Manila Standard - 2022 October 13 - Thursday

PBBM defers brgy., SK polls

By Vince Lopez

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law a measure postponing the December 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

Republic Act No. 11935, signed by Marcos on Oct. 10, moves the barangay and SK polls to the last Monday of Oc tober 2023.

“There shall be synchronized Baran gay and Sangguniang Kabataan elec tions, which shall be held on the last Monday of October 2023 and every three years thereafter,” the law reads.

RA 11935 is a consolidation of House Bill No. 4673 and Senate Bill No. 1306.

In a statement, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said the poll body will comply with the law.

“As I have said before, the Come lec shall comply with the law. I have conveyed the Comelec position with regard to postponement of the BSKE to the legislature and the President and I trust that such position was duly noted and considered,” he said.

PORT OF CALL.

P RESIDENTThe 108-year-old Norwegian ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl docks at the Port of Manila on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2002. The ship is currently on a global navigation around the world under One Ocean Expedition, a global campaign that shares knowledge about the importance of the ocean in achieving sustainable development for the future. Inset photo shows a crew taking a selfie on the bowsprit.

Danny Pata

Zubiri accuses China’s envoy at fault for blacklisting fiasco

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

SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday denied Chinese Ambas sador Huang Xillian’s assertion that he had spread misinformation about Beijing warning its nationals against visiting the Philippines over Chinese-run online gam bling operations here.

"I was shocked by the turnaround. I was shocked by the statement of the Eem bassy and it’s regrettable because we had several witnesses," Zubiri said in a virtual interview with reporters.

In a statement issued Tuesday night,

the Chinese embassy noted that “China has not placed the Philippines on its blacklist for tourism,” contrary to Zubiri’s report.

After a courtesy call by the Chinese ambassador Tuesday, Zubiri said Huang said the Philippines has been blacklisted for hosting online gambling operations. He also told the Senate committees on ways and means and public order and ille gal drugs that Chinese tourists were being warned against visiting the Philippines.

Faced with the Chinese denial, Zubiri stood his ground and said he would not apologize.

"'I stand by my statement that he men tioned the word 'blacklisting.' It did not come from us. It came from the ambas sador of China,” Zubiri said.

Palace to draw up plan to curb fake news

By Vito Barcelo, Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Palace on Wednesday said it would announce programs against fake news in the coming days after a Pulse Asia survey showed this was a problem for nine out of

10 Filipinos. “This is a serious issue that the OPS will closely monitor,” said Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil. “This is why we have programs that we will lay down in the coming days because we also want to address this problem of fake news.”

Results of the survey, conducted be tween Sept. 17 and Sept. 21, also showed that 58 percent o the respondents believed that social media influencers, bloggers or vloggers were the top peddlers of fake news about government and politics. Forty per cent blamed journalists, and 37 percent

Expert sees PH nearing endemic stage of COVID

By Alena Mae Flores

THE public should not expect the drilling of the Cadlao oil field off north Palawan to have a significant effect on still-rising local oil prices, the Department of Energy said Wednesday.

The Philippines' current demand for petroleum is at 325,000 barrels per day, while Cadlao is only expected to produce 5,000 to 15,000 barrels per day by 2024, Energy Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said.

It will also take time for the Cadlao field to move from drilling to actual oil production, Sales added.

But the DOE official said Australian firm Nido Petroleum Philippines Pty. Ltd.

THE Philippines is the most disasterprone country among 193 in the world based on its exposure and vulnerability to natural disasters, a study conducted by two German institutions said.

The World Risk Index, released by Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (The Alliance Development Works) and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) at Ruhr University

Bochum, said the Philippines is facing the greatest disaster risk among the countries it rated.

The Philippines has an index score 46.82, followed by India (42.31), Indonesia (41.46) and Colombia (38.37).

Mexico, Myanmar, Mozambique, China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan round up the top 10 countries most at risk of disasters.

By Willie Casas and Vince Lopez

THE Philippines is nearing its transition from a pandemic to an endemic state of the coronavirus disease, a health expert said Wednesday.

Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of adult infectious diseases and tropical medicine at San Lazaro Hospital, said while the country is not there yet, it can reach the endemic stage if people continue follow ing health protocols and get vaccinated.

Another infectious diseases expert, Dr. Edsel Salvana, earlier said that the coun try was already seeing signs of reaching an endemic stage due to its improved health care utilization rate and decreasing COVID-19 infections.

Department of Health (DOH) officerin-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire ex plained earlier that endemic is “a state wherein cases are stable, already con stant, and predictable.” With this, there should be a balance between the level of transmission and immunity, she added.

The country on Tuesday recorded 1,554 new COVID-19 infections, bring ing the active tally down to 25,004.

Meanwhile, at least 73.3 million Fili pinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 20.1 million have re ceived their booster shots.

Solante pointed out that data on the second-generation COVID-19 vaccines

was in last year.

1 dead, 1 missing due to ‘Maymay’

By Rio N. Araja

Oneperson was reported dead and another one missing in Cagayan due to Tropical Depression “Maymay,” the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, with revised protocols on dam water discharge, the National Irriga tion Administration’s River Integrated Irrigation System on Wednesday an nounced the scheduled initial gate open ing of the Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela. This is one of the precautionary mea

Zubiri...

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"It was he (Huang) who indeed commit ted a mistake here, not us. We have many witnesses… Maybe [it’s] misinformation. Maybe we were misinformed by thambas sador. Possible. So there were witnesses. We were three senators. Maybe, I would not make up stories," Zubiri said.

Zubiri said they have transcripts of what transpired when the Huang paid a courtesy call to him on Oct. 10.

He noted that the fault lies with the ambassador.

"He mentioned blacklisting. Maybe he made a mistake," Zubiri said in an online media briefing Wednesday.

He conceded, however, that something might have been “lost in translation,” and that the ambassador may have meant that the Philippines could be blacklisted for hosting Philippine Online Gaming Op erators (POGOs) that catered to Chinese nationals.

Zubiri said he will seek a categorical statement from the ambassador on the blacklisting on countries that continue to host online gambling operations that tar get Chinese gamblers.

In the same hearing, Association of Service Providers and POGOs (ASPAP)

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pointed to national level politicians.

Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Nancy Binay described as "disturbing" the re sults of the latest Pulse Asia survey.

“Misinformation and disinformation should be taken seriously. Those behind it should be held accountable for their ac tions," Estrada said.

"We should not allow irresponsible news and information to prevail because it will result in wrong decisions and opin ions,” he added.

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and its consortium partners are looking at investments of about $72 million to de velop two oil fields in northwest Palawan.

Nido Petroleum is developing Service Contract 6B, or the Cadlao oil field, and SC 54, which holds four discoveries, in cluding Tindalo and Yakalto.

Sales said the agency had given the go signal for contractor-operator Nido Petro leum to proceed with their site survey in Service Contract 6B of the Cadlao oil field.

"Around $16 million per well as per the budget they submitted. In Cadlao, they are undertaking extended production tests, so an additional $40 million," Sales said.

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

“Realistically speaking, we are talking in Cadlao, we expect the well to be drilled in the first half (of 2023). The extended production testing could run up to a maxi mum of 6 months," he said.

The production facilities can be in stalled by 2024 and production can pro ceed from that period, he said.

However, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said they are hoping for the suc cess of Cadlao to help convince more for eigners to develop other prospective oil fields in the Philippines.

“It is just one, first step because this is not of course going to make a massive impact on the supply requirements of oil in the Philippines. But if this is going to be sustained, then we are going to see

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Aside from the Katipunan Ave. neigh boring schools, De La Salle University and Mapua University also made it to the list, ranking 1201-1500 and 1501+ on World University Rankings 2023, respectively.

In a statement, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) trumpeted 10 Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) making THE WUR list.

This year’s performance is a dramatic increase from the two Philippine uni versities - UP and De La Salle Univer sity (DLSU) - that were ranked in 2019, CHED Chairman Popoy De Vera said.

“The dramatic increase in the number of

sures to regulate the current water level of the reservoir and control the inflows and outflows of dam water that could spill into rivers and increase flooding especial ly during typhoons.

This developed as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is in “constant communica

spokesperson Michael Danganan said POGO workers were not the only benefi ciaries of the online gambling industry.

"Thousand of Filipino families ben efit from legit POGOs,” said Danganan. He said these Filipino workers take home the bulk of their incomes to their families who need them.

Danganan said their groups employ roughly 23,000 Filipino workers catego rized as either directly-hired or indirectlyhired––a number that could rise in the years to come.

Additional benefits include free ac commodations, free meals, and free trans portation.

He said the POGO industry has been a huge help in the country's job generation program especially as economic recovery is in sight.

The 16 government-licensed POGOs and 68 service providers that make up ASPAP currently employ a total of 23,118 Filipinos and 17,130 foreign nationals.

The breakdown of their Filipino work ers is as follows: 31.4 percent serve as team leaders or supervisors, adminis trative assistants, sport-book handlers, kitchen staff, security officers, finance assistants, and accounting assistants; 16 percent work as data entry clerks; 10.5 percent as customer service representa tives; and 10 percent as housekeepers.

Binay said social media as the vehicle upon which fake news and false informa tion are widely and exponentially dis seminated.

She said people now rely on social media on a constant basis for information, news, entertainment, research, inspiration and guidance, and even for personal rela tionships.

She said it was easy to be over whelmed, but said new legislation was not necessary because the Constitution guarantees free speech.

"It would be ironic if we regulate or re strict speech or other expression because we have different opinions and views,"

further development of other service con tracts in the country," Lotilla said.

The DOE says Nido Petroleum’s drill ing activities at Cadlao alone will cost $72 million for two wells and the extend ed production testing.

That is about P4.2 billion based on the latest exchange rates, a cost the Philippine government cannot afford to shoulder on its own due to the high levels of debt and tight fiscal space created by COVID-19 pandemic spending.

Lotilla said the government’s commit ment to preserve and maintain the invest ment incentives for service contractors under Presidential Decree (PD) No. 87 has been met with renewed confidence and strong interest by local and foreign investors in the oil and gas sector.

"As the President stressed, this is a strong response to the representations and assurances we have given both foreign and domestic investors regarding the government's com mitment to uphold and apply the investment incentives under PD 87," he said.

Ensuring all Philippine government agencies deliver on promises of ease of doing business during this time will help encourage more investors to come and help explore more prospective oil fields.

The DOE also assured the media that Cadlao is situated well within Philippine territories, so security will not be an issue.

They also stressed that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Palawan Sustainable Development Council willcarefully monitor the drilling activities to ensure any damage done to natural resourc es of the area is minimized. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

internationalized Philippines HEIs shows that our universities continuously bench mark themselves with the best universi ties in the world and are improving their programs, faculty and facilities to produce graduates that are globally competitive and industry-matched,” De Vera said.

“In other words, an increasing number of Philippine HEIs are globally competi tive and world-class,” he added.

ADMU entered the top 301-400, which is the highest ranking ever received by any Philippine university in THE WUR rankings.

The 10 globally ranked HEIs are:

1. Ateneo de Manila University (301400)

2. Cebu Technological University (Re porter)

tion” with heads of concerned govern ment agencies as he “closely” monitors “Maymay,” Malacañang said Wednesday.

Also, the Philippine Institute of Vol canology and Seismology on Wednesday raised Alert Level 1 over the Bulusan Vol cano in Sorsogon province.

Phivolcs upgraded Bulusan's alert lev el to 1 from 0 due to its "state of low-level unrest."

The Bulusan Volcano Network re corded 126 weak and shallow volcanic earthquakes since early Tuesday, the state volcano watcher said.

It also observed other unrest param eters, including ground deformation, increased volcanic carbon dioxide con

The remainder work as general office staff, company drivers, payment officers, maintenance staff, dealers or presenters, data processors, and security guards.

Earlier, ASPAP appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the country's lawmakers to factor in the potential job losses that could result from banning the POGO industry in the country.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who attended the Senate hearing on the bud get of the Office of the President, said Mala canang has not yet decided on this issue.

Earlier, Finance Secretary Ben Diokno said the social costs—especially POGOrelated crime—outweighed the benefits.

The officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary, Cheloy Garafil, said the President was monitoring the situation closely.

“Of course the President is closely monitoring this and as far as the President is concerned, the Philippine National Po lice is in charge over the issue of crimes related to POGOs,” Garafil said.

The PNP’s Anti-Kidnapping Group reported last month that the number of kidnapping cases involving POGOs in creased from January to September.

Its data showed that a total of 17 POGO-related kidnapping cases were reported, compared to 12 incidents from January to December of last year.

she said.

But Estrada has proposed making it a crime to spread fake news through his Senate Bill No. 1296.

“Bad decisions affect public interest, safety, order, and people’s lives. And bad choices stemming from false in formation cost money and unnecessary wastage of precious human, natural, financial, and time resources,” Estrada said.

While the Constitution guarantees free speech and freedom of the press, he said this should not be abused.

"It’s the duty of every Filipino to con tribute to the development and welfare of

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The University of Stuttgart’s Prof. Dr. Jörn Birkmann, director of the Institute of Spatial and Regional Planning, and Dr. Torsten Welle, developed the index that evaluates the exposure to natural hazards faced by countries and assesses the inherent vulnerability in the countries towards suffering from impacts when facing these hazards.

“In line with previous results, this year's World Risk Index shows that global disaster risks are very heterogeneously distributed and strongly linked to aspects of poverty and inequality. Nevertheless, the new model results show clear differences from previous findings,” the report said.

Dr. Mahar Lagmay, University of the Philippines Resilience Institute Executive Director, said the country is at huge risk of disasters because it is in the typhoon belt of Asia.

“When there’s severe weather event like that, it carries along with it hazards. These hazards are namely the strong winds, the floods that are triggered, the landslides that are triggered by extreme rainfall events carried by the typhoon, as well as storm surges. These hazards are the ones that kill,” Lagmay explained.

Going forward, Lagmay said the government should focus more on preventing the ill effects of natural disasters, noting the four pillars in disaster prevention and risk reduction.

“One is the long-term, preparations,

De La Salle University (1201-1500)

Mapua University (1501+)

Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (Reporter)

Tarlac Agricultural University (Re porter)

University of Santo Tomas (Re porter)

University of Science and Technol ogy of Southern Philippines (Reporter)

University of the Philippines (8011000)

Visayas State University (Reporter)

add to this milestone, the entry of five State Universities and Colleges

in the rankings is also the highest number of Philippine public universities

it in any world university rank ings, CHED added.

centrations, and on-ground reports of sul furous odor emissions.

In Cagayan, PDRRMO head Ruelie Rapsing told GMA News’ Unang Balita their office is verifying the casualty re ports they received.

“We're verifying a report on a person who also went out to fish. This is a re ported dead (person). The cadaver was retrieved just yesterday afternoon. But we're still trying to verify if this is related to the cyclone,” he said.

The missing person was reported by the chief of police in Santa Ana, according to Rapsing. Despite the gale warning and nosail policy since Tuesday, he said the person still went fishing early Tuesday morning.

This year has also seen one casinorelated kidnapping.

In other developments:

• The Department of Justice said the Bureau of Immigration has already can celed the visas of more than 1,400 Chi nese nationals working in POGOs with out the necessary permits and documents from the government. DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano said the cancella tion of visas is part of the overall strategy of the government to deal with illegal POGO workers who posed not only a security risk but health problem as well after the department received reports that there are POGO workers infected with sexually transmitted diseases.

• Local businessmen are asking the na tional government to prioritize peace and safety in the country over financial gains from POGOs. “We should priority safety over revenue. We can focus on more le gitimate investments,” said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president George Barcelon. He noted that even the Chinese government opposes these offshore operations. The group’s chairman, William Co, added that Filipino workers abroad could send home more than $50 billion in the next few years, as opposed to the revenue contribu tion of only P6 billion from POGOs and the employment of 23,000 workers.

the country, to uphold and obey the laws,” he said.

Estrada noted the platforms in which fake news is peddled to the public, as well as the role of social media influencers, bloggers and vloggers in the spread of disinformation in the country, as shown by the survey.

“This is the reason why we intend to establish a policy to provide our citizens with a means for their protection from on line falsehood and manipulation. We hope to stop the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation on the internet by criminalizing fake news as a cybercrime,” he said.

this is called prevention and mitigation, the other is just before the hazard strikes, which is preparedness. And then during the time when the hazard strikes, that’s called response, and then afterwards, it’s called reconstruction and rehabilitation,” he said.

“We should really shift from doing more work on response to the longterm preparations planning,” the expert said, recommending that the country’s planning “should incorporate climate change-adjusted hazards.”

“These are the hazards that would happen because of the changing climate, because of global warming, that means that the typhoons will become stronger, carrying stronger winds, carrying bigger floods, triggering more frequent and more widespread landslides, and bigger storm surges,” he said.

Survivors of natural disasters in the country tend to say that storms that have been hitting the country are worse than the last ones that affected them, Lagmay noted.

“We must anticipate the future events. And to do that, we need science. We need to reflect in our hazard maps which are mainstreamed into the planning process of the communities, the comprehensive land use plans, the local climate change adaptation plans, the climate, and disaster risk assessments,” he said.

If incorporated, the people in the community will be able to realize there is “such a type of hazard that is bigger than what they know or what they have experienced. And if we do that, they can anticipate.”

The 2023 THE WUR is considered as the

diverse and largest ranking published

with 1,799 universities across 104 countries and regions participating.

THE WUR is one of the most defini tive lists of world's best research-led in stitutions.

The insights and data curated from this list have been adopted as a geo-political indicator as well as an aid to strategic management of institutions and a crucial factor in the study choices made by mil lions of students around the world and their employment prospects.

“The latest ranking is critical to achieve the directive of President Ferdinand Mar cos Jr. that Philippine HEIs must produce industry-ready graduates for the local and international employment market,” De

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He said the poll body will be coming out with an updated calendar of activities regarding the postponed electoral exer cises “the soonest possible time.”

“We shall also revisit our existing and planned procurement contracts related to the BSKE and act accordingly with the best interest of all parties in mind,” he said.

Garcia said the postponement will also give the Comelec “an opportunity to fur ther institute education and information programs for the benefit of our electorate and prospective BSKE candidates.”

He added that the one-year postpone ment will also allow them to resume voter registration “to ensure the larger participation of the citizenry.”

Garcia said it will give the hopefuls as well as the voting public “to take this time to prepare and reflect on their rights and duties which they will exercise through their ballots and eventual offices."

Expert...

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targeting the Omicron variant showed that they could produce better antibod ies and protection compared to the first generation vaccines.

“If we can maintain the wall of im munity against these variants, there is a chance that the Omicron will not mu tate. But again, it is not something defi nite because the ability of this virus to mutate again, especially the Omicron lineage, is still there,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“We're hoping to weaken the Omi cron lineage, but the prospect of other variants of concern is still there until we can break the transmission,” he said.

Vergeire had said the DOH has been coordinating with vaccine manufactur ers Moderna and Pfizer for the coun try’s procurement of Omicron-specific vaccines.

She also said the government is hop ing to buy these new generation CO VID-19 vaccines by the first quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, the independent moni toring group OCTA Research said the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) has gone down to 17.3 percent on Oct. 10 from the previous 19 percent on Oct. 3.

The positivity rate refers to the per centage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

David said the NCR’s reproduction number also went down to 0.93 from 0.99 on Oct. 6.

The reproduction rate refers to the number of people who can be infected by one case. A reproduction number be low 1 indicates that the transmission of the virus is slowing down.

The NCR’s one-week growth rate was negative 16 percent, while its health care utilization for COVID-19 patients was at 37 percent.

“Let’s hope the downward trend con tinues the rest of the year,” David said.

In other developments:

• The DOH said it plans to allow the vaccination against COVID-19 of chil dren aged 4 and younger, pending the results of the evaluation of the Philip pine Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Vergeire said the emergency use authorization (EUA) of the vaccines for this age group needed to be first ap proved by the FDA.

• The Department of Informa tion and Communications Technol ogy (DICT) said the software for the country's digital COVID-19 vaccina tion certificate VaxCertPH expired in September and that it was resolving budget issues to keep it running. The renewal of the software contract is an "unprogrammed expense" on the part of the DICT because the VaxCertPH was already supposed to be turned over to the Department of Health, DICT Secretary Ivan Uy said. How ever, he said the DOH only recently said its personnel were not yet ready to manage the system and asked the DICT to continue running it. Filipinos traveling abroad rely on VaxCertPH, which is accepted internationally as a proof of vaccination. Social media users have been pointing out several problems in using VaxCertPH, such as the lack of updated data that includes their booster shots.

Vera added.

The list covers 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across four ar eas: teaching, research, knowledge trans fer and international outlook.

Harvard tops the teaching pillar, while Oxford leads the research pillar. Atop the international pillar is the Macau Univer sity of Science and Technology.

In encouraging Philippine HEIs to pursue a programmatic and holistic ap proach in their internationalization strate gy, CHED prioritizes the bridging of PHL higher education to a world-class status through breakthroughs in international ization and Transnational Higher Edu cation (TNHE) to create milestones in nation-building and economic recovery.

Maceda heads new Comelec task force against vote-buying

NEWLY installed Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. eyes certain measures to plug loopholes in the implementation of the election laws, notably on vote-buying.

Speaking on ANC’s “Headstart,” Maceda hinted at the registration of poll watchers as a solution to the problem.

Maceda has been designated as head the poll body’s task force against votebuying.

“The usual context, when you hear about vote-buying is you know, you’ll

Tulfo eyes full gov’t scholarship for deserving Nursing students

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

TO address the problem on continuing migration of Filipino nurses, Senator Raffy Tulfo proposed the grant of full government scholarships to deserving students wishing to become nurses.

During a joint hearing of the Senate Committees on Health and Demography, Ways and Means; and Finance on To address the mass migration of Filipino nurses, Senator Raffy Tulfo proposed the grant of full scholarships by the government to deserving students wishing to become nurses.

During the Senate Committee on Health and Demography joint with Ways and Means; and Finance on Tuesday, Tulfo suggested that chosen scholars be required to serve in government hospitals for at least four to five years after graduation.

He said this would ensure enough nurses in every hospital in the country.

Tulfo noted that the ideal nurse to patient ratio is at 1:4, but the current ratio in the Philippines was estimated at 1:20, which compromises nursing care due to overworked nurses.

The proposal was deemed beneficial both for aspiring nurses, especially those from poor families needing educational assistance, and government hospitals facing shortage of healthcare workers.

Tulfo also asked the Department of Health (DOH) to address the discrimination Filipino nurses face in the workplace, including selective grant of benefits such as hazard pay.

Tulfo said he learned that only the nurses who were exposed to COVID-19 patients or were assigned to the COVID-19 wards were the ones eligible for hazard pay.

CEB resumes

Zambo-Cotabato runs next month

CEBU Pacific is set to resume next month its flights between Zamboanga Cotabato as part of its program to ramp-up its Mindanao operations.

The three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) direct CEB flight between Zamboanga and Cotabato will begin Nov. 7.

Flight DG-6684 is scheduled to depart from Zamboanga International Airport at 10:55 a.m. and will arrive in Cotabato City at 12 noon and its return flight, DG-6685 will leave the Awang Airport at 12:25 p.m. and will arrive at Zamboanga at 1:25 p.m.

CEB also flies direct to three other Philippine destinations from Zamboanga, namely Cebu, Davao, and Manila.

“We are happy to keep boosting our network outside Metro Manila as we continue to resume our inter-island connections. We are pleased to bring this direct flight back to our network which is in line with our commitment to make travel accessible and convenient for everyJuan,” said CEB chief commercial officer Xander Lao.

To mark this resumption, the CEB management offered a special rate of P188 from Oct. 12 to 16, 2022 and the travel period is from Nov. 7, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

CEB continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety while it operates with a 100-percent fully vaccinated crew, 95 percent of whom have been boosted—all to ensure a safe and convenient on Cebu Pacific.

find out that there is a crowd somewhere, there’s a payout you hear... and the normal explanation there is, well I’m paying my watchers,” he explained.

“Right now, offhand, before I even meet with the task force members, I would think that on the table would be suggestions like you know, if the usual

context is payouts that you learn about, that the explanation is we’re just paying our watchers, in the automated overseas elections, there is a provision that, if you have watchers then they will all be registered,” he said.

Maceda also noted that certain election laws have to be given more teeth by amendments.

He alluded to the usually protracted and circuitous process of case prosecution in the country.

“One of the weaknesses is that... Section 266 of the Omnibus Election Code speaks of not allowing any arrests in connection with an election

campaign for vote-buying or other election offenses unless it is by virtue of a warrant. So unless you chance upon them in an inflagrante situation, eh kailangan sasampahan mo pa muna yan ng kaso sa piskalya. Tapos aabot pa sa korte, so that’s one of the reasons (then you need to bring him before the fi scal, then it reaches the court, so it might take a long time.)

“And when the election is over, those who may have been ready to testify in the heat of the moment, you know ‘pag nag-cool down na yung mga passions and emotions, parang, ‘Okay, let’s just get along.’”

Dismissed NBI o icials win restitution by CA decision

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has ruled in favor of two senior officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) dismissed from their post by former justice secretary Leila de Lima eight years ago.

In its 24-page decision penned by Associate Justice Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura, the appellate court ordered the reinstatement and payment of back wages of NBI deputy director Reynaldo Esmeralda and lawyer Ruel Masala who has since retired from the service.

“The removal of petitioners was illegal and in violation of their right to due process. Hence, petitioners are entitled (to) the payment of back wages and other benefits due them from the time they were replaced up to their reinstatement to their former position without loss of seniority rights,” the CA ruling stated.

Esmeralda and Masala were promoted as directors in 2006 and 2007 by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

On March 13, 2014, then Justice Secretary De Lima ordered their dismissal, replaced by Ricardo Pangan Jr. and Antonio Pagatpat.

Esmeralda and Masala claimed they were sacked by De Lima on suspicions that they prematurely informed Janet Lim Napoles of the issuance of a warrant of arrest against her in connection with a case for illegal detention filed by whistleblower Benhur Luy.

In 2018, then Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ruled that Esmeralda and Masala must possess career executive service (CES) eligibility to be qualified for the position of NBI deputy director, and since they were not CES eligible, they did not qualify for the position, and deemed temporary appointees without security of tenure, regardless of the designation of their appointments.

On December 2018, the Office of the President, through then Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea rendered a decision denying their appeal. Rey E. Requejo

DOJ to sustain jail decongestion; 300 more PDLs due for release

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said decongestion of the New Bilibid Prison and other jail facilities operated by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) across the country will be a continuing process, with 300 more prisoners, also called persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) due for clemency by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Jail decongestion was the first thing that the Secretary has look into and we already released over 400 persons deprived of liberty. This is a continuing process, every month, we will release deserving PDLs,” DOJ spokesman Jose Dominic Clavano said in a media briefing.

Clavano said apart from jail decongestion, the “war’ against online sexual abuse of minors was among the

main accomplishments of the DOJ in the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.

Clavano said Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has made the two issues among his priority since assuming the post on July 1. Remulla vowed to decongest jails in his first 100 days in office, saying he was asking for 300 to 500 carpetas, or the inmates’ record, a week from the BuCor so they can process who among the inmates were already eligible for release.

Last month, 371 inmates in the national penitentiary, Correctional Institute for Women and other BuCor-operated prisons gained their freedom after completing their sentence or having been pardoned or paroled.

Earlier, Remulla said the NBP and other BuCor-operated prison facilities registered a 330 percent congestion rate.

Built in 1940 for a maximum of 6,000 prisoners, the

MMDA hosts motorcycle workshop

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is conducting a twoday motorcycle consultation workshop to come up with an action plan to improve traffic management along major thoroughfares in the metropolis.

The meeting, which started Wednesday, also eyed the establishment of motorcycle lanes, specifically on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

MMDA acting chairman Carlo Antonio Dimayuga III said the traffic volume along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue has exceeded the pre-pandemic levels as restrictions continued to ease,

Registered vehicles in Metro Manila also continued to increase, hitting the 2.9 million mark last year, 1.44 million of which were motorcycles.

“Based on our data, the daily average number of vehicles plying EDSA is now

at 410,000 and has surpassed the 405,000 pre-pandemic mark because of a number of road activities and face-to-face classes reopening,” Dimayuga said.

“With this number, we’re planning to put an exclusive motorcycle lane along Commonwealth Avenue to put the vehicles in order and as part of road safety for the motorcycle-riding public,” he added.

MMDA general manager Baltazar Melgar hoped that the consultation workshop would result to knowledge-sharing, as well as discussion of concrete policy directions and guidelines for motorcycles and other public utility vehicles.

“We, at MMDA, see ourselves as your partners on the road. We want to ensure your safety by providing good and quality infrastructure, as well as to maintain order and discipline on the roads by enforcing the proper rules and regulations. Let us make the roads of the Metropolis safe,” he said.

national penitentiary currently houses 28, 900 inmates, including those being held at the maximum security compound.

The DOJ is targeting to release over 5, 000 PDLs by June 2023.

Part of the decongestion program, Clavano said, was the construction of a maximum security prison facility in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro to house inmates convicted of heinous crimes.

As to the war against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), Clavano said the DOJ have further strengthened the fight, especially with Remulla’s declaration of “war’ against those involved in the said cases.

“We have intensified the campaign against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, so Secretary Remulla has declared war on it,” he added.

CDC workers undergo service training

CLARK FREEPORT—Forty employees of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) recently completed the Customer Relations Management Training (CSMT), organized by the company in partnership with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) – Region 3.

Through its Human Resource Division, CDC spearheaded the two-day training which aims to improve the participants’ skills set and competencies in order to provide excellent customer service. The training also equipped

the participants with the ability to provide effective solutions to various customers’ concerns.

Subject Matter Expert (SME) and CSC supervising personnel specialist Sonny Cuadro served as the resource speaker during the training sessions.

Cuadro discussed the various components of customer service management and how management and employee collaboration can result in efficient and effective public service.

The trainees took part in a variety of activities such as

lectures, games, ice breakers, and even role playing to simulate real-life customer service situations.

On the second day of the session, a culminating activity was also held to recognize the participants’ efforts in completing the training. CDC – HRD manager Sarah Lerum led the awarding of certificates of completion and recognition for the participants. She also thanked the CSC—Region 3 for their assistance and support in making the training possible.

SALUTE TO THE PCG. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista executes the salute as he troops the line during his visit at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters in Manila. Norman Cruz

IN SEARCH OF BAGUIO’S PROGRESS. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong discusses with Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco the development of the Baguio Resilient City Tourism Project and the Burnham Park rehabilitation. The mayor also met with o cials of the Asian Development Bank and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority regarding the implementation of high-impact projects in the country’s so-called Summer Capital.

YOU’RE ON CANDID CAMERA. A worker installs closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at a concrete post on Aguinaldo Highway in Agustina Village, Barangay Zone I-A, in Dasmarinas City, Cavite for added security measure and enhanced e cient tra c management in the area.

DSWD to reinstate families delisted from 4Ps program

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will reinstate the 700,000 families who were delisted from the beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo said.

The said families were removed as beneficiaries following their inclusion in the “Listahanan 3,” which stated that the 1.3 million families listed should be re moved since their living conditions have already improved.

Facing the Senate hearing on the pro posed budget of the DSWD, Tulfo said the “Listahanan 3” have not been validated.

“Out of the 1.3 million consid ered poor during that time, more than 500,000 are no longer poor,” Tulfo said.

He stressed that the more than 700,000 should be returned to the 4Ps because of the pandemic. He added that “nobody got rich during the pandemic in 2020, and 2021. So we have to take them back,” re ferring to the said families.

Senator Imee Marcos said the list should be scrutinized as she said it’s like ly some of the families no longer have children who go to school. She said this would mean they are no longer compli ant with the qualifications of 4Ps. She also sought a review of the program.

Based on records, Marcos said since 2007, the government had spent P900 billion for 4Ps.

DSWD data showed that only 97,000 families graduated from the program.

“It is time we revisit the 4Ps, the gov ernment has spent so much. The only proven fact is that it helps in short-term

Nazal takes oath as Magsasaka rep; Comelec slammed on proclamation

By Maricel V. Cruz

MAGSASAKA party-list nominee Robert Nazal, Jr. has taken his oath as a member of the House of Representatives on October 10.

Nazal’s office made the an nouncement Wednesday, saying the new House member took his oath of office before Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 220 Judge Jose Paneda on the same day the Com mission on Elections (Comelec) is sued a certificate of proclamation recognizing him as the qualified nominee of Magsasaka party-list.

A former member of the Magsa saka party-list on Wednesday mean while hit the Comelec for its deci sion to recognize a “millionaire” and Pasahero party-list founder as the legitimate nominee of the farm ers and fisher folk group.

At a media briefing in Quezon City, ex-representative Argel Joseph Cabatbat, took a swipe at the five en banc commissioners who declared Nazal as the first nominee of the Magsasaka party-list that got a oneseat vote at the House of Represent atives.

He believes Comelec’s decision in favor of Nazal was “anomalous.” “We will consult our members, the farmers and the fisher folks on what steps to take. While impeachment is a possibility, as a lawyer, I will not file a case if I am mad. We have to build up a case first,” he said.

Cabatbat said Comelec “circum vented the law on party-list system.” He also claimed that Nazal was never a bona fide member or nomi nee of the Magsasaka party-list, and that he was publicly campaigning under the Pasahero party-list in the May 9 polls.

After taking his oath, Nazal, an agriculture entrepreneur, paid a courtesy call to Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez at the Batasang Pambansa. He also met with House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

poverty but has not established itself out of poverty,” she added.

Tulfo meanwhile said he is upbeat to finalize a program that will help street children and indigenous peoples like the Badjaos, Mangyans, and Aetas from the streets and round them up in the next weeks.

“We have a program which we are fix ing now. We will be implementing it within the next few weeks,” Tulfo told the Senate hearing on their proposed P196.4 billion budget for next year.

He said their priority is to rescue street children not only in Metro Manila but in other parts of the country, to stop them from being exposed to dangers.

Tulfo noted that what the DSWD is implementing right now is a “band-aid” solution to the Badjaos, Mangyans, and Aetas roaming the streets begging. He admitted there are still no concrete plans for them.

The moment they used up all the money they got from begging during the Christmas season, they go back to the streets of Metro Manila.

Due to this, Tulfo said the DSWD plans to give them livelihood or any source of earning when brought back to their places.

In this way, he said no need for them to go to Metro Manila to beg during the Christmas season.

News

Bersamin defends CIF budget, cites need to be ‘flexible’

EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas Ber samin in a Senate hearing defended the proposed P4.5 billion for confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) of the Office of the President (OP) for 2023, saying the presented administration “retained the confidential funds allotted for the OP” during the previous administration.

During the finance committee hearing on the proposed OP budget, Bersamin also explained “the need to be flexible with the budget to be responsive to the requirements of international and do mestic security.”

“We have adopted a whole of nation approach in respect of our security ar rangements as well as our concern for internal as well as international secu rity and this whole of nation approach

requires us to have some flexibility...”

Bersamin, quoted by a GMA News re port, said.

“We have not increased too much what the last administration had as far as this CIF is concerned, we just had replicated it and the reason there is probably that in a post-pandemic world, we would need a higher response or we need to be more responsive to the requirements of international and do mestic security,” he said.

Bersamin further said “ee are not yet into that time when we can view it in the way most sectors of our society view it but it is not a simple view that we have about this. We want to be ready whenev er there will be these exigencies that will arise so minaintain na lang po namin

‘yung amount ng CIF that was in effect under the former administration.”

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III in the Senate hearing inquired why the confidential and intelligence funds of the previous administration were retained as he asked if this is consistent with Presi dent Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s 2022-2028 medium-term fiscal framework (MTFF), GMA News also reported.

Pimentel said he noticed that out of the total budget, “P4.5 (billion) of this will be confidential and intelligence funds, that’s almost 50% or close to 50%... why did we maintain, ES, the level of the for mer administration’s confidential and in telligence funds?”

CHR vows to defend free press amid threat to broadcast journos

By Rio N. Araja

REACTING to online threats against two broadcast journalists, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday remained firm in its stance to defend a free press and called for the protection of all media workers in the country.

“We do not and cannot take lightly any threats or any allusions to harm the lives of journalists, regardless if such statements are deliberate or cursory,” a CHR state ment said.

The commission reacted to re ports of online threats made against TV5 journalist Ed Lingao and tel evision host Lourd de Veyra.

A certain Seth Corteza claimed that the duo would be the next victims of assassination after the fatal attack on radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid.

‘DENR to work with LGUs to combat illegal mining’

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has bared plans before Congress to work with local government units (LGUs), the Depart ment of the Interior and Local Govern ment (DILG), and other concerned agen cies on the full implementation of the “People’s Small-Scale Mining Act” to better regulate this activity and flush out illegal miners.

Thus according to Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Commission on Appointments majority leader, as he

said Yulo-Loyzaga assured members during a recent committee meeting of this 25-member bicameral panel prior to its confirmation of her appointment.

Asked by Villafuerte about her stance on small-scale mining, Yulo-Loyzaga said she supports this enterprise as a means to lift certain populations out of their socioeconomic conditions, “(but) we do feel at least at the DENR at the moment, that we need to strengthen our capacity to observe, to monitor, to evalu ate the environmental impacts of these activities at the local level.”

Villafuerte at the same time suggested to the Environment secretary to look into current mining technologies that already allow miners to process gold without us ing mercury, a pollutant that adversely af fects humans and ecosystems.

“There are already so many technolo gies, mercury-free processing of gold. So, I suggest that the department can research on this and be updated, because every day there are new technologies and processes that are being implemented,” he said. “As you mentioned, (the use of mercury) is re ally dangerous.” Maricel V. Cruz

“As an independent human rights institution, CHR actively works for the security of the media through our helpdesks and public safety mechanisms. We shall endeavor to reach out to the involved and ex plore preventive measures, through our Investigation Office, offer assistance as well as a quick re sponse mechanism that will look into the veracity of threats, among others,” CHR said.

“Once again, we stress the unde niable and vital role of the media in helping the Filipino citizenry ob tain timely and accurate informa tion imperative to the realizations of their rights,” it added. It asserted that any attempts to silence the press, particularly by creating a culture of fear and vio lence, directly impacts democracy and the human rights situation in the country.

Solon files bill on ‘faulty’ nat’l ID rollout plan

HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader Bernadette Herrera filed a resolution seeking an inquiry in aid of legislation into what she described as an “inef ficient, delayed, and faulty” rollout of the national ID system.

In filing House Resolution 471, Herrera said the government agen cies in charge of the project—Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), National Economic and Development Author ity (NEDA), and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)—must be taken to task for their shortcomings.

The Bagong Henerasyon partylist nominee even suggested replacing the current PSA leadership due to “inef ficiencies” pointed out in the imple mentation of the Philippine Identifi cation System (PhilSys), which was supposed to be a means to improve the delivery of public services.

“An accountability mechanism must be established to allow a closer look into what went wrong, or what may still be improved, in the implementation of the national ID system,” Herrera said.

Lawmaker files measure inquiring on proliferation of online child sex abuse

DEPUTY Speaker and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar on Wednesday sought an inquiry into the proliferation of online child sexual abuse as she voiced concern over the notion that the Philippines is the top producer of child pornography in the world.

In filing House Resolution 453, Villar said online abuse has become prevalent,

especially during the pandemic, and this form of abuse is one of the most pressing issues today.

“There is a need to protect children from different types of online abuses, especially since the pandemic has had a profound impact on the way children use the Internet as they spent more time on line,” the House leader said, adding that

abuse on the Internet worsened during the pandemic.

As early as 2016, Villar said in the resolution that the Philippines has been named as the global epicenter of the livestream sexual abuse trade. The country also ranks second in cybercrime vulner ability which exposes greater risks to minors and children who are the most

vulnerable as they spend most of their time online.

Six out of 10 children between the ages of 8 and 10 were exposed to cyber risks such as phishing, hacking, cyberbullying and even sexual exploitation, which had been attributed to the wide and easy ac cess to smartphones and tablets even at an early age. Maricel V. Cruz

Established by Republic Act 11055, the PhilSys project seeks to promote inclusive coverage and enable better access to the most vulnerable groups such as the poor, people living in geographically-isolated and disadvan taged areas, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities.

When the COVID-19 pandemic af fected the country in 2020, then Presi dent Rodrigo Roa Duterte ordered the immediate implementation of the PhilSys project to aid in identifying the poorest households entitled to government cash aid during the lock downs.

Maricel V. Cruz

SARA’S VISIT. Vice President Sara Duterte visits the home of the late mayor of Marilao, Bulacan, Mayor Ricardo “Ricky” Silvestre, and extended her condolences to his bereaved family, friends, and residents of Marilao.

GRAB’S COURTESY CALL. Officials of GRAB Philippines pay a courtesy call on Speaker Martin G. Romualdez for a short meeting at the House of Representatives on Wednesday. From left are: Nicka Hosaka, public affairs manager; Yew Heng Lim, group managing director & public affairs; Grace Ver Cruz, managing director; and Booey Bonifacio, director for public affairs. Ver Noveno

ACTION PLAN TO EASE TRAFFIC. MMDA Acting chair Engr. Carlo Dimayuga III (center) along with 1 Rider Partylist Rep. Bonifacio Bosita and Rep.Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez formally open the two-day motorcycle consultation workshop aimed to come up with a consensus and action plan to improve traffic management along major thoroughfares. The event was attended by different transport leaders. Manny Palmero

Opinion

Safety-first in preps vs. ‘Maymay’

strict safety precautions to prevent a repeat of the accident that claimed the lives of five local government rescuers in San Miguel, Bulacan during the height of supertyphoon Karding.

AS OF of this writing Wednesday, we were still monitoring the status of tropical depres sion Maymay which weather bureau PAGASA reported to be moving slowly southwestward over the Philippine Sea.

Signal No. 1 was hoisted over at least six ar eas in Central Luzon with the developing storm expected to landfall in Aurora Province.

We assure the public that the government is not leaving anything to chance as President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) called his disaster and calamity team to a meet ing regarding preparations for the possible ef fects of Maymay.

Immediately following the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, PBBM showed a sense of urgency over disaster risk reduction operations and the need to ensure public safety, as well as beef up supplies of relief goods.

Despite his tight schedule on welcoming dig nitaries at Malacanang Palace, he hurriedly got me, Office of Civil Defense Sec. Jose Faustino and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Sec. Renato Solidum, Jr. in a huddle.

The President apparently intends to remain on top of the situation, keeping adequately informed of the developments in the face of a possible calamity.

He wants to be aware of what goes on be fore, during and after the weather disturbance occurs.

PBBM stressed that rescuers must observe

He also assured the disaster and calamity team of his full support and willingness to pro vide additional logistics in the rescue and relief operations in coordination with the LGUs and government-accredited volunteer groups.

Full-scale preparations are underway in an ticipation of Maymay.

Clearly, there is no need for the PBBM to head for the calamity area personally as what his critics would wish him to do

Clearly, there is no need for the PBBM to head for the calamity area personally as what his critics would wish him to do.

As DSWD Secretary, I have instructed the agency’s regional field offices to work closely with the LGUs in providing for the basic needs of the residents in affected areas.

He directed Sec. Faustino to mobilize mili tary troops to help in pre-emptive evacuation of residents to safe locations if needed.

Tropical depression Maymay reportedly might “weaken” as it makes a landfall near Bal er, Aurora Province but, if it regains strength in stead, we will be prepared to duke it out with it at the point of impact.

What do we do then?

the wet markets. And do not expect shopping, whether on-line or in-store, to swell mightily this holiday season.

People are tightening their belts, not as a mat ter of choice, but of necessity.

In a consumption-driven economy boosted by OFW remittances, that means our VAT-fu eled revenues will also dip.

SOS from furniture exporters

FRIENDS have called after reading some of my articles about the economic hardships we face.

“Wala na bang good news?” some asked.

I am just writing about the true situation. I am not blaming anyone, and I believe all of us will agree that it is the external developments, frightening as they are and have been, that have caused the very dire situation we are in.

Last week, the OPEC decision-makers met, and just as the winds have begun to presage winter in the northern hemisphere, they decided to cut their oil production by 2 million barrels per day.

The oil cartel which caused shortages all over the world in the 70s, where coupons had to be rationed to consumers, used to be an oligopoly of Middle Eastern nations led by Saudi Arabia, which alone pumps up 10 million barrels a day, roughly one-seventh of total oil production.

The cartel has expanded since 2016 to em brace what is now called OPEC+ and includes Russia, which also produces close to 10 mil lion barrels a day. Altogether, 40 percent of the world’s oil requirements are supplied by OPEC+ nations.

Now 2 million barrels may seem insignifi cant versus the totality of oil production but it creates pressure on the US, the world’s largest oil producer, to further ramp up its pumps, espe cially since mid-term elections are forthcoming a month from now, and inflation is still rising.

The same pressure goes to most other West ern nations in the EU.

The reduction causes a huge psychological impact, especially as the winter cold is com ing, and will last until March this year when the temperate countries require oil and gas to heat homes and buildings.

For most of the OPEC+ countries, it is sim ply a matter of sucking more blood out of those who can afford, because recession fears also reduce the price of oil.

For Russia, it is not just a matter of money, but also politics at a time when they are suffer ing reverses in the long-drawn Ukraine war.

Last Tuesday, diesel in the Philippines went up by 6.85 per liter, quite hefty. Our transport system, mostly dependent on a rent system of operators and driver-rentiers, will see the price adjustment relief given by government disap pear.

But oil impacts on practically every other cost. All told, inflation will further rise.

Meanwhile, the BSP has no choice except to use its monetary tools, which basically means raising interest rates. That restricts the flow of credit, which affects business expansion.

It cannot print more pesos while it restricts credit.

But since inflation cum recessionary pres sures impact throughout the world, let us not expect so much foreign direct investments to come flowing in.

Wealthy economies will look inward, wor ried about their own domestic problems, and with credit being expensive, they are not likely to expand overseas.

Pledges will remain pledges.

I cannot fathom how it is to be in the lowest income segment of the population.

Many are unemployed; most are underem ployed. They just have to survive on a daily basis, hoping government will give dole-outs as lifeline. But the national government itself will be hard-put to continue the ayuda programs.

Demand is inching downwards, and you need not understand economics to know that.

Just see how people scrimp in the groceries and

And with a P13.2 trillion debt, there is not much leeway for further government borrow ings. Our economic managers will look at their equilibrium points, given that our reserves are on the decline with rising trade imbalances.

Since my family belongs to the middle class, it means belt-tightening. The lower D and E in come classes are what should worry us most. Poverty will rise, and, with it, social tensions.

For the middle class, better to save and hold on to your cash. If you are into stocks, the mar ket is volatile. If you want to buy real estate, the prices are still quite high, but when the reces sion comes, prices will go down.

The pandemic has scarred us deeply. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is frightening, whether now or in the immediate future. And climate change is exacting a continuing toll on our environment that impacts on our productive capacity

On the bright side, the president and this ad ministration still bask in the afterglow of a huge political mandate. But we have seen how popu larity vanishes as economic realities set in.

Our trade officials advise us to buy local to prop up the MSMEs. That is correct, and we must do so.

The problem is there is little that we need, other than food, which is locally produced (well, almost).

Until we are able to produce enough from our farms and seas, we will still be a net im porter of food requirements. Which is why food production is, and should be, government’s top priority.

LGUs should actively do their part in the effort, not only for their constituent farmers to produce more, but for them to use their resourc es in helping the farmers cope with rising input costs. Local subsidies can go a long way.

An example is in Isabela where the provin cial LGU headed by Gov. Rodito Albano adds 2 pesos per kilo of palay over and above the NFA buying price from their funds.

In the small town of Piddig, Ilocos Norte, Mayor Eddie Guillen has weaned away his farmers from subsistence to high-value crops, but helped them with improved technologies.

The town of Nagtipunan in the mountain ous parts of Quirino province earns a hefty income from domestic tourists who marvel at the colorful flowers they tend, evoking in albeit small scale, pictures of Furano in Hokkaido or Provence in France.

In northern Cebu, where antiquated sugar mills produce marginal sugar output, Gov. Gwen Garcia is willing to grant assistance for those who would switch to corn, a much needed input for hog and poultry production.

In both the countryside and the new urban centers, there is so much idle land, whether publicly owned or private. LGUs can coax pri

DON’T

look now, but an industry that used to generate $300 million a year from exports is now in dire straits, and urgently needs government support.

This is the furniture manufacturing industry, which is largely dependent on exports, and they are requesting the Department of Trade and Industry to help them.

What is the problem?

The furniture exporters have re ceived an unprecedented volume of cancellation of orders from abroad due to fears of a recession that altered spending patterns and drove down de mand in two of the Philippines’ big gest markets.

The industry now expects orders for furniture from the United States and Europe to slump by 25 percent this year from about $200 million in 2021.

Before the pandemic, Philippine exports of furniture, such as wooden tables, chairs, desks and cabinets, amounted to $300 million.

Local furniture makers cannot ex port more because of the lack of inter national certification of the wood used for furniture.

It is the Forest Stewardship Coun cil (FSC), a Germany-headquartered

nonprofit organization set up in 1993 to promote responsible management and sustainability in the world’s for ests through certification that is rec ognized in many countries as part of their environmental policy.

The furniture exporters have received an unprecedented volume of cancellation of orders from abroad due to fears of a recession that altered spending patterns and drove down demand in two of the Philippines’ biggest markets

FSC certification ensures that wood products come from responsibly man aged forests that provide environmen tal, social and economic benefits. It has certified more than 80 million hectares of forests in over 100 coun tries.

Since most local furniture suppli ers in the Philippines get wood from sources that are not certified by the FSC, the United States and European countries do not want to buy furniture made with those materials.

Philippine furniture makers want

ing to tap export markets have to buy wood from nearby countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia where FSC certification is available.

So how can the national govern ment help the industry?

It can do so by coordinating with the FSC to set up a local office in the Philippines to ease the regulatory bur den on exporters.

This would help eliminate or at least reduce the need for local furni ture makers planning to export their products to import FSC-certified wood from other countries.

Local furniture makers must fully accept this certification requirement so they can have more exposure to the international market.

The Philippines has some 15,000 furniture firms, of which more than 80 percent are in the small and medium enterprise (SME) category, employ ing some 800,000 workers. They are concentrated in the National Capital Region, Cebu and Pampanga.

Furniture exports from the Phil ippines peaked in 1999 when local firms shipped more than $381 million to foreign buyers.

This went on a downtrend due to the world financial crisis that damp ened global demand and stiffer com petition from other countries such as China.

Can the DTI help them recover from the slump?

The Lorraine Badoy social media posting

Although the Judge accepts that violence is indubitably linked to revolutionary war, she dif ferentiates between purpose and means which to her are not synonymous.

Although there can be some strong argu ments to be made with this position, it appears the Judge did not see it that way.

violent revolutionary war since its founding in in 1969 or 53 years ago.

The cost to country is enormous and incal culable.

IN A surprise decision, an RTC judge ruled the CPP/NPA is not a terrorist organization igniting a tempest that is still reverberating up to this day.

For one, it resurrected the Red Tagging con troversy which seems to have simmered down a little in recent weeks.

Academics and lawyer organizations im mediately sprang to the defense of RTC Judge Marlo A. Magdozo-Malagar who made the de cision.

The Supreme Court also directed Lorraine Badoy why she should not be cited in contempt for her social media postings.

As a military and police veteran who has devoted many years in the anti-dissident cam paign, my initial reaction when I read the news was a feeling of having been cheated by the court decision.

It is as if the many years of service that I ren dered was for nothing. I am sure that many of my kind also feel that way.

But let us toss those feelings aside and try look at the Judge’s decision as objectively as we can.

There might be more to her decision that meets the eye.

Since the case was filed in court about four years ago, it must have been under the Human Security Act of 2007, and not the current AntiTerrorism Law which was signed in 2020.

The two laws define terrorism somewhat dif ferently.

The 2007 law uses the phrase “to sow and create widespread and extraordinary fear among the populace” in describing violent acts perpetrated to force the government to accede to the demands of a terrorist organization.

Since the government cited about nine differ ent cases, the Judge did not believe these meet the definition of widespread acts because the cases only happened in few provinces and not throughout the country.

vate landowners to plant short-term crops, such as vegetables, and help them in the marketing.

In short, let us trust our local government leaders to know what is best in their microeconomy.

But let us not waste our precious resources now allocated in the national budget for agricul ture in the same old wanton manner.

Let the DA be more focused on the right spending priorities, which means post-harvest facilities like the cold chain, crop insurance, irrigation, fertilizer support instead of farm-tomarket roads which wind up as farm-to-pocket of pork-greedy legislators.

Even urban gardening to produce table veg etables, which Sen. Cynthia Villar keeps advo cating, is an idea whose time has come, borne out of necessity.

There are vertical hydroponic farms in Navo

There was also apparently a distinction made whether a crime was committed in the personal capacity of an individual CPP/NPA guerilla or the result of directives coming from the CPP/ NPA.

The CPP/NPA due to its propaganda machinery has succeeded to some extent in painting a romantic notion of an organization reforming a rotten and dysfunctional system when the complete opposite is true

If this is the case, it would appear that the Judge is not familiar to the way the CPP/NPA operates because in such an instance, there re ally is no distinction.

We can debate other points in the decision but the fact remains that the Judge is clearly in the position to interpret the law as she sees it and her safety should not be compromised be cause of it.

There is no denying however, that the deci sion can be interpreted as a victory for the CPP/ NPA.

Fortunately, the process does not end there. The DOJ can still appeal the decision or file a new case under the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Law. We will just have to wait and see what happens next

•

• • At this juncture, it might be helpful to remind everyone that the CPP/NPA has been waging a

tas in Metro Manila by the private sector, en couraged by the Tiangcos, as well as in Taguig, also in the metropolis, under the Cayetanos.

There probably are more elsewhere. Rich LGU’s should adopt the same.

I do not want to this be a jeremiad of doom. But let’s face it: times are hard, and will be hard for the next year and more.

The pandemic has scarred us deeply. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is frightening, whether now or in the immediate future. And climate change is exacting a continuing toll on our environment that impacts on our productive capacity.

So what can be done?

Do not live beyond your means; put off the spending and save your precious few resources for health and other emergencies.

We are into the winter of our lives.

By its very nature, a revolutionary war is waged using methods outside the law to achieve its goals. This includes murder, pil lage, kidnappings, extortion which is popu larly known as revolutionary taxation and destruction of government and private prop erties and more.

The few cases cited by the good Judge wherein she based her decision do not really tell the whole story if we enumerate all those crimes committed by the CPP/NPA since its founding.

The conflict is no longer limited to waging an open rebellion by force of arms but also us ing other means like infiltrating the government and propaganda to weaken the government’s ability to neutralize the CPP/NPA.

Quite simply, this conflict has grown in scope and complexity.

We are now seeing the above ground orga nizations of the CPP/NPA operating openly in our midst.

The capability of the CPP/NPA is such that it is now able to mount simultaneous actions on all fronts.

This is the reason why the government should try its best to adjust its strategies with the changing times in order not to be outmaneu vered every step of the way.

The CPP/NPA, due to its propaganda ma chinery, has succeeded to some extent in painting a romantic notion of an organization reforming a rotten and dysfunctional system when the complete opposite is true.

It even succeeded in making a popular sena tor who is an AFP Reserve Officer to issue a complimentary statement about an activity she participated with an organization reputed to be affiliated with the CPP/NPA.

There is nothing romantic about the CPP/ NPA. For those who deal with this problem on the ground, they know that the CPP/NPA is an organization that will stop at nothing until they achieve their goal of taking over the govern ment.

Yes, our current system is not perfect but it is so much better than what the CPP/NPA is offer ing as an alternative.

Russia nabs 8 suspects over Crimea bridge blast

RUSSIA has detained eight suspects over the deadly explosion of the bridge linking annexed Crimea to Russia, the FSB secu rity service said in a statement quoted by news agencies on Wednesday.

The suspects include five Russians and “three Ukrainian and Armenian citizens,” it said, without providing more details.

“The explosives were hidden in 22 plastic film rolls weighing 22,770 kilo grams (50,200 pounds),” it said.

The rolls left on a boat in August from the Ukrainian port of Odessa to Bulgaria. They then transited through the port of Poti in Georgia, then sent overland to Ar menia before arriving by road in Russia, according to the FSB.

The explosives entered Russia on Oc tober 4 in a truck with Georgian license plates and reached the region of Kras nodar on October 6, two days before the blasts, the FSB said.

The “terrorist attack” was organized by Ukrainian secret services, with a Kyiv agent having coordinated the transit of the explosives, according to the FSB.

On Saturday, a blast ripped through the road and rail bridge connecting Crimea to Russia, killing three people, causing dam age and igniting a massive fire.

The bridge is logistically crucial for Moscow—a vital transport link for mov ing military equipment to Russian sol diers fighting in Ukraine.

It is also hugely symbolic, with Presi dent Vladimir Putin having personally in augurated the structure in 2018.

The blast sparked celebrations from Ukrainians. Russia blamed the explo sion on Kyiv on Sunday and on Monday launched missile attacks across Ukraine, killing at least 19 people and wounding more than 100. AFP

At least 108 dead in Iran crackdown on protests

AT LEAST 108 people have been killed in Iran’s crackdown on more than three weeks of nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, said Oslobased group Iran Human Rights.

The Iranian security forces also killed at least another 93 people during sepa rate clashes in the city of Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluch istan, IHR said in a statement.

Protests erupted across Iran on Sep tember 16, when Amini died three days after falling into a coma following her ar rest in Tehran by the morality police for an alleged breach of the Islamic repub lic’s strict dress code for women.

The violence in Zahedan erupted on September 30 during protests that were triggered by anger over the reported rape of a teenage girl by a police commander in the region.

Human rights groups also voiced alarm on Tuesday over the extent of the crackdown in Sanandaj, the capital of Amini’s home province of Kurdistan in Iran’s west.

“The international community must prevent further killings in Kurdistan by issuing an immediate response,” IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said in Wednesday’s statement.

IHR indicated its investigation into the extent of the “repression” in Kurd istan had been hampered by internet re strictions and warned of an “impending bloody crackdown” on demonstrators in the western province.

“The city of Sanandaj in Kurdistan province has witnessed widespread pro tests and bloody crackdowns in the past three days,” IHR said, adding that its cur rent death toll for the province excluded those killed in that period. AFP

Thailand vows tougher gun control after attack

THAILAND will toughen its gun posses sion and drug laws, the interior ministry said Wednesday, following the nursery massacre of 36 people—including 24 children—in the kingdom’s worst mass killing.

The country was left reeling after an ex-police officer forced his way into a small nursery in northeastern Na Klang last week, murdering 24 children and their teacher before killing his wife, their child and himself.

The attack was carried out with a knife and a legally acquired gun, and while Thailand has a huge number of firearms in circulation—one estimate suggesting there are as many as one in seven firearms per person—mass shootings are rare.

Interior minister Anupong Paojinda said Wednesday the government would require tougher qualifications for new gun owners, as well as ramping up checks on existing firearm holders.

“Our new qualification will include mental health reports, we will be examin ing whether we need proof from doctors,” he told a press conference, without giving further details.

Gun applicants are already required to undergo a background check and must present a valid reason for ownership— such as hunting or self-defense.

“For example, if officials want to pos sess a gun, their supervisors have to ratify that that individual has no record of alco hol abuse or bad temper,” Anupong said.

Village leaders or local officials will play a role in granting the tougher gun li censes, he said.

Currently gun owners do not have to reapply for licenses during the lifetime of a firearm.

But now approved gun holders will have to undergo a review every three to five years, Anupong said.

“Because as time changes, people change,” he explained. AFP

Ukraine seeks additional air defense from NATO backers

Junta courts prolong Japanese journalist, Suu Kyi jail terms

MYANMAR’S junta on Wednesday jailed a Japanese journalist arrested while filming an anti-coup protest for three more years for violating immi gration law, a diplomatic source told AFP.

The jailing came the same day a closed junta court sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to another six years in prison for corruption, accord ing to a source with knowledge of the case, taking the Nobel laureate’s total jail time to 26 years.

Toru Kubota, 26, who was detained

in July and jailed for seven years last week, was sentenced to an additional “three years imprisonment,” a diplo matic source at Japan’s embassy said, citing the journalist’s lawyer.

Myanmar’s junta has clamped down on press freedoms, arresting reporters and photographers, as well as revoking broadcasting licenses during its crack down on dissent since seizing power last year.

Kubota, who was detained near an anti-government rally in commercial hub Yangon along with two Myanmar

citizens, appeared in good health at the hearing on Wednesday, the source said, citing his lawyer.

According to a profile on FilmFree way, Kubota has previously made documentaries on Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority and “refugees and ethnic issues in Myanmar.”

Kubota is the fifth foreign journalist to be detained in Myanmar, after US citizens Nathan Maung and Danny Fen ster, Robert Bociaga of Poland and Yuki Kitazumi of Japan—all of whom were later freed and deported. AFP

WESTERN

backers of Ukraine on Wednesday discussed supplying it more air defenses as a “top priority” as Kyiv urged bolstered protection against Russia’s missile barrages.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said just three words when asked what he hoped for from a meet ing with Kyiv’s supporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels: “Air defense systems.”

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said discussions would address “how to ramp up support for Ukraine and the top priority will be more air defense” after the Russian missile strikes this week.

“The horrific and indiscriminate at tacks against Ukrainian cities left ci vilians killed and civilian critical infra structure destroyed,” Stoltenberg said.

“This demonstrates the urgent need for more air defense for Ukraine. Al lies have provided air defense but we need even more. We need different types of air defense.”

Focus has shifted to air defenses af ter Russia unleashed its ferocious blitz across Ukraine following a blast on its vital bridge to the annexed Crimea peninsula.

Western allies are scrambling to work out how to supply more advanced systems to Ukraine as diplomats admit they have precious few to spare.

A first Iris-T medium-range system has arrived in Ukraine after Germany decided to ship it before even giving it to its own troops.

The US has also said it is looking to expedite the delivery of its NASAMS anti-missile and anti-drone system to Kyiv with the first batch expected in the coming weeks. AFP

China celebrates President Xi in massive exhibition

INTERCONTINENTAL missiles, disinfection robots and a piece of the Moon—China’s Communist Party on Wednesday flaunted the fruits of its decade under President Xi Jinping ahead of a key meeting expected to extend his rule.

Thousands of people thronged an exhibition in Beijing celebrating Xi’s “New Era” just days before a Party Congress at which the country’s politi cal elite are expected to usher Xi into an unprecedented third term in power.

Visitors snapped selfies beside the enormous Dongfeng-41 nucle ar-capable intercontinental ballistic missile outside the entrance to the attraction, housed in a palatial 1950s hall designed by Soviet architects.

Omnipresent portraits of Xi showed the leader handing out awards, greeting a baby and sur rounded by beaming well-wishers dressed in traditional clothing.

“Xi Jinping’s thoughts guide our country’s economic construction towards heroic achievements,” one caption read.

Exhibits hammered home the mes sage of the party’s triumph in ev

employee visiting the exhibition with her colleagues, told AFP during a government-organized media tour. “I feel proud of myself as a Chinese.”

The exhibition is part of a propa ganda push enveloping the capital ahead of the opening of the Congress on Sunday.

There was no mention in the exhib its of criticisms levelled at the party under Xi, who has presided over the mass internment of minorities in Xinjiang, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, crackdowns on civil so ciety and tightened curbs on minority culture in Inner Mongolia.

Instead, there are photos of vast cotton fields and farmers grinning over a bountiful apple harvest in Xin jiang, a scale model showing Hong Kong’s integration with neighboring mainland cities and copies of Xi’s books in Uyghur and Mongolian.

Realistic wax figures dressed in hazmat suits, vials of homegrown vaccines and a disinfectant-spraying robot highlighted the party’s pride in its zero-Covid policy, which Xi has claimed as a landmark victory despite its impact on economic growth. AFP

‘Spirited Away’: Whimsical Ghibli theme park prepares for visitors

BEYOND the gates, a whimsical world awaits, complete with a fluffy Cat Bus, the toothy grin of Totoro and a life-sized No-Face seated on a train: welcome to Ghibli Park.

On Wednesday, media got a sneak peek at the highly anticipated new theme park from Studio Ghibli, creator of beloved titles like “My Neighbor Totoro” and the Oscar-winning “Spir ited Away.”

It will open its doors to visitors on November 1, though initially only three of the five sections of the site in central Japan’s Aichi region will be ac cessible.

Some local residents got early ac cess through a lottery, including Yuki Asahi, a confessed Ghibli fanatic.

“It’s the park everyone was waiting for,” he told AFP.

Spread over 7.1 hectares of the 194-hectare park where Aichi hosted the 2005 International Expo, it fea tures large open-air areas in keeping with the importance of nature in Ghibli works.

Among the three areas that will open next month is the “Hill of Youth”, the gateway to the park that features an el evator tower inspired by several Ghib li films including “Castle in the Sky” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.”

Elsewhere, “Dondoko Forest” evokes the retro peace of “My Neigh bor Totoro,” with bucolic walking paths, playground equipment and an enormous Totoro figure.

A major draw will be Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, a hangar-like indoor por tion of the park with various attrac tions, including 14 sets from 13 of the studio’s film classics.

Visitors can stroll along an alley de signed to look like the opening scene of “Spirited Away,” or perch on the red velvet-covered train seat in a carriage next to the movie’s instantly recogniz able “No-Face” character.

Aichi is predicting an influx of 1.8 mil lion visitors a year once all five areas of the park are open, from next year, with an estimated annual economic impact of 48 billion yen ($328 million). AFP

MORE UKRAINE AID. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the press as he arrives for a two-day meeting of the alliance’s Defense Ministers at the NATO Headquarter in Brussels on October 12, 2022. AFP

PRAISING XI. An attendant stands in front of a picture of China’s President Xi Jinping during the exhibition entitled ‘Forging Ahead in the New Era’ showing the country’s achievements during his past two terms at the Beijing Exhibition Center in Beijing on October 12, 2022, ahead of the 20th Communist Party Congress meeting. AFP

ery aspect of Chinese life, from dried mushrooms in an agricultural display to a lunar sample and lab-grown dia

monds showcasing the country’s tech nical prowess.

“It’s so grand,” Wen, a government

GAINERS

Market advances; SMIC, BDO among top gainers

STOCKS rose amid thin trading Wednesday although traders remained on edge and analysts warned that the volatility that has characterized trading for most of the year was unlikely to let up any time soon.

TOP LOSERS

The PSEi, the 30-company barom eter of the Philippine Stock Exchange, picked up 6 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 5,853.63 as three of the six sub sectors advanced.

The broader all-share index also gained 3 points, or 0.1 percent, to settle at 3,155.58 on a value turnover of P3.7 billion. Losers outmatched gainers, 87 to 82, while 55 issues were unchanged.

Data from the PSE showed that three

of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by BDO Unibank Inc. which rose 1.1 percent to P116.00 and SM In vestments Corp. which went up 0.7 per cent to P764.00.

The peso weakened to 58.965 against the US dollar Wednesday from 58.865 Tuesday on worries the US Federal Re serve may raise Interest rate again.

Federation of Philippine Industries chairman Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza warned against speculative assumptions or pro jections on the peso-dollar exchange rate. “While I respect the financial minds of the economic experts, if in deed they are what they project to be, airing their speculative thoughts about the movement of the value of the peso against the US dollar will not stop the peso’s floundering value given the influ ence of external forces beyond our con trol,” he said.

“However, there is a positive side to the falling value of the peso against the US dollar. With the rising cost of goods

because of inflation, Filipinos will be more prudent with their finances,” said Arranza.

Meanwhile, the pound bounced Wednesday on speculation the Bank of England could continue to support trou bled financial markets past a deadline set for the end of the week.

The positive turn also helped equity markets in Asia reverse an early selloff. Investors had started the day on yet an other gloomy note after a drop on Wall Street in response to an announcement by the BoE that it would stop its emer gency bond-buying efforts on Friday, ignoring calls to extend the program to allow markets to stabilize.

The UK central bank was forced last month to step into financial mar kets to prevent a collapse of pension funds caused by a spike in bond prices after a debt-fueled, tax-cutting mini budget by new finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng sparked fears of a surge in borrowing. With AFP

IMF cuts growth forecast, warns economies to stall

WASHINGTON, United States—

Global growth is expected to slow fur ther next year, the IMF said Tuesday, downgrading its forecasts as countries grapple with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, spiraling cost-ofliving and economic downturns.

The world economy has been dealt multiple blows, with the war in Ukraine driving up food and energy prices fol lowing the coronavirus outbreak while soaring costs and rising interest rates threaten to reverberate around the globe.

“This year’s shocks will re-open economic wounds that were only par tially healed post-pandemic,” said In ternational Monetary Fund economic counselor Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas in a blog post accompanying the fund’s latest World Economic Outlook.

More than a third of the global econ omy is headed for contraction this year or next, and the three biggest econo mies—the United States, European Union, and China—will continue to stall, he warned.

“The worst is yet to come and, for many people, 2023 will feel like a re cession,” said Gourinchas.

In its report, the IMF trimmed its 2023 global GDP growth forecast to 2.7 percent, 0.2 points down from July expectations.

Its world growth forecast for this year remains unchanged at 3.2 percent.

The global growth profile is its weakest since 2001, apart from during the global financial crisis and the worst of the pandemic, the IMF said.

MOST ACTIVE

2,512,020 291,412,663

1,119,450 260,397,310

1,017,700 176,989,619

578,170 167,562,590

5,100,200 158,879,925

5,620,200 127,679,620

3,125,000 123,761,830

Russia rides out recession amid high fuel prices

MOSCOW, Russia—Russia’s econo my may face multiple long-term chal lenges, but for now, energy exports ap pear to be helping it ride out Western sanctions imposed over the offensive against Ukraine.

Moscow says inflation is easing and employment is virtually full, contra dicting the predictions of a catastrophe from many financial experts.

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday offered some support to Rus sia’s view, saying the recession will be less severe than expected due to oil ex ports and relatively stable domestic de mand.

The IMF forecast the Russian econ omy to contract just 3.4 percent over the whole year, after contracting 21.8 percent during the second quarter at a quarterly annualized rate.

It was only in June that the IMF fore casted an annual drop of six percent.

“The contraction in Russia’s econ omy is less severe than earlier pro jected, reflecting resilience in crude oil exports and in domestic demand with greater fiscal and monetary policy sup port and a restoration of confidence in the financial system,” the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook report said.

President Vladimir Putin had stated in September that the economic situa tion in the country was “normalizing” and that the worst was over after the series of economic penalties that fol lowed the military operation launched against Ukraine on February.

Unemployment had fallen to its lowest level of 3.8 percent, Putin said, with annual inflation down to 13.7 per cent a year, after record highs during the spring when the early sanctions be gan to bite.

“We can consider that the impact of the first sanctions has passed, notably in the financial sector,” Elina Ribako va, deputy head of the Institute of In ternational Finance, a trade group for the global financial services industry, told AFP.

The diplomatic and economic break with the West accelerated Moscow’s rapprochement with energy-hungry China, with which it shares a 4,000-ki lometer (2,500-mile) border. AFP

economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.3% in August

LONDON, United Kingdom—Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank in Au gust after slender growth the previous month, hit by the cost-of-living crisis and rocketing energy bills, official data showed Wednesday.

Gross domestic product contracted by 0.3 percent in August, weighed down by production and services, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

That was worse than expectations of flat growth and followed anemic expan sion of 0.1 percent in July, downgraded from 0.2 percent growth.

“The economy shrank in August, with both production and services falling back,” said ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner.

Consumer-facing services contracted by 1.8 percent, with the largest falls in sports, amusement and recreation.

“August’s drop in GDP likely marks the start of a downward trend that will

continue deep into next year,” said Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at research consultancy Pantheon Macro.

“The drop was driven by a 1.8-per cent month-to-month fall in output in consumer-facing services sectors, re flecting the intense real income squeeze on households.”

Inflation in August hit 9.9 percent, holding close to a 40-year peak as en ergy bills rocket in fallout from the Ukraine war, in turn worsening the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

The ONS added Wednesday that oil and gas production fell due to more North Sea summer maintenance than usual in the month, while there were no table declines in manufacturing.

The gloomy news comes amid mar ket turmoil after Britain’s recent debtfuelled budget, which included a costly energy price freeze.

And it also comes one day after the

International Monetary Fund forecast a sharp slowdown for the UK economy, which it expects to decelerate from 3.6 percent this year to just 0.3 percent in 2023.

“Countries around the world are fac ing challenges right now, particularly as a result of high energy prices driven by (Vladimir) Putin’s barbaric action in Ukraine,” said British finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng, who is under fire over his controversial budget.

He added that Prime Minister Liz Truss’s government had a “comprehen sive plan to protect families and busi nesses from soaring energy bills this winter”.

Markets have nevertheless been spooked by Kwarteng’s budget, which sent bond yields soaring and the pound tumbling—and sparked multiple bondbuying interventions from the Bank of England. With AFP

This reflects slowdowns for the big gest economies, including a US GDP contraction in the first half of 2022 and continued lockdowns in China as it faces a property crisis.

The world economy is expected to avert a recession, but there is about a one-in-four chance that growth could slow to 2 percent or below, Gourinchas warned Tuesday.

“We’ve only had that five times since 1970...this is the oil price shock of 1973, the disinflation of 1981, the 2008 financial crisis...these are all big things that have impacted the global economy,” he told AFP.

A key factor behind the slowdown is a policy shift as central banks try to bring down soaring inflation, with higher interest rates starting to take the heat out of domestic demand.

Growing price pressures are the most immediate threat to prosperity, said the IMF’s report, adding that cen tral banks are now “laser-focused on restoring price stability”.

Global inflation is expected to peak at 9.5 percent this year before drop ping to 4.1 percent by 2024. AFP

Biden concedes ‘slight’ recession a possibility for US

WASHINGTON, United States— US President Joe Biden conceded Tuesday that a “slight” recession was a possibility following a down cast IMF economic forecast, amid rising inflation and uncertainty after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“I don’t think there will be a re cession,” Biden told CNN. “If it is, it’ll be a very slight recession. That is, we’ll move down slightly.”

Meanwhile, in Brussels, Belgium, US interest rate hikes are pushing global prices higher at a time of food crisis and war, presenting the world with “a perfect storm,” the EU’s top diplomat warned on Monday.

“Everybody’s running to increase interest rates -- these will bring us to a world recession,” Josep Borrell predicted to EU ambassadors in an annual gathering.

A surging US dollar is making basic goods in other countries unaf fordable unless central banks follow the US Federal Reserve’s lead, he explained.

“There is no other way otherwise the capital will flow [elsewhere],” he said.

The eurozone is already strug gling with the conundrum of having to raise interest rates to tamp down soaring inflation while keeping a wary eye on how hard that will hit flagging growth amid an energy crunch.

Although global finance isn’t in the remit of Borrell, he referenced the interest rate problem in the same breath as he spoke of the widespread food crisis that has particularly left Africa and parts of the Middle East vulnerable.

“I am afraid that we are only at the beginning, that the food crisis will make things worse in many parts of the world,” he said.

YEN’S DEPRECIATION. Currency traders sit under a monitor showing the Japanese yen’s depreciation as it crosses over the 146 yen level against the US dollar, in Tokyo on Oct. 12, 2022. AFP

INTEREST

HIKE. A woman looks at hair

Korea’s

LRT 1 Extension hit 73% progress rate as end-August

By Darwin G. Amojelar

LIGHT Rail Manila Corp. said Wednesday the overall progress of the Light Rail Transit Line-1 Cavite Extension Project’s first phase reached 73 percent as of endAugust.

The company said the progress rate covered the electromechanical works such as the laying of rails and installation of the electrical system and the construction of the additional five new LRT-1 stations for phase 1 at Redemptorist, MIA, PITX Asia World, Ninoy Aquino and Dr. Santos covering seven ki lometers.

Trackwork installation is now halfway complete, with recent ac tivities such as the simultaneous installations of pre-track assembly, shear connector, rebar, formworks support for track plinth, concrete pouring and derailment wall.

The company said with the proj ect in full swing, the installation of tracks and overhead catenary sys tem on the viaduct would continue at the Ninoy Aquino Station which required a temporary closure of a portion of the outer lane (north bound) of Imelda Bridge linking Barangays La Huerta and Sto. Niño in Parañaque City from Oct. 10 to Nov. 10, 2022.

This is to give way to the casting of concrete plinths and pedestals in the area, it said.

LRMC earlier said it was ex pecting first phase of the LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension project to start operations by the middle of 2024. The remaining stations between Las Piñas and Niog are expected to become fully-opera tional by 2027.

Once completed, the extension is expected to reduce travel time be tween Baclaran and Bacoor, Cavite to 25 minutes from 1 hour and 10 minutes and increase LRT-1’s ca pacity from 500,000 to 800,000 passengers daily.

LRMC won the bidding for the project and took over the opera tion of LRT Line 1 on Sept. 12, 2015. LRT Line 1 runs from Ba claran in Pasay City to Munoz in Quezon City.

PORT OF MELBOURNE’S MILESTONE.

Victoria International Container Terminal, the Australian unit of International Container Terminal Services Inc., services the largest vessel to call at the Port of Melbourne. The CMA CGM Group broke their own record previously held by the CMA CGM Ural at 10,622 twenty-foot equivalent units operated by ANL on the Australia Asia Express 2 service.

the CMA

Gov’t expects Malampaya deal to expand gas output

By Alena Mae S. Flores

US recession seen to displace 27,000 employees in PH garments industry

By Othel V. Campos

AN INDUSTRY group warned on Wednesday that about 27,000 work ers in the wearables industry may lose their jobs following a spate of cancellation and deferred orders from clients abroad.

Confederation of Wearable Export ers of the Philippines executive direc tor Maritess Agoncillo said 21,600 to 27,000 workers, representing 8 percent to 10 percent of the sector’s 280,000 employees, might be dis placed temporarily across the four segments of the industry.

ENERGY

Secretary Raphael Lotilla said Wednesday the government’s approval of the sale of the 45-percent stake of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. in the Malampaya gas-to-power project to Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. of businessman Enrique Razon Jr. was premised on its commitment to expand gas production and possibly develop nearby resources.

“The approval by the DOE of the sale of Shell ‘s interest in SC 38 of Malam paya was premised also on the commit ment of the new entrant to maximize the development of the existing resources in the Malampaya Camago reservoir with a view to developing the nearby fields as well,” Lotilla said, referring to Service Contract No. 38.

The DOE approved the sale of Shell Philippines Exploration shares to a sub sidiary of Prime Infra after a thorough financial, legal and technical review.

“The new entrant is committed to maximize the utilization of the remain

ing natural gas in the Malampaya-Ca mago reservoir with a view to develop ing nearby gas fields,” said Lotilla.

“I am confident that this trend will continue as we reaffirm to prospective investors the openness of our economy to foreign and local investors, and we assure them of the continued stability of our legal framework, especially in the upstream oil and gas sector,” he said.

The DOE cleared the sale last month after Prime Infra was found to be tech nically, financially and legally quali fied to take over as the new operator of Malampaya.

SPEX will remain a subsidiary of Prime Infra, which will assume full ownership and control of SPEX upon completion by Nov. 1 for the seamless turnover of operations.

The Malampaya project is one of the country’s most important power assets, producing natural gas for power plants in Batangas City that provide up to 20 percent of Luzon’s total electricity needs.

The project started operations in 2001, and SC 38 will expire in 2024.

Prime Infra vowed to contribute by do ing all it can to produce as much gas as possible to sustain production to support power demand in Luzon.

PNOC Exploration Corp., which has a stake in Malampaya project, issued its consent to the sale of SPEX shares to Prime Infra.

“Prime Infra’s energy portfolio has al ways been aligned with the national gov ernment’s objective towards attaining energy independence and security while reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels,” Prime Infra president and chief executive Guillaume Lucci said.

“I don’t want to alarm the workers, but if we see recession coming our way, this is likely to happen. We’re talking about a recession in the US being declared,” she said.

“Currently, we are experiencing around 3.5 percent to 4 percent of workers affected with a base of 270,000 workers covering wearables. It might reach to a maximum range of 8 percent to 10 percent if current trend extends longer or global demand conditions worsen,” she said.

Agoncillo said about 4,000 work ers were retrenched from four apparel firms operating at the Mactan Eco nomic Processing Zone in September.

“This will be a continuing trend to some factories, whose customers are starting to cut down on their projec tions. So we expect a few more tem porary closures, hopefully, partial re trenchment of workforce in the next few months. We’re not closing down. There will be partials, or pocket re trenchment,” Agoncillo said.

The US continues to be the single biggest client of the Philippine wear able industry which is comprised of apparel, textile, travel goods and foot wear segments.

Metro Pacific Hospitals plans to double network

METRO Pacific Hospitals Holdings Inc., the first and largest private hospital group in the Philippines, plans to more than double its network over the next seven to eight years.

Metro Pacific Hospitals president Au gusto Palisoc said during the brand equity launch Wednesday the group aimed to ex pand its network to 40 hospitals from 19. This will add about 2,000 beds to its port folio.

Metro Pacific Hospitals has 19 premiere hospitals, two healthcare colleges, 20 out patient care centers and six provincial RT cancer centers with a total capacity of 3,800 beds, serving about 4 million patients a year.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. chair man Manuel Pangilinan said in the same event the hospital group was also aiming to enhance efficiencies to make services af fordable to a greater number of Filipinos.

By Julito G. Rada

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the private sector plays a critical fac tor in the country’s recovery prospects.

“The participation of the private sec tor will be critical in our economic re surgence…Just recently, we approved the revisions to the 2022 implement ing rules and regulations of the BuildOperate-Transfer Law. This will be key in our bid to unlock the many benefits of public-private partnerships,” Diokno said in the recent 54th Annual Confer ence of the Financial Executives Insti tute of the Philippines.

Diokno said in the near term, the BOT Law would allow the Philippines to sustain its momentum in infrastructure spending despite budgetary constraints. He said over the medium term, this would reap high-mul tiplier effects for the economy.

He said the renewed commitment to Public-Private Partnership and the newly-enacted economic liberalization laws would support the government’s infrastructure program.

“We have inherited a number of

game-changing reforms that will help us build a more business-friendly envi ronment for both domestic and foreign investors,” Diokno said.

Diokno said Congress demonstrated its full support for the government’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework to en sure the alignment of the government’s legislative agenda with macroeconomic targets for 2022 to 2028.

The proposed measures will promote efficient tax administration, upgrade digital infrastructure and mainstream environmental sustainability to address the impact of climate change, he said.

The government is pushing for the passage of the remaining tax reform packages of the previous administra tion, including the Real Property Valu ation and Assessment Reform Bill and the Passive Income and Financial Inter mediaries Taxation Bill.

“The Department of Finance stands ready to support and collaborate with the private sector in transforming the Philippine business landscape into one that is genuinely inclusive, sustainable, and future-proof,” Diokno said.

SM Prime ready to open 7th mall in Cavite on Friday

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it is set to open its newest shopping mall in Tanza, Cavite on Oct. 14.

SM Prime said in a disclosure to the stock exchange SM City Tanza, with 60,000 square meters of gross floor area, would offer shopping, dining and entertainment to customers.

“We are excited to welcome every one to SM City Tanza as this marks another milestone and partnership be tween SM Prime and the province of Cavite, specifically with the munici pality of Tanza. It is our aim to offer shopping convenience and fun enter tainment to the communities around the area as well as visitors of Cavite and other neighboring destinations in the region,” SM Prime president and chief executive Jeffrey Lim said.

SM City Tanza, located along Antero Soriano Highway in Barangay Daang Amaya II, is 89-percent leased out to various tenants. It is the seventh SM mall to open in the fast-growing Cavite province. Other SM Malls are located in Bacoor, Dasmarinas, Molino, Rosa rio, Trece Martires and Imus.

It is also the second SM mall to be opened this year after SM City Roxas. Also set to open in 2022 are SM City Tugeugaro and SM City Sorsogon.

SM City Tanza will provide two lev els of shopping experience, along with dining, amusement and service shops led by SM Group’s The SM Store, SM Supermarket, Ace Hardware, SM Ap pliance Center, Watsons, Pet Express, Miniso, Uniqlo, Crocs, Surplus and BDO.

It will also house five cinemas and a carpark with almost 800 slots for con venience to guests. It will also have public transport terminals for interprovince and inter-region accesses that will further boost tourism and com merce in the area.

“We will not just expand our menu of ser vices, we will find efficiencies to make our services affordable. We will not just provide quality hospital care, we will make our ser vices accessible to a greater number of our people—by building primary care chains and deploying digital apps for teleconsulta tions,” Pangilinan said. Jenniffer B. Austria

DPWH to launch P3.5-b Tacloban causeway project

THE Department of Public Works and Highways said Wednesday said it will soon launch the construction of the P3.5-billion causeway project in Tacloban City to pro vide both local and foreign tourists a faster and safer travel experience in the capital city of Leyte province.

The Tacloban City Causeway Project in volves the construction of a four-lane road embankment measuring 2.56 kilometers, a bridge spanning 180 meters, with the provi sion of a separate bike lane, installation of concrete canals, sidewalks and wave deflec tors on both sides.

It is expected to offer an improved travel experience that will cater to motorists opt ing for a scenic drive and pedestrians who prefer walking, running and biking.

The project will be constructed over Cancabato Bay, with alignment starting at Magsaysay Boulevard, connecting Tacloban City Hall and Kataisan point of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Barangay San Jose to offer an alternate route for motorists com ing from the city proper going to the prov ince’s main gateway.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Cebu Pacific to reopen Zamboanga-Cotabato route

CEBU Pacific said Wednesday it is ramp ing up its Mindanao hub by resuming flights from Zamboanga City to Cotabato City.

“We are happy to keep boosting our net work outside Metro Manila as we continue to resume our inter-island connections. We are pleased to bring this direct flight back to our network which is in line with our com mitment to make travel accessible and con venient for every Juan,” Cebu Pacific chief commercial officer Xander Lao said.

Cebu Pacific is the only airline which of fers the direct route through wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo. The airline also flies di rect from Zamboanga to Cebu, Davao and Manila.

Cebu Pacific is offering a special P188 sale from Oct. 12 to Oct. 16, 2022. Travel period is from Nov. 7, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

Darwin G. Amojelar

underscores role of private sector in PH economic resurgence

SPECTRUM-RIVERBANKS PROJECT. Spectrum, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Manila Electric Company, teams up with Riverbanks Development Corp. for a 1.5-megawatt solar photovoltaic system for Riverbanks Center, an integrated commercial complex in Marikina City. Signing the agreement are (from left) Spectrum chief operating officer Patrick Henry Panlilio and Riverbanks president Rosario Carlos. Targeted to be completed by March 2023, the project is expected to generate about 2,000,000 kilowatthours of clean energy and will allow Riverbanks to save about P14 million in energy costs annually.

3 reasons why OFN3 will be best show yet

FANS can expect another thrilling martial arts event when ONE Championship returns to the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday, October 22.

On that day, ONE Fight Night 3: Lineker vs. Andrade features nine fights, including three main-card ONE World Title bouts.

That said, let’s find out why Filipino fans can’t miss this event.

Lineker Faces Andrade In A HardHitting Matchup ONE Bantamweight World Champion John Lineker won the belt in spectacular fashion when he finished former champ Bibiano Fernandes by KO in the second round of their fight at ONE: LIGHTS OUT this past March.

Since then, Lineker has been engaging in a war of words online with #2-ranked bantamweight contender Fabricio Andrade, and the two will finally settle their differences in person when they meet in the Circle.

Eersel Versus Sinsamut For The Inaugural Lightweight Muay Thai World Title

Regian Eersel is one of the most dominant World Champions in the organization. In fact, the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion is riding a 19-fight winning streak and is undefeated inside the Circle.

Eersel looks to make history as a two-sport World Champion when he fights Sinsamut Klinmee for the ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Championship. Sinsamut, however, has scored back-to-back KOs and won’t be an easy man to topple.

The Long-Awaited Finale To The Flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix

In what will be their eighth matchup and second fight in the Circle, Superlek Kiatmoo9 takes on Panpayak Jitmuangnon in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix Championship Final.

The winner between top-ranked Superlek and second-ranked Panpayak will not only take home the tournament’s silver belt but also get a shot at ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon for his crown.

Main Card For ONE Fight Night 3 (c) John Lineker vs. Fabricio Andrade (ONE Bantamweight World Championship)

Regian Eersel vs. Sinsamut Klinmee (ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Championship)

Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs. Panpayak Jitmuangnon (ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix Final)

Clubs to get over $200M World Cup compensation

LAUSANNE, Switzerland—

FIFA will distribute 209 million dollars (215 million euros) to clubs that release their internationals for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the same amount as four years ago in Russia, football’s world governing body announced on Tuesday.

Each club will receive “approximately 10,000 dollars” for each one of the days the relevant player remains with his national team during the tournament, including the preparation period.

This compensation will be paid to “all clubs” for which the footballer has played in the two years before the World Cup.

FIFA originally set up the system ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, in agreement with the powerful European Clubs Association (ECA), whose members provide most of the participants in international competitions.

During the 2018 World Cup, 416 clubs from 63 national federations shared the same amount.

Sports

NU Bulldogs score 1st win over UP Maroons in 5 years

John’s jumper off Malonzo’s pass.

By Peter Atencio

THE

National University Bulldogs refused to have bad day as they ended a five-year losing spell to University of the Philippines Maroons on Wednesday in the 85th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Sophomore point guard Steve Nash Enriquez, looking cool with his longknotted, frizzy hairstyle, hit two big charities in the last 13.4 seconds, sending the Bulldogs to an 80-75 upset of the defending champion Fighting Maroons.

The 19-year-old Enriquez, who has been donning his funky hairdo for the last two years, went on to finish with 10 points for Bulldogs, who marched to their third straight victory.

Gambian slotman Omar John showed the way with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Jhay Baclaan tallied 13 points for the Bulldogs, who forced a three-way tie

for the lead with the Fighting Maroons and the Ateneo Blue Eagles with their 3-1 win-loss slate.

The Fighting Maroons, who experienced their first defeat to the Bulldogs in five years, missed eight of nine attempts in the last four minutes.

After Carl Tamayo sank two charities with 4:25 left to keep UP close, 72-75, NU shut the Maroons down for four minutes, with Malick Diouf bungling two of three attempts down low.

NU took advantage of UP’s scoreless spell to gain some distance, 78-72, on a split charity from Michael Malonzo and

Tamayo then tried to keep UP within range with a triple, 75-78, but they could not come any closer after Terrence Fortea muffed two attempts.

Fortea’s foul on Enriquez settled the issue in NU’s favor in the 13.4-second mark.

“It was a good win for us. It was a very tough game. That’s why they are the defending champions. Up to the last minute, we were bleeding and trying to figure out what we needed to do to get the win,” said Bulldogs’ coach Jeff Napa.

NU last won over UP, 77-70, back in the second round of Season 80.

Meanwhile, Rence Padrigao unloaded a career-high 20 points as the Ateneo Blue Eagles rebounded from a big upset to rival La Salle Green Archers, with a 79-52 smothering of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers earlier in the day.

The Blue Eagles limited the Tigers to 11 points in the third period and then held them to just nine points in the final period to post their third win in four games.

NorthPort turns back Blackwater for 3rd victory

BRITISH-Rwandan import Prince Ibeh delivered 19 points and 10 rebounds for the NorthPort Batang Pier as they put away the Blackwater Elite Bossings, 87-83, on Wednesday in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioners’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

But with Ibeh held to five points in the last period, Arvin Tolentino stepped up and hit 10 of his 15-point output in the final 12 minutes of action as Batang Pier eked out their third triumph in five matches.

Tolentino’s triple and floater in the last 4:10 aided Batang Pier in their rally from 75-79 down and into a 82-79 edge.

Tolentino then blocked Bossing cager Mike Ayonayon’s attempt in the next play as Batang Pier distanced themselves further, with Arwind

Santos striking with a jumper and Ibeh connecting with a freebie with 17 ticks remaining, 85-81.

“We need to be consistent. We need to work on our games and our consistency in defense,” said Batang Pier coach Pido Jarencio.

Cameron Krutwig fired a game-high 28 points for the Bossings, who now have a 2-3 winloss card.

Troy Rosario shot 17 points for the Bossings, who were ahead by as much as eight in the fourth, 66-74, off Baser Amer’s jumper with 9:18 left.

But a triple and two charities from Tolentino during a 7-0 spurt allowed NorthPort to close it at 73-74 in the last 7:44.

Krutwig knocked in 10 points in third, with his trey in the 44-second mark keeping the Bossings in front, 68-64. Peter Atencio

Padrigao, who also had three rebounds, eight assists and five steals, shot 11 points in the second half, joining hands with Chris Koon and Art Quitevis for 16 points as the Blue Eagles widened a 57-43, 14-point lead at the end of the third period to 27 when the game ended.

“The players felt not great at halftime, but the coaching staff felt that it wasn’t really that bad. And if we stuck to the job, we have good players, they’re gonna hit good shots. In the second half, we finally started to hit shots,” said Blue Eagles’ head coach Tab Baldwin.

The Growling Tigers, with Nic Cabanero and Ivan Lazarte making 12 and 11 points, respectively, absorbed their third straight defeat to fall to 1-3.

Meanwhile, Kyle Paranada topscored for 26 points and hauled nine rebounds as Univerity of the East brought down La Salle Green, 81-74, to earn its second triumph in four matches.

It was the Warriors’ first win over La Salle in three years, putting them into a share of second position with their victims.

‘El Presidente’ autographed cards hot item among collectors

By Randy Caluag

edition autographed cards, which are selling briskly among basketball fans and card collectors.

One of those who availed of the card’s first series was top Filipino picker Mark Anthony Kyle Gianan, who posted the “unboxing” on his social media upon arrival of the items he ordered from the foundation that facilitated the project.

Fernandez served as a sports commissioner in the past administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte and he hopes to continue his grassroots program by way of his Ramon S. Fernandez Sports and Youth Development Foundation.

The limited edition cards were launched on his recent birthday by his foundation, headed by executive director Bobbie Kintanar.

“It’s a long-overdue project,” said Fernandez, who turned 69 on Oct. 3.

“The simple launch of my collectible El Presidente autograph cards on my birthday made me very, very happy and even happier upon learning that the few hours sales of my autograph cards were overwhelming,” said Fernandez.

It turned out that the El Presidente cards’ launch was a surprise event that even Fernandez was not aware of.

“What made it even more special was the surprise launch of my series 1 limited edition autograph cards by the Ramon S. Fernandez Sports and Youth Development Foundation in connivance with my super supportive wife Karla (Kintanar-Fernandez),” he said.

The no. 1 of the 100 card series was acquired by former president Rodrigo Duterte, while Senator Bong Go got the no. 2. The no. 3 went to SM Prime Holding’s chairman Hans Sy.

“For all your valuable support sirs, we are now more inspired to work harder for the good of our young athletes,” added Fernandez, who vowed to continue his sports program for the youth which he started as a PSC commissioner.

The four-time Most Valuable Player retired in the PBA wearing the San Miguel uniform. He also played for Toyota, Manila Beer, Tanduay and Purefoods.

He has a career 18,996 points to finish as the PBA’s all-time scoring leader. He is also the PBA’s all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots, free throws made, playing minutes, and second all-time in assists, games played, and steals.

He did all that and became part of the PBA 25 Greatest Players.

PHILIPPINE Basketball Association legend Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez recently launched his limited

Gambian slotman Omar John leads the celebration of the NU Bulldogs who stunned the defending champion UP Maroons, 80-75.

Blackwater’s Cameron Krutwig (right) tries to maneuver his way around NorthPort’s Prince Ibeh.

Mark Anthony Kyle Gianan, one of the country’s most notable Filipino collectors, posted an autographed El Presidente card beside a vintage bottle of San Miguel Beer, the last PBA team of basketball legend Ramon Fernandez.

Sports

Brodeth eyes twin win in PPS Ormoc tilt

KIMI Brodeth seeks to surpass her 1-2 finish in last week’s Buglasan Festival netfest with a sweep of the top two girls’ titles at home as she banners the field in the PPS-PEPP Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez National Juniors Tennis Championships firing off today (Oct. 13) at the Ormoc Midtown courts in Leyte.

But the local star expects a tough challenge from the likes of Corazon Lambonao, Rica de la Cerna, Angelie Ramos, Joy Laguna and Joan Gonzaga in the 18-U play and against Sharmaine Grajo, Chole Ortega, Kate Imalay, Grajo and Gonzaga in the 16-U side of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

Imalay, meanwhile, headlines the 32-player, 14-U draw that includes Ortega, Ma. Carolian Fiel and Thea Castro, while Fiel sets out for backto-back title romp in the 12-U side of the five-day event sponsored by Mayor Torres-Gomez and held as part of the country’s longest talentsearch put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

The chase for the boys’ titles is also expected to be wide-open with John David Velez and Gerald Gemida all primed for a fierce duel for the 18-U trophy with Nicholas Ocat and Kyle Villaruel out to spoil their projected title clash.

Gemida also gains the top seeding in the 16-U division with Kenzo Brodeth, Marc Loreto and Ariel Semblante Jr. going all out to foil his bid in the tournament backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).

Kenzo Brodeth, meanwhile, leads the 14-U cast that includes Christian Laguna, Urcisino Villa and Jay Laguna while Villa headlines the 12-U field that also features Prinz Canezo, Michael Cari and Claudwin Tonacao.

Meanwhile, the hunt for titles and ranking points shifts to Baybay City, also in Leyte, next week. For listpu and details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Djokovic eager to play at ‘23 Australian Open

MELBOURNE—Novak Djokovic is eager to play at the Australian Open but it’s up to him to “work out the situation” with the government, tournament chief Craig Tiley said Wednesday, while confi rming Russian and Belarusians can compete as neutrals.

This year’s championship was overshadowed by an unvaccinated Djokovic being deported from Australia on the eve of the Grand Slam after a highstakes legal battle over his visa status.

The nine-time champion from Serbia is currently serving a three-year ban from entering Australia.

It can be overturned at the discretion of the centre-left government, which is different to the conservative coalition in power when he was kicked out. But they have given no indication on whether they would consider this.

Tiley said he spent time with Djokovic recently and the Serbian wanted to return for the first major of the year in January in Melbourne.

“What we’re saying at this point is

that Novak and the federal government need to work out the situation. And then we’ll follow any instruction after that,” Tiley told The Age newspaper at the tournament’s official launch.

“I did spend some time with Novak at the Laver Cup. We spoke generally. He said that he’d obviously love to come back to Australia but he knows it’s going to be an ultimate decision for the federal government.

“He’s accepted that position. It’s a private matter between them.”

Opposition politician Karen Andrews, who was home affairs minister when Djokovic was deported, told ABC radio he should not be given special treatment.

“It would be a slap in the face for

those people in Australia who did the right thing, got vaccinated, did everything they needed to do if all of a sudden Novak Djokovic is allowed back into the country simply because he is a high-ranking tennis player with many millions of dollars,” Andrews said.

Tiley added that he anticipated no restrictions on players from countries involved in the Ukraine conflict, in contrast to Wimbledon this year, which banned them from competing.

“At this point, Russian and Belarusians will be eligible to play at the Australian Open,” he said.

“The only difference will be that they cannot represent Russia, cannot represent the flag of Russia, cannot participate in any activity such as the anthem of Russia and have to play as independent players.”

Organizers are targeting a record 900,000 spectators at the 2023 event, with one million fans the ultimate goal.

Tiley said the previous attendance record was an estimated 820,000 people, with ticket pre-sales already strong. AFP

Matsuyama shuns LIV, commits to PGA Tour

INZAI, Japan—Hideki Matsuyama said Tuesday that he was fully committed to playing on the US PGA Tour as he prepares to defend his title at this week’s Zozo Championship in his native Japan.

Matsuyama, who became Japan’s first male major winner at the US Masters last year, will face a field including Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and rising South Korean Kim Joo-hyung as the US PGA Tour returns to Narashino Country Club. Several top stars including two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and British Open champion Cameron Smith have defected from the US PGA Tour to Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which offers huge prize purses.

The PGA Tour has banned LIV golfers from competing in their events and world number 19 Matsuyama said he had no intention of joining the rebel circuit.

“I’m a member of the PGA Tour—the players who left did so because they thought it was the right thing to do, so I can’t say anything about them,” said the 30-year-old, who won last year’s Zozo Championship title with a stunning eagle on the final hole.

“I am playing on the PGA Tour and I want to continue doing my best here.”

The US PGA Tour arrived in Japan days after LIV Golf held its first $25 million event in Asia in Bangkok.

The breakaway circuit is smarting from an announcement that players competing in Bangkok and its season-ending event in Jeddah would not receive world ranking points, despite a co-sanctioning agreement with the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Tour.

The OWGR (Official World Golf Rankings) which awards points said it had been given insufficient notice and needed to conduct a r eview of LIV Golf’s events, the latest chapter in a bitter civil war that has torn golf apart and sparked accusations of Saudi “sportswashing”.

Big-hitting American Bryson DeChambeau, a LIV player, said the failure to award ranking points was “delaying the inevitable”. Tiger landmark Matsuyama offered his sympathies to LIV players but said resolving the matter was unlikely to be easy.

“I think it’s fine to award them, but I think it’s difficult considering how it would be viewed by the other tours,” Matsuyama said.

Norway’s world number 11 Viktor Hovland said LIV players should not “just get

points overnight”.

“If you want to get world ranking points, you have to follow the process,” he told reporters at Narashino Country Club.

“At the same time, they have some really good players over there and if some of those players drop outside the top 100 players in the world, that’s not good for the world rankings either.”

The $11 million Zozo Championship was established in 2019 as the first US PGA Tour tournament in Japan.

Thousands of Japanese fans turned up to watch Tiger Woods win the inaugural title for his 82nd US PGA Tour victory—equalling Sam Snead’s 54-year-old record.

The tournament was held in California in 2020 because of the pandemic but returned to Japan last year in front of limited spectators.

There are no attendance restrictions this year and Matsuyama said he was looking forward to the home support.

“It’s great to be back as the defending champion,” he said.

“I’ve really been impressed the last couple of days. They were practice days but still lots of people came out and cheered us on,

Creamline kicks o ‘slam’ drive vs PLDT 6

CREAMLINE tries to put its Grand Slam bid in motion as it faces PLDT in the third elims playdate of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig today (Thursday).

With a powerhouse local cast, led by the troika of Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza and Alyssa Valdez, and opposite spiker Yeliz Basa from Turkey, the Cool Smashers plunge into an early test of will and character against the High Speed Hitters, who edged the UAI-Army Lady Troopers in five in last Saturday’s inaugurals of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Winner of the Open Conference and the Invitationals, Creamline is hard-pressed to sustain its run for a record feat with the rest of the nineteam field going flat out to foil the Cool Smashers’ sweep of the season’s three jewels.

“Sure, expectations are high. Honestly, at the back of our heads, that is the goal while in training,” said skipper Valdez, who was actually part of the two PLDT squads that helped coach Roger Gorayeb complete his personal grand slam back in the 12th season of the VLeague in 2015.

One thing going for the 6-2 Basa against PLDT’s 6-5 Elena Samoilenko is that she’s surrounded by a slew of aces ready to step up at any given time – from liberos Kyla Atiena and Ella de Jesus, setters Jia Morado-De Guzman and and Kyle Negrito, to middles Pangs Panaga, Risa Sato, Pau Soriano, Lorie Bernardo and Celine Domingo, and hitters Mcihele Gumabao, Fille Cayetano, Rizza Mandapat and Rose Vargas.

But PLDT also boasts of a crack local crew, including a pair of intimidating middles in Mika Reyes and Dell Palomata, along with setters Rhea Dimaculangan and Wendy Semana, and hitters Jules Samonte, Joy Soyud, Chin Basas and Fiola Ceballos with Samoilenko proving her worth early by unloading 35 points against the Lady Troopers.

Gametime is at 2:30 p.m.

and I know there are going to be even more come Thursday and over the weekend.

“Hopefully I can play my best and give everyone something to root for.” AFP

QCBL, Koen forge partnership for charity, cage tourney

THE Quezon City Basketball League and Koen, an AI Robot trading platform, have joined hands in a recent feeding program and free haircut for some 100 children n Sito Kislap, Brgy. Fairview, Quezon City.

The event was part of the launching activity of the QCBL for its fifth season as it resumes its role as a truly grassroots tournament for basketball in the country’s biggest city in terms of population.

QCBL president Pong Rollan said the league hopes to return with a bang even as they put more emphasis on charitable works.

“Every season namin, talagang we make sure na meron kaming mapupuntahan na charity. ‘Yun talaga ang goal namin every season

na makatulong kami hindi lang dito sa Quezon City kundi pati sa ibang lugar,” said Rollan.

“Ang vision namin talaga makatulong dito sa QC kaya ginawa ko itong liga na we’ re very thankful sa sponsor namin na Koen dahil binuksan nila ‘yung pinto na makatulong kami sa iba’t-bang ng lugar dito sa Plipinas,” he added.

Beia Granada, marketing manager of Koen, welcomed the opportunity to work with QCBL and share their blessings.

“Ang Koen ay nag-decide na makipag partnership with the QCBL.

Pareho naman kami ng layunin na to share and help each other. Pareho kami ng hangarin na makatulong and share the blessings,” said Granada.

The charity event was held in partnership with the Q-Bagwis Fairview Executive Eagles Club, Tau Gamma Phi Fairview sector, Razor’s Edge Cuts, and Tatts and supported by Councilor Ram Medalla.

After a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic, QCBL returns with 12 teams competing in the Open category divided into two brackets. All games will be held at the Novadeci Gym in Novaliches from the opening up to the championship slated on Dec. 16.

The 12 teams are Jemateo x Tito Pogi, Henry Evalle Photography, Eva Eye, RVMC, Hustlin Bullies, Dream Snipers, Agnus Dei, GNG Construction, MYCG, Ihaw at Ako, Hungry Bully, and Brittany Ballers.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic displays the trophy after defeating Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in their men’s singles final match at the Astana Open tennis tournament in Astana. AFP

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama said he was fully committed to playing on the US PGA Tour as he prepares to defend his title at this week’s Zozo Championship, which begins on October 13, 2022, in his native Japan.

O cials of the QCBL and Koen are shown during the launch of the 5th season of the charityoriented grassroots cage league based in Quezon City.

By Nickie Wang

FIL-AM artist Jessica Sanchez has just started writing her own songs and if she had enough material in her vault and also had the right confidence, she would be willing to share her catalog with other singers, especially with local artists, for them to interpret her own songs.

Jessica Sanchez enjoys being a ‘Baddie’

“I wouldn’t call myself a professional writer. I write songs about my own experiences and my own feelings. It would be an honor to write songs for other people. There are awesome artists to write songs for but I don’t think I’m ready for that. But I’m very open to collaborating with other artists,” Jessica told Manila Standard in an interview.

Jessica has established her solid fan base here in the Philippines after she wowed the international market when she emerged runner up in the American Idol in 2012. And as she celebrates her 10th year in the business, she still considers her Idol experience as the major highlight of her music career.

“I was 16 at that time, and I didn’t get to fully digest what was going on. It all happened so fast. But when I look back at my career, I feel like, wow I have sung at the Madison Square Garden, I have sung with David Foster Andrea Bocelli I have sung for millions of people for Idol alone, I have worked with him brilliant artists and the list goes on. It’s just so overwhelming and I can’t wait to do more so I could share more highlights of my career.

Even when she was younger, Sanchez’s dreams were always in music. Successfully joining American Idol was perhaps something that Sanchez fervently aspired for more than a decade ago.

“There was never anything else I wanted to

do and I made sure there were no distractions,” asserted Jessica. “ American Idol , that’s just so crazy to me. It all happened so fast and I was so young then.

“I feel like I couldn’t really experience it fully, mentally and emotionally. But I believe everything happens for a reason and at God’s timing. I am so grateful for all that I’ve experienced and all that I’ve done since Idol.’

“I know I still have much to learn and I’m still growing in my artistry, so I’m just excited to continue this journey.”

Jessica recently released her latest, “Baddie,” which she also penned with a friend. “We were really just having fun with the song and the first lyric that came to mind was ‘You got a baddie’,” she shared.

“The song is all about being confident, knowing who you are, what you want, and your worth. Of course, there’s a little love dynamic going on, but it’s really about the confidence you carry.

“Anyone can be a baddie, but the main thing to being a baddie is embracing who you are, flaws and all, and walking into any situation with that confidence and sense of worth.”

As far as her original music is concerned, Jessica has written so many

songs based on personal experiences and feelings.

“I’m so excited to share who I am through my music,” she insisted.

“I can be kind of a quiet and awkward person, so it’s hard for me to express myself fully. Thank God, I have music to use as an outlet and way of expression.

Stage play debunks the HIV stigma

GMA First Vice President for Program Management Jose Mari R. Abacan was once again invited to be part of the respected panel of online jurors at the 2022 Venice TV Awards.

With his extensive industry knowledge and expertise in TV programming, Abacan was tapped to join the jury composed of leading and prominent international experts in the world of film and television. He evaluated this year’s entries in the Best Documentary and Best TV Series categories.

Apart from heading GMA’s Program Management Department, he is also the current Project Director of GMA Network Films, Inc. and leads the overall

operations and programming of all GMA’s Digital Terrestrial channels: Heart of Asia, I Heart Movies, and HallyPop.

Abacan, who paved the way in introducing Koreanovelas, Lakorn, Turkish and Indian series in the country, likewise oversees all program acquisition initiatives from foreign producers.

The Venice TV Award was launched as a tribute to and celebration of television, increasing national and international recognition for both producers and broadcasters who create high-quality output.

It honors companies and individuals responsible for the world’s finest work on TV.

WARD 448, a play written and directed by Rodel Mercado, is a trilogy that presents the stories of individuals that have HIV virus affliction. The play depicts the fight-or-flight response of persons infected with this devastating and life-threatening disease and how discrimination, ignorance, and stigma exacerbate the predicament of persons with HIV.

From the point of view and reportage of Jennylyn Braza, a news reporter with Karina Macaspac and Jenney Cañeja as alternates, the story of three RITM inpatients who stay in the same ward will figure in their news story.

The headliners are Carla Mae , a mother of three with Anna Escobia and Justine Torralba

well, so meeting him again creates friction between them.

The series follows Heart as Celeste, a fashion designer, and socialite engaged to the most eligible bachelor in town, Tonito, (Richard). Paolo plays the role of Celeste’s old flame, Mikoy.

When Celeste’s father suddenly becomes ill, she reluctantly returns to her hometown and is forced to confront the life she left behind.

There, she crosses paths with her exboyfriend, Mikoy.

Her relationship with Mikoy did not end

NETIZENS and medical professionals were amazed by the CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation performed by Ali (Kathryn Bernardo) to Mang Diego (Archie Adamos) to revive him from a cardiac arrest in the October 7 episode of 2 Good 2 Be True

The show posted the scene on its social media account accompanied by behindthe-scenes footage of Kathryn being taught by a medical consultant how to demonstrate proper CPR.

“I salute the writer, director, at ang bumubuo ng @2Good2BeTrue because they really did research on how to properly

The longer Celeste stays in her hometown, the more she rediscovers her roots, rekindling her love for family, its people, and Mikoy, who just simply won’t leave her heart. As if things aren’t complicated enough, Tonito shows up to join his fiancée in Sorsogon. Celeste must decide to whom her heart truly belongs.

Heart Evangelista is featured in haute couture outfits from some of the world’s leading fashion houses. The series is shot amidst breathtaking scenery from the southern province of Sorsogon.

execute CPR. As a nurse, I was impressed and @bernardokath delivered it well.

Good job,” said one netizen.

“This ACLS/BLS trainer approves, “ @ alenapiasmd said on the scene.

Nurse Riz commented, “In [all] fairness ABS-CBN, well researched ulit ha!”

This was the second time viewers commended the series for its wellresearched scenes. Last month, a netizen posted that she was able to save her grandfather’s life after performing the F.A.S.T method she watched in 2G2BT

Meanwhile, in the trending episode, Ali recognized Diego (Adamos), the former

head security of Horizon Grand, who might help them put Helena (Gloria Diaz) in jail. She was about to leave the clinic with Tox (Gillian Vicencio) for her safety when she saw Diego lose consciousness. She immediately rushed to him and tried to revive him.

See where her act of kindness leads her in the next episodes of the hit primetime series. 2 Good 2 Be True airs in advance on Netflix Philippines or iWantTFC. Viewers can also catch it on A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, Kapamilya Online Live on Facebook and YouTube, Jeepney TV, and TFC IPTV.

as alternates; the men who have sex with other men group who work at BPO are VJ Mendoza, Kevin Posadas, and Rey Correjado ; and seasoned thespians Ronnie Martinez and Roeder Camanag who alternately portray Francis, a jaded drag performer.

“The production’s main reason for being is that we want to shed light and give the correct information about people with HIV affliction. Yes, we focus on their difficulties and struggles, especially in coming to terms that they have the HIV

infection and they manage to maintain their dignity and humanity,” director Mercado says.

“The play employs of humor, drama, paghaplos sa puso at pagbubukas ng pang-unawa elements to the play’s narrative. The medium of theater here has become a powerful tool to impart knowledge about the affliction that is HIV, to push safe sex practices customary, to clear the stigma, and nurture a community that does not judge, but understands and helps those who are HIV afflicted and their loved ones,” adds Mercado.

The figures of people with HIV affliction have skyrocketed and DOH reports say that the Philippines has become the fastest HIV/AIDS growing population in the Asia and Pacific region with 237 percent increase in an exhaustive and verified report on HIV infections FROM the periods of 2010 to 2022.

“By watching our play, you’re also exercising your power to contribute to the collective efforts to minimize, and hopefully end the escalating digits of individuals with HIV.

Be one with us as we debunk the stigma, sow compassion and understanding, and give accurate information on HIV affliction,” Mercado underscores.

Nickie

Ward 448, produced Frontline Production Inc. is slated on October 29 and 30, with matinee (3:00 p.m. and gala 7:00 p.m.) performances at the RCBC THEATER (Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium), 4th Floor, Tower II, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave., Makati City.

Tickets are available now on ticket2me.net.

ROMANTIC drama series I Left My Heart in Sorsogon, headlined by Heart Evangelista with Paolo Contis and Richard Yap, starts streaming on Netflix Philippines beginning tomorrow, October 14.

The Filipino-American artist finds confidence in music

Riding the Korean pop wave at Seventeen concert

THE Be The Sun concert of the K-Pop group Seventeen at the Mall of Asia Arena over the weekend gave us a glimpse of the power of the Korean wave in the country. The two-day concert was so successful the concert promoter LiveNation had to sell additional tickets to accommodate more fans who wanted to see their idols live and up close. Tickets were sold out in minutes, both offline and online.

The entire show was a dazzling pro duction and well-orchestrated. Every thing about the concert was visually and audibly pleasing and it reinforces

the fact that our Korean counterpart is well ahead of us in terms of staging live events such as concerts and music fests.

From my observation, there are spe cific members of the crew dedicated to ensuring that every aspect of the show would be organized, if not perfect. Yes, marshalls are given. But there are groups whose task is very specific, like sweeping the stage after every set or monitoring the light sticks or fan sticks to function in sync with the music – to create a beautiful ocean of colors as the crowd listens to the group perform. In every section, there are leaders among fans to remind them when to put the stickers on their phones in lieu of the light sticks.

For a music fan myself, who is fa miliar with K-Pop but has not “stanned for” any group yet or doesn’t have any “bias,” the Seventeen concert made me want to see more of the group and ride the K-Pop wave. You see, I may not be too familiar with Korean songs (unless they go viral and gain massive attention

online), but the experience I had watch ing and listening to the group had me wanting more.

Going to the venue, I was told that I needed to be there before 4:00 p.m. for “strapping” despite the show starting at 7:00. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be allowed to enter the assigned section for my ticket. This made me understand the dedication of fans who stay and wait in the venue longer than usual. And this is something that I don’t typically expe rience in other concerts I go to. I told myself, this is not just a pop concert, this is an entirely different experience. And the boys of Seventeen did not dis appoint. Their energy appeared to be at its peak whenever they appear on the stage. The “ment,” which a good friend explained to me as the time when the artists introduce themselves, speak to fans, and give speech es, served its purpose very well. The crowd was deeply engaged.

Immersive booths for Carats

To make the two-night concert expe rience more memorable for Carats, the

name of Seventeen fandom, there were on-ground events and booths around the venue. Smart Communications, for example, was on the ground and in on the action as the Korean supergroup brought its epic tour to Manila.

As part of its thrust to give Filipi nos the best K-Life experience, Smart enabled subscribers to redeem concert tickets with their points on the Smart GigaLife App and by registering to Power All 99, among other offers on the app.

With Power All 99, subscribers enjoy 8 GB for all sites and app, Unli TikTok, and Unli Texts to All Networks for 7 days, giving them the power to do all they want online.

Moreover, during the two-night con cert, Smart provided tents for the strap ping and merchandise booths outside the MOA Arena so that concertgoers would have a roof over their heads while waiting in line for their turn.

Carats visited the Smart Experien tial booths located on the ground and

Slim’s legacy exhibition at SM Aura Premier

FASHION and design enthusiasts re cently had a glimpse of the amazing life and work of Salvacion Lim Higgins: National Artist for Design at SM Aura Premier , the first showcase in a mall cel ebrating the fashion designer’s visionary work from a career spanning over four decades.

Curated by son and artist Mark Lewis Higgins , the exhibition featured a breath taking selection of gowns and archival photographs highlighting the preeminent designer’s creative genius and legacy.

In June 2022, Salvacion Lim “Slim” Higgins was honored as a National Art ist in the Design category. The Order of National Artists Award is the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts and letters. She is the only Filipino designer with gowns in the archives of both the Smithsonian Institu tion in Washington D.C. and in the Vic toria & Albert Museum in London.

The exhibition opening was graced by no less than Presidential sister and art advocate Irene Marcos-Araneta , who was joined by friends of the designer’s family, members of the fashion and arts communities, and Slim’s Fashion and Arts School faculty and alumni. Guests were seen admiring the collection of gowns and dresses which showcased Slim’s enduring signature style: ground breaking yet timeless design, intriguing silhouettes, and exquisite technique.

These included a reproduction of a white fringed terno created for First Lady Leonila Garcia in the late 1950s featuring the original lace trim; a repro duction of a Siamese-inspired coat and gown created in 1956; a newly restored gown from 1967 which was modeled by Maja Salvador for the cover of MEGA magazine in August 2022; a reproduction of a pale magenta terno with a cascade of sunburst pleats created in the early 1970s; and a reproduction of a spectacu lar red gown pleated to perfection cre ated in 1978.

The exhibition also featured a selec tion of breathtaking photographs featur ing gowns and ternos worn by the fashion icons of their time: Edith Nakpil Rabat, Chona Recto Kasten, Lily de las Alas Padilla, and Diana Jean Lopez Born in Legaspi, Albay in 1920, Slim studied Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas under National Artist Car los “Botong” Francisco , but never fin ished her studies due to the outbreak of WWII. In 1947 she opened the Slim’s atelier, and in 1960 founded Slim’s Fash ion & Arts School with her sister Puri ficacion Lim, which is today headed by Mark Higgins as director.

As the oldest fashion institution in the country, it has mentored tens of thou sands of designers all over the Philip pines. Alumni include fashion luminar ies Oskar Peralta, Joe Salazar, Cesar Gaupo, Oliver Tolentino, Albert An drada, Joey Samson, Martin Bautista, and Michael Cinco SM and the Slim’s Fash ion & Arts School have had many exciting col laborations over the years, notably in exhibitions of the works of graduating students which were held in premier SM Malls.

Salvacion Lim Higgins: National Artist for Design is one of the exciting fash ion events at SM Aura Pre mier.

second floors of the Mall of Asia Are na during the concert days where they felt the Power of Smart. They posed for pictures and got to bring home concert souvenirs and exclusive mer ch like sticker packs and Carat-bong lanyards.

Carats also joined the Powered Up SVT Quiz to show off how well they know Seventeen, which is composed of S.coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon (the hip-hop unit); Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK, Seungkwan (the vocal unit); Hoshi, Jun, The8, and Dino, by answering 10 questions about the group. With Powered Up Rhythm, Carats also got to play a game of SVT Rhythm through Rhythm Hive to claim an Instax printout.

Those who had the Smart GigaLife App on their smartphones also got to strike a power pose at the Smart SVT Booth on the ground floor to get a Powered Up Holographic Memento. Images courtesy of Pledis Enter tainment.

CCP showcases 21AM collection at Arthaland

THE Cultural Cen ter of the Philippines through its Visual Arts and Museum Division mounts se lect artworks from the CCP 21AM col lection for exhibi tion at the Arthal and Century Pacific Tower.

Billed as De tails & Abstrac tions: Selections from the Cultural Center of the Philippines 21AM Collection, the ex hibition is one of the CCP’s visual arts activities aimed at making the collection available for themat ic exhibitions to be shown at partner venues.

The exhibition had its opening reception live streamed on the Facebook pages of CCP, CCP VAMD, and Arthaland on October 13.

Given the closure of the CCP’s Main Building for a two-year renovation work beginning 2023, off-site exhibitions are being lined up in order to continue showcasing the CCP 21AM collection to the public.

As a kick-off to the exhibition roadshow, and in celebration of October as Museum and Galleries Month, the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division has partnered with Arthaland for an exhibition at the ground floor lobby of Arthaland Century Pacific Tower (ACPT) at 5th Avenue corner 30th St., Bonifacio Global City.

Arthaland was chosen as the venue to host the said off-site exhibition as it is the first building in the world to be certified by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, as zero carbon under its EDGE program, the acronym for Ex cellence in Design for Greater Effi ciency. In addition to its world-class design and its superior quality con struction, Arthaland’s sustainable fea tures serve to enhance its occupants’ mental and physical health similar to how art brings about immeasurable benefits to an individual’s as well as the entire communities’ well-being.

CCP 21AM collection exhibit at Ar thaland Century Pacific Tower runs until November 13.

The Be The Sun concert was a visual spectacle and a well-orchestrated production that left the fans in awe

Fernando Zobel, La Ventana

The

Mark Higgins

designer Tonichi Nocom

Presidential

Carats joined the Powered Up SVT Quiz to show off how well they know Seventeen, which is composed of S.coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon (the hip-hop unit); Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK, Seungkwan (the vocal unit); Hoshi, Jun, The8, and Dino