.

It's wonderful that 3D printing can help them out and save the day. Animals, including pets, can benefit if something is effective for humans. In fact, 3D-print ed prosthesis has allowed many injured animals to regain some level of function.

Dog and bird legs, among other things, have been made using 3D printing. Makeshift braces and carts, which we design to help them walk and function nor mally, are common treatments for broken legs. While this is all well and good, we also want to provide them with the comfort of utilizing prosthetics. Additionally, the results of these makeshift cures are just transient. They may potentially exacerbate your pet's disease if they are created poorly.

Modern medical science has advanced artificial limbs to become sophisticated devices. Incredible

The Latest on Animal Prosthetics

advancements include motorized fingers that move when the wearer thinks about it, muscle-sensing de vices, smart skin that restores a person's ability to feel touch or pain after an amputation, and more.

An artificial limb can aid in the physical and psy chological recovery of humans. Similar effects are felt by animals. When a carbon fiber limb is added to a three-legged dog, it gives it new youth and improves its physical and mental health. The default behavior for many animals with prosthetic limbs is to parade around as if nothing is unusual about their bodies. They don't seem to care how their new limbs look and appear to be unaffected by the social constraints that frequently afflict humans who use similar technology. (3D2GoPhilippines, Life Changing 3D Printed Pros thetics for Your Beloved Pets, 28 July 2017)

Animal prostheses have drawn a lot of interest recently because of their use in the rehabilitation of wild animals.

Wild animals find safety in the freedom of nature, whilst pets benefit from the security of human supervision. However, since they place so much reliance in the oceans, forests, and other environments, they become vulnerable to both natural disasters and threats caused by human activity. Prosthetics are only used as a last resort to help wild

animals recover their health, and the chances of their surviv ing after one is frequently poor.

Among the most well-known prosthetic marvels from the wild are Beauty the bald eagle, who lost the upper portion of her beak after it was shot off by a hunter and who was eventually fitted with a nyloncomposite replacement; Winter the dolphin, who lost her tail in a crab trap and later received a replacement made of plastic and silicone; and Chhouk the Asian elephant, who lost part of a front leg as a result of get ting caught in a poacher. (Laurel Neme, Life and New Limbs: Creative Thinking, 3D Printers Save Injured Wild Life, 5 April, 2021)

The condition of your pet should be taken into consideration while designing pet prostheses. They should be able to move comfortably and freely based on the perfect fit. It goes without saying that you must pay close attention to your pet's limb structure.

The utilization of 3D printing technology is a groundbreaking method of producing limb prosthetics that "follow the organic contours and smooth curves" of the legs of your pet, making it secure and pet-friendly.

Additionally, 3D printing is the ideal option right now because it is more cost-effective and time-efficient than

the conventional method of creating prosthetics.

Pets with disabilities in the Philippines can now benefit from 3D printing technology. Applications for 3D printing now include walking aids, prosthetics, and other items for our animal pals.

In the Philippines, 3D2Go is the only one-stop store for all things related to 3D printing. With a stream lined procedure that ensures a high-quality finished product, the company provides end-to-end full-ser vice scanning, prototyping, and printing.

You may follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Ins tagram, Pinterest, and Quora if you're interested in receiving updates and more information about 3D printing. (3D2GoPhilippines, Life Changing 3D Printed Prosthetics for Your Beloved Pets, 28 July 2017)

The technology behind animal prostheses is advanc ing quickly since they are a relatively new occurrence. The tales of how cherished pets and injured wild animals received their substitute parts will always exist behind the technical and medical wizardry of these artificial de vices, nevertheless. These stories are anything but typical and demonstrate the ability of technology and compas sion to revive the spirits of ill animals.

About the Author: Mariana Burgos is a freelance artist. She is a solo parent for 14 years now because she is wife to a desaparacido. She and her daughter are animal lov ers and are active in advocating not only human rights but the rights of animals as well.

Botcho, dog of Sheila, healed through ScalarPrane Therapy.

Nacho's itchiness was gone after a session with a ScalarPrana Therapy healer.

ScalarParana Therapy also helped Shakti. With meds, her liver and kidney values went back to normal.

This is a disabled dog with traditional prosthetics. playing in a park. (Photo from Dreamstine.com)

A 'bionic' cat now walks on 3D prosthetic hind legs. (Photo taken from WIRED.)

Sia, cat of author Aimee, is alive and kicking now, still enjoying life despite what happened to her.