Manila Standard - 2022 October 25 - Tuesday

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LAPID SLAY: PERSONS OF INTEREST

Police tag Bantag, 159 others

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

SOME 160 people, including suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, are considered persons of interest in the killing of broadcaster Percival Mabasa, police said at a press briefing in Camp Crame Monday.

The list includes politicians, military officials and police who had been criti cized by Mabasa, said Philippine Nation al Police (PNP) chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr., who said investigators reviewed 600 so cial media postings by the broadcaster, who goes by the name Percy Lapid.

Police were determining which among these persons of interest were most frequently discussed in Mabasa's radio program.

Bantag was suspended last week after the alleged middleman, Cristito "Jun"

‘Order to kill came from three gang commanders in Bilibid’

THREE gang commanders at the National Bilibid Prison ordered the killing of broad caster Percival Mabasa, the sister of an al leged middleman in the hit operation said in an interview with ABS-CBN News before she was place under protective custody of

Plane with 173 pax skids off Mactan runway

By Joel E. Zurbano and Darwin Amojelar

Cascolan cites strength useful as DOH official

By Willie Casas, Maricel Cruz, and Macon Ramos-Araneta

FORMER Philippine National Police chief Camilo Cascolan on Monday de fended his ap point

ment as undersecretary of the Department of Health, which drew sharp criticism from some groups, including medical workers, even as lawmakers, including a former Health Secretary, backed him up.

"Managing health is not just about

medical knowledge. There are many doc tors in the institution but balancing science and management and strategy is very im portant," Cascolan said in a statement.

Cascolan said he conceptualized the COVID-19 task force and headed its

administrative support. He also created the medical reserve force in the PNP, which took charge of the RT-PCR test ing centers in some mega quarantine facilities during the lockdown.

DepEd urged to release data on COVID-19 in public schools

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A FORMER medical advisor to the gov ernment on Monday said the Department of Education (DepEd) should release data on the number of COVID-19 infec tions in public schools, which are set to resume full in-person classes by Nov. 2. In an online press conference, Dr. Tony Leachon said DepEd should be transparent with the data, which could help schools and their communities re

spond better if there is a COVID-19 out break.

"I think for the safety of the kids, we need to be transparent about our data," said Leachon, former adviser to the gov ernment's task force against COVID-19.

Senator Christopher Go also urged school officials and the government to provide and properly implement health guidelines to ensure the protection of students.

"Let's implement additional safety measures. Let us assign staff or safety

the Department of Justice on Monday.

"Marisa," who arrived in Manila Satur day, said her brother, Jun Villamor, seemed to fear something would happen to him after the confessed gunman, Joel Escorial, surren dered on October 18.

DTI freezes SRP on candles ahead of Undas

THE Department of Trade and Industry is maintaining its suggested retail price (SRP) for candles amid increasing de mand for the product in observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Retailers are warned not to increase prices of unscented candles beyond SRPs as these are considered as basic goods.

Consumers are also advised to buy candles in groceries and supermarkets where prices are being monitored.

Under the August 2022 SRP list, de pending on sizes and pieces of candles per pack, prices of candle brand 5-Star Espe rma ranges from P49.83 to P137.93; Export Candles from P29.75 to P99.75; Liwanag Esperma candle from P46.42 to P177.71; and Manila Wax from P47.74 to P82.76.

Any incident of overpricing may be reported to DTI through 1-DTI (384) or 0917-834-3330.

For prices of flowers, DTI said there

KEYNOTE MESSAGE.

President Renato Tobias keynotes

Affordable Housing Summit 2022 attended

country in Bohol.

Secretary Jerry Acuzar,

said.

LAST TEXT MESSAGE. Screengrab from TV Patrol shows 'Marisa,' sister of Jun Villamor, one of two alleged middlemen in the killing of broadcaster Percival Mabasa, as she arrived at the airport in Manila. Inset photo shows the last text message she received from her brother, who died inside the Bilibid on Oct. 18, hours after the alleged gunman, Joel Escorial, surrendered to authorities.

Next page

with its belly lying on the runway at the airport in Cebu City on October 24, 2022, after it overshot the runway late October 23 while landing in bad weather.

KOREAN Air Flight KE631 with 173 people on board, slid off the runway

while landing at the Mactan-Cebu Inter national Airport, causing slight injuries and shutting down the country's second busiest airport, authorities said Monday.

162 passengers and

crew of the plane from Incheon were evacuated

safely after the Airbus A330 aircraft overshot the runway on Sunday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines 0(CAAP) said in a report.

injuries were treated at the airport clinic.

page

PRELIMINARY TRIAL STARTS. Joel Escorial, self-confessed gunman in the murder of radio commentator Percival Mabasa, is escorted upon his arrival at the Department of Justice in Manila on Monday, October 24, 2022, for the preliminary investigation. Danny Pata

‘Not a time to relax on COVID, flu’

ASWINTER approaches, the World Health Organization on Monday stressed the importance of staying vigilant as cases of COVID and influenza rise in Europe, encouraging more people to get vaccinated.

"This is not a time to relax," WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told a press conference.

The 53 countries that make up the WHO Europe region, which includes Russia and countries in Central Asia, were once again at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for nearly 60 percent of new COVID cases worldwide, Kluge said. At the same time, cases of the seasonal influenza are peaking.

Police...

From A1

Villamor, an inmate, died in the New Bilibid Prison where he was detained.

Azurin said investigators were not rul ing out foul play in the middleman's death.

Mabasa was shot dead while on his way home in Las Piñas City on Oct. 3.

The alleged gunman, Joel Escorial, has surrendered to the police and identi fied the middleman who offered to pay them P550,000 to kill Mabasa.

At the same briefing, Azurin contra dicted Southern Police District (SPD) director Police Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft, who earlier said the case was already solved since the suspects were identified and apprehended.

“We cannot say yet that the case is already solved, although we have filed the cases already initially against Esco rial and his accomplices,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He added they have yet to determine who the mastermind was and where the order came from.

Azurin added that investigators need to know if the mastermind only communi cated with the middlemen in the plot to kill Mabasa or if more people were involved.

After surrendering to the police, Es corial identified his cohorts as siblings Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan and a certain Orlando or Orly, who are still at large. He also said two inmates at the NBP, Cristito Villamor and Chris

‘Order...

From A1

On the same day that Escorial turned himself in, Marisa said her brother, who had a cellphone inside the NBP, sent her a message at 11:59 in the morning.

"On Oct. 18, he suddenly texted me, 'Ate, whatever happens to me, take care of this secret. If I die, reveal it. But as long as I am alive, don't. When I go, tell Joel that it was ordered by 3 commanders here, Sputnik, Happy Go Lucky and BCJ. The order came from the office,'" she told ABS-CBN News in Filipino.

Asked what her brother meant when he texted "from the office," Marisa said: "There in Bilibid."

Marisa said her brother, Escorial, and the other alleged middleman, Christopher Bacoto, all knew each other.

"Joel and my brother are from the same barrio. Bacoto is from a neighboring vil lage," she said.

Bacoto is detained at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility.

Marisa said she and her other siblings have become fearful for their safety after receiving messages from an anonymous sender.

She said she was also puzzled why her other sibling was barred from seeing Vil

DepEd...

From A1 personnel to immediately attend to a student, teacher or school personnel who will be found positive for the vi rus," said Go.

Earlier, a DepEd spokesperson said it was up to local governments to issue data on COVID-19 in schools, adding that the department did not want to give conflicting figures.

Beginning Nov. 2, all public schools must return to five days of inperson classes.

At the same time, a group called on the Education and Health departments to issue detailed guidelines on ventila tion and adopt a tool to measure the risk of COVID-19 infections in class rooms.

“The Aral Pilipinas Coalition is calling on the Department of Educa tion and the Department of Health to come up with a clear policythat can be used by parents and teachers to pro tect the children,” the group said in Filipino.

Aral Pilipinas also pushed for the use of the "Safe Schools Calcula tor," developed in collaboration with Joshua Agar, a wind engineer and pro

With this new wave of COVID, deaths and admissions to intensive care are not increasing to the same degree as earlier waves, and the WHO stressed the link to vaccination campaigns.

"Vaccination remains one of our most effective tools against both flu and COV ID-19," Kluge said, urging those eligible to get jabs for both the influenza and booster shot for COVID-19 as soon as possible.

On Monday, the WHO also marked World Polio day, a disease which affects

topher Bacoto, acted as middlemen— one of them contracting the murder for P550,000 and the other who recruited his three companions.

On Oct. 20, however, Justice Secre tary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Villa mor died inside NBP on Oct. 18.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered Bantag suspended shortly afterward.

“Definitely he is a person of interest at least for reckless imprudence,” Re mulla said of Bantag.

Remulla said he learned that the Ma basa family planned to file a case of reckless imprudence resulting in murder against Bantag.

Lawyer Berteni Causing, also the spokesperson of the Mabasa family, confirmed that they were studying the filing of a criminal case against Bantag.

“If there was no imprudence, then there would be no cell phone inside the prison,” Causing said.

Causing said the family will also be filing an administrative case against Bantag, either before the DOJ or before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The lawyer was present during the first hearing on the preliminary inves tigation of the murder complaint filed against Escorial and his three co-respon dents, namely: brothers Israel Adao Di maculangan and Edmon Dimaculangan, and a certain “Orly” or “Orlando.”

Like Azurin, Causing disputed Kraft's claim that the case was already solved.

“Until we get to the bottom of it, the mastermind, there is no such thing as

lamor's body at the morgue and was in stead only shown a photograph of his face.

"Someone, a guard or police there said, 'Be careful.' They seem to be hiding some thing," she said.

Marisa sought help from Sen. Raffy Tulfo and Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, who in turn brought her to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Mon day afternoon, said DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano.

"We immediately secured her and placed her in the Witness Protection Pro gram. We will bring her to a temporary shelter for protection," Clavano said.

Clavano said Marisa revealed informa tion "relevant to the case."

"We found that the risk or threat to her life was enough to make her eligible to enter the Witness Protection Program," Clavano said.

Mabasa's family has also been receiv ing death threats, Percival's brother, Roy, said.

"I have been receiving various death threats from Messenger, text messages," said Roy, who is also a journalist.

"There are also video calls. Even the nephews, nieces, and children of Percy have received malicious text messages."

"It seems that our lives will not return to normal until the mastermind is found," Roy added.

fessor at the University of the Philip pines.

The tool can compute data on car bon dioxide (CO2) levels inside class rooms to help determine if it is poorly or well-ventilated.

An independent research group, meanwhile, said the seven-day CO VID-19 positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) has decreased further to 12.3 percent from the previ ous 14.9 percent.

The OCTA Research Group said, however, that seven areas—Cagayan, Iloilo, Isabela, La Union, Misamis Oriental, Pangasinan and Tarlac-showed a high level increase in the positivity rate during the same period.

From Oct. 10-16, the Philippines recorded 15,314 COVID-19 cases, or an average of 2,188 daily infections. This was 7 percent higher compared to the previous week.

This was also the eight straight week that weekly cases were below 20,000.

As of Oct. 19, over 73.4 million peo ple in the country were fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease, the DOH said.

Of the figure, about 20.3 mil lion have received their first booster dose.

mostly the very young and causes paraly sis, and has been virtually wiped out in the western world.

A mutated variant of the polio virus derived from oral polio vaccines has how ever recently been detected in the UK, Ukraine, Israel and the US.

Less virulent than the natural virus, this variant can nevertheless cause severe symptoms, such as limb paralysis in un vaccinated patients.

While rare, the variant has become more common in recent years due to low vaccination rates in some commu nities.

"I think it's important that we under stand that anywhere in the globe if we leave people behind, the polio virus is a very good barometer to tell us who they

case closed,” he said.

Remulla agreed.

“We cannot close the case until we know the details and the proper testimo nies are in place. We just want the evi dence to be secured,” Remulla said.

He said the investigation is still going on in the case.

“All possible suspects are being con sidered. All angles are being considered. We have to be thorough with this,” he added.

Remulla also said he has asked in dependent forensic expert Dr. Raquel Fortun to examine the remains of Jun Villamor.

Fortun on Monday said the findings of the initial autopsy report submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was too vague.

“What they released is just a 2-page memo. It is not a technical report,” she said on the ANC program “Rundown.”

“So if you’re asking what was the cause of death, what’s written there is so vague. I don’t think you can come up with a conclusion. I suspect they don’t have a conclusion yet.”

Fortun said the document released by the NBI only made a general statement about Villamor having no physical injuries.

The Senate, meanwhile, could be gin its own investigation of the Mabasa murder by November.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa said Ban tag would be among those they will summon to attend a hearing before the Senate committee on public order and

Plane...

From A1

Glenn Napuli, the airport's assistant general manager, said the airport would be shut down until midnight, and authorities were working to resume flights within the day.

"We are hoping by tomorrow we can remove the aircraft," Napuli said in a briefing.

An investigation was underway into the cause of the accident, Napuli said.

Korean Air president Woo Kee-hong has apologized over the incident and vowed a thorough investigation by both Philippine and Korean authorities.

"We always prioritize safety in all of our operations, and we truly regret the stress and inconvenience brought to our passengers," Woo said in a statement posted on the company website.

In 2018, a Xiamen Airline aircraft slid off the runway at Manila airport, forcing more than a hundred flight cancellations until the Chinese plane was pulled from the mud after more than a day.

Monday's closure resulted in the delay and cancellation of more than 100 flights of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines scheduled on Sunday and Monday.

“We confirm that at 11:11 p.m. on 23 October Sunday, Korean Air flight no. KE631 from Incheon, South Korea overshot the runway in a landing attempt during heavy rains. No one was hurt during the incident. All 162 passengers and 11 crew onboard the A330 aircraft were immediately evacuated and tended to by airport emergency personnel,” the Mactan-

Cascolan...

From A1

"I started COVID protocols in the ini tial stage when everybody was in a quan dary," Cascolan said.

"(Health) being a devolved service, my experience on the ground and work ing with LGUs is also a factor that can bring the department closer to the peo ple," he added.

Cascolan found an ally in former Health Secretary and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, who welcomed his appointment.

"The delivery of health services is not just about doctors and scientists working together," Garin said.

"What is equally important is reaching the grassroots and feeling their pulse. The management skills of General Cascolan has long been proven in his several years of untainted service. Quick and timely re sponse during calamities as well as coor dinated implementation of programs un

are," WHO Europe expert Siddhartha Datta told reporters.

Datta explained that regardless of the region, the populations affected were those "underserved," meaning that they for different reasons had not received enough vaccines to reach the 95 percent coverage target

No cases of the natural polio virus have been reported in Europe for more than 20 years.

"This is not something we can take for granted," Kluge said. In the region as a whole, coverage with the third dose of the polio vaccine fell by one percent between 2019 and 2020. By 2021, only 25 of the 53 countries had achieved 95 percent polio vaccine cover age. AFP

dangerous drugs.

Dela Rosa, a former BuCor direc tor, said the panel will inquire into the circumstances surrounding Villamor's death, which would stir suspicion of foul play.

Senator Christopher Go said BuCor must strictly implement the law and regulations inside the NBP to make sure no cell phones or weapons are smuggled into the prison.

Franklin M. Drilon, a former Jus tice secretary and senator, said the case stands on thin ice without any evidence to corroborate Escorial's account.

“The prosecution must validate the confessions of self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial with corroborative evi dence. This is crucial because the case cannot stand on the testimony alone of the gunman,” Drilon said.

Drilon said that the prosecution should not rely solely on the testimony.

“Suppose he recants, what happens? The prosecution’s case will fall into pieces,” Drilon said.

“I appeal to my former colleagues to let the PNP do their job. I do not know what a Senate investigation can do at this point. Let’s allow the police to finish the investigation. I am not yet convinced that the PNP is not doing its job, but it has to do more,” Drilon said.

Also on Monday, the outgoing spokesperson for BuCor, Gabriel Cha clag, said the bureau will undergo a restructuring in the wake of the suspen sion of its chief.

Cebu International Airport Authority said in a statement.

The MCIAA management said the incident necessitated the temporary closure of the runway to allow for the safe removal of the aircraft.

“For now, all international and domestic flights to and from MCIA are canceled until further notice. We are working with the Korean Air, and the Civil Authority of the Philippines for the swift resolution of this matter.

Updates will immediately be given once available,” it added.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) was the most affected among the local airlines with 65 canceled flights, while PAL suspended 28 and Air Asia with five canceled and four delayed flights.

“We urge passengers traveling to and from Cebu on Oct. 24, 2022 to only proceed to the airport if they have confirmed flights. For those who wish to voluntarily postpone their flights, they may avail of Cebu Pacific's flexible options which include free rebooking and travel fund,” CEB said.

Affected CEB clients were also advised to rebook flights within 30 days, make a refund or store the amount in a virtual CEB wallet valid for six months.

PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said affected passengers will be accommodated on the next available flights out of Manila and Cebu, subject to space availability.

AirAsia Philippines chief informa tion officer Steve Dailisan ground staff in Mactan and NAIA Terminal 4 were on standby to attend to the needs of its customers, especially those that require immediate assistance in flight rerouting.

With AFP

der a devolved healthcare, not to mention the gigantic task of logistics and planning, are important factors in DOH," she added.

The Alliance of Health Workers, how ever, questioned Cascolan's qualifications.

“Cascolan’s appointment is a huge insult to our health experts who are most qualified to administer and run the affairs of the DOH,” the group said in a state ment issued by Robert Mendoza, AHW National President.

The group also cited Cascolan's role in crafting the Oplan Double Barrel, the po lice’s bible in anti-drug operations under the Duterte administration.

“With the country’s deteriorating health situation wherein poverty-related, communicable and preventable diseases like tuberculosis, COVID-19 and cardio vascular problems remained top causes of mortality and morbidity, there is a need for a free, comprehensive health approach in combatting diseases than a militarist approach,” the group said.

Senators also expressed different

Oil firms slash diesel prices by P1.10 per liter

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE country's oil firms cut pump prices by as much as P1.10 per liter effective to day (Tuesday) to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

The oil firms cut the price of diesel by P1.10 per liter, gasoline by P0.35 per li ter, and kerosene by P0.45 per liter.

"Petron will implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 a.m. on Oct 25: P0.35 per liter for gasoline; P1.10 per liter for diesel; and P0.45 per liter for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market," Petron Corp. said in its advisory.

PTT Philippines, Flying V, Cleanfuel, Chevron Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, and Seaoil Philippines also rolled back pump prices.

Over the weekend, Unioil Philippines forecasted oil prices to go down by P0.90 per liter to P1 per liter for diesel and P0.20 per liter to P0.30 per liter for gasoline.

Domestic pump prices alternated from oil price hikes the previous week, reflect ing the continuing volatility of prices in the world market.

Department of Energy director for the Oil Industry Management Bureau Rino Abad attributed the rollback to several factors, including the release by the US of 15 million barrels of oil per day starting in December.

He said factors that led to the price rollback this week include the continu ing decline in fuel demand and emerging reports that the pronounced production cut by two million barrels per day by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies may not happen.

Abad said oil demand slowed down due to "the effect of interest hike and the high fuel cost."

The DOE monitored that the US En ergy Information Agency reduced its 2023 global oil consumption forecast by 500,000 barrels per day to 101.03 million barrels per day, citing lower GDP growth.

Last Oct 18, the oil companies imple mented a per liter increase in gasoline by P0.80, diesel by P2.70, and P2.90 for kerosene.

These resulted in the total year-to-date adjustments at a net increase of P16.45 per liter for gasoline, P38.50 per liter for diesel, and P29.65 per liter for kerosene.

DTI...

From A1 will be no SRPs that will be released as these are not considered as basic goods.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard has been placed on “heightened alert” Monday as part of preparation for this year’s “Undas.”

Admiral Artemio Abu, PCG com mandant, directed operating units to be on heightened alert from Oct. 24 to Nov. 3.

“Our PCG Districts conduct 24/7 operations to monitor nauticalhighways routes, especially in the Visayas where the majority of tourist destinations are situated. We have maritime safety inspec tors in port terminals, law enforcement teams in strategic locations, maritime pa trol teams in critical vicinity waters, and deployable response groups (DRGs) on standby for possible search and rescue missions during maritime incidents or emergencies,”Abu said.

The Land Transportation Office will also go on a heightened alert for Oplan Biyaheng Ayos Undas 2022 from Oct. 27 to Nov. 4, LTO chief Teofilo Guadiz III said.

“We are already anticipating our cem eteries to be teeming with more people during the week prior to All Saints’ Day compared to the previous two years since lockdowns and community quarantines have already been lifted,” he said.

“The public can rest assured, however, that the LTO will monitor the situation in our roads in close coordination with vari ous transport groups and other concerned government agencies in the areas of law enforcement and medical emergency response to ensure that road safety will always be observed and maintained,” he added. Rio N. Araja

views on Cascolan's appointment.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, also a former PNP chief, said a doctor is not needed to manage an organization like the DOH.

“His position requires good man agement skills. I don't see any problem there,” Dela Rosa said.

Sen. Bong Go said Cascolan “brings with him the experience especially in instilling discipline and enforcing health and safety measures against COVID-19.”

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Cascolan's mis tah, said the appointment was “unexpect ed” but she hopes the DOH will be able to put to good use the skills of the former PNP chief.

“Aside from considering him a friend and my mistah, I respect Gen. Cascolan as an officer and a gentleman. His stint at the PNP speaks for itself. But the DOH should and must always be a public health-led agency, especially as we continue to deal with COVID-19 and other burdens of dis ease,” Hontiveros said. (See full story on line at manilastandard.net)

Gov’t will implement eArrival Card scan-and-go scheme starting Nov. 1

By Vince Lopez

TO further ease the entry of incoming travelers onboard regional and international flights, and at the same time protect the public from COVID-19 infection, the government will implement the use of Electronic Arrival Card (eArrival Card) scan-and-go system in the country’s airports.

Starting this November 1, the Bureau of Quarantine will require all inbound travelers to have an e-Arrival Card within 72 hours prior to their departure from their country of origin.

Marcos to DILG: Boost barangay officials’ powers to fight disasters

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE government is set to formulate measures to strengthen the power of village officials and improve their programs to address disasters and other emergency situation.

This after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to accelerate its efforts to strengthen the barangays’ preparedness in responding to emergencies to avert loss of lives and assets as the Philippines tops the World Disaster Risk Index 2022.

“The President has instructed me to assure each and every one of you that this administration is committed to ensuring that the smallest yet one of the most important units of government are fully capacitated and responsive to the needs of the people, especially in their disaster response capabilities,” said Abalos during the 2nd Barangay Resilience Exchange 2022 (BRX2022) Digital Conference.

Organized by the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI), the BRX2022 banners the theme “Ang Handang Barangay, Mahusay!” that highlights the significance of collaboration between the government, private and multi-sectoral organizations, and the community in surviving natural disasters, calamities and emergencies.

As vice chair for Disaster Preparedness of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Abalos seeks to equip barangays with the necessary knowledge, skills, and capacities to manage and reduce disaster risks to become disaster prepared and resilient Filipino communities.

All arriving travelers in the Philippines should register for an e-Arrival Card prior to their departure via onehealthpass.com.ph or by scanning the QR code indicated in the poster released

by the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH issued the advisory as the Bureau of Quarantine transitions from the One Health Pass (OHP) to the eArrival Card to streamline the processing of arriving travelers.

The adoption of the eArrival Card is seen to make entry in the Philippines more convenient as it removes unnecessary information fields present in the previous OHP system.

President Ferdinand Marcos earlier encourage Filipinos to “explore, travel, and discover the beauty of the Philippines.”

In his weekly vlog on Saturday night, Marcos said boosting local tourism will

propel economic growth.

“Lagi pong tandaan, sa bawat pagbiyahe at pamamasyal natin sa napakagandang Pilipinas, tuluy-tuloy ang ating pagbangon,” he said.

“Mula sa kapwa nating Pilipino ang bulto na pumapasok na kita kung kaya’t hindi ako titigil na hikayatin kayong lahat na bisitahin pa ang napakaganda mga nating tourist spot,” he added.

Marcos encouraged spending next week’s four-day holiday that includes\ “Undas” (All Saints’ Day) by visiting the best destinations in the country.

October 31 and November 1, which fall on Monday and Tuesday, are nonworking holidays.

PH rea irms commitment to UN tenets

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippines has reaffirmed its commitment for the United Nations principles and goals to overcome conflict, crisis and possible catastrophes, as the international organization celebrates its 77th founding anniversary on Monday, October 24.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo stressed the need to maintain a “more peaceful, united, and prosperous world amid climate change and food insecurity” which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing geopolitical conflicts.

“As President Ferdinand R. Marcos stated recently at the United Nations General Assembly, ‘We need the United Nations to continue to work. And we, the Philippines, are determined to be part of that solution,’” Manalo said in a statement.

Throughout the years, Manalo said the Philippines took pride of the country’s active membership and staunch advocacy for the values and ideals of the United Nations.

“We have always stood up for sovereign equality of states, peaceful resolution of disputes, equal rights of women and men, inclusive social development, the rule of law, and justice for all,” he said.

According to him, the Philippines even “plays a constructive role in the United Nations as a bridge-builder and champion of vulnerable groups, such as children and migrants, and developing countries’ interests.”

Amid the challenges that continue to confront the world, Manalo believed, there are still many opportunities to forge stronger international cooperation to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“Against this backdrop, the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to uphold the principles upon which the United Nations was founded, forging cordial ties with the members of the community of nations, and strengthening partnerships to realize our national and collective aspiration of peace, security, and development for all peoples,” he said.

Villanueva urges CSC to end ‘endo’, JO, COS

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATE Majority Leader Joel Villanueva has called on the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to address the high number of Job Order (JO) and Contract of Service (COS) employees in government.

He also exhorted the CSC to provide the workers with security of tenure especially if they have civil service eligibility.

Villanueva also lauded the move of the CSC to give “preferential rating” for JOs and COS in the next civil service examination which will put into consideration their number of years in service.

“This is a welcome development on the

part of the CSC to secure jobs for JO and COS workers in the government. Let’s end endo in government once and for all,” Villanueva said.

“We have been raising the issue of unfilled positions in government during budget hearings since we became a senator in 2016, and the number of JOs and COS workers in government remains a problem. It’s about time that we address the issue of contractualization in government,” Villanueva said.

He added that while there are 170,688 unfilled government positions, the government has 642,077 employees under JO or COS, representing 26.07 percent of

all government workers.

According to the data from the CSC, the top government agencies with the highest number of JO and COS employees are the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) (22,457), Department of Education (DepEd) (12,465), Department of Health (DOH) (8,188), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) (7,340) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) (5,487).

Data also shows that these agencies have the following unfilled positions: DPWH (3,180), DepEd (47,034), DOH (21,038), DSWD (381) and DENR (2,430).

Solon seeks cheaper movie tickets

By Maricel V. Cruz

A PARTY-list lawmaker has said “bringing ticket prices down by cutting down all local and national taxes on productions, both local and foreign, would be a step in the right direction.”

“Watching movies and stage plays should be valued more for their economic impact and be considered necessities that benefit families and promote mental and public health, not luxury activities,” Rep. Angelica Natasha Co, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, said. Co made the suggestion amid calls to ban K-dramas in the Philippines. She said Filipino producers have yet to fully harness the power of online platforms and online access to the masses is limited because internet speeds and coverage are still slow and low for most Filipinos. “Therefore, in-person viewing of movies in theaters and plays on stage is still the main mode available to them. But current ticket

Prompt payment for mental health workers eyed

QUEZON City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas is pushing for the enactment of a bill providing immediate compensation benefits to entitled mental health service users under Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act.

Vargas filed House Bill 2789 seeking to amend RA 11036 by introducing a new provision on the Rights of Service Users that mandates the immediate release of compensation benefits and other special financial assistance should mental health service users sustain “temporary or permanent mental disability while in the performance of duty or

by reason of his or her office or position.”

Vargas, vice chair of the House social services committee, said his bill sheds light on the struggles of Filipino workers and the risks that come with workrelated stress, which according to experts can lead to several mental health problems such as depression or even dementia.

“Filipino workers are hardworking and resilient. Every blood, sweat, and tears they pour into a day’s work must be compensated with sufficient safeguards to protect their mental health and well-being,” Var-

gas said.

In 2021, the legislator noted the Department of Health (DOH) estimated that at least 3.6 million Filipinos are facing mental health issues during the pandemic, including depression, substance use disorders such as alcohol use disorder, and mood disorders like bipolar disorder.

About 1.14 million Filipinos have depression, 847,000 are battling alcohol-use disorders, while 520,000 others were diagnosed with bipolar disorder, according to the DOH’s Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.

Maricel V. Cruz

prices are prohibitive and Filipinos are price-sensitive,” Co said.

Co is also a member of the House Committees on Economic Affairs and the special committee on creative industry and performing arts. She also had a cameo role in a Filipino movie, “Ikaw”, which was shown on Netflix.

“Getting our people out of their homes and returning to what they did before the pandemic, including watching movies, will revive the entertainment industry and the economy. If there are no audiences, producers will not make those movies and stage plays,” Co added.

“Banning or taxing foreign films, TV series, and other creative media outputs are not the strategies that will create opportunities for Filipino creative talents and entrepreneurs. Rather, building upon and supporting the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (RA 11904) will get a significant part of that challenge done,” the congresswoman said.

DHSUD unwraps resilient, viable model homes

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Monday showcased model houses that highlight building resiliency and sustainability for in-city and vertical housing development and alternative secure housing tenures during the National Shelter Month exhibit at its central office.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar spearheaded the series of culminating activities to wrap up this year’s shelter month with the theme “Abot kayang pabahay tungo sa panatag na buhay” in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s housing program which aims to construct one million housing units per year in the next six years.

DHSUD Undersecretary Garry de Guzman reiterated the government’s commitment to close the country’s housing backlog pegged at over 6.5 million units and stressed the importance of stakeholders’ support both from the public and private sector.

He sought the commitment of representatives from Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers PH, Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’Association Inc. and National Real Estate Association to actively participate in the administration’s priority housing program.

“If we divide the work, we can produce the six million (homes) in six years.

If we are working together, and we are putting our resources together, we can produce that six million for our poor fellow countrymen,” he said. Rio N. Araja

COLORS OF ETHNICITY.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) formally opens this year’s Dayaw Festival through a cultural showcase at the Rizal Park open-air auditorium. Teddy Pelaez

HAZARD OF THE TRADE. Without a harness and other safety gear, workers repaint a billboard skeletal frame on Kamuning Road in Quezon City, despite a government mandate for employers or company owners to ensure safety at the workplace under pain of

penalty. Manny Palmero

ACCORD FOR SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY OF SARDINES. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) seal a memorandum of agreement meant to “ensure su cient sardines supply for canneries.”

Photo shows from left Isidro Velayo, Jr., BFAR assistant director for technical services; lawyer Demonsthenes Escoto, BFAR o cer-in-charge; Benjamin Sy. CSAP president; and Francisco Bue camino, CSAP executive director. Manny Palmero

SC affirms validity of P27.5b Meralco, NPC settlement

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court (SC) has af firmed the validity of the P27.5billion settlement agreement en tered into by the Manila Electric Company and the National Power Corporation in 2003 covering their obligations under the ‘contract for the sale of electricity” (CSE).

In a 25-page decision, the SC’s First Division denied the petition for review filed by the government through the Office of the Solicitor General seeking for the reversal of the decision rendered by the Court of Appeals on April 15, 2014, which upheld the ruling of the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City issued on May 29, 2012.

To recall, the Pasig City trial court, in the said ruling, granted the petition for declaratory relief filed by the Meralco seeking to de clare its agreement with NPC valid and binding.

But the trial court reserved for

PNP: Two high-ranking officers investigated for illegal drugs

TWO ranking police officials are now being investigated after the arrest of two police anti-narcotics operatives and the seizure of nearly a ton of shabu in Manila early this month, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said on Monday.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Azurin, however, said the two police generals’ names surfaced

BFAR enters agreement with CSAP on PH sardine supply

By Othel V. Campos

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) signed Mon day a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to ensure the continuous and sufficient supply of raw mate rials for sardines canneries in the country.

The agreement stemmed from rec ommendations from various stake holders of the country’s sardines in dustry to address not only immediate but long-term concerns of the can neries said BFAR Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Demosthenes Escoto.

“Aside from sustaining, and ulti mately increasing, the supply of sar dines for canneries, the MOA intends to capacitate municipal fisherfolk on proper fish handling, food safety standards, and processing technolo gies,” he said.

The MOA will ensure that CSAP will engage selected registered mu nicipal fisherfolk associations to sus tain the supply of raw materials for canning, especially during the imple mentation of annual closed fishing seasons.

Under the agreement, BFAR, as the primary government agency mandat ed to manage the country’s fisheries and aquatic resources, shall provide post-harvest support and necessary equipment in identified landing sites wherein the consolidation of raw ma terials will take place.

The BFAR said it will ensure that fishermen and fisherfolk groups will comply with the government’s food safety and traceability requirements and facilitate transportation or logis tics support.

Over the course of the partnership, CSAP will ensure that its members observe fair trade in directly negoti ating with selected municipal fisher folk associations duly registered and recognized by BFAR.

In addition, CSAP shall ensure that its members strictly comply with the terms and conditions of the pur chase order.

over their alleged links to the police sergeant who owns the lending agency where 990 kilos of shabu were seized on Oct. 8.

“They are on floating status. But this is unfair to them because their names are being dragged into this al though there are no sufficient pieces of evidence so far,” Azurin told reporters.

“These officers have careers, they worked hard for their careers and that is why we are very careful, we are not mentioning any names,” he added.

Meanwhile, two police sergeants assigned with the Drug Enforcement Group of the Philippine National Police (PDEG) allegedly sneaked out some 42 kilos of shabu from the 990 kilos of sha bu seized during the Oct. 8 operation.

PDEG chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Do mingo himself discovered the incident

after a review of the closed circuit tel evision camera (CCTV) footage be fore and after the raid at the Wealth and Personal Development Lending Inc. in Sta. Cruz, Manila which was owned by Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. Mayo is an intelligence officer of the PDEG and was arrested after he also yielded at least two kilos of shabu in side his car in a follow-up operation in Quiapo, Manila early morning of Oct. 9.

In the footage, a man was seen going out of the lending agency office and was later seen loading the two bags inside a car.

When one of the police sergeants was asked to shed light on the incident, the cop admitted that there were 30 kilos of shabu still in their possession and that the car is owned by another PDEG operative. When the other PDEG operative was

asked to appear before the PDEG head quarters, he informed his superior in stead that he would just leave the ille gal drugs near Camp Crame in Quezon City.

During the inspection, it was found that there were 42 kilos left by the PDEG operative which has an estimated street value of P285.6 million.

“There is an ongoing investigation and as I have said, all those involved, all those whose names would surface in the conduct of the investigation will be held accountable in order to put a stop to the issue of recycling (of illegal drugs),” Azurin said.

After the Oct. 8 operation, the PNP said it would request the proper court for the immediate destruction of the confiscated illegal drugs in order to pre vent any recycling attempts.

approval of the Energy Regula tory Commission (ERC) the “passthrough” provision of the agree ment.

Under the agreement, the re maining balance was to be gradu ally collected by Meralco from its consumers pursuant to a passthrough provision in the settlement agreement allowing Meralco to pay NPC the balance from amounts paid by the customers.

However, the said provision re quires the approval of the ERC to become effective.

“Having voluntarily agreed to undergo mediation and, thereafter, having signified its consent to be bound by the provision of the set tlement agreement, NPC should not be allowed to renege on its obli gations thereunder simply because it belatedly had a change of mind. NPC is bound by the terms of the settlement agreement and must comply therewith in utmost good faith,” the SC declared.

Salceda raises alarm on PH pension syste

By Maricel V. Cruz

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda has warned that the country’s pension sys tem “has been steadily sliding and is now among the world’s worst retirement sys tems in the world.”

Salceda made the statement, citing the Mercer CFA Global Pension Index report for 2022, which rated the Philippines as only being second to the last to Thailand among 44 countries that account for 65 percent of the world’s population.

In response, Salceda is recommending the House leadership and the Executive branch create each other’s Select Com missions on Pension Reforms, to rec ommend sweeping legislation to fix the country’s pension woes.

This, Salceda said, should include a re think of the administration’s proposed Capi tal Market Development Act, which will establish a corporate pension framework.

“I am proposing that the House of Rep resentatives create a select commission on pension reforms, with the mandate to work with national government agencies to craft a full appraisal of the size of the country’s pension problem and propose solutions within six months. The Execu tive Branch should create its own select commission, which can work on execu tive issuances that will improve pension governance, and also propose legislation to Congress,” Salceda said.

“Although not as immediate, this is just as worrisome as the fiscal cliff that major Philippine economists foresaw in the early 2000s, which led us to legislate VAT reforms. The Arroyo administra tion then, had limited political room, but got the reforms done, President Marcos has the mandate of the vast majority of this country’s voters. So, I am hopeful that the economic team will wield that rare popular mandate and commit to reform.”

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Imee Marcos has questioned the Department of Agriculture (DA) to justify its choice of Subic as the future site of a P500-million, labo ratory-equipped “cold examination facility” for agricultural imports – the first of its kind in the country.

“What’s cooking in Subic, that import ed meat and crops must be diverted away from Manila?” she said.

She also warned against a higher risk of another African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak if the facility’s first-border inspections are not based instead in Manila, where most meat imports are

shipped.

meat facility in

“We’re already importing all kinds of food. Must diseases be imported too?” she also said.

Although ASF cases have subsided since nationwide outbreaks began in 2019, Marcos warned that a major out break could again be triggered by con taminated pork imports.

She raised fears this can also cause business closures and job losses in the swine industry, a shortage of pork prod ucts, and a further increase in already high market prices of pork.

Pork imports amounting to 545,213,681 kilos made up about 54% of total meat imports from January to September this

year, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

Spain, Canada, and Brazil have sup plied 61% of the Philippines’ pork re quirements, with Belgium, the United States, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands supplying the rest.

She also cautioned on more expensive food imports for Metro Manila’s 12 mil lion residents due to the additional cost of delivery from Subic.

A July 18 briefer of the DA recom mended the facility’s location, funding, and construction by June 2023 to Presi dent Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who concur rently heads the agency.

DILG warns public on scam using Sec. Abalos’ name to solicit cash

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday warned local officials, businessmen, and the public against poseurs introducing themselves as Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. to solicit money or goods to provide support to their members.

“We have received such reports from a provincial governor, a vice-governor, and a department secretary that they received vari ous calls from poseurs claiming to be the DILG Chief and asking for financial support. This is not legit,” Abalos said in a statement.

“Let me put it on record that I will not, in my personal or official capacity, give financial or material support nor will I ask anyone to solicit money on my behalf for any illegal purpose especially that which is in contravention to the ideals and mission of the DILG which is mandated to ensure peace and order and public safety,” he said.

The DILG chief tapped the Philippine National Police AntiCybercrime Group to conduct an investigation and pin down the culprits behind this modus victimizing local officials.

NAIA officer commended for good conduct

THE Office for Transportation Security (OTS) has commended one of its screen ing officers at the Ninoy Aquino Interna tional Airport (NAIA) for good conduct in returning money owned by a local traveler last week.

Security Screening Officer Dian Ma hinay returned the P40,000 cash to a 73-year-old passenger at NAIA Terminal 4 while conducting a screening.

Mahinay found the cash which inad vertently fell under the X-ray conveyor belt and immediately coordinated with the lost-and-found section of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to seek the owner of the money.

The owner Andres Laforteza Gutierrez expressed his gratitude to Mahinay for her honesty and prompt action.

OTS Administrator Undersecretary Ma.O Aplasca commended and expressed his appreciation for the honesty of Mahi nay and other OTS personnel who did similar honest acts for returning lost items at the security screening checkpoint.

Two months ago, the OTS praised a screening officer in Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga, also return ing a wallet with a huge amount of money owned by a foreign traveler.

Screening officer Lalaine Anciado re turned to a 53-year-old Korean passenger a wallet containing cash amounting to P54,000 which was “left behind in the tray on 19 August 2022, at the Final Se curity Screening Checkpoint at CIA in Pampanga.” Joel E. Zurbano

MODULAR TENTS. Depart ment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo with As sistant Secretary Rom mel Lopez, inspect a modular tent donated by Pitmaster. The DWSD received 2,000 modular tents during a signing ceremony held inside the DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City on Monday.

Norman Cruz

DE LIMA HEARING.

Detained former Senator Leila De Lima attends the hearing of one of the remaining illegal drug charges against her at the Regional Trial Court Branch 256 in Muntinlupa City on Monday. The Muntinlupa court has af firmed its order allowing former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Rafael Ragos to testify and recant his allegations against De Lima. Danny Pata

UNITED NATIONS PARADE. Students of Fernando Ma. Guerrero Elementary School in Manila don colorful costumes during the celebration of the United Nations Day on Monday. The Philippines is among the 51 founding members of the UN. Alfred Frias

Alleviating solo parents’ hardship

Solo parents will also be prioritized in the selection of new beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pili pino Program (4Ps) with children in school, provided their income is within or below the poverty threshold; and the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the De partment.

DESPITE limited relevant data, there is reason to be lieve the growing number of single parents represent a significant portion of the impoverished households in the country.

At least 12.6 million or 49 percent of Filipino households consider themselves “poor,” according to the later Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Conversely, 51 percent of Pinoy families feel they are not at all poor, and I am confident that these fig ures will improve as the Marcos administration guns for the country’s upper-middle-class stature by 2028.

The most common case of such single or solo parenthood is that of a mother left with the custody and the responsibility to raise one or more children fathered by a jilted boyfriend or separated husband.

These cases include those resulting from teen pregnancies, one-night stands, extra-marital affairs, failed marriages and broken families.

This tragic phenomenon that reflect today’s sexual promiscuity as well as fragile family values prompted the 18thCongress to pass Republic Act 11861 titled the “Expanded Solo Parent Welfare Act of 2000.

But in the expanded solo parent act, guardians like uncles and aunts and grandparents can now be con sidered solo parent.

Also, husbands or wives of OFWs who will be left in the country by their partners for a year or more, can also apply for a solo parent ID.

Last week, the all-important implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the expanded law was signed by yours truly as Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Solo Parent law aims to augment the benefits of the government’s social protection programs and al leviate the predicament of single parents who bear the financial hardship, as well as the daunting task of childcare.

Under the new law, solo parents earning a mini mum wage or lower will receive a monthly cash sub sidy of P1000 from their respective local government units (LGU), provided they are not already receiving any other cash assistance from the government.

Solo parents who earn less than P250,000 per year are also entitled to a 10 percent discount and exemp tion from the value-added tax (VAT) on their child’s milk, food, micronutrient supplements, sanitary dia pers, duly prescribed medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplements from the birth of the child until they turn six years old.

They will get prioritized in low-cost housing proj ects through the National Housing Authority; auto matic coverage under PhilHealth’s National Health Insurance program; and access to scholarships and other educational programs of the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Edu cation (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Indeed, there are cases when the man is the one aggravated by his unfaithful partner who leverages child custody to exact financial support for her own personal fancies

In complement of the implementation of the Solo Parents law, I have signed a memorandum of agreement with the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) for a speedy legal action against “deadbeat dads,” or fathers who fail to support their children financially.

In partnership with PAO, the DSWD will refer the complaint of a single mother to PAO for legal con sultation free of charge and possible filing of criminal charges against the father for depriving financial sup port to their children.

The negligent parent, either father or mother, who abandons his or her children in the care of the spouse or relative, include overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who stopped supporting their families de spite their gainful jobs abroad.

They are usually OFWs who get involved in other relationships or engaged in gambling or drugs or, vice-versa, those who discover their spouse’s cheat ing and supporting another partner to the detriment of children’s welfare.

Indeed, there are cases when the man is the one aggravated by his unfaithful partner who leverages child custody to exact financial support for her own personal fancies.

DSWD’s marriage counselors and PAO lawyers will help these troubled families settle amicably for the benefit of the children whose legal rights and in terests the Solo Parent law aims to uphold.

Anti-Terror Law’s slippier slope

violence themselves.

This sea continues to exist even if it is proven that there may be some bridges that a portion of individual members choose to cross.

Ideas are not intended to cause death or serious harm to any person, endanger a life, or create a threat to public safety.

Without a physical act to accomplish this, how could an idea be capable and held accountable?

IN MY last column, I summarized Judge MaldozaMalagar’s decision on the proscription case against the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New Peoples’ Army, that the CPP-NPA is not a terrorist organization under the HSA for failure to meet the definitional elements to proscribe these organizations under the law.

The significance of the decision cannot be under stated for the country in light of the Anti Terror Act (ATA) which repealed the Human Security Act.

In this column, which is again based on an analysis I wrote with my colleague Ally Munda, I will address the dangers of red-tagging or policing activism in the name of the war on terror and other concerns regard ing the ATA.

In the Philippines, we have consistently made a distinction between “political crimes” and common crimes.

Common crimes, which are perpetrated in further ance of the political offense, say rebellion are divested of their character as “common” offenses and assume the political complexion of the main crime of which they are mere ingredients, and, consequently, cannot be punished separately from the principal offense, or complexed with the same, to justify the imposition of a graver penalty.

An act like killing is not a common crime like ho micide or murder if it is committed in furtherance of rebellion.

The killing assumes the political complexion of rebellion and becomes a mere ingredient of the re bellion. The accused can only be prosecuted for the political crime, the rebellion.

Red-tagging removes an important distinction by lumping together through broad and indiscriminate strokes all those who associate with activist organiza tions with those who espouse violence aimed at over throwing the government -- as a means to achieve the same.

Even Judges have not been spared from this redtagging as we have seen in the statements of Lorrraine Badoy against Judge Magdoza-Malagar, The nature of the CPP-NPA organization is politi cal with political goals.

The organization is by nature steeped in ideology.

But does holding these ideologies automatically mean one is willing to commit terrorism acts?

Is this an encroachment on the exercise of the free mind and the right to associate with above-ground organizations which espouse these political leanings in a lawful way?

In 1964, the Supreme Court of the Philippines saw the social dangers of red-tagging and enunciated in the landmark case of People v. Amado V. Hernan dez that a belief in or active espousal of Communist ideologies is not the same in actual participation in a conspiracy to overthrow the government by force.

The Court there held “the act of indoctrinating and preparing its members for the revolution is not the revolution itself.”

There is a vast sea separating membership in legal organizations that share the ideals of violent Com munist groups and the groups which commit acts of

In contrast to the HSA, the ATA is fraught with danger.

Under the HSA, a group, association or organiza tion was labeled a terrorist one purely through judicial proscription.

The ATA expands these limits and to grant au thority to the Executive, through the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), to automatically adopt the designa tion of terrorist groups made by the United Nations Security Council.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court did declare unconstitutional a provision in a Section of the ATA for being overbroad and violative of freedom of expression, in essence agreeing with the proposition that activism is not terrorism

The power of designation grated by the ATC was originally broader, but the Supreme Court last year limited its powers by striking down as unconstitu tional the ATC’s ability to designate terrorist groups upon the request of other countries or upon determi nation that it meets the relevant criteria of the United Nations Security Council.

Still, these expansions outside of judicial proscrip tion pose a danger, specifically when coupled with the other “innovations” of the ATA which will soon be discussed.

First, even if the courts do not proscribe the CPPNPA, or any other accused group, as a terrorist orga nization, the Anti-Terrorism Council established un der the ATA is empowered by Section 25 of the Act to designate the same as such.

The safeguard here, as retired Supreme Court Jus tice Antonio Carpio asserts, is that the ATC cannot order the arrest of any person except in the context of warrantless arrests.

Arrests and detention are still the judiciary’s do main, according to Carpio who concludes that the government actually lost the ATA case.

Second, the ATA allows for the label of terrorism to attach to individuals for committing the acts enu merated under Section 4 of the ATA, if conditions are satisfied. Even without performing any of the acts enumerated in the ATA, mere membership in and re cruitment to a proscribed organization already merits a penalty.

The danger of membership without any act com mitted by the individual being equated to terrorism

EDITORIAL

ITIS enlivening that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to address the problems hounding the country’s sugar industry, disclosing what he saw was the apparent disdain in the past.

But the President, during the distribution of aid to various sectors in Talisay City in the heart of the top sugar-producing coun try in Western Visayas, went beyond the packs of sugar needed by consumers but stopped short of detailing the specifics.

The President, who also sits as chief of the Department of Agriculture, admitted there was much work to do to fix the in dustry, which contributes yearly about P90 billion to the domestic economy.

“We are fixing things. For example, the problem of the sugar industry, we have a lot of problems to fix because they were neglected in the previous years,” the Presi dent said, adding “For now, we are trying to ensure the people will have enough, not just sugar but all agricultural products so that we can say we have enough food sup ply affordable to all.”

The President underlined that while the Philippine economy was doing well, it was not exempted from the problems con fronting its trade partners, citing the need to make adjustments and to find ways to assist sectors hit by economic thunder bolts.

Industry experts say the Philippines,

which has 62,000 farmers working in 422,500 hectares, mainly in Western Visayas and Central Luzon, consumes

The President underlined that while the Philippine economy was doing well, it was not exempted from the problems confronting its trade partners, citing the need to make adjustments and to find ways to assist sectors hit by economic thunderbolts

around 2.5 million metric tons of sugar yearly, making this country of 114 mil lion among the largest consumers in Asia, along with India (1.417 billion popula tion), China (1.452 billion), and Thailand (70.2 million).

Experts on sweeteners say our bodies need glucose to survive they say is the

Not just sugar, but enough food supply Perils of a journalist

number one food for the brain, adding it is an extremely important source of fuel throughout the body.

Recently there had been a noted short age of the supply of sugar in the domes tic market, following a poor harvest of the commodity for 2021-2022 crop year, which led to its price increase and suspi cions of traders hoarding eventually.

We understand sugar production has been adversely affected by the high and increasing cost of fertilizer, weed killers and insecticides, and at least two devastat ing typhoons – Odette and Agaton – only last year.

Industry sources have said stable sugar supply is seen until the end of the year, with local production improving by over 20 percent year-on-year, plus the mills in Negros are now running in full capacity.

Pablo Luis Azcona, Sugar Regulatory Administration Board planters’ represen tative, has been quoted as saying “the sell ing price of raw sugar in Negros is now around P62 per kilo. Based on estimates from the farmers, this should become P85-90 per kilo of refined sugar in Ma nila.”

Not considered in this pricing estimate is the involvement of traders, which is be yond the control of farmers and millers, he said.

But a blessing the President has spoken – hopefully to reduce greatly the anxiety of consumers.

AS I write this column, President Marcos Jr. has not yet appointed a new Department of Health secretary, who is urgently needed at this time with the increas ing cases of the COVID-19 Omicron XBB subvari ant.

Health experts say this is more transmissible than the Omicron variant.

The failure of BBM to appoint a permanent DOH secretary has given rise to a lot of speculation which has not been favorable to the new administration, es pecially because it’s almost the end of the year, with prospects that economic recovery is already in sight.

There is also the failure of the President to appoint his press secretary soon enough.

Santa Banana, I wonder why when there is Mike Toledo, who far exceeds the credentials and qualities of the other names mentioned as prospective press secretaries insofar as respectability and credibility are concerned, having been a former press secretary of former President Erap Estrada.

As a journalist, I know Toledo to be accepted by members of the Malacanang Press Corps since Mike has a background in journalism. What are you wait ing for, Mister President?

There is also the need for a permanent agriculture secretary.

Considering that BBM has been in office for more than six months as acting Department of Agriculture secretary, it’s about time he resigned as DA secretary and concentrate himself on the many problems in the country, having laid the foundation of a good agricul ture department.

Especially so with the continued inflation and high prices that go with inflation insofar as food security is concerned, my gulay.

But since President Marcos Jr. is still DA secre tary, he’d do well to listen to his elder sister, Senator Imee Marcos, and show no-tolerance to the contin ued smuggling of sugar, vegetables, fruits, onions and meat and fish products that also continue to rise in prices in public markets.

Since the President has named a senior agriculture undersecretary, BBM would do well just to resign and make him agriculture secretary. The sooner, the better.

• • •

Recently, during the “President’s Night” of the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) of which I am Chairman Emeritus, though I was unable to at tend because in my case my doctor advised me not to attend because of my age and being vulnerable to getting infected with COVID, the President empha sized that media and journalists are his “partners” in nation-building.

But, it would do well for the President to also at tend to the personal problems of journalists like me, being a journalist for over 75 years now, still unable to retire because I have no retirement pay nor a pen sion plan.

Among the personal problems journalists like me

The

consequences for the government as the safeguards to prevent wan ton accusations have been removed.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court did declare uncon stitutional a provision in Section of the ATA for being

are confronted with are meager salaries because jour nalism as a means of livelihood is not as profitable as compared to others.

Media workers are not treated like regular em ployees like those in the government and private sector, Santa Banana, who are deemed as regular employees entitled to overtime pay, and many other perks and benefits given to regular employees!

I am no longer speaking on behalf of myself, now in my twilight years, but my concern is for other me dia workers in print and broadcast (radio and televi sion), who come after me who, I believe need to be treated, Santa Banana, like regular employees and workers.

My advocacy has always been for media owners and publishers to pay reasonably enough the media people to avoid a lot of corruption in the media

It is for this reason that I am now appealing to President Marcos Jr. in the light of his statement that journalists are partners with the government for the common good, to go the extra mile and also meet the owners and publishers of print media and broadcast outlets to listen to their woes since, more often than not, media workers are not deemed to be regular em ployees and workers.

There is now a move by some kind-hearted mem bers of the House of Representatives to enact a “Me dia Welfare Act” treating all media workers like regu lar employees entitled to all the perks and benefits, like overtime pay and other benefits to which regular employees in government and the private sector are entitled to, vacation leave with pay, and retirement pay and pension plans so that media workers can ex pect to raise a well-rounded family and perhaps still be productive in their old age.

It does not sound good for Congress to enact a law providing benefits to media workers since the media is the watchdog of the government.

I believe this is more the concern, my gulay, of owners and publishers of media outlets than the gov ernment.

• • •

The perils and dangers of a true-blooded journal ist had come to fore with the recent killing of a wellknown broadcaster.

Indeed, in the pursuit of fact and the truth, a trueblooded journalist can be killed as Percy Lapid was.

For so many years, Santa Banana, there had been so many killings of journalists that I can no longer count them.

Recall the tragedy of no less than the 49, if I am correct, that were killed somewhere in Maguindanao

overbroad and violative of freedom of expression, in essence agreeing with the proposition that activism is not terrorism.

Clearly, we are standing at the precipice of a slip pier slope.

There is a distinction between political rebels, ac tivists, and terrorists that should not be erased from

for simply accompanying political leaders and their supporters in a caravan covered by media.

That was the biggest number of journalists ever killed in the long history of the press! (Editor’s Note: The now identified Ampatuan massacre – after the town’s name in the then undivided Maguindanao provnce – on Nov 23, 2009 killed 58 people includ ing 32 journalists).

Hundreds of other members of media, particularly in the provinces had also been killed and murdered to such an extent that I have lost count.

Many have been killed not only because of workrelated activities, but also some others because of per sonal and family reasons.

What I am trying to say is that while the life of a journalist, which I have chosen for myself, is excit ing at times, its perils and dangers are countless in the pursuit of facts and accountability.

Santa Banana, speaking of myself in my more than seven decades as a journalist, who had gone full circle not only in print, but broadcast (radio and tele vision), I have been sued for libel so many times that I can no longer count them.

I have apologized for some of them because I was reckless. To sum it up, the perils and dangers of being a journalist are numerous.

I still recall that time when I exposed the members of the Central Monetary Board for violations of the law during that time when there was need for quota allocations for business and industry because of the scarcity of foreign exchange, and I was given reports that they were playing the stock market and using their quota allocation for some other purposes, not for the reason they were given, my gulay!

I was then kidnapped by a notorious gangster from Cavite, apparently because he was a friend of one of those I exposed.

Thank heavens, it was only for a night. What I disliked more as a result, the late President Magsaysay gave me five uniformed military men and women to secure not only myself but my wife and my three children who were then of school age.

Santa Banana, I had to feed the five security peo ple which was a big deal then considering my meager salary as a journalist.

As I said, the perils and dangers of being a journal ist are not commensurate with the meager salary of a journalist who is not corrupt.

Speaking of corruption, the reason why it’s easy to corrupt media people is because of the meager sal ary they get from media owners and publishers.

It’s for this reason why my advocacy has always been for media owners and publishers to pay reason ably enough the media people to avoid a lot of cor ruption in the media.

Along this, I believe that when President Marcos Jr. said media and journalists are his partners in gov ernment, he would do well to remind media owners and publishers to consider their media workers as regular employees, entitled to all the benefits and perks .

• • • I will have no column on October 28, Nov 1 and Nov. 8.

our penal statutes, lest we risk losing fundamental freedoms like the right to redress our grievances against the government, to organize, associate, and speak truth to power.

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Ai Weiwei: China Congress shows ‘ruthless’ leadership

TOKYO—Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei hit out at the country’s rulers Monday, branding them “ruthless” after Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as leader.

Speaking in Tokyo after China’s Com munist Party wrapped up its five-yearly Congress at the weekend, Ai was referring to the dramatic exit of former president Hu Jintao from the closing ceremony.

Chinese state media said the fraillooking 79-year-old had been removed from the event in Beijing because he was feeling unwell, and that he had since recovered.

But the extraordinary episode, with Xi seemingly unfazed as Hu was lifted from his chair and escorted out, prompted

speculation over whether political factors were at play.

“It’s very much like a fake photo of reality, because nobody moves, nobody blinks their eyes even, he is just forced out. But it shows the top central govern ment leaders are ruthless,” said Ai, who has lived in Europe since 2015.

“A big nation, 1.4 billion people, are controlled by a group of people who have no respect... really doesn’t even have personal feelings, emotions, or even just friendship or to care a little bit.”

The son of a poet revered by former communist leaders, 65-year-old Ai is per haps China’s best-known modern artist and helped design the famous “Bird’s Nest” stadium for Beijing’s 2008 Olympics. AFP

UK’s Sunak poised to become PM as Johnson abandons race

Notice

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 216, Quezon City

IN RE: PETITION FOR CORRECTION OF ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF JAY FRANCIS C. GERVACIO AND THE CANCELLATION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH BELATEDLY REGISTERED JAY FRANCIS C. GERVACIO, Petitioner, SP. PROC. NO. QZN-21-10941-SP

OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL, OFFICE OF THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, OFFICE OF THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF TAGUIG CITY, EDUARDO O. CASTRO and LALAINE CASTILLON GERVACIO Respondents.

ORDER

The Court notes the Manifestation of Compliance dated June 27, 2022 filed by the petitioner.

The petitioner Jay Francis Gervacio filed a verified petition for the correction of entry in his Certificate of Live Birth and for the cancellation of the Certificate of Live Birth belatedly registered.

The petitioner alleges that he was born June 11, 1989 at East Avenue Medical Center with the name Jay Francis Soriano, as indicated in his Certificate Live Birth No. 91-58078. In his Certificate of Live Birth the name of his father was Eduardo Ortañez Soriano and his mother is Lalaine Castillon Gervacio. It was also indicated therein that his father and mother were married at Batac, Ilocos, Norte on September 29, 1987. He was also belatedly registered under the name Jay Francis Castillon Gervacio in his Certificate of Live Birth No. 2001-3780 of the Registry of Deeds of Taguig City. A perusal of his Certificate of Live Birth No. 2001-3780 discloses that there is an Affidavit of Delayed Registration executed by Lalaine G. Soriano by reason of negligence. Lalaine C. Gervacio supplied erroneous information including the name of his father in his Certificate of Live Birth to hide the fact that she is a single mother and his son was born out of wedlock. However, when he started to go to school, petitioner started to use the name Jay Francis Castillon Gervacio since his mother did not like to follow the erroneous information stated in his Certificate of Live Birth.

To avoid confusion, petitioner prays that after due notice, publication and hearing, an Order be issued cancelling his Certificate of Live Birth No. 2001-3780.

Petitioner also prays that the following corrections be made in his Certificate of Live Birth No. 91-58078.

1. In Entry No. 1 pertaining to the name from SORIANO to GERVACIO.

2. The middlename from GERVACIO to CASTILLON 3. In Entry No. 9 pertaining to the name of the father, to correct the entry from Eduardo Ortanez Soriano to Eduardo Ortaliza Castro

4. In Entry No. 12 pertaining to the Date and Place of Marriage of Parents to correct the same from September 29, 1987, Batac, Municipal Hall,

LONDON—British

Conservative Rishi Sunak was on Monday poised to become prime minister and the country’s first leader of color, after the dramatic decision by Boris Johnson to abandon an audacious political comeback.

Just weeks after failing in a first at tempt to lead the ruling Tories, Sunak could cap a stunning reversal in fortunes by winning the leadership as early as Monday afternoon, following ex-premier Johnson’s unexpected move late Sunday.

FLEEING THE WAR.

An elderly woman pushes her bicycle loaded with belongings as she leaves the town of Bakhmut, located in eastern Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region, on October 23, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The contest, triggered by outgoing leader Liz Truss’s resignation on Thurs day, requires candidates to secure the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs by 2:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Monday.

Sunak had crossed that threshold by Friday night, ahead of declaring his can didacy on Sunday and amassing nearly 150 public nominations from Tory law makers.

Johnson’s withdrawal from the race —before he had even formally an nounced his candidacy—left cabinet member Penny Mordaunt as the only other declared contender.

But she has struggled for momentum, attracting just two dozen public back ers among her fellow MPs. Mordaunt is expected to come under growing pressure to abandon her leadership bid

and end the contest quickly as Britain grapples with multiple crises.

If the 49-year-old resists and is able to garner 100 nominations, the race will be decided by the party’s roughly 170,000 members in an online vote later in the week. If it came to that, the result would be announced Friday.

Just two months ago, the members selected Truss over Sunak, who had more support among MPs. Mordaunt is popular with the grassroots.

First, however, the Tories’ 357 MPs would hold an “indicative” ballot— from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on Monday —to show members which candidate commands the most support within the fractious parliamentary party.

The Tories were forced into their sec

ond leadership contest since the summer due to Truss’s resignation after only 44 days following the disastrous market re sponse to her tax-slashing mini-budget.

She had replaced Johnson in early September following another govern ment revolt over a slew of scandals, most notably the “Partygate” con troversy involving Covid lockdownbreaching parties.

His attempt to make an immediate return to Downing Street appeared set to continue months of disarray and dis unity within the ruling Conservatives.

Critical backbench Tory MPs warned there could be a wave of resignations un der Johnson’s renewed leadership, which might have led to the general election demanded by opposition parties. It is not due for at least two years. AFP

Ukraine to Russia: ‘Dirty bomb’ claims are ‘dangerous’ lies

KYIV—Ukraine slammed Russia on Sunday for alleging Kyiv was plan ning to use a radioactive bomb in its own territory, calling the claims “dan gerous” lies and prompting Western allies to warn Moscow against using any pretext for escalating the conflict.

Russia’s Defence Minister Ser gei Shoigu spoke with his British, French, and Turkish counterparts to convey “concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a ‘dirty bomb’,” Moscow said, referring to a weapon that uses tradi tional explosives to scatter radioac tive material.

North, South Korea trade warning shots on sea border

SEOUL—South Korea’s military said Monday it had fired warning shots at a North Korean ship that crossed the countries’ de facto maritime border, prompting the North to fire a warning in return.

Pyongyang has conducted a blitz of weapons tests, including what it claimed were tactical nuclear drills, in recent weeks, with Seoul and Wash ington ramping up joint military exer cises in response.

With talks long-stalled, North-South relations are at one of their testiest points in years, with Pyongyang’s Kim Jong Un last month declaring his coun try an “irreversible” nuclear power, ef fectively ending negotiations over his banned weapons programmes.

Never officially delineated by the 1953 armistice agreement that brought Korean War hostilities to a close, the

maritime border remains a flashpoint and has been the location of several pre vious clashes between the two sides.

A North Korean merchant vessel crossed what is known as the Northern Limit Line at 3:42 am (1842 GMT) but retreated north after Seoul’s navy fired warning shots, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

“The North’s continuing provoca tions and reckless claims undermine peace and stability on the Korean pen insula and international community,” JCS said in a statement, urging Pyong yang to “stop immediately”.

North Korea response Pyongyang’s Korean People’s Army said a South Korean military vessel had “invaded” the de facto border by 2.5 to 5 kilometres (1.5 to 3 miles) a few minutes later and that the KPA fired 10 warning rounds from the

country’s west coast.

KPA “coastal defence units on the western front... took an initial coun termeasure to powerfully expel the enemy warship by firing 10 shells of multiple rocket launchers toward the territorial waters, where naval enemy movement was detected, at 5:15,” a KPA General Staff spokesman said in a statement carried by state media.

“The KPA General Staff once again sends a grave warning to the enemies who made (a) naval intrusion in the wake of such provocations as the re cent artillery firing and loudspeaker broadcasting,” he said.

North Korea has fired multiple artil lery barrages this month into a mari time “buffer-zone” that was set up in 2018 as a way to reduce tensions be tween the two countries during a pe riod of ill-fated diplomacy. AFP

But Ukraine and its Western allies swiftly dismissed Moscow’s allega tions, with the United States, Britain and France issuing a joint statement on Sunday rejecting Russia’s “trans parently false” claims.

Moscow said Shoigu had also spo ken to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, but the Pentagon said Austin had “rejected any pretext for Russian escalation” in the phone call.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted on Sunday that he spoke to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to “reject Russia’s false allegations that Ukraine is pre paring to use a dirty bomb on its own territory”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a united interna tional response.

“If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this,” Zelensky said in a video address on social media. AFP

Bangladesh to evacuate 400,000 ahead of cyclone

DHAKA—Bangladesh authorities were evacuating hundreds of thousands of people Monday from the path of a cyclone heading for the densely populated, low-lying country.

About 33,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, controversially relocated from mainland camps to a storm-prone island in the Bay of Bengal, were also advised to re main indoors.

Scientists say climate change is likely making cyclones more intense and frequent, and Bangladesh is already rated by the UN and civil society groups as one of the countries most affected by extreme weather events since the turn of the century.

Cyclone Sitrang, packing gusts of 88 kilo metres (55 miles) per hour, was forecast to make landfall near the southern Bangladeshi town of Khepupara by Tuesday morning, the weather office said.

Most worrying for authorities was the pre dicted storm surge of up to three metres (eight feet) above normal tide levels, which could in undate areas home to millions of people.

Officials in the coastal districts of Pat uakhali, Bhola, Barguna and Jhalakathi told AFP that up to 400,000 people would be evacuated from vulnerable coastal villages and islands into shelters.

“We have a plan to evacuate some 250,000 people. There are 703 cyclone shelters in the district and many multi-storied build ings. We will complete the evacuation by tonight,” Patuakhali district administrator Kamal Hossain told AFP.

The Red Crescent Society has mobilised tens of thousands of volunteers to use loud hailers to alert people and help villagers evacuate, spokesman Shahinur Rahman told AFP.

CYAN

AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION BY SOLE HEIR

AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION BY SOLE HEIR

‘Dire straits’

POISED TO BE PREMIER. Rishi Sunak Conservative Member of Parliaments and Britain’s former Chancellor of the Exchequer, leaves an office in central London on October 23. Sunak on Sunday announced he is standing to be prime minister, just weeks after failing in a first attempt against Liz Truss, who lasted only 45 days as PM.

POLL SELFIE.

Two girls pose for a selfie before a camper wagon showing an Israeli Likud party electoral banner depicting its leader, former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before a campaign rally in the northern Israeli city of Migdal HaEmek on October 23, ahead of the November general elections. AFP

Business

Market advances; PLDT, Ayala Land up

STOCKS rose Monday on hopes the US Federal Reserve would soon slow its pace of interest rate hikes, though the mood was darkened by worries over the China outlook after President Xi Jinping tightened his grip on power.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 45 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 6,028.79, as five of the six subsectors advanced.

The broader all-share index also went

Europe in ‘deeper recession’ on war, inflation, energy crisis—IMF report

WASHINGTON, United States—

Downturns in parts of Europe could turn into “deeper recessions” across the continent as energy disruptions threaten economic pain, while a costof-living crisis risks stoking social tensions, the IMF said Sunday.

The International Monetary Fund’s Regional Economic Outlook report on Europe comes as countries grapple with heightened inflation and a wors ening energy crisis that has depressed the purchasing power of households and raised business costs.

New government support “only partly” offsets these strains, said the fund on Sunday.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this year sent inflation soaring as energy prices jumped, forcing the European Central Bank to hike interest rates to cool the economy at the risk of caus ing a contraction.

“The European outlook has dark ened considerably, with growth set to slow sharply and inflation to remain elevated,” the IMF said in its report.

Already, the fund predicts that Germany and Italy will slip into re cession next year, becoming the first advanced economies to contract in the wake of the war on Europe’s east ern flank.

While Europe was on its way to exit the pandemic at the end of last year, war in Ukraine “changed this picture completely,” the IMF said.

Overall, growth in Europe’s ad vanced economies is expected to slow markedly to 0.6 percent in 2023, the report on Sunday said.

For the region’s emerging econo mies, excluding conflict countries and Turkey, growth is pegged to slow to 1.7 percent as well, while losses in conflict countries will be large. AFP

up 21 points, or 0.7 percent, to settle at 3,216.67, on a value turnover of P3.48 billion. Gainers outmatched losers, 91 to 76, while 55 issues were unchanged.

Seven of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by PLDT Inc. which rebounded 3 percent to P1,535.00 and Ayala Land Inc. which rose 1.7 per cent to P26.40.

Asian markets closed mixed, as the yen weakened against the dollar after a short rally as speculation swirled that Japanese authorities had stepped into forex markets again to support their currency for a sec ond time in as many sessions.

Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul and Taipei led gains after a strong performance in New

ANIMAL RIGHTS.

Flocks of sheep are herded through the city center of Madrid on October 23, 2022.

Shepherds guided a flock of around 1100 sheep and 200 goats through the streets of Madrid in defense of ancient grazing and migration rights increasingly threatened by urban sprawl.

York that was sparked by a report the Fed could begin to take its foot off the pedal in its rate hike campaign.

The Wall Street Journal said some of ficials were keen to discuss a slowdown when they meet next month.

Markets have been hammered this year by fears that moves by the Fed and other central banks to fight decades-high inflation will spark a recession.

Officials had been expected to lift rates 75 basis points for a fourth successive time next month, while bets were increas ing on another such move in December.

“The mere suggestion of the Fed step ping down from 75 basis points to a 50 basis point incremental rate hike in De

cember produced a fierce rally in US eq uities, partial reversal of the recent surge in US Treasury yields and smart aboutturn in the US dollar,” said National Australia Bank’s Ray Attrill.

While most equity markets across the region were well up, Chinese markets were hammered by the reshuffle at the top of government. Hong Kong shed al most six percent and Shanghai was two percent down.

Xi, who was at the weekend given a third five-year term as leader, handed key positions to loyalists who back his strategy of fighting Covid outbreaks with lockdowns and other strict measures. With AFP

TOP GAINERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 LBC 22.7 4.2 22.70%

2 ROCK 1.38 0.14 11.29%

3 MWP2A 97.9 5.8 6.30%

4 MM 1.15 0.06 5.50%

5 ION 0.52 0.02 4.00%

6 HOME 2.92 0.11 3.91%

ATI 13.48 0.5 3.85%

CNPF 24.8 0.9 3.77%

FCG 0.57 0.02 3.64%

T 0.57 0.02 3.64%

TOP LOSERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 MFC 800 -100 -11.11%

2 LCB 0.106 -0.012 -10.17%

3 COAL 0.204 -0.016 -7.27%

4 BKR 1.3 -0.1 -7.14%

SLI 2.81 -0.19 -6.33%

CIC 15 -1 -6.25%

7 SLF 2300 -140 -5.74%

8 STR 3.21 -0.19 -5.59%

9 PPC 5.2 -0.28 -5.11%

China economy grows, but Xi’s powers spook investors

BEIJING, China—China’s economy grew at a faster pace than forecast in the third quarter, official data showed Mon day, but investors reacted with alarm to President Xi Jinping’s sweeping new powers over the ruling Communist Par ty.

Xi as expected secured a third term as leader at a party Congress over the weekend, but surprised ob servers with his complete stacking of other leadership positions with proteges and allies.

After delaying the release of econom ic data last week so it would not conflict with the Congress, the government an nounced Monday the economy grew 3.9 percent year-on-year in the third quarter.

China had been expected to announce some of its weakest quarterly growth figures since 2020, with the world’s sec ond-biggest economy hobbled by Covid

restrictions and a real estate crisis.

But investors instead focused on the political developments, which raised fears Xi and his allies would continue with grueling Covid lockdowns and other policies that have punished the economy.

The currency of the world’s secondlargest economy slumped and the coun try’s stocks nosedived in Hong Kong to their lowest level since the global finan cial crisis.

On Monday the onshore yuan dipped as much as 0.4 percent to 7.2552 per dollar -- its weakest since January 2008 -- and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, a gauge of Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong, plunged more than 5 percent.

That put it on track for the worst showing after any Communist Party Congress since the start of the index

‘Food desert’ leaves many Floridians behind

An employee stacks cans of food at a grocery store in the Moncrief Park neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, on Oct. 14, 2022. A reality of everyday life for the majority of the urban population is an unattainable desire for the estimated 39 million Americans who live in a ‘food desert’, a nickname given to areas with high poverty rates where no stores selling fruits and vegetables are readily available. AFP

By Léa Dauple

JACKSONVILLE, United States—Sitting outside her modest home in Jacksonville, Florida, on a street lined with nondescript buildings in faded shades of blue, a weary Brenda Jenkins expresses a simple wish: to be able to buy fresh fruit and produce in her own neighborhood.

It sounds simple enough. But for people like her, one of the 39 million Americans living in “food deserts”—most of them low-income urban dwellers, and predominantly people of color—fresh food is practically inaccessible.

In a country with often poor mass transit and per sistent pockets of poverty, getting to grocery stores that sell fresh food can be daunting.

“It’s very tiring,” said the 26-year-old Jenkins, a mother of three.

The phrase “food desert” is misleading. The prob lem is not so much that fresh food is unavailable, as that it can be hard to get to, in a country where the car is king—but also expensive.

There are no supermarkets in Jenkins’ nearly allBlack neighborhood in the large city of Jacksonville on Florida’s northern Atlantic coast.

Service stations, fast food restaurants and mom-andpop groceries provide the only nearby food options.

Their shelves bulge with candy, chips, soda and cookies. But the only fresh products are likely to be a few wan-looking apples or bruised bananas near the cash register.

Yet the poorest residents have no other option. The city’s mass transit system is skeletal. And the nearest supermarket is nearly an hour’s walk away.

Jenkins has a car, and she often takes neighbors with her when she goes shopping.

But “what if I decided to move or what if I had something to do?” she asked. “How can they get gro ceries?”

And when her car breaks down—a not-infrequent occurrence—she has had no choice but to buy “pro cessed foods” from a corner grocery—“and it’s just not healthy, especially with children.”

With US midterm elections just weeks away -- and the prospect of major change in the Congress -- Jen kins complained that she has seen no candidates in her neighborhood, and received no campaign leaflets.

She thinks politicians ignore her area “because we’re considered low-income.”

If the authorities really cared, she said, “something would have been done” to address the food desert problem.

‘A human right’

The once-prosperous neighborhood has progres sively fallen on hard times over the decades, mak ing it less and less profitable for the big supermarket chains.

When the last one closed, “people lost access to healthy food,” said Mika Hardison-Carr, a Black woman who manages a collective garden called White Harvest Farms. AFP

in 1994.

“The market is concerned that with so many Xi supporters elected, Xi’s unfet tered ability to enact policies that are not market friendly is now cemented,” said Justin Tang, head of Asian research at United First Partners.

One of the most pressing concerns is Xi’s zero-Covid policy, which continues to see tens of millions of people endure rolling lockdowns that also shutter fac tories.

China is the last of the world’s ma jor economies to continue following the strategy.

“There is no clear sign of a significant easing of the zero-Covid strategy,” No mura’s Ting Lu said, noting that, if any thing, the opposite had happened.

In a speech to close the Congress on Saturday, Xi insisted his zero-Covid policy had been a success. AFP

10 PHR 0.78 -0.04 -4.88%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME VALUE (PHP)

1 ALI 14,557,000 382,604,705

SM 430,620 330,626,940

ICT 1,249,690 215,511,656

BPI 2,141,870 196,058,661

SMPH 5,951,800 193,812,955

SCC 4,038,300 167,299,780

JFC 653,560 148,433,398

AC 173,660 113,638,295

SMC 1,134,240 111,974,212

10 TEL 63,350 97,219,085

Alexa, what’s the weather like today?

EVERY year, our country encounters several typhoons, and in recent years, we have observed and experienced extreme tropical storms and floods. Aside from this, we have seen in the news the loss of human lives and properties brought about by these weather disturbances. I wonder why we don’t learn from this, and develop solutions to prevent such losses.

How does climate change affect our country? The Philippines is highly at risk of the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise, intensification and frequency of extreme weather events, rising temperatures and extreme rainfall. Knowing these things, are we still in denial of climate change, or do we need to take action to prevent its effects on the environment? What should be our attitude towards it?

We have reached a tipping point where what we do now will affect our planet and reverse the tremendous consequences of global warming. What measures can we take to protect Mother Earth so the next generation can enjoy it? As inhabitants of our planet, we cannot allow the forces of climate change in our lives and catastrophe to persist. We have suffered enough; if we don’t do something about it and take radical action, the next generations will be harmed.

Rather than be overwhelmed, let’s do something and start today. All of us can make a big difference. As an educator and an advocate of sustainability, I cannot simply sit and not do anything. And if you are a parent, I am sure you feel the same way. A change in our behaviors can make a difference in helping protect our environment. Some simple ways are—minimizing the use of plastics and bringing our own water bottles when going out. If possible, upcycle so as not to add to the landfills. Segregate our trash into biodegradable and recyclable. I believe that WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION—that action will make us become ecologically adept and shape our environmental future.

ALMA MARIA JENNIFER GUTIERREZ, PH.D

Green LiGht

In the onslaught of typhoon Karding (international name Noru), five rescuers from Bulacan died while saving others. We honor their heroism and offer our sincerest sympathies to their family. We should not allow more human lives to be at risk in the future. So, what can we do as citizens? As Filipinos, we should also do everything in our power to put pressure on the government to prevent the construction of the Kaliwa Dam Project, which will damage the biodiversity of the Sierra Madre Mountain and leave enduring destruction to our environment. I also appeal to our government to be serious about going after illegal loggers and encourage every citizen to participate in a tree-planting program. We must act, and we must care. And we can do something. Acting gives us the power to find the solution because there is no planet B.

About the Author

Dr. Alma Maria Jennifer Gutierrez was given the Southeast Asian Network of Ergonomics Societies Educator Award in 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. She is a full professor of the Industrial Engineering Department at De La Salle University and an ASEAN engineer. She is the editor-inchief of the Environment, Social and Governance Ascent Website and Online Repository. She he has held leadership positions in the University as the Department Chairperson. She is engaged in ergonomics consultancy on Safety Productivity Enhancement through the Ergonomics Development program for the government and the private sector. She can be reached at alma. gutierrez@dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.

Business

BSP hints of more than 100-bps interest hike before end of 2022

By Julito G. Rada

AG&P completes conversion of LNG vessel into storage

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SINGAPORE-BASED Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific International Holdings Pte. Ltd. announced Monday the conversion of the 137,512-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas carrier ISH into a floating storage unit.

The ISH, which is ready to be docked at AG&P’s PHLNG facility in Batangas City, is a central component of the first Philippine LNG import terminal.

“I am delighted to announce the suc cessful completion of the FSU for our PHLNG Terminal that AG&P has ex ecuted in-house. This represents yet another milestone for Gas Entec, which continues to be a market leader in the conversion of LNG carriers into float ing terminals, extending their produc tive life and opening new markets,” said AG&P Group chairman and chief executive Joseph Sigelman.

AG&P’s subsidiary GAS Entec com pleted the conversion of the vessel into an FSU in record time.

“We look forward to opening the PHLNG LNG Regasification Terminal in early 2023, bringing LNG for the first time to the Philippines,” Sigelman said.

The FSU is part of the combined off shore-onshore import terminal with an initial capacity of 5 million tons a year.

The hybrid PHLNG terminal is de signed to provide customers with resil iency of supply and high availability, even during storms.

AG&P in February signed a 15-year long-term charter agreement with AD NOC Logistics and Services for the sup ply, operations and maintenance of its FSU for the PHLNG import terminal.

The FSU will be capable of loading LNG at a peak rate of 10,000 cubic me ters per hour and a discharge-to-shore peak rate of 8,000 cubic meters a hour, made possible with the modifications done by Gas Entec in the cargo han dling and safety system that allows for simultaneous loading and discharge of LNG.

SEC asks public to stop investing in BitdefiHub

THE Securities and Exchange Commission ad vised the public to stop investing in BitdefiHub Advertising.

The SEC, in an advisory dated Oct. 18, said BitdefiHub, which had been promising to double an investor’s money within 10 days, was not au thorized to sell securities or investment contracts to the public because it had not secured permits from the commission.

“In view thereof, the public is advised not to invest or stop investing in any investment scheme being offered by BITDEFI and exercise caution in dealing with any individuals or group of persons soliciting investments or recruiting investors for and on behalf of BITDEFI,” the SEC said.

BitdefiHub has been asking the public to invest a minimum of P300 in exchange for 20 percent in earnings daily, according to announce ments on its Facebook page. The company claims that investors who will park their money within a span of 10 days stand to double their profits through the Bitdefi platform.

THE

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may increase the policy rate by more than 100 basis points before the end of 2022, if the US Federal Reserve would adjust its own borrowing cost by 150 basis points, Governor Felipe Medalla said Monday.

Medalla’s statement during an event or ganized by The Asset magazine in Taguig City was a departure from his earlier state ment that there was no need for the BSP to match Fed’s rate hike point by point.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Medalla’s predecessor, had said he was expecting a 100-bps hike for the rest of the year. Medalla said the adjustment could be more than that depending on the Fed’s action.

“My view is, it could be more [than 100 bps]... If there are two 75 [bps hike] by the US [Fed], I think it is not good if we only have two 50 [bps]...,” Medalla said.

“One scenario is there will be two 75 [bps] hike by the Fed. The [first] 75 bps is almost sure this November,” Medalla said.

Medalla also said there would be no

more “off-cycle move” by the Bangko Sentral for the rest of the year, unlike when monetary authorities surprised the market in July by raising the over night borrowing rate by 75 basis points to rein in inflation and support the value of the peso.

“That [off-cycle] is not necessary... All we have to do is announce what we are going to do. That is the advantage of hav ing a credible central bank...,” he said.

Diokno told the Bloomberg earlier the government could use $10 billion from the gross international reserves to prevent the peso from further depreciat ing against the dollar. Commenting on this, Medalla said the country has the buffers, although he did not comment how much would be needed.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ear lier said the government could use inter est rates to defend the peso and mitigate the impact of inflation, which is the ad ministration’s main priority.

Inflation in September accelerated to a four-year high of 6.9 percent from 6.3 percent in August, driven by faster in creases in prices of food and non-alco holic beverages.

The September outturn was faster than 4.2 percent a year ago and was the high est since 6.9 percent registered in October 2018 during the rice crisis. Inflation in the first nine months of 2022 averaged 5.1 percent, above the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

The peso also settled at a record low of 59 per US dollar four times this month on Oct. 3, 10, 13 and 17. It closed at 58.87 against the greenback Monday.

The Monetary Board, the policymaking body of the BSP, raised on Sept. 22 the policy interest rate by 50 basis points to 4.25 percent. The move came following an earlier 75-basis point hike by the US Federal Reserve to tame the persistently high inflation in the world’s largest economy.

Investors who deposit P500 are promised earnings worth P100 per day and P1,000 after 10 days. It said an investment of P3 million would yield P600,000 in a day and could be doubled to P6 million after 10 days.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Globe blocks over 32m spam and scam messages

GLOBE Telecom said Monday it blocked more than 32.2 million scam and spam text messages with clickable links in just two weeks after en forcing its unprecedented measure against all person-to-person SMS with URLs.

The figure covers Sept. 28, when Globe start ed enforcing the stringent measure, to Oct. 13. This means Globe blocked 2.4 million SMS with clickable links on average every day within the period.

“The amount of text messages with clickable links we blocked within just about two weeks shows the staggering number of spam and scam SMS that disrupt and threaten customers every day. This is empirical proof that our security measure was warranted,” Globe chief informa tion security officer Anton Bonifacio said.

Globe started blocking SMS with clickable URLs in the last week of September in response to growing concern over escalating spam and scam messages, particularly those containing mobile users’ full names.

The measure is a first in the industry, making Globe the first and only telecom company pro actively blocking all person-to-person SMS with clickable links. It will remain in effect until the SIM Registration Act is implemented, it said.

Darwin G. Amojelar

BDO opens new branch in Tanza to meet demand

BDO Unibank Inc. said it opened a branch in Tanza, Cavite to meet the growing demand for banking solutions by families and businesses situated in the highly urbanized municipality.

Located at SM City Tanza, the branch aims to serve middle- to high-income communities. Various locators or businesses in the nearby eco nomic zones can also be assisted with the bank ing solutions they need for their expansion and day-to-day operation, the bank said.

BDO said with the latest branch opening, it now has 46 branches in Cavite. The bank oper ates 1,191 branches all over the country.

“Through our integrated physical branch and digital banking services, we hope to address the distinct needs of the customers – from growing their funds and investments to expanding their business and securing their future,” the bank said.

BDO said its partnership with SM plays a sig nificant role in its objective to serve the custom ers, whether in key cities or in provinces. “Every time SM opens a new mall, BDO branch is there as well for the customers. We can be a one-stop shop where clients can transact with the bank and leisurely enjoy the mall after that,” it said.

PLDT sees PH link of Asia Direct Cable completed in 2023

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PLDT Inc. said Monday it expects the completion of the Philippine link of the $75-million Asia Direct Cable by end of 2023, boosting connectivity within the region.

The company said the initial phase of cable construction of ADC would start in Batangas, months after the successful launch of the Jupiter cable system.

The construction of the 9,400-kilo meter subsea cable would commence in the Philippines. PLDT said it was expecting landing links in the country to be finished by end of 2023.

ADC is a global consortium com prised of leading communications and technology companies,including PLDT, China Telecom, China Unicom, National Telecom, Singtel, SoftBank Corp., Tata Communications and Viet tel Group.

Submarine fiber optic cables are

among the most critical components of the internet’s infrastructure, as they serve as the global backbone connect ing countries while carrying massive amounts of data that enable digital trade across the globe.

ACD, once completed, will link sev en international cable landing points across East and Southeast Asia from Batangas, Philippines to Tuas, Singa pore; Chung Hom Kok, Hong Kong; Maruyama, Japan; Quy Nhon, Viet nam; Sri Racha, Thailand; and Shan tou, China.

“Along with PLDT’s existing in ternational submarine cable systems, the Asia Direct Cable will boost and diversify the Philippines’ connectivity within the Asian region,” PLDT presi dent and chief executive Al Panlilio said.

“ADC will strengthen not only PLDT’s global network, but will also further advance the country’s digitali zation and growing digital economy,”

he said.

The cable system will feature a min imum of 200G dense wavelength-di vision multiplexing system per wave length design, which will significantly expand PLDT’s network bandwidth going in and out of the country.

Once fully equipped, this will pro vide PLDT an additional international network capacity of at least 36 tera bytes per second for faster delivery of hyperscale data across East and South east Asia.

“The Asia Direct Cable will strongly bolster PLDT’s mission to make the Philippines the next hyperscaler desti nation in Asia-Pacific. This investment solidifies our commitment to enrich and synergize the country’s Hyper scale Ecosystem of connected digital infrastructures, such as data centers, subsea cables, domestic fiber network, 5G, cloud and IOT,” said PLDT senior vice president and head of enterprise business group Jojo Gendrano.

Gov’t vows to help sustain expansion of business process outsourcing sector

THE government will continue to sup port the expansion of the information technology and business process man agement industry, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said.

Diokno, speaking at the recent Contact Center Association of the Philippines conference, said the “government stands ready to support the continued growth of IT-BPM companies by building an enabling business environment in order to boost the country’s competitiveness in the field of business processes and services.”

The Fiscal Incentives Review Board chaired by the Department of Finance decided to allow the transfer of regis tered information technology-business process management companies to the Board of Investments from the Philip pine Economic Zone Authority to re

solve the sector’s long-standing issue on tax incentive claims while perform ing business activities beyond their zone limits.

Diokno said the FIRB understood the motivation behind the work-from-home setups as new business models amid the changes in the business landscape.

He said given the global contact cen ter and business processing services markets’ exponential growth in the past 15 years, the DOF strongly recognizes the need to integrate new, adaptive and sustainable workforce models to boost the Philippines’ competitiveness in the field of business processes and services.

The IT and Business Process Asso ciation of the Philippines predicted that the industry would generate another 1.1 million direct jobs by 2028.

Julito G. Rada

PRS maintains top credit rating of D&L Industries

By Jenniffer B. Austria

D&L Industries Inc. said Monday it kept the top issuer credit rating of ‘PRS Aaa’, with a stable outlook from Philippine Rating Services Corp. for its P5-billion outstanding fixed-rate bonds.

PRS Aaa is the highest rating as signed by PhilRatings. Obligations rated PRS Aaa are of the highest quality with minimal credit risk. This means the obligor’s capacity to meet financial commitment on the obliga tion is extremely strong.

PhilRatings considered the com pany’s strong market position in the industries that it is engaged in, diversification of products offered and markets served and innovationdriven specialty products protect the company from keen competition and ensure continued demand from cus tomers.

“D&L continues to enjoy a solid market position in its four principal businesses—namely, food ingredients, oleochemicals and other specialty chemicals, specialty plastics and consumer products original design manufacturer,” PhilRatings said.

“The company has organically grown with the domestic industries it serves, with its businesses reportedly being either the country’s top market player or a close second in each of its respective industries,” it said.

PhilRatings said the company en joys good relationship with custom ers because of its track record and expertise in business.

PhilRatings said D&L also re mained profitable despite prevailing market headwinds and has been able to generate cash-flow and manage debts.

It said that as D&L’s products are well diversified in terms of their ap plications in various industries and their target markets, the company is able to balance out of developments across business segments.

CITYSAVINGS-DAR

AGREEMENT.

City Savings Bank, the thrift bank subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines and a member of the Aboitiz Group, signs a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Agrarian Reform to offer a salary loan facility to DAR employees nationwide. Showing the signed agreement are CitySavings president and chief executive Lorenzo Ocampo (second from left) and DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III (third from left). With them are CitySavings first vice president and salary loans business head Julian Aboitiz (left) and DAR undersecretary for foreign assisted and special projects office Jesry Palmares.

WHITE & CASE CENTER.

Astros sweep Yankees, set up Phillies’ World Series faceoff

NEW YORK—Bryce Harper’s gamewinning home run on Sunday powered the Philadelphia Phillies into the World Series, where they will face Houston after the Astros swept the New York Yankees out of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

The Phillies reached the World Series for the first time in 13 years by beating San Diego 4-3 to win the best-of-seven National League Championship Series four games to one.

“We’re going to celebrate,” said Rhys Hoskins, who smacked a tworun homer in the third and four homers for the Phillies in the series.

“So much hard work has been done. It’s amazing. It has been a long time.

“We’ve got some work to do still, but National League champions, what a beautiful thing.”

The Astros booked their fourth World Series appearance in six seasons by edging the Yankees 6-5 in New York to capture the American League Championship Series in four straight games.

“This is amazing,” said Houston’s Alex Bregman who drove in the deciding run with a seventh-inning single.

“This team has worked so hard. Just so proud to be a part of it. So many guys stepped up.”

Houston, who won the MLB crown in 2017 but lost the final in 2019 and last year, will host the Phillies in game one of the best-of-seven World Series on Friday.

“We’ve still got some baseball left to play,” Bregman said. “We’re going to go try and get four more wins. Excited to keep playing.”

The Astros, 7-0 in the playoffs, are only the third team to sweep the divisional round and ALCS and could become the first such team to win the World Series.

The Phillies, in the playoffs for the first time since 2011, reached the World Series for the first time since 2009. They have not won the MLB crown since 2008.

“We always believed,” Harper said. “There was no emotion that it wasn’t going to happen, that we weren’t going to have this opportunity to be here.

“We’ve got four more (to win). Let’s go get it.”

The Phillies, the last playoff qualifier after finishing third in the NL East division, had a dramatic finish after they fell behind 3-2, taking the lead for good on Harper’s two-run blast in the eighth inning off a fastball from Padres relief pitcher Robert Suarez. AFP

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

Tough competition awaits PH in World Cup vs NZ, Norway

By Peter Atencio

Co-host Australia is in Group B alongside Ireland, Nigeria, and Canada.

PLAYING

against the host country New Zealand will be one of the stumbling blocks that the Philippine women’s national football team will face in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Coach Allen Stajcic said this as he evaluated the challenges that the Filipinas will be subjected to in their coming competition.

“They are all a challenge. But playing New Zealand before 50,000 home fans will be the challenge. The pressure playing before a loud and boisterous home crowd will be difficult,” said Stajcic after the team learned who their opponents will be during a draw ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.

Norway on July 30 in Auckland.

“It’s a proud moment for us representing the Philippines, and I think any team we go up against will be a good team,” said team manager Jefferson Cheng.

Norway at no. 12 is the highest-ranked squad—and probably the toughest—that the Filipinas will tackle in Group A. Switzerland follows at no. 21, with New Zealand at no. 22.

Group C has Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia and Japan, while Group D consists of England, Denmark, China and the playoff winner from Group B. Group F is composed of France, Jamaica, Brazil and the playoff winner from Group C. Group G has Sweden, South Africa, Italy and Argentina, while Germany, Morocco, Colombia and South Korea were bracketed in Group H.

The Filipinas gained experience against European opposition early this year when they lost to the Republic of Ireland, 0-1, in a friendly in Turkey.

Later, they swept a two-game series with Bosnia Herzegovina in Slovenia.

MARIAN Jade Capadocia launched her quest for a record eighth title as she dumped Chloe Mercado, 6-1, 6-0, yesterday in the women’s singles of the 39th Philippine Columbian Association Open Tennis Championships at its Plaza Dilao indoor shell courts in Paco.

The 27-year-old Manila native didn’t waste time in claiming her first win that set her up against the winner between the Patricia Lim-Annika Diwa duel, which was being played at press time, in the second round tomorrow.

“It was a good win even though I have not been playing for two weeks because I was in Amsterdam,” said the two-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist.

Alexa Joy Milliam, Makeliah Nepomuceno, Miles Vitaliano and Joana Tan joined Capadocia in the second round of this event sponsored by Smart/PLDT, official ball Dunlop, Manila councilor Jong Isip, San Jose Salt, W. L. Food Products, Palawan Pawnshop and Pagcor.

Milliam turned back Sidney Enriquez, 6-4, 6-4; Nepomuceno smashed Ruth Demafelis, 6-1, 6-0, Vitaliano blasted Eliana Misa, 6-0, 6-2; and Tan downed qualifier Princess Gom-os, 6-3, 6-2.

In the men’s section, Elbert Anasta continued his pursuit of a very first championship here as he trounced Diego Dayrit, 6-2, 6-2, to move into the second round.

There, the 40-year-old three-time semifinalist from Himamaylan, Negros Occidental would battle the victor of the Neil Tangalin-Alexa Acabo showdown at press time.

“Of course, our target is making the finals for the first time and then we’ll see what we can do when we make it there,” said Army sergeant.

Fifth seed Muthu Senthilkumar of India continued to show incredible grit as he rallied to overcome 17-yearold Agoo, La Union bet Andrei Jarata in a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 triumph.

Stajcic talked about the Philippines’ situation after the Filipinas were put in Group A with co-host New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.

The Filipinas, who are ranked 53rd in the world, will begin their historic campaign against Switzerland on July 21 in Dunedin, before taking on New Zealand on July 25 in Wellington. They then battle

“There’s no doubt that the teams that we are facing will have more experience playing at this level,” said Stajcic, who, however noted that New Zealand has been through many World Cup and Olympics campaigns.

The Kiwis boast of a core group of players, who have been together for 10 years and seen action in six World Cups.

But the Kiwis have yet to get past the group stage in all their six appearances.

ONE Championship’s return to the Philippines just got more stacked with four fighters from Team Lakay being added to ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks at the Mall of Asia Arena set on the night of December 3.

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and current #4-ranked flyweight Danny “The King” Kingad are set to shake up the 135 pound division as they face different foes in the longawaited Manila card.

Eustaquio targets his third straight victory in The Home of Martial Arts as he takes on “Wolf Warrior” Hu Yong in a match that could prove that “The Gravity” is far from done in the division he once ruled.

The 33-year-old Filipino is coming off impressive back to back wins, starting with his body kick finish of Toni Tauru before running circles around Min Jong Song to prove that he’s still continuously evolving.

Meanwhile, the strongest contenders in two-time defending champion US and 2019 runner-up and second-ranked the Netherlands, were both drawn in Group E together with Vietnam and the playoff winner from Group A.

Capadocia starts quest for 8th PCA title with win Eustaquio battles Hu, Kingad takes on Mangat

Hu is a successful alumnus of ONE Hero Series and will be looking to bounce back following a decision loss to Eustaquio’s old tormentor Yuya Wakamatsu and prove that new blood is taking over the division.

Kingad, on the other hand, will have his hands full as he takes on the in-form Gurdarshan Mangat in a match where he’ll basically be defending his fourth spot in the rankings.

“The King” suffered a unanimous decision loss to Kairat Akhmetov in his last outing where the Kazakh’s wrestling and control proved to be too much for the 25-year-old.

He won’t have it any easier in this match as he takes on Mangat who’s also knocking on the door of ranked contenders, having won his last two bouts – and four of his last five entering this contest.

Also added in the Manila card is promising atom-

They also played against the Football Ferns in a friendly last September in Fullerton, California.

In that game, the Filipinas took the lead on Sarina Bolden’s goal in the first half, only to concede twice in the second half of a 1-2 defeat.

“There’s one perspective that it’s good to play teams maybe that aren’t in the Top 10,” said Stajcic.

weight Jenelyn Olsim and bantamweight Jeremy “The Jaguar” Pacatiw, two young fighters from the Northlands who are out to prove that they also belong among ONE’s long line of contenders.

Olsim takes on the hard-hitting Meng Bo in the atomweight scrap, with both women looking to break into the rankings with an impressive showing in this clash.

Meanwhile, Pacatiw takes on Tial Thang as he looks to rebound after a disappointing finish against Fabricio Andrade where he got folded by the Brazilian’s knee in the first round of their clash.

The four Team Lakay stars will join the last remaining title holder in the Philippines in the card as ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio takes on Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks in the main event of the night.

Test of will up as ICTSI Pradera Verde unfolds

LUBAO, Pampanga – While the big hitters look to cash in on whatever edge they might have here at Pradera Verde, it will still be a question of precision, ball control and decision-making as the men and ladies of the Philippine Golf Tour launch their drive in the ICTSI Pradera Championship today (Tuesday).

With a forecast of a windy week at the flat but long challenging layout, a wild start and a wilder finish could be in the offing for the next three or four days with emphasis on club selection and the ability to adapt to the challenges posed by the water hazards that come into play in key holes and the undulating, sleek surface.

“The big hitters have an advantage here at Pradera but I’ll be sticking to the same game plan just like I did at Riviera,” said Fidel Concepcion, who is out for redemption after blowing a clear shot at a breakthrough PGT crown with a final round foldup in the ICTSI Riviera Championship three weeks ago.

“A few adjustments will be made but nothing major. Overall, there was a lot of positives from Riviera, just one bad round,” added Concepcion, who regained control in the third round at Riviera but hobbled with a closing 80 and wound up eighth.

Meanwhile, Chanelle Avaricio seeks to do a reprise on a course where she set a Tour record three months ago, upbeat but wary of her chances for a fourth championship following victories at Hallow Ridge, Caliraya Springs and here last June where she blitzed the field with a seven-under (29) frontside card on her way to a first round 64 en route to a wire-to-wire victory.

“I haven’t played a tournament for a while so, hopefully I could produce a good outcome. I’ll just try to play well and enjoy and do the same approach —stay calm and be patient,” said Avaricio, who took advantage of the postponement of the LPGA Q-School Stage 2 to re-join the local pros and a slew of top amateurs in the 54-hole, P1.25 million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc..

“After it (Q-School) was moved, I decided to go home and join Pradera. It’s (travel) is a bit exhausting but it’s okay. I just wanted to improve more” added Avaricio, who is bracing for a tougher outing this time against the likes of Harmie Constantino, Chihiro Ikeda, Sunshine Baraquiel, Sarah Ababa, Marvi Monsalve, Florence Bisera, Martina Miñoza and Pamela Mariano, among others.

Martin Maldonado of the Houston Astros celebrates in the locker room after defeating the New York Yankees in game four of the American League Championship Series to advance to the World Series at Yankee Stadium. AFP

Fidel Concepcion

Allen Stajcic

Lakers squander late lead in loss to Blazers

St. Benilde turns back Arellano U in Super League

COLLEGE of St. Benilde defeated Arellano University, 25-21, 25-22, 2520, in the classification round to end its run in the Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship on a bright note Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association champions asserted their mastery over their archrival to finish the tournament organized by Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc. (ACES) with two wins in four outings.

NCAA Most Valuable Player Mycah Go lifted the Lady Blazers on offense with 14 points. Cristy Ondangan had markers while Clydel Catarig scored all her 10 points off kills for the Taft-based squad.

“It was a total team effort. We just did our role inside the court,” Catarig said.

CSB uncorked five straight points capped by a service ace from Go to turn a 17-18 deficit in the tight third set into a 22-18 advantage.

The Lady Chiefs tried to fight back but a couple of miscues in the final stretch allowed the Lady Blazers to complete the emphatic sweep in the rematch of the NCAA Season 97 Finals.

Laika Tudlasan finished with 11 points including 10 off kills for Arellano.

Letran swept Jose Rizal University, 25-19, 25-18, 25-26, behind Daisy Melendres’ 11 points off seven hits, three kill blocks and an ace.

The Lady Knights closed their campaign with one win in four games while the Lady Bombers dropped all their four matches in the tournament.

San Sebastian College, on the other hand, crushed Mapua University, 2521, 25-17, 25-19, to list two wins in five outings in the competition.

Kristine Dionisio and Kamille Tan had 19 and 15 points, respectively, for the Lady Stags, who gave the Lady Cardinals their fourth loss in five games.

The classification round match between Lyceum of the Philippines University and University of the East was canceled due to health and safety protocols.

Meanwhile, the second round will begin on Saturday.

University of Perpetual Help will take on UAAP champion National University at 10:00 a.m. followed by the 12:30 p.m. faceoff between University of Sto. Tomas and Fae Eastern University.

Adamson University and De La Salle University clash at 4:00 p.m. while University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University battle at 6:30 p.m.

LOS

ANGELES—Damian Lillard scored 41 points and Jeremi Grant drove for a game-winning layup with three seconds left Sunday as the Portland Trail Blazers dealt the Los Angeles Lakers their third defeat to open the NBA season.

Portland erased an eight-point deficit in the final five minutes and emerged with a 106-104 triumph after Lakers superstar LeBron James missed at the buzzer.

Russell Westbrook missed two late shots, Lillard draining three-pointers after each miss. That included Lillard’s step-back jump shot with 12.4 seconds remaining that put Portland up 104-102.

James responded with a dunk to tie it up, but Grant powered past James to score against a helpless Anthony Davis in the paint.

Lillard scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter and connected on six of 13 three-point attempts.

first three games has been just sticking with it, showing a lot of resilience and showing trust in each other even after those breakdowns,” Lillard said.

“We had some miscommunications in every quarter of the game. I think the last couple of minutes, once again, we were able to buckle down and show some trust. We were able to get stops and not turn the ball over.”

The Lakers hit just six three-pointers on 33 attempts as the shooting struggles that have dogged them early in their first season under coach Darvin Ham continued.

James finished with 31 points. Davis added 22 with 10 rebounds and six blocked shots.

Westbrook criticism Westbrook, under scrutiny after

questions from reporters he saw as soliciting criticism of Westbrook’s late-game decision-making, particularly his late failed jump shot attempt with 18 seconds left on the shot clock.

“I’m not up here to do that,” said James, who said the Lakers got the same shot opportunities late in the game that they had earlier.

“Just didn’t make them,” James said. “(Westbrook) got some good looks and wasn’t able to knock them down. Defensively, we couldn’t get multiple stops in a row. And Dame was Dame down the stretch.”

Reigning NBA champion Golden State defeated winless Sacramento 130-125, the Warriors sparked to a home triumph by 33 points from Stephen Curry while A ndrew Wiggins and reserve Jordan Poole each added 24.

Cleveland and Utah squeezed out overtime victories, Cleveland pulling away in the extra session to beat the Washington Wizards 117-107 while the Jazz improved to 122-121

victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans.

Kelly Olynyk’s finger roll layup with 3.1 seconds left in over-time was the game-winner for Utah as the Pelicans’ C.J. McCollum missed a shot at the buzzer.

Utah’s Jordan Clarkson twice tied it in the waning seconds of regulation, his three-pointer forcing the extra session with a 110-110 deadlock.

Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with a double-double of 31 points and 12 rebounds. Olynyk added 20 points and Clarkson had 18.

McCollum scored 28 points to pace the Pelicans, who saw forward Brandon Ingram depart late in the first quarter with concussion-like symptoms after taking an inadvertent blow to the face from teammate Naji Marshall.

Donovan Mitchell, making his home debut in Cleveland after arriving in a blockbuster trade from Utah last month, scored seven of his 37 points in overtime for the triumphant Cavs.

Mitchell converted a three-point play and made a key steal in the final two minutes of over-time.

Anthony Edwards scored a gamehigh 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 15 rebounds to spark Minnesota over host Oklahoma City 116-106.

Devin Booker scored a game-high 35 points to lead Phoenix over the host Los Angeles Clippers 112-95. AFP

NPC golf slated at Wack Wack on Nov. 25

THE National Press Club will mark its milestone 70th anniversary celebrations with a fun golf tournament on Nov. 25 with a merry mix of players—from the private and government sectors, the big business and the media—vying for top honors in various divisions at Wack Wack’s West course in Mandaluyong.

Filipinas to discuss prospects in World Cup

Philippine Football Federation president Mariano ‘Nonong’ Araneta is going to be the special guest in the weekly sports program to talk about the Filipinas’ historic bid in the July 20 to August 20 tournament to be held in New Zealand.

During the official draw held over the weekend, the country was drawn with the host in Group A together with Norway and Switzerland.

The session starts at 10 a.m. with PFF secretary-general Atty. Ed Gastanes also invited as resource person.

The Forum is presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic C ommittee, Amelie Hotel Manila and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

It is being livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which also shares it on its official Facebook page.

Organizers are expecting to draw close to a hundred participants in the 18-hole tournament also held to raise funds for NPC’s various projects and programs, including scholarships for children of NPC members.

The NPC is a professional and social organization of journalists and photo-journalists – from various media platforms such as print, TV and radio in the country.

Early backers of the event are Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and National Irrigation Authority Administrator Benny Antiporda.

Titles to be disputed are the overall championship for gross and net and Classes A, B and C. Format is Stableford scoring system with special awards up for grabs in designated fun holes, including the most accurate drive, longest drive and nearest to the pin.

Organizers of the event, also held to foster camaraderie and friendship among media practitioners, private organizations and individuals, will cover the green fee, food and drinks with big prizes up for grabs in the raffle draw.

Feathers y as Philippine cock ghting shakes o COVID-19 closures

SAN PEDRO—In a raucous cockpit in the Philippines, Dennis de la Cruz grins from ear to ear as he watches his roosters slash their opponents to death in a frenzy of blood and feathers.

Shut for two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional cockfighting arenas are getting back to full capacity across the archipelago nation.

Cockfighting is hugely popular in the Philippines, where millions of dollars are bet on matches every week.

Roosters wearing bladed spurs on their legs go beak to beak in a brutal fight to the death, as spectators—mostly men—wager on the result.

Supporters defend the blood sport as being part of the Filipino identity and argue the birds would be eaten if they did not fight.

But opponents maintain it is cruel and should be banned, as it is in many other countries.

“In our village, more than half the residents are cockfighters,” de la Cruz, 64, told AFP at a recent derby in San Pedro, a city south of Manila, where he fell one win short of the onemillion-peso ($17,000) champion’s pot.

The son of a longtime cockpit operator, de la Cruz said he had never held a regular job.

Instead, he relied on his winnings from the roosters bred by his nephews on a large farm.

In a country plagued by inequality, cockfighting is a unique “neutral zone” where rich and poor mingle and play by the same rules, said University of the Philippines anthropologist Chester Cabalza.

Adhering to a strict honour code, spectators prior to the pandemic used hand signals like stock brokers to lay their bets during a match that can last less than a minute.

It is common for 300,000 to 400,000 pesos to be bet on a single fight, one aficionado told AFP.

After each fight—there are 15 per hour— crumpled banknotes are flung towards the winning bettor.

Losers welching on bets run the risk of being attacked.

When cockpits reopened, regulators wary of spreading the coronavirus through excessive crowd interaction ordered operators to install betting machines, so winners could collect their money from the cashier instead.

“If your cock wins, you stride out of the ring like a tough guy -- you exude a macho im-

age,” said gamefowl breeder Edwin Lumbres, thrusting his chest out for emphasis.

“But if you lose, you hang your head and shuffle out like somebody whose manhood is suspect.”

‘Forced to fight’

Katrina Del Espiritu Santo, of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is pushing for cockfighting to be banned as the birds are “forced to fight to the death”.

But the activist’s efforts have failed to gain much traction in the Philippines.

Fighting roosters are ubiquitous across the country and are prized possessions—despite their loud crowing at all hours.

A bird can cost between 3,000 and 15,000 pesos depending on its parents’ win record.

Fighting fowls are kept in wire cages outside homes in urban areas or in triangular shelters on farms that dot the countryside.

As cockpits fell silent at the start of the pandemic, many small breeders could not afford to feed their flocks and were forced to sell roosters at firesale prices—or throw them in the cooking pot. AFP

THE prospects of the Philippine women’s football team’s campaign in next year’s FIFA World Cup will be the center of discussion in Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers looks to pass the ball under pressure from Patrick Beverley and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers during the rst half of the game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. AFP

The Philippine Women’s Football Team

Roosters ght during a cock ghting match at the San Pedro Coliseum in Laguna province. Shut for two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional cock ghting arenas have reopened across the archipelago nation. Banned in many countries, cock ghting is hugely popular in the Philippines, where millions of dollars are bet on matches every week. AFP

Pageant search for risque runway models introduces candidates

OFFICIAL candidates to the inaugural Cosmo Manila King and Queen, a pageant search for risque runway models, were introduced to the press on Sunday night at Le Reve Pool and Events Place in Quezon City.

At the end of the launch candidates Nash Mendoza and Sahara Cruz were chosen as Darlings of the Press walking home with P20,000 each.

Vying for the prestigious crown are 16 male and 15 female models aiming to be named as Cosmo Manila King and Queen, which finals will be held at the SM North EDSA Skydome on November 5 at 7:00 p.m. It will be hosted by Michael Bristol, Joy Barcoma, and John Nite, with special guests Paul Salas, Kris Lawrence, Sex Bomb New Gen, and Batang Mama Winners of the title will receive P200,000 each. The winners and four other models will also fly to Thailand right after the grand finals to participate in Bangkok Fashion Week.

“As a producer, I would like to be the first to produce this kind of competition. Our goal is to help out models and their agents, apart of course from giving a very nice sexy show,” said producer Marc Cubales

during the launch.

Higit sa lahat, para makatulong at magbigay saya na rin sa mga agent at models ng sexy pageant show,” Marc said.

Cosmo Manila Queen 2022 official candidates are Jane Usison, Khat Gonzales, Claire Ramos, Sahara Cruz, Ver Johansson, Aya Valdez, Jannah Garcia, Milka Gonzales, Anita Gomez, Arianne Villareal, Jasmine Benigno Castro, Airah Graciela, Dimpol

Ortega, Mae Burgos, Neah Cassandra Aguilar, Morena Carlos, and Deberly Bangcore

Meanwhile, the male official candidates are Hawkin Madrid, Paul Jiggs Venturero, David Soledad, Christian Villarin, Nash Mendoza, Aaron Moreno, John Zafe, Simon

Thai BL stars delight fans in Manila leg of ‘KinnPorsche’ concert

Abrenica, Hanz Vergara, Jovy Angel, Ivan Bonifacio, Ronie Palermo, Curt Del Rosario, RJ Absalud, and Allen Ong Molina Tickets to the finals are available at SM Tickets. For more details, call09667088434 and 09602533903.

Part of the proceeds of the show goes

to Cosmo Foundation: Gintong Palad & Balikatan Foundation.

Cosmo Manila Queen 2022 is produced by Cubales with Edz Galindez as supervising producer, Leklek Tumalad as casting director, and Bembem Espanto as overall director.

Atom Araullo docu show scores major international wins

FIRST it was in New York. Next in Busan. And now in Cannes.

For shedding light on the plight of children from underprivileged backgrounds, The Atom Araullo Specials: Munting Bisig dominates the international awards – earning not just one, but three major accolades – all in less than a year.

At the prestigious Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards, the GMA Public Affairs program won for the Philippines the Silver Award for Documentaries and Reports (TV, Online, and Cinema) in the Human Concerns and Social Issues category.

This comes on the heels of the program’s landmark win at the 4th Asia Contents Awards (ACA) at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Theater in Busan, South Korea where it emerged as Best Asian Documentary. The winning piece was the only Philippine entry shortlisted in the said festival, besting other Asian shows produced by Netflix, Asian Boss, and TV Asahi Production.

Last April, The Atom Araullo Specials: Munting Bisig took home the Gold World Medal at the 2022 New York Festivals TV & Film Award.

Yeseleen, one of only two child labor profilers in the entire province. In the mountains of Kalinga, they find other kids engaged in hard labor.

Atom met Joshua in Pasay. The latter is the breadwinner of his family at the age of 12. Joshua became part of the “lockdown generation” as he found himself ‘stranded’ in Metro Manila while his ailing father was left behind in Cavite. In Manila, he rode his bike to sell snacks to his neighbors so that he could bring home earnings to his family.

Atom further offers these awards to all the children who are left with no other option than to work in order to live one day at a time.

Considered one of this generation’s notable journalists, Atom has been getting accolades for his various shows. He currently co-anchors GTV’s flagship newscast State of the Nation and is one of the hosts of long-running documentary show I-Witness. He is also a regular pinchhitter for 24 Oras

By Patricia Taculao

SINCE its premiere last April, the Thai BL (boys’ love) series

KinnPorsche has become a global phenomenon, often trending on social media for the kilig, comedy, and action.

Although KinnPorsche launched the boys’ careers into international fame, Wichaspas “Bible” Sumettikul and Jakapan “Build” Puttha, two wellloved cast members, remain grounded as individuals. Both stars enjoy their position in the series because of their environment and the people involved.

“I’m somebody who [really] enjoys going to set even though the shooting schedule is very hard. It’s [just] so fun to

Adam’ rocks the tills

WARNER Bros.’ new film Black Adam blew away all competition this weekend, leading the North American box office with an estimated take of $67 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

A superhero origin story spun off from 2019’s Shazam, Adam stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular villain, a former slave endowed with miraculous powers by ancient Egyptian gods.

“As a spinoff, this is a strong opening,” David A. Gross

be on set because everybody is working towards the same goal. Everybody is trying to make the best product possible. Just being part of that experience is very rewarding, and I would love to experience that again,” Bible told Manila Standard Entertainment

Meanwhile, Build always remembers to do his part in the series efficiently because he’s mindful of others and how they have families waiting for them to come home from the shoot.

Working on set also allowed the actors to learn valuable lessons that have helped them in their careers. Bible shared that it allowed him to recognize the relevance of work ethics.

“I learned that just from observing people around me because everybody was very professional, especially the head of our team. I felt like I need to step up to become a part of this team,” Bible said.

“The most important takeaway from the learning experience was workshopping, being prepared for work,” Build chimed in. “The world doesn’t fear talent. The world fears hard work. So being prepared and working hard for something will always be important.”

Both stars are grateful for their Filipino fans’ support for the series. Build shared that if he had the opportunity to give back the love he receives from their audience, he would gladly pour his heart into it.

Franchise Entertainment Research said, adding that it was a “positive and steady step forward for DC Comics,” the generator of many superhero films. In a distant second was another new release, Universal’s ‘Ticket to Paradise,’

“It’s almost unbelievable that we have fans in our home country. And even more unbelievable that we have fans around the world, and the fans in the Philippines have been very vocal, especially online, and it’s very nice to go read the comments and all that,” Bible said.

KinnPorsche is based on a webtoon of the same name by the writing duo Daemi. It centers around the relationship between Kinn Anakinn Theerapanyakun (Phakphum Romsaithong), the son of a mafia boss and heir of the crime family’s main branch, and Porsche Pachara Kittisawat (Nattawin Wattanagitiphat), a local bartender and underground fighter, who became his bodyguard.

On Saturday, October 22, Filipino fans saw the cast of KinnPorsche perform live at the Mall of Asia Arena for the series’ world tour. The boys brought their charm and spiced up the stage for everybody. They even sang and danced, much to their fans’ delight.

Audiences at the Mall of Asia Arena cheered at how the boys interacted with them and each other. By the end, the cast and fans left with memories of a night that’s one for the books.

Following the Manila leg, the KinnPorsche stars will proceed with their world tour. Other locations include Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Taipei. They will soon announce more cities in Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and South America.

$80 million outside North America.

“This is a very good domestic opening for a romantic comedy,” Gross said.

It stars two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, George Clooney and Julia Roberts, as bickering, divorced couple who fly to Hawaii to sabotage their daughter’s wedding.

With Halloween approaching, the next two films were both horror specials.

Paramount’s Smile dropped one spot from last weekend to third, taking in $8.4 million. Sosie Bacon plays a therapist whose grasp on reality is shaken by a horrifying event.

Next was Universal’s bloodHalloween Ends, which dropped sharply from last weekend’s box-office-topping $41.3 million to just $8 million. Jamie Lee Curtis

And in fifth was Sony’s familyLyle Lyle Crocodile, at $4.2

“We are deeply honored to receive these awards from our peers overseas. Many dedicated journalists, media workers, and contributors worked hard on this documentary —a true team effort. We hope it not only raised awareness, but also contributed to finding durable solutions to the serious issue of child labor, especially in the context of the pandemic,” shares host Atom Araullo

The documentary featured children who put their lives at stake to help their families survive even if they are exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

One of these kids is 15-year-old Pancho,” who is known as the youngest compressor diver in their barangay in Paracale, Camarines Norte. Hoping to find gold, Pancho braves diving into 40 feet of mud to collect soil.

In Cordillera, which reportedly has the lowest cases of child labor in the country, Atom has discovered why the numbers in the province are so low. Atom joins

MTRCB partners with Netflix to promote responsible viewership

“Here at the MTRCB, we look after the well-being of Filipino viewers of all ages, which is why safeguards must be in place to prevent young children from being exposed to content that is not appropriate for their age,” Sotto-Antonio added.

Complementary to the mutual goal of MTRCB and Netflix to ensure that access to content and viewing experience is age-appropriate across platforms such as smart TV, web-based, and mobile devices. Netflix will promote the use of in-app Parental Controls which allow users to place a PIN code and designate a “Kids” account for young viewers.

With Netflix as its flagship SVOD partner, the MTRCB is optimistic that both local and foreign streaming providers will follow suit, the Board is open to collaboration opportunities that will protect the interest of the Filipino people.

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant

THE Movie and Television Review and Classification Board has partnered with the Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD) giant Netflix to promote Responsableng Panonood (Responsible Viewership) to its Filipino subscribers.

“This is a culmination of the efforts of the Board and our partners in Netflix who we have been in constant dialogue with,” Chairperson Diorella Maria “Lala” SottoAntonio said.

The contestants of Cosmo Manila King and Queen

Cosmo Manila King and Queen Darling of the Press winners Nash Mendoza (left) and Sahara Cruz

MTRCB Chairperson Diorella Maria “Lala” SottoAntonio

‘The Atom Araullo Specials: Munting Bisig’ takes home the Silver Award for Documentaries and Reports (TV, Online, and Cinema) in the Human Concerns and Social Issues category at the Cannes Corporate and Media TV Awards

The cast of ‘KinnPorsche’

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson brings life to DC’s Black Adam

Where music meets art and fashion

O CELEBRATE its 20th year as a global brand, Macbeth has put together a 20-band lineup music festival carefully selected across different genres with a passion focused on highlighting both the main and underground music community. The event also marked the apparel brand’s 10th anniversary in the country.

It was a day to remember, fans and patrons were treated to a suc cessful show dubbed Macbeth Music Festival: The 20th Anniversary Show. It was s a concert and a fashion show where the brand unveiled its latest collection.

Thousands of OPM band fans and fashion lovers packed the Me trotent Convention Center in Pasig City on October 8.

The show had two connecting stages that gave a unique runway with back-to-back music experiences for the audience.

Rouge, an all-female band, opened the show with its lit perfor mances, followed by Imbue No Kudos, Shotgun Combo, Lilith, Divina, and Written by the Stars. Other OPM bands were also present at the show, such as CHNDTR, Snakefight, Sucketsev en, Fragments, Fastpitch, Even, Hilera, and Chocolate Factory.

The Soapdish and Mayonnaise bands, also celebrating their 20th anniversary, serenaded the crowd with their nostalgic songs and massive hits After the iconic band Sandwich performance and before the fashion show

BRIA welcomes new homeowners to property’s modern house-and-lot units

DPWH are also within reach.

BOUNCING back from disruptions spawned by a two-year health crisis, BRIA Homes is fast making up for lost time with a spate of on-ground activities that include open houses, groundbreaking events, and project launches. Indeed, at the rate BRIA is moving forward, it looks like nothing can come between the dynamic home builder and its goal of making sturdily built and well-designed homes accessible to more Filipinos all over the country.

Attesting to this singular drive is BRIA Homes’ recent mass turnover event during which the company rolled out the welcome mat to almost fifty new homeowners at BRIA Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon, a land locked province in Northern Mindanao.

The visibly excited new BRIA residents checked out the residential community they will now call home, grateful for the familyfriendly recreational amenities, the tranquil, secure environment, and the lush green spac es that surround their modern house and lot units.

Located at Mapait Street in Barangay Dicklum, Manolo Fortich, BRIA Homes Manolo Fortich is an ideal residence for fun-and-adventure seekers, as the property is near nature park Kampo Juan and the Del Monte Golf Course and Country Club. Manolo Fortich is, in fact, a first-class mu nicipality of Bukidnon, long known as the Food Basket of the Philippines. Manolo Fortich is also home to the majestic Mt. Kitanglad, an inactive volcano that has trails leading up to its peak.

Apart from the natural wonders that lure visitors to the province, BRIA Manolo Fortich’s strategic location is its major draw for current and prospective residents. This BRIA development is near essential destinations like the Northern Bukidnon State College, the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital, Immaculate Conception Par ish Church, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, and the Diocese of Malaybalay. Local government offices such as the Manolo Fortich Municipal Hall, Dicklum Barangay Hall, DWSD, Comelec, and

BRIA Manolo Fortich offers contempo rary homes with sleek facades, its interior spaces thoughtfully laid out to accommo date the varying needs of individuals and families.

Homebuyers may choose from row house Elena (22 sq. m. floor area and 36 sq. m. lot area) with dining area, living area, and provisions for bedroom and ser vice area; the two-storey townhouse Bet tina (44 sq. m. floor area and 36 sq. m. lot area), with two bedrooms, living area, dining area, service area, and carport; and the single firewall model Alecza (33 sq. m. floor area and 81 sq. m. lot area), which has two bedrooms, living area, dining area, service area, and carport.

Residents of BRIA Manolo Fortich can enjoy leisure activities and bond with com munity members at its recreational ameni ties: a covered court, a basketball court, parks, and a playground.

Manolo Fortich property owners will also be happy to know that the develop ment features 24-hour security, a guarded entrance and exit, a perimeter fence for safety and privacy, and LED lights on the enclave’s main streets.

“Restrictive protocols may have general ly affected the property industry but BRIA Homes proved resilient by immediately transitioning to the digital landscape,” says BRIA Homes North Mindanao Division Head Rey Montoya. “While BRIA never stopped offering the best housing services, the reopening of the economy is now driv ing BRIA Homes to vigorously pursue its goal of helping more Filipinos fulfill their dreams of homeownership.”

Interested property seekers can check out BRIA Homes Manolo Fortich and other BRIA developments through virtual tours on the BRIA website (www.bria.com.ph). They may also send inquiries via the official BRIA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ BriaHomesIncOfficial/), or reserve a prop erty online through the BRIA reservation page (https://www.bria.com.ph/online-reser vation/).

started, a tribute LED clip for Jamir Garcia was shown.

Garcia, the late vocalist of Slapshock, had a massive part in Macbeth’s milestone here in the Philippines.

Macbeth set the pace with new collections launched at its first Fashion Show Concert event during Philippine Fashion Week. It showcased its three collections: Denim Collec tion; Rock Collection; and the 20th Anniversary Collection.

While the 30 models were on the catwalks, the Macbeth All-Stars and Super bands also added some spice as they slay the runway with their head-banging track carefully selected to pay homage to the years when Macbeth started.

Included in the tracklist were “Know Your Enemy” by Green Day , “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind , “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia , and “In Too Deep” by Sum 41 . These songs were played during “Denim Collection”.

For Macbeth All Stars “The Switch,” “Swing Swing” by The All-American Rejects, and “That’s What You Get” by Paramore were played.

Next on the list were “Misery Business” by Paramore, “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance, “One Step Closer” by Linkin Park, “My Friends Over You” by New Found Glory, and “Last Resort” by Papa Roach played during “Rock Collection”.

Directed by Benjie Estanislao of the Chongkeys and headed by the Market ing Manager of Macbeth, Rhome Yu. The jampacked show was punctuated by performances by Rico Blanco, Urbandub, and Chelsea Alley

Behind the successful show was RAD Event headed Harold Solomon, the CEO of REC-Rakista, who is also known to be the mastermind of the biggest OPM rock concerts in the Philippines like the “Rakrakan Festival.”

The second W.Mall at KM 21 West Service Road, Brgy. Sucat, Muntinlupa City, brings a more convenient and enjoyable

mall shopping experience that will cater to the Muntinlupa

W. Mall opens doors to Muntinlupa community

THE second W.Mall opened recent ly in Muntinlupa, coinciding with the 30th anniversary celebration of WalterMart Supermarket. Conve niently located along the West Ser vice Road, W.Mall Muntinlupa stays true its promise of bringing a com plete and happy shopping experi ence to customers.

Positioned to be a premium, onestop destination for every family’s needs, W.Mall Muntinlupa offers a wide selection of anchor stores, food choices, services, and wellness. The two-sto rey W.Mall serves the diverse Muntinlupa community with free parking perks to the car-riding public and provides even more reasons for customers to love going to this newest community mall.

Major anchors in clude WalterMart Su permarket, known for its quality fresh pro

Bacolod’s

MERZCI Bread & Pastries, producer of Bacolod’s best food “pasalubong,” final ly lands in the country’s capital city.

Merzci Pasalubong recently held the grand opening of its first branch in the City of Manila on October 14. The event was graced by CM & Sons CEO and President Jonathan Manuel T. Lo and his family.

The Manila branch is the company’s 66th store to be opened since it started operations in 1995. The company aims to expand and reach more clientele in Negros, Panay, Cebu, even in Mindanao, and in Luzon.

Merzci Pasalubong is known for food items like special biscocho, cashewtopped butterscotch, delicious piaya, crunchy barquillos, assorted tarts, and its famous hot-off-the-grill piaya.

duce, food to go, and a wide array of local and international food prod ucts; and the W Department Store, where one can find fashion brands for less for the entire family.

Christmas perks are in store for online shoppers using the Grocery Delivery site, www.waltermart.

com Use promo code: WMLOVES MUNTINLUPA

and get free delivery with min. purchase of P2000, valid for mul tiple uses until December 15.

Whether you want to treat your self or simply want to share ear ly Christmas shopping with your friends and family, W.Mall an swers this need with our wide se lection of food choices, services, and wellness stores like Abenson, Mr. DIY, Sam sung, Watsons, KFC, Chatime, Famous Bel gian Waffle, Dunkin Donuts, Rulls, Japan Home, Focus Richman, and more to come! W.Mall Muntinlupa is located at KM 21 West Service Road, Brgy. Su cat, Muntinlupa City, Metro Ma nila and opens from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.

opens

branch

Strategically located along Blumentritt Road – a ma jor road in Manila – Merzci’s newest branch is located at 1637-1639 Blumentritt, Corner Oroquieta Streets, Sta. Cruz, Manila.

This

Macbeth’s 20-band lineup music festival give audiences a back-to-back experience

Macbeth’s recent collection takes center stage at the ‘Macbeth Music Festival: The 20th Anniversary Show’

The opening of the Blumentritt branch with online personality Kimpoy Feliciano (second from right)

Sharing honors with the ribbon cutting ceremony at the opening of the second W.Mall in Muntinlupa branch are W.Mall executives with Muntinlupa

Vice Mayor Temy Simundac, Engr. Allan Cachuela, Muntinlupa City Admin & representative for Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon, and Rev. Fr. Carmelo Estores from Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.

BRIA

OPM icon Rico Blanco

Speaker FMR inspires 19th Congress toward inclusive, swift legislative agenda

By Peter Paul Duran

NUMEROUS political giants have served in the House of Representatives since its first speaker, the late great Sergio Osmeña, took the gavel in 1907.

Since then, the Speakership has seen the ascendency of what many consider as titans in Philippine politics, which include three Presidents of the Republic and an innumerable number of public servants immortalized by their public service legacy.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the fourthhighest official in Philippine government.

He presides over meetings; rules on all orderly matters, subject to appeal by any member; signs all acts, resolutions, memorials, writs, warrants, and subpoenas issued by or on the directive of the House; appoints, suspends, dismisses, or otherwise disciplines members of the House; and performs administrative duties.

At the start of each Congress, the Speaker is chosen by a vote of a majority of the members.

Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is now the 24th Speaker of the House after being elected during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address on July 25, 2022.

Building consensus and working hard are the keys to Speaker FMR’s leadership success. Coming from a Majority Floor Leader role in the 18th Congress, he is known to stay out of the limelight and work hard behind the scenes, preferring quiet consultation over the cacophony and brightness of the rostrum.

This is unusual for a public servant who comes from the same family as the 10th Speaker of the House of Representatives—Daniel

Z. Romualdez—but it is what he does, and it is who he is.

Speaker Romualdez is an experienced lawmaker who has been in Congress for more than a decade. He served three terms as Leyte 1st district representative from 2007 to 2016 before returning to serve his constituents in 2019. He served as Majority Leader just as the call for sweeping measures was made to stem the effects of a global COVID-19 pandemic.

He played a key role in enabling the swift enactment of the COVID-19 Vaccination Act of 2021 and the Malasakit Centers Act, as well as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).

He shepherded the Committee system into crafting a record number of policy reforms, the filing of 1,463 Committee Reports, and the approval by the House of some 1,213 measures, 197 of which were enacted into law.

He also served as the chairperson of the Defeat COVID-19 Ad Hoc Committee (DCC), which worked tirelessly to consult stakeholders and develop strategies for reducing the pandemic’s dire effects.

He has a proven and untarnished track record as a lawmaker and is now quickly turning the 311 members of the lower chamber into a united, cohesive, and powerful legislative force.

During the first regular session of the House of Representatives, Romualdez laid out the achievements of the 19th Congress,

highlighted by the breakneck pace at which pro-people measures were passed.

This, we surmise, is the kind of leadership he brings and what makes Speaker FMR different from those who came before him: swift and efficient governance in which every Filipino is included in all development agenda.

No one gets left behind, regardless of political affiliation.

More than 400 bills and resolutions were acted upon in record time. This is the equivalent of 19 measures per day in only 23 session days since

Romualdez assumed the post in July up to the last day of the first regular session on September 28, 2022.

The most important of these measures, no doubt, would be the expeditious though grueling passage of the P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget on third and final reading.

“Compared to the previous congresses, we had less calendar days prior to the first adjournment. Yet, in that period, a greater number of measures—totaling 5,696 – were

filed by our members, showing clear passion and dedication to their constituents and their advocacies,” said Romualdez who also serves as LakasChristian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party president.

In his address to the Lower House during the opening of HRep Month 2022, Romualdez vowed to be willing and eager to hear the concerns of each and every House member, be it a solon or congressional staff with regard to employees’ issues and concerns.

“You will have a listening Speaker, who is willing to hear you out,” he said.

Romualdez has been known as a generous purveyor of legislative knowledge, guiding his wife and Tingog Sinirangan Party-list Representative Yedda Marie Romualdez during her first term as congresswoman while honing his nephew, now 1st District of Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, to the charismatic solon he is today.

With Speaker FMR at the helm of the House of Representatives, it’s no surprise that the legislative agenda of the President is in good hands.

With his leadership style, a movement has been ignited in the lower chamber– all members knowing their roles to create a united House focused on hammering out key measures for all Filipinos.

Before the House adjourned its session for the first recess of Congress, Romualdez summed it up clearly.

“Our mission from Day One is clear: Help resuscitate the pandemic-battered economy and make economic transformation the main engine to uplift the lives of the Filipino people.”

A look back at the history of the House of Representatives

THE functions of the House of Representatives, one of two chambers that make up the Congress of the Philippines, serve as the best illustration of representative democracy. Its operations and organizational framework influence and determine the level of democracy in the nation.

Authors of the 1987 Philippine Constitution anticipated that the legislative body would adhere to the greatest standards of political representation.

The Constitution, which allows for the direct election of members to both Houses, reflects

The House Members, who represent their citizens directly and forcefully in the legislative and oversight facets of government, are

chosen from predetermined geographic areas (legislative districts) and via a party-list system.

The House of Representatives’ makeup is crucial to advancing the interests of the Filipino

people, who have diverse socioeconomic, political, and cultural backgrounds, and is thus ingrained in the process of establishing national policy.

In doing so, the framework for a development plan that authentically responds to the aspirations and needs of the Filipino people is created.

The House of Representatives is a steadfast force that infuses the will and interests of the people into the spirit of every law passed, serving as a beacon of democracy through the years.

this dedication to representational democracy.

Peter Paul Duran, Arriane Mae Bobadilla and Charles Laureta

“ He has a proven and untarnished track record as a lawmaker and is now quickly turning the 311 members of the lower chamber into a united, cohesive, and powerful legislative force ”

Ferdinand Martin Romualdez Speaker of the House

The Deputy Speakers: Fulfilling valuable roles in the House

By Patricia taculao

FOR the 19th Congress, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has nine Deputy Speakers ready to take over whenever the need arises.

Deputy Speakers assume the responsibilities of the Speaker when so chosen by a majority vote or by lot among themselves. The circumstances apply during the Speaker’s absence or temporary incapacity until the Speaker returns to the office and resumes work.

Monitoring, coordinating, and facilitating action on filed measures, requests, and other concerns of members representing constituencies assigned by the Speaker also fall upon the responsibilities of the Deputy Speakers.

Another unique power Deputy Speakers have is providing the Speaker with suggestions on the appropriate policies, strategies, and programs to improve the process of legislation and the quality of legislative measures. They can also put forward options that can effectively address lawmakers’ concerns on matters affecting them, their constituencies, and the overall operations and integrity of the House.

The nine Deputy Speakers for the 19th Congress, composed of three women and six men, all strive to further the interests of their districts and the country as a whole.

REP. GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

Heading the list is Senior Deputy Speaker and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In the 19th Congress, she was the principal author of 20 bills that focused on the environment, women empowerment, government, and health, among others.

Macapagal-Arroyo, who represents the second congressional district of Pampanga, also served as House Speaker during the 18th Congress under the Duterte administration.

“The senior deputy speaker position was created by members of the 19th Congress... The senior deputy speaker’s duties may also be summed up as: ‘Assumes the duties and powers of the Speaker when he is absent or incapacitated,’” she said.

“In my case, I have presided over some sessions that deliberated on the General Appropriations Act. Our deputy speaker/s organizational structure is designed to facilitate the work of the House of Representatives, to help ensure that the agenda of Speaker Martin Romualdez to support the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is carried out as smoothly, as efficiently, and as speedily as possible,” she added.

REP. ISIDRO T. UNGAB

Coming from the King City of the South, Deputy Speaker Isidro T. Ungab belongs to the Hugpong Ng Pagbabago (HNP), a regional party from Davao.

Ungab, who worked as a banker before joining politics, was described by HNP as “an experienced lawmaker” and is the only one to hold the chairmanships of both the ways and means and appropriations committees in the 18th Congress.

In the 19th Congress, Ungab was principal author of two bills and coauthored seven others revolving around health, modernization, and education, among other sectors.

REP. ROBERTO V. PUNO

As the representative of the First District of Antipolo, Roberto Puno has become a trusted name among his constituents for several years.

He served as district representative from 2007 to 2016 and again in 2019. With his service throughout the years, the people trusted him again to be their representative for the 19th Congress.

Puno principally authored five bills and

co-authored one on several measures meant to benefit Antipolo and its population.

REP. KRISTINE SINGSON-MEEHAN

Kristine Singson-Meehan of the second district of Ilocos Sur represents women empowerment in the Lower House. Since the beginning of the 19th Congress, she principally authored 30 bills and jumped on 69 others that focused on local and national interests.

She founded the district-wide PUSO TI KABABAIHAN organization that aims to provide livelihood programs, training, outreach services, and socialization for and by women.

As a wife and mother of four, SingsonMeehan also recognizes the value of education in raising children. She initiated the PUSO TI AGTUTUBO, a school-based youth organization meant to form and mold them to become servant leaders, community entrepreneurs, and catalysts for change. She’s also working towards establishing a similar organization for farmers, the PUSO TI MANNALON.

REP. CAMILLE A. VILLAR

Being the daughter of two seasoned public servants, it was inevitable that Camille Villar heard a similar calling. In 2019, she ran and won as representative of the lone district of Las Piñas.

She crafted her identity as a public

servant dedicated to improving education, especially for the youth and women, fortifying entrepreneurship and supporting small and medium enterprises as efficient tools in eradicating poverty. She also has 11 principally authored bills throughout the 19th Congress.

Villar is also a successful entrepreneur as the President and CEO of Villar Group’s AllValue. She also steered AllHome to become the fastest-growing full-line home center in the Philippines.

REP. RAYMOND DEMOCRITO C. MENDOZA

Giving a voice to the labor, workers of the Philippines and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines party-list is Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza. Born in Cebu City in 1962, Mendoza became passionate about the labor movement at a young age. His father, Democrito T. Mendoza, founder of TUCP, introduced him to workers’ struggles.

Mendoza is also no stranger to working within Congress. He became TUCP’s representative in the 14th, 15th, and 16th Congresses of the Philippines. In the 19th Congress, he authored 14 bills focusing on the welfare of Filipino workers.

REP. RALPH G. RECTO

Another veteran in the Philippine political

landscape is Ralph Recto. Before becoming Deputy Speaker for the 19th Congress, he was Senate President Pro Tempore for the 16th, 17th, and 18th Congresses.

Throughout the 19th Congress, Recto remained busy by authoring 115 bills on the economy, worker welfare, and agriculture, among others. He also co-authored 49 other measures that focus on modernization and security.

REP. AURELIO “DONG” D. GONZALES JR.

Joining the list of Deputy Speakers is Aurelio “Dong” D. Gonzales Jr., the congressman of the third district of Pampanga. Before running for Congress, Gonzales Jr. was a board member for the same district.

Gonzales authored 38 bills in the 19th Congress, some of which highlighted the welfare of Filipino workers and farmers.

REP. VINCENT FRANCO “DUKE” D. FRASCO

There’s more to Vincent Franco “Duke” D. Frasco than just being the current congressman of the fifth district of Cebu. He’s the “new blood’ that ended a 70-year representation of a well-entrenched political family in the province.

Frasco currently has 21 principally authored bills during the 19th Congress.

Rep. Ralph G. Recto Batangas, 6th District

Rep. Aurelio ‘Dong’ Jr. D. Gonzales Pampanga, 3rd District

Rep. Vincent Franco ‘Duke’ D. Frasco Cebu, 5th District

Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan Ilocos Sur, 2nd District

Rep. Camille A. Villar Las Piñas City, Lone District

Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza Party-list - TUCP

Rep. Isidro T. Ungab Davao City, 3rd District

Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Pampanga, 2nd District

Rep Roberto V. Puno Antipolo City, 1st District

The Majority and Minority: United as one

By Patricia taculao

THE House of Representatives has 311 members from districts across the Philippines and party-list groups for its 19th Congress. These lawmakers vied for a seat in public service to ably represent their respective districts or sectors. But with several voices in the mix, the challenge lies in bringing forth the voices they represent.

Here’s where the Majority and Minority blocs come in. Both groups, composed of different lawmakers, elect a leader to speak on their behalf during Congress sessions. They enable, ideally, a smoother process within the House of Representatives to best highlight the concerns of almost every member.

MEETING THE MAJORITY BLOC AND ITS LEADER

Among the 311 lawmakers in the 19th Congress, 268 are members of the Majority Bloc. These include members of the following political parties: Lakas–CMD (66), PDP–Laban (41), Nacionalista (37), NUP (36), NPC (34), Party-list Coalition (28), Liberal (5), local parties (8), PFP (2), PRP (2), Aksyon (1), CDP (1), LDP (1), PDDS (1), and UNA (1), as well as independent representatives (5).

Together, they elected Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe as their Majority Leader. The decision was arrived after a caucus of the bloc. Aside from being the spokesman for the Majority bloc, Dalipe also directs the deliberations on the floor.

In the present setup of the House, the Majority Leader is concurrently the chairman of the Committee on Rules. He deals with matters relevant to the Rules of the House, particularly the calendar of bills, preparing the Order of Business, and the Calendar of Business.

Dalipe, 48, ran and won his third term in Congress under the Lakas-CMD party led by Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio. He previously served as a City Councilor in Zamboanga from 1998 to 2007 and Vice Mayor from 2007 to 2010. He later ran for a position in Congress in 2016.

These lawmakers vied for a seat in public service to ably represent their respective districts or sectors. But with several voices in the mix, the challenge lies in bringing forth the voices they represent.

He has currently principally authored 35 bills.

As the incumbent House Majority Leader, Dalipe promises that “...under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, various concerns of our distinguished House Members are heard and provided with answers without delay.”

In the absence of Dalipe, Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Araneta Marcos will assume the position as he is the Majority bloc’s Senior Deputy Majority Leader. Should the young Marcos be unavailable to take on the responsibility, 16 Deputy Majority Leaders are ready to take the lead.

Since the House and its groups cannot be left unattended, some of the remaining 27 members of the Majority bloc have also been designated as Assistant Majority Leaders.

THE MINORITY BLOC AND ITS LEADER

Balancing out those in the majority is the Minority bloc, composed of 22 members from the Party-list Coalition (9), Makabayan (3), NUP (2), Nacionalista (2), Liberal (3), Reporma (2), and other local parties (1). They elected Rep. Marcelino C. Libanan as their leader.

The Minority Leader is the acknowledged spokesman of the bloc in the House. He is also an ex-officio member of all standing House Committees.

Libanan was a former Immigration Commissioner during the term of then President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Libanan was also a former lawmaker of Eastern Samar.

In his privileged speech in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), Libanan said the House Minority will be a “deliberative partner, constructive critic, and responsible protagonist.”

Libanan is no stranger to being a member of Congress. He served three terms from 1998 to 2007, specifically the 11th, 12th, and 13th Congresses. He also once served as chairman of the House Committee on Justice.

So far, he has authored 27 bills for the 19th Congress and co-authored two more. And as a member of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Programs (4Ps) partylist, he has called for interventions to help empower Filipino families through education and livelihood opportunities.

Should Libanan be unavailable or incapacitated to fulfill his role, Rep. Paul Daza will assume his position as Senior Deputy Minority Leader. There are currently seven Deputy Minority Leaders and eight Assistant Minority Leaders.

Rep. Manuel Jose 'Mannix' M. Dalipe Majority Leader Zamboanga City, 2nd District

Rep. Marcelino C. Libanan Minority Leader Party-list - 4PS

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez with Deputy Speakers, Majority and Minority Leaders.

The custodians of order

WHAT keeps a house in order?

The House of Representatives requires meticulous individuals to maintain the smooth flow of day-to-day activities since it is such a vital vein in keeping the legislative mill going.

Working on sidelines, these assiduous men and women serve ceaselessly to ensure that our solons only need to think about developmental measures for the betterment of each and every Filipino.

SECRETARY GENERAL

Responsible for carrying out and enforcing House decisions and directions, the Secretary General records all of the meeting notes in a journal.

Additionally, he records all issues of order and the outcomes of those issues. He is also a custodian of all House property and records and other government property located on House premises, and oversees the final printing and delivery of the Records of the House.

The SG also presents all contracts and agreements to the Speaker for his approval, reporting directly to the Speaker and oversees all House employees to ensure they are carrying out their responsibilities in a professional and efficient manner.

Reginald S. Velasco serves as the Secretary General of the 19th Congress.

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

The SGA ensures that the House of Representatives Building Complex is safe and orderly.

Apart from maintaining order in the House, the SGA serves to safeguard the lives of the officers and members of Congress, as well as the staff and visitors of the building, in addition to the properties that are located there.

P/Maj. Gen. Napoleon C. Taas (ret.) now heads the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

All Secretariat functions are overseen by the House of Representatives Executive Committee (ExCom). The Secretary General (SG) is in charge of the organization and acts as its chairman and chief executive officer. The Sergeant-at-Arms (SAA) is also part of the ExCom.

The other members of the ExCom are the DSGs of the various HRep departments, including Administration, Committee Affairs, Congressional Policy and Budget Research, Engineering and Physical Facilities, Finance, Internal Audit, Inter-Parliamentary and Public Affairs, Legal Affairs, and Legislative Information Resources Management.

The Chief of Staff of the Office of the Speaker is a voting member of the Executive Committee.

The ExCom has been successful in assisting the efforts of lawmakers to achieve their constitutional duties despite the enormous hurdles brought to the fore by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The provision of assistance to lawmakers has been and will remain to be the ExCom’s principal objective.

The Bastions of a United House: The House Secretariat

In order for members of the House of Representatives to fulfill their obligations as legislators and as representatives of their constituents, the Secretariat offers them administrative and technical help and support that is appropriate, timely, relevant, and efficient.

The Secretary General serves as the organization’s leader within the Secretariat. In the performance of his obligations and responsibilities, he receives assistance from the following:

1. The Deputy Secretary General for Operations who oversees the: - Plenary Affairs Bureau - Reference and Research Bureau

2. The Deputy Secretary General for Committee Affairs who oversees the: - Committee Affairs Department

3. The Deputy Secretary General for Administration who oversees the: - Administrative Management Bureau

4. The Deputy Secretary General for Finance who oversees the: - Accounting, Budget and Cashiering Services

5. The Deputy Secretary General for Internal Audit who oversees the: - Management Audit Service - Fiscal Control Service

6. The Deputy Secretary General for Engineering and Physical Facilities who oversees the: - Engineering Service - Building and Grounds Maintenance Service

7. The Deputy Secretary General for Legal Affairs who oversees the: - Office of Legal Affairs

8. The Deputy Secretary General for the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department who oversees the: - The Socio-Economic Research Bureau (SERB)

• The Economic Policy Research Service (EPRS)

• The Social Policy Research Service (SPRS) - Budget and Tax Research Bureau (BTRB) • Budget Policy Research Service (BPRS)

• Tax Policy Research Service (TPRS)

9. The Deputy Secretary General for Legislative Information Resources Management who oversees the: - Congressional Library Bureau Archives and Musuem Management Bureau

10. The Deputy Secretary General for the Inter-Parliamentary and Public Affairs Department (IPAD) oversees the: - Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Special Affairs Bureau (IPRSAB) and the - Press and Public Affairs Bureau (PPAB) Peter Paul Duran

Media Affairs and Public Relations Service, Press and Public Affairs Bureau, Inter-Parliamentary and Public Affairs Department and Ver Noveno for the photos

Reginald S. Velasco Secretary General

P/Maj. Gen. Napoleon C. Taas (Ret.) Sergeant-At-Arms