Manila Standard - 2022 October 12 - Wednesday

No respite from oil price hikes

DOE warns of heavy impact of OPEC production cuts by next month

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Macon Ramos-Araneta

CONSUMERS can expect pump prices to continue rising as a result of the decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies to cut production by 2 million barrels per day starting next month.

“Oil prices will continue to go up. The only way that will be reversed is if OPEC+ cannot fulfill its announce ment to cut production,” Department of Energy director for the oil industry management bureau Rino Abad said.

OPEC+ decided to cut production on prospects of slower global eco nomic growth.

Sources said diesel prices are estimat ed to go up P5 per liter as of Monday.

This follows the oil price hike im posed by oil companies on Tuesday of P6.85 per liter for diesel, P3.50 per liter for kerosene, and P1.20 per liter for gasoline.

The increase ended five consecutive weeks of rollbacks.

Malacanang said it expects to an nounce specific plans to address the

DOE OKS SURVEY IN CADLAO OIL FIELD IN PALAWAN

China ‘blacklists’ PH as tourist site due to POGOs

COURTESY CALL. Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian pays a courtesy call on Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, together with Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Robinhood Padilla at the Senate on October 10, 2022. Offshore gaming, renewable energy, e-com merce, and people-to-people exchanges were among the important topics discussed. Office of the Senate President

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vince Lopez and Maricel V. Cruz

CHINA has warned its nationals to stay away from coun tries that host online gambling for Chinese nationals due to safety and security concerns, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday, quoting Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian.

“Because of the problem of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs), the Philippines now is blacklisted and tourists now are discouraged to go to the Philippines,” Zubiri said.

“Ambassador Huang said the Philippines now is part of a blacklist of tourist sites because they do not know if the tourist will be joining POGO operations and they do not

PBBM orders upgrade of maritime, aviation sectors to boost tourism

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered the creation of a Maritime Industry Development Plan to develop and broaden the country’s maritime sector and directed the De partment of Transportation to rehabili tate the country’s ports.

This was as the President and his Cabinet met to discuss the administra tion’s plans to develop and upgrade the maritime and aviation industries.

In a Facebook post, the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said the improve ment of the two sectors topped the agenda of the 11th Cabinet meeting convened by Mr. Marcos at Malacañang Palace on Tuesday morning.

The President “ordered the crafting of a maritime industry development plan to improve the maritime sector,” Press Secretary officer-in-charge Ch eloy Garafil said in a briefing.

Mr. Marcos also emphasized the

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Court of Appeals has turned down the appeal by Nobel laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and former Rappler re porter Reynaldo Santos Jr. seeking recon sideration of their cyber libel conviction.

In a 16-page resolution dated October 10, the CA’s Fourth Division said the motion for reconsideration is “unmeri torious” as the accused-appellants did not present new arguments nor evidence to warrant a reversal of its decision.

The appellate court had upheld the

June 15, 2020 decision of the Manila Regional Trial Court convicting Ressa and Santos of cyber libel filed by busi nessman Wilfredo Keng.

“A careful and meticulous review of the motion for reconsideration reveals that the matter raised by the accused-appellants

had already been exhaustively resolved and discussed in the Assailed Decision,” stated the resolution penned by Associate Justice Roberto Quiroz.

CA Associate Justices Ramon Bato Jr. and Germano Francisco Legaspi

Zubiri vows 6 priority bills for Congress okay

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATE President Juan Ponce Zubiri said Congress would pass six laws be fore the end of the year.

During the first Legislative Execu tive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting in Malacanang, Zubiri said they had agreed to pass the following measures by the end of 2022:

1. Medical Reserve Corps;

2. National Disease Prevention Man agement Authority/Center for Disease Prevention and Control;

3. Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines;

4. Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and National Service Training Program;

5. Amendments to the Build-Oper ate-Transfer Law; and

6. Condonation of Unpaid Amortiza tion and Interest on Loans of Agrarian

WEATHER

By Rio N. Araja

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will let the courts decide on whether former senator Leila de Lima will be given a home furlough after she was taken hos tage at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center on Sunday, a Palace official said Tuesday.

At a press briefing, Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Un

dersecretary Cheloy Garafil was asked for the Palace reaction on the suggestion of Senator Imee Marcos to offer home furlough for the former lawmaker.

Garafil said the President would not intervene in any case that is already be ing handled by the courts.

“De Lima’s cases are already with the

TROPICAL Depression “Maymay” on Tuesday remained stationary over the Philippine Sea but is fore cast to maintain strength prior to its landfall in the vicinity of the south ern portion of Aurora or the northern portion of Quezon on Wednesday. Due to the frictional effects, “May may” may be downgraded to “remnant low” while traversing over the land mass, the state weather bureau said.

Pulse Asia: 9 in 10 Pinoys see fake info a ‘problem’

AT LEAST 9 in 10 Filipinos said they have read or watched fake political news, and believe that the prolifera tion of false information is a problem, results of a Pulse Asia survey released Tuesday showed.

The survey, conducted from Septem

ber 17 to 21, also showed that 26 per cent of the respondents have encoun tered false news about government and politics a few times a week, 25 percent a few times a month, and 21 percent at least once a day.

This was more pronounced in Metro

Manila at 87 percent and the rest of Lu zon at 92 percent, compared to respond ents from the Visayas and Mindanao at 77 and 81 percent, respectively.

“A tenth of Filipino adults (10 per cent) are not aware of untrue

‘Maymay’ moving north, Signal 1 over six areas

PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVES. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seeks to boost the maritime and aviation sectors during the 11th Cabinet meeting at the Palace Tuesday. Revoli Cortez

Palace hands off on home furlough for De Lima, to let court rule on it

know if the Chinese nationals who go to the Philippines will be safe from illegal activities being done by the triad, by the syndicates operating POGO. They may also be kidnapped, mistaken as POGO operators,” he added.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, howev er, said he has a “different appreciation” of what the ambassador said.

“Maybe our appreciation of the comment is different, but definitely our understand ing is POGOs will affect tourism coming from China. Whether it’s a restriction, a total blacklist, that’s where we differ in our appreciation but we agree that POGOs will affect the number of tourists coming from China,” Gatchalian said.

The ambassador, who paid a cour tesy call to the Senate, said that based on their assessment, the owners and op erators of POGOs are likely to be con nected to crime syndicates and illegal activities, and thus are wanted in China.

“The Chinese government is against any forms of gambling including POGO or online gambling,” Zubiri said.

A statement issued by the Chinese em bassy in Manila after Huang’s meeting with Zubiri, Gatchalian and Sen. Robin hood Padilla said according to Chinese law, Chinese citizens opening casinos to attract Chinese citizens as primary cus tomers constitute gambling crimes.

“Criminal liability can be pursued in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Law of China. The Chinese government and law enforcement have been taking tough measures to combat all forms of gambling,” the embassy said.

“Most of the recent crimes targeted at Chinese citizens in the Philippines are related to POGO. [The] Chinese govern ment cares about and protects the safety and legitimate interests of each and every overseas Chinese citizen,” it added.

The embassy said it appreciated that Philippine law enforcement agencies have rescued a number of Chinese citi zens and shut down some POGO com panies during their operations.

“Crimes induced by and associated with POGO not only harm China’s in terests and China-Philippines relations, but also hurt the interests of the Phil ippines. It is therefore widely believed that social costs of POGO far outweigh its economic benefits to the Philippines in the long run,” the embassy said.

The embassy did not deny the “black list” remarks but said it expects more Chinese tourists to come to the Philip pines post-pandemic.

“To further elucidate on the ‘tourist blacklist’ remarks, tourism is an impor tant component of practical cooperation between China and the Philippines which has helped further deepen long-time friendship between the two peoples. Be fore the COVID-19 pandemic, close to two million Chinese nationals traveled to the Philippines in 2019, making China the second largest source of tourists.”

The Palace said it has yet to receive an advisory about the Philippines’ in clusion in any Chinese blacklist.

Undersecretary Cheloy VelicariaGarafil, officer-in-charge at the Of fice of the Press Secretary, declined to comment on whether the Palace is con cerned that the country’s inclusion in such a list would hurt tourist arrivals, saying it was best not to speculate.

Chinese nationals accounted for 1.25 million tourist arrivals in 2019 or about 15 percent of the total 8.3 million visi tors, data from the Department of Tour ism showed.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno has said he supports ending POGO ac tivities because of the “social cost” as sociated with the industry.

“Studies on the POGO industry have shown that POGO operations involve illegal activities such as prostitution,

employment of minors, and violation of labor laws,” Diokno said in his position paper submitted to the Senate commit tee on public order and dangerous drugs and ways and means.

He also noted that POGO has “repu tational risk,” especially since other countries like China and Cambodia have already banned online gambling.

Citing government data, he said POGO revenues plunged to P3.9 billion in 2021 from P7.2 billion in 2020.

Diokno said it is time for the country to pursue investments that will create value and high-quality jobs for Filipinos.

In her presentation before the Senate ways and means committee hearing, Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon of the National Economic and Develop ment Authority (NEDA) said the agen cy identified at least two possible eco nomic costs of POGOs.

The first one was China’s “threat” of prohibiting its nationals from visiting the Philippines as tourists.

“One is the statement of China when they said that they will intensify the crackdown on cross-border gambling on claims that it serves as a venue for fraudulent transactions and illegal re cruitment of Chinese workers so they adopted what they called a blacklist of cross-border gambling tourism destina tions,” Edillon said.

“So what they threatened to stop was actually, first, the tourism, the Chinese tourists coming into the Philippines and they have singled out Cambodia and the Philippines for that matter. Cambodia actually quickly banned the industry but the Philippines did not heed China’s call,” she added.

Edillon said another potential cost of POGOs was the inclusion of the Phil ippines in the so-called greylist of the Financial Action Task Force.

“The Financial Action Task Force has placed the Philippines in the greylist and they have also singled out POGOs,

saying that there’s low awareness and regulation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing and there’s the growing threat of money laundering and other fraudulent activi ties, [given] the number of unregulated or unsupervised service providers and the low level of beneficial ownership identification,” Edillon said.

“What this means essentially is for for eigners wanting to transact business in the Philippines, they will have to exert special due diligence. So just as we are trying to attract more foreign investments, it ac tually adds to the cost of doing business with the Philippines. There will be addi tional clearing times because of the fact that we are in the greylist,” she said.

These assessments were based on the AMLC’s statement in March 2020 which showed that P14 billion of P54 billion POGO transactions between 2017 and 2019 “were dubbed as suspi cious transactions.”

Edillon said the government wants the Philippines off the FATF greylist by January 2023.

On the other hand, an association of 16 licensed POGOs and 68 service providers told the Senate that some P62 billion has flowed into the na tion’s coffers over the last six years because of POGOs.

A representative of the Association of Service Providers and POGOs (AS PAP), Paul Bongco, also said the coun try gained much from the industry dur ing the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, he said ASPAP gave assistance amounting to P230 mil lion in cash, P24 million in relief goods, P300,000 in test kits and P2.5 million in surgical masks and hospital equipment.

The industry also has provided jobs for 23,000 Filipinos, he added.

Another representative, Michael Dan ganan, added that the number of Filipi no workers would overtake the number of foreign workers in POGO “soon.”

need to upgrade the country’s ports to accommodate more cruise ships and boost the tourism industry.

Garafil said the President direct ed the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to address the challenges to the quality of maritime education and training in the country.

She said MARINA was told to go after schools that are not complying with edu cational quality standards, based on inter national requirements and guidelines.

“(The President) also wants the issue on ship boarding requirements of maritime students to be addressed),” Garafil said.

“The President said the schools’ competency and training programs must be improved to build the stu dents’ advantage and put them to in ternational standards to maintain the country’s state as number one supplier of seafarers worldwide,” she added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos also or dered the DOTr to upgrade the Manila airport to accommodate more flights and passengers, Garafil said.

“The transportation sector is one of the President’s priority sectors, that’s why he asked the DOTr to pre sent their programs for maritime and aviation sector to ensure our economic recovery and create more jobs for our fellow countrymen,” she said.

On Oct. 6, Mr. Marcos said his ad ministration is serious about pursu ing big-ticket infrastructure projects to sustain the country’s economic growth despite the COVID-19 pan demic and global challenges.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bau tista, during the Economic Journalists’ Association of the Philippines Forum on Monday, said the Department of Trans portation (DOTr) is fast-tracking the completion of key projects in the avia tion, maritime sectors, railway, and road sectors to generate more economic ac tivities in the country.

courts. Let us allow her lawyers to make the proper motion and the President can not and will not intervene in any case that’s already with the courts,” she said.

In related developments:

* Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. on Tuesday said terrorists and other dangerous suspects should be detained at the facility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), af ter three of them tried to break out of Camp Crame and one held De Lima hostage on Sunday.

* Azurin on Tuesday apologized over the “Muslim” comments made by po licemen during Sunday’s hostage-taking incident at the PNP Custodial Center.

* The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos on Tuesday urged the PNP to be sensitive with the reli gion, culture, and preparation of food of Muslim inmates, which De Lima’s hostage-taker cited before being neu tralized by the police.

Asked about calls to release De Lima, who is detained over drug-re lated charges, Garafil said: “As I said, we’ll leave it up to the courts to decide if she’s going to be freed based on the evidence or merits of her case.”

After the hostage incident, Mr. Marcos said he would speak with De Lima and ask her if she wants to be transferred to anoth er detention facility. He also tasked secu rity personnel to ensure the incident will not happen again in any detention center.

De Lima, a former Justice secretary and a staunch critic of the Duterte ad ministration, has been detained at the PNP Custodial Center since February 2017. She has repeatedly denied in volvement in the proliferation of ille gal drugs.

soaring prices of fuel.

This developed after President Ferdi nand Marcos Jr., during the 11th Cabi net meeting, looked into the persistent calls for the suspension of the excise tax on petroleum products.

In a Palace press briefing, Press Secre tary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil said Marcos and his Cabinet are eyeing sev eral options to mitigate the impact of fuel price hikes on the public transport sector.

Garafil, however, did not offer any specifics about the government’s plans.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian asked the Land Transportation Regulatory and Franchising Board and other concerned agencies to ensure an efficient and timely fuel subsidy program for affected sectors should price hikes continue.

Gatchalian said there should be a law to help drivers and public utility vehicle operators mitigate the impact of high oil prices.

The senator reiterated the need to institutionalize the Pantawid Pasada Program, the reason he had earlier filed Senate Bill No. 384.

The proposed measure provides that the subsidy shall be granted to qualified beneficiaries when the average price of Dubai crude for three consecutive months is equal to or greater than $80 per barrel, which is the case today.

Gatchalian said the proposed legisla tion requires the use of digital payment systems in the subsidy distribution and imposes penalties against erring gov ernment officials for failure to ensure the timely release of the subsidy to all qualified beneficiaries.

“The concerned government agencies should be ready to intervene with an ef ficient implementation of the PantawidPasada program whenever there are se ries of oil price hikes. We should have learned the lessons from the previous disbursement,” Gatchalian said.

A new fare hike took effect last Oct. 3, but PUV drivers and operators could not collect the fare increase because they have yet to secure their copy of the new fare matrix.

Transport groups said the new round of fuel price hikes will wipe out the benefits of the recent fare increase.

The president of Pasang Masda, Obet Martin, told a TV interview that they had a rollback of almost P4 for three

consecutive weeks yet on the fourth week, they were surprised by a P6 per liter hike.

He said this was dismal as they were just starting to recover.

Several transport groups on Sunday reiterated its plea for the government to suspend the collection of excise tax on petroleum products for three to four months.

The Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philip pines president Ricardo Rebaño said the suspension is a “win-win solution,” not ing that it is a better solution than im posing another round of fare hike that will merely burden the commuters.

Following the signing of Republic Act 10963 or the Tax Reform for Ac celeration and Inclusion (TRAIN Law), the government is currently imposing an excise tax rate of P10 per liter for gasoline and P6 per liter for diesel.

Last week, Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela filed a bill aimed at cushioning the impact of high gasoline and diesel prices by applying progres sive excise taxation on fuel.

Under Tarriela’s House Bill 3628, the excise tax shall gradually decrease as fuel prices increase.

these hazards, PAGASA said.

The center of the tropical depression was estimated at 265 km east of Casig uran, Aurora. It was moving southwest at 10 kph, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 was raised over Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, and the

extreme northern portion of Quezon.

In its latest weather update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomi cal Services Administration (PAGASA) said these will experience moderate to heavy rain showers are forecast over the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, and Apayao.

Light to moderate, with at times heavy rains are likely over Batanes, Ilo cos Norte, Aurora, and Kalinga.

Scattered to widespread flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected, especially in areas highly susceptible to

Meanwhile, rough to very seas are fore cast over the seaboards of northern Luzon (Batanes, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, and Isabela); the western seaboard of north ern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of central and southern Luzon (Ilocos Sur, Aurora and the eastern coast of Polillo Is land, Jomalig and Patnanungan).

PAGASA advised fishing boats and small seacrafts not to venture out into the sea and larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves.

The DOTr, Bautista said, is also build ing more airports and seaports and mod ernizing existing ones to address air and maritime connectivity needs.

The department is targeting the completion of P1 trillion worth of air port projects by 2023.

The projects include the construction and rehabilitation of Antique Airport, Bacolod-Silay Airport, Catbalogan Airport, Davao International Airport, M’lang Airport, Ozamiz Airport, San Vicente Airport, Sanga-Sanga Airport in Tawi-Tawi, Tacloban Airport, and Tuguegarao Airport.

regarding government and politics,” Pulse Asia said.

At least 58 percent of the respond ents said social media influencers, bloggers, and/or vloggers are top ped dlers of fake political news, followed by journalists at 40 percent, national level politicians at 37 percent, local politicians at 30 percent, civic leaders/ NGO leaders at 15 percent, business men at 11 percent and academics, pro fessors or teachers at 4 percent.

Respondents also identified either social media or the internet (68 per cent) and television (67%) as their top sources of fake information about government and politics.

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews based on a sam ple of 1,200 respondents 18 years old and above, with a ± 2.8 percent error margin at a 95 percent confidence level.

concurred with the ruling.

Ressa will appeal the conviction for cyber libel in the country’s high est court, her lawyer said Tuesday, as the veteran journalist battles to stay out of prison.

The move was “disappointing,” her lawyer Ted Te said.

Ressa, 59, and her former colleague Santos Jr face lengthy jail sentences for the conviction, which her news website Rappler has vowed to fight.

The latest appeal rejection, handed down on Monday, “ignored basic prin ciples of constitutional and criminal law as well as the evidence presented,” Te said in a statement.

“Maria and Rey will elevate these is sues to the SC (Supreme Court) and we will ask the SC to review the decision and to reverse the decision,” he said.

Ressa has long been a vocal critic

of former president Rodrigo Duterte and the deadly drug war he launched in 2016, triggering what media advo cates say is a grinding series of crimi nal charges, probes, and online attacks against her and Rappler.

She and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to “safe guard freedom of expression”.

Ressa said the latest legal blow was “a reminder of the importance of in dependent journalism holding power to account”.

“Despite these sustained attacks from all sides, we continue to focus on what we do best -– journalism,” she said in a statement.

Ressa, who is also a US citizen, is fighting seven court cases, including the cyber libel case, for which she has been on bail and faces up to nearly sev en years in prison.

The cyber libel law was intro duced in 2012, the same year Rap pler was founded.

Rappler, which also faces multiple cases, had to fight for survival as Du terte’s government accused it of violat ing a constitutional ban on foreign own ership in securing funding, as well as tax evasion.

Days before Duterte left office, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission ordered Rappler to shut down for violating “constitutional and statutory restrictions on foreign owner ship in mass media”.

Rappler is challenging the decision, and the company’s future is uncertain.

In a recent speech, President Ferdi nand Marcos Jr. said he believed in the “importance of upholding the universal right of free speech and press freedom as well as giving and receiving accurate information.”

In its motion, Ressa and Santos ar gued that the appellate court erred when it held that cyber libel was not pre scribed and that the prescription period for the said offense is 15 years.

This was aside from the court ruling

Reform Beneficiaries.

Zubiri said they presented a total of 26 priority bills, 23 of which are meas ures mentioned by President Ferdi nand Marcos Jr. during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA)

Describing the meeting as a success, Zubiri said this will allow the legisla tive and executive departments to syn chronize their priority measures.

Majority Leader Senator Joel Vil lanueva also considered the meeting productive, saying the coordination between the legislative and executive departments is strong.

He also got support for the National Employment Recovery Strategy when he filed Senate Bill No. 129 or Traba ho Para Sa Lahat ng Pilipino Act.

The bill expands the NERS into a long-term National Employment Ac tion Plan to create decent jobs for all Filipinos, improve the employability and competencies of the workforce, and provide support to businesses to ensure the security of employment.

that the criminal proceedings do not constitute an “ex post facto” application of the cybercrime law, and Ressa and Santos said that actual malice was not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Besides, Ressa argued that the ap pellate court erred in holding her liable simply based on the prosecution’s alle gation that she was the CEO and Execu tive Editor of Rappler.

The case stemmed from an article written by Santos claiming that Keng allegedly lent his sports utility vehicle to then Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Apart from this, the story also cited an intelligence report that said Keng had been under surveillance by the National Security Council for alleged involvement in human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Keng has denied all the allegations. The Office of the Solicitor General has maintained that the motion for reconsidera tion be denied for lack of merit as the mat ters raised by Ressa and Santos were “mere ly rehashed from their Brief.” With AFP

WET SEASON

DEFINITELY OVER.

The harbinger of dry, hot months comes into play as residents of Tondo, Manila line up their empty containers to fetch water for a minimal fee following announcement by Maynilad of water supply interruptions that will be felt also in the cities of Malabon, Caloocan, Quezon, Las Pinas, Makati, and Paranaque, as well as Bacoor and Kawit towns in Cavite province.

Norman Cruz

DOH: No COVID rise among students despite opening of classes

THERE was no reported increase of COVID-19 cases among children since last August 22, the start of school year 2022-2023, that saw a widespread re sumption of in-person classes, the De partment of Health (DOH) said on Tues day.

At the same time, the DOH report ed 722 new Delta and Omicron subvari ant cases in the country.

According to Health Undersecretary Beverly So, the DOH remained support ive of in-person classes, but also recog nizes that COVID-19 cases might be im minent due to increased mobility among the youngsters.

“Categorically speaking, when we are looking at the trends for pediatric population since Aug. 22, we didn’t real ly see an uptick,” Ho said during a press briefing.

“But what is important for all of us is to recognize two things: one is klaro sa amin (it’s clear to us) that the faceto-face learning is superior, not just for education but for the health, holistic de velopment ng mga bata. So we’re very supportive of that,” Ho said.

“Second is we need to recognize that as we go out of our houses, magkakauptick tayo (we will have an uptick). It’s just a matter of time. But we want to reassure everyone, that’s why we have technologies like vaccines,” she said.

Ho said that hospital admission rates have not increased.

“The more we go full blast face-toface, it will really go up. What we don’t want is the number of cases increasing alongside the hospital admission. But if the cases increase and hospital admis sion did not, we’ve done our job. We’ve protected ourselves enough from vac cines,” she said.

Department of Education (DepEd) spokesman Michael Poa said the agency was still collating data on how many learners have been inoculated against COVID-19. Willie Casas

Cholera rising, but not alarming—DOH

By Willie Casas

MORE people were reportedly afflicted with cholera this year than last year, but the Department of Health (DOH) said there was still no cause for alarm as situation was manageable.

DOH records showed a total of 3,729 cholera cases has been recorded across the country since last January, and the figure was 282 percent higher com pared to the same period last year.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Ro sario Vergeire, during a press confer ence, said that in 2021, there were only 976 cholera cases nationwide.

Cumulatively, most of the cholera cases were reported by Eastern Visayas,

Davao Region, and Caraga.

From August 28 to September 4 alone, 258 cases were logged, most of which from Eastern Visayas, the Bicol Region, and Western Visayas.

Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas, meanwhile, have sur passed the epidemic threshold levels for the disease during the same period.

At least 33 people have reportedly died of cholera this year—three of

which were logged in July, nine in Au gust, and two in September.

Vergeire said that the most common age group affected with cholera are children aged 5 to 9, primarily due to unsafe drinking water.

“We know that it is the rainy season now, there is a lot of flooding, a lot of people also go to evacuation centers. Because of calamities, our water sys tems are always affected, especially in these areas,” she said.

“Some may die of severe dehydra tion if not treated on time, especially if the patient is immunocompromised or vulnerable,” Vergeire said.

Nonetheless, she noted that no local government unit has declared an out break as the incidence remained “man ageable.”

CLOSED FOR ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT.

Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople padlocks the office of the immigration consultancy firm K-Monster in Makati City for alleged illegal recruitment of Filipinos workers eyeing jobs in South Korea.

Danny Pata

Gov’t allots more funds for 2023 rice stocking program

THE National Food Authority (NFA) will get more funds for its rice procure ment program to ensure adequate sup ply of the cereal next year, according to the Department of Budget and Manage ment (DBM).

The DBM said the national budget al located around P12 billion for the NFA’s Buffer Stocking Program in 2023, near ly doubled from the P7 billion alloca tion this year.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangan

daman said the move was to ensure sufficient rice supply in the country, “in times of global food crisis, unforeseen emergencies, and calamities.”

“By increasing the budgetary alloca tion for the Buffer Stocking Program, we are stressing the importance of en suring food affordability, especially rice, which is a staple food for Filipi nos. This is also our strategic plan for food security in times of crisis since our country is prone to natural calamities,”

Pangandaman said in a statement.

Under the proposed 2023 General Appropriations Act, the provision for buffer stock capacity has increased from nine days to 15 days.

The proposed 2023 budget for the program was higher than this year’s budget to enable the government to pro cure 631,579 metric of palay from local farmers.

The DBM said the increased budget allocation for the program was attuned

to the Marcos administration’s eightpoint socioeconomic agenda, with food security as one of the top priorities.

It also noted that around P0.67 billion will also be allotted for the purchase of high-quality rice and corn seeds for seed buffer stocking under the Depart ment of Agriculture (DA).

“This is to ensure enough supply of seeds to be used during calamities and emergencies affecting rice and corn production,” the agency said.

Villar launches facility to drum up public awareness on wetlands

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

TO mark the observance of the World Migratory Bird Day, Senator Cynthia Villar led the opening of a facility at the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LP PWP) designed to educate and raise pub lic consciousness about wetlands. Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, stressed that wetlands are “critically im portant ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and ad aptation, freshwater availability and to economies, among its many functions.”

This Wetland Center is our solid edi fice and contribution for the Philippine wetlands,” she said.

“With our country’s archipelagic na ture, we have an abundant number of wetlands that call for much-needed at tention,” the senator added.

The 2016 Atlas of Philippine Inland Wetlands and Classified Caves, showed that the country has 314 inland wetlands and 2,487 river systems. Out of the 314 wetlands, there are 221 lakes, 12 marsh es and swamps, nine peat lands, 39 water storage, and 31 ponds.

Villar noted however, that some Filipi nos do not fully recognize and appreci ate the significance of wetlands.

She specifically mentioned the case of Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP), which has always been facing reclamation threats.

TC nixes plea to extend levy on imported cement

CITING results of its investigation, the Tariff Commission (TC) denied an ap peal by local cement manufacturers to extend the imposition of customs duty on imported cement.

At the same time, the Commission al layed the fears of local cement makers that the impending lifting of a security measure would make them vulnerable against imported cement.

The Cement Manufacturers Associa tion of the Philippines (CeMAP) sought the extension of tariff imposition against imported cement as the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Administra tive Order No. 19-13 expires this month.

The order, issued in 2019, imposes a safeguard duty on imported cement for a period of three years to provide tempo rary relief for the domestic cement indus try while it undertakes measures to be come more competitive against imports.

In its report, the TC noted that the domestic industry has recorded high in come from operations as a result of the Administrative Order 19-13, “despite the existence of price undercutting, price de pression, and price suppression during the period under review (2019 to 2021).”

“The domestic industry was profitable as its income from operations bounced back in 2021 to pre-pandemic levels of PHP 13 billion,” the Commission re ported.

“Return on Sales was stable at 13%, attributable to successfully executed cost-cutting and productivity-enhancing industry measures,” it said.

The Tariff Commission added that the local cement industry was able to stabi lize production and increased its capacity to supply a growing market during the period covered by Administrative Or der No. 19-13.

“During the period under review, there was no significant overall impairment in the position of the domestic cement industry that constituted serious injury,” the report concluded.

IN BRIEF

Army kills NPA leader in Negros Occidental

AN ALLEGED top leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) was reportedly killed in an encounter with govern ment troops on Monday in Negros Oc cidental, the military said on Tuesday.

Killed in the 10-minute clash in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, was Romeo Nanta, alias Juanito Magbanua, according to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID).

Nanta, who was also known as Juaning and Jack, was the com manding officer of the Regional Op erational Command of the Komiteng Rehiyon – Negros and spokesperson of the NPA’s Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, the Army said.

SSS explains perceived P827-b net loss in 2021

THE Social Security System (SSS) has maintained that the accounting net loss in its 2021 audited financial state ments was primarily due to the presentation of policy reserves in its balance sheets, “which does not affect its current cash flow and fund ing situation.”

“In 2021, we recorded an P872billion change in policy reserves that caused a comprehensive loss of P827 billion in our statement of comprehensive income. The in crease in policy reserves includes a P400-billion margin for adverse de viation (MfAD), a one-time initial provision that serves as a buffer for conservatism,” SSS president and chief executive officer Michael Reg ino said. Rio N. Araja

Makati eyes global aid for climate initiatives

THE Makati City government is considering using an international fi nancial program to get grants, loans, and funds to boost its climate action and make the city more resilient.

Mayor Abigail Binay made the announcement after she attended last week the Daring Cities 2022, an event in Bonn, Germany where she learned the three climate-financing instruments - climate finance gap fund, green cities program, and the local climate adaptive living facility.

Binay said her administration would seek the support of the World Bank and the European Investment Bank through its city climate finance gap fund. She added the climate ac tion trust fund provides technical as sistance and capacity building to help cities in developing countries turn climate-focused ideas into concrete project proposals.

Joel E. Zurbano

STONES FROM OUTERSPACE. A visitor takes a photo of the Pantar meteorite retrieved in Lanao

Norte and the Bondoc meteorite found in Quezon province currently on display at the Godofredo Alcasid Function Hall of the National Museum of Natural History which opened to the public opens it to the public in observance of the Museum and Galleries Month and World Space Week. Danny Pata

DOE gives go signal to oil firm on Cadlao

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday announced that the De partment of Energy (DOE) allowed Nido Petroleum Philippines Pty. Ltd., the technical operator/operator of Service Contract 6B, to proceed with the site survey of the Cad lao oil field by the last quarter.

Mr. Marcos said the government’s intent to maximize indigenous re sources attracted strong interest from foreign investors in the Philippine up stream oil and gas sector.

“The government’s commitment to preserve and maintain the invest ment incentives for service contrac tors under Presidential Decree 87 has been met with renewed confi dence and strong interest by local and foreign investors in the oil and gas sector,” the President said.

The DOE allowed Nido Petro leum to proceed with the site survey of their drilling locations in their service contract areas. The activities will pave the way for drilling two wells - one exploration and one ap praisal- by the first half of next year.

“For SC 6B, the appraisal well for the Cadlao oil field could lead to early oil production towards the second half of 2023 while the re coverable volumes expected from the oil field are 5 to 6 million bar rels of oil,» Marcos said.

Cadlao is an old oil field that was last produced in the early 1990s with over 11 million barrels.

Vince Lopez

IN BRIEF

Solon to House: Pass PH maritime zone bill

CAGAYAN de Oro City Rep. Ru fus Rodriguez appealed to Congress to finally pass a bill delineating the country’s maritime boundaries, in cluding its 200-mile exclusive eco nomic zone.

Rodriguez made the appeal in the wake of the reported agreement be tween the Philippines and Indonesia on rules on how to delimit their over lapping territorial boundaries.

The agreement was an offshoot of the visit to Jakarta of President Fer dinand Marcos Jr. last month. “The projected talks between the Philip pines and our neighbor Indonesia should prompt Congress to now ap prove a maritime zones bill,” Rodri guez said. Maricel V. Cruz

DAR chief to beef up agency’s manpower

TO beef up the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) capabil ity to support farmer-beneficiaries and complete land acquisition and distribution of 500,000 hectares of agricultural land, Secretary Conrado Estrella III is requesting the Depart ment of Budget and Management to create new positions for program of ficers and to promote program tech nologists.

The recruitment of more field personnel and the promotion would strengthen vigorous rural develop ment campaigns, he said.

He said there is a need to hire 96 agrarian reform program officers I (ARPOs I) and to upgrade 344 agrar ian reform program technologists (ARPTs) positions to ARPO I. Rio N. Araja

Comelec zaps petition vs. BBM candidacy

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc on Monday up held the ruling of the poll body’s First Division to deny the petition seeking to disqualify President Fer dinand Marcos, Jr. from running for any elective post.

The ruling denied the partial mo tion for reconsideration earlier filed questioning the First Division’s find ings that allowed Mr. Marcos to run for president in the May 2022 elec tions.

“There is no basis for petitioners to simply declare that the bases and rea soning of the First Division are clearly insufficient to justify such resolution and are contrary to law. Therefore, we find no cogent reason to disturb the findings of the Commission,” the en banc said. Vito Barcelo

Remulla: DOJ to go after suspects in EJKs

GOING after those involved in extrajudicial killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war will be one of the priorities of the Department of Jus tice (DOJ).

DOJ Secretary Crispin “Boying” Re mulla made the statement amid a review of the United Nations Human Rights Committee of the Philippines’ pressing issues during the 3919th meeting of the 136th Session of the international body.

“Forty-six police officers were charged in court from the 302 cases which were referred to the National Bureau of Inves tigation for case built up from the past drug operations; 222 police officers were found administratively liable and suspended from the service,” Remulla, in an ABS-CBN News report, said.

The official said the DOJ “strength ened witness protection program to en courage civil society organizations, wit nesses and families of victims to come forward.”

He also added that another concern that the DOJ will focus on is overcrowd ing which continues to pose a challenge to the Bureau of Corrections.

According to Remulla, “the biggest chunk of the department’s budget is ear marked” for decongesting the cells.

He said the New Bilibid Prison “hous es 17,000 maximum security prisoners

in a jail built for only 5,000 people. We are now reforming the system and we have budgeted P4 billion to relocate the maximum security prison to the island Mindoro.”

Remulla meanwhile called for “real actions” to address the displacement of people due to humanitarian crises, armed conflicts, and climate change.

“The growing and continuing forced displacement of peoples from all over lead us to the conclusion that the global humanitarian agenda is, and must be, about people, their well-being, health, livelihood, and basic human dignity,” Remulla said, in his speech before the 73rd Session of the Executive Commit tee of the High Commissioner’s Program of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland. Rey E. Requejo

CHAMPION POLE VAULTER.

Senators slam ongoing DENR rehab projects

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Cynthia Villar expressed disappointment over the reclamation pro jects in Manila Bay of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Villar is currently the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change. The committee recently held a hearing on the proposed 2023 budget of the DENR.

During the hearing, Sen. Nancy Binay inquired from the agency’s officials about the status of the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach and the reclamation area in Manila Bay.

Binay said from her office at the Senate of the Philippines, she can see ships plac ing sand on the beach.

But DENR Usec. Atty. Jonas Leones said that the project on Dolomite Beach had ended.

“(Former) President Duterte, I think it was 2019 or 2020, he said there is a moratorium on the reclamation at Manila Bay. But at Manila Bay, from my office, I can see the view of Manila Bay. I can see sand still being dropped,” Binay said.

Leones said the rehabilitation at Manila Bay is continuous. He said the DENR has stopped placing sand at the site.

The Manila Bay project has yet to get a budget, the official added. The budget for its rehabilitation will go to enforcement as well as protection efforts, Leones said.

Regarding the reclamation pro ject, DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga, said as of August 2022, 21 companies have been given environmen tal compliance certificates. She said the ECC is intended for the reclamation from Cavite to Navotas.

“It appears that the moratorium was not in effect when these ECCs were actu ally granted,” Loyzaga said.

Lawmakers honor heroic Bulacan rescuers in ‘Karding’ disaster

By Maricel V. Cruz

The five men are rescue personnel of

Adopted last September 28, 2022, the

Teves gives way to DILG on contested post

By Rio N. Araja

GOVERNOR Henry Pryde Teves on Tues day chose to give way to an order of the De partment of Interior and Local Government (DILG) while waiting for the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision on his petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO).

He said he made the decision to avoid disruption of the delivery of public ser vice and prevent further untoward inci dents in Negros Oriental.

He said he did not want to sacrifice the employees and the services that they are giving to the Negrenses, citing that should he continue to stay as the duly elected governor, it would only sow fur ther tension and impasse that could para lyze government service in the province.

Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ legal coun sel, insisted that it is legal for his client to remain in his post until the denial of their TRO petition.

He said he was taken aback by Teves’ statement while they were still in the middle of a meeting, adding that what the governor did was admirable and that there was still an elected official who is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of his constituents.

Teves, for his part, believes that only the High Court could rule on the matter with finality.

“I’ll rather wait for the next 15 days for the final ruling on TRO petition. I can’t give additional stress to my people and my family, who have already been through so much (pain),” he said.

HOUSE Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday presented to the next of kin of the five fallen Bulacan rescuers a copy of House Resolution No. 16 honoring their heroic deed as well as financial assistance for each of the family.

resolution recognized the bravery of Nar ciso Calayag Jr., Jerson Resurreccion, Marby Bartolome, George Agustin, and Troy Justin Agustin, who all died per forming their duty to save people’s lives in Barangay Kamias in San Miguel, Bula can at the height of the onslaught of super typhoon “Karding.”

the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Re duction and Management Office (PDR RMO).

Speaker Romualdez received the families of the ill-fated Bulacan rescuers at his office at the House of Representatives where he handed them a copy of the House resolution and the financial assistance. He also reiterated his gratitude and ad

miration for the dedication to duty of the rescue personnel who performed their task without hesitation in a bid to save others even at the risk of their own lives.

“We will not forget your sacrifice and heroism, Narciso Calayag Jr., Jerson Res urreccion, Marby Bartolome, George Agustin, and Troy Justin Agustin. We will keep you in our prayers,” Romualdez said.

Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, currently the world’s No. 3 pole vaulter receives a copy of a resolution from Speaker Martin G. Romualdez and Tingog Partylist Rep.Yedda Marie K. Romualdez for winning gold medals in the 26th Internationales Stabhochsprung held in Germany. Ver Noveno

FOR NURSES. Members of Filipino Nurses United (FNU) hold lighted candles, red roses and protest placards during the commemoration of October 2022 “National Nurses Week,” held along United Nations Avenue in Manila. Norman Cruz

ZIPLINE. Local tourists from Manila ride the 840-meter zipline at the Dahilayan Adventure Park. The park is one of the most famous tourist attractions near the foot of Mount Kitanglad in Barangay Dahilayan in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. Danny Pata

and the ICC

in relation to the government’s so-called war on drugs, all within the framework of our own legal and judicial system.”

A contentious issue here is the complementarity principle, which states that the ICC only has juris diction over cases where the relevant state is un willing or unable to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute the case itself.

IF THE Philippine government has nothing to hide, why does it fear the investigation by the Internation al Criminal Court of the Duterte regime’s bloody war on drugs?

We signed the Rome Statute creating the ICC on December 28, 2000 because we believed then that the rationale behind it was compelling: that the ICC would exercise jurisdiction over certain internation al crimes, including genocide, crimes against hu manity, and war crimes committed by nationals of states/parties or within the territory of states/parties.

By signing and ratifying the treaty, the Philip pines agreed to cooperate with the ICC when it so requires, such as arresting and transferring indicted persons or providing access to evidence and wit nesses.

But on March 17, 2018, the Duterte adminis tration signified its withdrawal from the ICC. The withdrawal became effective one year later, on March 17, 2019.

Why did Duterte withdraw the country from the Rome Statute?

He did so because of the uproar here and abroad over the deaths of thousands of alleged drug sus pects that police claimed had fought back (“nanla ban”) when they were about to be arrested, a claim contradicted by the families of the victims, per news reports.

In other words, Duterte did not want to be inves tigated and tried by the ICC for ‘crimes against hu manity.’ He said he is willing to face trial by a local court, but not by foreigners.

Besides, Duterte claimed that while the Rome Statute was ratified by the Senate in 2011, it was never published in the Official Gazette of the Phil ippines, a requirement for penal laws to take effect. Hence, he said the Philippines was never a State Party ab initio.

Thus far, only four states have withdrawn from the ICC: Burundi, Gambia, Philippines and South Africa. But Gambia and South Africa have since rescinded their withdrawal, thus leaving only the Philippines and Burundi in Africa to have finally withdrawn from the ICC.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has indicated that his administration has no intention of rejoining the ICC after consulting his legal advisers.

The Department of Justice vehemently opposes any ICC investigation of Duterte’s war on drugs.

It says that ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan is doing the tribunal a “great disservice” by “challeng ing the Philippine system” for insisting on a fullblown investigation of the alleged crimes against humanity committed during the Duterte administra tion’s bloody war on drugs.

Moreover, the department insists there is no need for such a probe since the Philippines has already withdrawn from the ICC.

The Office of the Solicitor General takes the same stand: “Regardless of the (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber’s ruling, the Philippine government will avail itself of all legal remedies, both domestic and international, even as it vigorously pursues its own investigation and prosecution of crimes committed

The Philippine government insists that the ICC investigation is unwarranted because the legal sys tem here is working.

But that claim is contradicted by the glacial pace of investigations being conducted by the police and the prosecution service.

Out of the 6,300 or so official tally of deaths by the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2021, only one case has resulted in a guilty verdict for the accused police operatives.

In the end, what is likely to happen is that justice will remain elusive for the families of the more than 6,000 victims of alleged extra-judicial killings in Duterte’s bloody war on drugs

The rest are, in the words of the PNP, “deaths under investigation.” How long those investigations will take, we really have no way of knowing.

Human rights groups that have taken up the cud gels for the families of Duterte’s drug war victims successfully asked the Supreme Court to compel the police to furnish it with a progress report on “deaths under investigation.”

The PNP dutifully complied by releasing records of a handful of cases—around 150 out of nearly 7,000 cases, if we’re not mistaken—that human rights lawyers dismissed as “rubbish” since they said one and the same thing: the “nanlaban” narra tive, and seemed to have been a flagrant copy-andpaste operation.

To the argument that our criminal justice system is working, Khan counters the Philippine govern ment has not demonstrated “that it has conducted or is conducting national investigations or pros ecutions that sufficiently mirror the investigation authorized by the Chamber…Nothing in the obser vations nor in the hundreds of pages of associated annexes substantiates that criminal proceedings ac tually have been or are being conducted in anything more than a small number of cases.”

In the end, what is likely to happen is that justice will remain elusive for the families of the more than 6,000 victims of alleged extra-judicial killings in Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

With even the new administration unwilling to roll out the welcome mat for ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, will we see the same culture of im punity that characterized the previous administra tion’s six-year war on drugs to continue in the years ahead?

We hope not.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Day of the Girl Child

development, such as lack of or inadequate public infrastructure in their locations, inadequate laws to protect and promote their rights, few opportunities for advancement and upward mobility, and poor administration of government agencies that should be helping girls and young women achieve more for themselves.

YESTERDAY, October 11, was the 10th anniver sary of the International Day of the Girl Child, and it is time we entered into the public discourse what it is, what it is for, and how the country is addressing the most pressing problem facing young girls and teenagers.

The United Nations held the first International Day of the Girl Child on Oct. 11, 2012, to spread awareness about the situation and condition of girls facing gender inequality around the world and to draw support for more opportunities for them.

They face inequalities largely in the aspect of ac cess in the areas of education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination and violence against women and children, accord ing to the UN.

Girls and young women are increasingly being more cognizant of their rights and their ability and capacity to shape public policy and discourse and bring attention to issues that affect their sector.

With the internet and globalization, there are more opportunities for them to speak and have their voices heard on the world stage.

Providing inspiration to us all are Malala Yousafzai in the area of girls’ education and Greta Thunberg on climate awareness and action.

They overcame tremendous adversity to get their message across – Malala barely survived a murder attempt, and Greta struggled against op position; both have received threats to their safety.

Yet, despite the challenges, they never gave up.

How much more can girls and young women like them achieve if fully supported instead of thwarted?

There are still many barriers to young girls and women fulfilling their potential, among them sys temic and cultural issues of poverty, class, ethnicity, cultural traditions, health (including COVID-19), and gender discrimination.

Government-related concerns also hold back

There are some 600 million adolescent girls in the world; in the Philippines, there are some 10.3 million adolescent girls (10-19 years old), accord ing to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency.

A UNFPA policy brief of 2020 stated that teen age pregnancy is one of the “most pressing issues” Filipino youths face today.

A UNFPA policy brief of 2020 stated that teenage pregnancy is one of the ‘most pressing issues’ Filipino youths face today

A study the agency commissioned in 2016 found that adolescents who began childbearing before the age of 18 “are less likely to complete secondary education compared to the adolescents who have not begun childbearing.”

This failure to complete secondary education has a deep impact with a domino effect, because it negatively affects future employment opportunities and the “total life earnings of families.”

This in turn has dire consequences not only on the lives of individuals and their families, but also on economic growth and national development.

“The net estimated effect of early childbearing due to lost opportunities and foregone earnings,” the UNFPA study found, “can be as high as 33 bil lion pesos annual losses for the country.”

It is quite alarming to learn that the Philip pines has “one of the highest adolescent birth rates among the ASEAN member states,” with World Bank data showing that the country has “47 births annually per 1,000 women aged 1519, higher than the average adolescent birth rates

EDITORIAL

Climate change a global health threat

WORLD leaders are one in saying that climate change, the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, has become among the world’s greatest health risks.

They agree that while no one is safe from these risks, the people whose health is being harmed first and worst by the climate crisis are the people who contribute least to its causes, and who are least able to protect themselves and their families against it — people in low-income and disadvantaged coun tries and communities.

The climate crisis threatens to undo the last 50 years of progress in devel opment, global health, and poverty re duction, and to further widen existing health inequalities between and within populations.

We remember what President Fer dinand Marcos Jr. said, in his address during the 77th session of the UN Gen eral Assembly in New York last month: “Climate change is the greatest threat affecting our nations and peoples. There is no other problem so global in nature that it requires a united effort, one led by the United Nations.”

Mr. Marcos lamented that further inaction would result in the extreme

suffering of “least responsible” smaller nations such as the Philippines.

Although it is unequivocal that climate change affects human health, it remains challenging to accurately estimate the scale and impact of many climatesensitive health risks

We hold the argument that the cri sis, sweeping across the inhabited continents, severely jeopardizes the realization of universal health cover age in various ways – including by compounding the existing burden of disease and by exacerbating existing barriers to accessing health services, often at the times when they are most needed.

We understand more than 930 mil lion people — around 12 percent of the world’s population — spend at least 10 percent of their household budget to pay for health care.

Experts add that climate change, sadly, is also undermining many of the social determinants for good health, like livelihoods, equality and access to health care and social support struc tures.

These climate-sensitive health risks are disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, includ ing women, children, ethnic minori ties, poor communities, migrants or displaced persons, older populations, and those with underlying health con ditions.

Although it is unequivocal that cli mate change affects human health, it remains challenging to accurately es timate the scale and impact of many climate-sensitive health risks.

But – if this is any short-term con solation – scientific advances progres sively allow people to attribute an in crease in morbidity and mortality to human-induced warming, and more accurately determine the risks and scale of these health threats.

We agree with experts that in the short- to medium-term, the health im pacts of climate change will be deter mined mainly by the vulnerability of populations, their resilience to the cur rent rate of climate change and the ex tent and pace of adaptation.

In the longer-term, the effects will increasingly depend on the extent to which transformational action is taken now to reduce emissions and avoid the breaching of dangerous temperature thresholds and potential irreversible tipping points.

The people must not blink against the climate change challenge.

A functional government

royo in 2004 with 12.9 million (39.99 percent); Be nigno Simeon Aquino III in 2010 with 15.2 million (42 percent); and Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 with 16.6 million or 39 percent.

With P13 trillion in debts, and rising, the govern ment is technically bankrupt.

“WHAT we have managed to do in the first 100 days is put together a government that is func tional.”

That is the No. 1 achievement President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. cited after three months and 10 days, when asked by GMA 7 reporter Ivan May rina in the Q and A portion of “The President’s Night” of the Manila Overseas Press Club last Oct. 5 at the Sofitel Plaza.

Despite short notice, MOPC, chaired by me, pro duced the largest ever post-inaugural prestige audi ence for President Marcos Jr. during its “The Presi dent’s Night” Wednesday last week.

The gala event was attended by some 500 top media professionals and businessmen, including delegations from six of the country’s biggest business and professional groups—the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by President George Barcelon, the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry led by Henry Lim, the Federation of Philippine Industries led by President Jess Aranza; the realtors group FIABCI led by Reghis Romero, Jun Dulalia and Architect Nestor Mangio; the Philippine Exporters Confederation led by Sergio Ortiz Ruiz, and the Philippine Constitu tion Association led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

BBM’s second achievement is that the country’s most popular president ever has assembled “the best and brightest” to work in his government.

“Best and brightest” implies technocracy and expertise earned from formal training, usually from reputable schools, here and abroad, plus many years of experience for lodging many years of work, in government and in the private sector.

And the third achievement is having unified the entire country.

Marcos Jr. obtained 31.629 million votes in the May 2022 presidential elections—two to five times the votes of previous presidential winners, and 59 percent of the total votes cast for president. BBM’s votes were twice those of his nearest rival.

Fidel V. Ramos won in 1992 with only 5.3 million votes (23.58 percent); Joseph Estrada in 1998 with 10.7 million (39.86 percent); Gloria Macapagal Ar

With such an awesome mandate, Marcos Jr. erased in one blow whatever negative legacy his father and namesake Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Jr. might have been associated with.

You cannot blame then BBM for describing his government as functional. Leadership and the presidency involve many complex functions

Marcos Sr. was blamed for human rights abuses because 14 of his 20-year rule were under martial or strongman rule. (Martial law was imposed on Sep tember 21, 1972 and lifted on January 17, 1981. –

Editor)

Having assumed the functions of both the execu tive and the legislature, FM was a dictator and his rule became associated with cronyism and corruption.

Little, if any, of alleged massive corruption, was proven despite 36 years of a “functioning” Presiden tial Commission on Good Government created by Cory Aquino.

Marcos Jr’s justice secretary, Jesus Crispin “Boy ing” Remulla, has had the good sense to park PCGG under the Department of Justice, where the PCGG can be made to be more “functional.”

By now thus, you know the difference be tween functioning—which is doing one’s basic function—and functional --which involves many functions and many other things, like aesthetics, for instance.

You cannot blame then BBM for describing his government as functional. Leadership and the presi dency involve many complex functions.

No other presidency has been so challenged as to be perceived to be a failure so early in the game.

themselves with this mission.

I checked the Philippine Commission on Wom en (PCW) website, nothing on the Day of the Girl Child.

Oh, maybe it’s because they don’t have a new chairperson yet!

We don’t have a Secretary of Health either.

How’s this government doing on getting leaders for all the aimless agencies right now? Not too well, we hear.

To recover from the worst economic slump ever, the government has to borrow more. The BBM ad ministration has just obtained $2 billion in loans thru a first bond sale. Seemingly huge, the $2 billion is not enough.

So the government is looking for what you call free money. Foreign investments. And remittances of the 12 million Filipino expats abroad.

The best ever foreign investment is about $10 bil lion in one year. It was not enough.

The No. 1 source of foreign investments today is Singapore. So President Marcos Jr. has gone to that island state twice, meeting its prime minister on both occasions.

The No. 1 source of OFW remittances is the United States. So BBM went there for a week during which he also managed to introduce himself before the United States as “Ferdinand Marcos. I am the president of the Republic of the Philippines.”

According to surveys, the No. 1 problem of Filipi nos is inflation—the fast rate of increases in prices of nearly all commodities and services, particularly food and energy items.

Bangko Sentral Governor Philip Medalla says Philippine inflation is 80 percent imported. Meaning if inflation were 8 percent, only 1.6 percentage points of that could be blamed on the pace of increase in price of domestic goods.

Today, the Philippines imports 25 percent of its total food needs and 99 percent of its crude oil needs. What can we expect BBM to do then?

Well, expect him to make more overseas trips. To arrange for investments for the production of or sup ply of food for Filipinos. To arrange for supplies of crude and other energy supplies.

And to re-connect the Philippines to the world. Under the Duterte administration, the Philippines gravitated towards China, as if it were the only source of investments, loans, and tourists.

As regards oil, Marcos says he will deal with any supplier, including Russia. The primary consideration is the interest of Filipinos, or national interest, not geo politics.

After all, the Philippines, BBM says, is “a friend to all, an enemy to none.”

rance as it is of lack of resources and opportunities.

As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, let us go deeper and reflect how we can make a better country for our female children and teenagers.

As the UN study found, early childbearing has a huge negative impact on a nation’s economy and development; young women hold the future of the country in their hands and wombs.

emergency.’”

To stem this trend, I hope these two agencies will continue to work to solve this problem and provide better opportunities for female adolescents all over country.

Other government agencies should also align

Meanwhile, many Filipino girl children and teen agers aren’t doing well either.

They are children having children, and our soci ety and its institutions, not just our government, must face this problem that is just as much a result of igno

* * * Dr. Ortuoste is a board member of the Philippine Center for International PEN and a member of the Manila Critics Circle, founder of the National Book Awards. FB and Twitter: @ DrJennyO

Hong Kong leader says he ‘laughs off’ US sanctions

HONG KONG’S leader laughed off US sanctions against him Tuesday as he defended his government’s decision not to act against a superyacht report edly owned by a Kremlin ally.

The Nord—a $500 million luxury vessel linked to Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov—arrived in the Chinese territory’s waters last week.

Mordashov is among the oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin who have been targeted by West ern sanctions following Moscow’s in vasion of Ukraine.

On Saturday the United States warned Hong Kong could damage its business hub reputation after the city said it would not enforce sanctions on the superyacht.

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee himself is one of multiple Chinese offi cials sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for their roles in cracking down on political freedoms in the city.

Banks and other companies risk losing access to the US-dominated global markets if they do business with sanctioned officials, with Lee’s predecessor revealing she had to take most of her salary in cash as a result.

When asked about the impact of US sanctions against him on Tuesday, Lee told reporters: “It is a very barbaric act and I am not going to comment on the effect of such barbaric act.”

“We will just laugh off the so-called sanctions.”

Some sanctioned oligarchs have had their luxury yachts seized in places such as Spain and Fiji, but Hong Kong said Friday that while it implements UN sanctions, it cannot enforce those imposed “unilaterally” by countries or blocs.

Lee repeated that argument on Tues day, describing US and European sanc tions as having “no legal basis.” AFP

G7 TO HOLD CRISIS TALKS ON MOSCOW’S BOMBING BLITZ

19 dead in Russian strikes on Ukraine

UKRAINE

said Tuesday that at least 19 people were killed and more than 100 wounded as a result of Russian strikes across the country a day earlier.

“According to preliminary data, 19 people were killed and 105 more were injured,” Ukraine’s emergency services said on Facebook.

The emergency services previously reported a figure of 14 dead and 97 in jured.

Mass retaliatory strikes hit Ukraine nationwide on Monday, after Moscow blamed Kyiv for a blast on a bridge connecting Russia to Crimea, a penin

sula Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Ukraine said Russian forces had fired more than 80 missiles on cities across the country—including the capital Kyiv— damaging in particular energy facilities.

More than 300 localities were with out power across the county following the attacks, the emergency services said.

The emergency services also said

UK spy chief to warn of ‘huge’ technological threat from China

BRITAIN’S GCHQ spy agency chief will warn Western countries Tuesday of the “huge threat” from China seeking to exploit its tech dominance to control its own citizens and gain influence abroad.

Jeremy Fleming, the director of the cybersecurity agency, is set to tell a Brit ish defence studies body that the Chinese Communist Party views technologies such as satellite systems and digital cur rencies as a “tool to gain advantage.”

In excerpts of his speech released late Monday, Fleming will use the annual “security lecture” at RUSI think tank to argue China could act in ways repre senting “a huge threat to us all.”

He will urge the UK and its allies to respond urgently.

“At GCHQ it is our privilege and duty to see the sliding door moments of history. This feels like one of those mo ments,” Fleming will say.

“Our future strategic technology ad

Dream come true: Japan reopens to foreign tourists

JAPAN reopened its doors to tourists Tuesday after two-and-a-half years of tough Covid-19 restrictions, with of ficials hoping an influx of travellers enticed by a weak yen will boost the economy.

By mid-morning, tourists from Is rael, France and Britain were already pouring in, including Chris Irwin, 38, on his first trip to Japan.

“We have always wanted to come to Japan, and it seemed like the stars just aligned,” said Irwin, who arrived at Haneda airport from Britain with his wife.

Adi Bromshtine, a 69-year-old re tiree from Israel, said she had been “planning before Covid and waiting and waiting” for the chance to visit Japan.

“It’s a long, long dream come true,” she told AFP.

Japan slammed its borders shut early in the pandemic, at one point even bar ring foreign residents from returning, and has only recently begun cautiously reopening.

In June, it began allowing tourists to visit in groups accompanied by guides, a requirement that was further relaxed to include self-guided package tours.

From Tuesday, visa-free entry re sumed for travellers from 68 countries and territories.

Japan also lifted a cap on the number of arrivals and ended the package tour requirement. AFP

vantage rests on what we as a commu nity do next. I’m confident that together we can tilt that in our collective favour.”

Fleming has headed the Govern ment Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) since 2017 and has sought to bring the intelligence, cyber and secu rity agency out of the shadows.

His comments come as China is in the process of launching its “digital yuan,” raising fears that authoritarian countries could use digital currency to increase surveillance and control.

A centralised digital currency could “enable China to partially evade the sort of international sanctions currently being applied to (President Vladimir) Putin’s regime in Russia,” Fleming is set to warn.

China has also launched a satellite navigation system, Beidou, as a rival to American GPS, compelling Chinese citi zens to use it, Fleming will note. AFP

Russia on Tuesday morning carried out a strike on Zaporizhzhia, a Ukraine-con trolled city in an eponymous region that Moscow claimed to have annexed.

They said 12 S-300 missiles were fired at “civilian” infrastructure, killing one person in the latest of a series of attacks on the city over the past week.

The United States and other G7 powers will hold crisis talks Tuesday on Russia’s recent bombing blitz across Ukraine, with Britain’s Liz Truss expected to in sist they “must not waver one iota” in their support for Kyiv.

The meeting comes a day after Rus sian missiles rocked the Ukrainian

capital for the first time in months, with President Volodymyr Zelensky warning Moscow that his country “cannot be in timidated.”

Russian forces rained more than 80 missiles on cities across Ukraine on Monday, according to Kyiv, in apparent retaliation for an explosion that dam aged a key bridge linking the Crimean peninsula to Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the strikes showed Moscow was “desperate” after a spate of embar rassing military setbacks, as Russian Pres ident Vladimir Putin warned of “severe” responses to any further attacks. AFP

54 poor nations urgently need debt relief—UN

CASCADING global crises have left 54 countries—home to more than half of the world’s poorest people –in dire need of debt relief, the UN said Tuesday.

In a new report, the United Nations Development Programme warned that dozens of developing nations were facing a rapidly deepening debt crisis and that “the risks of inaction are dire.”

UNDP said without immediate re lief, at least 54 countries would see rising poverty levels, and “desper ately needed investments in climate adaptation and mitigation will not happen.”

That was worrisome since the af fected countries were “among the most climate-vulnerable in the world.”

The agency’s report, published ahead of meetings of International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and also of G20 finance ministers in Washington, highlighted the need for swift action.

But despite repeated warnings, “little has happened so far, and the risks have been growing,” UNDP chief Achim Steiner told reporters in Geneva.

“That crisis is intensifying and threatening to spill over into an en trenched development crisis across dozens of countries across the world.”

The poor, indebted countries are facing converging economic pres sures and many find it impossible to pay back their debt or access new fi nancing.

Malala visits Pakistan on 10th year of Taliban attack

NOBEL Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai on Tuesday arrived in her native Pakistan to visit flood victims, 10 years after a Taliban assassination attempt against her.

Yousafzai was just 15 years old when militants from the Pakistani Tali ban—an independent group that shares a common ideology with the Afghan Taliban—shot her in the head over her campaign for girls’ education.

She was flown to Britain for lifesaving treatment and went on to be come a global education advocate and the youngest-ever recipient of the No bel Peace Prize.

Two days after the 10th anniversary of the attack, she landed in the south ern city of Karachi—only her second visit since the shooting—from where she will travel to areas devastated by unprecedented monsoon flooding.

Her visit aims “to help keep interna tional attention focused on the impact of floods in Pakistan and reinforce the need for critical humanitarian aid,” her organ isation Malala Fund said in a statement.

Catastrophic flooding put a third of Pakistan under water, displaced eight million people—who are now facing a health crisis—and caused an estimated $28 billion in damages.

Yousafzai’s visit comes as students at her former school join a strike over a rise in violence in her hometown of Mingora in the Swat Valley.

The Pakistani Taliban waged a years-long insurgency in Swat until a major military crackdown in the north west of the country in 2014 restored security in the area.

But it has seen a resurgence of mili tancy since the Taliban returned to power across the border in Afghani stan last year.

There has been a spike in attacks in recent weeks, targeting mostly security forces.

AFP

“Market conditions are shift ing rapidly as a synchronised fiscal and monetary contraction and low growth are fuelling volatility around the globe,” UNDP said.

The UN agency said debt troubles had been brewing in many of the af fected countries long before the CO VID-19 pandemic hit.

“The rapid build-up in debt over the past decade has been consistently underestimated,” it said.

The freeze on debt repayment dur ing the Covid crisis to lighten their burden has expired and negotiations under the G20 Common Framework created during the pandemic to help heavily-indebted countries find a path to restructure their obligations has been moving at a snail’s pace. AFP

500 pilot whales dead after New Zealand mass strandings

ABOUT 500 pilot whales have died in mass strandings on New Zealand’s re mote Chatham Islands, the government said Tuesday after ruling out a rescue ef fort in the area’s shark-filled waters.

Two “super pods” of the dolphin-relat ed cetaceans beached on two islands in the remote chain and survivors were eu thanised, according to the Department of Conservation.

On Friday, 250 beached pilot whales were found at Chatham Island, and then three days later another 240 were report ed on Pitt Island, the government said.

The locations – far from the New Zea land mainland – made a rescue operation impossible, authorities said.

“Due to the risk of shark attack to both humans and the whales, the surviving whales were euthanised by our trained team to prevent further suffering,” Dave Lundquist, a government technical ma rine advisor, told AFP.

“This decision is never taken lightly, but in cases like this it is the kindest op tion.”

The bodies will be left to decompose naturally on site.

Mass strandings are not uncommon on the Chatham Islands, where the largest recorded beaching involved an estimated 1,000 whales in 1918.

In 2017, there was a mass stranding of almost 700 pilot whales. AFP

RAIN OF 80 MISSILES. Local residents examine a crater following a missile strike in Dnipro amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The head of the Ukrainian military said that Russian forces launched at least 80 missiles at Ukraine on Monday morning, with fatal strikes targeting the capital Kyiv, and cities in the south and west. AFP

SPIRITUAL DEVOTION. Buddhist devotees walk with a float during a parade celebrating the end of the Buddhist Lent in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat on October 11, 2022. AFP

DISPLAY. Kindergarten children watch honor guards at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on

Market rises; BDO, Globe top gainers

STOCKS

rose Tuesday on bargain-buying, following Monday’s slump amid worries over another big Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

The PSEi, the 30-company benchmark index of the Philippine Stock Exchange, gained 14 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 5,847.37, as three of the six subsectors advanced.

The broader all-share index also picked up 3 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 3,152.44, on a value turnover of P4.2 billion. Losers out numbered gainers, 93 to 84, while 42 issues were unchanged.

Six of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by BDO Unibank Inc. which went up 3.3 percent to P114.80 and Globe Tele com Inc. which added 2.8 percent to close at P2,230.00.

Meanwhile, most markets fluctuated in Asian trade Tuesday as in vestors grow increasingly fearful that more big interest rate hikes will tip economies into deep recessions, with the mood also darkened by the worsening Ukraine war and worries over China’s outlook.

With the focus on inflation, analysts said consumer price index data released later this week will be crucial to the direction of risk as

sets—another big reading could spark a fresh equity selloff and surge in the dollar.

Investors had hoped that a series of bumper rate increases by the US Federal Reserve this year would begin to drag on the economy and slow runaway prices, allowing policymakers to slow down their pace of monetary tightening.

But a forecast-beating jobs report on Fri day highlighted the tough work the central bank has in bringing inflation down from four-decade highs, and many observers warn a recession is virtually inevitable.

World Bank chief David Malpass said there was a “real danger” of a global contraction next year, adding that the surge in the dollar was weakening the developing nations’ cur rencies and pushing their debt to “burden some” levels.

And JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon told CNBC that while the US economy was

holding up now, it faced several headwinds including rising rates, surging inflation, Fed tightening and the Ukraine war.

He added that he saw a US recession in six to nine months, and that the S&P 500 could fall another 20 percent.

TOP GAINERS

TOP LOSERS

US dollar extends banner run as market awaits inflation data

NEW YORK, United States—The dollar extended its banner run of 2022 on Monday, pushing higher following the latest solid US jobs data as equities retreated in both New York and Europe.

The US currency, which has already struck multi-year highs against the euro and other lead ing currencies, rose as investors bet that the latest round of US em ployment data released Friday will confirm a Federal Reserve plan to continue aggressively hiking inter est rates.

This week’s calendar includes the latest US consumer price in dex data, which will give an up dated reading on inflation that has prompted a 180-degree turn from the Fed’s easy-money policies to a streak of significant interest rate hikes.

“Inflation remaining stub bornly elevated would threaten to upset the market apple cart and buoy the dollar,” said a note from Joe Manimbo of Convera.

Analysts said Monday’s gains by the greenback also reflected the worsening Russia-Ukraine con flict, which has bolstered the dol lar’s standing as a “refuge” invest ment.

US stocks finished a choppy session lower, joining European bourses in retreating.

This week’s calendar also includes retail sales for September, as well earnings from Delta Air Lines, JPMorgan and others.

Investors are cautious ahead of the earnings period, with rising costs expected to cut into corporate profits. AFP

the sole manufacturer of HDPE products, its output complies with the domestic industry requirement under Section 4(f) of RA No.

2. Locally produced HDPE pellets and granules are intended for (i) film extrusion process, (ii) injection molding process, (iii) blow molding process, (iv) pipe extrusion process and (v) monofilament extrusion process, and their respective applications, and are like products to imported HDPE pellets and granules classified under AHTN 2017 subheading 3901.20.00 which are intended for the same processes and applications.

3. HDPE pellets and granules were imported into the Philippines in increased quantities both in absolute terms and relative to

MOST ACTIVE

China controls drive down Asian chips

HONG KONG, China—Chipmak ers plunged in Asian trade Tuesday over new US measures to limit China’s access to high-end semi conductors with military uses, a move that wiped billions from companies’ valuations worldwide.

The announcement on Friday marked the latest volley in a longrunning standoff between the two superpowers that has seen them face off over a range of issues in cluding technology, trade, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and human rights.

The US Department of Com merce said the measures include

export restrictions on some chips used in supercomputing and toughen requirements on the sale of semiconductor equipment.

The decision hammered chip manufacturers, with the Philadel phia Stock Exchange Semiconduc tor Index seeing its lowest close since late 2020, while Bloomberg News reported that $240 billion had been slashed from companies’ market values globally.

Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo markets were closed for holidays on Mon day, and when trading resumed Tuesday, chipmakers sank. AFP

6. There is a direct causal relationship between increase imports of HDPE and the imminent threat of serious injury and signifi

7. Serious injury to the domestic HDPE industry would occur imminently if a definitive safeguard measures against importations

2. Imports originating from developing countries listed in Annex “A” covered by Rule 8.8 of the IRR of RA 8800 shall not be subject to the definitive general safeguard measure. The composition of the developing countries on the de minimis list may change

of the annual review which will be conducted by the DTI during the implementation period.

3. The following products shall be excluded from the imposition of the general safeguard duty: (i) PE wax (AHTN 2017 subheading 3404.90.90); (ii) ethylene acrylic acid copolymeter (AHTN 2017 subheading 3906.90.99); (iii) PP (AHTN 2017 subheadings 3902.10.30, 3902.10.40, and 3902.10.90) (iv) LDPE (AHTN 2017 subheadings 3901.10.19 and 39.01.10.99); and (v) PET resin (AHTN 2017 subheading 3907.61.00). The different tariff classification indicates that these goods do not undergo either

are intended for different processing techniques and end-use/applications compared to HDPE pellets and granules classified under AHTN 2017 subheading 3901.20.00.

excluded

generally in powder form with a particle size of 500 microns or below, a melt index of 4.0 g/10 min, and a density of 0.93 – 0.94 g/cm3 shall be excluded from the imposition of the general safeguard duty. Currently, the domestic polyethylene industry does not produce HDPE grades with such specifications.

4. Importers of HDPE originating from a country that is exempt from the safeguard duty and those not covered by preferential tariffs shall submit a Certificate of Country of Origin (CO) issued by the authorized agency/office in the source country of manu facture subject to affixation of “Apostille” to the document or authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate General, as applicable.

The application of the definitive general safeguard measure shall be monitored and reviewed in accordance with Sections 15 and 16 of RA 8800. The domestic HDPE industry is also directed to comply with its adjustment plan.

The DTI Order of the definitive general safeguard measures can be accessed at the DTI website: https://bit.ly/Adv-0629.

The notification and consultation requirements under Article 12 of the WTO Safeguards Agreement and Section 17 of RA 8800 and its

IRR shall be

that the Philippines entered into, such as ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), ASEAN-China FTA (ACFTA), Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA), ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEPA), ASEAN-Korea

GREENHOUSE

BOLLYWOOD CRISIS. In this picture taken on Oct. 1, 2022, moviegoers queue up to enter the G7 multiplex in Mumbai. India’s Bollywood film industry, long part of the cultural fabric of the movie-mad country of 1.4 billion people, is facing its biggest-ever crisis as streaming services and non-Hindi language rivals steal its sparkle. AFP

IN BRIEF

Groups warn vs return of quarrying in Albay

CATHOLIC Church leaders in Albay province aired concerns over the decision of the Com mission on Elections First Division to disqual ify Governor Noel Rosal, saying this could “pave the way for the resumption of destruc tive quarrying activities in the province”.

The Church leaders voiced out concern following the resolution of the election body disqualifying Rosal based on allegations that he violated the election ban on government spending prior to the May 2022 elections. Rosal defeated former Governor Al Francis Bicharra in that gubernatorial contest by more 200,000 votes.

Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon said that prior to the move to disqualify Rosal, the new Albay governor had taken drastic measures to stop il legal quarrying in the province, particularly in the areas surrounding Mayon Volcano. On his first day in office, Rosal issued the provincial government’s first executive order suspending the quarry operations in the entire province.

Baylon said the “drastic moves by Governor Rosal to stop illegal quarrying in the province may have inspired the political scheme to have him removed from office”.

“The people of the province are aware that the new governor may have hurt many business interests despite his honest motive to protect the environment and the lives of the people living in the areas around Mayon Volcano,” he said.

Maya Bank registered 1m customers in five months

MAYA Bank, the digital banking arm of Voy ager Innovations Inc., said Tuesday it regis tered one million customers and reached P10billion deposit balance in just five months after its public launch, affirming its position as the leading digital bank in the Philippines.

“Financial services need not be complex. This astounding response to our efforts reflects the big opportunity for digital banking in the Philippines,” Maya Group founder and chief executive Orlando Vea.

Vea, who is also a co-founder of Maya Bank, said its rapid growth showed the in creasing preference of Filipinos for an all-inone digital banking and payments experience.

Publicly launched in end-April this year, Maya Bank powers the digital banking servic es of Maya, the only finance app that cohesive ly integrates the power of an e-wallet, savings, credit and crypto in one platform.

Digital banking is seen to boost financial inclusion and digital adoption in the country.

Data showed while there are now more Filipi nos with a financial account, there is a pent-up need to adopt financial services such as savings and credit.

GCash expands lending business

GCASH, the country’s leading mobile e-wal let, is expanding its lending business amid the rising adoption of digital finance among Fili pinos.

“With our suite of lending products, more people can manage their finances better and live the life they deserve,” GCash chief cus tomer officer Winsley Bangit said.

“We at GCash remain committed to empow ering Filipinos to pay for everything they want and need conveniently,” he said.

GCash disbursed more than P40 billion worth of loans as of end-June as it expanded to more relevant lending products like GLoan and GGives.

GGives allows GCash users to buy-nowand-pay-later for items worth up to P125,000 from GCash-partner merchants.

GCash offers GCredit which offers a credit line on other services of GCash such as Scan to Pay, Shop Online and Pay Bills.

“GGives, GCredit, and GLoan are avail able for fully verified GCash users with a good GScore standing. To increase your GScore, maintain a healthy account balance by cashing in regularly, and use various GCash services such as Pay Bills, Send Money and Pay On line,” Bangit said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Strong imports widened August trade deficit to $6b

By Julito G. Rada

THE country registered a record trade deficit of $6 billion in August, contributing to the depreciation of the peso against the US dollar this year, an economist said Tuesday

Data from the Philippine Statistics Au thority showed the August deficit wid ened by 81.3 percent from the $3.310-bil lion shortfall a year ago and surpassed the $5.99-billion deficit in July.

This brought the trade deficit in the first eight months to $41.8 billion, or $17 bil lion wider than the $24.8-billion gap re corded in the same period last year.

Imports were nearly double the coun try’s export revenues in August. Ex ports fell 2 percent in August to $6.41 billion while imports surged 26 percent

in the same month to $12.41 billion.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the trade deficit this year, “could reach more than $50 billion or even $60 billion [given the monthly average trade deficit of $5.2 billion for the first 7 months of 2022] vs. -$42.2 bil lion in 2021 and -$24.6 billion in 2020.”

“For the month of August 2022, the country’s trade deficit again widened to a record of -$6.003 billion on a monthly ba sis, as may have been bloated by elevated prices of imported oil and other major

global commodities largely brought about by the Russia-Ukraine war since February 24, 2022, as well as the further re-open ing of the local economy towards greater normalcy that fundamentally led to some pick up in imports,” Ricafort said.

Ricafort said the wider trade deficit partly weighed on the peso exchange rate in recent months that saw the peso touching the 59 a dollar on Monday be fore closing at 58.86 Tuesday.

“The record trade deficit may have fundamentally contributed to the weaker peso to new records recently; but it is considered a lagging economic indicator, since global crude oil prices already eased to the lowest in 7-8 months recently, or even lower since the start of the RussiaUkraine conflict, thereby could help ease the country’s oil import bill as well as help ease inflationary pressures for the coming months,” he said.

IMF maintains 2022 PH growth forecast at 6.5%

THE International Monetary Fund on Tuesday maintained its growth forecasts for the Philippines at 6.5 percent in 2022 and 5 percent in 2023 on strong first-half expansion but expressed concern on the impact of global headwinds such as the continu ing Russia-Ukraine conflict, elevated inflation and slowdown in China.

It disclosed the forecasts in the October World Economic Outlook released to the media, which mir rored the projections made by an IMF team led by Cheng Hoon Lim who conducted discussions on the Philip pine economy for the 2022 Article IV Consultation from Sept. 12 to 26.

The team adjusted the 2022 growth forecast to 6.5 percent from a previ ous estimate of 6.7 percent, which was also the lower bound of the gov ernment’s target range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent.

IMF resident representative to the Philippines Ragnar Gudmunds son said in an emailed response to Manila Standard that the forecasts reflected the latest estimates fol lowing the Article IV Consultation mission.

BDO FOUNDATION’S AID. BDO Foundation Inc. extends assistance to disaster-affected Filipinos in provinces placed under a state of calamity due to typhoon Karding. The corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank Inc. organized relief operations for more than 12,000 families from 45 barangays in Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Quezon and Zambales. The initiative was made possible by volunteers from BDO and BDO Network Bank branches, non-governmental organization Ako Ang Saklay, partner parishes and social welfare offices. Volunteers visited underserved communities and distributed relief packs containing food, rice and drinking water to affected families.

September vehicle sales jumped 64% to match pre-pandemic level

By Othel V. Campos

VEHICLE sales accelerated by 64.2 percent in September to 35,282 units from 21,493 units delivered in the same month last year, two industry groups said Tuesday.

The Chamber of Automotive Manu facturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association re ported that the industry had maintained a steady momentum in sales.

“The automotive industry foresees a continued growth in the latter part of the year, benefitting from the improving

DOTr sees no legal issues on Grab’s deal with motorcycle taxi firm Move IT

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Department of Transportation sees no legal issues with Grab Philippines’ acquisition of Move IT, a local transport solutions provider, as it pushes for the motorcycle taxi legalization in the country.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista told reporters there was no need to review the deal between Grab and Move IT, “because it is a private transaction.”

“What we are looking at is how they [Grab and Move IT] can operate more efficiently and safely. That’s our concern,” Bautista told reporters on the sidelines of 2022 Economic Jour nalists Association of the Philippines Infrastructure Forum.

Bautista said he saw nothing illegal about the transaction.

Grab Philippines acquired Move IT in August to help and improve the latter’s operations and serve more commuters.

Grab Philippines will also work with Move IT to further enhance its safety and service quality standards and be at par with Grab’s motorcycle taxi services across Southeast Asia.

Move IT independently operated

using its existing technology and app and will continue to comply with the standards set by the DOTr’s Motorcycle Taxi Pilot Program.

“We are allowing motorcycle taxis to operate because we are getting information in aid of legislation,” Bautista said.

“Hopefully, Congress can enact a law to issue franchises to motorcycle taxis,” he said.

Angkas has 20,000 to 27,000 part ners riders, despite the cap of 15,000 riders for each player. Under the pilot study, Angkas, Move IT and JoyRide are allowed to have 15,000 riders each in Metro Manila and additional 3,000 in Metro Cebu and another 3,000 rid ers each for Cagayan de Oro.

Move IT earlier urged the government to open up the motorcycle taxi industry to “free and open competition” for the benefit of the riding public.

“Limiting the MC taxi business to three benefits only us―Angkas, Joy ride and Move It –and not the public,” said Move IT chairman Francis Juan.

Juan said Move IT has around 1,000 drivers at the moment, compared to 30,000 of the industry leader.

economy based on the recent growth forecast of 6.5 percent this year attrib uted to strong domestic demand and continued easing of pandemic restric tions,” said CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez.

Passenger car sales grew 21.2 percent in September to 7,976 units from 6,580 units a year ago, while commercial ve hicle sales went up by 83.1 percent to 27,306 units from 14,914 units.

Gutierrez said demand inched up month-on-month as the economy con tinued to recover and businesses saw new opportunities for mobility.

Data also showed that passenger car sales went up by 18.46 percent from 6,733 units sold in August while demand for commercial ve hicles climbed 16.4 percent from 23,452 units.

Total vehicle sales increased 29.5 per cent in the first nine months to 248,154 units from 191,605 units registered in the same period in 2021.

Commercial vehicle sales surged 44 percent in the nine-month period to 188,096, while passenger car sales slowed down by 1.5 percent to 60,058 units.

“Our assessment is that the Philip pine economy has been on the mend in 2022, with growth driven by strong private consumption and investment. GDP growth is projected to reach 6.5 percent in 2022, but the impact of global shocks will weigh on the economy in the coming months and in 2023,” Gudmundsson said.

He said the GDP growth was pro jected to slow to 5.0 percent in 2023, before picking up to about 6.0 percent in 2024.

The economy grew by 7.8 percent in the first half, following the 8.2-per cent and the 7.4-percent expansion in the first and second quarters, respec tively. GDP grew by 5.7 percent in 2021, a rebound from the 9.6-percent contraction a year ago due to the pan demic.

Lim said during the 2022 Article IV Consultation for the Philippines the country had successfully emerged from one of the world’s strictest pan demic lockdowns due to sustained reforms and disciplined macroeco nomic policies that contained finan cial vulnerabilities and mitigated the hardships faced by the poor.

Julito G. Rada

DOE vows to avoid renewable energy oversupply, stranded costs

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ENERGY Secretary Raphael Lotilla said Monday the country should avoid an oversupply of renewable energy similar to what Vietnam experienced that resulted in stranded generation capacity.

“We are making sure that transmis sion facilities will be there and will not create another Negros Island scenario wherein available RE power has been stranded in the island for the lack of sufficient transmission facilities that can bring them to the market,” Lotilla

said during Monday’s Economic Jour nalists Association of the Philippines Infrastructure Forum.

Lotilla said the challenge for the Depart ment of Energy is to update the RE plans, including the backup power needed.

“We are focusing on this. This prob lem is not unique to Negros. In Viet nam, they had also problems of over capacity from the RE sector and could not be brought to the market or places where they are needed,” Lotilla said.

“In fact, what they had to do was pay RE producers in order not to run. We

don’t want that kind of scenario taking place in the country,” he said.

The DOE initiated several policy an nouncements that would benefit the RE sector in support of the Marcos admin istration’s energy plan.

The agency prepares the amendments to Rule 6, Section 19 of the implement ing rules and regulations of the RE Law that would lift the 40-percent restriction on foreign ownership.

It also increased the percentage of the utilization of RE for on-grid areas to 2.5 percent from 1 percent.

HOUSING PARTNERS. Land Bank of the Philippines president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo (fifth from left) pays a courtesy visit to Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar (fourth from left) to express support for the government’s intensified mass housing program. With them are (from left) LandBank vice president Francisco Burgos Jr., executive vice president Liduvino Geron, DHSUD undersecretary Robert Juanchito Dispo, LandBank executive vice president Julio Climaco Jr. and senior vice presidents Randolph Montesa and Marilou Villafranca.

Sports

CHERY Tiggo rode on a big first set fightback and dominated the importless F2 Logistics in the next two as the Crossovers fashioned out a 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 victory for an early share of the lead in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference elims at the Philsports Arena in Pasig yesterday.

The Crossovers closed out with seven straight points to snatch the opening f rame with EJ Laure capping their stirring comeback with three straight blasts, the last hitting the net but drawing two F2 defenders, leaving the ball undefended when it dropped to the Cargo Movers’ frontcourt.

The inaugural pro league champions then kept pounding the Cargo Movers defense in the next set behind Mylene Paat, Czarina Carandang, Laure and Montenegrin import Jelena Cvijovic while coming up with good passing, digging, setting and blocking. They then pulled through in a back-and-forth third set skirmish to complete the straight-set win in one hour and 27 minutes.

“As long as our locals will perform, and with the help of our import, I always believe that we could win. We had a good start and we worked on our strategy not to make it close in the end,” said Chery Tiggo coach Clarence Esteban.

But the victory, which matched PLDT and Cignal opening day wins, more than showed what a healthy Chery Tiggo side could offer after the Crossovers struggled in the recent Invitationals due to the sidelining of key players, including leader Dindin Manabat and the heavy-hitting Laure.

“We stuck to the game plan and we made the necessary adjustments,” said Laure, who finished with 11 points in a solid backup to skipper Paat’s topscoring 16-point output.

The Cargo Movers suited up without American reinforcement Lindsay Stalzer due to health and safety protocols although the locals had in a long stretch showed they’re more than capable of taking the Crossovers headon, controlling majority of the opener, only to crack in the face of the latter’s furious rally.

PH sending 814 athletes to Cambodia SEA Games

THE Philippine Olympic Committee culled an 814-strong Team Philippines to the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games following the completion of two consultative meetings with national sports associations on Monday.

Cambodia programmed 49 sports for the May 5 to 16 SEA Games with the POC eyeing full participation in the competitions that offer 608 gold medals —the most Games history.

“It’s again a fighting team and the goal is to send the best full contingent as possible,” POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Monday during the second consultative meeting with NSAs whose sports are on the Cambodia program.

The POC already met with represen-

tatives from combat sports or martial arts last week and concluded the meeting with their counterparts from ball games and other disciplines.

Baseball chief Chito Loyzaga, chef de mission to the Cambodia Games, wa s with his deputies Leonora Escollante (canoe kayak) and Paolo Tancongquian (sambo) in the meetings held at the East Ocean Garden Restaurant in Pasay City.

The Philippines sent 656 athletes who competed in 38 sports in the

Vietnam SEA Games last May, while the country had the privilege of fielding close to a thousand athletes when it hosted the 2019 edition where it emerged overall champion.

The entry by numbers per sports are: dancesports 12, esports 45, fencing 24, fin swimming 9, gymnastics (aerobics and artistic) 13, jet ski 8, obstacle sports 20, sailing 8, triathlon 10, athletics 47, aquatics 39, diving 2, bodybuilding 15, cycling 28, weightlifting 14, water polo 26, badminton 16, basketball 32, billiards 12, cricket 15, floorball 40, football 46, golf 7, hockey 24, petanque 16, soft tennis 12, sepak takraw 22, table tennis 10, tennis 12, volleyball 28, beach volleyball 16, arnis 12, boxing 11, jiujitsu 6, judo 10, karate 19, kickboxing 12, kun bokator 9, muay 14, pencak silat 17, tae-

Pirates edge Chiefs, firm up hold on 2nd spot

By Peter Atencio

THE Lyceum Pirates nearly lost command of a game it controlled most of the way and still escaped with an 82-80 triumph over the Arellano University Chiefs on Tuesday in the 98th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the FilOil-EcoOil Center in San Juan.

Enzo Navarro’s lone basket in the game provided the Pirates the chance to escape with their seventh triumph in nine outings and secure second spot at the close of their first-round campaign.

The Pirates’ hold on the lead was shaky in the

last period and Navarro’s split charity off Darrell Menina’s foul found its mark in the last 11 seconds, handing Lyceum an 82-78 edge.

“This a good thing for us, to experience this kind of game. In the second round, we will have more of this kind of situations,” said Lyceum coach Gilbert Malabanan after the Pirates posted their second consecutive triumph and stayed behind the sololeading College of St. Benilde Blazers with their 7-2 slate.

Newcomer Patrick Montano shot a game-high 16 points and pulled off seven rebounds for the Pirates, while John Barba and Mclaude Guadana added 15

and 14, respectively.

Montano’s triple with 9:20 to go allowed the Pirates to enjoy a 73-60 edge.

But the Chiefs refused to fold with Travis Mantua hitting all of his eight-point output in the remaining time to keep them within range at 78-81 off Menina’s triple in the final 1:04, before Navarro moved the Pirates to safe grounds with his freebie.

Axel Doromal showed the way with 21 points for the Chiefs, who have a 4-5 slate in seventh.

The Chiefs drew 14 from Menina, and 12 from Josua Abastillas, while Cade Flores had 11.

Converge FiberXers’ Ahanmisi headlines World Mental Health Day

ON World Mental Health Day, mental health advocate and Converge FiberXers’ top gun Maverick Ahanmisi opened up about his own mental health journey as an experienced athlete: his experience as team captain, the pressures of a professional basketball player, the challenges that come with living away from home, and how he still has managed to stay on top of his mental well-being despite it all.

“My mental health advocacy started about two years ago when I became captain of the Alaska Aces, and I found myself in a place where I started to feel a lot of different things. I was doing something I love but I still felt sad sometimes,” shared Ahanmisi. “Having self awareness, dealing with understanding why I felt this way, communicating what I’m sad or happy about, and not holding it in for so long really helped me overcome this. Being a captain, you deal with a lot of different personalities on the team, and mental health has also made me realize that in order to get through to someone in the best way, you have to learn to understand them too.”

As the young team’s veteran guard, Maverick shares that there can be a lot of difficult emotions to deal with when you’re a professional athlete. However, he has learned to navigate through challenging days by learning to prioritize his mental well-being and allow-

ing himself to lean on his close friends and family for support.

Certified life coach and Converge Health and Wellness Manager Coach Ree Bringuelo shared that there will be times where you’re so overwhelmed with things that you might feel stuck.

“Lately, many people have come to me, overwhelmed about their future, their identity, or their direction. And sometimes it’s not very easy to ask for help and communicate these struggles,” she shares. “But there will always be a certain point where you need to decide which road to take and what choices to make. Asking yourself the right questions and assessing the best way to help yourself will help you

get to the right mindset.”

Ahanmisi adds that paying close attention and caring for his mental health has helped him not only overcome his own personal struggles but also learn how to be better at being there for others, a trait that is most important to team players.

“Take ownership of what you feel,” Ahanmisi advises. “I play basketball on a daily basis and I love what I do, but I’ve begun to understand that too much of something is just not good for my headspace. So sometimes when I feel like I’m just thinking too much about a certain thing, I like to go and take care of myself, and I feel like that’s okay. It’s okay to not feel your best on some days; that’s a positive

thing to understand as well. You can always turn that negative energy into something positive.”

Coach Ree also gave productive suggestions on practicing mindfulness techniques and navigating through difficult mental health struggles.

“To care for your mental health, you must learn to be honest, kind, and compassionate with yourself,” advises Coach Ree. “Do something for yourself: stroll in the park, be physically active. Find something that you love, and find people that will inspire you to be at your best— like the FiberXers!”

“Together, let’s fight the stigma. We need to realize that there is no shame in seeking professional help. If none of these self-care techniques work anymore and you’ve reached a point where you think you have depression or anxiety, I advise you to start observing yourself,” shared Coach Ree. “Keep a log book and note any signs, symptoms, or changes in your behavior that you know isn’t normal for you. You can even ask a friend to help you spot these. And if masyado nang mabigat and you really feel like something isn’t right with you, then you know that it’s time to call for professional help. Not because you think you’re weak but because you are taking care of yourself, and you’re prioritizing your mental health.”

kwondo 25, vovinam 28, wrestling 18 and wushu 20.

Competitions at the 32nd SEA Games are deemed to benefit the hosts who imposed a rule that their athletes could field a 100-percent participation in combat sports or martial arts.

Cambodia also exercised its privilege as host by including two indigenous sports—Kun Bokator, a martial art practices by ancient Khmer military, and Ouk Chatrang, also a Khmer chess game. They offer 21 and six gold medals, respectively.

The Philippines hosted the most number of sports at 56, but with 530 events in 2019, while Vietnam had a 40-sport,526-event Games last May.

Brunei owns the record-low program of 22 sports and 233 events in 1999.

PH cagers make Korean League debuts on Saturday

Abando, considered as the highestpaid import in the league, plunges into action when his Anyang KGC Ginseng Corporation team meets the Seoul Knights.

Abarrientos, who is getting great reviews after his 14.5 points and 6.0 assists in four games played during the pre-season, will show what he is made of when his squad, Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebis, meets Suwon KT Sonicboom.

Belangel’s Daegu Kogas Pegasus will fight it out with KCC Egis on Sunday.

All three skipped their final year with their respective varsity teams in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and also the Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft this year to turn pro in Korea.

Belangel played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in college and in high school, while Abarrientos was plucked from the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.

Abando, who was with the Letran Knights, was last season’s MVP in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Among them, Abando has the biggest paycheck after signing up for 237 million won, or P13.89 million for his first season.

Abarrientos, according to reports in Korea, answers the Ulsan’s need for a reliable point guard, believing that his ability to score when necessary will help lift the team to the finals.

Ulsan Hyundai Mobis recently placed runner-up in the 2022 MG Saemaeul Geumgo KBL Cup held in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, with Abarrientos playing in many games.

All were recruited through the Asian quota system, which gives them a twoyear contract.

Peter Atencio

POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino with national sports association presidents and representatives.

YOUNG Filipino recruits Rhenz Abando, Rhon Jay Abarrientos and SJ Belangel are set to make their debuts as professionals when the regular season of the Korean Basketball League starts on Saturday.

Masskara Festival chess set in Bacolod

THE best local government units in the country converge in the 1st Masskara Festival National Inter-Province Cities and Municipalities Chess Team Championships at the Forest Park Resort in Bacolod City.

The five-day event will stake more than P600,000 in cash prizes courtesy of the city of Bacolod headed by Mayor Alfredo Benitez and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

The tournament will implement an Olympiad style format where each squad will be allowed to field in a maximum of five players with four to play, according to NCFP chief executive officer Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales.

The champion will pocket the top purse worth P150,000 with P100,000 and P50,000 going to the second and third placers, respectively, in this meet done in cooperation with the Department of Interior and Local Government, Bacolod Yuhum Foundation, Inc.. Bacolod Information Office, Bacolod City Tourism Office, Bacolod City Health Office, Philippine Arbiters Chess Confederation and Bacolod Chess Players Association.

Host Bacolod alone is fielding in two teams while Negros Occidental will have several squads including San Carlos, Escalante, Silay City, Talisay City, Vicorias City, and Cadiz.

International Master Joel Pimentel will spearhead Bacolod’s first team while the second squad is headed by Grandmaster Darwin Laylo wih FIDE Master David Elorta, Jerry Areque and Brylle Arellano playing in the lower boards.

Grandmasters Joey Antonio is teaming up with International Master Emmanuel Emperado, Nezil Merilles and Joselito Asi for Calapan City.

“We’re doing our best to do well in this big tournament,” said Antonio, whose team is managed by Marvin Panahon.

Panabom, Davao is sending a squad of Sherwin Tiu, Samson Lim, Ronald Hermida, Paul Sanchez and Bembem Quinonez.

LeBron’s son Bronny, 5 others sign Nike deal

Tiger hits new ranking low but excites fans at par-3 course

MIAMI—Former world number one Tiger Woods, recovering from severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash, sank to a career-low 1,206th in the world golf rankings released on Monday.

The 15-time major winner, second only to the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus on the all-time list, fell seven spots below his previous worst mark, which came in 2017 after back surgery.

Woods spent a record 683 weeks atop the world rankings but tumbled after numerous back and leg injuries.

Woods delighted fans last weekend by playing his nine-hole par-3 course, The Hay at Pebble Beach, social media posts showing off his putting and driving skills and walking some hilly ground as well.

Woods, who shares the all-time record of 82 PGA Tour triumphs with Sam Snead, has made only a limited comeback since suffering leg injuries in February 2021 in a one-car accident in Southern California that left him hospitalized for weeks and bed-ridden for months.

He returned to competition last April in the Masters after a 14-month layoff, finishing 47th after walking 72 holes at Augusta National.

The 46-year-old icon withdrew after three rounds at the PGA Championship in May at Southern Hills and missed the cut in July at St. Andrews in the British Open in his most recent start.

Speculation has surrounded when Woods might be well enough to play again, much of it around his Hero World Challenge invitational charity event that begins December 1 in the Bahamas.

LOS

ANGELES —Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is among five amateur basketball players to have signed endorsement deals with Nike, the sports apparel company announced Monday.

The younger James, who turned 18 last Thursday, is a guard at Sierra Canyon High School near Los Angeles while his father is the 37-year-old fourtime NBA champion playmaker for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bronny James has already become part of Nike’s marketing for its newest sneaker, the Nike LeBron 20. No financial terms for the deals were revealed.

LeBron James signed a lifetime Nike

deal in 2015 after working with the shoemaker since his own days as an 18-year-old prep prospect.

James has said he one day hopes to play alongside his son in the NBA.

Bronny James inked an NIL deal —for name, image and likeness rights —along with four other young basketball guards.

Three are women: JuJu Watkins who is another Sierra Canyon student; Caitlin Clark of the University

of Iowa; and Haley Jones of Stanford.

The fifth is D.J. Wagner, a New Jersey high school senior, who hopes to become the NBA’s first third-generation player.

He is the grandson of Milt Wagner, who won an NBA title with the Lakers in 1988, and the son of Dajuan Wagner, a teammate of LeBron James in the star’s first two NBA seasons in Cleveland, before health issues ended his career in 2006.

“Each athlete is recognized as a player who is paving the way for the next generation on and off the court,” Nike said in a statement. “These athletes push Nike to think about new ways the game can break barriers, bring people together, build community and shape the future.” AFP

There were 17 players announced last week for the Challenge with three spots left open for exemptions, one potentially for Woods should he desire to play. AFP

Cruz siblings stand tall in FCCEA Table Tennis tilt

SIBLINGS Kheith and Khevine Cruz fortified their status as the country’s top junior table tennis players at the recently concluded Filipino-Chinese Cultural and Economic Association Double Ten Table Tennis Tournament at the Liberty Hall Auditorium in Binondo, Manila.

Currently the country’s no.1 player at the age of 15, Kheith of PCAF dominated both the Women’s Open and the Student Girls’ class of the tournament organized by FCCEA, in coordination with the Table Tennis Association for National Development and Joola Philippines.

The pride of Paco Catholic Academy Foundation defeated Aileen Armando of All-Star Team in straight sets to reign in the Open class. Denice Cai and Lorene Uy of

Gomera, Brodeth shine in Buglasan juniors

MCLEEN Gomera came away with a two-title romp while Kimi Brodeth pulled off a win and a runner-up finish as they clinched MVP honors in the Buglasan Festiv al National Juniors Tennis Championships at the Praxevilla hard courts in Dumaguete City recently.

The top-seeded Gomera, 16, yielded just nine games in four matches to rule his age category, capping his domination with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over No. 5 Ariel Cabaral from Bais City. The Bacolod, Lanao del Norte find then trounced Thomas Gabuat from Zambo del Norte, 6-1, 6-1, in the 18-U finals to emerge the lone “double” winner in the event capping the Buglasan Festival celebrations that also featured the Open Championship topped by Zamboanga’s Jose Maria Pague.

But Brodeth needed to buck a big scare from Judy Ann Padilla as she squeaked out a tough 7-5, 4-6, 10-7 decision to claim the girls’ 16-U diadem. But the Ormoc City ace missed matching Gomera’s feat and her own two-title exploits in Mandaue last August as she dropped a 7-6(1), 6-2 setback to Quezon City’s Tiffany Nocos in the centerpiece event of the country’s longest talent-search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Meanwhile, action in the PPSPEPP national age-group resumes tomorrow (Oct. 13) in Ormoc City with the Brodeth siblings and Fiel tipped to showcase their wares again before the home crowd.

The circuit then moves to Baybay City, also in Leyte, on Oct. 20-24. For details, contact Bobby Mangu-

nay at 0915-4046464.

Also posting top podium finishes in the event, presented by Dunlop and backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating), are Kurt Barrera and Shara Paliwag, both from Negros Oriental, Cebu City’s David Sepulveda and Ma. Caroliean Fiel, also from Ormoc City.

Barrera, who survived Rain Ninal, 4-5(5), 4-0, 10-7, in the quarters, scored a 6-2(ret.) win over Kenzo Brodeth in the finals, while the secondseeded Paliwag upended No. 1 Therese Gauran, also from Negros Oriental, 6-1, 6-2, to share the 14-U trophies.

Sepulveda, on the other hand, repelled Matthew Morris, 6-4, 1-6, 10-8, while Fiel fended off Negros Oriental’s Alexa Cruspero, 6-3, 6-4, to split the 12-U honors.

TATAND finished runners-up. Kheith completed a double-gold triumph after beating Zachi Chua of Beyond F in another straight-set win in the Student Girls’ class. Lorene Uy of TATAND and Arianna Lim of FCTTA claimed runners-up finishes.

A product of TATAND grassroots sports program, Kheith made her mark in both local and international junior competitions before becoming the youngest player in the National Team that played in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Her younger brother Khevine, 13, silver medalist in the World Table Tennis Juniors tournament last August in Bangkok, made the podium as runner-up in the Student Boys’ class behind eventual champion Sean Uy of Ateneo De Manila, Joshua Lim

of College of St. Benilde and Johnlex Wong of Xavier School.

In the Men’s Open, Paul Que of FCTTA claimed the gold over Andrew Uy of Ateneo. Philip Uy and Marcos de Jesus of TATAND finished runners-up.

In the VIP class, Wilson Tan of host FCAAF emerged champion, beating teammate Teps Salvador.

Another FCCEA bet Benson Cheng and Wang Ming R claimed runnerup honors, while in the Senior class, Greg Pascua won the battle in the allTATAND Finals against Peter Lim and former Table Tennis president Rufino Go and Steven Rong.

Que also claimed a double victory after topping the non-ranked class against Sean Uy and Andrew Uy of Ateneo and TATAND’s Philip Uy.

Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is among ve amateur basketball players to have signed endorsement deals with Nike, the sports apparel company announced. The younger James, who turned 18 last Thursday, is a guard at Sierra Canyon High School near Los Angeles while his father is the 37-year-old four-time NBA champion playmaker for the Los Angeles Lakers.

TATAND o cials Charlie Lim and Philip Uy (far right) award the medals and prizes to Women’s Open winners, led by Kheith Cruz (third from left).

Mcleen Gomera and Kimi Brodeth keep levelling up in the PPS-PEPP junior circuit.

Tiger Woods

Advocacy film trains spotlight on nurses

By Patricia Taculao

NURSES have risked their lives to provide quality healthcare services to their communities. Their noble profession helps preserve the way of life, and they tirelessly do so despite being underserved.

Yet their time to shine on the silver screen has finally come around. As the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) celebrates its centennial anniversary, it partnered with Dr. Carl E. Balita, a medical professional, broadcaster, and entrepreneur, to release a film titled Siglo Ng Kalinga

Siglo Ng Kalinga is a film revolving around nurses’ stories inspired by the life of PNA Founder Anastacia Giron Tupas

The Ilocana became the first-ever Filipina to become a chief nurse at the Philippine General Hospital. She lived in service and inspired awe from those who came after her.

“I want the nurses to dream to be nurses again when they watched this film. I want them to commit that in their next lives, they will continue to become nurses because of the pride that we will give after watching this film,” Balita said.

Balita directed several films in the past, including Nars (2007) and Maestra (2017), which gathered awards in film festivals. Siglo Ng Kalinga is his latest passion project that exhibits his dedication to the medical profession.

He added that Siglo Ng Kalinga aims to change the public’s perspective of nurses by highlighting their sacrifices on the big screen. Yet this time, he doesn’t plan on casting notable celebrities to get the message across. Instead, he opened a casting call exclusive for nurses who could act to become part of the film. He believes their perspective will give the movie more gravitas as it tells healthcare professionals’ experiences in the field of service.

Since the film is no ordinary project, Balita shared there will be an acting workshop for the nurses spearheaded by Angeli Bayani

Lemuel Lorca, known for his work in Ned’s Project (2016), Intoy Shokoy ng

Kalye Marino (2012), and Water Lemon (2015), will direct the film. Joining him as the film’s screenplay writer is Archie Del Mundo

Moreover, Balita also shared that he tapped the National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts, Ricky Lee, as their creative consultant to add dramatic flair to the film.

The PNA signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Balita last October 9, Sunday. It marks a partnership that puts the nursing profession on the silver screen to commemorate their sacrifices throughout a century.

Balita proudly announced that proceeds from the film would go to the PNA so they

can further their mission of protecting local nurses’ well-being while finding steps to develop the experience.

“Ang layo na ng narating ng nursing sa bansa. Global na nga tayo and we Filipinos are considered among the best in the field, so I think this film is quite timely,” Balita said.

Aside from the casting call, Balita also opened poster-making and song-making contests for nurses. Winning entries from the competition will become the official poster and theme song for Siglo Ng Kalinga

Dr. Carl Balita Productions and the PNA aim to premiere Siglo Ng Kalinga sometime in 2023.

GMA Pinoy TV stages sold-out concert in California

THE

flagship GMA international channel has definitely outdone itself with its sold-out two-night anniversary concert in the U.S. starring Bea Alonzo, Aiai Delas Alas, Lani Misalucha, Julie Anne San Jose, Rayver Cruz, and Dingdong Dantes

Together Again: A GMA Pinoy TV @ 17 Concert was held on September 24 and 25 at the Pechanga Theater, Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. After a threeyear hiatus in the US concert scene, thousands of excited fans flocked to the venue for a night of singing, dancing, laughter, and everything Pinoy.

Everyone was ecstatic the moment when multi-awarded actress and box-office icon Bea Alonzo stepped into the GMA Pinoy TV stage. As her concert debut as a Kapuso, the multi-awarded actress and box office icon was just as excited to perform for them.

Sana hindi pa po ito ang huli and sana po lagi kayong mag-iingat at lagi po kayong manood ng GMA shows sa GMA Pinoy

TV,” she urged the audience and delightfully invited them to support her first GMA series, Start-Up PH with Alden Richards

Aiai delas Alas, in turn, surprised the audience with her out-of-this-world costumes and antics that made the experience unforgettable for them.

“After so many years, nandito po kami para paligayahin kayo at sana po ay naging maligaya kayo kahit sa ilang oras lang na pagsasama natin. Mula sa kaibuturan ng aking puso, maraming salamat po sa lahat ng nanood at nakisama at sumali sa ating show,” she expressed.

On a more heartfelt note, the crowd also turned emotional as Lani Misalucha shared her health issues and her miraculous recovery leading up to the concert. With her timeless vocal prowess, Lani sang her new song “I’ll Rise To The Top,” which is about how she overcame her health situation.

Sana magkita-kita pa po tayo ulit sa mga susunod pa naming mga concert na gagawin. Talaga namang nakakasarap po sa damdamin na together again po tayo. We will see you again. Thank you so much for watching the show,” Lani said.

Julie Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz, otherwise known as JulieVer, wowed the audience as they showcased how multitalented they are individually and as a duo. The

audience witnessed their on-screen chemistry from being the hosts of The Clash, mainstays in All-Out Sundays, and even on social media through their viral dance videos.

“Sa lahat po ng ating mga Kapuso at kababayan abroad, maraming maraming salamat po sa inyong suporta. And of course, nandito lang kami para po sa inyo and we always want to bring you closer to home kaya po kami nandito. That’s why we have been doing these shows in different parts of the world. We are stronger together talaga kapag nagtutulungan tayo,” said Julie Anne who stars in the primetime series Maria Clara at Ibarra

“Sa kabila ng mga pagsubok na dumaan, nandirito pa rin kayo para suportahan kami. Kaya ngayon, nandito naman kami para maggive back ng isang napakagandang show para ma-feel good naman ‘yung mga Kapuso natin dito sa States,” Rayver added.

Meanwhile, Dingdong easily wooed the crowd as he serenaded them and even sang a duet with one of the audience members.

Dingdong, who has been with GMA since the international channel’s launch in the US 17 could surely attest how much the Kapuso abroad has

become stronger after all these years with GMA Pinoy TV.

“We are happy to be here again finally. Pagkatapos ng ilang taon, we are together again. But this time, we are definitely stronger dahil ang dami po nating natutunan. Bukod sa namiss namin kayo, sana na-miss n’yo rin kami kaya babalik at babalik po kami,” he assured.

Towards the end of the show, Dingdong gamely took selfies with the fans and invited them to continue watching Family Feud and Amazing Earth

Online, several netizens congratulated and shared their delight with the Kapuso stars for a successful show. Some of them, who are from other parts of the world, were also clamoring for GMA Pinoy TV to bring their favorite artists and hold concerts in their respective areas.

Equally, GMA International First Vice President and Head of Operations Joseph T. Francia

has nothing but good words and gratitude for being together again with the Global Pinoys. “Thank you for your overwhelming support as we celebrate 17 colorful years with you. Thank you for making GMA Pinoy TV a part of your lives, for welcoming us into your homes, and into your internet-enabled devices.”

“We are strong as a people. Individually, each of us is strong. But when we celebrate our diversity and complement each other’s strengths – as a community coming together –we can be formidable. Let us be the #StrongerTogether Movement. And with faith in God and one another, be a powerful force for good in the US and even in the world,” Francia added.

Directed by Mark Reyes Together Again: A GMA Pinoy TV @ 17 Concert was presented by GMA Pinoy TV, Starmedia Entertainment, and GMA Synergy. It was also made possible through GMA Regional TV, GMA Entertainment Group, GMA Life TV, GMA News TV, and Tancinco Law P.C.

lifestyle shows to air on Discovery Asia, Asian Food Network

MILLIONS of viewers all over the world tuned in to the highly anticipated HBO Original series House of the Dragon’s when it debuted on August 22.

Now viewers are on the edge of their seats wanting to know who will reign and who will burn in the season finale as it premieres same time as the U.S. on October 23 at 9:00 a.m. only on HBO GO.

In the Philippines, the country’s fastest home broadband connection of PLDT Home provides the most seamless viewing for HBO GO subscribers so they can look forward to enjoying one hour of captivating TV every week this season.

House of the Dragon is one of HBO GO’s hottest premieres in 2022, adding to PLDT Home’s exciting set of content offerings streamed with no interruption.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen.

House of the Dragon stars Paddy Considine,

ABS-CBN, the country’s leading content provider, showcases the wonders of Filipino sceneries and diverse culture to more foreign audiences in Asia as it brings its array of lifestyle programs, courtesy of Metro Channel, via international cable channels Discovery Asia and Asian Food Network.

In a new content deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, ABS-CBN is bringing some of its Metro

lifestyle shows to more Asian

and

in

Among the shows to be featured is Metro Channel’s Beached, a travel show hosted by fitspiration icons Marc Nelson and Maggie Wilson as they tour the most scenic beaches and island resorts in the Philippines and around the world, with its first season to make its airing on Discovery Asia starting October 27 on Discovery Asia.

Meanwhile, international viewers are also in for a treat with the most scrumptious global eats in the National Winner for Best Lifestyle Program at the 2022 Asian Academy Awards, The Crawl, featuring various local restaurateurs and Pinoy celebrities, beginning November 9; and the search for the best Philippine cuisine plus other worldwide gastronomic treats, hosted by internationally renowned Filipino chef Sandy Daza, in Foodprints starting December 14 on the Asian Food Network.

In addition to linear broadcast, audiences can also enjoy these titles on streaming platform discovery+, available for iOS and Android devices.

Visit its website http://internationalsales.abs-cbn.com for more details on ABS-CBN International Distribution.

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao,

Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans

Additional cast members include Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan,

Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, and Savannah Steyn

Doctor Carl Balita during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding Administrators of PNA sign the Memorandum of Understanding with Doctor Carl Balita ‘Siglo Ng Kalinga’ is a film about nurses’ stories inspired by the life of Anastacia GironTupas

Some

Metro Channel’s

Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (left) and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’

The Kapuso stars at the ‘Together Again: A GMA Pinoy TV @ 17 Concert’

Rayver Cruz (left) and Julie Anne San Jose demonstrate how multi-talented they are as a duo

Eric Celerio plays Levi

NEW York City-based musician Eric Celerio has released an album called Celerio By Celerio as a tribute to his father, National Artist for Music, Levi Celerio. The album, released under a distributorship deal with Universal Records, dropped on October 7 on various digital platforms.

Made up of 13 tracks, this new album has strong jazz, Latin, NeoClassical, smooth pop, and jazz flavors juxtaposed with old man Levi Celerio’s timeless Tagalog classics rendered with a modern touch. Think “Kahit Konting Pagtingin,” “Saan Ka Man Naroroon,” and “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal.”

Eric Celerio grew up in New York where he moved from the Philippines

at age 13. A distinguished son of Mang Levi, he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Queens College (he’s a few units shy of a master’s). His music background covers a wide range, from classical to pop and rock.

A working musician in New York City, he gigs at exclusive joints and other key places such as Waldorf Astoria, Pierre, Harvard Club, Ciprianni, Trump Plaza, and Central Park’s open-air gardens. Much in demand for his sheer artistry and virtuosity in New York where he has made his mark, he also does backup work for various artists, including entertainers Christina Aguillera, Lea Salonga, Nonoy Zuniga, and Mike Hanopol, among others.

In wielding both piano and guitar, Eric has imbued his own, personal style marked by larger-than-life showmanship and humor that could be rowdy and recklessly irreverent.

Eric has to his credit three previous albums that capture his rare gift of music that he celebrates with zest in every performance.

Moving forward

Visual artist showcases mankind’s brilliance in new exhibit

N

Bayanihan stages ‘Resurgence' at CCP

BAYANIHAN Folk Arts Foundation, Inc. will stage Resurgence: A Filipino Dream Across Generations in collaboration with the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Schedules of shows are October 20, 8:00 p.m.; October 21, 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.; and October 22, 8:00 p.m. The matinee show on October 21 is sponsored by Philippine Women’s University.

The Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company was established in 1957 and was designated the Philippine National Folk Dance Company by virtue of Republic Act No. 8626 dated April 15, 1998. It is the first Filipino group to perform on Broadway in 1959 and holds the distinction of being the first nonAmerican dance company to perform at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Bayanihan has performed in Russia, the People’s Republic of China, and throughout South America before other Philippine dance companies had, making it the first Philippine cultural group to do so.

The Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company is known for its excellent

locally and

O MATTER how long the journey, you always go back to the things you love. That’s how it was for visual artist Michael Anthony Sagaran

For the most part, his life revolved around his work in the hospitality and public relations industries. For many years, he hopped from one hotel to the next. Working in a bustling corporate setup left him with little time to pick up his brushes and canvases.

While his job required him to design visual collaterals and occasionally do photography, it was a little divergent from his fine arts education.

It was during his recent stint at Taal Vista Hotel, where he worked in the marketing department, that he rediscover his passion for art. Living away from the highly stressful life in the metro and his loneliness from living away from his family and friends pushed him to pick up his brushes again.

“Moving forward from where he left off – as a hotelier and public relations expert – to a private life away from the center of things, Michael goes back to what he was trained for – art. As a graduate of fine arts from the University of Sto. Tomas, Michael has always kept his p[paint brushes on hand, ready to put images or ideas on canvas,” shared curator Nestor Jardin

Revisiting his artistic roots led him to his first online exhibit, Vespa History Series . In partnership with ArtPH Online, the exhibit featured nine iconic models of the Italian vehicle brand. He moved on to Mercedes Benz S: History Series

In September Sagaran showcased mankind’s brilliance in creating iconic products that enhance the human experience through the exhibit Moving Forward

Known for its excellent productions not only in the country but globally, Bayanihan has earned accolades and reaped several international awards since it started joining competitions in the early 2000s.

For more information about the Bayanihan production Resurgence and tickets, call 08-5246285; 09225551534 (Lhen Piorque); or 09178714429 (Monette Garcia).

Art is exploding in Tarlac

2nd Tarlac

over

Celebrating the 20th edition of Conrad Manila’s Of Art and Wine series, Moving Forward exhibits 20 artworks featuring various vehicles with historic and cultural significance, including 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom, the car of choice among Hollywood stars in the early 1930s, the 1905 Triumph Motorcycle (which could be the predecessor of the motor bicycle we know today, only better), the 1984 Ferrari Testarossa, a cultural icon of the 1980s popularized in the TV series Miami Vice, and the iconic Sarao Jeepney, among others.

Sagaran also included the Ford Model T, his favorite piece among those exhibited at the Gallery C, saying that this was the car that started the mass-produced automotive industry.

On October 8,

their first exhibit

and on October 15, Tarlac Province will host the 1st Central Luzon Art Fair, which will be held at Bulwagang Kanlahi in Tarlac City.

In celebration of Museums and Art Galleries Month this October and NCCA National chose Tarlac province as a jump-off point for the event.

Diwa Ng Tarlac is open daily except for Monday and Tuesday. The 2nd Tarlac Art Fair runs until October 31.

An artwork of Apo

Whang Od on view at Diwa ng Tarlac

“The Ford Model T was the first car that used assembly line production and the first mass-produced car for It is a testament to where challenges were were a lot of prototypes failed but Mr. Ford on moving forward. history in combination all these memories, combination of steadfast and a vision of a That we are moving to a better future,” Sagaran.

In his curator note, Jardin wrote that the exhibit is “not just a

metaphor for everybody’s aspiration to fast forward to a new normal in life, but an urge as well to move on by whatever means we have. Michael’s collection of paintings of iconic carts, scooters, jeepneys, and motorcycles executed in vivid colors is a celebration of the vibrancy of life after the grimness of the pandemic and lockdowns.”

Linda Pecoraro , the former general manager of Conrad Manila, enthused that the exhibit is part of the hotel’s commitment to champion local artists as the world heals and recovers from the challenges of recent years.

A multi-hyphenated musician (producer, sessionist, performer), Eric won the Carnegie Recital Hall Piano Competition in the late 70’s Eric looks up to Art Tatum, Victor Borge, Bobby Enriquez, and Chopin as his piano influences. His guitar-playing is influenced by Frank Gambale, Ywie Malmsteen, and Al Dimeola

“This exhibit, aptly entitled Moving Forward, embodies Conrad Manila’s optimistic outlook in sharing the light and warmth of hospitality with our guests complemented by inspired touches of luxury,” said Pecoraro.

Of Art and Wine: Moving Forward runs until October 22 at Conrad Manila’s Gallery C.

New York City-based musician Eric Celerio

‘Celerio by Celerio’ is s tribute to National Artist for Music Levi Celerio

Visual artist Michael Anthony Sagaran

Aside from showcasing the vehicles, ‘Moving Forward’ symbolizes the community’s desire to move on to better days

The ‘Moving Forward’ exhibit at Conrad Manila features 20 artworks of various vehicles with historical and cultural significance

Sagaran uses vivid colors on his artworks to celebry the vibrancy of life

The visual artist highlights mankind’s brilliance in creating iconic products through his recent collection

‘Resurgence: A Filipino Dream Across Generations’ is a production by the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation, Inc. in collaboration with the Cultural Center of the Philippines

DIWA

artists

photographers from different towns around Tarlac

create

Tarlac Governor Susan Yap, the Tarlac Provincial Tourism Office, and NCCA officials were the ones who led the opening ceremony on October

of the Tarlac National Art Competition, Tarlac artists and fashion designers spearheaded Igniting Potentials

Manila