Manila Standard - 2022 October 4 - Tuesday

PCSO starts payout to 433 lotto winners

Ordinary folks first to claim share of P236-m pot

AROUND 40 of the 433 bettors who won the P236-million jackpot prize of the Grand Lotto 6/55 draw on Oct. 1 started claiming their prizes at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) office in Mandaluyong City on Monday, some traveling over 10 hours just to do so.

This developed as Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III vowed to push for a probe into the “sus picious” result of the lottery that saw the

winners betting on simple multiples of the number 9 and winning over half a million pesos before taxes.

All 433 winners of the jackpot have

been accounted for, the PCSO said in a statement (see chart on A1 – Editors).

There were also 331 winners of the second prize worth P100,000 and 2,491 third prize winners worth P1,500 each. In pictures it posted on Facebook, the PCSO showed about five rows of eight persons waiting at the agency’s head of fice for their turn to claim their prize of P545,245 each -- subject to a final tax of

ERC junks Meralco rate increase, rules plea ‘no basis’ to be granted

Subway to spur economic activities—PBBM

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Monday denied the peti tion for provisional authority and/or interim relief filed by Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and San Miguel Corp.’s power subsidiaries.

The move is expected to jack up the electricity rates of Meralco, which will have to tap the more expensive supply from the electricity spot market or from other power generators to fill up the 1,000 megawatts combined capacity under the

two PSAs provided by San Miguel.

In separate orders, ERC denied the respective joint motions for price ad justments of Meralco and South Pre miere Power Corp. (SPPC) and San Miguel Energy Corp. (SMEC) under its 2019 power supply agreements (PSAs).

SPPC and SMEC, administrators of the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan natural gas and 1,200-MW Sual coal-fired power plants respectively, along with Meralco, are seeking a temporary rate hike of P0.30 per kilowatt-hour over six months.

Lack of matrix on display prevented 235k PUVs to collect new fares

By Alena Mae Flores

OCTA

4,000 daily

October.

“That’s for nationwide...We already have 3,800 [cases] just last Saturday. It’s possible we can reach up to 4,000,”

OCTA Research Fellow Guido David told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

Another expert said the country’s COVID-19 cases may hover around 2,000 daily until the end of the year.

Dr. Jomar Rabajante of the UP COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team

Mercy Jane

DOJ moves on reports of STDs spread among POGO workers

By Rey E. Requejo, Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Othel V. Campos

on the reports that sexually transmitted diseases have been spreading among foreign workers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

“The DOJ has received various reports

THE Department of Justice on Monday said that it has taken immediate action

BEATING THE ODDS. One of the 433 lucky bettors of the 6/55 Grand Lotto draw last Saturday shows his winning ticket at the PCSO headquarters in Mandaluyong City. The man and about 40 others traveled from all over the country to claim their share of the P236-mil lion jackpot prize (see chart above). PCSO photo

SUBWAY TOAST. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the ceremonial sake wine opening during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Metro Manila Subway Station in MetroWalk, Pasig City with (from left) Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa, and JICA Chief Representative Takema Sakamoto. Revoli Cortez

FARE HIKE MOVES. A dispatcher at a jeepney station in Padre Faura, Manila collects fares, while another driver fixes his old fare matrix at a PUJ terminal along Katipunan Ave, Quezon City, and modern-jeepney driver shows a copy of the current fare matrix document to his passengers at the Escoda Terminal in Ermita, also in Manila, on Monday. Danny Pata, Manny Palmero and Norman Cruz

By Vito Barcelo

CONSTRUCTION of the country’s first underground railway system has begun, following Monday’s

groundbreaking at the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP).

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who led the groundbreaking cer emony with Japanese Ambassador

Koshikawa Kazuhiko, said the sub way project would spur economic activities and provide commuters with a safe and efficient way to get

PBBM: Singapore visit ‘productive’

By Vito Barcelo

MALACANANG on Monday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Singapore over the weekend was “productive,” bolstering negotiations with possible investors from the rich island country.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Mr. Marcos’ attendance of the For mula One Grand Prix race in the Lion City bolstered the negotiations that took place during his state visit last month.

The President met with Singaporean officials on the sidelines of the F1 race, which is run on the city’s streets.

“They say that playing golf is the best way to drum up business, but I say it’s Formula 1. What a productive weekend!” Mr. Marcos

Subway...

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around the city.

Koshikawa said the groundbreaking was a sign that Japan’s cooperation with the Philippines on infrastruc ture projects was gaining momentum under the Marcos administration’s “Build Better More” policy.

The entire MMSP, which has an approved project cost of over P488 billion, is supported by loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Monday’s groundbreaking was for a portion of the subway that will be built by the Tokyu-Tobishima Megawide Joint Venture, covered by Contract Package 104, which will cost P17.75 billion.

The whole train system once built will shorten travel time between Qu ezon City and the Ninoy Aquino In ternational Airport (NAIA) from one hour and 30 minutes to only 35 min utes. Once it is up and running, the subway can accommodate more than 519,000 passengers a day.

“With accessible designated stations that can cater to a massive volume of passengers, we anticipate helping our people skip the long lines of traffic and even spare themselves from the perils of commuting,” Mr. Marcos said.

“With improving linkages of key areas in business districts in the metro as well as the availability of stalls and other stores in the stations and nearby markets, we can see more business opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors and additional economic ac tivity,” he added.

The President also encouraged the public to take the inconveniences brought about by the construction of the subway system in stride.

“Although it is a given that the con struction of these structures will take time and cause disruption, let us be optimistic and just count the small in conveniences as a small price to pay for the fruitful results that this… pro ject will yield,” he said.

In a TV interview, Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said the entire subway system would be com pleted by 2028 or 2029.

The average completion time for sub way system projects in other countries is about six to seven years, he added.

The Metro Manila Subway covers 33 kilometers with 17 stations from Valenzuela City to NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

Chavez said construction already started in East Valenzuela station and depot as well as in the North Av enue station.

The contract signing for Packages 2 and 3 including the stations in Or tigas, Quezon Avenue, East Avenue, Anonas, and Katipunan will be held next month, he added, He said the system will be resilient to earthquakes and floods because it will have the same technology used in Japan, which frequently experiences earthquakes.

said on his own Facebook page. “It was fulfilling to have been invited alongside several dignitaries and to have met new business friends who showed that they are ready and willing to invest in the Philippines. Will be sharing more details on this at a later time,” he added.

Angeles said on her Facebook ac count. “The trip of the President to Singapore was a productive one. He af firmed deals made during his last state

visit and he continued to entice invest ments in the Philippines.”

In a separate FB post, Singapore Min ister for Manpower Tan See Leng said he met with Mr. Marcos on the sidelines of the F1 race, the first held in the city-state since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Happy to meet various Heads of States, Ministers and foreign dignitaries including (President) Bongbong Mar cos… to affirm our bilateral economic relationships and strengthen collabora tions in energy cooperation as well as exchange views on manpower policies on the sidelines of the race,” Tan wrote.

Tan said the talks meant “to affirm bilateral economic relationships and strengthen collaborations in energy co operation, as well as exchange views on

concerning the spread of STD (among POGO workers),” Justice Assistant Sec retary and spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano IV said.

Clavano did not provide further de tails on the extent of the spread of STDs among POGO workers, except to say that they received a report of 15 to 20 cases in one POGO company.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has been instructed “to deter mine the full extent of this,” he said.

Clavano also said the Bureau of Immi gration is set to cancel the visas of 48,782

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Joel E. Zurbano

SENATOR Robin Padilla on Monday said he opposes mandatory drug tests for celebrities as proposed by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

Padilla said the government cannot oblige anyone to undergo a drug test, as this would be tantamount to violating their human rights.

“That said, I am for them taking a voluntary drug test—as this is for their safety and wellbeing,” said the actorturned politician.

He noted that it would also be best if

PCSO...

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20 percent – for betting on the winning combination of 09-45-36-27-18-54.

“I am thankful to the PCSO that we are blessed with Jackpot Prizes. I trave led for 10 hours to get here and get my winnings. I really bet pattern 9, pattern 8, pattern 7, and pattern 6 for many years and I’m thankful that I finally won,” said one of the winners after receiving a check from PCSO general manager Mel Robles.

The state lottery agency also vowed full cooperation with the proposed Senate in vestigation, which Pimentel reiterated in an interview with Kabayan Noli de Cas tro’s radio program on ABS-CBN.

While they didn’t become million aires, some of the winners told ABSCBN News they were still thankful.

“Lucas”, a retired police officer turned farmer from Nueva Vizcaya, traveled for eight hours to claim his prize. Another bettor “Sonia” also won the jackpot after 5 years of betting. A third, “Neneng”, said it was her second time to try her chances on the same set of numbers.

The PCSO assured the public that the 6/55 Grand Lotto draw was above board.

“While statistically, this is a very rare occurrence, theoretically it can also happen because the lottery is a game of chance,” PCSO chairperson Junie Cua told ANC’s “Rundown”.

University of the Philippines statisti cian Peter Cayton said the statistical prob ability of 433 people winning a 6/55 lot tery was one in 28,989,675 -- “small but not impossible,” he noted on Twitter.

Quoting Robles, Cua said many bet

Lack...

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based on LTFRB’s Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-001, Leynes said.

According to her, the LTFRB charges P50 for a copy of the updated fare matrix.

This developed as the country’s oil firms cut pump prices by as much as P0.85 per liter effective 6 a.m. today to

Chinese and other foreign nationals who worked for POGOs whose licenses have been canceled by the Philippine Amuse ment and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).

In a statement, Immigration Com missioner Norman Tansingco said the agency has already started the verifica tion of the 48,782 Chinese nationals.

He said this would be completed in a month.

“Upon receipt of the information from PAGCOR, we immediately start ed cross-checking their employees to determine which ones are still in the country,” the BI chief said.

Tansingco also said it would be better to cancel their visas instead of deport ing them.

employers shouldered the cost of such drug tests.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), on the other hand, welcomed Barbers’ call for mandatory drug tests for celebrities and other talents before they appear in entertainment projects.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. called on major television networks and groups in the entertainment industry to start requiring drug tests, saying celebri ties should serve as role models for the youth.

Barbers’ proposal came after the ar

manpower policies.”

On his Facebook post, the minister noted he also met with Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., Cambodia’s Min ister attached to the Prime Minister and Managing Director of Electricite Du Cambodge (EDC), Keo Rottanak, Cambodia’s Minister of Commerce, Pan Sorasak, and Advisor to the Royal Court, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Fahad Bin Abdullah Toonsi.

Again on Facebook, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he was happy to see spectators from all around the world visiting the country just to attend the race.

“It is yet another sign that we have emerged from the pandemic and are open for business,” Loong said.

Robin opposes proposed drug tests for actors

rest of actor Dominic Roco and sev eral others in an anti-drug operation in Quezon City over the weekend.

Dominic, 33, a son of the veteran ac tor Bembol Roco, and his companions were caught with P112,000 worth of shabu and P14,000 worth of marijuana, a weighing scale, and marked money used in the police operation.

News “If you are a role model, your charac ter should be impeccable. Meaning, you are clean. So I welcome that all of our actors and actresses would volunteer to be tested so they will be proven that many or all of them are good role mod els,” Azurin said in Filipino.

tors consistently placed bets on the mul tiples of the number 9, which is consid ered to be a lucky number.

“You can say many people have been taking care of those numbers for long,” Cua said.

Although the number of winners was unprecedented, he said there were no ir regularities with the lotto draws, which are televised.

For Cua, it is better to address the technical questions regarding the lotto results at a proper forum.

“I’m so happy that the Senate has an nounced that they will have a hearing about this incident, which I think is ap propriate, and PCSO and I personally welcome that initiative,” he added.

Robles also stood firm on the integri ty of the results of last Saturday’s Grand Lotto draw.

“Every time you play, the entire na tion wins. Each and every one of you playing any of the PCSO games is a big contributor to the funds provided by PCSO to the government, LGUs (local government units), and especially to the various charity programs of the agency. Without your PHP20, PCSO cannot give anything to anyone,” he said.

Robles said the games of PCSO are games of chance and there is no science nor statistics involved in determining the winning numbers unless they will play all the number combinations.

He added there is also no human in tervention in choosing the winning numbers as these are selected by the draw machines and the only act by a human is the pressing of the button to switch on the machine.

Robles noted that the actual draws are conducted in the presence of a

reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

The oil firms cut the price of kerosene by P0.85 per liter, diesel by P0.45 per liter, and gasoline by P0.40 per liter in the fifth consecutive week of price cuts.

“PTT Philippines to implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 am Tuesday, October 4, 2022: Gasoline by P0.40 per liter, diesel by P0.45 per liter,” the company said in its advisory.

Commission on Audit representative and telecast live via People’s Television Network (PTV). The draws are likewise streamed live over the official Facebook pages of PCSO, PCSO Games Hub, and PTV, and PCSO YouTube.

Robles said this “peculiar” occurrence is reminiscent of the Oct. 31, 2005 victory of 1,326 bettors who bagged second prize in the 6/45 Grand Lotto draw.

The bettors then picked 3-18-23-2837-42, a combination they simply lifted from the sample number pattern that was printed as instruction on every lotto card.

“Had they thought of changing the number 18 to 19, the Philippines could have recorded the biggest number of winners who would have divided the lotto jackpot. Only six bettors then went home with the top prize and P2,709,583.20 richer,” Robles said.

He said these two incidents clearly indicate that no matter how slim the chances of winning the lottery jackpot are, there is always a “one in a billion, nay trillion chance” that this will hap pen again in the future.

Robles said there will always be in stances where like-minded persons will experiment with number combinations and choose similar winning numbers.

Lotto winnings are taxed 20 percent pursuant to Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and In clusion Law.

Winning bettors can claim the check at PCSO’s main office in Mandaluyong by presenting the winning ticket and two identification cards. Unclaimed prizes within a year shall be forfeited.

The Grand Lotto is drawn every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Other companies such as Cleanfuel, Seaoil Philippines, Chevron Philip pines, PetroGazz, and Flying V also an nounced price cuts.

Considering the low number of PUVs that do not have a copy of the updated fare matrix on the day of the fare increase, Leynes said the LTFRB has prepared its monitoring teams to check PUVs.

The transport board already reached

state any change in law -- whether oc curring abruptly or over time -- upon which the claim of CIC may be an chored as a basis for the price adjust ment,” ERC said.

925k teachers get P1k benefit each on Oct. 5

By Maricel V. Cruz

OVER 900,000 public school teachers across the country are set to receive their P1,000 World Teachers’ Day In centive Benefit (WTDIB) on Oct. 5, the Department of Education and a congressional leader said on Monday.

DepEd spokesman Michael Poa confirmed that 925,178 teachers na tionwide will receive their incentive by Wednesday and that the funds for this have been downloaded to the re gional education offices.

“We have an itemized sum of P925 million that is meant to pay for the WTDIB of our teachers this year. The amount is specified in the 2022 General Appropriations Act,” Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, House appro priations committee member, said.

“A special provision in this year’s budget law also stipulates that the money earmarked for the WTDIB will be released during the annual World Teachers’ Day celebration,” Rillo said.

“We also wish to assure our teach ers that we in Congress are absolute ly determined to sustain the annual funding for their WTDIB,” Rillo said.

A bill has been filed at the House of Representatives proposing to upgrade the minimum wage of public-school teachers in commemoration of World Teachers’ Day on October 5.

House Bill 4070, authored by Quez on City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas, aims to adjust the minimum salary grade level of public-school teachers from Salary Grade (SG) 11 currently at Php 25,439 to SG 19 or Php 49,835.

OCTA...

said the numbers implied that the pan demic is nowhere near over.

“Currently, what we are projecting is that the number of cases will just hover around these numbers, around 2,000,” he told ANC’s “Rundown.”

“Even before, we are projecting that this kind of dynamic will happen even until the end of 2022.”

But the Department of Health said Monday the Philippines recorded 16,017 additional COVID-19 cases in the past week -- 10 percent lower com pared to the previous week.

From Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, the DOH bul letin said an average of 2,288 daily infec tions were recorded in the country. Of the new infections during the week, four or 0.03 percent were severe and critical.

David, however, said: “As we men tioned, it’s the ‘ber’ months now. We may see an increase in cases, but it may reach up to 2,000 per day in Metro Manila or so and maybe 4,000 nationwide like we see in the past few days. Hopefully, cases subside soon.”

The country recorded 2,117 new cases on Sunday with a 15.1% posi tivity rate. Of this number, 908 were from Metro Manila alone on Oct. 2.

David said from a 17.5% positivity rate in August, Metro Manila’s positiv ity rate is now at 19.1%, close to the 20% cut-off that would put it under a “very high positivity rate.” Willie Casas

out to operators to ensure the compli ance of their PUVs, she added.

Leynes advised commuters to report PUVs that do not have a new fare ma trix through LTFRB’s Facebook page and hotline 1342.

Starting Monday, commuters paid more for public transport after the LTFRB approved fare adjustments amid the continuous increase in pe troleum prices.

ificatory hearing on the price impact of the PSA termination.

ERC said the grounds invoked by the applicants do not fall within the “change in circumstances” (CIC) defi nition as contemplated in the PSAs.

It said what is contemplated as CICs are changes in the law or amendments, modifications, repeals, or withdrawal of any law, interpretation of any law by a governmental instrumentality, at any time after the date of the PSA, which adversely affects the financial condi tion of the applicants.

“The Commission finds that the joint motion for price adjustment failed to

ERC said the claims of massive loss es from fuel-related costs for the Sual plant due to the Indonesian coal export ban and the Ukraine-Russia war are “lacking in merit and reason.”

ERC said SMEC should have calcu lated its own risk assumptions and price forecasts and implemented risk-mitigat ing measures to ensure compliance with its long-term contractual obligations.

The regulator said it also conducted a technical evaluation of the scenarios presented by Meralco during the clar

ERC said Meralco used an average price forecast of P8.9404 per kilowatthour if the power supply will be pro cured from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in the event of the PSA termination.

The Commission arrived at a P7.6659 per kWh WESM price, lower than Mer alco’s computation.

“What is clear is there is no basis for such relief under the PSA, for it is in the nature of a financial contract with a fixed price. Under such a contract, SMEC assumes all risks attendant to market conditions and economic reali ties,” ERC said.

DOJ files raps vs. Okada group in TRLEI mess

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the filing of complaints against Kazuo Okada and his followers for alleged illegal and violent takeover of the Okada Manila Hotel and Casino last May.

In a 25-page resolution of five separate complaints filed against the Kazuo group, the justice department said probable cause has been established to file grave coercion charges against Kazuo Okada, Antonio Cojuangco Jr., Dindo Espeleta, and Florentino Herrera III.

The DOJ panel acted on the complaints filed by Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI) officers James Lorenzana, Hajime Tokuda, Juan Pena, and Michiaki Satate, as well as legal counsel Estrella Elamparo.

“We are grateful that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has started the ball rolling in advancing justice for the victims of the brutal takeover in May. We will continue to work with our lawyers and exhaust all legal means to win this case against the Kazuo Group,” TRLEI executive Hans Van Der Sande said.

Kazuo’s group, escorted by some 50 armed men, allegedly stormed Okada Manila on 31 2022, and took over the integrated casino hotel, citing the status quo ante order (SQAO) issued by the Supreme Court as basis for their action.

In the process, the TRLEI directors were allegedly unseated.

The DOJ noted that the Okada group apparently misinterpreted the SQAO as an instrument for the takeover of Okada.

“Ineluctably, respondents Kazuo, Cojuangco, Espeleta and Herrera are deemed to have taken the law into their hands,” the resolution read. “[T]hey precipitously went ahead of their unlawful plan to take control and possession of Okada Manila in the guise of implementing the SQAO, which contains no specifications on what respondents can only do by virtue thereof.”

The justice department added that the Kazuo Group “illegally magnified the simple and general directive of the Supreme Court to maintain order in the business affairs and operations of Okada Manila.”

Senate panel okays DOF 2023 budget

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

During the hearing, Diokno said developing and upgrading the country’s digital payment system is a top priority of the government’s financial managers before engaging in the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) program.

In his presentation before the Finance committee chaired by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, Diokno said their next year’s budget highlights the digitalization and

modernization initiatives of the DOF.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) topped the DOF-attached agencies with the highest allocation of P2.2 billion and P1.5 billion, respectively, mostly earmarked for their information communications technology (ICT) program.

Diokno noted that the DOF’s approved budget for next year 14.34 percent, or

P3.833 billion higher than the department’s P26.736 billion budget for 2022.

Of the P3.833 billion, P2.362 billion goes to the BoC.

The DOF presentation also showed that 78.1 percent or P17.9 billion was earmarked for operational expenditures. Of this amount, P9.59 billion will go to the BIR and P3.188 billion for the BoC. Customs Revenue Enhancement Program.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III urged the BoC and the BIR to expand the database of taxpayers to obligate big businesses to pay their correct taxes.

Senator Raffy Tulfo, on the other hand, asked why tricycle drivers, vendors and sari-sari stores were being forced to issue receipts while big time syndicates like oil smugglers do not pay taxes.

He cited BIR’s proposal to tax pedicab

drivers, vendors, sari-sari stores and vloggers and asked why the agency is targeting on small-scale entrepreneurs instead of big corporations like the oil companies.

In response, Internal Revenue Commissioner Lilia Guillermo denied that the BIR was targeting small time entrepreneurs. She said the basic principle of taxation is to be “just and fair,” and the agency’s focus is on all taxpayers.

According to Tulfo, he had noticed that if the BIR wanted to increase its tax collection, it goes after the “small-time” taxpayers.

This remark was echoed by Pimentel who said the BIR goes only after smalltime taxpayers, the law-abiding citizens, and those in the database.

Guillermo maintained that they are finding solution to the problem of tax collection through digitalization automation.

CHR backs SC censure of Badoy on red-tagging Manila RTC judge

By Rio N. Araja

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has cited the Supreme Court (SC) for denouncing those who “incite violence through social media and other means which endanger the lives of judges and their families.”

The CHR specifically referred to Lorraine Badoy, former spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, for purportedly threatening Manila City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Marlo Magdoza Malagar who dismissed the government’s proscription case against the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.

The High Court in an en banc tackled motu proprio possible actions against Badoy for issuing threats against Malagar, saying citing violence against judges could be considered contempt of court to be dealt with accordingly.

Nurses want higher limit for health workers eyeing jobs abroad

By Willie Casas

AN ORGANIZATION of nurses on Monday pressed for an increase in the deployment limit for healthcare workers eyeing employment abroad.

Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) president Melvin Miranda said the salary of nurses in the United States ranges from P120,000 to P250,000 a month, excluding benefits.

The salary offer for nurses starts at P300,000 in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, he said.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), however,has said only 7,000 nurses are allowed for overseas employment this year.

“We are hoping that the existing cap will be increased. We are working with the government to gather data that will really balance the supply and demand in the country.” Miranda said in a broadcast interview.

“However, as long as we have not provided our nurses with the right salaries and compensation, they will continue seeking overseas employment,” he said.

Health workers in the country have earlier asked the government for a higher pay and the release of their COVID-19 response benefits and allowances.

Some of them have already opted to resign and look for another job, while many have left the country for employment abroad.

Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has acknowledged that the benefits accorded to nurses were not enough, considering their services and sacrifices to ensure the health of the public.

The Department of Health (DOH) said on

Thursday the country needs 106,000 nurses both in public and private health facilities and hospitals.

Aside from nurses, the country also has a shortage of doctors, pharmacists, radiologic technologists, medical technologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, midwives, and dentists.

Miranda, however, argued that nurses will not have job security in the Philippines if they are offered only a year of contractual service, as compared to the big-time offers in other countries.

Ombudsman Martires overrides Morales ruling on mayor’s case

OMBUDSMAN Samuel Martires has modified a ruling of his predecessor, Conchita Carpio-Morales, on two counts of malversation of public funds and neglect of duty against San Agustin, Isabela Mayor Cesar Mondala.

In a resolution handed down last Feb. 21, Martires practically ordered a reinvestigation of case with a view to setting the records in proper perspectives.

Martires wanted to know if Mondala filed his motion for reconsideration in time to merit a a reopening of the case, contrary to the decision of Morales who ordered Mondala’s suspension for three months without pay on July 10, 2018 as she found the mayor guilty of neglect of duty.

The decision of Morales stemmed from the charges filed by former San Agustin Vice Mayor Virgilio Padilla

against Mondala for alleged violation of the anti-graft law, grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.

In the joint order on the motion for partial reconsideration of respondent and omnibus motion from the complainant, Martires ruled that based on the assertions of the respondent’s motion coupled with receipts from Philippine Postal Corporation, the Ombudsman upheld Mondala’s claim that he filed his motion for reconsideration on time.

Receipts from the Philippine Postal Corporation reportedly showed that Mondala receive the order of the Ombudsman on July 27, 2018 and sent his reply/motion on August 1, 2018. Receipts from the Philippine Postal Corporation were shown as Annex A in the respondents’ partial motion for reconsideration. Brenda Jocson

DAR pushes land-based digitization project

AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Conrado

Estrella III has adopted a marketing project dubbed “land-based digitization” that seeks to upgrade into a more comprehensive farmers’ registry the existing database of the Department of Agrarian Reform, including information about the status of farmlands awarded to farmer-beneficiaries.

The agency is embarking on a special marketing scheme that shall feature online the finest products of various agrarian reform beneficiary organizations and their members, and profile the dominant crops each of them is engaging in and when planting and harvesting season normally takes place.

Estrella tapped Undersecretary for Finance Management and Administration Jeffrey Galan to supervise the project, which would give the public, especially the institutional buyers, an idea about farmers’ crops and when the harvest sea-

son is for them to make advanced bulk orders.

“Our main goal here is to spare, as much as possible, our agrarian reform beneficiaries from falling prey to unscrupulous traders and middlemen who are taking advantage of the peak harvest season to buy their harvests practically at a bargain price,” he said.

“Once our database becomes operational, it will be made available through our DAR website where stakeholders can visit, get in touch with concerned ARBOs and place their orders. It’s practically one press of the button away,” he added.

The land-based digitization is part and parcel of another special project—“the value chain boosting,” wherein members of an ARBO are advised to pool their harvests together to meet the demands in volumes of corporate owners of big fast-food chains and supermarkets. Rio N. Araja

“CHR, likewise, welcomes the assurance from Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo that courts and judges “are able to perform their duties free from any threat, harassment, undue influence, coercion, and, certainly, any form of violence,” the Commission said.

“We note that these recent actions of the Supreme Court are in consonance with the United Nations’ recognition of the indispensable role of the members of the legal profession in the administration of justice,” it added.

As the country’s independent national human rights institution, CHR relies on the wisdom of our courts in adjudicating cases of alleged human rights violations so that perpetrators may be held to account and victims and their families receive the justice they deserve, the CHR stressed.

Win vows to secure more funding for college education

APPRISED that some 400,000 students will be deprived of free college education, Senator Win Gatchalian vowed to find additional funding for next year’s higher education programs.

Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said more funds would ensure that qualified students can go to college through financial assistance.

During the Senate Committee on Finance’s hearing on the proposed budgets of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), CHED chairman Prospero De Vera III said some 379,000 qualified Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) applicants were not covered due to lack of funding.

He said 226,000 of these students were enrolled in private schools, and at the risk discontinuing their studies.

De Vera also said over P10 billion is needed to cover these 226,000 students.

For academic year 2022-2023, there are also no funds for new TES grantees.

The TES provides additional funding for education-related costs, including books, transportation, board and lodging, and allowances for disability-related expenses, among others.

De Vera also said there are no funds allotted for new TES grantees for “Listahanan 2.0” for academic year 2023-2024. Listahanan 2.0 is an information management system that identifies the poor families and where they are located. Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Senate approved on Monday the proposed P30.57 billion budget of the Department of Finance (DOF) for 2023, with Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno saying the appropriation augers well for the country’s robust financial condition.

BOTTOMS UP. O cials of the Rotary Club in the Philippines and Oktoberfest Committee o cers

o er a toast as they announce the holding of Oktoberfest 2022 highlighting German beer drinking and Bavarian sound on October 14 and 15 at the Tent at Solaire in Pasay City. Oktoberfest is a time-honored German tradition held annually in Munich, and is considered to be the world’s largest beer festival that draws millions of visitors who partake in weeks of bacchanalian merry-making. Danny Pata

GOOD ROADS MAKE LIFE EASIER. Tabaco City Mayor Krisel LagmanLuistro leads a motorbike convoy during the blessing and opening of the newlyimproved eight-kilometer Hacienda-Rawis farm-to market road. Norman Cruz

LIFE MUST GO ON. Rain or no rain, life must go on with umbrella-armed commuters who braved an early morning rain on their way to their respective destinations. Manny Palmero

Tulfo eyeing 3-strike rule on rescued streetchildren

DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secre tary Erwin Tulfo is eyeing a threestrike policy for rescued children who are taken off the streets.

At a public briefing, Tulfo ex pressed frustra tion over the cy cle of parents just reclaiming their children after the minors had been rescued by authori ties multiple times, GMA News re ported.

Quoted by the report, the DSWD chief said “Now, it will be stricter. We will implement a three-strike policy. When the LGU rescues your child for the third time, we will check if the DSWD can take custody of these children.”

Tulfo also said he will work and

‘Lawmakers able to process key bills including ’23 budget’

By Maricel V. Cruz

THEHouse of Representatives has fulfilled its promise to pass vital measures-including the approval on the third and final reading of the proposed P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB)-that are responsive to the needs of the Filipino people.

Lawmakers processed 427 bills and resolutions or an average of 19 measures per session during the 23 session days

BARMM signs P43m support fund for key dev’t projects

By Nash Maulana

THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has signed a P43 million economic support development package, as Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim bears the region’s TABANG Flagship Program in Basilan.

Ebrahim witnessed the signing of memorandums of agreement (MOA) between Basilan local chief execu tives (LCEs) and BARMM agencies, including BARMM’s Ministry of the Interior and Local Government.

Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said the MILG and other BARMM agencies form part of the multi-agency com ponent of Tulong Alay sa Bangsamo rong Nangangailangan (Tabang), a BARMM Program under the Office of Chief Minister.

Irene Fernandez-Gonzales, who hosts “Sindaw,” the MILG-based multimedia broadcast program, said Sinarimbo signed for various local governance programs of the MILG, with LCEs.

Gonzales said the Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action on Disas ter Incidence (READi) also currently leads the distribution of 2,700 bags in normalized communities populated by families of former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Residents and local officials said many of the beneficiaries are fami lies displaced by decades of armed conflict, including bloody incidents wrought by pseudo extremism and the government’s response against brig andage and terrorism by the dreaded Abu Sayyaf in the past.

The MILG and other BARMM line agencies also mounted public service booths at Basilan’s Provincial Capi tol ground to closely engage potential beneficiaries of government programs and projects, in a bid to bring the re gional governance closer to the peo ple, BARMM officials said.

The service booths also share infor mation on how the locals may avail of services and projects of the BARMM Ministry-agencies.

from July 25 to September 28, 2022.

House Majority Leader and Zam boanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe said the focused and compas sionate leadership of Speaker Martin G. Romualdez and “the teamwork and co operation of their colleagues” helped the House of Representatives in pushing the legislative agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”

Dalipe hailed the hardworking House officials, secretariat, and other employees who have been helping the House leader ship in shepherding the approval of propeople priority legislations that cater to their needs.

Assistant Minority Leader and Cama rines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado rallied behind the approval of the proposed budget, saying that it will help the coun try’s marginalized sector. The opposition leader also urged the government to in

crease the budget allocated for programs aimed at assisting the poor.

Bordado said that during the Depart ment of Education’s (DepEd) budget de liberations, he discovered that there was no budget allocated for Special Children and Children with Disabilities Education, despite the DepEd’s budget increasing from P633.3 billion in 2022 to P710.6 bil lion in 2023.

Dalipe, chairperson of the House Com mittee on Rules meanwhile said “the House of Representatives has worked efficiently and diligently for the timely passage of the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for next year,” adding that “House Speaker Romualdez has been spearheading the House to solid efficien cy.”

In his report, Dalipe said a total of 5,696 measures were filed in the House of Representatives, 5226 were bills, 470

were resolutions and 63 were committee reports.

Dalipe said the institution approved 37 bills on third and final reading passed 11 measures on 2nd reading and adopted 20 resolutions, including Concurrent Reso lution No. 2, which supported the 20222028 Medium Term Fiscal Framework of the Marcos administration.

On top of the passage of the proposed P5.268-trillion “Agenda for Prosperity” 2023 national budget, the most impor tant legislative proposal Congress tackles every year, the House of Representatives also ratified two bicameral conference committee (bicam) reports – the proposed Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act and the postponement of the December 2022 barangay and Sang guniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) - that will soon be transmitted to Malacañang for President Marcos’ signature.

consult with legal experts and other government agencies, lawmakers in Congress, the Of fice of the Solici tor General, and Malacañang, to see if his proposal is legal.

Tulfo said for him, it would be better if these children were under the care of the DSWD rather than parents who keep neglecting them.

In some LGUs, Tulfo said parents are just asked to perform community service to reclaim their children.

Tulfo also said he observed a simi lar cycle with indigenous peoples (IPs) rescued from begging in the streets.

He said he planned to provide these IPs with livelihoods in their home communities.

IN BRIEF

Solon seeks more incentives for award-winning Pinoy films DEPUTY Speaker and Las Pinas Rep. Ca mille Villar is eyeing more incentives for Fili pino filmmakers to support the country’s quest for the coveted but elusive Oscars.

In filing House Resolution 451, Villar said she supports giving more incentives or in creasing existing assistance given by the gov ernment to Filipino contenders vying for the Best International Feature Film award.

“There is a need to assess the overall situ ation of the Philippine cinema and movie in dustry, and if possible, create a seed fund or increase the allocation for the FDCP’s [Film Development Council of the Philippines] Os cars Assistance Program for the development and marketing campaigns of world-class Fili pino films to be sent to the Academy,” Villar said.

She urged the House Committee on Cre ative Industry and Performing Arts to look into the plight of Philippine cinema in order to promote more film productions and revive its “renaissance and golden era.”

Such perks will help filmmakers cover expenses for promotional materials aimed at voting members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

This comes as the Philippines officially sent director Erik Matti’s “On the Job: The Missing 8” as its official entry for Best Inter national Feature Film for the upcoming 95th Oscar Awards.

The film premiered in the 78th Venice In ternational Film Festival in September last year where actor John Arcilla was awarded Best Actor for his portrayal of Sisoy Salas. The film also received a five-minute standing ovation in Venice. Maricel V. Cruz

Duterte II leads turnover of new Davao gymnasium

DAVAO City Rep. Paolo Duterte’s son, Ro drigo Duterte II, on Monday led the turnover ceremony of a gymnasium and a funeral home in Davao City.

Duterte II, together with Rep. Duterte’s congressional staff, arrived at the Talomo’s Barangay Hall Satellite Office at Royal Val ley in Bangkal around 10:30 a.m. to formally turn over the “Lamayan ng Bayan” and the gym to the projects’ beneficiary. Officers and members of the Barangay Hall in Talomo wel comed Duterte.

Duterte in a statement said the “Lamayan ng Bayan” will be the first funeral home to offer an accessible venue to Davao City resi dents who cannot afford decent funeral ser vices for their departed loved ones.

The newly-built gymnasium, turned over to the same barangay, will be utilized for crowd gatherings, assemblies, and activities of the ba rangay and other local government agencies.

More security deployed after killing of ex-MILF leader

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao –

More security forces have been deployed here to reduce tension following the Sept. 30 killing of a former Moro Islamic Lib eration Front (MILF) mayoral bet.

“The fielding of more government forces in the town aims to prevent the possible escalation of hostilities brought about by the brutal slaying of ex-mayor alty bet Datu Jamael ‘Datu Jam’ Sinsuat last week,” Col. Roel Sermese, Magu indanao police chief, said Monday.

Soldiers, backed by armored person nel carriers, were deployed in strategic sections of the town while the police did round-the-clock foot patrols.

Sermese said the investigation about the

murder of Datu Jam, a former village chair of Barangay Dalican, is still ongoing.

Datu Jam was shot dead Friday noon while exiting the mosque at the back of the municipal town hall building by a gunman who was killed by the victim’s escorts following a brief chase.

Stray bullets during the shootout also killed a civilian.

After the murder of Datu Jam, a group of armed men traded bullets in Barangay Poblacion on the same day that injured the son of Maguindanao Board Member Datu Bimbo Sinsuat, elder brother of Datu Jam.

On Sunday, Sermese relieved Lt. Col. Erwin Tabora as town police chief and

replaced him with Maj. Janz Vladimir Hilarion.

Over the weekend, Barangay Poblacion turned into a virtual “ghost town” when stalls and stores at the public market were closed.

“Rest assured that other individuals be hind these incidents will be pursued until each one of them will be found to face proper charges,” Sermese said.

He assured the safety of local residents with the deployment of more security forces.

“Bear with us as we prioritize your safety and welfare, we also appeal for your cooperation and support,” he told residents.

CGHMC unveils robot to aid doctors in surgical procedures

THE Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) recently unveiled its brand new, recently acquired Da Vinci Surgical Robot.

The highly-advanced, robotic-assisted surgical system is said to enable doctors to perform many types of complex proce dures associated with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) with more precision, flexibility, and control than with conventional techniques.

The Da Vinci model procured by CGHMC reportedly moves in real-time and like a human hand but with a greater range of motion. Surgeons control it via a console and can deliver highly magnified (up to 10x), 3D high-definition views of the surgical area.

This is the latest program of the hospital that is geared to ward its innovative expansion, as part of its 130th-anniversary celebration last year.

CGHMC said that the new Da Vinci surgery robot will fur ther augment its capabilities in minimally invasive surgery. To date, the hospital has done the highest number of MIS cases in the country.

Duterte II said he is glad to be part of the turnover of the Lamayan ng Bayan (the fu neral home) and the gym through the efforts of his father and the Davao City 1st District staff. Along with these structures, the First Congressional District Office donated ten tents to the barangay.

More similar structures would be turned over to other areas of Davao City soon. The city’s residents will benefit from these proj ects, especially the Lamayan ng Bayan,” Rep. Duterte said.

After cutting the ribbon at the Barangay Hall Satellite Office, Duterte II and Duterte’s staff headed to the main office of the Barangay Talomo Proper, located along Talomo Road, to attend the formal program prepared by the barangay chief, Engr. Bendor Calamba, and his staff. Maricel V. Cruz

Official says LGU is gearing up to make QC future-ready QUEZON City is future-ready, ready for inves tors, and ready to build a better and more pros perous city so that residents will be able to enjoy the resulting benefits, a ranking official of the city government on Monday said.

Margarita Santos, Business Permits and Licensing Department chief, said apart from its strategic loca tion, Quezon City also has the homegrown QC EServices platform that makes business processes, such as permit and license applications, easy for investors.

“The LGU has automated and digitized 95 percent of the city’s services through its QC EServices platform. This means potential inves tors can apply for business permits online,” she said, adding that the “permit will even be deliv ered to the applicant’s business or home address free of charge.”

As a matter of principle, the local government unit constantly consults and coordinates with the business sector, enabling both sectors to build a relationship of mutual respect and support.

“This continued dialogue with the private sector helps all stakeholders to address various challenges and issues, and to think up ways to create a free, fair and fertile business environ ment,” Local Economic Investment Promotions Office head Perry Dominguez said. The city government is known as an ardent supporter of micro, small and medium enter prises (MSMEs), providing them with incen tives from tax breaks, tax payment extensions to changing the validity of business permits and licenses to help businesses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rio N. Araja

PRIZE FOR EJ. Filipino Olympian pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, receives a Certificate of Recognition and a cheque amounting to P300,000 from the Manila Local Government led by Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice-Mayor Yul Servo, during the regular Monday flag raising inside the Manila City Hall on October 3. Norman Cruz

FOR COUNTRY. Members of the military forces of the Philippines, US, South Korea, and Japan carry their national flags during the opening ceremony of “Kamandag,” a joint military exercise between the US and Philippine marines in various areas in the country. AFP

DOF BUDGET. Sec. Benjamin Diokno attends the Finance Subcommittee’s deliberation on the Department of Finance’s (DOF) P30.6-billion proposed budget for 2023 on Monday. The proposed budget included P4 billion for the modernization initiatives of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs. (See story on A3) Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB

DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo

Can’t the President take a break?

social welfare services even when he is abroad like the past few days when he was in New York -- after all he is just a phone call away.

I have to update him every day, even on weekends on the status of every disaster relief operation includ ing that of Karding.

Let me remind those who are running their mouths and harping on BBM’s little R & R in Singa pore that the President last month received US$6.54 billion in investment pledges during his official trip there last month.

BBM returned to the plush City State to watch the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday which drew tens of thousands of enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, some quarters back here at home do not share the enthusiasm of the President going at his personal expense to a few days of “weekend trip” to see the fascinating F1 Grand Prix, the world’s ultimate car race event.

They claim the Chief Executive is insensitive to the plight of the thousands of victims of Super Typhoon Karding, whom up to now are still in the evacuation centers as their homes were damaged by the typhoon.

Let me remind those who are angry at the Presi dent’s short break in Singapore, everything is being taken care of by the DSWD and other agencies tasked in helping in the relief and recovery efforts of the government for all those victims of the said super typhoon.

The President is a macro manager; therefore he does not need to be on the ground in every disaster or calamity or conflict because this is the job of his Cabinet secretaries.

But there are people who just do not appreciate the importance of BBM taking a break after three months of continuous hard work including week ends, which I witnessed personally -- having up dated him continuously with the relief operations of the Department of Social Welfare and Develop ment (DSWD).

Being the DSWD Secretary, I have had to keep the President abreast about the status of the daily opera tions in extending various forms of aid to victims of calamities that hit different regions recently.

On the President’s order, the DSWD had preposi tioned relief goods in calamity-prone areas, a strategy that has paid off, making available the family food packs and other relief goods to calamity victims in remote areas or those isolated by flash floods and landslides.

Since Day One, BBM and I have been hands-on in helping our kababayans affected by the recent su per typhoon Karding, distributing over P50 million in cash and family food packs and other essential items, as well as extending financial assistance to those who lost their homes and livelihood.

BBM wants to be informed constantly regarding

Let me remind those who are running their mouths and harping on BBM’s little R & R in Singapore that the President last month received US$6.54 billion in investment pledges during his official trip there last month

Last weekend’s Singapore trip has galvanized those commitments, which are expected to generate thousands of jobs for Filipinos, including investments in manufacturing electric tricycles and floating solar technology.

The Singapore government also assured at least 10,000 new job orders for Filipino workers, adding to the 200,000 already working in the City State.

Earlier, BBM’s economic team secured some US$8.5 billion in investment pledges in their visit to Indonesia, the first leg of his first official overseas trip last month.

At no cost to the government, BBM’s well-de served R & R also came after he addressed the Unit ed Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and bagging additional US$4 billion in investment pledges after meeting with US President Joe Biden, as well as members of the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce.

BBM reportedly also got the opportunity to ex change pleasantries with other world diplomats and dignitaries in attendance at the thrilling FI Singapore Grand Prix.

On Sunday, October 9, it will have been 100 days since BBM hit the ground running as a President, bestowed with the mandate of all-time record 31 mil lion votes in last May 2022 elections.

The President, in fact, has not since stopped work ing for a day.

Children of Mindanao’s endless wars

This foreign domination and elite collaboration has continued even years after colonization, and it has manifested during Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law as well. This is why it was called the US-Marcos dictatorship.

LAST Friday, I spoke at the Youth for Climate Justice for Mindanao’s (YCJM) webinar, “ML @ 50: The Impact of Martial Law on the Environment and the People in Mindanao.”

YCJM is convened and led by a group of young Mindanawons based in both Manila and Mindanao. I am proud to be their mentor.

I genuinely looked forward to speaking at this event because I believe that it focuses on two aspects of Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law that are not discussed enough: the injustice against the environment and against Mindanao.

Professor Rufa Cagoco-Guiam concentrated on the Bangsamoro experience while I focused on the environmental aspect.

Professor Rufa delivered a clear run-down of the Bangsamoro history.

The Bangsamoro refers to the Islamized indig enous peoples in Mindanao who have continuously defied colonial rule.

However, they were not safe from the violence of Martial Law.

Not only did Marcos Sr. use the “Muslim seces sionist movement” as an excuse to hold onto power, his regime also harassed the Bangsamoro by sending massive troops to Mindanao to “annihilate” outlaws, and by doing land, sea and air strikes.

It was also under his administration when the Ja bidah Massacre and the Palimbang Massacre were committed.

By 1977, there were already 100,000 deaths, most of these from the Bangsamoro people. Evidently, this is why Professor Rufa asserts, “The Muslim ‘insur gency’ was not the trigger for Martial Law; it was the other way around.”

As we see the human rights violations done under martial law through the Bangsamoro lens, I spoke of violence under Martial Law through the environmen tal lens.

Human rights violations were rampant, but I grew to understand that Martial Law was also violent against the environment through development ag gression.

Development aggression pertains to development projects that exclude and oppress the indigenous peoples and other marginalized sectors even further. It usually causes displacement, loss of cultural identity, and loss of livelihood. It merely aims to serve the elite. And this started way before Martial Law; development aggression began with our colo nial experience.

In my talk, I outlined how colonization caused the exploitation of and domination over our land and re sources.

As far back as the Spanish colonization, coloniz ers have been collaborating with the local elite to gain ownership over Filipinos’ land for their benefit through feudalism.

Marcos’ Sr.’s Martial Law carried on the tradition of development aggression by promoting destructive development projects such as the Chico River Dam which was going to displace the IPs of the Cordillera, authorizing excessive logging and mining leading to large scale deforestation, and allowing industrial and urban pollution causing the decline of quality of life. Mindanao was not spared from this environmental injustice.

We also experienced energy projects, building of roads and expansion of plantations that led to the fur ther marginalization of the poor and the Bangsamoro people as Prof. Rufa discussed.

Development aggression pertains to development projects that exclude and oppress the indigenous peoples and other marginalized sectors even further

Unfortunately, this tradition of exploitative prac tices hinging on ‘development’ practiced by large foreign powers and the local elite has continued on after Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law.

Today, the powerful continue to push for develop ment aggression through infrastructure projects that displace communities, to grab land from small farm ers and expand plantations to promote agribusiness, and to mine mountains which causes worse calami ties.

All of these exploitative practices continue to exist which largely contribute to biodiversity loss, climate change and the damage experienced from the climate crisis.

Last Sunday, together with the initiators and mem bers of at Youth for Climate Justice for Mindanao and with Moro and Lumad school colleagues, I watched “Anak Datu,” Rody Vera’s epic play, based on the original story “Anak Datu” by National Artist Ab dulmari Imao.

It has been described as “Tanghalang Pilipino’s multi-universe, post-pandem production that ban ners PEACE through the intertwining of conflicts in a folk tale, a stark social realism, and an all-too-familiar family drama.”

“Anak Datu” is a story about the son of a village chieftain in Muslim Mindanao during pre-colonial Philippines.

Before he is born, their village is raided by pirates. His mother gives birth under captivity. He grows up with the knowledge that his father is a former pirate from the land of the Tausug.

When the old man dies, only then the son realizes the truth about his real father.

This story gives birth to other events in the history of Mindanao and the personal lives of Abdulmari

For the record

JABBEDby some puzzling thought, we support the Senate move to launch an inquiry into what some have described as “suspicious” Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) 6/55 Grand Lotto last weekend that had a record 433 bettors all winning the P236 million jackpot.

Reduced to simple arithmetic, this means each bettor has a claimed prize of P545,034.64 – and each has up to one year to claim it before it gets forfeited, and after going through a mind-numbing identifica tion process.

The Senate probe was sought by Sen ate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, who promised to file a resolution this week formally seeking the inquiry to au dit the PCSO’s gaming activities to ensure their integrity and protect millions of Fili pino bettors.

Pimentel has described the record number of bettors who hit the winning number com bination – 9, 45, 36, 27, 18, and 54 – for the Grand Lotto as “strange and unusual.”

Experts refer to mathematical computa tions showing how elusive the chances of winning the lotto are, stressing there are more than 40 million six-number combi nations in Ultra Lotto 6/58.

This means that a bettor’s chance of winning is around 0.0000024 percent or so. According to the PCSO itself, that’s a 1:40 million chance (or 1 in 40,475,358, to be scrupulously exact).

Reduced to simple arithmetic, this means each bettor has a claimed prize of P545,034.64 – and each has up to one year to claim it before it gets forfeited, and after going through a mindnumbing identification process

PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles, nominated to his post by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. two weeks after the latter’s inauguration as chief of state, ad mitted the win scenario might be peculiar, but it was to him a “natural” occurrence, as he tried to banish speculations of irregu larity over the draw results and number of winners.

He said the biggest winner in fact was the Bureau of Internal Revenue, which stood to collect a hefty 20 percent TRAIN

(Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclu sion) tax on each of the 433 winners.

In a hastily called news conference, Robles admitted that PCSO officials were also skeptical about the outcome with the six-digit winning combination all being divisible by nine, and drawing 433 jack pot winners.

Even OCTA Research fellow Guido David, in an interview with dzBB radio said the probability a bettor would get six numbers out of the 55 is about one out of 30 million.

Another OCTA fellow, Benjamin Co, said having all the numbers chosen divis ible by one one number – nine – is rare.

Read him: “But for that combination to be part of a geometric sequence or num bers that could consecutively be divisible by one numbers as in the October 1 win ning combination?

“This does not even factor in the prob ability that all the numbers chosen are di visible by only one number – in this case by 9. That’s more rare.”

Easily, this can be entered in the Guin ness World Records, known from its in ception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guin ness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, a reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the ex tremes of the natural world.

Disquieted or otherwise, let’s see what the Senate will find out.

Karding spared Balesin Island Club

drugs like shabu and marijuana and like drug addicts and pushers who earn only P100 -- but concentrate on going after drug lords and syndicates who smuggle illegal drugs.

Clearly, Santa Banana, Bongbong Marcos real ized why his predecessor, President Duterte did not succeed in his war against illegal drugs.

WHEN reports came in that the onslaught of super typhoon Karding was directly hitting Polillo Islands and Patnanungan Island, Santa Banana, the first thing that came to mind was that Balesin Island Club would also be hit very hard!

Balesin Island Club, that super high-end luxury re sort, with its exclusive membership now being adver tised on CNN worldwide, is owned by Alpha Land Chairman and CEO Roberto “Bobby”Ongpin, who was once my student at the old Ateneo de Manila.

I also wondered if Bobby was at Balesin where he spends most of his time because it’s COVID-19 pandemic-free, and how would he be feeling?

Well, Santa Banana, here’s Bobby’s answer in a letter to all Balesin Island Club members and friends like me:

“It’s 6:00 in the evening of Monday, September 26, as I write this update.

“ I have just arrived from Singapore, where I was nervously monitoring super typhoon Karding as he took aim at Balesin yesterday , Sunday.

“ Miraculously, Balesin suffered almost no dam age. It was as if the typhoon, having ravaged North and East of the Polillo Islands, upon sighting Bale sin, took pity on our beloved island and veered north westward!

“ Upon landing in Balesin a couple hours ago, I went quickly around the island and confirmed Evans Ramos’ hour by hour report to me, her prayers had been answered and the typhoon, which had been bearing down on Balesin with its powerful and de structive winds, had, at the last minute, changed course.

“Other than a few fallen trees that were almost dy ing of old age anyway, and about 10 percent of our bananas at the Banana Republic were the only casual ties. What a relief!

“ Since all flights were cancelled, we had 173 people on the island when Karding struck. Except for missing their Sunday night dinner, all were safe and well.

“Also, our Baguio Mountain Lodges were spared, as Karding exited Luzon a couple of hundred kilome ters south of Dagupan.

“Many have claimed credit for the salvation of Balesin through their constant prayers. I can only thank them all.”

Indeed, Balesin Island Club is not only lucky, but a lot of prayers must have spared it from the onslaught of Karding, which could have devastated it.

And I also believe that the Sierra Madre moun tains also spared Metro Manila, when it weakened the force of Karding.

My gulay, when typhoon signal No. 3 was raised in Metro Manila, I said to myself, the informal settlers or squatters will suffer.

I prayed very hard that Kardinng would spare them from its havoc, Santa Banana!

• • •

In a command conference with the Philippine National Police, President Marcos Jr. told the police that in his war against illegal drugs they should stop going after the small fry -- mainly those who push

Imao’s family.

It is the inaugural production in the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ newly built Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez and directed by recently retired CCP Execu tive Director Chris Millado, with Set Design by Toym Imao, son of Abdulmari.

The reason was everybody involved in illegal drugs, including the drug addicts who are the victims of illegal drugs, were the police targets, which result ed in extra judicial killings or EJK that gave rise to a culture of impunity!

As a result, that culture of impunity gave birth to worldwide criticism, so much so that the International Criminal Court wants to probe the past president for crimes against humanity.

It is now clear that President Marcos Jr. has a better understanding of the illegal drugs problem of the country

It is now clear that President Marcos Jr. has a bet ter understanding of the illegal drugs problem of the country.

According to police records, there are some 4.5 million drug addicts and illegal drug users nation wide.

A clear understanding of the illegal drug prob lem will mean a clearer perspective like a holistic understanding which would include prevention, law enforcement, prosecution and rehabilitation, which is the final solution of the illegal drugs problem, my gulay.

I have been repeating myself during the presiden cy of Duterte that the police may kill all illegal drug users and addicts, but unless the police got rid of all the drug lords and drug syndicates, the illegal drugs problem could never be solved.

Yes, there is a need to prevent entry of illegal drugs, like shabu which is the illegal drug being used by the poor, and cocaine which is the illegal drug used by the rich.

Thus, it is only logical to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country which is normally through Customs and often smuggled from Mainland China, the Golden Triangle where they normally come from (Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos) and processed in China called shabu which is the drug used by the poor.

Cocaine is often smuggled through Customs from other sources and by the Mexican cartel, which has made the Philippines a transhipment point to other countries.

With the demand for drugs by the estimated 4.5 million drug users and addicts in the country, which is certainly a big market for syndicates and cartels, the problem of illegal drugs remains.

Thus, there is a need for effective law enforce ment, without resorting to extra-judicial killings like what happened under Duterte, and which was con demned by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council.

But, rehabilitation is the bigger solution like build ing community-based drug rehab centers in every city and municipality.

The last four performances will be this coming weekend and I recommend it to everyone who wants to understand Mindanao and the Philippines better.

“Anak Datu” ends with a familiar refrain by the acting ensemble and I echo them: ”Mga anak kami ng mga digmaang di natatapos. Katotohanan, Kata

For as long as there is demand for illegal drugs, the drug lords, drug syndicates and cartels will always be there to supply the demand.

Santa Banana, the illegal drugs market worldwide is a multi-billion dollar industry.

So long as Customs remains the corrupt agency that it is, illegal drugs will enter the country from China or get smuggled through our porous coastlines.

Thus, the blame also lies in the existence of cor rupt government agencies like Customs and through smuggling.

You must have noticed that every single day in the country there are those who are caught in buy-bust operations by the police or by the Philippines Drug Enforcement (PDEA).

It simply means that the drug lords and syndicates and cartels consider the Philippines a big market.

It is for this reason why there is a need for commu nity-based drug rehab centers.

Why community based? Illegal drug users and addicts need all the support of their families.

And first and foremost drug rehab centers must be properly staffed with doctors and nurses, especially psychologists and psychiatrists since drug addiction is both a mental and physiological problem.

Thus, President Bongbong Marcos must prioritize the building of community based drug rehabilitation centers nationwide.

Sure, it’s an expensive problem.

But Bongbong must realize that eradicating illegal drugs is an expensive proposition if he must succeed in the war on illegal drugs.

And this will take sometime, not just a matter of months, Santa Banana!

• • •

There seems to be some hesitancy in some sectors of the Marcos administration on the total ban of PO GOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators).

This is because POGOs reportedly contribute some P200 billion to the country’s economy through permits to operate, taxes and income tax, and espe cially to real estate because POGOs Chinese workers occupy condominiums and houses in many subdivi sions.

Thus, the problem seems to be a choice between ending all the crime problems brought about by the POGOs Chinese workers who are being kidnapped for ransom and even killed by Mainland Chinese gangs who have made the Philippines their play ground and all the money being contributed to the POGOs .

Admittedly, it’s a difficult choice.

But, if President Marcos Jr. has enough political will, the problem should not be a choice for many reasons.

First of all, POGOs are the main reason why crime in the country has gone up recently.

And the presence of crime in the country will cer tainly deter tourism and the entry of foreign invest ment.

And the so-called “social problem” can be re solved in time. Aside from this, gambling is illegal in Mainland China.

Thus this problem becomes an acid test for Mar cos to resolve and, with enough political will, he can do it.

Certainly, it should be a choice since peace and or der in the country is foremost for foreign tourists and foreign investors.

But, as I said, President Marcos, with enough po litical will, has no choice but to get rid of all POGOs. Ban and outlaw all POGOs!

rungan, Kalayaan. Bago Kkapayapaan.” We are chil dren of endless wars. Truth, justice, freedom. Before peace.”

Website; tonylavina.com. Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos (BBM) took a short break for the first time after three months since taking over as the Philippines’ 17th Chief Executive, a well-deserved rest and recreation in Singapore last weekend.

Rolando

Honor Blanco Cabie,

GOV’T VOWS TO PUNISH ‘PERPETRATORS’

Ministry: 33 children died in stadium disaster

ATLEAST 32 children died in the Indonesia stadium stampede that killed 125 people, an official at the women’s empowerment and child protection ministry told AFP Monday.

“From the latest data we received, out of 125 people who died in the accident, 32 of them were children, with the youngest be ing a toddler aged three or four,” said Nahar, who like many Indonesians only goes by one name.

Indonesia’s government called on the country’s police to identify and punish whoever was respon sible for a stadium stampede as anger mounted over one of the deadliest disasters in the history of football.

The tragedy on Saturday night in the city of Malang also saw 323 people injured after officers fired tear gas in a packed stadium to quell a pitch invasion, triggering a stampede.

“We ask the national police to find the perpetrators who have com mitted crimes in the next few days,”

Indonesia’s chief security minister Mahfud MD said in a broadcast statement, without specifying who he was referring to.

“We asked them to unveil who has perpetrated the crimes and that action must be taken against them and we also hope the Na tional Police will evaluate their security procedures,” he added, announcing a task force for the investigation had been formed.

The incident unfolded when fans of home team Arema FC stormed the pitch at the Kanjuru han stadium after their loss 3-2 to

TO THE

bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya.

Police responded by launching volleys of tear gas into packed terraces, prompt ing spectators to rush en masse to small gates where many were trampled or suf focated, according to witnesses.

Police described the incident as a riot

in which two officers were killed but sur vivors accuse them of overreacting and causing the deaths of scores of spectators, including a five-year-old boy.

ity, who is to blame?” said 25-year-old Andika, who declined to give his last name.

“We want justice for our fallen sup porters,” he said.

Outside the Kanjuruhan stadium on Sunday evening, people held a vigil beneath the roaring lion statue – the club’s symbol – to honor the victims.

But fresh graffiti daubed on the walls of the stadium revealed bubbling anger towards the authorities.

“My siblings were killed. Investi gate thoroughly,” read one message scrawled on the stadium’s shutters, ac companied by a black ribbon and the date of the tragedy.

“ACAB,” an acronym for “all cops are bastards,” was sprayed on another wall.

In Jakarta, hundreds of football fans gathered outside the country’s biggest stadium on Sunday chanting “murder er! murderer!”, singing songs in sup port of Arema FC and placing police tape on the complex’s fence.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

“One of our messages is for the au thorities to investigate this (incident) thoroughly. And we want accountabil

Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced a probe into the incident, but rights groups said it should be in dependent and officers should be held accountable for using tear gas in a con fined area. AFP

Afghan school bombing death toll jumps to 43

THE death toll from a suicide bomb attack on an education centre in the Afghan capital last week has risen to at least 43, the Unit ed Nations mission in Afghanistan said on Monday.

A suicide bomber blew himself up next to women at a gender-segregated study hall in a Kabul neighborhood on Friday, home to the historically oppressed Shiite Muslim Hazara community.

“Forty three killed. 83 wounded. Girls & young women were the main victims,” the UN mission said in a tweet, adding that casu alties were expected to rise further.

The bomber detonated as hundreds of stu dents were sitting a practice test ahead of an entrance exam for university admissions.

No group has so far claimed responsibil ity, but the jihadist Islamic State group (IS)

which considers Shiites as heretics has car ried out several deadly attacks in the area tar geting girls, schools and mosques.

The Taliban authorities have so far said 25 people were killed and 33 others were wounded in the attack.

The Taliban’s return to power in Afghani stan last year brought an end to a two-decade war against the Western-backed government, and led to a significant reduction in violence, but security has begun to deteriorate in re cent months.

The Islamist hardliners, accused of failing to protect minorities, have often tried to downplay attacks challenging their regime.

Friday’s attack triggered sporadic womenled protests in Kabul and some other cities.

Around 50 women chanted, “Stop Hazara

genocide, it’s not a crime to be a Shiite,” as they marched on Saturday in Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood where the attack happened.

The rallies have been dispersed by Taliban forces often firing shots into the air and beat ing protesters.

Afghanistan’s Hazaras have regularly faced attacks in the majority Sunni Muslim country.

They have faced persecution for decades, targeted by the Taliban during their insur gency against the former US-backed gov ernment and by IS – both of which consider Shiites heretics.

In May last year, before the Taliban’s re turn to power, at least 85 people—mainly girls—were killed and about 300 were wounded when three bombs exploded near their school in Dasht-e-Barchi. AFP

Japan emperor to have prostate MRI—Palace

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Inconclusive vote: Brazil wakes up to four more weeks of uncertainty

AFTER an inconclusive first round of presi dential elections, Brazilians woke up Monday to another month of uncertainty in a deeply po larized political environment and with renewed fears of unrest.

Seeking to make a spectacular comeback, ex-president and frontrunner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 76, failed to garner the 50 percent of votes plus one needed to avoid an October 30 runoff against far-right incumbent Jair Bolso naro, 67.

Lula got 48.4 percent of the vote in Sunday’s first round, followed by Bolsonaro with a much

closer-than-expected 43.2 percent that seemed to signal a high level of enthusiasm for his con servative brand of “God, country and family” politics.

Lula had gone into Sunday’s first round with 50 percent of polled voter intention, and Bolso naro with 36 percent.

The divisive president’s surprise perfor mance likely spells a difficult time ahead, ana lysts said.

“I think it will be a very stressful campaign,” Leonardo Paz, Brazil consultant for the Inter national Crisis Group, told AFP. AFP

JAPAN’S Emperor Naruhito, 62, will have an MRI scan of his pros tate after doctors detected “some what concerning indications” in health exams, the palace said on Monday.

The oneday medi cal pro cedure is expected to take place in early November, a spokes woman at the Imperial Household Agency told AFP.

The agency declined to elaborate further, but local media said the roy al’s blood test results had prompted medics to schedule further checks.

Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako travelled to London last month to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

The emperor ascended the Chry santhemum Throne in 2019 after the abdication of his father Akihito, who is now 88.

In December 2002, the palace announced that Akihito, then 69, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had a successful opera tion to treat the condition in January 2003. AFP

US defense chief vows to help Taiwan defend itself

THE United States will help Taiwan “develop the capability to defend itself” from a Chinese invasion, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday, stopping short of President Joe Biden’s vow to send troops to the island.

“We’re committed to helping Taiwan de velop the capability to defend itself,” Austin said in an interview with CNN.

Washington has historically maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would intervene militarily if Taiwan were at tacked by China.

Asked in an interview with CBS last month

whether US troops would defend Taiwan, Biden said “yes,” if it were “an unprecedented attack.”

Austin was asked by CNN host Fareed Za karia whether the US military was preparing to send troops to Taiwan in line with Biden’s comments, but he declined to answer directly.

“The American military is always prepared to protect our interests and live up to our com mitments. I think the president was clear in providing his answers as he responded to a hypothetical question,” Austin said.

“But, again, we continue to work to make sure

that we have the right capabilities in the right places to ensure that we help our allies maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.

Washington’s “strategic ambiguity” is de signed both to ward off a Chinese invasion and to discourage Taiwan from provoking Beijing by formally declaring independence.

Asked if Biden’s comments meant a change in that policy, a White House spokesperson said at the time: “The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan pol icy hasn’t changed. That remains true.” AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

VIGIL. This picture taken on October 2, 2022 shows football supporters chanting during a candlelight vigil for victims of a stampede in Jakarta. Anger against police mounted in Indonesia on October 3 after at least 125 people were killed in one of the deadliest disasters in the history of football. AFP

SCIENCE MEETS FAITH. This handout photo taken on October 3, 2022 and released by the Vatican press office shows Pope Francis talking with Apple CEO Tim Cook during a private audience at the Vatican. AFP

Emperor Naruhito

Crude prices rally as OPEC mulls over output reduction

HONG KONG, China—Oil prices jumped more than three percent in Asian trade Monday as reports said OPEC and other top producers consid ered slashing output.

WTI climbed 3.5 percent to $82.27 and Brent piled on 3.4 percent to $88.01 ahead of a meeting of the group this week in Vienna, with Bloomberg News saying officials were discuss ing a one-million-barrel-a-day cut in output.

Bloomberg added that the move— which it said delegates to OPEC had not finalised—would be the biggest since the pandemic began, when crude prices collapsed.

Officials will meet on Wednesday.

The jump in prices comes after both main contracts suffered hefty losses in recent months on demand fears caused by an expected recession in major econ omies, while a strong dollar and Chi

na’s economic woes have also weighed on the commodity.

The losses have seen prices hit levels last seen in January, having wiped out all the gains seen in the wake of Rus sia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Suvro Sarkar, an energy analyst at DBS Bank, expected more gains were likely.

“It’s only going to be a matter of time before oil returns to $100 a barrel, es pecially with supplies set to tighten to ward the end of the year,” he said.

The cut could give central banks an other headache as surging energy costs have been a key driver of inflation that has forced officials to hike interest rates, hammering economies around the world.

It would also come after the United States and other countries released mil lions of barrels from their emergency supplies to tamp down prices. AFP

Stock market rebounds on bargain-hunting

TOP GAINERS

STOCKS rebounded Monday on bargainhunting after the benchmark index plunged 8.3 percent last week amid concerns on rising inflation and interest rates.

The PSEi, the 30-company barom eter of the Philippine Stock Exchange, picked up 42 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 5,783.15 as four of the six major subsectors posted gains.

The broader all-share index also rose by 6 points, or 0.20 percent, to settle at

3,114.13 on a value turnover of P3.9 bil lion.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 139 to 51, while 43 issues were unchanged.

Eight of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Manila Elec tric Co. which advanced 5.4 percent to P277.20 and SM Investments Corp. which went up 4.8 percent to P760.00.

Meanwhile, most Asian stocks slipped on Monday as investors await key US jobs data, while girding themselves for a corporate earnings season many fear will highlight the impact of surging in flation and interest rates.

A report showing prices rose in the eurozone at a record pace last month

added concerns that central bank tight ening has a long way to go, while Fed eral Reserve vice-chair Lael Brainard said US officials would not pull back too early.

Banks’ battle against inflation could also be made harder as reports said OPEC and other oil producers are con sidering a major output cut owing to a plunge in prices caused by demand wor ries.

Crude prices jumped more than 3 percent in Asian trade

UAE to set up ministry in the metaverse

ahead of the possible cut.

Sterling enjoyed a brief rally above $1.12—having hit a record low $1.0350 last Monday—after UK finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng made a major U-turn by saying he had scrapped controversial plans to axe the top income tax rate.

The cut was part of a controversial mini-budget unveiled by Kwarteng last Monday, which sent markets spinning. With AFP

TOP LOSERS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The Unit ed Arab Emirates, which already boasts the world’s tallest skyscraper and has launched a bold Mars mission, now hopes to become a pioneer in the depths of the metaverse.

In a project launched at Dubai’s gleaming Museum of the Future, it announced that the UAE’s economy ministry was setting up shop inside the immersive virtual world that is now taking shape.

Those who don their virtual reality goggles or use other means to venture within will find a ministry open for business with companies and even ready to sign bilateral agreements with foreign governments, officials said.

The metaverse is an online world where us ers will eventually be able to game, work and study, its proponents say—although it is still in a “test” phase, the UAE’s economy minister conceded.

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri was speaking at the inaugural Dubai Metaverse Assembly, held at the museum whose innovative ring shape decorated with Arabic calligraphy flanks the city’s main thoroughfare.

Representatives of tech giants mingled with entrepreneurs and developers exploring the po tential of the metaverse, a network of digital spaces intended as an extension of the physical world.

“In the last couple of years we’ve seen in vestments, we’ve seen companies move in, and with the changes of the [visa] regime... we see talent coming in,” Al Marri told AFP in an in terview.

“We trained our employees to really immerse

A file photo taken on June 20, 2022 shows a view of the Museum of the Future in the Gulf emirate of Dubai. The UAE has unveiled its first ministry in the Metaverse and a virtual trip to Mars as Dubai attempts to become a hub for the immersive world, which remains in its infancy but is attracting growing interest. AFP

themselves in the metaverse, use the metaverse and engage with the Generation Z that is going to come,” he added.

The UAE, which has a history of bold proj ects including the 830-meter (2,723-foot) Burj Khalifa, hopes the metaverse can add $4 billion to annual GDP and 40,000 jobs to its workforce by 2030.

In its bid to become one of the world’s top10 metaverse economies, Dubai wants to at tract 1,000 companies specialising in block chain and related technologies, helped by eased visa rules for freelancers, entrepreneurs and creatives.

As the coronavirus pandemic pushed more people into the online world, “Covid really ac celerated” the trend, Al Marri added.

“We thought the metaverse is a phase tech nology” that might take 10 to 20 years to emerge,” he said. “Covid-19 really immersed us so fast and expedited the use of the meta verse.”

Virtual Mars trips

Unlike the UAE’s oil-rich capital, Abu Dha bi, crude represents just five percent of Dubai’s economy which has pivoted towards business, tourism, real estate and new technologies.

The UAE has already introduced a law gov erning virtual assets and a regulatory body for cryptocurrencies, while welcoming major crypto exchange platforms.

One of the UAE’s early private-sector metaverse projects is called 2117, named after the dream of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to colonise Mars a century from now. AFP

Britain’s new gov’t makes dramatic U-turn on tax cut after uproar

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom—Brit

ain’s beleaguered finance minister on Mon day announced a dramatic U-turn on a tax cut announced as part of an economic pack age that has bombed with the markets, elec torate and his party.

The change of course by Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng and by Prime Minister Liz Truss, raised questions about their right-wing project less than a month after she succeeded Boris Johnson.

“We get it, and we have listened,” Kwart eng said on Twitter, announcing that he would no longer be scrapping the 45-per cent top rate of income tax levied on the highest earners.

Their plan also comprises lifting a cap on bankers’ bonuses and reversing a planned

rise in corporation tax as well as a recent hike in national insurance contributions.

At the same time, they are refusing to rule out cuts to spending and benefits in the mid dle of Britain’s worst cost-of-living crisis in generations.

The perceived unfairness of the package had ignited a political storm, with senior Tory MPs refusing to confirm they would support it in parliament, as well as tanking with voters in opinion polls.

On the markets, Truss and Kwarteng’s inten tion to pay for the tax cuts with billions more in extra borrowing had sent the pound tumbling and UK government bond yields soaring.

Kwarteng told BBC television that the focus on the top rate of tax had become a “massive distraction”. But asked if he had

considered resigning, he said: “Not at all.”

“I’m very pleased that we’ve decided not to proceed with that because it was drown ing out the elements of an excellent plan,” he insisted.

Later Monday at the Tory conference in Birmingham, Kwarteng had been due to say: “We must stay the course. I am confi dent our plan is the right one.”

On Sunday, Truss admitted communica tion errors in how the plan had been pre sented on September 23, without conceding the need for any changes.

In a tweet early Monday, she echoed her finance minister’s message that axing the high-earners’ rate had “become a distraction from our mission to get Britain moving.”

AFP

HONG KONG AUCTION. Visitors attend a press preview of the Sothebys 2022 Autumn Sales in Hong Kong on Oct. 3, 2022. AFP

Peso retreats to a record low of 59 per dollar

By Julito G. Rada

THE peso retreated again to an all-time low of 59 per US dollar Monday af ter a week of flirting near that level as the greenback gained general strength amid financial markets’ expectation of another huge rate increase by the US Federal Reserve next month.

The peso weakened from Friday’s closing of 58.625. Trading volume reached $666.7 million, down from $1.058 billion on Friday.

“The US dollar/peso exchange rate corrected...today [after declining for straight trading days], by +0.375 or +0.6 percent to close at a new re cord...of 59.00, matching the intraday record...of 59.00 posted on Sept. 28 and 29, 2022,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Mi chael Ricafort said in an emailed message.

Ricafort said the dollar’s strength was due to the continued hawkish signals from Fed officials.

“The peso is also weaker as the markets also anticipate the latest Phil ippine inflation data that could pick up on Oct. 5, 2022,” Ricafort said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday inflation in September likely accelerated to as high as 7.4 percent from 6.3 percent in August on higher food and electricity prices and weaker peso.

Inflation in August 2022 slightly eased to 6.3 percent from 6.4 percent in July.

“The peso also [is] weaker after after global crude oil prices corrected higher to one-week highs; after Rus sia’s irreversible annexation of four occupied Ukraine regions that could complicate the Russia-Ukraine war,” said Ricafort.

Global crude oil prices lingered near 9-month lows or since early Jan uary 2022 before Monday’s closing.

Ricafort said the weaker peso could increase the possibility of further local policy rate hike/s and more intervention in the local foreign exchange market. He said the peso depreciated by a total P8.00 or 15.7 percent from 50.999 in end-2021.

“This could lead to higher prices of imports and overall inflation, thereby would increase the possibility of fur ther local policy rate hikes, even a surprise/off-cycle local policy rate hike to help stabilize the peso as well as overall inflation,” Ricafort said.

DOE approves Prime Infra’s acquisition of Malampaya firm

By Alena Mae S. Flores

TheDepartment of Energy said Monday it approved the transfer of the shares of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. in the Malampaya natural gas project to a subsidiary of Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.

Prime Infra, the infrastructure arm of businessman Enrique Razon Jr., said in a statement this marks the initial foray of the company into the upstream en ergy market and fulfills its purpose to make better lives and resilient econo mies through critical infrastructure.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the agency approved the sale of the 45-percent stake of Spex in the Malam paya gas project in northwest Palawan to Prime Infra. Spex is also the operator of the natural gas project.

Prime Infra’s Prime Exploration Pte. Ltd. signed in July this year a share purchase agreement acquiring MEXP Holding Pte. Ltd.

MEXP previously signed a deal to acquire 100-percent shares of SPEX, which the DOE recently approved. Pri or the DOE approval, the joint venture

partners in the Malampaya SC38 con sortium―UC38 LLC and PNOC Ex ploration Corp―gave their consents on the transaction.

“We welcome DOE’s thorough re view and subsequent approval of the SPEX sale given the urgency to sustain the operations of Malampaya―a vital energy installation and symbol of na tional pride―and to plan for the further development of the existing reserves in light of the current power under supply. We will contribute by doing all that can be done to produce as much gas as pos sible to sustain production in support of the power demand in Luzon,” said Ra zon, who serves as chairman of Prime Infra.

Prime Infra president and chief ex ecutive Guillaume Lucci said the com pany’s energy portfolio is aligned with

the national government’s objective towards attaining energy independence and security, while reducing the coun try’s reliance on fossil fuels.

“Prime Infra is well-positioned to car ry on the world renowned track record of the Malampaya asset and therefore, the next urgent step for the company is to sustain and expand gas production while we promptly address the license extension for SC38,” said Lucci.

Prime Infra said it would assume full ownership and control of SPEX once the transition process for a safe and seamless handover of operations from Shell is completed by Nov. 1, 2022 as targeted.

Prime Infra said it would deliver out standing operational performance and further the potential of SC38 covering the Malampaya deep-water gas-to-pow er project to ensure continuity of pro duction as long as the reserves support it.

Prime Infra focuses on building assets that support the most urgent sustainabil ity priorities―energy, access to clean water, waste management and viable critical infrastructure.

Business group bullish on six-year export plan

FILIPINO exporters look forward to the new and improved Philippine Export Development Plan 2023 to 2028 which is now in its final stages of completion.

Export Development Council vice chairman and Philippine Exporters Confederation presi dent Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said the exporters are optimistic about the new PEDP.

“It’s more than just renewing commitment to export development, it’s about being bold and aggressive, while recognizing persistent areas for improvements where we must have the determination to solve permanently,” he said.

Among the innovative solutions under the new PEDP are the lifting of land ownership ceilings for commercial scale agribusiness and the establishment of a Bureau of Agri-Indus trial Cooperatives Development in the Depart ment of Agriculture.

The plan will also amend the charters and regulatory frameworks of the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philip pines and the Small Business Corp. to allow them leeway to fulfill their mandates.

Othel V. Campos

Now Corp. to buy 20% stake in affiliate Newsnet

NOW Corp. of the Velarde family said Mon day it is acquiring an initial 20-percent stake in Newsnet, an interactive pay television and multimedia services company assigned with the coveted 26-Ghz spectrum as part of its net work expansion in Mega Manila.

“The board of directors has just approved the resolution to authorize the management of Now Corp. to begin negotiating with Newsnet for acquisition of equity ownership in News net. And this is very strategic on our part be cause Newsnet is an affiliate but Now Corp. does not own any equity interest in Newsnet,” said Now Group chairman Mel Velarde.

Velarde said the company planned to ac quire an initial 20-percent stake in Newsnet and eventually full ownership. The company expects to complete the transaction this year.

Newsnet has an authority from the Na tional Telecommunications Commission to install, operate and maintain in the 25.35-Ghz to 26.35-Ghz spectrum band Local Multi-Point Distribution System to deliver interactive pay television and multimedia services.

Darwin G. Amojelar

BDO waives remittance charges for donations

BDO Unibank Inc. through remittance arm BDO Remit is waiving the remittance fees for donations sent to victims of typhoon Karding (international name: Noru) to help accelerate the flow of financial assistance to the affected areas in the country.

Overseas Filipinos may remit their dona tions free of service fees from Sept. 30 to Nov. 30, 2022 through BDO Foundation Inc., ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc., GMA Kapuso Foundation Inc. and Philippine Red Cross.

“It is unfortunate that even as Christmas nears, natural calamities are still very much a reality here in the Philippines. Instead of pre paring for the holidays, some of us are grieving and picking up the pieces after the onslaught of the super typhoon,” said BDO senior vice president and head of remittance Genie Gloria.

“With this campaign and the generosity from our Kabayans abroad, BDO Remit hopes it can help alleviate the pain somehow,” said Gloria.

BDO Remit has subsidiary offices in several countries overseas that can accommodate the sending of donations through the foundations.

BDO Remit has offices in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Daly City in the US, Toronto in Canada and London in the UK.

Vista Land expects remittances to lift property sales in Q4

By Jenniffer B. Austria

raises

from sale of

towers to two groups

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PLDT Inc. said Monday it received P57.7 billion from two companies for the sale of 4,435 telecommunication towers.

The company said in a statement it transferred 75 percent of the 5,905 tow ers covered by the sale and leaseback transaction to the two tower companies as of the third quarter.

It said of the 5,907 towers being mon etized, ISOC edotco Towers Inc., a sub sidiary of edotco Group, acquired 2,973 towers in Luzon, the Visayas and Mind anao while Comworks Infratech Corp., a subsidiary of EdgePoint, received 2,934 towers in Luzon.

PLDT said it expected to complete the final closing by the first quarter of 2023.

“Sale of telecom towers in addition to the 5,907 towers sold, or committed to

be sold, is currently under evaluation,” it said.

PLDT said the sale and leaseback would be complemented by a new tower build commitment of 1,500 towers over the next several years.

It said it would use the proceeds from the transaction to further invest in the network and return cash to shareholders via a special dividend.

PLDT earlier reported a net profit of P16.74 billion in the first half, higher than P12.92 billion it booked in the same period last year.

Telco core income, excluding the impact of asset sales and Voyager In novations, reached P17 billion, up 12 percent from P15.21 billion last year.

Consolidated revenues rose 6 percent in the six-month period to P47.9 billion from a year.

GLOBAL Ferronickel Holdings Inc., the country’s second largest nickel ore pro ducer, is acquiring a 20-percent interest in a Chinese smelting firm for $75 million or about P4.4 billion.

FNI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday it signed a definitive agreement to acquire a stake in Guang dong Century Tsingshan Nickel Industry Co. Ltd.

It said the acquisition would be made through the purchase of a 22.22-percent stake in GHGC Holdings Ltd., which in turn owns 90 percent of GCTN stock portfolio.

“The acquisition is expected to create reliable and consistent synergies between FNI as a nickel ore supplier and GCTN as a value-added processor and support our ongoing diversification projects to boost profitability,” said FNI president Dante Bravo.

GCTN is a nickel alloy enterprise in China and operates one of the world’s advanced smelters with RKEF technol ogy in a 33-hectare facility employing over 600 employees. The plant uses a rotary kiln technology that produces about 28,000 tons of pure nickel annu ally.

GCTN caters to customers in Guang dong’s Economic and Technological De velopment Zones and abroad.

Bravo said the acquisition would help manage risks, optimize value to stake holders and develop downstream integra tion of the value chain.

FNI said it would continue to pursue investments in high-growth firms and in dustries that could enhance operational and cost efficiencies. Aside from nickel ore mining, FNI also has investments in logistics, cement and steel production and port operations. Jenniffer B. Austria

HOMEBUILDER Vista Land & Lif escapes Inc. expects real estate sales to overseas Filipino workers to boost its business in the fourth quarter, a top executive said Monday.

Vista Land chairman Manuel Vil lar Jr. said in a statement the group saw a marked improvement in sales to OFWs who were benefitting from the higher peso value of their dollar remittances.

The peso weakened by more than 15 percent against the greenback since the start of the year on hawkish stance of the US Federal Reserve.

OFW sales account for 55 percent to 60 percent of Vista Land’s total residential sales.

Vista Land said it also saw a sig nificant improvement in the foot traf fic at its malls as consumers engaged in “revenge shopping”.

“We are excited going into the last quarter of the year with both our resi dential and leasing businesses con tinuing with its upward trend,” Villar said.

“We are slated to launch more proj ects this quarter, as we take advantage of the renewed confidence from our overseas Filipino buyers. Such confi dence is also seen in the performance of our retail stores which translates to better mall revenues,” he said.

Vista Land launched P11 billion worth of projects in the first half, ex ceeding the projects it started in 2021.

The property firm said the crack down on Philippine offshore gaming operators by the Philippine Amuse ment and Gaming Corp. would not have a significant impact on the com pany as it has zero exposure to PO GOs.

Vista Land said its leasing portfolio banks on residential communities that serve as catchment for mall develop ments. Business process outsourcing firms and traditional offices remain the main tenants for office space.

Local nickel miner prepares to take 20% of Chinese smelting company for $75m

PANDEMIC HEROES. Aboitiz

officer Maribeth Marasigan

Sotto helps 36ers beat NBA team Phoenix Suns, 134-124

By Randy Caluag

Coming off the bench, the 7’3” Filipino center dished out a worthy performance with his 11 points on 3-6 field goals, including a pullup trey and perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the free throw line to help his Australian team the Adelaide 36ers beat the Suns, 134-124, in a preseason NBA game at the Footprint Center in Arizona.

Playing only 18 minutes, Sotto

also pulled down two rebounds and a beautiful assist to Craig Randall II for a go-ahead layup.

Randall top-scored for Adelaide with a game-high 35 points.

After the game, Sotto greeted his fans on the way to the locker room. He shook their hands, signed autographs and took selfies with them.

Sotto’s stint also drew praises from fellow Filipinos who made comments

on various online posts.

“Hindi matagal ang 18 minutes at halos hindi siya napasahan at wala sa kanya ang play. Parang defender lang sa ring ang ganap niya pero naka score pa din ng 11,” said a fan, La Dinero Gallos.

“Good job at sa defense mo, improve mo pa,” added Neri Atanoso.

It was also the first time in seven years that a team from outside North America has beaten an NBA club.

Adelaide coach CJ Bruton also took so much pride in the victory, whose impact he hopes to carry on not just against Oklahoma Thunders on Aug. 7, but also to the whole season in the National Basketball League back in Australia.

“I would like for that to continue

throughout the season. We have a lot of firepower. Putting the team together, I thought that with our competitors like the NBA, you have to be able to stretch the floor and make threes,” he said.

And Sotto was somehow included in the high praise.

“The guys that I have recruited are good in that space and they also play defense, so having the length and size like NBA teams and international players that we have collected from South Sudan, New Zealand, Australia, USA, and the Philippines (Sotto), it is bringing a culture to Australia and bringing it to the team.”

Sotto was not selected in the 2022 NBA Draft and doing well against NBA teams could boost his stock as an unrestricted free agent.

Wild start looms as PGT Riviera gets going

SILANG, Cavite—An early jostle for position takes shape as the Philippine Golf Tour resumes today (Tuesday) with the ICTSI Riviera Championship in a four-day duel not just of power and shotmaking but also of will and character at one of the country’s tough championship courses.

Measuring up to more than 7,000 yards, Riviera’s Langer course has been a boon for a few but a bane for a lot of others. But it’s not just a question of length but of strategies, including course management since a slight miscue could lead to a big score given the limited options for recovery at the tight, hazard-laden layout.

“If the wind blows, then it’s going to be real tough,” said Guido Van der Valk after yesterday’s pro-am of the PGT held side by side with the Ladies PGT.

But the Manila-based Dutchman, who pulled off a stirring playoff win over Miguel Tabuena at Splendido Taal last May, faces a real challenge right in the first round of the P2 million championship put up by ICTSI as he drew Juvic Pagunsan and Angelo Que with Joenard Rates completing one of the featured flights at 9:40 a.m. on No. 1.

Pagunsan, who ruled this event in stormy conditions in 2019 to cap a record four-tournament run, and Que are both coming off the Japan Golf Tour, making them A-ready for the grueling battle with Rates also raring to upstage the troika with his own brand of play.

Pagunsan and Que actually marked their PGT return with a joint fourth place finish at Eagle Ridge-Aoki last July ruled by absentee Michael Bibat and both are eager to get going, along with the rest of the competing field that also includes former Philippine Open Clyde Mondilla, multi-titled Tony Lascuña, Caliraya Springs leg champion Zanieboy Gialon, Jhonnel Ababa, Jay Bayron, Jobim Carlos and young guns Ivan Monsalve and Sean Ramos.

Mascarinas vows more 3x3 tilts in Visayas, Mindanao

By Peter Atencio

CEBU City—The presence of nine Tokyo Olympic veterans, including the entire Latvian squad that won the gold medal in 2020 Tokyo games, attracted a big, young Visayan crowd in the 2022 FIBA 3x3 Cebu Masters on Sunday night at the SM Seaside Mall in Cebu City.

Teens with smart phone cameras followed the likes of Latvian cagers Nauris Miezis and Karlis Lasmanis, whenever they did warmups around the hallway of the crowded shopping center, asking for photos and selfies.

The big audience picked up as the final game saw Riga of Latvia win the title at the expense of Antwerp of Belgium, which lost the bronze medal to

Serbia in the Tokyo Olympiad 13 months ago.

This has inspired organizers, led by Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. president Ronald Mascarinas to hold more Masters’ events in the Visayas and Mindanao regions in the coming months, and with many Olympians expected to make appearances.

“We would like to do this every year, given the experience na idinaos natin ito sa Manila at sa Cebu. Iba talaga ang crowd dito,” said Mascarinas, who is seeking the green light from FIBA so that they can do similar tournaments in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Miezis, who was named MVP, said his spirits were lifted when teammate Lasmanis agreed to join them and play as a team in Cebu.

“It was fun doing this with Lasmanis. I’m happy

that he is back. I love this game. This is a big win tonight,” said Miezis after he lifted Riga of Latvia to a 21-19 victory.

It was their second tour title of the season, after also taking the Montreal Masters.

The Latvians picked up the top purse of $40,000, after doing battle with other Tokyo Olympians like Antwerp’s Thibaut Vervoort, Nick Celis and Rafael Bogaerts.

Antwerp, which also had its share of young fans seeking the team members’ autographs, eventually took home the $30,000 runner-up purse.

Miezis stepped up in the last minute of the finals against Antwerp, with key buckets and the title-winning free throw. He had a game-high 10 points and is currently ranked no. 8 in the world.

MAPUA University showed grit in another five-setter grind to outhustle San Beda University, 23-25, 35-33, 25-22, 21-25, 1614, Sunday in the Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Mapua edges San Beda in Shakey’s Super League All eyes on Malixi, but Ikeda, Singson upbeat

The Lady Cardinals turned to rookie Nadine Berces to save a match point before Alyanna Ong flexed her blocking prowess to clinch Mapua’s first win in Pool A of the tournament organized by Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc.

Mapua tied University of the East, which handed the Lady Cardinals a painful five-set defeat last September 24, with identical 1-1 win-loss records.

“The girls showed great character in this game. We had some lapses down the stretch but in the end, they just refused to give up,” said Mapua coach Clarence Esteban.

Berces forced a deuce in the fifth set on an off-speed hit after Lady Red Spikers freshman Angel Habacon pushed San Beda at match point.

A costly error by the Lady Red Spikers gave the Lady Cardinals the match point advantage before Ong sealed the grueling two-hour, 32-minute duel with a kill block on Habacon’s spike attempt.

Chenie Batac and Angelie Manalo led Mapua’s offense with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Ong had 15 points while Berces got 10 markers.

San Beda, which got 17 points from Kleineross Abraham and 15 from Habacon, remained winless in two outings.Meanwhile, Arellano University bounced back from an opening day loss with a morale-boosting 25-21, 25-21, 25-17 crushing of debuting Jose Rizal University in Pool C.

SILANG, Cavite – Rianne Malixi gets another chance to prove her worth against some of the country’s top lady pros and fellow amateurs she humbled the last time out, clashing with Harmie Constantino and title-hungry Marvi Monsalve at the start of the ICTSI Riviera Championship here today (Tuesday).

Malixi skipped yesterday’s pro-am to best prepare herself for an exhausting test of endurance at the rolling Langer layout while relying on her fond memories of the exacting course where she reigned as champion of the Philippine National Stroke Play in 2020 in record fashion.

But it’s her current form, honed by a series of competitions abroad, that should spur the rising star to shoot for a follow-up to her astounding 13-stroke triumph over Chihiro Ikeda in the last Ladies Philippine Golf Tour stop at Valley Golf Club last month.

Constantino and Monsalve, however, are both out to provide the early challenge and pressure for the two-time AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) champion in their 12:10 p.m. flight with Ikeda, who also opted to take a break yesterday, bracing for a demanding duel with Sunshine Baraquiel and Mafy Singson at 11:50 a.m., both on No. 1.

“This is going to be a different battle. Langer is a long course and there are so many tests to consider and overcome,” said Ikeda, winner at Mount Malarayat and Eagle Ridge-

Aoki but who is itching to atone for blowout loss to Malixi at Valley.

Singson, who swept the LPGT pro trophy and the low amateur honors at Splendido Taal last May, is also out to make up for her mediocre showing at Valley that saw her struggle with 77 and 81 rounds before rallying with a 74 to salvage joint third with Constantino and Gretchen Villacencio.

“Emphasis is on the short game but every shot counts here,” said Sarah Ababa, still in search for a follow-up victory to her breakthrough triumph at Sherwood Hills way back in 2015.

She launches her bid at 11:40 a.m. with Villacencio and Pamela Mariano.

Laurea Duque, meanwhile, also tries to put herself into early contention against Kristine Fleetwood and Apple Fudolin at 12 noon and crowd Malixi and Singson not just for the overall crown but also for the amateur honors.

Korean Kim Seoyun and fellow amateur Burberry Zhang, meanwhile, kick off their respective bids against Lucy Landicho and Eva Miñoza at 12:20 p.m. and versus Lovelynn Guioguio and Majorie Pulumbarit at 12:30 p.m., respectively.

But no one infuses so much fear than Malixi, who beat multi-titled Princess Superal at Luisita last March after closing out the 2021 season with an emphatic win at Midlands last December.

Riera U. Mallari,

Caluag,

FILIPINOS all over the world felt proud of their countryman Kai Sotto, who held his own against the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association on Monday (PH time).

Kai Sotto (left) of the Adelaide 36ers defends Mikal Bridges of the Phoenix Suns during the rst half at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. AFP

Heat sign Herro to $130-M extension

MIAMI—Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, last season’s NBA Sixth Man of the Year, has signed a fouryear contract extension, the team announced Sunday.

Multiple reports said the deal was worth an average of $30 million per season with performance incentives over the life of the contract that could make it worth as much as $130 million.

“Tyler is an impact multi-faceted player and we are excited to have him signed for the next five years,” Heat president Pat Riley said.

“His improvement every year since we drafted him has led to this day. We believe he will continue to get better.”

The 22-year-old American was taken 13th overall by Miami in the 2019 NBA Draft.

The Heat reached the NBA Finals in his rookie season, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 title showdown, but were ousted in the first round of the 2021 playoffs and fell to Boston in a seventh-game showdown in this year’s Eastern Conference finals.

Herro came off the bench in 56 of his 66 appearances last season to earn the NBA top reserve award, averaging 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 32.6 minutes on the court.

Herro has averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game over his three

Perez wins Singapore GP, delays Max’s coronation

braked, the front wheels jumped in the air and I went straight on,” said Verstappen who was forced to pit for fresh rubber and dropped to last place.

“It’s not what I’m here for. Not with a car like that. It was incredibly messy.”

Lions fight Bombers, seek 3-way tie for lead

Games today (Filoil EcoOil Centre) 12 noon – JRU vs San Beda 3 p.m. – Perpetual vs EAC

SAN Beda University seeks to force a three-way tie for the lead as it tangles with Jose Rizal University Tuesday in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

But things won’t be easy for the Red Lions in the 12 noon match, as the Bombers have won three in a row after starting the season at 0-2.

After beating defending two-time champion Letran, 76-68, in last Friday’s rivalry game, San Beda saw its opening day loss to Mapua nullified as the Season 97 runners-up fielded an ineligible player.

The Red Lions now sport a 4-1 record in solo third. College of Saint Benilde and Lyceum of the Philippines University continue to lord it over in the standings with identical 5-1 slates.

Things have changed for the better for JRU, which is determined to rebound from its one-win campaign last season.

The fourth-running Bombers are coming off a 67-64 overtime win over the Cardinals last Friday.

Ranged against a deep San Beda team, coach Louie Gonzalez hopes to dig deep if JRU wants to pulls off a reversal.

The Mexican took the chequered flag 7.5sec ahead of the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

However, he had to endure a nervy few hours before his victory was confirmed when he was penalised five seconds for a safety car infringement.

Carlos Sainz was third to make it a double podium for Ferrari in the night race that started more than an hour late because of a storm.

It was the first grand prix to be held under lights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit since 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Verstappen had a mathematical chance to clinch a second world title,

but needed to win and have other results go his way. He finished seventh after a rollercoaster race.

The Dutchman was always going to struggle after starting eighth on the grid and his task was made trickier by an early evening deluge that delayed the start till 9:05 pm (1305 GMT).

When the field eventually tore away from the grid in a shower of spray, Verstappen almost stalled and dropped back from eighth to 13th.

The 25-year-old cut through the field before flat-spotting his tyres trying to pass Lando Norris for fourth after a safety car restart.

“I was up with Lando and as soon as I

It means his world championship lead over Leclerc has been cut to 104 points ahead of next week’s Japanese Grand Prix. Perez is two points behind Leclerc.

Verstappen will need to be 112 points ahead at the end of next Sunday’s race in Suzuka to retain his title and can do so if he wins and Leclerc fails to finish second.

Leclerc started on pole but Perez slipped past before the first turn and drove a perfect race to hold off the Monegasque for his second GP win of the season.

“It was certainly my best performance,” Perez said. “I controlled the race. The last three laps were so intense. When I got out of the car, I felt it. I gave everything today.” AFP

“Siguro yung first eight ko nakaadjust na pero hindi ako makakatagal dito kung wa-walo o si-siyam players lang ang ginagamit ko. I need to ready yung pang-ninth up to 15th man ko,” said Gonzalez.

Red Lions mentor Yuri Escueta is bracing for the Bombers physical brand of play which is their calling card this season.

“We have to be smart against JRU,” said San Beda coach Yuri Escueta.

University of Perpetual Help System Dalta and winless Emilio Aguinaldo College clash in the day’s other game at 3 p.m.

SBP execs invited to observe Eurobasket 2022

KEY officials from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas were invited to observe in the Eurobasket 2022 to get a closer feel of how the World Cup is being hosted.

The Philippines first hosted the world event in 1978 when there were only 14 participating squads coming from five federations.

In the FIBA World Cup 2023, it will be the first time the event will be hosted by multiple countries as the Philippines shares this honor with co-hosts Japan and Indonesia, but our country takes pride in staging the most number of games, (40), including the final phase or playoff matches.

A total of 32 teams or countries will quality for the 2023 World Cup – six for Asia, seven for Americas, five from Africa, 12 from Europe and two for the hosts (Philippines and Japan).

The SBP delegation got a first hand experience of how the Euro-

basket 2022 was staged in Berlin with no less than the global leaders in the field.

Our delegates were able to witness new innovations in staging such event and these were introduced for the first time in Germany. The FIBA headquarters has been working on these little tweaks, including more fan experience, making the game more exciting not just to the players and competing teams, but also to the spectators.

The Philippines, being considered as a basketball-crazy nation, deserves more fan interaction in the venue and now that the SBP had been able to experience it in Eurobasket 2022, the group intends to top it next year, considering that the country is holding not just a regional or continental event, but a world tournament.

“We thanked the FIBA HQ and the DBB for inviting LOC representatives to the Eurobasket 2022. The

South tames North in MPBL All-Star; Pacquiao shines

terparts, 109-92, in the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season late Sunday at

the Batangas City Coliseum.

Trailing at halftime and up to the start of the last 10 minutes, 75-76, the South leaned on Jaycee Marcelino, Cedric Ablaza, Kyt Jimenez and Mark Yee to turn the game around and win pulling away to keep its supremacy in the event held primarily for the fans and followers of the country’s top regional league.

Marcelino, a stalwart of Zamboanga’s Family Brand Sardines, put up 19 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds and was named MVP.

Ablaza, the main man of Batangas City Embassy Chill, wound up with 17 points, the same total posted by Jimenez, a YouTube sensation playing out of Sarangani who capped the game with a triple from way out.

Muntinlupa’s Damian Lasco paced the North with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

and 2 steals.

The South, mentored by Batangas’ Cholo Villanueva, has beaten the South, coached by Nueva Ecija’s Jerson Cabiltes, in all the league’s AllStar games thus far.

In the curtain-raiser, MPBL CEO and founder Manny Pacquiao banked in a buzzer-beater triple as the South Executives forced a 107-107 tie with their counterparts from the North.

Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion who also had a stint in the PBA, was named co-MVP with Paolo Orbeta of the North.

Pacquiao tallied 30 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal as the South clawed its way back from as many as 29 points down.

Orbeta, a former College of St. Benilde Blazer and team owner of Makati, wound up with 39 points, 8

SBP believes that there is no better w ay to show our gratitude than by applying what we have learned and delivering the best World Cup ever,” said SBP president Al Panlilio.

Included in the delegation are Erika Dy, deputy event director for the FIBA World Cup 2023, Philippines and Dickie Bachmann, current commissioner of the UAAP, who is also the head of LOC Operations for FBWC 2023, Philippines and John Lucas, head of Joint Management Committee Philippines.

Apart from learning from the German LOC, which hosted Eurobasket 2022, the SBP was also able to strengthen ties with our co-hosts from Indonesia and Japan, as well as sit down in very engaging discussions with FIBA HQ and FIBA MEDIA— the main stakeholders of the World Cup 2023.

rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal for the North.

Other side events saw Muntinlupa’s Don Matillano nip Ronjay Buenafe, 18-17, in the 3-point shootout and Garex Puerto of Imus rule the slam dunk competition.

Matillano and Puerto pocketed P50,000 each.

Pacquiao gave an inspirational message before the All-Star game.

After expressing his gladness that the MPBL was able to push through this year with 22 teams, Pacquiao emphasized the need to preserve the integrity of the games. Pacquiao said the league will exercise zerotolerance as far as game-fixing is concerned.

The MPBL resumes its regular schedule on Monday with a triplebill at the Paco Arena. The games pit Bataan against Marikina at 5 p.m., Pasig against Bacoor at 7 p.m. and Valenzuela against Quezon City at 9 p.m.

SINGAPORE—Sergio Perez won a rain-affected Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday leaving his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen to wait at least another week to retain his Formula One world championship.

THE South division selection hit full throttle in the last quarter and trounce their North division coun-

Red Bull Racing’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez leads ahead of Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr during the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix night race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. AFP

Delegates sent by the SBP are shown in photo with officials from the FIBA, as well as delegates from the host countries. The SBP delegates are John Lucas, head of Joint Management Committee Philippines, Dickie Bachmann, head of the LOC Operations for FBWC 2023, Erika Dy, deputy event director for FBWC 2023. They joined FIBA officials led by Ingo Weiss, FIBA treasurer and David Crocker, WC 2023 executive director.

Manny Pacquiao buzzer-beater triple forces tie in Executives game.

Paramount’s gruesome ‘Smile’ tops box office

New psychological horror film Smile has Paramount executives beaming after topping the North American box office with an estimated $22 million in weekend ticket sales, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

The film is the disturbing tale of a therapist ( Sosie Bacon , daughter of actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick ) whose grasp on reality begins to slip after she witnesses a shocking and gruesome event involving a patient.

Another psychological horror film, Warner Bros.’ Don’t Worry Darling , placed second for the Friday-through-Sunday period, pulling in $7.3 million.

With Olivia Wilde acting and directing a cast that includes Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, and pop icon Harry Styles , the film was last weekend’s Number One.

A

By Patricia Taculao

“TELESERYES,”

the localized term for television series, are an integral part of Filipino culture. Many families and friends have spent hours facing television screens watching their favorite series – and sometimes getting worked up about it.

PIE (Pinoy Interactive Entertainment) Channel offers a new way for viewers to enjoy teleseryes and make them feel they’re a part of it. Dubbed The Chosen One: Ang Piliserye ng Bayan PIE audiences can control the story and determine which character stays alive until the end by voting, a first in the country.

Directed by award-winning director and cinematographer Topel Lee The Chosen One is reminiscent of a chooseyour-own-adventure experience.

Noong bata ako, mahilig ako sa choose-your-own-adventure books.

Parang ganito ‘to, you get to choose your own direction, kung ano yung gusto mong mangyari doon sa kwento Very rewarding siya kasi you get to play god sa bagong piliserye na ginawa namin,” he said during a Zoomcon.

He added that viewers play a part in the production, and the story flow depends on the viewers’ decision on who gets to stay or leave. Despite the viewers’ choices for the show, the director reassured them that they wouldn’t veer from the plot.

The show’s pilot features a suspense

Malaki ‘yung role ni Melai dito. Siya ‘yung comic relief namin dito sa show na ‘to,” Lee said. On the other hand, it’s Kaila’s first time making a thriller project, so she sees The Chosen One as a challenge to give her best performance.

In Astra Nuevo, Charlie meets a group of ten aspiring entrepreneurs from different walks of life who share her dream of gaining financial freedom. But soon, they discover that their ambition could cost them their lives.

Andi Abaya, Amanda Zamora, Dustin Mayores Gabb Skribikin Kobie Brown Luke Alford Maxine Trinidad Rob Blackburn, Seham Daghlas, and Zach Guerrero are the characters that viewers can vote among to either save or not.

Kaila is a non-player, meaning she won’t be part of the ten characters that

are up for voting each week. Other nonplayers in the series are Emjay Savilla and Sunshine Teodoro Jhong Hilario joins the production as a non-player. Instead, he’s the “chosen mentor” who will dissect and rate each player’s performance in the narrative.

Siyempre dahil suspense-thriller itong piliserye natin, gusto kong matakot sa acting nila. Gusto kong tumayo ‘yung mga balahibo ko dahil alam ko kapag natakot ako, ‘yung mga manonood sa kanila, matatakot din,” Jhong said.

Last Saturday, October 1, The Chosen One episode revealed who among the players garnered the highest number of save votes and who landed in the bottom two.

Aside from getting to play god in The Chosen One, five lucky Philippine-based voters will be selected via randomizer to win P1,000 every week.

The Chosen One airs live episodes of “Soap Opera” every Saturday from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. The episode will also reveal the players’ current standing based on audience votes.

After typhoon Karding ravaged Luzon two weeks ago, Grateful Tuesday delivered relief goods to affected families in San Miguel, Bulacan.

Almost a thousand families received relief goods - rice, sardines, biscuits, soap, hand sanitizer, and other essential goods.

Tobiano was joined by friends and partners Bianca Manalo, Ann Murphy, Harvard Business School, Christopher Cachuella, and Benedict Sy of Avignon.

Tobiano acknowledges their unwavering support to Grateful Tuesday believing that somehow their generosity alleviates the suffering of Karding’s victims.

“There are so many blessings to thank God for,” the chemist and TV host said. “And it’s uplifting to share these blessings to those who need them most. A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.”

film and television production arm of Cignal TV, Cignal Entertainment, continues its winning streak as editions of its musical videoke singing reality game show, Sing , bagged several awards as National Winners for various categories at the Asian Academy Creative Awards.

Among the accolades Cignal Entertainment received for Sing Galing are Best Non-Scripted Entertainment Program for Sing Galing: Sing-Lebrity Edition , Best Children’s Program for Sing Galing Kids , and Best Voice Artist for Show Suzuki These wins come at the heels of their triumphs earlier this year as Cignal Entertainment bagged multiple awards for Big Night!

during the FAMAS Awards in July. Its top-rating program, Niña Niño, was also recognized as the National Winner for Best Drama Series during last year’s Asian Academy Creative Awards, with its leading lady, Maja Salvador , bringing home the Best Actress award.

Cignal Entertainment continues to produce entertaining and highly-engaging shows for its viewers to enjoy and has established its foothold as one of the powerhouses when it comes to producing high-quality and creative content in the entertainment industry.

“We would like to congratulate the teams behind each of our shows and thank the Asian Academy Creative Awards for the recognition of our hard work,” Cignal Entertainment Vice President Maria Isabel “Belay” Santillan said, “These awards will continue to motivate us to churn out the best content possible for the enjoyment of our viewers.”

In third, also down one spot, was Sony’s history-inspired The Woman King , at $7 million. Oscar winner Viola Davis stars as the leader of an all-female army of African warriors.

Fourth place went to Universal’s new release Bros , at $4.8 million. Analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said reviews for the movie – a rare gay romantic comedy from a major Hollywood studio –were “outstanding” thanks to its “knowing and relatable” humor. Billy Eichner co-wrote and stars in the film.

And in fifth was the re-release of 20th Century’s 2009 blockbuster Avatar , at $4.7 million. The studio is hoping the original will help build interest in a high-budget ($250 million) sequel due in December, Avatar: The Way of Water AFP

Magical, mystery series that will make you believe in second chances

HUMANITY has always had a fascination with the afterlife — an unsolved riddle embedded in some religions and cultures since time immemorial. Buddhists and Hindus believe in reincarnation while Christians believe in eternal life.

The concept is also popular in Korean culture.

The K-drama industry, in particular, isn’t shy when it comes to exploring death and rebirth so much so it has spawned a new genre — Second Chances.

There’s the time-travel historical drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), where the epilogue hints at the star-crossed lovers meeting each other again in the present time after a tragic ending to their previous romance. There’s also the fantasy-thriller romcom My Love From the Star (2013), where an immortal alien lead finds the reincarnated version of his true love who had died several hundred years ago. These two shows are some of the über-popular dramas touching on the concept of “second chances” — made available on top K-content streaming service Viu.

K-drama fans can access unlimited entertainment and a seamless viewing experience using their PLDT Home Fiber. At P80/month, PLDT Home offers the cheapest Viu Premium access in the Philippines and charges it to every subscriber’smonthly bill hassle-free.

For those on the hunt for the biggest second chance shows, Viu has got you covered. For starters, there are Viu Originals Again My Life; From Now On, Showtime; and Why Her – all of which are sure to take viewers through journeys of rebirth, redemption, and justice.

What makes second chance dramas so popular? Maybe it’s how the viewers resonate with the characters’ quest to fix the “timeline” for the better and eventually redeem themselves.

Again My Life explores this arc. Based on Kim Hae-nal’s popular webtoon, the story follows Kim Hee-woo (Lee Joon-gi) – a man who rises from the bottom of his high school class to becoming one of his city’s hotshot prosecutors. Unfortunately, Kim Hee-woo meets his untimely death in the hands of unidentified men, found to be connected to a corruption investigation on a politician he is handling. Buthis story isn’t over just yet as a run-in with a sympathetic Grim Reaper gives him a second chance at life. Brought back to his time as a high school student, Kim Heewoo now sets out on a retributive mission to solve the mystery that ended his past life.

Not everyone gets to be reborn, though. Redemption and second chances can also come through ghostly assistance. In the mystery romcom series From Now On, Showtime, a thirdeye-possessing magician Cha Chawoong (Park Hae-jin) reluctantly pairs up with police officer Go Seul-hae (Jin Ki-joo). As Cha Cha-woong’s special talent gets discovered, he is roped in Go Seul-hae’s mission to solve crimes in their city. To get to the bottom of these cases, the duo commissions the help of, yes, ghost witnesses and the victims themselves.

Similar tropes have been explored in K-dramas but with a magician as the main character, Cha Cha-woong makes crime solving a little more fun with his tricks and disguises.

Of all these stories, one might say the best kind of ‘second chance’ is when the character doesn’t have to die — just

like in Why Her. This new Viu Original makes a perfect case for a second chance series rooted in everyday life.

Why Her follows the story of Oh Soo-jae (Seo Hyun-jin), the youngest partner of a top law firm known for her drive, desire to win, and take-noprisoners approach to her cases. Her flourishing career comes crashing down when office politics and a corrupt law firm chairman demotes her for sticking her nose in a case involving the very firm she works for. Oh Soo-jae is then forced out of her company, taking a position as a professor in a local law school.

Unwilling to endure injustice and see the end of all she’s worked for, Oh Soo-jae stages a comeback by working on the case that has ruined her career. In the process, she meets law student Gong Chan (Hwang In-yeop) who may just be the key to break the case wide open and help Soo-jae get her second chance at the top.

Again My Life; From Now On, Showtime; and Why Her — three different shows with distinct stories and character motivations, but carrying one message: that people can always right their wrongs and strive to be better.

Follow more trending K-drama series by subscribing to a Viu Premium account with your PLDT Home Fiber.

Watch Again My Life; From Now On, Showtime; Why Her;and more of the hottest Viu Originals through a ViuPremium access –powered by PLDT Home’s fastest and strongest connections. Enjoy more of the biggest content in Korea and across Asia with no ads and with same-day subtitled releases for select titles at just P80/month – the cheapest in the Philippines– through your PLDT Home Fiber.Automatically opt for convenient payment by charging your Viu Premium subscription feeto your PLDT Home account. Subscribe now by visiting https://pldthome.com/viu

Nickie Wang, Editor

Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant

GRATEFUL Tuesday is very much alive with its advocacy initiated by entrepreneur-philanthropist and chemist Pinky Tobiano

thriller series called “Soap Opera” that follows Charlie (Kaila Estrada), who signs up for a shady networking group called Astra Nuevo fronted by the strong-willed Miss Jane (Melai Cantiveros).

A scene from the psychological horror film

‘Again My Life’ explores the arc where the main character is on a quest to fix the timeline and redeem themselves

‘From Now On, Showtime’ follows the story of a magician with a third eye who reluctantly pairs up with a police officer

‘Why Her’ is about a lawyer who’s fighting against injustice to get her chance back on top

Christmas comes early to Kultura at The Podium

KULTURA opens its Christmas Market, a showcase of the store’s uniquely Filipino décor, gifts, and more from October 6 to 19 at the Atrium East Level 2 of the Podium. It is also an exciting preview of what’s in-store for shoppers in all Kultura outlets nationwide.

A take-off from the Christmas Markets or Chritkindlmarkets that originated in Germany, and have since become holiday traditions and tourist attractions in Europe, this brings the magic, joys, and spirit of Christmas – Filipino style – to mallgoers.

Make your home fun and festive with parols in natural materialsraffia, abaca, and burlap – crafted by local artisans. There are also foldable lanterns perfect for gifts overseas, and tabletop abaca cone trees and topiaries for smaller spaces.

Other ways to bring a homespun Christmas to your home: Santas wearing traditional Filipino attire with local icons like lechon, sorbetes,

bahay kubo, and jeepneys; handmade capiz ornaments in angel, star, and tree shapes.

Kultura’s Christmas Market is also a treasure trove of gift ideas: inabel bed runners, blankets, and throws from Ilocos; table napkins handpainted by local artisans; and handwoven blankets and bath towels from Bicol. Foodies will love the local liquor; teas in pandan, lemon ginger, and tanglad flavors; and gourmet coffee and chocolate.

Shoppers can also enjoy services like embroidered monograms to customize gifts and special gift wrapping with sustainable sinamay bags and pandan gift boxes.

Discover the best of local craftsmanship for a uniquely Filipino celebration. Visit the Kultura Christmas Market, Atrium East, Level 2 at The Podium. Discover and delight in local artistry at www. kulturafilipino.com, or through its socials: @kulturafilipino on Instagram and @kulturaPH/ on Facebook.

A nod to functional minimalism Avida unveils its newest showroom in the Manila Bay Area

By Joba Botana

THE ‘minimalism’ design concept is nothing new. In fact, it’s been a way of life for many. The Japanese and Scandinavian folks, for example, have perfected the right balance that works for them. Over time, certain influences married into this core discipline, and new terms came up, which, in general, can still be a nod to the original design.

Take Avida Land’s latest showroom in the Manila Bay Area, which was recently unveiled in the presence of the press. As how Bing Gumboc, Avida’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing described it, “this newest showroom gives our home seekers a peek into the kind of lifestyle that Avida have curated to suit their needs. It’s intimate, inspiring,” she said. Indeed, a tour around the 22 sqm. the showroom showed the guests a place that’s functional, unpretentious, and fully maximized. No frills, yet very much a comely and inviting.

Called “Japandi” by the company’s official interior design partner for the Manila Bay Showroom, M Contemporary Interior Concept Corp., this design approach takes inspiration from Japan’s minimalism marrying the Scandi functionality aspect to maximize spaces and the well-selected furniture to be used in one’s home. The result is a clean and sophisticated space with sleek lines – a relaxing refuge for the tired soul after a long day at work. If you’re one who longs for something like this, the design is being offered by Avida to its home buyers as an option.

“The showroom being inside the Ayala Malls makes it easier for prospective home buyers and investors to learn more about Avida projects and be assisted by their property specialists,” Gumboc shares.

This concept that perfectly captures both aesthetic and functionality be it houses, condominiums, or corporate offices and integrated mixed-use developments is, of course, part of the company’s continuing legacy of creating opportunities for Filipinos to thrive as will be seen from their newest projects: Centralis Towers on Taft Avenue in Pasay City and Patio Madrigal on Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

The company which is soon to celebrate its 32nd anniversary in October now has a growing portfolio of 100 projects in 25 prime locations. The latest of which is Centralis Towers, a 3,380 sqm., one-tower high-rise development featuring 5 podium levels and 27 residential floors with 1,111 units. It is primed to be a modern urban living hub for discerning but value-conscious professionals, aspirational young families, empty nesters, and savvy investors.

Located on the Pasay City section of Taft Avenue, it will offer its residents close proximity to the three dynamic cities of Pasay, Makati, and

Manila, with lifestyle necessities within easy access.

“Considering its thoughtfully designed units (Studio, Jr. 1 Bedroom, 1 Bedroom, and 2 Bedroom Unit Types) and sensible amenities, Centralis Towers is a place where residents can focus on what’s essential and a location that inspires a livework-play lifestyle,” Regie Alabe, Avida Land’s Business Area Head of Metro South, said during the launch of the showroom.

Another new project to rise is Patio Madrigal,

a two-tower mid-rise development, which is a joint partnership with the Madrigal family, who originally owns the land. Patio Madrigal sits on 6,222.50 sqm. land and consists of 4 podium levels and 14 residential floors, with 595 units in Tower 1 alone. Patio Madrigal is also the first Ayala and Avida project in the Roxas Boulevard area.

The midrise condo’s three-level retail spaces for commercial and office use will complement select amenities in redefining residents’ lifestyles, needs, and preferences-- premium leverage being that it offers the much-sought-after Ayala Land lifestyle in a traditionally coveted address.

Home-seekers can choose from well-designed Studio, Jr. 1 Bedroom, and 1 Bedroom units, all offering just the right accommodations for business owners, young professionals, wise investors, OFW returnees, and retirees. Most of the units in the development come with their own balcony, providing an “extension” of the residents’ living space—one from which they can view the famed Manila Bay sunset or the bustling metropolis’ skyline.

“Since the projects’ launch, value appreciation of these two projects has surged. Centralis Towers is 22 percent sold while 29 percent of Patio Madrigal has been sold and reserved. To date, investment in Centralis Towers starts at P5.9 million while investment in Patio Madrigal starts at P7.9 million,” Alabe said.

Avida’s Manila Bay Showroom is located on the second floor, Filipino Village of the Ayala Malls Manila Bay. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Avida Land Corp. is the mid-income market residential brand of Ayala Land, the Philippines’ leading developer of sustainable estates offering a diverse mix of properties such as residential, retail, office, hotels, and leisure developments that support local economic growth and nationbuilding. For more information on Avida Land and all its projects nationwide, visit their website www. avidaland.com, like and follow @AvidaLandPH on Facebook and Instagram, and @avidaofficial on YouTube.

Apparel brand celebrates 20th year via grand showcase

ARE you excited to witness Macbeth’s passion for music, arts, and denim?

The Macbeth 20th Anniversary Show aims to leave a mark as one of the most memorable moments in live music and fashion as the brand merges the two together in one grand celebration.

Macbeth is proud to showcase what fashion is all about as the Macbeth All-Stars and Macbeth Superband will hit the stage along with more than 20 artists from mainstream and underground music. Included in the lineup are Chelsea Alley, Urbandub, Rico Blanco, Mayonnaise, Chocolate Factory, Sandwich, Hilera, Even, Snakefight, Sucketseven, Fragments, Chndtr, Fastpitch, Soapdish, Written By The Stars, Divina, Lilith, Shotgun Combo, Imbue No Kudos, Rouge, and Macbeth All-Stars and Superband.

The 20th Anniversary Show is the official launch of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth Underwear. It is also the celebration of Macbeth turning 10 years old in the Philippines and 20 years in the world.

Gates open on October 8 at 11:00 a.m., some rules and regulations need to be followed: only fully vaccinated attendees will be allowed entry; 18 years old and above are allowed to enter the main concert area; 13 to 17 years old should be accompanied by an adult; children below 13 years old are not allowed to enter; re-entry is allowed for those with wristbands; organizers reserve the right to request proper identification when age is in doubt; dangerous items are not allowed, including but not limited to sharp objects; firearms are not allowed; organizers reserve the right to refuse admission; organizers will not be responsible for any loss of property during the event; drugs and other prohibited substances will be confiscated and will be surrendered to the police; excessive rowdy behavior will not be tolerated; in case of emergency, organizers shall bring the victim to the medical team; violators will be ejected immediately from the event; all VIPS and artists will have a common entrance/exit area; and for food concessionaires – pointed objects like sticks, forks, glass, etc, will be allowed to be taken in the venue.

Patrons are eligible for one free show invite for every single purchase receipt of any Macbeth merchandise worth P1,200. They may also score one show invite alone, for only P600, For more information, visit www.macbethph. com or any of the following participating Macbeth Studio Shops below: SM City North Edsa, SM City Manila, SM City Fairview, SM City Fairview 1 and 2, Farmers Plaza, Metropoint Mall, Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, SM City Taytay, Ever Commonwealth Center, SM City Marilao, SM City Bacoor, SM City Sta. Rosa, Robinsons Place Lipa, Robinson Starmills, SM Center Imus, and SM City Rosario.

Nickie

Joba

Patricia

Make your Noche Buena more memorable with dinnerware in ikat and fruits prints designed by local artists

Colorful Capiz star ornaments from local artisans in Pampanga

These tabletop abaca cone trees and topiaries are perfect for small spaces

The Pinoy Santa is coming to town .... and he’s all dressed in traditional Filipino attire with gifts of local icons

Macbeth All-Stars and Macbeth Superband will hit the stage along with more than 20 artists from mainstream and underground music including Chelsea Alley, Urbandub, Rico Blanco, Mayonnaise, and Sandwich among many others.

The Avida showroom at Ayala Malls Manila Bay highlights two of Avida’s newest developments in Pasay

Regie Alabe, Avida’s Business Area Head of Metro South, introduces the company’s two latest developments: Centralis Towers and Patio Madrigal

Bing Gumboc, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Avida, delivered the opening remarks at the event.

This furnished model unit highlights the comfortable, dynamic lifestyle, and can-do living at Centralis Towers

Avida Land jump-started the celebration of its 32nd anniversary in October with the recent launch of the Ayala Malls Manila Bay Showroom.