Manila Standard - 2022 October 28 - Friday by Manila Standard

cases

DOH raises scenario toward yearend if gov’t lifts mask use indoors

By Willie Casas

THE number of COVID-19 cases could reach 18,000 a day toward the end of the year if the government makes wearing masks indoors voluntary, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Ro sario Vergeire said this projection was presented during a meeting of the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) last week, where it was decided that the wearing of face masks in indoor areas will be made voluntary.

“According to our projections, our cas es may increase from 2,500 at the lower limit to as high as 18,000 towards No vember and December of this year, if we remove our masks,” she said in Filipino

during a radio interview.

Vergeire said COVID-19 infections are really expected to rise if masks go off be cause the coronavirus is still here and is mutating.

What is important, however, is that the severe and critical cases would be kept at the minimum level, and that hospital utili zation remains manageable, she said.

While the DOH illustrated all potential scenarios to the IATF on Friday, the task force is a collegial body that takes into

DOJ looks at murder on

By Rey E. Requejo, Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE

By Vito Barcelo

THE construction of the Samal Is land-Davao City Connector (SIDC) bridge will help develop the region’s economic potential and bolster ac cess to Davaoeños of social services, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday.

During the groundbreaking cer emony, the President said the 3.98-km Samal Island-Davao City connector was a project under the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program of the Duterte administration,crediting them for the realization of the P23-billion bridge project that will connect Samal Island to Davao.

“I am only fortunate to have been sitting as President when we broke ground for this very important project. This project was formally begun by then-Secretary Mark Villar under the

By Joel E. Zurbano

CONFUSION swirled over the

International

Cesar

Quake hurts

By Willie Casas

DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Thursday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not offer her the agency's top post, which has remained vacant for almost four months now.

"No, honestly. It was not offered. I was asked to be an OIC (officer-in-charge)," Vergeire told ANC's program "Headstart.”

in

By Rio N. Araja

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his reappointment as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

He extended his congratulations to Xi through Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian in his opening remarks during his attendance at the groundbreaking of the Samal IslandDavao City Connector (SIDC) bridge project in Davao City.

“We must extend our congratulations for the successful comeback of the

TROPICAL Storm “Paeng” is forecast to reach severe tropical storm category within 24 hours and may intensify CEMETERY INSPECTION. Manila

Mayor Honey Lacuna (second

from

right)

and Vice

Mayor Yul

Servo (in blue shirt)

inspect

the

Manila North Cemetery

on Thursday in preparation for All Saints Day on October 27

(See

DA: Harvest now before storm hits

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) urged farmers and fishers to conduct early harvest as Tropical Storm Paeng intensified on Thursday.

In an advisory, the DA said matured crops must be harvested to prevent wider agricultural loss as Paeng continued to move west-southwestward (see related story on A1 – Editors).

“The Department is advising farmers to harvest matured crops and utilize postharvest facilities; secure seed reserves, planting materials and other farm inputs, as well as feeds and water for livestock;

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consideration the concerns of all sectors, she said.

Vergeire also called on the public to weigh their risks before removing their masks indoors, considering the still-slow booster uptake in the country.

At least 20.4 million Filipinos out of the 73.4 million fully vaccinated indi viduals have received their booster shots, based on the DOH’s national COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.

“Right now, we highly encourage our citizens to receive boosters, but the uptake is really very slow right now,” she said.

“What we really need to do is to assess our risks when we go out or go to indoor spaces. If you think that there are only a few people there or you think that you are not vulnerable, then very well, you can voluntarily remove your masks,” she said.

Vergeire also emphasized that masks are still required in public transport and in medical facilities.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco disclosed Tuesday that the government is planning to lift the mandatory wearing of masks indoors.

DOJ...

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suspected foul play might have been in volved in the death of Villamor, calling the timing of his death “questionable.”

Villamor was found dead inside the national penitentiary hours after self-con fessed gunman Joel Escorial said someone from the NBP had acted as an intermedi ary and gave the order to have him killed.

"We’re not only talking about one mur der case here. It’s possible the Jun Villa mor case may be a possible murder case too. That’s why we are also investigating

Status...

From A1 office at the MIAA administration building in Pasay City doing his job as the top airport authority official.

As of press time, Malacañang has yet to release Tugade's appointment pa per after naming him as GM and chief executive officer of MIAA. He is the youngest son of former Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade. “He (Chiong) is still working here in the office at this very moment.

He can vacate the office anytime once the general manager’s office of ficially received the appointment paper of the new GM,” an MIAA information

Quake...

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total of 13 individuals injured, 14 health facilities damaged, 35 individuals, and nine families displaced during the earthquake that hit on the night of Oct. 25.

Two health facilities in Ilocos Sur were badly damaged by the earthquake—the isolation intensive care unit of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center and the X-Ray machine of San Nicolas Municipal Health Office, DOH said in a report.

DOH Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco said they are still assessing the cost of damage to all the health facilities in the province.

Confirmed injuries from the latest quake came from the towns of Dingras and Banna in Ilocos Norte, and the towns of Lagayan, Daguioman, San Quintin, Bangued, La Paz, Sallapadan, Pidigan, San Juan, Pilar, and Malibcong in Abra, the NDRRMC said in its 8 a.m. report.

The ages of the injured ranged from 8 to 76 years old, the council’s data showed.

Some 61,000 people or 18,478 families across 3 regions in Luzon were also affected by the quake, with 341 persons displaced from their homes.

The quake damaged 1,821 houses and 125 structures, mostly roads and bridges, with the damage to infrastructure at P52.7 million, the NDRRMC reported.

As of Thursday, the government has extended P207,988.25 worth of assistance to affected residents, the disaster agency said.

The Department of Social Welfare and

relocate animals, farm machinery, and equipment to higher ground,” the DA said.

The department also insisted that ir rigation and rice paddies must not be obstructed to avoid flooding in areas ex pected to be affected.

Likewise, fishers were also advised to secure their harvest and the safety of their fishing vessels.

“Fisherfolk are advised to perform

Unvaccinated individuals, persons with comorbidities, and older people are still "highly encouraged" to wear masks, she said of the plan.

The Philippines is also set to waive other health protocols for travelers, includ ing the requirement of presenting negative RT-PCR test results upon arrival, Frasco added.

Since the pandemic began, the country has recorded 3.99 million COVID-19 in fections, of which 21,215 were considered active cases as of Thursday.

The tally includes 63,921 fatalities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to issue an executive order that Frasco said he would.

Vergeire urged the public to get their booster shots.

"Now that we are easing our restric tions, one of the major things that can pro tect us would be the vaccines," she said.

On Thursday, the head of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) added its voice to the chorus of medical experts who said relaxing mask mandates indoors was premature, saying this would give the public the wrong no tion that the pandemic was over.

Pending the release of the President’s executive order, PHAPIpresident Dr. Jose

that. It’s our obligation to do that," Re mulla said.

Initial autopsy findings made by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) released Saturday showed “no apparent sign of external physical injury” on Vil lamor's body.

The Bureau of Corrections also said its health service unit did not find evidence of foul play on Villamor's death.

But a second autopsy requested by Ma basa’s family is being conducted by top forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun.

“She will come up with a written report by Friday,” Remulla said.

Remulla also clarified that suspended

officer, who asked he not be named, told Manila Standard.

Chiong, a 33-year veteran of the aviation industry, took over as GM of the airport authority – which supervises the overall operations of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the county’s pre mier international gateway—just last August 1.

In July, the reported appointment of Leoncio Nakpil replacing then-MI AA general manager Eddie Monreal caused confusion, as airport personnel demanded clarifications from govern ment officials.

Palace officials made the announce ment a few days later, saying Chiong was the one appointed to the top post in MIAA.

Development (DSWD) also provided food packs, tents, and financial aid, while stating it has enough funds to support calamitystricken areas until the end of 2022.

DSWD Undersecretary Eduardo Punay said at a public briefing the agencyhad P1.4 billion available in standby funds and P450 million more in standby funds at its central office and field agency.

The department has also provided P5,000 worth of financial aid to the seven people in Abra who were injured during the earthquake.

A total of 236 family food packs worth P160,000 were distributed to the affected households in Abra, and modular tents were also provided, according to Punay.

Most of those affected are still afraid to return to their homes and have set up tents as temporary shelters.

In Lagayan, Abra, cracks were seen at the Pulot National High Schoolbuilding because of the shaking.

Various equipment and objects inside classrooms and offices were toppled over.

"We had a room in there with old laptops that toppled like dominoes.

The walls and the posts were destroyed. It's no longer safe to use,"

Esterio Apolinar, principal of the school, told AFP.

The newly-constructed Lagayan Municipal Hall also suffered damage.

Sydiongco said those injured are being properly treated and managed by healthcare workers in various hospitals. Macon Ramos-Araneta (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

early harvest and mobilize post-harvest equipment and facilities; secure fishing vessels in the higher ground, and dismiss sea travel as potentially rough conditions prevail over affected seaboards,” it added.

In the DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center’s first bulletin, more than a million hectares of standing crops in seven regions may be possibly affected.

“Based on the combined data of Re gions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V, and CAR, the area of standing crops that may be af fected by TS "PAENG” totals 1,051,518 hectares (70.59 percent of the national standing crops) for rice and 64,336 hect

de Grano said the voluntary use of face masks indoors may result in the public be ing complacent against the still-prevalent COVID-19.

“For us, we think it's premature. It might give the impression that we are al ready free and that because it's voluntary, people may think that COVID-19 is gone,” he said in Filipino in a TV interview.

“But in reality, the number of cases is still high. We still have 20,000 plus active cases, and more than 1,000 to 2,000 daily cases,” he said.

De Grano said the country is still not ready to ease face mask mandates na tionwide, but since the President already decided on the matter, people should just decide for themselves whether it would be good to take off their masks.

He called for continued adherence to the minimum public health standards, par ticularly the wearing of face mask indoors and outdoors.

The DOH has maintained people will be more protected against COVID-19 if they use more layers of protection such as masking, vaccination, physical distancing, proper ventilation, sanitation, and taking care of their health.

The DOH on Thursday logged 1,379 new registered COVID-19 cases, while

BuCor chief Gerald Bantag is not being singled out amid the investigation to un mask the mastermind in Mabasa’s killing.

"No one has been singled out here, there are too many persons ofinterest, I don't know where that thing came from," Remulla said.

The PNP previously said Bantag, who was placed on preventive suspension due to the mysterious death of Villamor, was among the 160 persons of interest in the case.

"Whatever it is, we're trying to be fair, w e're trying to be balanced, we're trying to be clear, thorough, we're not biased here. We just want the truth to come out. We just

Vergeire...

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Vergeire also admitted having reserva tions about taking the top post.

"I was able to explain to them also my reservations and he (Mr. Marcos) just said, just continue to do the work and then we will discuss further," she said.

Meanwhile, in a radio interview, Vergeire said she supported the appointment of for mer Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Camilo Cascolan as undersecretary of the agency, saying he is “very qualified” for the job based on his credentials.

Cascolan’s appointment has been met with criticism, with the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) and ACT Teacher's par ty-list Rep. France Castro saying it was an insult to experts who are more qualified for the position.

Vergeire is a career official who has been with the agency for nearly three de cades.

She noted that a DOH chief could only serve for up to six years.

“By the time I finish the six years, I’d still have years left to serve, and I want to still serve, of course, until I retire,” she said.

Marcos...

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Communist Party Conference just concluded,” Mr. Marcos told Huang.

“We look forward to building upon the directions that President Xi Jinping has given to the People’s Republic of China in partnership with the Philippines. We look forward to continuing, to strengthen, and to bring closer our two countries,” he added.

In his speech, Mr. Marcos also thanked China for being a “dependable partner” in the Philippines’ infrastructure development program.

“This is not the only project that we had depended upon the concessional loans and even grants from the government of the People’s Republic of China, and it is clear to see the benefits that those projects bring to our people, to our economy, and to the Philippines,” he said.

Meanwhile, Huang reiterated China’s commitment to strengthening tieswith the Philippines as close neighbors and partners.

ares (26.64 percent of the national stand ing crops) for corn,” it said.

Furthermore, the DA vowed to con tinuously monitor information from PA GASA and release situation reports on agriculture.

Paeng was last estimated 540 kilo meters east of Borongan City in Eastern Samar, moving west-northwestward at 10 kph.

The DA has been monitoring damage assessments following previous tropical cyclones Maymay and Neneng.

It has recorded over PHP594 million worth of loss in agriculture, affecting 22,437 farmers and fishers so far.

the number of active infections dropped to 21,215.

The new daily tally is an increase from the 1,121 new cases recorded on Wednes day, but the total of active cases decreased by 110 from 21,325.

The DOH said the new cases also increased the country’s caseload to 3,999,226.

The National Capital Region (NCR) logged the most cases in the recent two weeks with 6,290 cases reported, followed by Calabarzon with 3,569, Central Luzon with 2,130, Western Visayas with 1,674, and Davao Region with 1,263.

At least 1,357 new patients recovered bringing the recovery tally to 3,914,090, according to the DOH.

From Oct. 17 to 23, the Philippines recorded an average of 1,714 daily infec tions, which is 22 percent lower compared to the previous week.

That was the lowest number of weekly cases in 15 weeks, or since July 4 to 10 when the DOH logged 10,133 infections.

That was also the ninth straight week with weekly cases below 20,000.

Of the new infections during that week, 4 or 0.04 percent were severe and critical cases, according to DOH's latest bulletin.

want the truth to come out," he added.

Just like the President, he also wanted to unmask the mastermind, he said.

Bantag has said what happened to him was not just a mere preventive suspension but a move to remove him from his post.

He said this could be the handiwork of those affected by a “cleansing” process he initiated at BuCor.

Remulla said the authorities are also having difficulty tracking the whereabouts of the three other suspects mentioned by Escorial, namely brothers Israel and Ed mon Dimaculangan, and one alias Orly or Orlando. (See full story online at manil astandard.net)

“But as I always say, if I am here for service, we set aside reasons like this... We will see the decision of our President in the coming months or days,” she said.

Vergeire said as officer-in-charge, her banner program, aside from managing the pandemic, is providing primary health care to marginalized sectors.

Iloilo First District Rep. and former Health Secretary Janette Garin recently said many doctors have been offered the position of DOH chief but have declined.

The reasons they cited included not wanting to give up their practice and the fear of possibly facing legal cases due to the pro curement process in the agency, she said.

Mr. Marcos said last week that he would name a Health secretary once the country's COVID-19 situation normalizes.

Cascolan has defended himself, say ing his expertise in emergency response would play a role in “bringing health clos er to the people.”

The President on Wednesday said the former police chief will have administra tive functions at DOH and will not look at health issues.

Vergeire said Cascolan’s assignment in the DOH will be announced in the coming days, after they determine which role suits him most based on his credentials.

“In China’s journey towards China’s modernization, we are willing to work hand in hand with the Philippines for mutual benefit and common development,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that the bridge project would not only provide a livelihood to locals and serve as a landmark to the region of Davao but also signify a new milestone in the ChinaPhilippine friendship.

On Oct. 23, the CPC Central Committee elected Xi as its general secretary for another five-year term.

Xi is poised to clinch his third five-year term, which makes him the country's most powerful ruler since founding leader Mao Zedong.

Last June 13, Huang exchanged with then Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III the signed Framework Agreement and Loan Agreementbetween the Philippines and China for a loan grant worth $350 million or P18.67 billion for the bridge project.

The Chinese loan will cover 90 percent of the project’s P23.039-billion cost. Vito Barcelo

Country’s ports ready for ‘Undas’ influx, DoTr vows

The country’s airports, land terminals, sea ports, and train systems are ready for the expected influx of passengers during All Saints’ Day or ‘Undas,’ an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday.

Jonathan Gesmundo, executive as sistant to the DOTr Secretary, expressed confidence that the exodus of passengers to the provinces will be smooth, with DOTr help desks to be activated during this period.

“We have prepared airports, bus termi nals, seaports, train stations—they now have a full complement of personnel— and we’re expecting to be able to provide assistance,” Gesmundo said in a Laging Handa briefing.

All airports, he said, will begin full de ployment beginning Friday until Nov. 3.

He said all airports have also been in spected to ensure a smooth experience for passengers.

“We’re not seeing anything else we should get ready for because we have pre pared for the return of the previous num ber of passengers before the pandemic,” he said.

Before the pandemic, he said air pas sengers reached four million in 2019, with this year’s ridership expected to increase by 10 percent. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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Duterte administration,” Mr. Marcos said.

“So, the previous administration had already been working on this project for four years before we arrived at this day,” he said.

The President led the lowering of the time capsule to signal the start of the bridge construction.

“We credit this project to all the peo ple, both past and present, who have worked very hard to realize this grand infrastructure for it is through the efforts of very many people working very, very hard and their compounded efforts that we will soon harvest fruits that will benefit all,” he added.

“Once completed, this bridge will help us develop the economic potential of Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, as well as enhance its residents’ access to employment, education, and othersocial services,” Mr. Marcos said.

Marcos expressed his gratitude to the government of the People’s Republic of China for being an “active member and have always been a dependable partner” in this infrastructure program.

“This bridge is a testament to the strong and ever-growing foundation of the bilateral relations and economic co operation between us,” the President said.

The Chief Executive said the bridge, once operational, could accommodate up to 25,000 vehicles daily and reduce travel time between Samal and Davao City from 50 minutes via ferry to just 4.5 minutes.

The four-lane bridge project, which has an estimated total cost of P23.04 billion, has a length of 3.98 kilometers, includ ing ramps in Davao City, and a 24-meterwide grade road and roundabout in Samal Circumferential Road.

‘Paeng’...

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intensification in the next 72 hours is not ruled out,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said.

“Paeng” is forecast to track generally west northwestward over the Philippine Sea through Sunday, while moving towards the central or northern portion of Luzon.

More areas in Luzon and Visayas are now under Signal No. 1 as the storm maintained its strength while slowly moving southwestward.

Classes on Friday have been suspended in some areas due to the expected effects of the tropical storm.

Camarines Sur including Naga City declared all levels, in public and private schools, suspended, as well as Quezon Province except Lucena City.

Gandara, Samar declared elementary and secondary levels in both public and private school suspended.

In its 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, PAGASA said Signal No. 1 was raised in Luzon over the eastern portion of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate including Ticao Island and Burias Island.

In the Visayas, the signal was also up over Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar Province, Biliran, and the northern portion of Leyte.

These areas have strong winds prevailing or expected within 36 hours, which may cause a minimal to minor threat to life and property, PAGASA said.

On the forecast track, it may pass close to Catanduanes on Saturday and a landfall scenario is possible on Sunday within any of the coastal areas along the eastern portions of Central Luzon or mainland Cagayan Valley. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Newsmst.daydesk@gmail.com A2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

IN BRIEF

Lawmaker pushes for virology agency

DEPUTY Speaker and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar on Thursday pushed for the creation of a virology agency that would forge new paths for a pandemic-resilient Philippines.

In filing House Bill 5683 or the pro posed Virology Institute of the Philip pines Act of 2022, Villar said she hopes that “systems can change to better han dle future public health emergencies.”

“Once enacted into law, this legisla tion will better equip the country with mechanisms and methods in dealing with another possible pandemic that could potentially wreak havoc into the lives and livelihood of people,” the lawmaker stated. Maricel V. Cruz

Cayetano says ex-drug users can be teachers

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano has encouraged rehabilitated drug users to become “witnesses and teachers” against substance abuse.

He noted that they have valuable lessons to teach the youth about how to avoid falling into addiction.

The senator and his wife Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, together with Taguig 1st District Rep. Ricardo “Ad ing” Cruz, came to the drug treatment facility in the city’s Bicutan district to distribute food and hygiene packs to patients. Macon Ramos-Araneta

PCUP conducts seminar for urban poor in Cavite

ALONG with the Cooperative De velopment Authority, the Presiden tial Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) has successfully conducted a cooperative pre-membership semi nar for members of an urban poor community organization in two vil lages in Kawit, Cavite.

Rosemarie Makimkim, Project De velopment and Resource Mobilization Unit chief, said the seminar was initi ated in line with the PCUP’s mandate of providing livelihood opportunities to the country’s marginalized and underprivi leged sector through the organization of urban poor groups into cooperatives for a better chance of improving their lives.

Ismael Fambula, CDA cooperative development officer, spearheaded the conduct of the seminar that par ticipated in by 27 representatives of the Kawit Community Urban Poor from barangays Aplaya and Mag dalo Putol, led by their overall presi dent Jessie Florendo. Rio N. Araja

Senators meet with French executives

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Philippine Senate delegates led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri discussed potential opportu nities and areas of economic coop eration during a meeting with private sector leaders and French-Southeast Asian Friendship group In France.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said lawmakers tackled topics from energy and transportation sectors and explore possible opportunities for in vestments in the Philippines.

The senator said that the meetings also serve to provide an opportunity to discuss potential avenues of collab oration between the Philippines and France in key industries.

“It is my hope that through these discussions, we will be able to identi fy potential areas in which the Philip pines and France could collaborate for the benefit of both countries, particu larly in the fields of energy, defense, and transportation,” Go said.

TRAMO BRIDGE BLESSING.

Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman Luistro led the blessing and inauguration of the newlyconstructed Tramo bridge. This infrastructure project will connect San Roque, Sto. Cristo to Tagas and neighboring barangays.

PBBM launches ‘Green Revolution’ food program

By Vito Barcelo

THE Marcos administration has launched a new initiative that would increase the production and supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, as part of efforts to help the country achieve food security.

In a statement, Malacanang said that the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), launched the Green Revolution 2.0: Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement (Luntiang Ani ng Mamayan) at the Rizal Park in Manila.

The Green Revolution 2.0 is an initia tive that seeks to improve the nutrition of Filipinos by increasing the production and supply of fresh fruits and vegetables in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas.

It aims to encourage every Filipino to plant vegetables in their homes to help ease the burden of the country’s food sys tem and supply chain, the Palace said. The DA, in a release, said the project aims to turn communities into patches of green edible landscapes through the establishment of vegetable gardens. During the kick-off ceremony, a ceremonial planting of “ampatola” or grafted ampalaya, scion, patola, and rootstock was held. The DA will set up

provincial production centers that will serve as consolidation areas for pro ducers and consumers to ensure the sustainability of the program.

More communities meanwhile will be expected to maintain their own veg etable gardens under the new program.

Under the program, Filipino are en couraged to plant vegetables in their homes to help ease the burden of the country’s food system and supply chain.

Planting vegetable gardens is ex pected to increase the production and supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, as part of efforts to help the country achieve food security.

The DA will set up provincial produc tion centers that will serve as consolidation areas for producers and consumers to en sure the sustainability of the program.

CYBER defense and geopolitical experts urged the government to close ranks with the private sector and collaborate with state allies in fighting cybercrimes.

In the forum held recently on the es tablishment of a strong and credible cy ber defense posture in the Philippines hosted by the Stratbase Albert del Ro sario Institute in partnership with the US Embassy in the Philippines, former director of the United States National Security Agency’s Threats Operations Center Dan Ennis said government and private sector partnership is key in fighting cybercrimes.

“The biggest strategy you can do, from my perspective, to defeat cybercrime is by sector, by entity, by company, by gov ernment agency, by wherever you sit. Set a set of priorities that you will focus on and then communicate those priorities again and again and again. They may change over time, but that communica tion will do a lot of good, both in helping defend and helping our public gain con fidence that we know what we’re doing both in the government and in the private sector,” he said.

Ennis believes cyber threats will continue to evolve as seen in recent developments.

“I think our citizenry are going to begin to challenge us both in the pub lic and private sphere with how we respond to cyber. At some point, our citizenry, our public, as they get more educated and as we attempt to fully educate them, is going to demand so lutions. It’s an area that we need to be conscious of,” Ennis added.

Similarly, the Department of Infor mation and Communications Tech nology said it is also pursuing pub lic-private partnerships to secure the cyberspace amid budget cuts in 2023.

‘Coconut authority needs to boost production as palm prices rise’

By Maricel V. Cruz

Salceda, vice chair of the House com mittee on agriculture and food, said that as palm oil prices rise, the country’s co conut oil could become a viable “substi tute good,” and could thus see increased demand globally, if marketed well.

“Coconut is the country’s top agri ex port. We are the world’s best in coconut

production. So this is a super crop for us. And the opportunity is presenting itself,” Salceda said.

January futures prices of palm oil are already up around 20 percent this month, while the typical drop in output during the rainy season is expected to be even sharper in Malaysia and Indo

nesia this year due to La Nina.

Inventories in Indonesia are also down, to 4.04 million tons by the end of August, compared to 5.91 million tons a month earlier and 6.69 million tons in end-June, according to esti mates by the Indonesian Palm Oil As sociation (GAPKI).

Gatchalian: PNOC is in quagmire

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Win Gatchalian said the De partment of Energy (DOE) should put the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) and its subsidiaries in order and set guidance for the state-owned company amid the ineffective perfor mance of its mandate.

Gatchalian, the chair of the senate en ergy committee, said PNOC companies are stuck in a quagmire.

For instance, he said PNOC Renewa bles Corp. (PNOC RC) has incurred P380 million in losses since 2013 while PNOC-Exploration Corp. (PNOCEC).

Similarly, he said PNOC’S targeted fuel relief program (TFRP), which aims

to aid the most vulnerable fuel-con suming sectors during periods of fuel supply disruption or high volatility in prices, has been rendered useless by the Pantawid Pasada Program.

He noted that this is similar to PNOC’s strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) which has been put on hold like the TFRP.

The SPR was conceptualized as a strategic oil stockpile to ensure longterm stability and security of the oil supply in the country.

Further, PNOC’s energy supply base (ESB) project, intended to provide world-class energy supply base port facilities, has not been carried out suc cessfully many years after its inception, according to Gatchalian.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 A3News

‘Gov’t needs private sector vs. cybercrimes’

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda has called on the Philippine Co conut Authority to “seize on the opportunity” to boost coconut oil pro duction and marketing as global spot prices of palm oil are seen to go upward. BURIAL MARCH. Public school teachers belonging to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers dramatize a burial march to Mendiola Bridge in Manila on Thursday to depict how the government has killed and buried their demands for the safe reopening of classes, salary increase, humane working conditions, and education recovery. Danny Pata

CEMETERY INSPECTION. Mayor Francis Zamora with other city officials led the inspection of the San Juan City Cemetery before the public is allowed to visit deceased loved ones in time for this year’s commemoration of “Undas.”

Manny Palmero

Norman Cruz

PBBM eyes 6.5m homes by 2028

By Vito Barcelo and Rio N. Araja

PRESIDENT Marcos has called on government financial institutions and the private banks to establish a system that would enable his administration to meet the estimated 6.5 million housing backlog by the end of his term in 2028.

The President made the call as the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD) sought P1.2 trillion to fund the construction of one million houses every year, or six million in six years.

The Chief Executive on Thursday met with major banking industry play ers, along with housing Secretary Jose

SC acquits Yap, Lorenzo in P46m fertilizer scandal

THE Supreme Court (SC) has once more upheld the doctrine of “justice delayed is justice denied.”

This was manifested in a ruling by the High Tribunal dismissing the five counts of graft leveled against former Agriculture Secretary Luis Ramon Lorenzo and former National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Ar thur Yap arising from alleged irregu lar purchases of P46.l45 million worth of fertilizers in 2003.

In its decision dated September 14 but released only last October 21, the SC upheld the petition of Lorenzo and Yap to dismiss the cases against them for what they described as “inordinate delay in the investigation of their cases on the part of the Office of the Om budsman.”

The SC ruled that the Sandigan bayan committed abused of discre tion when it denied the respondents’ motion to quash the charges, citing the prosecutions’ failure to justify the “delay in the termination of the pre liminary investigation.”

“Consequently, the cases against petitioners before the Sandiganbayan should be dismissed for violation of petitioners’ right to speedy disposition of cases,” the SC noted.

The complaints against Lorenzo and Yap stemmed from the alleged irregularities in the procurement of fertilizer under the Ginintuang Masa ganang Ani Rice Program from the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corp. (Philphos) for supposed distribution to several regions in Luzon.

Acuzar, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Felipe Medalla, and heads of the Bureau of Treasury, the Pag-IBIG, the Government Service Insurance System, the Philippine National Bank, and the Land Bank of the Philippines to tackle the government’s housing program over the next six years.

Representatives of the Banco de Oro,

the Metropolitan bank, the Union Bank, the Ayala Corporation, and the China Bank expressed their support for the President’s housing program, saying they will help in crafting the financing system to carry it out.

Marcos said a system is needed to find the country’s cash flow that will support the housing program and pro vide incentives to private entities that will take part in the project.

The President also acknowledged the support of the private banking sector in his administration.

“I think we can, there should be suffi cient incentives… an arrangement for the private banks to come in,” Marcos said.

Acuzar expressed optimism that this

can be done by building in-city, mix-use residential hubs to cater to minimumwage earners and middle-class families.

He said his program would need P36 bil lion a year for the next six years in coopera tion with private lending institutions.

The housing program not only seeks to address the housing backlog, but is also vital in tapping the big economic pump-priming potential of the housing industry, Acuzar said.

He said the department has already identified potential areas for the devel opment of settlements and townships.

The banking institutions wanted to thresh out more details, specifically on how they could help and be paid, he said.

Makati cops DOF 2021 revenue collection award

THE Department of Finance (DOF) has recognized Makati City for being one of the top performing local gov ernment units (LGUs) in the country in terms of revenue generation in 2021.

Makati Mayor Abigail Binay received citation from the DOF’s Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) citing her city as one of top two performing LGUs in Metro Manila based on the 2021 highest locally sourced revenues.

The BLGF also acknowledged Makati as a Local Revenue Genera tion Hall of Famer based on the high est locally sourced revenues from 2018 to 2020.

Records showed that the Makati’s revenue collections in 2021 amounted to P13,777,253,256.

Binay attributed the city’s sustained financial stability to strong investor confidence, buoyed by the reforms and smart innovations instituted by the city government over the past six years.

“I would like to take this oppor tunity to thank all of the taxpayers, particularly the business sector, for doing their part despite the pandemic challenges. The business sector has been especially vital to our contin ued success, supporting our residents with jobs and contributing to the lo cal economy through taxes and other fees,” she said.

As of October 26, 2022, the city government has approved the registra tion of 3,875 new businesses this year, which have a combined capital invest ment worth P23.2 billion.

Binay said the city’s strong rev enue generation performance also resulted from the strategic collabora tion among all departments in the city government to create efficient revenue collection systems and processes, as well as effective policies that support these systems.

“I would like to thank the DOFBLGF for these awards. These awards serve as a testament to the hard work and dedication our employees have put in to help the city strive and suc ceed in revenue generation,” she said.

The mayor also said the awards were a recognition of Makati’s inno vative and efficient methods of raising revenue, which she hopes will inspire other local governments in their ef forts to generate more income.

Sandigan

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Sandiganbayan has cleared three officials of the Bataan provincial govern ment of graft charges arising from alleged falsification of documents pertaining to the procurement of a patrol boat in 2006,

The anti-graft court, in a 74-page deci sion, acquitted former provincial agricul turist Imelda Inieto, former supply officer Pedro Baluyot, and former treasury officer Francisco Caparas from charges of falsify

provinces ‘weakest to

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has iden tified 24 provinces considered as the country’s most vulnerable places to the impacts of climate change.

These provinces are Masbate, Sor sogon, Catanduanes, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Negros Oriental, Western Samar, Eastern Sa mar, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte,

Siquijor, Sarangani, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Zam boanga del Norte, Bukidnon, North Co tabato, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Lanao del Sur.

The agency said Task Force Build Back Better (TFBBB) would shift DENR’s efforts from the current dis aster response and recovery to disaster prevention and building climate resil

ing an acceptance and inspection report (AIR) on the questioned patrol boat deal. Inieto was also given a clean bill of health on a charge of falsifying the memorandum receipt of equipment.

The anti-graft court ruled “there is no convincing evidence presented to prove that the patrol boat was not delivered” on the date stated in the AIR and the memorandum.

“A careful reading of the allegations in the informations show that the ac

cused are actually being charged for altering the true dates (in the docu ments)” but under the law, the alteration must affect the veracity of the docu ment or the effects to make an accused liable,” the resolution stated.

Based on the complaint, the respond ents were accused of falsely stating that the patrol boat was delivered on Janu ary 18, 2006 as stated in the AIR; and that the vessel was acquired on January 24, 2006 as stated in the memorandum.

iency in the most vulnerable provinces.

“One aspect of the gains that the task force can look into is on how we can shift our mode from response and recovery to putting in place governance frameworks that will prevent climate-related disasters and climate resiliency in these identified provinces,” said Analiza Teh, DENR Un dersecretary for finance, information sys tems and climate change. Rio N. Araja

SENATOR Cynthia Villar has invited the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their family to join the 11th OFW & Fam ily Summit 2022 on November 18, 2022.

The conference, with the theme, “BAGONG SIMULA SA SARILING BANSA,”will be held at The Tent, Vista

Global South, C5 Extension Road, Las Piñas City.

The meeting will discuss wise invest ments and businesses an OFW and their family members can start with.

The senator, who has been known for protecting the rights and welfare of our

migrant workers, noted that prospective participants must register first to join the summit and qualify for the raffle draw. She said the participants will also have a chance to win a house and lot, livelihood showcase, home appliances, and many other prizes. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Las

RTC to try drug case vs.

THE drug case against Juanito Jose Re mulla III, eldest son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, has been raffled off, and it went to Judge Ricardo Moldez II of the Las Piñas Re gional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 197.

Remulla was arrested for alleged pos session of high-grade marijuana or kush worth P1.3 million during a buy-bust operation staged by an inter-agency task force in Las Piñas City last Oct. 11 .

He was charged with violating Sec tion 11 of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Danger ous Drugs Act of 2002.

State prosecutors recommended no bail for Remulla, citing the alleged large amount of drugs seized from him.

Secretary Remulla has indicated he would not intervene in the case, and would rather allow justice to take its due course.

The secretary declined however, to acknowledge calls for his resignation.

“I haven’t talked to him actually, since the beginning. I’ve stayed away from the case. I have not talked to an ybody. I have not asked anybody any favor,” Remulla said.

DENR tags 24

climate change’ 11th OFW, Family Summit 2022 set on Nov. 18 in LP

clears 3 Bataan officials of graft charges

Piñas

Remulla’s son

PRE HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT. It was fun day for Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and a bunch of small children of city hall employees who came all dressed up in their favorite Halloween costumes. Arnold Almacen, Iloilo City Mayor’s Office OPLAN GALUGAD. In a bid to prevent criminality on All Saints’ Day, operatives pf the Manila Police District Station 3 round-up potential wrongdoers at the Manila North Cemetery in an operation dubbed “Oplan Galugad.” Norman Cruz THEY’LL BE BACK. Peace Corps chief executive officer Carol Spahn and Donald James Gawe, executive director of the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordination Agency (PNVSCA), during a press briefing in Pasay City, announce the return of the Peace Corps Volunteers to the Philippines starting January 2023. Spahn says 60 Peace Corps volunteers will arrive in January for a two-year mission in Luzon and the Visayas in the field of education, youth development and coastal resource management. Danny Pata

Opinion

decision

external factors, which could be reasonably con templated at the time of the CSP by the bid partici pants and upon contract execution by the Parties, should be considered as the proper context for the offered and contracted price,” Lumbatan and Fuentes argued.

As to reason No. 2, coal increased in price be cause Russia invaded Ukraine and a run on coal just before the war.

A DEPARTURE from tradition.

That is the Sept. 29, 2022 decision of the En ergy Regulatory Commission denying the joint petition of SMC Global Power and Meralco for a price or rate increase to cover the 3.5-fold increase in prices of coal, the basic material for SMC’s 1,200-megawatt coal-fired Sual Power plant.

In late 2019, SMC committed to supply 300 mw to Meralco at a fixed rate for 10 years until 2029 – using electricity either from its 1,200-mw Sual plant or from any other sources.

Crucial decisions of the ERC are usually unani mous, seldom split.

The five commissioners in the decision were split –three vs. two, with the ERC Chairman, Monalisa Dimalanta, joining Commissioners Catherine Maceda and Floresinda G. Baldo-Digal to eke out a majority decision.

Two commissioners penned the dissenting opinion –Alexis Lumbatan and Marko Romeo L. Fuentes.

The split decision shows how controversial the SMC-Meralco rate increase petition is.

SMC is studying its option to get out of its highly disadvantageous PSAs or power supply agreements

The two dissenters said the majority appreci ated the wrong issue.

There are two issues involved: One, a straight denial of price adjustment, and two, granting price adjustment based on a rate impact scenario paint ed by the petitioners.

The dissenters in effect are saying the majority denied the rate increase without consideration of the consequences of such a denial.

Of course, Lumbatan and Fuentes are saying in effect the price increase should have been granted because doing so would better serve the public.

Their reasons:

1) “The Power Supply Agreement (PSA) en tered into by MERALCO and SMEC allows them to claim a temporary price adjustment for a specific period based on a Change in Circumstances (CIC);

2) “Based on the matters submitted and admit ted in evidence, CIC is satisfactorily found to ex ist to warrant price adjustment; and

3)”Based on the rate impact simulations pre sented before the Commission and the evalua tion made by the Regulatory Operations Service (ROS), a denial of the Joint Motion for Price Adjustment would expose the consumers to un known and even higher rates than granting the same, not only in the near term but until 2029.”

The minority opinion thinks that when San Miguel made a bid in December 2019 to provide power at an agreed price (the power supply agree ment or PSA), it did so thinking it was entitled to what is called CIC – Change in Circumstances.

Because if there was no CIC provision, “other bidders, if not all, would not have participated in the first place, or the offered rates from the bid ders could have significantly increased, in view of an all-risk power supply assumption, to levels that would no longer be prudent for MERALCO to pursue given its mandate to optimize its cost of power supply.”

“The dissenting minority believes that the prevailing market conditions and other pertinent

The Ukraine war triggered a sharp rise in prices of oil and other energy products like coal. Coal provides 60 percent of the Philippine power re quirement.

From an average price of $50 to $130 per ton before the war, coal rose to $175.72 in the sec ond half of 2021, and then to $225.60 by Janu ary 2022, and to $304.80 during January to May 2022.

Russia is among the world’s largest coal pro ducers. Sanctions against it, by NATO and west ern power, constrained Russia’s coal exports.

In 2019 when SMC bidded to supply power to Meralco, coal was averaging $65 per ton. Based on that, SMC quoted a price of P4.4017 per kilo watt hour in 2019 for its electricity.

This is much lower than prevailing electricity prices then quoted in the open wholesale market.

Since then, world coal prices have risen 369 percent or by 3.7 times.

This event qualifies as a change in circum stances (CIC) that necessitates a price relief for SMC and Meralco. But the majority in the ERC does not want to listen.

Now, for Reason No. 3: Denial of the price ad justment would do more harm to consumers and even higher rates – in the short term, and in the long term, or until 2029. There are four scenarios:

— A rate increase of P1.57per kwh (without the CIC claim) or an additional cost of P5.2 billion to Meralco consumers;

— A rate increase of P1.92 per kwh (with CIC), or an additional P12.6 billion to be paid by Meral co consumers;

— A rate increase of 56 centavos per kwh over 2023 to 2029, an additional cost of P25 billion;

— A rate increase of P2.87 per kwh, with CIC approved; an additional cost of P1.6 billion per month.

These scenarios in effect paint two things: One, a calibrated and regulated rate increase; and two, an unregulated rate increase wherein all hell breaks loose and electricity prices surge beyond control, as San Miguel wiggles itself out of an un fair contract.

“What remains to be clear in the simulations made by MERALCO is that the granting of the price adjustment is actually the cheapest option available,” note the two dissenting ERC commis sioners.

Common sense tells you that a company can not be forced by the state to supply a product or service at a price far below its cost of production and thus sustain incalculable losses (P15 billion so far, for SMC). That would be tantamount to oppression or in voluntary servitude.

SMC is studying its option to get out of its highly disadvantageous PSAs or power supply agreements.

Conclude the dissenting ERC Commissioners Lumbatan and Fuentes: “With all the possible consequences discussed, it behooves the Commission to exercise our eq uity jurisdiction.

“The dissenting minority finds it just and nec essary under the circumstances to grant the joint motion to cushion the impact of high cost of fu els and so as not to disrupt the basic and essential services being rendered by both MERALCO and SMEC to the consuming public.

“And in so doing, We can not only serve sub stantial justice, but as well safeguard strong public interest.”

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PH doing better in controlling inflation

The Asian Development Bank, in its Asian De velopment Outlook 2022 update, expects inflation in the Philippines at 5.3 percent in 2022 and 4.3 percent in 2023.

The average inflation forecast for this year based on a survey of 185 countries stands at 11.84 percent.

Ruthless road clearing operations

INHIS fourth State of the Nation Address in 2019, Rodrigo Duterte announced that he had issued an order to clear all Metro Manila roads and sidewalks of all obstructions.

That presidential edict was based on estimates made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that horrible Metro Manila traf fic exacted a heavy toll on the whole economy to the tune of several billions of pesos daily in lost productivity and wasted fuel.

Duterte’s draconian order prompted the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units (LGUs), particularly the City of Manila, to deploy their latter-day civilian versions of Gestapo shock troops.

They swooped down on identified streets with heavy vehicular and human traffic and proceeded to clear them with basically the same fervor the police, on the president’s bidding, had in launch ing a bloody war on drugs starting in 2016 that led to nearly 7,000 deaths. The clearing operations in Metro Manila have targeted illegally parked vehicles on roads and sidewalks.

The Marcos administration should review this scorched-earth policy that has proven to be heartless and cruel towards the poor and the powerless and instead help them surmount their economic difficulties

If the vehicle was unattended, it was immedi ately towed to the MMDA in an impounding area in Marikina City and could only be retrieved by paying a hefty P3,000 fine.

If the driver of the vehicle was behind the wheel, the MMDA shock troops would issue a traffic violation receipt and require the driver to pay the same hefty fee within a certain number of days.

The clearing operations in roads and sidewalks also target vendors of food, mainly fruits and veg etables, as well as various types of merchandise, from clothes to houseware and tools.

The poor vendors caught unawares by the sud

den appearance of City Hall workers deputized to confiscate their goods can only send their lamen tations to the heavens and mourn the loss of their livelihood.

These vendors play a cat-and-mouse game with City Hall almost on a daily basis as the raiding teams appear unannounced and imme diately start grabbing whatever they could lay their hands on.

The Gestapo-like road and sidewalk clearing operations by the MMDA and LGUs should be challenged in court as these deprive mainly the poor of the opportunity to earn a living to keep body and soul together on a daily basis.

Besides, if the national government has vowed to extend full support to micro and small enter prises that make up more than 90 percent of the national economy, why are LGUs intent on keep ing the poor from earning an honest living through micro-entrepreneurship or selling goods on the streets and sidewalks?

We have here a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

The economic damage inflicted by Duterte’s stern order to clear city streets of micro-busi nesses, small shopkeepers and ambulant peddlers since 2019 is incalculable and most likely has al ready contributed to increased poverty incidence in the country.

The Marcos administration should review this scorched-earth policy that has proven to be heart less and cruel towards the poor and the powerless and instead help them surmount their economic difficulties.

Rescinding fraudulent transfers

pay ASB P8,695,202.59 with interest, penalty charges, liquidated damages, attorney’s fees, and cost of suit (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

cion pauliana against Lim and her children to re scind the questioned Deed of Donation (G.R. No. 134685. November 19, 1999).

WHAT do most Filipinos consider the issue that government should immediately address?

Yes, it’s the soaring prices of basic commodi ties, according to the latest survey by Pulse Asia.

Based on the survey, 66 percent of the 1,200 respondents identified inflation as one of the three issues that require urgent government attention, higher than the 57 percent obtained in a similar survey in June.

As in previous surveys, controlling inflation emerged as the most urgent national concern across all geographic areas, with the highest in Mindanao (81 percent), followed by Visayas (71 percent), Metro Manila (68 percent) and the rest of Luzon (56 percent).

It appears, however, that comparing the eco nomic situation in the Philippines with other countries, the government is not doing badly in taming inflationary pressures.

After meeting with his key economic advisers recently where they discussed issues affecting the country such as inflation, interest rates, and for eign exchange, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said they were able to establish policy directions for the rest of the year and the first quarter of next year.

He believes the overall inflation forecast for the Philippines is still better than other countries, allaying concerns over soaring inflation rates: “We may have to defend the peso in the coming months, but the overall forecast is that we are still doing better than other countries in terms of infla tion.”

Venezuela topped the list with the highest value of 500 percent while the lowest value was posted by Togo, with 0.16 percent.

The Philippines is at 140th place, lower than India and only higher by a few points compared to Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Oman, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Kuwait, Israel, Ma laysia, and Cambodia, which all have a forecast of more than 3 percent.

Inflation in neighboring Southeast Asian coun tries has been mostly in the uptrend with Thailand recording a new 14-year high at 7.86 percent in August 2022.

Singapore also recorded its fastest pace in more than 13 years with headline inflation at 7 percent in July 2022.

Inflation in Lao People’s Democratic Republic is projected to grow by 17 percent, Myanmar by 16 percent, and Timor-Leste by 7.4 percent.

Overall, the Philippines is faring better in con trolling inflation than other countries.

The United States had an inflation rate of 8.5 percent in July while United Kingdom averaged 10.1 percent. Other countries like China and Ja pan also posted increasing inflation rates.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Bali sacan, concurrently Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority, recently acknowledged that globally, essential commodities and inputs for food value chains are experiencing substantial supply constraints. This, he said, is due to the uncertain situation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and dampened agri

WE SOMETIMES hear litigants complain about their opponents transferring properties to rela tives, friends, or colleagues, thereby frustrating the execution or satisfaction of judgments in their favor. The party is left with an empty bag, so to speak.

Can an aggrieved creditor immediately file an action for the rescission of a contract? The answer is in the negative. Such an action “…cannot be instituted except when the party suffering damage has no other legal means [or remedy] to obtain reparation for the same” (Anchor Savings Bank v. Furigay, et al., G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

The complaint for rescission must allege that successive measures have been taken by the credi tor before the action for rescission is instituted.

These measures are for the creditor to have: (a) exhausted the properties of the debtor through levy on attachment and execution; and (b) ex ercised all the rights and actions of the debtor (against third parties), save those personal to him (accion subrogatoria) (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

Only when these legal remedies are exhausted by the creditor can an action for rescission be commenced.

It is thus apparent that an action to rescind or an accion pauliana must be of last resort, availed of only after all other legal remedies have been ex hausted and have proven futile (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

The plaintiff in an accion pauliana must show that: (a) he has credit prior to the alienation, al though demandable later; (b) the debtor has made a subsequent contract conveying a patrimonial benefit to a third person; and (c) the creditor has no other legal remedy to satisfy his claim but would benefit by the rescission of the conveyance to the third person (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

It is equally important that the act being im pugned is fraudulent, and that the third person who received the property conveyed, if by an onerous title, has been an accomplice in the fraud.

Accion pauliana presupposes that: 1) there is a judgment; 2) the trial court issued a writ of execu tion for the satisfaction of the judgment; and 3) the sheriff failed to enforce and satisfy the judg ment of the court (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

In the case of Anchor Savings Bank (ASB) v. Furigay, ASB filed, in 1999, a verified complaint for a sum of money and damages with an appli cation for replevin against Ciudad Transport Ser vices, Inc. (CTS), its president, Henry H. Furigay; his wife, Gelinda C. Furigay; and a “John Doe” (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

While the action was pending, spouses Furigay donated their registered properties in Alaminos, Pangasinan to their three minor children.

In 2003, the Regional Trial Court rendered a Decision ordering CTS and spouses Furigay to

Overall, the Philippines is faring better in controlling inflation than other countries

cultural production due to natural calamities. As a result, inflation has remained persistently high globally, driven by rapid price increases in food, transportation, and energy.

The Philippines and its Asian neighbors are not spared from these trends, with major economies in the ASEAN, such as Thailand, Singapore, In donesia, and Malaysia seeing their inflation rates accelerate in the past year.

Claiming that the donation of the properties was in fraud of creditors, ASB filed an action for the rescission of the deed of donation against the Furigay spouses and their children.

The Supreme Court said that “[a] cursory read ing of the allegations of [the]... complaint would show that it failed to allege the ultimate facts con stituting its cause of action and the prerequisites that must be complied (with) before the same may be instituted” (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

“ASB, without availing of the first and sec ond remedies, that is, exhausting the properties of CTS, Spouses Furigay or their transmissible rights and actions, simply undertook the third measure and filed an action for annulment of the donation. This cannot be done” (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

The complaint for rescission must allege that successive measures have been taken by the creditor before the action for rescission is instituted

An accion pauliana accrues only when the creditor discovers that he has no other legal rem edy for the satisfaction of his claim against the debtor.

For as long as the creditor still has a remedy at law against the debtor, the creditor will not have any cause of action against the debtor and a third person for the rescission of their contract (G.R. No. 191178, March 13, 2013).

In the case of Siguan v. Lim, et al., the ques tion posed was “whether the deed of donation ex ecuted by Rosa Lim [Lim] in favor of her children can be rescinded for being in fraud of her alleged creditor [Siguan].”

Siguan claimed that having issued unfunded checks to her in August 1990, Lim was liable for violation of Batas Pambansa Blg. 22. Separately, it appeared that on 31 July 1990 Lim was convicted of estafa by the RTC of Que zon City in a criminal case filed by a certain Vic toria Suarez.

This decision was affirmed by the Court of Ap peals. On appeal, however, the Supreme Court acquitted Lim but held her civilly liable (G.R. No. 134685. November 19, 1999).

On 2 July 1991, a Deed of Donation conveying several parcels of land and purportedly executed by Lim on 10 August 1989 in favor of her children was registered with the Office of the Register of Deeds of Cebu City. Hence, Siguan filed an ac

The Philippines, as a small, open economy, can not escape the effects of global headwinds, said Balisacan, The Marcos administration is aware of these challenges, and particularly concerned about higher inflation.

NEDA says that sustained increases in inflation in 2022 and 2023 will cause a slowdown in Philip pine economic growth, translating into a GDP lev el lower by 0.6 percent in 2023 than its expected level had there been no sustained inflation shock.

While the poverty situation is expected to im prove as the government ramps up economic re covery, inflation and rising interest rates will tem per this improvement.

However, the government expects the rise in in flation to be temporary, as it is likely to slow down and return to the medium-term target of 2 percent to 4 percent.

Balisacan is convinced that the country’s eco nomic prospects remain bright as long as it gets its priorities right. This outlook is borne out by the World Bank’s

Siguan’s complaint alleged that sometime in July 1991, Lim, through a Deed of Donation, fraudulently transferred all her real property to her children in bad faith and in fraud of creditors, including her; and that Lim conspired with her children in antedating the questioned Deed of Do nation to Siguan’s and other creditors’ prejudice (G.R. No. 134685. November 19, 1999).

The trial court ordered the rescission of the questioned deed of donation.

However, on appeal, the Court of Appeals re versed the decision and dismissed Siguan’s accion pauliana. The Supreme Court found no error in the findings of the Court of Appeals.

The general rule is that rescission requires the existence of creditors at the time of the alleged fraudulent alienation, and this must be proved as one of the bases of the judicial pronouncement setting aside the contract.

Without any prior existing debt, there can nei ther be injury nor fraud (G.R. No. 134685. No vember 19, 1999).

Siguan cannot use the estafa case of Victoria Suarez since -- although she’s a creditor in another case – she is not a party to this accion pauliana. Article 1384 of the Civil Code expressly pro vides that “[R]escission shall be only to the extent necessary to cover the damages caused“ (Article 1384 cited in G.R. No. 134685. November 19, 1999).

Under this Article, only the creditor who brought the action for rescission can benefit from the rescission; those who are strangers to the ac tion (like Suarez) cannot benefit from its effects. The revocation applies only to the extent of the plaintiff creditor’s unsatisfied credit; as for the excess, the alienation is maintained (G.R. No. 134685. November 19, 1999).

The fact that the Deed of Donation in question was registered only on 2 July 1991, a year after the donation, is also not enough to overcome the presumption of truth regarding the verity of the date in the deed in question, which is 10 August 1989.

Siguan’s claim against Lim was constituted only in August 1990, a year after the questioned alienation (G.R. No. 134685. November 19, 1999).

Furthermore, Siguan failed to prove that she has exhausted all other legal means to ob tain the satisfaction of her claim, and that the donor Lim did not leave adequate properties which creditors might have recourse for in the collection of their credits existing before the execution of the donation (G.R. No. 134685. November 19, 1999, see Article 1387, Civil Code).

Hence, it is not enough for a complaint to al lege that the questioned transfer is in fraud of his or her rights, as the requisites of accion publiciana must be present and proven by evidence.

Failing to do so, the courts will be left with no recourse but to dismiss the action for rescission.

October forecast for 2022 and 2023 that sees the Philippine economy growing by 6.5 percent in 2022, second only to Vietnam among major ASE AN economies, and by 5.8 in 2023, or faster than Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The Marcos administration, Balisacan pointed out, is monitoring and managing inflationary pres sures, and developed a program of interventions, including critical policy and legislative priorities, to address the economy’s short-term and mediumterm issues in the next six years.

The government has “a robust roadmap for nav igating short-term challenges and uncertainties, laying the groundwork for faster, more inclusive growth that generates high-quality employment to reduce poverty rapidly…and to weather today’s economic challenges.”

That’s a reassuring statement from one of our economic managers—and a timely one—as most Filipinos are already reeling from the current eco nomic crunch.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

EDITORIALA split

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 8-5646225 and 8-5646229 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 8325550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.manilastandard.net MEMBER Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine NewspapersPPI can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Baldwin R. Felipe Head—Ad Solutions Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board ManilaStandard ONLINE Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Honor Blanco Cabie Opinion Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 B1

Xi: China, US must find ways to get along

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping said China and the United States must “ﬁnd ways to get along” to safeguard world peace and development, state media reported Thursday, as he embarks on his precedent-breaking third term in power.

China and the United States have butted heads in recent years on issues ranging from Beijing’s aggression towards self-governing Taiwan to its crackdown in Hong Kong and alleged rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Washington has also accused Beijing of providing diplomatic cover for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Xi sealed another ﬁve years as China’s leader at the end of a twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress on Sunday.

“The world today is neither peaceful nor tranquil,” Xi wrote in a congratulatory letter to the National Committee on US-China Relations – some of his ﬁ rst remarks since the Congress – according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

“As major powers, strengthening communication and co-

operation between China and the US will help to increase global stability and certainty, and promote world peace and development,” he reportedly told the New York-based nonproﬁt organization.

Xi added that China was “willing to work with the US to give mutual respect, coexist peacefully... (and) ﬁnd ways to get along in the new era,” the broadcaster reported.

Doing so “will not only be good for both countries, but also beneﬁt the world,” Xi wrote.

The Biden administration said this month that China is the only competitor to the United States “with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to advance that objective.” AFP

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

INC.)

ASEAN ministers hold talks on Myanmar crisis

as of 17

Adorlito B. Ginete

Chairman/President John Edward B. Ginete

Nora B. Ginete

Rexmelito B. Bobadilla

Liberato A. Capayas

Kareen Fe D. Pioquinto-Enriquez

Please also be informed that Creworld Marine Services, Inc. (formerly: d’ AMICO SHIP ISHIMA PHILIPPINES, INC.) located at 4th Floor, DOHLE House Manila, 30-38 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Brgy. San Isidro, Makati

V.A. Rufino

transferred to Unit 701 Sage House Bldg.

Legazpi

Petitioner alleges that on June 16, 2001,

citizen married to the private respondent, an American

in the State of Nevada, United States of America; that the said marriage was registered to the Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles, California on July 15, 2002; that

their marriage, petitioner used her first name and private respondent’s last name; that petitioner eventually acquired American citizenship; that several years, petitioner and private respondent decided to end their marriage and filed a divorce in the State of Texas where she was a resident at that time; that on June 12, 2012 a Final Decree of Divorce was issued by the 301st

District of Dallas County, Texas; that through the divorce, the marriage between the petitioner and private respondent was dissolved on the ground of insupportability under the Family Code of the State of Texas, USA.

WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and in substance, let this petition be set for hearing before this Court located at Room 604, Sixth Floor, Hall of Justice - Annex, Diliman, Quezon City on December 14, 2022 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at which place and on which time, all interested persons must appear and file their opposition/s to the petition.

Pursuant to Section

Further,

SOUTHEAST Asian foreign ministers met in Jakarta Thursday to discuss the political crisis in Myanmar ahead of November’s ASEAN leaders’ summit, without a representative from the country’s military junta.

Myanmar has been in chaos since a coup in February last year, with more than 2,300 killed in the military’s brutal crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has said it is “gravely concerned” over escalating human

rights abuses there, but its efforts to resolve the crisis are yet to bear fruit.

A ﬁve-point ASEAN plan from April last year would be one of the focuses of Thursday’s emergency talks at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has said.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said Marsudi would give a news briefing about the talks, in the afternoon.

The 10-country bloc was expected to discuss progress on the plan, which called for an end to violence; increased

aid; and dialogue between the military and the anti-coup movement.

“The Myanmar junta doesn’t show any desire or concrete steps for implementation (of the plan),” an Indonesian foreign ministry ofﬁcial told AFP last week.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has not been invited to the ASEAN leaders’ summit in Cambodia next month —for the second year in a row—and Myanmar’s top diplomat Wunna Maung Lwin was excluded from ministerial talks in February and August. AFP

IN BRIEF

UN satellite analysis tracks Ukraine damage

THE United Nations is using before-andafter satellite imagery to monitor the cultural destruction inﬂicted by Russia’s war in Ukraine, announcing it will launch its tracking platform publicly within weeks.

The UN’s culture agency UNESCO said it had veriﬁed damage to 207 cultural sites in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24.

They include 88 religious sites, 15 museums, 76 buildings of historical and or artistic interest, 18 monuments and 10 libraries.

The worst-affected regions are in eastern Ukraine and around the capital, with Donetsk region having 59 veriﬁed damaged cultural sites, followed by Kharkiv with 51, Kyiv with 30 and Luhansk with 25.

Outrage as Australian rape case abruptly ends in mistrial

A high-proﬁle rape case that ignited protests across Australia abruptly ended Thursday in a mistrial, prompting outrage from the alleged victim who said she had been treated like she was the criminal.

Brittany Higgins, 27, alleged that

former conservative staffer Bruce Lehrmann, 27, raped her on a couch inside the parliamentary ofﬁce of a government minister following a night of heavy drinking in March 2019.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum declared a mistrial after a courtroom sheriff accidentally discovered a jury member with a copy of a document that was prohibited by the trial’s strict rules.

Higgins sobbed as she spoke outside court following the mistrial, saying she had “told the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or unﬂattering to the court.”

“I chose to speak up. To speak up and share my experiences with others,” she said.

“He never faced one question in court about his story and the criminal charges.

“I was required to surrender my telephones, my passwords, messages, photos and my data.”

In a further twist, Lehrmann’s lawyers then referred Higgins’ comments to police, suggesting they could prejudice a planned retrial in February.

Lehrmann has stridently maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent.

The jury—comprising eight women and four men—had been deliberating for ﬁve days when McCallum discharged them and declared a “miscarriage of a trial.”

McCallum said court sheriffs found prohibited material—namely, an academic paper on sexual assault—inside the document holder of a jury member.

She said it was found when “one of the ofﬁcers accidentally bumped one of the juror’s document holders onto the ﬂoor.”

“It has come to my attention that one of you has undertaken research in relation to issues in the case, and that material has entered the jury room,” McCallum said.

“It may be that no harm has been done, but that’s not a risk I can take... I have to discharge you all.”

Jurors are prohibited from bringing outside material into the courtroom, and can only rely on what has been heard during the trial.

In her parting comments on Thursday, McCallum urged the media to remember the huge strain the trial had placed on both the complainant and the accused. AFP

“Our conclusion is it’s bad, and it may continue to get even worse,” UNESCO’s cultural and emergencies director Krista Pikkat told reporters at a brieﬁng in Geneva.

“Cultural heritage is very often collateral damage during wars but sometimes it’s speciﬁcally targeted as it’s the essence of the identity of countries.”

UNESCO—the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—has joined forces with the UN Satellite Centre UNOSAT to produce the platform. AFP

Fifteen dead in attack on Shiite shrine in Iran

AT LEAST 15 people were killed Wednesday in an attack on a key Shiite Muslim shrine in southern Iran, state media said, with the Islamic State group claiming the assault.

The attack carried out by an armed “terrorist” during evening prayers at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in the city of Shiraz also wounded at least 19 people, state television said.

Earlier reports said 13 people were killed and 40 wounded, and that three assailants were involved.

Local judiciary chief Kazem Mousavi told state television that “only one terrorist was involved in this attack.”

The assailant “ﬁred indiscriminately on worshippers” gathered at the shrine, local governor Mohammad-Hadi Imanieh told the broadcaster.

A witness told state news agency IRNA he “heard the cries of women” as evening prayers started, and that the “assailant entered the shrine and opened ﬁre.”

Iranian media published images and video footage showing bloodied bodies covered in cloth lying inside the shrine. AFP

WorldFRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022B2 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DEFIANT. A protester raises her st as she is detained by Turkish anti-riot police o cers during a demonstration in Istanbul after the President of the Union of Doctors of Turkey (TTB), Sebnem Korur Fincanci, was arrested. The Turkish doctor earlier called for an “independent investigation” into the possible use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish rebels of the PKK in northern Iraq. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila Standard TODAY CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK MS (OCT, 14, 21 & 28, 2022) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES National Capital Judicial Region Regional Trial Court Quezon City - Branch 217 rtc1 gzn217@iudiciary.qov.ph 0927-8600957 IN THE MATTER OF PETITION FOR REGISTRATION AND/OR RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN DECREE OF DIVORCE AND CANCELLATION OF ENTRY OF MARRIAGE IN THE CIVIL REGISTRY RECORD OF PETITIONER MARIE CAMILLE MARIS Petitioner, -versus- SPEC. PRO. CASE NO. R-QZN-22-08391-SP OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL AND KENT LARAY MARIS, Respondents. x------------------------------------------------------x ORDER This is a verified petition filed by Marie Camille Maris for judicial recognition of foreign judgment rendered by a court of Texas, United States of America and the cancellation of entry of marriage and/or annotation of the parties divorce decree in the Philippine Statistics Authority.

petitioner, then

Filipino

Citizen

since

Judicial

4 of Rule 108 of the Rules of Court, let copies of this Order and the entire petition be published at the expense of the petitioner, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines, and be posted on the main entrance of Quezon City Hall and Bulletin Board of the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City

let copies of this Order, together with the petition and its annexes be sent by registered mail to the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the City Prosecutor of Quezon City, Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City and Philippine Statistics Authority, Quezon City. SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Philippines, August 18, 2022. (Sgd.) CARLO D. VILLARAMA Presiding Judge Cc: Atty. Denise C. Hilao Counsel for petitioner Carpo Law & Associates 8th Floor, Marajo Tower 312 26th Street West Corner 4th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Philippines 1634 info@carpolaw.com Marie Camille Maris Petitioner Unit 23CA Kingwood Condominium, Pablo Ocampo St., Makati City Kent Laray Maris Private respondent 1904 S. Akard Street Dallas, Texas 75215, USA Office of the Solicitor General Makati City Office of the City Prosecutor Quezon City Office of the Local Civil Registrar Quezon City Philippine Statistics Office Quezon City (MStandard - Oct. 14, 21 & 28, 2022) MS OCT 28 - NOV. 4, 2022

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

(MS-OCT. 28, 2022) LEGAL NOTICE WITHDRAWAL OF LICENSE Notice is hereby given that J. LAURITZEN A/S doing business under the name LAURITZEN KOSAN MANILA (ROHQ) (the “Corporation”), with SEC Registration No. FS201302305 is in the process of applying for the withdrawal of its foreign license with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to a Board Meeting with Board Resolution dated March 26, 2021. MS (OCT, 14, 21 & 28, 2022)MS OCT. 28, 2022 Please be informed of the following New Board of Directors and Officers of Creworld Marine Services, Inc. (formerly: d’ AMICO SHIP ISHIMA PHILIPPINES,

effective

October 2022:

–

– Director

– Corporate Secretary

City has

110

Street,

Village, Makati City effective as of 30 September 2022.

DEADLY ATTACK. Iranian security forces are deployed following an armed attack at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in the city of Shiraz on October 26, 2022. At least 15 people were killed in the attack, state media said, with the Islamic State group claiming the assault. AFP

Stocks, peso advance; SBC leads gainers

STOCKS

rose for a fourth day, sending the benchmark index above the 6,200 level while the peso sustained its rebound against the US dollar as traders grow increasingly hopeful the Federal Reserve will slow its pace of interest rate hikes.

The PSE index, the 30-company bell wether of the Philippine Stock Exchange, jumped 109 points, or 1.8 percent, to close at 6,230.58 Thursday, as five of the six subsectors advanced.

The heavier all-share index also moved up 39 points, or 1.2 percent, to settle at 3,282.38 on a value turnover of P5.6 bil

VISIT.

US mediator Amos Hochstein (left) and US Ambassador Dorothy Shea (right) pose for a picture with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during their meeting in Beirut on Oct. 27, 2022. Lebanon and Israel were to sign a maritime border agreement that would pave the way for lucrative offshore gas extraction by the neighbors, which remain technically at war. The deal comes as Lebanon seeks to extract itself from what the World Bank calls one of the worst economic crises in modern world history.

AFP

lion. Gainers led losers, 123 to 55, while 44 issues were unchanged.

Eight of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Security Bank Corp. which climbed 5.8 percent to P86.50 and Universal Robina Corp. which added 5.1 percent to finish at P122.00.

The peso gained P0.21 Thursday to set

tle at 58.22 against the greenback from the previous day’s 58.43 as trading volume improved to more than $1 billion from $846 million.

Meanwhile, the euro, pound and yen all held their gains against the dollar and most equities rose. Hong Kong led the gains thanks to a surge in tech firms, extending a recovery from Monday’s rout that was fueled by worries of Xi Jinping’s tightened grip on power in China.

After a painful year for markets hit by central bank rate hikes to fight soaring inflation, investors have taken heart from several weak US indicators—the latest on the services and real estate sectors—sug gesting the economy is slowing.

That has led to speculation officials could be ready to tap the brakes on the increases, while some Fed policymakers have also raised the possibility of a slowdown.

The optimism was boosted Wednes day by news that the Bank of Canada had raised rates less than expected and sig naled it is ready to wind down.

“The downshift at the Bank of Canada has further fanned the winds of a similar move by the Fed come December and comes after the (Australian central bank) slowed the pace of hikes to 25 basis points at its October meeting,” said National Australia Bank’s Taylor Nugent.

The news weighed on the dollar, which

has surged against other currencies all year owing to the Fed’s rate drive, as US Treasury yields drop.

And on Thursday the euro held above parity with the greenback, a day after breaking the marker for the first time since last month and ahead of an expected Euro pean Central Bank rate hike.

The ECB meeting “really depends on not what (it) delivers, but what sort of guidance... President Christine La garde offers over future moves going forward for December, at a time when EU inflation is still showing little sign of slowing,” said Micahel Hewson of CMC Markets. With AFP

Euro back above the dollar on big rate hikes

NEW YORK, United States - The euro on Wednesday jumped back above parity with the dollar, the US currency sliding against its main rivals on concerns over the world’s biggest economy and the prospect of slower interest rate hikes.

The euro bounced back above one dollar for the first time since mid-September, helped also by expectations of a big interest-rate hike from the European Central Bank on Thursday.

There were large gains against the dollar also for the British pound and yen, helping them recover some ground following the re cent sharp losses.

The dollar retreated following “a string of negative [US] economic data released since the beginning of the week,” noted ActivTrades senior analyst Ricardo Evangelista.

Poorly received data, including slower house price growth and weaker consumer con fidence, showed that big rate hikes from the Federal Reserve are “starting to open some cracks in the American economy,” he said.

“The Federal Reserve has been hiking rates aggressively in an attempt to bring inflation un

der control, and the country’s economy is start ing to suffer as a result,” Evangelista added.

A string of poor economic news has been welcomed by investors as it opens the pos sibility that the Fed can slow down or end its interest rate hikes sooner. The recent news has seen risk investments like equities rebound in recent weeks.

The Bank of Canada on Wednesday in creased its main rate by a smaller-than-expect ed 0.5 percentage points.

Market analyst Michael Hewson at CMC Markets said the move “suggests that central banks are starting to wake up to the possibil ity that too aggressive rate rises could do more harm than good.”

He added: “It’s also got markets asking the question, could the Fed follow suit next week after another poor set of housing numbers from the US.”

Wall Street stocks, which had rallied the last three days on hopes of expectations of moder ating Fed policy, mostly fell following disap pointing results from Boeing and tech giants Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet. AFP

Currency depreciations to intensify global food and energy crises—WB

WASHINGTON, United States—The shrinking value of the currencies of most developing economies is driving up food and fuel prices in ways that could deep en the food and energy crises that many of them already face, according to the World Bank’s latest Commodity Markets Outlook report.

In US dollar terms, the prices of most commodities have declined from their recent peaks amid concerns of an im pending global recession, the report doc uments stated.

From the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 through the end of last month, the price of Brent crude oil in US dollars fell nearly 6 percent.

Because of currency depreciations, al most 60 percent of oil-importing emerg ing-market and developing economies saw an increase in domestic-currency oil prices during this period.

Nearly 90 percent of these economies also saw a larger increase in wheat prices in local-currency terms compared to the rise in US dollars.

Elevated prices of energy commodi ties that serve as inputs to agricultural production have been driving up food prices.

In the first three quarters of 2022, food-price inflation in South Asia aver aged more than 20 percent.

Food price inflation in other regions, including Latin America and the Carib bean, the Middle East and North Africa,

Sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe and Central Asia averaged between 12 percent and 15 percent.

East Asia and the Pacific has been the only region with low food-price infla tion, partly because of broadly stable prices of rice, the region’s key staple.

“Although many commodity prices have retreated from their peaks, they are still high compared to their aver age level over the past five years,” said World Bank vice president for equitable growth, finance and institutions Pablo Saavedra.

“A further spike in world food prices could prolong the challenges of food in security across developing countries. An array of policies is needed to foster sup ply, facilitate distribution, and support real incomes,” he said.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, energy prices have been quite volatile but are now expected to decline.

After surging by about 60 percent in 2022, energy prices are projected to de cline 11 percent in 2023. Despite this moderation, energy prices next year will still be 75 percent above their average over the past five years.

The price of Brent crude oil is expected to average $92 a barrel in 2023—well above the five-year average of $60 a barrel.

Both natural gas and coal prices are projected to ease in 2023 from record highs in 2022.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 || B3 extrastory2000@gmail.com

LEBANON

Manila Standard TODAY (MS-OCT. 28, NOV. 4 & 11, 2022)

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippine Economic Zone Au thority on Thursday guaranteed full support and assistance to IT-business process management companies in transferring their registration to the Board of Investments.

PEZA officer-in-charge Tereso Panga said the agency would retain its mandate to promote and facilitate investments and keep the separate customs territory status vested in the economic zones to ensure the competi tiveness of the IT sector.

“We consider the IT locators’ paper transfer of registration from PEZA to BOI as an interim measure to pre serve their export enterprise status as they avail of 100-percent WFH [workfrom-home] arrangement with full in centives,” he said.

PEZA is optimistic that a new law or policy will be immediately enforced to institutionalize hybrid workplace for ecozone IT locators to avail of increased WFH threshold with incen tives, he said.

Panga said PEZA, despite reserva tions, was mandated to abide by the Department of Trade and Industry’s is suance of guidelines on the seamless transfer of IT-BPM firms to the BOI under DTI MC No. 22-19.

The transfer of registration to the BOI will allow IT-BPM companies to practice work-from-home setup at full capacity.

The MC covers all affected RBEs in the IT-BPM sector with remaining in centives under Section 311 of the Na tional Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, or those with approved incentives on or before Sept. 14, 2022 under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act.

PEZA then issued MC No. 2022067 to remind eligible RBEs that they have until Dec. 31, 2022 to transfer their registration. Under this arrange ment, the BOI will issue a certificate of registration to the transferee RBEs while PEZA would continue granting fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.

PEZA will also retain its monitoring functions and performance reporting of transferee locators as these com panies will still keep their registration with PEZA, the DTI said.

By Alena Mae S. Flores

BILLIONAIRE

Enrique Razon Jr.’s Prime Infrastructure Holdings Inc. and its partner will invest P200 billion in Terra Solar Philippines, top executives said Thursday.

Terra Solar, a unit of Terra Renew ables Holdings Inc., signed a 20-year power supply agreement to deliver 850 megawatts of renewable energy to cover Manila Electric Co.’s mid-merit requirement starting 2026.

“The plant is today one of the larg est contracted solar plus storage plant in the world. Prime Infra, together with its partner, will invest some P200 billion into developing Terra Solar,” Terra Re newables president and chief executive Guillaume Lucci said.

Lucci did not identify Prime Infra’s partner but Prime Infra earlier signed a partnership agreement with Solar Phil ippines Power Project Holdings Inc.

“It is a step change in the way power generation is approached. As a compa ny pursuing economically critical and socially relevant infrastructure, Prime Infra is committed to do its part in ac celerating the clean energy transition and strengthening the country’s energy security,” Lucci said.

Under the PSA, Terra Solar will sup ply 600 MW to Meralco by Feb. 26, 2026, and an additional 250 MW start ing Feb. 26, 2027.

Terra Solar will supply RE to Meralco at a headline and levelized cost of elec tricity rate of P5.80 per kilowatt-hour, which was based on assumptions at the time when the competitive challenge for the unsolicited proposal was launched.

“The rate for this renewable energy supply offer is very competitive and lower than fossil-powered generation

plants, especially at this time when fuel prices are skyrocketing. This PSA be tween Meralco and Terra Solar is very strategic as we ensure availability of adequate and cost-competitive power for our more than 7.5 million customers in the coming years,” said Meralco first vice president and head of regulatory management lawyer Jose Ronald Valles.

Valles said the PSA was part of Meralco’s compliance with the Depart ment of Energy’s renewable portfolio standards policy and solidified its com mitment to source up to 1,500 MW of power requirements from RE.

Terra Solar’s 850-MW mid-merit supply can power 1.55 million houses annually at an average of 200 kilowatthours per month, while displacing an annual consumption of 1.4 million tons of coal or 930 million liters of oil.

The project combines a 2,500-MW to 3,500-MW solar photovoltaic sys tem and about 4,000 megawatt-hours to 4,500 MWh of energy storage.

Fitch affirms PH’s investment-grade rating of ‘BBB’ with negative outlook

By Julito G. Rada

DEBT watcher Fitch Ratings on Thursday affirmed the Philippines’ investment grade score of ‘BBB’ with a negative outlook, saying real gross domestic product growth may reach 6.8 percent in 2022 despite external headwinds such as rising interest rates and higher commodity prices.

Fitch said in a report the ‘BBB’ rat ing balances strong growth, external fi nances and a credible economic policy framework against lagging structural indicators, including per capita income and governance, relative to peers.

“The negative outlook reflects risks to the Philippines’ mediumterm growth prospects, fiscal adjust ment path and external buffers in an environment of higher interest rates, weaker external demand and higher commodity prices,” it said.

“We forecast real GDP growth of 6.8 percent in 2022 on strong domes tic demand, reflecting normalization of economic activity after the pan demic and the government’s invest ment program,” it said.

GDP grew 7.8 percent in the first half, surpassing the target range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent set by the government.

Fitch said its growth forecast this year considered a slowdown from the second half amid monetary tight ening, high imported inflation and weaker global demand. It said the output would exceed pre-pandemic levels in the second half and would be close to potential performance.

“Output growth is likely to slow to 5.5 percent in 2023 before recover ing to 6.2 percent in 2024. Downside risks include global growth falling below Fitch’s forecasts of 1.7 percent in 2023 and 2.8 percent in 2024, or the Philippine central bank raising policy rates beyond our assumption of 5.25 percent,” it said.

Century Properties eyes

P3-b sales from 2 projects

CENTURY Properties Group Inc., the real estate arm of the Antonio family, expects to generate P3 billion in sales from two upscale residential projects under the newly-formed premium residential brand Nuliv, a top execu tive said Wednesday.

CPG president and chief executive Marco Antonio said during the brand launch Wednes day evening that Nuliv was formed in response to changing preference of the market in favor of low-density homes and areas where home buyers could have more indoor and outdoor spaces.

“New standards in living and lifestyle incli nations have developed post-pandemic and we intend to address these changes in homebuy ers needs. While Nuliv will continue Century’s legacy of serving the needs of premium and luxury market, it will also do via new product offerings wherein majority will be townhouses and other low rise structures which is in con trast with its historical roots of doing mainly high-rise condominiums,” Antonio said.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Thursday it started the preparations to ensure a credible and customer-friendly rollout of the SIM card registration of more than 87.4 million customers.

“We intend for our SIM registration process to be as seamless and painless to our customers as possible. Our goal is to stay true to the spirit of the law in carrying out its provisions, while ensuring that the conduct of SIM reg istration will be secure, inclusive and convenient for our customers,” Globe Group president and chief executive Ernest Cu said.

The National Telecommunications Commission started consultations with relevant government agencies and vari ous stakeholders including telecom companies for purposes of crafting the implementing rules and regulations of

the law, which was signed on Oct. 10.

Once the IRR is approved and pub lished, Globe will start the registration of all users of SIMs, including physical SIM cards and e-SIMs on mobile devices.

Globe said it was looking at interna tional best practices in designing the SIM registration platform. It is also le veraging its suite of best-in-class digital solutions to deliver an easy but secure registration system.

“We’d like to assure our customers that their data will be protected even as we give them a hassle-free registration process. We wish to effectively roll out this landmark law,” said Cu.

The Philippines’ SIM Registration Act is envisioned to address escalat ing cybercrime in the country, includ ing the proliferation of smishing and other forms of scam and spam messag ing aided by the anonymity afforded by prepaid SIMs.

Group welcomes Santiago’s return to ports authority

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s reappointment of lawyer Jay Daniel Santiago as general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority is a “move in the right direction”, cause-oriented group Action for Consumerism and Transparency in Nation Building said Thursday.

ACTION lauded the president’s preference for quality and efficiency in governance over political partisan ship and patronage in choosing the members of his management team.

“No argument about it. We do need the brightest minds around if we are to propel the national economy for ward. And Jay Santiago has proved his savvy as a professional public servant and bureaucratic manager in various capacities,” ACTION spokesperson Jake Silo said.

“The men and women of the PPA cannot be happier to have their for mer boss back,” the consumer and anti-graft watchdog said.

CPG launched Century Nuliv Townvillas at Acqua, a 22 multi-story house-and-lot project at the foot of new Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge in Mandaluyong City. CPG Nuliv president Monica Trajano said the project offers three-story and four-story units with sizes ranging from 265 square meters to 316 sq. m. priced from P40 mil lion to P60 million. Jenniffer B. Austria

Filipino workers oppose planned phaseout of POGOs

THOUSANDS of Filipino workers in the on line gaming industry opposed calls by big busi ness groups to phase out Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations and their service providers.

Pinoy sa POGO, in a statement, called the business organizations advocating for the clo sure of POGOs due to alleged “social costs” as “elitists” and “anti-poor.”

Karen Santa Cruz, one of the officers of the POGO workers’ association, said rich busi nessmen did not care about the poor who would lose their jobs. “They’ve never experienced hunger or lack of money to send their children to school so they don’t care about us,” Santa Cruz said.

She said the real ‘social cost’ is massive un employment if government would shut down POGOs and their service providers that employ thousands of Filipinos as encoders, dealers, housekeeping staff, drivers, cooks and waiters.

“The worst insult is to deprive us of dignity and cause family separation when we are again forced to seek work abroad,” Santa Cruz said. Julito G. Rada

Dominion Holdings earned P28m in first nine months

PHINMA Corp., a Filipino conglomerate with businesses in education, construction materials, property development and hospitality, welcomes (from left) top executives Ramon del Rosario Jr., Oscar Hilado and Dr. Chito Salazar. Hilado, who has led PHINMA as chairman of the board since 2003, stepped down and will stay as chairman emeritus, while del Rosario, previously the president and CEO, is now the chairman and chief executive.

Salazar will serve as president, chief operating officer and head of education.

Marcos on Tuesday designated Santiago as the new PPA general manager.

ACTION said Santiago “is a good bet in terms of project completion, revenue generation, modernization and digitalization.”

Under Santiago’s watch from July 2016 to June 2022, the PPA com pleted a number of infrastructure projects and achieve record revenue collections.

A lawyer by profession, Santiago was also director of the Maritime In dustry Authority and vice president of the International Association of Ports and Harbors for Asia, South East and the Oceania. He represented some 180 ports and 140 port-related businesses in 90 countries.

DOMINION Holdings Inc., formerly BDO Leasing & Finance Inc., posted P28-million net income in the first nine months, compared to P39.8 million a year-ago.

Rising interest rates pulled up fair value gain on its investments to P49.5 million in the ninemonth period from P45 million in the same pe riod last year. Total expenses went up to P21.5 million from P13.1 million, which was largely attributed to tax adjustment.

Dominion Holdings, with approval of its board of directors and stockholders, voluntarily surrendered its secondary license as a financ ing company to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company, on July 21, 2022, obtained SEC approval for the change in cor porate name, the shift in primary and second ary purposes from a leasing and financing company to that of a holding company and the amendments to the articles of incorporation and by-laws.

As an investment holding company, Do

will

minion Holdings

have more flexibility in pursuing business opportunities which will en hance shareholder value for shareholders. IN BRIEF BusinessRay S. Eñano (on leave), Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com B4 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 Prime Infra, partner allot P200b for Terra Solar PH PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, October 27, 2022 109.05 PTS. 6,230.58 F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022 Currency Unit US Dollar Peso United States Dollar 1.000000 58.6310 Japan Yen 0.006832 0.4006 UK Pound 1.162500 68.1585 Hong Kong Dollar 0.127397 7.4694 Switzerland Franc 1.014199 59.4635 Canada Dollar 0.737518 43.2414 Singapore Dollar 0.711642 41.7243 Australia Dollar 0.649200 38.0632 Bahrain Dinar 2.652731 155.5323 Saudi Arabia Rial 0.266099 15.6017 Brunei Dollar 0.709119 41.5764 Indonesia Rupiah 0.000064 0.0038 Thailand Baht 0.026522 1.5550 UAE Dirham 0.272279 15.9640 Euro Euro 1.008400 59.1235 Korea Won 0.000708 0.0415 China Yuan 0.139451 8.1762 India Rupee 0.012210 0.7159 Malaysia Ringgit 0.212224 12.4429 New Zealand Dollar 0.583000 34.1819 Taiwan Dollar 0.031285 1.8343 Source: BSP TOTAL VOLUME 629,952,827 TOTAL TRADES 71,345 TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) 5,640,276,233.66 ADVANCES 123 DECLINES 55 UNCHANGED 44

PEZA guarantees support for BPOs’ registration transfer Globe Telecom prepares to register SIM cards of over 87.4m customers

PHINMA EXECUTIVES. STABLE BANKING SYSTEM. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla (right) remains confident that the banking system is sound, stable and capable of supporting economic growth. Medalla, in the recent ‘The Asset 17th Philippine Summit’ in Taguig City, encouraged banks to continue building up capital as this strengthens their capacity to absorb risks, remain resilient and ensure the safety of their customers’ deposits. With Medalla is The Asset editor-in-chief Daniel Yu.

Cebu native Go captures

1st European karting title

By Stephanie Caesar

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD

Cebuano prodigy karter

William John Riley Go bagged his ﬁrst European title in the Super ROK category of the recently concluded ROK Super Finals held at the South Garda Karting Track in Lonato, Italy last weekend.

After falling just a bit short through multiple podium finishes in his previous campaign, Go went home with all the glory thi s time as a breakthrough triumph finally came about for the Cebuano in the tough European racing circuit.

Representing Zanchini Motorsports and the Philippines, Go navigated through the 20-lap final, taking the checkered flag five seconds ahead Andorran star Alexandre M achado and almost 10 seconds ahead of third placer Daniele Federici (16:21.940). The weekend started with 80 racers

Creamline nips Akari, nears semis

in the SuperRok category, with only 36 making it into the final race.

Dream becoming reality “My dream became a reality—my first champion win in Europe!” a jubilant Go wrote on his Facebook page. “Ever since I was racing locally in the Philippines, being able to compete in Europe, the home of the best of the best in karting, was always on the bucket list,” added Go. Go’s outstanding performance earned him praise from no less than his proud coach Davide Fore, a fourtime World Champion between 1998

and 2006 and has displayed a strong commitment to karting over the years. Fore commended Go for exerting his best in the last 10 months despite the complications the latter experienced living in Europe.

“Amazing work this year from the first day we started in January together until today. A big step is done. We still need to work hard to be better and improve your experience,” said Fore.

‘Crazy ride’

“In fact, it was a bit of a crazy ride. During the different heats, I had mixed feelings for each one since my position was constantly changing due to certain racing incidents,” said Go.

Attempting to overtake other racers was difficult, Go said, given that each one had remarkable skill and experience in racing.

“With enough patience and determination, I made a move and pulled away on the 16th lap of the race. I kept my focus and managed to cross the finish line as champion,” expressed Go.

Despite his multiple local and international achievements, Go remained grateful to all those who, in one way or another, have greatly contributed to his most recent success.

“I would also like to congratulate the other racers who won and my fellow Filipino racers for a job well done. Truly a one-of-a-kind experience that motivates me to keep moving forward to reach my dreams despite how ambitious it may seem,” said Go.

In 2019, at the age of 11, Go competed in Asia to become the first Filipino karter to bag three overall Asian Karting Championships. It became his ticket to European races like WSK Euro Series and the FIA Karting Academy. These same tournaments produced numerous prominent Formula 1 racers.

Go is one step closer to his dream of becoming the first Filipino to become an F1 racer. For now, he enjoys the glory of his first European championship.

Ilocos venue unaffected by typhoons, earthquake

By Peter Atencio

THE main venue of Batang Pinoy 2022, the President Elpidio Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur, is unaffected by a series of typhoons recently and an earthquake that rocked the province of Abra and nearby provinces late Tuesday.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala and Province of Ilocos Sur Governor Jeremias “Jerry” Singson made this assurance on Thursday as they formally signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the staging of the Batang Pinoy 2022. (See related story on C2)

“OK naman po iyung mga facilities doon. Well maintained naman po kahit kahit na nalindol at nabagyo tayo,” said Singson during the signing ceremony at at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Vito Cruz, Manila.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked the province of Abra on late Tuesday evening, with the epicenter at Tineg, Abra, and with aftershocks felt in Vigan.

Northern Luzon has been hit by at least six strong typhoons and authorities have managed to keep the stadium from getting any serious damage.

“Sana hindi na maulit ito (earthquake). Matagal na pong pinaghandaan ito at na-coordinate ito. In-assure naman kami na hindi ito naapektuhan ng kalamidad,” said Eala.

The multi-sports event was to be held in Ilocos Sur from December 4 to 10, but was moved to Dec. 17 to 22, following a request from the Department of Education.

Eala said the schedules of the games were moved in consultation with the DepEd, which said that no extracurricular activity involving student-athletes will done during school days.

The Quirino Stadium was last used in 2018 when the province hosted the Palarong Pambansa.

For now, the PSC won’t be holding a lot of face-to-face competitions since this will be the first time the Batang Pinoy National Youth Games will be back in action after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seventeen sports disciplines will be played in the games, with only nines event to be contested in a face-to-face format, namely archery, athletics, badminton, chess, cycling, table tennis, swimming, weightlifting and obstacle course racing (demonstration sport).

Online and virtual contests will go on in eight disciplines like arnis, dancesport, judo, karate, muay, pencak silat, taekwondo and wushu.

sport’s PH history

By Ronald O. Reyes

UNDAUNTED by Akari’s early rush, Creamline slowed down the Chargers with awesome blocking and superb floor defense in the next two sets then held sway at the finish in the fourth to churn out a 23-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-21 victory and stay unbeaten in four matches in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference elims at the Philsports Arena in Pasig yesterday.

Ced Domingo produced a 14-point game she laced with five blocks that highlighted the Cool Smashers’ defense upfront, neutralizing the Chargers’ hitters and shutting down the league newcomers to move closer to another semifinal stint in pursuit of a record grand slam feat.

“Medyo naging careless ‘yung team sa first set pero ang importante naman doon ay ‘yung paano ka nakarecover,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses.

“‘Yung Akari siempre, hindi naman basta-basta yan magpapatalo pero ‘yung last three sets, naging maganda ang adjustment namin,” he added.

The Chargers uncorked four consecutive points to stun the Cool Smashers and snatch the opening frame but the latter regrouped, buckled down to work and swept the next two in emphatic fashions.

The Open Conference and Invitational champions also dominated the fourth but the Chargers saved three match points to close within, 21-24, before Tots Carlos blasted in a kill off a mis-receive and a shaky setup to wrap up the victory that came on the heels of their four-set wins over PLDT, Petro Gazz and Cignal.

LUBAO, Pampanga – Harmie Constantino stayed out of harm’s way while Chanelle Avaricio floundered in a pressure-packed backside duel between two of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s leading players as the former snatched a one-stroke victory to reign in the ICTSI Pradera Championship despite a closing 74 here yesterday.

Constantino fought back from two shots down with nine holes to go, birdying the par-5 12th for the second straight day then watching Avaricio hobble with a spate of bogeys to pull off the big reversal and win for the first time outside of Eagle Ridge-Aoki.

“I just avoided making mistakes and making more putts than anyone else,” said Constantino, who took control by two as the two-day leader fumbled with bogeys on

Nos. 11, 13 and 14.

Both dropped shots on the tough par-4 16th with Constantino closing out with a two-over card for an even 216 and Avaricio holing out with a birdie for a 76 and a 217.

It was Constantino’s third victory, worth P168,750, in a young pro career she launched with two victories in bubble setup last year, both at Eagle RidgeAoki. But she failed to figure in title chases in the succeeding LPGT events until she was able to put it all together in the last nine holes coupled with Avaricio’s uncharacteristic windup.

“My game was pretty consistent despite the wind conditions and course setup, which was a little bit harder, with pins on tough spots. But I stayed patient,” she added. But she later admitted she had no expectations this week, saying she

TACLOBAN CITY—Surf in the City in Borongan, Eastern Samar is offering a purse of P1 million, the biggest prize money in the history of Philippine surfing during its 3rd hosting of the National Surfing Competition from November 26 to December 3, 2022.

“I am grateful to our local government’s leadership for their unwavering and united support for this sports movement,” said Borongan City Information Office Officer-in-Charge Rupert Ambil on Thursday (Oct. 27).

“We hope that this will become a template for other sports as well as a great foundation to our vision to professionalize surfing and produce the next Filipino surfing athlete who will bag medals in the Olympics,” he added.

The top prize for both longboard and shortboard category is set at P80,000 for the 1st

placer, P50,000 for the 2nd placer, while two 3rd placers will receive P25,000 each.

Additionally, four 5th placers and eight 9th placers will receive P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.

In the groms division, a surfing category for aged 18 and below, winners will receive P20,000 for the 1st placer, P15,000 for the 2nd placer, and P8,000 for the two 3rd placers.

“We are excited to welcome back our surfers from around the Philippines. We look forward to sharing with them our beautiful and clean surfing playground, along with the usual Boronganon hospitality and top-notch events organization,” added Borongan City Mayor Dayan Agda.

Meanwhile, Ambil said the competition “will close the gap between the prize money received in the Men’s and Women’s Division by giving the same amount to winners from both categories.”

didn’t have a great season. “I just went out there and tried to play well, play good golf.”

A two-over round actually isn’t a good score to close out a big championship but Avaricio simply lost her touch, rhythm and focus with those string of costly bogeys that foiled her drive for a fourth championship after topping the Hallow Ridge and the Caliraya Springs legs, both last April, and the sixth stop of this year’s LPGT here last June where she routed the field by six.

The former Alabama State U star looked headed to re-stamping her class in her LPGT return after clinching a spot in Stage II of the LPGA QSchool. But after a blistering opening 67, she fumbled with a 74 and barely held a one-stroke lead heading to the last 18 holes of the P1.25 million championship.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 C1 Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

Borongan surfing tilt o ers biggest prize money in

William John Riley Go celebrates his rst European title in the Super ROK category of the ROK Super Finals at the South Garda Karting Track in Lonato, Italy.

Sport s Games tomorrow Saturday (Sta. Rosa, Laguna) 2:30 p.m. – Cignal vs Choco Mucho 5:30 p.m. – F2 Logistics vs Petro Gazz The annual Surf in the City will gather the best surfers from all over the country. Constantino stops Avaricio, rules LPGT Pradera

Harmie Constantino:

Consistent game

Manny Marcelo

Prulla edges doubles pal to reach PCA semis

SECOND seed Janella Rose Prulla turned back doubles partner Makeliah Nepomuceno, 6-3, 6-4, on Thursday to barge into the women’s singles semifinals of the 39th Philippine Columbian Association Open Tennis Championships at its Plaza Dilao indoor shell court in Paco.

The victory sent the 17-year-old Prulla into the semis where she will face off with the either Miles Vitaliano or qualifier Alexiera Santos, who were battling each other at press time.

The San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan netter is eyeing to replicate, if not eclipse, her memorable performance in the meet’s last staging three years ago when she made the finals right on her PCA Open debut.

While she lost to Marian Jade Capadocia in the finals, Prulla made history by being the youngest to make it that far as she was only 14 years old back then.

Prulla though isn’t thinking that far as she still needs to hurdle her foe in today’s semis of this tournament bankrolled by Smart/PLDT, official ball Dunlop, Manila councilor Jong Isip, San Jose Salt, W. L. Food Products, Palawan Pawnshop and Pagcor.

“I’ve seen them play and I expect it to be tough whoever between them I face in tomorrow (today),” said the youthful Hanoi Southeast Asian Games veteran.

Alexa Joy Milliam outlasted Justine Hannah Maneja, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, to likewise advance to the semis in this event backed by GAC Motors, GIMACA Convenience Store and Development Corp., Ourzen Chicken, HEAD, Ms. Rina Caniza, Mr. Benito Tan, Primo Dept Fuel Station, Kaizan Steel Trading, Cazneau, Inc. and Knaut Art Glass.

Milliam will tackle the winner of the duel between top seed and Capadocia, a seven-time winner here, and Kyle Emana.

The day before, Prulla teamed up with Nepomuceno in slamming Miles Vitaliano and Maria Patricia Lim, 6-0, 6-3, and jumping to the women’s doubles semis where they are pitted against Shaira Hope Rivera and Alyssa Bornia, a 6-0, 6-1 winner over Joanne Tan and Princess Debie Gom-os.

PSC, Ilocos Sur sign Batang Pinoy ‘22 pact

Lakers’ woes continue; Nash tossed as Nets fall to Bucks

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Lakers’ miserable start to the season continued on Wednesday as the winless NBA giants crashed to a fourth straight defeat against the Denver Nuggets.

Nikoka Jokic scored 31 points and hauled down 13 rebounds in a 110-99 win for Denver that left the Lakers rooted to the foot of the Western Conference standings at 0-4.

LeBron James finished with 19 points and Anthony Davis 22 but it was another frustrating night for the Lakers, who reached half-time tied at 54-54 before being outscored 32-17 in a lopsided third quarter in Denver.

The Lakers’ 0-4 start to the season matches their start to the 2015-2016 campaign, when the team would go on to post the worst season in franchise history, finishing with a 17-65 record.

It is only the fourth time in franchise history that the Lakers have started a season with an 0-4 record.

PHILIPPINE

Sports Commission chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala and Province of Ilocos Sur Governor Jeremias “Jerry” Singson formally signed on Thursday the Memorandum of Agreement for the staging of the Batang Pinoy 2022 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila.

The multi-sports event will be held in Ilocos Sur from December 17 to 22.

“I am very very honored to have Gov. Jerry Singson here with us today. The 2022 Batang Pinoy National Championship is actually going to be the first major PSC-organized competition under my watch and that is why I am very honored to do it in the Province of Ilocos Sur from where the Ealas come from” said chairman Eala in his opening message.

“It is our honor and pride to host the Batang Pinoy 2022 and the Province of Ilocos Sur is very excited when I announced that finally we will host the Batang Pinoy. Nagpapasalamat po ako kay Chairman Eala that you accepted and chose us to host the Batang Pinoy 2022. Malaking bagay po ito sa amin because through sports, makikilala na naman po

ang Ilocos Sur and hopefully mabubuhay ulit ang aming economy through sports” Gov. Singson stated.

Also present during the ceremonial signing were PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., Province of Ilocos Sur Executive Assistant Atty. Jannah Singson, Provincial Administrator Marlon Tagorda, Special Assistant to the Governor in Sports Jester Singson and PSC Regional Coordinator Edwin Llanes.

“I am truly proud that the Batang Pinoy National Championship will finally be back and for the Province of Ilocos Sur to host this competition is a big step towards pushing our grassroots program and jumpstarting our grassroots program in the Philippine Sports Commission,” added Eala.

This will be the first time the Batang Pinoy National Youth Games will be back

Training pool member dominates kickboxing tilt

By Randy Caluag

NATIONAL training pool member Kurt Lubrica emerged unscathed among the standouts in the first two days of competition in the 2022 National Open Kickboxing Championship held at the Music Hall of the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 22-year-old prized find from Benguet dominated his first two bouts in the tournament that aims to discover new talents, who will be considered for the new batch of national kickboxing team and pool members for the year 2023.

Lubrica dominated Harriz Paddison Luyo of Evolutions Gym Baguio City after three rounds, then scored another convincing 3-0 win against fellow national training team member Gambert Angcaway in the male 54-kg Low Kick bout.

“Masipag mag-ensayo at napakabait na bata niyang si Kurt. Malayo ang mararating niya basta mag-stick lang siya sa kickboxing and hopefully isa siya sa mare-retain sa national team,” said national team coach Glenn Mondol.

Lubrica has a bright future ahead of him on and off the playing field.

He is a graduating senior with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science at Benguet State University.

The finals of the tournament, backed by MVP Sports Foundation, Philippine Sports Commission, and Go-For-Gold, has attracted nearly 200 athletes from more than 40 affiliated martial arts clubs from all over the country.

“We are very active with our activities to attract more athletes to try the kickboxing sport. Aside from

skills, our main consideration is attitude. We only want to have discipline athletes in our fold,” said Roselyn Hung, deputy secretary general of the organizing Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas.

Rivier Desuyo, an obscure athlete out of Tong-Il Modo Calabarson showed big potential after scoring an impressive victory over veteran Xavier Villanueva of Team Kafagway in the 63-kg male Kick Light event.

Standing 5’10”, Desuyo’s frame is the best fit for international tournaments.

Other members of the national pool, who made their marks were Daryl Chulipas, Karol Maguide, Jomar Balangui and Gretel De Paz as the tournament braces for the final events Friday in the Low Kick, Full Contact, Kick Light, and Musical Forms categories.

Ababa

in action after the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will cater to student-athletes and out-ofschool youth aged 10-15 years old from 81 provinces and 144 cities nationwide. There are 17 sports to be played in total. Nine sports will be contested in face-to-face competitions namely: archery, athletics, badminton, chess, cycling, table tennis, swimming, weightlifting and obstacle course racing (demonstration sport). Conducted as virtual contests are eight disciplines such as arnis, dancesport, judo, karate, muay, pencak silat, taekwondo and wushu. A total of 1995 medals - 600 gold, 600 silver and 795 bronzes - will be at stake in the 6-day sportsfest.

Around 7,000 participants representing athletes, coaches and officials are expected to take part in the Batang Pinoy 2022 National Championships slated December 17-22, 2022.

Batang Pinoy National Youth Games is one of the PSC’s centerpiece programs for grassroots sports. Since its creation in 1998, it has produced world-class athletes like Asian Weightlifting Championships bronze medalist Rose Jean Ramos, Southeast Asian Games four-time gold medalist Agatha Wong, national wrestler Jason Baucas, among others.

Elsewhere Wednesday, Giannis Antetokounmpo produced his second straight 40-point performance as the Milwaukee Bucks maintained their unbeaten start to the NBA season with a 110-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets, whose coach Steve Nash was ejected.

Antetokounmpo single-handedly hauled Milwaukee back into an absorbing clash at Fiserv Forum, scoring 17 points in a third-quarter rally which turned a 12-point half-time deficit into a two-point lead.

The Greek star added 17 more points in the fourth quarter to finish with 43 in total as the Bucks pulled clear to wrap up the win and improve to 3-0.

Former NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo scored 44 points in his last outing against Houston on Saturday and has averaged 36 points per game this season.

“That was vintage Giannis,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He’s had a lot of great performances, but that second half he did everything, he was phenomenal.

“We had a poor second quarter and he came out with a force and a determination to put us in the right place. It’s hard to put into words how good he was in the second half.” AFP

LUBAO, Pampanga – Jhonnel Ababa went low to deal with the high wind that blew the bids of a slew of contenders, sizzling with a tournament-best 67 to shoulder past halfway leader Tony Lascuna and closer to snapping a spell on the Philippine Golf Tour.

The multi-titled ace from the noted Davao golfing clan surprisingly made it look easy at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club when majority scrambled trying to come up with the right club selections in a wind-blown day here and setting up birdie chances on the unreceptive surface. He birdied all four par-5s and added two more on Nos. 6 and 16 that more than made up for his lone mishap at the par-3 15th.

“My game was just super – driving, tee-shot and putting. It’s also so nice to hit shots on the well-maintained fairways and when I look at greens, the holes seem to be so big and I felt it’s so easy to make birdies,” said Ababa in Filipino, whose back-to-back 71s and five-under card netted him a 54-hole aggregate of seven-under 209 and a two-shot cushion over Lascuna and Van der Valk heading to the final round of the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship.

“I also dealt with the wind pretty well and stayed positive all day. I just hope to do it again tomorrow (today), said Ababa,

The Calatagan pro, whose campaign is backed by the Borough Lasik Center, has not won since ruling the ICTSI Del Monte Championship in 2019 after coming off a prolific season when he won five titles, including four in PGT Asia and the inaugural ICTSI Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational, in 2018.

But it won’t be easy to break the slump as Van der Valk bucked what he termed as a “dull” backside stint to shoot a second straight 70 that proved enough to tie him at second with Lascuna, who settled for a 72, at 211, while Keanu Jahns sneaked into contention with a gutsy 71 for a 213.

“Irons no good,” rued Van der Valk, the Splendido Taal leg winner, who actually shot four birdies against a double bogey at the front to put himself back into contention. “But I had a very boring backnine – one three-putt bogey and a birdie. Other than those, a lot of birdie putts missed, so, I got to hit the iron a lot better because it’s been pretty bad in the week.”

“Hope I can get in the lead and stay unlike today (yesterday) where sadly I didn’t quite keep it up but Jhonnel played really well,” added the Manila-based Dutch ace.

Despite squandering the lead he anchored on a solid 70 Wednesday, Lascuna was more than satisfied salvaging an even par round and staying just within striking distance off his fellow Davaoeno.

“It’s tougher out there with the wind blowing from all over and the greens just wouldn’t bite. But overall, I think my game was okay and I believe that I still have a chance. I’ll just have to prepare and try to enjoy the game tomorrow (today),” said Lascuna, a four-time Order of Merit who is due for big win after back-to-back finishes at Eagle Ridge-Aoki and Riviera.

Two down halfway through the P2 million season-ending championship put up by ICTSI in a flight behind Lascuna, Van der Valk and Art Arbole, Ababa tied for the lead with a birdie on the first par-5 (No. 3) coupled with Lascuna’s bogey on the fourth.

Birdies on the sixth and ninth kept Ababa on top but with a new coleader in Van der Valk, who hit back-to-back birdies from Nos. 3 and 8 to negate a double bogey miscue on the seventh.

But while Ababa sustained his charge with three more birdies, including on the last two par-5s (Nos. 12 and 18), against a bogey for a 33-34, Van der Valk settled for a backside 36 for a 70 and stayed at joint second for the second straight day, this time with Lascuna, who birdied the 14th for a 72 after wresting control with 69-70.

SportsFRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022C2

Shown here are (from left) Province of Ilocos Sur Executive Assistant Atty. Jannah Singson, Gov. Jeremias “Jerry” Singson, PSC chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli’’ Eala and PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo B. Iroy Jr.

goes low to rise to the top

Jhonnel Ababa made it look easy at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club. Manny Marcelo Kurt Lubrica victorious after two bouts

Thai transgender tycoon buys world’s most prestigious pageant

FOLLOWING the Wednesday announcement that JKN, a Thai-owned media and content conglomerate, has acquired the Miss Universe Organization from IMG, key people from both organizations made it official to the public via a virtual event held yesterday.

CEO Amy Emmerich and President Paula Shugart joined JKN Global Group’s Chief Executive Officer Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip – who becomes the first woman owner of The Miss Universe Organization – to discuss rule changes and the aspects of the pageant that will remain the same.

“Miss Universe belongs to us,” Anne Jakapong said during the event also announcing the establishment of the “One Universe” platform that

hopes to unite women from all backgrounds to showcase their beauty and talent on one stage and empower one another.

“We seek not only to continue its legacy of providing a platform to passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions but also to evolve the brand for the next generation,” Anne Jakapong said.

The Miss Universe Organization is an international, inclusive organization that celebrates women of all backgrounds, cultures, and traditions, and exists to advocate for a future forged by women and good for all. At 71 years, Miss Universe is one of the longest-running and most-watched competitions in the world, broadcast in 165 countries worldwide and seen by more than half a billion people annually.

The Miss Universe Organization provides a global platform for more than 10,000

Who will be crowned Mister International 2022?

THE 14th Mister International 2022 finals is happening on Saturday night at the New Frontier Theater, Araneta City with 34 candidates from around the world competing for the prestigious title.

At the press presentation held at Luxent Hotel, Quezon City, the Top 5 Media Popularity Choice award was given to the USA’s Daryn Alexander, Spain’s Juan Pablo Colias, Hongkong’s Jason Li, Thailand’s Surasak Muangkeaw, and the Philippines’ AMJ Ordillano. Reigning titlist is Vietnam’s Trinh Van Bao The rest of the official candidates are: Albania - Boris Gurtner, Brazil – Luan Antonelli Bristot, BelgiumNiels van Dijk, Cambodia - Buncchat Eat, Cuba - Rubert Manuel Arias Solozábal Czech Republic - Matêj Švec, Dominican Republic - Manu Franco, France - Pierre Carriou, Haiti - Theodore Bien-Amie, India - Lukanand Kshetrimayum, Indonesia Jason Julius, Japan - Ryota Kanazuka, Kazakhstan – Anatoliy, Laos - Sengtavanh Chaleunphonh, Malaysia - Hugo Mandus, Mexico - Andres Villegas, Myanmar - San Thar, Nepal - Manashi Raii, Netherlands - Iliya Shahedi, Nicaragua - Jonathan Lopez, Panama - Daniel Moran, Peru - Eleazar Moreno, Puerto Rico - Driel Souza, Singapore Sean Nicholas Sutiono, South Korea - J Ryong, Sri Lanka - Pasan Weerasekara, Switzerland - Marcel Riera, Taiwan - Jacob Hsiao, and Venezuela - Orangel Dirinot • • •

Youngest Filipina international beauty queen

ZYRICH Mikela Perez, an 8-year-old Grade 3 student at St. Paul College Pasig, bested 20 kids from around the world and won the Little Earth International 2022 title in ceremonies held recently at Broadway New York Marriot Marquis. She became the youngest Filipina to ever win an international title.

Inspired by her idol, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Perez, who wants to become a doctor, also won the best in talent, gown, national costume, headshot, video, and question-and-answer special awards. Perez, along with the five other winners of the Orlando, Florida-based pageant, had the opportunity to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week, wearing indigenous MUSA Fabric by Joy Soo

• •

A ‘Beauty that lasts’ Clinic

THE Pretty You aesthetic clinic recently opened its new Santolan Crame branch to meet its ever-growing patrons. With over 23 branches nationwide, the highly sought-after ‘Beauty that lasts’ clinic is paving the way in redefining the importance of beauty and helping Filipinos find their inner glow through the pandemic and beyond.

Recipient of the Iconic Aces Award 2022 as Aesthetic and Wellness Clinic of the Year, the beauty aesthetic clinic offers affordable services provided by a highly trained staff.

Headed by CEO/founder Jessa Macaraig and owners Atty. Patricia Galang, and Maya Doria, The Pretty You offers exclusive services, the ‘Balik Alindog’ five-session, mesolipo slimming package; Jawbotox non-invasive treatment (to achieve barbie V-shaped face); and Forty Pretty (40 treatments-celebrity facial, radio frequency (RF) body/face, lipo cavitation body and eye bag removal), among others.

Jaws dropped when Janelle and Joshua locked lips in an episode for Mars Ravelo’s Darna.

Although both actors have had their share of kissing scenes in previous projects, their intimacy in Darna was on another level. Was it in their eyes? Or the way they held each other? Many elements made that kiss viral aside from Janella and Joshua, each having an active and supportive fanbase. One thing’s for sure: it showed that both actors are ready for mature roles.

Bianca Umali and Ruru Madrid

The couple has been walking on cloud nine with their relationship, and they’re not hiding it from the public. Bianca recently posted a photo on social media focused on her ringadorned hand and Ruru obviously in the background. Speculations about their engagement are now circulating online, but the couple has still to make an official announcement. Nonetheless, their love is giving everyone oozing kilig vibes.

women annually to affect positive change through dedicated personal, professional, and philanthropic activities around the world.

The transition expands JKN’s portfolio of global broadcast and media properties across entertainment and consumer products. JKN’s acquisition will build on The Miss Universe Organization’s strong brand and vision, developing an integrated and compelling proposition with new opportunities to grow the business in key and untapped markets, including Asia.

During the announcement, JKN shared its plans for generating additional value based on the natural strength of the Miss Universe brand, including the upcoming debut of MU Lifestyle: a new licensing and merchandising arm of The Miss Universe Organization that will leverage the strength of the Miss Universe brand and JKN’s lifestyle portfolio to create a new range of merchandise, as

well as entertainment and various business opportunities that reflect the strength of the brand.

“We are incredibly honored to be acquiring The Miss Universe Organization and working with its visionary leadership team. The global reach of the Organization, its relationships with global partners and brands, and its wealth of content, licensing, and merchandising opportunities make this a strong, strategic addition to our portfolio,” Anne Jakapong added.

Amy Emmerich and Paula Shugartshared: “We are excited to continue the evolution of The Miss Universe Organization with JKN. Our relationships with global partners and brands have never been stronger; and our progressive approach continues to position us at the forefront of our industry. We would like to thank IMG for providing us a foundation to realize our aspirations for the brand.”

This Band sings about ‘the one’ in members’ first song collab

SINCE

breaking big with “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na” back in 2018, This Band has never looked back. In fact, lead singer Andrea Manzano, songwriter and guitarist Euwie Von Loria, bassist Miccael Galvan, drummer John Macaranas, lead guitarist Reymart Gubat, and keyboardist Melvin Carson, have never let up on the pace they set.

Proof of this is that even after a quarter-of-a-billion streams for “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na,” they still managed to follow up that monster hit with two more giant-sized songs in “Hindi Na Nga,” and “’Di Na Babalik” the same year.

Suffice it to say that This Band is quite good at what they do. That’s why a This Band song is always highly anticipated. And this includes their latest release “Higit Sa Sapat.” New song also means new approach for This Band. And while the new single comes in an all too familiar package, ergo, relatable themes that come wrapped in memorable melodies and hook choruses in that distinct pop-rock ‘banda’ sound that is so This Band, something new is afoot.

“This is the first song of This Band na sinulat ng group,” declared Euwie.

Andrea Manzano adds, “Each band member is putting effort in writing their own songs (now). It’s a positive change for me and the band.”

According to keyboardist Melvin Carson, “Higit Sa Sapat” was written just this year from one of their songwriting sessions. “Nakakatuwa dahil lahat nag-participate sa concept writing.”

“In the songwriting process, Andee and Mikki (Galvan) suggested a love song. I started it with the chorus and some verse part of the song while playing instruments with Gubs (Reymart) then Euwie and Andee (added) the verses and bridge. John (Macaranas) proofread the song so it really became a team effort,” added the keyboardist.

The resulting effort is the heartfelt and catchy wedding-themed

DRIVEN by his unmatched dedication to his craft, actor Ian Veneracion without a doubt remains at the prime of his career. So, to celebrate his four decades in the entertainment industry, Ian is all geared up for his much-anticipated return to action via Studio Three-Sixty action series One Good Day streaming on November 17 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

“This series will surprise our Filipino viewers in terms of quality. With the recent availability of current technologies;

song “Higit Sa Sapat.” Kicking off with a big dramatic Carson piano intro to support Andrea’s yearning voice in the beginning. It eventually builds as Euwie, Miccael and John come in on the rhythm section. And when Reymart joins the fray with his fills at its crescendo, it becomes this big power ballad about, as Andrea describes it, a song from the point of view of “imagining that you are walking down the aisle, you’re feeling the love, and finally facing ‘The One.’”

And while This Band is known for ‘hugot’ themes, the new song is a first for the group in that it is their first love song. And fans have noticed it too.

“Higit Sa Sapat” is now available on all digital streaming platforms and is released under Viva Records.

Ian Veneracion plays a strong-willed mobster in latest Amazon Prime Video series

the level of image and sound quality, non-linear storytelling, creative and fast-paced fight scenes, that which, would certainly make us proud to showcase the Filipino talent in the art, and science of filmmaking,” shared Ian.

After receiving the title of President’s adviser on creative communications, Paul faced mixed reactions from the public. While some praised him for accepting the task with only a P1 salary, others questioned his creative skills. Yet Paul has only held the post for a week and has still to put his best foot forward as the President’s adviser.

Zeinab Harake

The famous vlogger went through fire and became the talk of the town when her supposed friend Wilbert Tolentino released unflattering screenshots of their conversation. As the issue slowly dwindled, Zeinab asked forgiveness from other celebrities and vloggers she badmouthed. However, people weren’t as interested in her apology as they were when a part of the vlogging community pointed fingers at each other. Maybe the “Maritess” culture is going too far and narrow, where people only acknowledge the conflict, not the solutions.

The series is a story about family, love, greed, and power in the beautiful dark backdrop of kingmakers in the Philippines. Ian plays the role of Dale Sta. Maria, a strong-willed mobster who left the Rodrigo Organization after finding out that he has a brain tumor and that death is upon him. However, with the death of his loved ones, he is drawn out of retirement and is forced to go on a final mission before calling it a day.

“The role requires a delicate balance of internal ‘order and chaos’ for any actor. A sensitive man, trapped in the complexity of having to embrace violence, in order to gain the peace and simplicity that ultimately is, his end goal,” Ian explained.

Making this heart-pounding series a reality is notable action director Lester Pimentel Ong – best known for Panday, Lastikman, Imortal, La Luna Sangre, Indio, and Bagani to name a few.

“It gives me great pride to be creating action content for the region – something that I feel is critical to growing the industry. I am fortunate to be doing this with Ian, who is not only a brilliant actor, but also a martial artist and an athlete – a true professional who has given Studio Three Sixty his trust,” Direk Lester enthused.

Joining Ian in the star-studded cast of One

Entertainment FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 C3 E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant Janella Salvador and Joshua Garcia Paul Soriano

PEOPLE…are talking about ...are not talking about

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This Band’s ‘Higit Sa Sapat’ is a heartfelt and catchy weddingthemed song

The top five candidates for Media Popularity Choice in Mister International 2022

Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, CEO of JKN Global Group, and the first woman owner of The Miss Universe Organization Zyrich Mikela Perez takes

home the title of Little Earth International 2022 after besting20 other competitors from around the world

Good Day are Rabiya Mateo as Sandra, Andrea Torres as Alex Sandoval, Aljur Abrenica as Kyzer Catillo, Justin Cuyugan as Roman Rodrigo, Nicole Cordoves as Anne Rodrigo, Pepe Herrera as Joey Rodrigo, Robert Seña as Atty. Bobby Miclat, and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Gloria Marquez. Also with them in this six-episode series are equally amazing talents Claire Ruiz as Mayor Beatrice Marquez, Louise Abuel as Lucky, Joe Vargas as Agent Renz Cruz, Marela Torre as Agent Kona, Lance Pimentel as Lando, and Pontri Bernardo as Governor Paulo Simon. The talented members of This Band Ian plays the role of Dale Sta. Maria, a strongwilled mobster, in ‘One Good Day’

IKNOWmy mom’s cooking by heart. That is why I was surprised that something was different with her adobo during the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown. It was a pleasant twist, to be honest. I soon found out Mama got the new recipe online. She happens to be one of the almost million subscribers of Chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou’s Youtube channel, Simpol.

Years ago, while many people were big on molecular gastronomy or progressive cuisine that entails science and many complicated cooking techniques, Chef Tatung went against the tide. He deliberately wanted to deviate from what everyone else was doing and said, “I tried to make things less complicated and more ‘simpol.’”

The term was an artistic take on the word simple, and Chef Tatung said the

name represents how he wanted to return to the fundamentals of cooking.

While his academic background was journalism-related, Chef Tatung became immersed in the kitchen and the culture of hosting feasts while growing up in Cebu. His mom and grandma had a huge influence on the chef.

“I have an amazing childhood experience in the kitchen, most of my happy memories as a kid were spent with my Lola in the kitchen,” Chef Tatung said.

In 2010, Chef Tatung jumpstarted his cooking career by serving delicious and hearty meals for private dining in Quezon City. Eventually, this led him to open several restaurants featuring Filipino cuisine. Sounds impressive? Chef Tatung’s success expands to being a bestselling author and a popular content creator. His Youtube channel, serving as a repository of easy-to-follow recipes, has almost 85 million views.

“We started doing videos way before the platform became as popular as it is right now in the Philippines. We had so many struggles before we could have the full production team,” recalled the chefslash-online sensation.

He added, “When I started my YouTube channel, I had all the nanays and those who love preparing food for the entire

family in mind, and I did not think this would be as huge as today.”

What started as an attempt to simplify things so that others could cook warm and hearty meals for their families boomed into something big. “Those platforms gained an enormous number of following from all walks of life – from nanays, millennials, to titas and titos – as a household brand,” Chef Tatung said. “In a sense, this made me like a pseudo-celebrity, and people know me where ever I go, even the OFWs in the countries I visited.”

For Chef Tatung, nothing beats the feeling of seeing people savor and enjoy the meals he prepares. That is what he loves the most about his work. “I really love hosting and serving good food to all the people close to my heart and this extended to all those who wanted to taste the dishes I prepare,” he said.

On record, Chef Tatung’s most wellknown recipes are the Mindanaoan dishes he presented at the Madrid Fusion 2017, held in Madrid, Spain, and attended by leading global culinary experts.

Despite his massive success across different platforms, the well-loved kitchen master emphasized that humility and openness are critical characteristics of a good cook. Chef Tatung said, “One must always be open to criticism when cooking.”

The good thing is, his cooking and recipes are drowning in positive feedback. Moms and home cooks worldwide have raved about recreating his masterpieces in their kitchens. No less than former Vice President Leni Robredo once shared that she uses Chef Tatung’s channel as a reference when she’s cooking.

For Chef Tatung, anyone can cook. “All it takes is the courage to make the very first step,” he said.

Support in different forms is coming aspiring cooks’ way as Chef Tatung is coming up with new titles this coming 2023. A wide reader himself, Chef Tatung loves exploring new things that include dishes and cultures through traveling and reading.

“Whenever I can’t travel, I read. It takes me to different places I have never been to before and it widens my horizon.”

He wishes others to dive into the same experience. “I established Vertikal Kreatives to make all our multimedia production and part of it is the publishing house,” Chef Tatung happily shared.

He and his team are currently working on a kid’s book, a practical cooking and

kitchen guidebook, and a book featuring a narrative about Filipino cuisine. Some of his previously released books that became bestsellers are Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter, Rice to the Occasion, and Dishkarte sa Kusina.

With so many things already happening for the household name, Chef Tatung is still cooking up a lot of plans. He aims to remain focused on what he is good at.

“I want to continuously deepen my culinary knowledge, open more restaurants that can help people earn a sustainable living, create more meaningful content that can help people enjoy cooking while learning, and write more books worthy of being in everyone’s home,” Chef Tatung shared.

One must have found the right job when it becomes so enjoyable that the person does not feel the need to take a break from it. Chef Tatung is proof of that. When the need to de-stress arises, he still turns to the kitchen and whips up some dishes.

He quickly explained, “It is because I enjoy cooking.”

That is pure passion, plain and simple.

THIS

Furnishings

lives comfortable; they also complete our home and highlight our style.

From color blocks or patterns to mix and match, fabric upholstery or leather, wood or plastic, and single or king size, the SM Store’s Home Department has a wide variety of home furnishings that suit different budgets and styles.

Tip: When buying furniture pieces like a sofa, make sure you measure your space and get the scale right. To visualize it, put masking tape on the floor to outline the space where the piece will go and measure it. This way, you won’t need to ask yourself when you’re in the store, “Is this going to fit?”

2. Update your wardrobe.

As pandemic restrictions ease, most people are back at the office and are socializing too, so now just might be the best time to update your wardrobe with SM’s Women’s Fashion. Choose clothes that go from day to night as you go from boardroom meetings to bar hopping with friends.

Tip: For women, a solid-color tailored blazer shows you mean business at work even if you have a soft or printed fabric blouse inside. Remove the jacket and you’re ready to go partying in the Metro. For men, time to add some color into your lives whether it’s baby pink or light lavender. Pair it with jeans, leather shoes, and a smart jacket, and you’re sure to turn heads.

3. Be inspired in the kitchen. Your personal design style extends to your kitchen, too. Should you go with porcelain, stone, or clay? Crystal or glass? It depends on your budget but consider their use as well.

Don’t save the expensive wares for guests. Buy to use. Choose cookware that will inspire the inner chef in you, dinnerware that will give your meals a little more oomph, and storage to start organizing things around the house.

Tip: Always choose quality. These are some of the most used pieces in your home, so make sure that apart from looking good, your dinnerware and flatware can withstand frequent washing and microwaving without fading or looking dull.

4. Treat the kids.

For two years, children were confined at home and couldn’t see their friends. To help them renew their social skills, throw a weekend afternoon party. Shop for toys or games they can use at Toy Kingdom. Better yet, if it’s your child’s birthday, invite their friends and the neighborhood kids to help them get reacquainted or make new connections.

Tip: Children are easy to please. Make party favors for them to take home. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You just need to be creative.

5. Be active again

Start your fitness journey by shopping for new exercise gear at SM’s Sports Central. From shoes to shorts, yoga pants to gym bags, you’ll find them at the SM Store. You may also check out the Electronics department for gadgets to make your active life more enjoyable—Bluetooth earphones for the gym, drones for your long runs outdoors, and watches to track your health.

Tip: One of the most common reasons people stop exercising is that they get bored with their routine. Mix it up! Find an exercise buddy, don’t stick to one sport, find different places to run or bike or play volleyball.

A free P100,000 shopping spree at the SM Store should help you try out new things and start that big reinvention.

Find out how to win free P100,000 shopping spree at the SM Store by signing up for PLDT Home Rewards on this link: https://pldthome.com/loyalty-and-rewards

MAKATIZENS and visitors all flocked to Paseo de Roxas last weekend as Ayala Land Inc. and Make It Makati launched “It All Happens in Makati” campaign with a dynamic street meet that brought together some of the city’s well-known and best-kept food and lifestyle offerings and establishments.

The event showcased how multifaceted Makati is – being far beyond just the financial center it is most known for. From well-followed incognito food critic “Masarap ba?” pop quiz, insider information on the city’s secret spots, free-flowing Heineken Silver beer, to rousing sets by The Authority band, and great beats by DJ Agnes , the launch was a fitting start to a slew of things to come.

David Celdran and Nicole Andersson , both Makati enthusiasts, served as event hosts and revealed some insights and their very own faves about the world-class city. We all know that everything happens in Makati, but the event proved that there’s even more to look forward to.

Makaturismo’s Ichi Yabut presented details on the interesting and fun Makati walking tours and their collaboration underlining that “There is so much to see around Makati, and it truly is a destination.”

JC Cailles of Fine Dining Manila announced teaming up with “Make It Makati” as their new “resident fine dining guy.”.

“Make It Makati” is also collaborating with Jungo TV to launch an exclusive channel to provide more interactive content to the public.

Ayala Land Estate Head for Makati Shiella Aguilar spoke about the ever-changing Makati skyline, particularly the newest additions including Tower Two within the Ayala Triangle Gardens, which design-wise blends the architecture

One

THE Block Atrium at SM City North EDSA glows with Aurora Borealis inspired lights as Christmas comes early to the happiest mall this season with the spectacular Magical Northern Holidays for kids and kids at heart. Walk and indulge with the whole family in an immersive experience at the Aurora trail at the Aurora Holiday Park featuring a 360 experience of the Aurora ascending the giant 60-ft holiday tree adorned with a magical array of lights, forestry, adorable rein-bears, and holiday polar express. Shop your holiday gifts for the family at the Christmas Market and capture your most special holiday memories at The Block Atrium.

SNAPSHOT Life C4 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

month, PLDT Home Rewards is giving away five P100,000 SM Gift Cards to lucky members by registering their PLDT Home account to the PLDT Home Rewards program. And with this rewards promo, here are five tips to make the most out of your dream shopping list.

Have fun with your furnishings.

are the backdrop of our lives, not just pieces to sleep or sit on. Soft furnishings such as curtains, linens, and throws are not just there to make our

Keeping it ‘Simpol’ Chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou’s Youtube channel, Simpol, features easy-to-follow recipes Magical northern holidays Enjoy a shopping experience courtesy of PLDT Home Rewards

Chrissy Roa, Head of Marketing and Communications of Ayala Land Estates

Sarsa is a restaurant in Makati that offers Filipino comfort food for sharing

Filipino singer and musician Juan Miguel Salvador

Telco’s rewards program gives away five P100K shopping sprees to lucky patrons ‘It All Happens in Makati’ of a premier office building with that of the green space of the gardens. There is also the Samsung Performing Arts Theater at Circuit Makati, and

Ayala, a terminal to ensure better commuting experiences for Makatizens with its queueing system and various loading bays.

Sustainability from Renewable Energy

Energy plays critical role in recharging economy

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ENERGY is an essential resource in everyday life and a key driver of economies worldwide. Expensive and lack of access to energy have posed a barrier to economic development.

Amid the energy crisis faced by economies and the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the Marcos administration vowed to pursue energy security, energy access and a low-carbon future.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wanted to achieve energy security through the development of indigenous energy resources, providing access to energy and transitioning to a sustainable low-carbon future.

Lotilla said the Philippines is “very energy-insecure” as only 43 percent of the country’s total energy comes from domestic or indigenous sources.

He said this dependence is a cause for concern, especially in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which exposed the country’s “vulnerability to volatilities in global prices.”

The DOJ opinion means that foreign ownership restrictions that hamper the flow of investments in the RE sector may now be relaxed.

“This will certainly contribute to our target share of renewable energy in the power generation mix of 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040,” the energy chief said.

OFF-GRID ELECTRIFICATION

Meanwhile, the DOE is pursuing the electrification of households nationwide as there are still more than a million unserved households or families without electricity access.

Lotilla said off-grid areas should continue to have power even as electricity costs had sky-rocketed amid the high price of diesel.

Oil accounted for 89 percent of the fuel used by power plants in off-grid areas.

“For the small modular power plants, we will attend to them when they become commercially available. But right now, we will focus instead on one, for example, establishing the regulatory framework,” he said.

Lotilla said the Philippines would abide by the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency, especially after

the Fukushima accident in Japan, where compliance requirements were reinforced and strengthened.

Lotilla said one of the most critical points is to address the concerns of the host communities.

“We would have to strengthen the trust and confidence of our people in the ability of the government to regulate safely, to put up necessary standards. We can even look at this from the regional standpoint,” he said.

Lotilla said the DOE does not ban technologies. What the Constitution bans are nuclear weapons, and not the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, he said.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Lotilla admits power supply remains thin, and the DOE is preparing for a possible “difficult” power situation in May and June next year.

“For 2023, the situation is a bit difficult, especially in the summer months, and the scenario again assumes that Ilijan will not be available, and it shows several yellow

alerts and the possibility of red alerts in 2023,” the energy chief said.

“These are the ones we are attending to with some urgency and which is to plan for how to bridge this particular gap,” Lotilla said.

The DOE hopes that energy facilities, particularly on liquefied natural gas, will come on stream next year to help meet demand.

Data from the DOE show that yellow alerts or tight supply situation would occur 17 times, with three red alerts in Luzon in May and June.

Lotilla said transmission constraints should also be addressed to improve the supply in the Luzon grid and avoid any red alerts.

This can be done by improving system operations to maximize available plants, timely completion of transmission projects, and identifying specific segments where the government is the reason for the delay (e.g., local government units and courts’ timely action on rightof-way issues) and provision of necessary intervention.

He said one solution the President is looking at is reviving the upstream natural gas industry.

“He wants to make sure that the policy environment for investors in the upstream is going to be one, certain; two, stable; and three, absolutely clear. We are addressing the desire of the president to make sure that the investment climate and the legal environment for the investment in the upstream become absolutely clear,” Lotilla said, referring to President Marcos.

Lotilla said the government’s plan to maximize indigenous resources drew strong interest from foreign investors such as Australian firm Nido Petroleum Philippines Pty. Ltd., the technical operator of Service Contract 6B.

Nido is proceeding with the site survey of the Cadlao oil field in the fourth quarter. The activities will pave the way for drilling two wells—one exploration and one appraisal—by the first half of 2023.

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

LIFTING OF BARRIERS

Recognizing the private sector’s role in promoting energy security, the DOE is pushing for the entry of more foreign investors.

“Private sector investments are central to achieving our renewable energy targets and vision for the Filipino people, and this is a welcome development for our foreign investors to invest in renewable energy production here in our country,” Lotilla said.

The agency sought clarification and received a favorable opinion from the Department of Justice on the foreign ownership limit on renewable energy resources.

The DOJ issued a legal opinion that exploration, development and utilization of inexhaustible renewable energy sources are not subject to the 60:40 foreign equity limitation as provided under Section 2, Article XII of the Constitution.

Lotilla said the National Power Corp., mandated to provide electricity to off-grid areas under the Electric Power Reform Industry Act of 2001, is looking at ways to address the problem.

“The longer-term solution, however, is to move from again, the President said, overdependence on imported sources. We have to go for more indigenous sources,” Lotilla said.

He said the key is transforming state-run Napocor “into dynamo work for missionary electrification.

Lotilla said another aspect of the president’s legislative agenda is initiating reforms in electric cooperatives to help ensure electricity access in the countryside.

“We will have to take a close look at how we should help, we should reorganize, we should strengthen the EC. The concept of an EC is a development agent,” Lotilla said.

“There are areas in the country which, up to now, still need that developmental support.”

NUCLEAR SOLUTION

President Marcos directed the DOE to re-examine the Philippines’ strategy on building nuclear power plants.

“In the area of nuclear power, there have been new technologies developed that allow smaller-scale modular nuclear plants and other derivations thereof,” Marcos said in his State-of-the-Nation Address early this year.

SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts, about a third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. SMRs are smaller than conventional power reactors and easier to install.

“The challenge before us, which the President has also indicated, is that we will be open, and we’ll look into the options for nuclear because nuclear is non-carbon emitting,” Lotilla said.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 D1 www.manilastandard.net SPECIAL ISSUE

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla

ISSUE

Sustainability from Renewable Energy

Embracing sustainable, renewable energy

By Peter Paul Duran

CLEAN energy is another name for renewable energy, which comes from natural sources or processes and can be used over and over again.

The United Nations defines renewable energy as power that comes from natural resources that can be regenerated at a faster rate than they can be used up. For instance, the sun’s rays and the wind are two examples of such sources that are continually being replenished.

Renewable sources of energy are abundant and can be found all around us.

On the other hand, coal, oil, and gas are non-renewable fossil fuels that develop over hundreds of millions of years. Burning fossil fuels produces greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide.

Cleaner energy generated from renewable sources is gradually replacing traditionally used “dirty” fossil fuels in the electricity generation industry.

Solving today’s environmental issues warrants long-term prospective initiatives for sustainable development. Renewable energy sources appear to be one of the most efficient and effective alternatives in this respect—the very reason why renewable energy and the search for sustainability are intrinsically tied.

World Wildlife Fund Philippines notes that there have been many use cases for how RE can save money as renewable sources can shield the Philippines from volatile prices of fossil-fuels like gas, oil, and coal, 90% of which are imported at

wildly varying rates.

The organization opined that converting to renewable energy is the cheapest option for achieving energy independence and combating climate change.

Renewable energy sources are getting better at the same time that technology is making them cheaper. This is starting to make the promise of a more environmentally friendly energy future come true.

Despite the fact that coal and natural gas still account for 76.1% of the country’s electricity, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. gave natural gas a boost by describing it as a “transition fuel” to renewable energy, a necessary step in achieving concrete goals in the path to RE sustainability.

Renewable energy is poised for growth in the Philippines, says the World Resources Institute (WRI), adding that the time is right for RE in the country.

Both the Philippines and Indonesia have more geothermal power plants per capita than any other Asian country.

With an installed capacity of 1,918 MW, the Philippines has the third-largest geothermal power capacity in the world, after Indonesia and the US.

In fact, the Philippines’ economic and energy problems can be fixed by putting more money into the development of renewable energy. The WRI said that the country may have reached a turning point when it comes to updating its old energy infrastructure.

The Philippines’ efforts to create a sustainable energy infrastructure, according to the Department of Energy, focus on using more renewable energy sources.

Renewable energy must be at the center of the country’s plan for low-emission development in order to fight climate change, provide energy security, and increase access to energy.

Republic Act 9513 establishes the National Renewable Energy Program

(NREP). It lays out the plan for reaching the goals set by the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. The NREP shows that the country is moving from a lot of different renewable energy projects to a steady push for energy security and clean energy.

Only 30% of the energy consumed in the country comes from renewable sources. The goal of the government-led National Renewable Energy Plan (NREP) is to increase RE capacity by thrice, reaching 15,304 MW by the year 2030.

To bolster these efforts, the Philippine Energy Plan 2020–2040 was developed by the agency to set lofty goals for the country’s energy transformation. Under the Plan’s Clean Energy Scenario, the Philippines wants to meet the aspirational goal of having at least 35% of its power come from renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040.

The DOE has pinpointed 25 key regions where wind and solar resources are most abundant.

In addition to solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass, the country has a total potential capacity of 58,110 MW of green energy.

Moreover, the Philippines Offshore Wind Roadmap cites the country’s capacity to deploy 178 gigawatts of offshore wind power with the correct long-term vision, policies, infrastructure development, and investments.

The decision by the Marcos government to allow foreign investment of up to one hundred percent in the renewable energy sector was applauded by advocacy groups, including the Foundation for Economic Freedom.

Energy security and climate adaption measures would benefit from the influx of foreign investment in renewable energy, the FEF stated in a statement.

It deemed “correct, timely and judicious” the Department of Justice’s conclusion that renewable energy sources

like the sun, wind, and oceans are not depletable “natural resources” subject to the legal limitations on foreign ownership.

The idealistic shift to renewable energy in the Philippines would ensure the country’s energy security and independence from foreign suppliers.

Furthermore, it would provide an inviting environment for investors and stimulate growth in the local economy. If the correct pieces fall into place, this would lead to increased employment and lower health care and welfare expenditures. McKinsey reported in May 2020 that government spending on renewables and energy efficiency generated three times more jobs than fossil fuels.

Since fossil fuels generate air pollution, renewable energy reduces health hazards. Renewable energy can provide electricity to everyone at lower costs.

Local organizations advocate for clean energy

By Marron Joshua F. Mendoza and Louise Gallardo

AS A country rich in natural resources that are crucial in developing clean and renewable energy, the Philippines is considered a global leader in renewable energy usage.

According to Energy Tracker Asia, over 47 percent of the country’s total energy use comes from green sources.

The United Nations established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for every country in the world to take action toward a sustainable planet and society. One of these goals is to ensure everyone has access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.

Renewable energy usage is very relevant, especially today when the world is facing a global energy crisis caused by labor shortages, disputes, the effects of climate change, and other economic factors, such as inflation and rising gas prices.

Several local groups in the Philippines play a role in advocating and supporting the use of clean energy in the country. Their continuous efforts raise awareness and encourage the public to transition to cleaner energy alternatives.

INSTITUTE FOR CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES (ICSC)

Formed in 1998, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities is a Philippinebased international non-governmental organization that promotes fair climate policy as well as low-carbon and climate-resilient development, particularly in Asia. The organization is recognized for its work in advancing effective global climate action and the Paris climate agreement.

It began as the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer (GRIPP), a sustainable energy solutions initiative that owes its history to defeating the construction of a coal-fired power plant in the town of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental and pushing the province of Negros Occidental to pursue 100 percent development of renewable energy.

Since then, the ICSC has organized numerous projects and initiatives such as their e-jeepney project and a book on climate change titled Agam, which received numerous awards, including the 2015 National Book Award for Anthology in English and two Gintong Aklat Awards for Design and English Literature from the Book Development Association of the Philippines.

LIGHT OF HOPE PH

Based in Cebu, Light of Hope PH is a grassroots movement that advocates lessening climate change through public awareness of the importance of fighting against its effects, reducing greenhouse gas

emissions through the use of renewable energy, and making clean energy more affordable and accessible for underprivileged citizens.

One of their main projects, the Cloudgrid project, aims to provide power to less privileged, off-the-grid communities that are not connected to a power grid using clean and renewable energy. The project’s target milestone is to serve more than 1,000 household beneficiaries and reduce 130,000 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, which is equivalent to planting 6,190 fully-grown trees. It is mostly funded by monetary donations from donors and volunteers

Light of Hope PH’s work has been recognized by international organizations such as the British Council and has received the 2020 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Philippines YOUnified Award from the United States Embassy in the Philippines in the Environment category.

GREENPEACE PHILIPPINES

Founded in 1971, Greenpeace is an “independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the environment, and to promote peace.”

Its story began in 1971 when a group of individuals protested against US nuclear testing off the west coast of Alaska. Because the Greenpeace activists had protested in a peaceful and nonviolent way, they had set an example that thousands soon followed.

The organization focuses on exposing environmental criminals and challenging government corporations that fail to meet their mandates to protect the environment and people’s future.

Greenpeace Philippines began working in the country in the 1990s, and by March 1, 2000, they finally opened an office in Manila “following the first visit of our flagship Rainbow Warrior to the region for the ‘Toxic-Free Asia Tour.’”

Since then, Greenpeace Philippines has been working with its allies and communities to create environmental investigations, scientific research, and reports for a better and sustainable future for Filipinos. The organization also assists Filipinos in combating illegal fishing, campaigning for cleaner seas and climate justice, and calling for the elimination of toxic environments.

Greenpeace Philippines also takes pride in its volunteers and fundraising. They emphasize that they are an independent organization that does not accept

donations from governments and corporations, but only through donations from passionate individuals.

RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Renewable Energy Association of the Philip pines (REAP) was formed in 1985 as a “non-stock, non-profit organization of companies and private in dividuals committed to the nationwide development, promotion, utilization and commercialization of re newable energy technolo gies/systems for sustain able energy generation.”

REAP’s mission is to create a platform for private sectors to discuss ideas, perspectives, and expertise about renewable energy systems and to grow an environment of “unity and cooperation conducive to the long-term development of renewable energy.”

Their vision is to be the leading organization in an industry that deals with critical national development issues.

Some private companies also share the responsibility of promoting green energy to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Some notable brands include San Miguel Corporation, Global Power, Aboitiz Power, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Meralco, Energy Development Corporation (EDC), FirstGen, and Alsons Power.

All these local organizations have been aiming and planning proper resources to help give the Filipinos a greener and better future.

What all of these local organizations have in common is that they all plan to both help and hold the government accountable when it comes to the country’s renewable energy.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has always been vocal about the effects of climate change. In his first State Of the Nation Address (SONA), he stated that increasing the usage of renewable energy is at the very top of his climate agenda. He also stressed the importance of investing in science and technology to help save lives.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has recently made significant advances toward developing the country’s renewable energy. It is currently revising the rules and regulations of the country’s renewable energy law in order to encourage investment in the sector by lowering the foreign ownership limit.

The DOE also intends to increase renewable energy’s share of the country’s power generation mix from 22 to 35 percent by 2030 and by 50 percent by 2040.

A future reliant on green energy is not far from fruition. Proper implementation in the Philippines requires more than just the efforts of the government. Luckily, private organizations and companies are also taking on the responsibility of securing a safe and sustainable future for all.

The WRI also said that technologies for decarbonizing and decentralizing power generation that don’t need expensive, large, and hard-to-manage transmission networks in rough and inaccessible terrain would help reach total electrification.

The low-carbon energy transition, according to the WRI “will help thwart climate change and reduce the carbon intensity of the Philippines’ power sector, and improve its energy system resilience” as distributed renewable energy (DRE) systems that don’t require fuel are ideal for the Philippines’ over 7,000 islands.

With a strong focus on renewable energy, the Philippines is taking big steps after big steps toward sustainability. The future is bright for RE in the country, and it is up to each and everyone of us to do our part in achieving this lofty, but necessary goal.

institution will focus on developing renewable energy sources in the country.

Rodriguez urges Congress to enact measures to secure a stable, affordable, and reliable electricity supply to sustain economic growth and enhance the nation’s well-being.

The Philippines also actively partners with other countries to further its thrust toward the use of renewable energy.

RECOGNIZING ITS LONG-TERM BENEFITS

The United Nations (UN) and other governing bodies across the globe recognize the relevance of renewable energy in combatting the effects of climate change. The best thing about renewable energy is that its sources are readily available and abundant in the environment.

Using renewable energy could help countries meet the goal of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to below two, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. Possible results include the reversal of rapid temperature changes that cause extreme weather phenomena and threaten the sustainability of various industries.

Besides lessening the number of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels in the atmosphere, there are other advantages to transitioning to renewable energy.

One notable benefit is protecting the public’s health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 99 percent of people in the world breathe air that exceeds air quality limits, thereby putting their well-being at risk. Fossil fuels contribute unhealthy levels of particulate matter and nitrogen oxide to the atmosphere.

Switching to renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, are better alternatives to protect the public’s health.

From an economic standpoint, renewable energy makes more sense as it only requires a sizeable investment initially, but eventually becomes more affordable if implemented appropriately.

Moreover, the UN justified that reducing pollution and climate change impacts could save the world up to $4.2 trillion annually by 2030.

The renewable energy industry also has the potential to create three times more job opportunities for the public than fossil fuels. Workers, especially skilled technicians, are responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining the processes of these sustainable energy sources. It creates a community, where nobody gets left behind as the global population strives toward selfsufficiency through clean energy.

Although energy lies at the heart of climate change, solutions on how to address it are available. One ideal course of action at the moment is shifting to renewable energy. The Philippines has abundant renewable energy sources, but has yet to refine its implementation nationwide. Fortunately, the government isn’t sleeping on the issue and has taken the necessary steps to the transition.

With a joint effort between the government, private sectors, and everyday Filipinos, the Philippines has the opportunity to solve the issue of climate change caused by energy pollution.

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Natural...From D3

ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO F. MALLARI FELIPE MARIA VICTORIA R.

ISSUE

Sustainability from Renewable Energy Natural alternatives: Clean energy against climate change

By Patricia Taculao

MODERNtechnology and development

undeniably made life easier for civilizations.

Yet the advantages of modernization have their setbacks, particularly on the environment.

Climate change remains a primary concern among countries as they have felt the impact of extreme weather phenomena that threaten the longevity of numerous industries and human welfare.

There are several causes of climate change, foremost of which is energy pollution. Several studies from different organizations discovered that fossil fuels are the top contributors to greenhouse gases, which further global warming and environmental pollution. As a result, it causes rapid changes in the earth’s temperature and the degradation of natural resources.

Coal remains the dirtiest fuel that emits more greenhouse gases than other energy sources. However, many industries, particularly in urban areas, continue to rely on coal for energy because it’s accessible and cost-effective.

As global reports become increasingly concerning, governments have begun looking or shifting to renewable energy as a safer and more sustainable alternative.

The Philippines is among those countries focusing on strengthening the use of the

renewable energy sector.

Renewable energy pertains to the power that comes from natural resources. It replenishes itself at a rapid rate than its consumption.

Some renewable energy sources in the country include geothermal, hydro, biomass, solar, on- and off-shore wind, and wasteto-energy. Yet several roadblocks pose challenges to achieving complete reliance on renewable energy. Nonetheless, the Philippine government continues to find solutions, starting with the public and the set of rules on renewable energy.

One known initiative toward shifting to green energy in the Philippines is the Green Energy Option Program.

The GEOP is one of the Department of Energy’s programs to meet the objectives of the Renewable Energy Act, which aims to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources, achieve self-reliance, and mitigate the impact of climate change in the country. It empowers consumers by encouraging them to switch to renewable

energy as their source of electricity, which is cleaner and more environment-friendly than fossil fuels.

Before the government furthers the effort, they’re looking to fine-tune particular rules in the GEOP to address challenges that discourage consumers from participating. There are less than 160-end users currently enrolled in the program.

Shifting to renewable energy is a concept that seems foreign to most Filipinos. Limited awareness among the population can hurt the cause rather than support it. Switching to renewable energy requires more than long-term planning and regulation from the government. It has to present opportunities like jobs, distribution, and fair prices to capture the public’s attention.

Implementing apt improvements on the GEOP’s design and clarifying its technicalities can help unlock the program’s full potential and for renewable energy to become the norm among

Filipinos.

Apart from benefiting Filipinos as they transition to renewable energy, a welldeveloped GEOP will encourage global companies to purchase similar sources and invest in its development.

Other efforts from the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) include a directive to use biofuels through a program that furthers its development through fund allocation and other similar steps. The NREP signals the country’s leap to a focused and sustained drive toward energy security and improved access to clean energy.

Meanwhile, several lawmakers are taking necessary steps to promote renewable energy in the Philippines.

One prime example is Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez. Earlier this month, he pushed for the passage of a bill meant to establish the Philippine Renewable Energy Corp. (PREC). The

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