Manila Standard - 2022 November 3 - Thursday

4 regions in calamity state

PBBM issues Proclamation 84 lasting 6 months; ‘Paeng’ death toll at 122

PAGASA vows better weather forecasting job

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE initial “in kind" or non-cash dona tions to the ongoing relief drive that had been initiated by the House of Represen tatives through the office of Speaker Mar tin G. Romualdez for the victims of Se vere Tropical Storm “Paeng” has reached P26 million.

The Speaker's office revealed that as of Nov. 1, the value of in-kind donations such as food items, blankets, and toiletries stood at P26,316,409.

“Many thanks to all who helped in our relief drive. We need all the help that we can get. We have already reached many affected families nationwide and we vow to bring the remaining aid to the affected families as soon as possible," said Romualdez, who represents Leyte's 1st District.

Meanwhile, cash donations and pledges for the relief drive have already reached P49.2 million.

FROM cellular phones and laptops to canned beer and illegal drugs, inmates at the New Bilibid Prison surrendered some 12,000 contraband items on Wednesday.

More than half of the contraband –7,500 to be exact – were cans of beer, BuCor officer-in-charge Gregorio Cata

pang Jr. said.

"This is the first time that that amount of contraband slipped past Bilibid. It is as if a truck delivered them,” Catapang said.

Each can of beer smuggled into the national penitentiary's Maximum Security

AS THE Philippines remains at risk of disasters, the state weather bureau is looking for ways to improve the country's weather forecasts and early warning systems, an official said Wednesday.

Dr. Esperanza Cayanan, the deputy ad ministrator for research and development for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophys ical and Astronomical Services Admin istration (PAGASA), said the agency is conducting a pilot study on impact-based forecasting and warning services in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

She said on ANC's "Headstart" that this approach enables anticipatory action that aims to mitigate the impact of weatherrelated hazards.

"I think we really need to move fast on this because of what we are experiencing right now," Cayanan said. "I believe this is one of the improvements that we really need to implement as soon as possible."

In the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng,” Cayanan admitted there is a need to improve descriptions of the possible impact of cyclones in forecast advisories.

"Maybe we need to highlight the

Mabasa: Masterminds of brother’s killing known

By Rey Requejo

THE brother of slain radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa said the alleged masterminds in the killing have already been identified and murder charg es are set to be filed on Friday.

Roy Mabasa, who is also a journalist, met with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and National Bureau of Investi

KILLINGS OF JOURNALISTS GO UNPUNISHED

No need for unvaxxed tourists to quarantine as PH lifts order

By Willie Casas

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed a resolution lifting the quarantine requirement for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers entering the Philip pines.

In a Twitter post, Foreign Affairs Un dersecretary Brigido Dulay confirmed that the President has signed the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerg

ing Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 2 allowing inbound travelers without the need for quarantine.

Under the resolution, inbound travelers will still have to present a negative result of a laboratory-based rapid antigen test.

The resolution said Filipinos and for eign nationals 15 years or older shall pres ent a remotely supervised or a laboratorybased rapid antigen negative test result

“There were names mentioned. And this is what we're studying as members of the family... I think we are nearing to wards the filing of cases because based on our conversations earlier, there were names being mentioned but I'm not at lib erty to divulge their names and identities,” Roy said in an interview.

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By Vito Barcelo and Maricel Cruz

By Vito Barcelo, Vince Lopez, Othel V. Campos, Nash B. Maulana, and Willie Casas

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of calamity in Calabarzon, the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the four regions hardest hit by Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng.”

THE number of Filipino families experi encing hunger “hardly moved” in the third quarter at 11.3 percent under the Marcos administration from 11.6 percent in the second quarter, the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed.

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Under Proclamation 84, the state of calamity will re main in force and effect for a period of six months unless earlier lifted by the President. The declaration of a state of calamity will hasten res cue, recovery, relief, and rehabilitation efforts. It will also freeze the prices of basic commodities in the areas covered by the proclamation and allow the na tional government and local government units (LGUs)

CLASS IN FULL. A teacher is surrounded by students on Wednesday during the first day of full face-to-face classes for public schools at Manuel Araullo High School on United Nations Avenue in Manila. Meanwhile, students at the Rafael Palma Elementary School in Manila make faces through the window (inset), happy that they do not have to wear face masks in their classrooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (See story on A4) Danny Pata and Norman Cruz

gation Director Medardo de Lemos at the Department of Justice for a case confer ence on Wednesday morning.

‘Most journo murders unpunished’

PARIS—An overwhelming majority of killings of journalists across the world go unpunished, a United Nations agency reported on Wednesday.

"Impunity for killings of journalists remains unacceptably high at 86 per cent," said UNESCO, the United Na tions cultural organization whose brief includes media issues.

UNESCO called for "all necessary measures to ensure that crimes com mitted against journalists are properly

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to tap emergency funds for their rescue, recovery, relief, and rehabilitation mea sures.

Proclamation No. 84, released on Wednesday, also directed all depart ments and other concerned government agencies to coordinate with the LGUs to provide or augment the basic services and facilities of affected areas.

The President may include other areas in the declaration of a state of calamity if warranted, taking into consideration the continuing damage assessment in affect ed areas based on the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Tropical Storm Paeng battered dif ferent parts of the country from Oct. 26 to 29, killing 122 people and causing widespread damage to houses, crops and roads and bridges.

More than 1.4 million people from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and BARMM were adversely affected by the storm.

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This means that the cash and initial inkind donations have hit over P75 million as of last Tuesday.

The fund drive was led by Speaker Romualdez; his wife, House committee on accounts chairperson and Tingog Par ty-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez; House committee on appropriations chair man Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose M. Dalipe, and other House leaders.

In partnership with Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo, Ro mualdez earlier said that beneficiaries of the relief mission will also receive aid from the

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impacts rather than the description of the rainfall," she said.

The PAGASA official also noted the "big gap" in terms of coordination with local government units.

To detect rising water levels, PAGASA is working on early flood warning systems

Mabasa:...

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“We'll let the DOJ finish its work, in cluding the NBI and PNP that will, I think, make an announcement in the next few days,” he added.

“We were shown the timeline and af fidavits on why they were focusing on certain personalities because there was corroboration in the statements on these personalities. It's going well so far, but as I said, I will reserve our comments until Friday when it is done. The investigation on the case has started,” Roy said.

He said authorities are looking at the fil ing of murder charges for both the killings of his brother, better known by his radio moni ker, and the alleged middleman in the hit or der, Crisanto/Jun Villamor Palaña.

An independent autopsy conducted on Palaña's remains by Dr. Raquel Fortun showed the inmate was suffocated with a plastic bag.

Palaña died on October 18 inside the New Bilibid Prison, hours after self-confessed gun man Joel Escorial surrendered to authorities and identified the alleged middleman.

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Compound is worth P1,000, he said, citing information from inmates.

Catapang said several people were tagged in the deliveries, including some jail officers who will be relieved of their duties because of the contraband.

"I will reform my own people first. I want them to be responsive and respon sible. Some have revealed who was letting these things inside, but we cannot divulge to you the names yet because this is still under investigation,” he said.

“We are investigating it. We don't want to point fingers yet. We have sworn state

investigated and their perpetrators iden tified and convicted."

The organization called the global immunity rate for journalist killings "shockingly high" in a report to coincide with the International Day to End Im punity for Crimes Against Journalists, a UN-backed initiative.

While the NDRRMC had recom mended that the President declare a na tional state of calamity, he said this was unnecessary because the damage was localized.

In its update on Wednesday, the NDRRMC said 61 deaths were recorded in the BARMM, 28 in Western Visayas, and three in Soccsksargen.

Still under validation are reports of 29 dead – 12 in Calabarzon; five in East ern Visayas; four in Zamboanga Penin sula; two each in Central Visayas and Mimaropa; one each in Central Luzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, and Cordillera.

Some 103 people were reported injured, while 36 persons were reported missing.

About 927,822 families or 3,180,132 persons were affected by the storm in almost all regions, some of them still housed in evacuation centers.

Damage to infrastructure in the re gions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Cordil lera, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Soccsksargen was placed at P897 million.

In a media briefing Wednesday af ternoon, the Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 178 injuries

department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

For days now, Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City has served as a central sorting and repacking station for truckloads of relief goods for the storm victims.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Sen ate committee on finance, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, said they are open to ad justing the P30 billion calamity fund in the proposed P5.268 trillion national budget for 2023.

He said this would make next year’s budget more responsive to future disasters and calamities.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the 2023 national budget will definite ly have to be “reconsidered, reviewed and

in some parts of the country, Cayanan said. The agency issues heavy rainfall warnings every 3 hours.

Seven years after the passage of Republic Act 10692 or the PAGASA Modernization Act, Cayanan listed several improvements in the agency.

The weather bureau now has 102 automatic weather stations, 28 lightning detection systems, and 36 high-frequency radars for coastal areas.

“The autopsy report of Dr. Fortun will be of great help because we saw there that natu ral death wasn't the cause of death of one of the middlemen and according to Dr. Fortun someone used plastic to suffocate the per son. That's really helpful in finding out who are really involved,” Roy said.

Asked to comment on suspended Bu reau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag, who had earlier denied involvement in the killing, Roy said:

“The PNP shared similar details. General Bantag is among the 160 persons of interest here. That's not surprising because whatever happens in Bilibid is under his watch. As I said, we will let authorities reveal the names if needed in the coming days.”

Roy said he and Remulla also agreed on providing security for Mabasa's family instead of putting them under the Witness Protection Program, which would further limit their movement.

“If they are placed under WPP, they will feel more constricted. So, we thought that we should just give them security.

Secretary Remulla agreed a few days ago,” he said.

Lapid was shot dead in Las Piñas City on October 3.

ments, but we cannot announce them yet because our superiors have to be notified first. And then we finalize it.”

“We will not allow these things to hap pen. This has only been discovered now so we are investigating it so it won't be re peated,” Catapang added.

Catapang was designated as BuCor OIC after the suspension of Gerald Bantag following the death of an alleged middle man in the murder of journalist Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid in his radio show.

A second, independent autopsy on Crisanto/Jun Villamor Palaña's bodycon cluded that he died from plastic bag suf focation. Traces of shabu were also found in his body.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement that "free dom of expression cannot be protected when there is such a staggering number of unresolved cases".

She said impunity had a "chilling ef fect on investigative reporting".

While UNESCO welcomed a 9-per centage-point drop in the impunity rate over the past decade it said this was in sufficient to stop what it called "the spi ral of violence".

In 2020 and 2021, the period covered by the report, of the 117 journalists mur

due to Paeng.

DOH-Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea de Guzman noted that the inju ries included abrasions, lacerations, and puncture wounds.

They also observed respiratory dis eases among the storm victims.

The DOH said there was no severe damage to health facilities.

The Department of Agriculture said damage and losses to crops and fisher ies have been reported in Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Val ley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mima ropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao, and Soccsksargen regions amounting to P2.74 billion.

This affected 74,944 farmers and fishers, with the volume of production loss at 11,831 metric tons (MT) and 82,380 hectares of agricultural land.

Affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, fisheries, live stock, and poultry. Damage has also been incurred in agricultural infrastruc ture, machinery, and equipment.

In Maguindanao del Norte, President Marcos directed Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan to put up district engi

adjusted” in response not only to the dam age brought by Paeng but also in response to the recent earthquake in Abra.

“We need to fix our fragmented disas ter management efforts and adopt a wholeof-government approach,” he said.

The calamity fund budget, Angara said, is roughly P30 billion, which is larger than in past years.

Given the increased frequency and magnitude of recent typhoons, he said, this was considered appropriate.

"Certainly, the committee will always be open to changes which may help our people during these difficult times and which will improve the government’s re sponse to these calamities,” Angara said.

The finance committee chairman said he intends to file the committee report

But Cayanan said PAGASA remains understaffed and has proposed hiring for dozens of new positions.

"We have proposed for this year around 200 plus. But basically, overall for the modernization, more or less 500 to 600 positions," she added.

Being smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean’s typhoon belt, the Philippines sees an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually.

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administered and certified by a health care professional in a health care fa cility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishments.

The test must be “taken within 24 hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines, excluding lay-overs; provided, that, he/she has not left the airport prem ises or has not been admitted into another country during such layover,” it added.

Inbound travelers who fail to pres ent a negative pre-departure test re sult will be required to undergo a lab oratory-based rapid antigen test upon arrival at the airport.

Accompanied minors below 15 years old who are unvaccinated must follow quarantine protocols of their parents or an accompanying adult or guardian traveling with them.

Unaccompanied minors below 15 years old who are unvaccinated must also follow protocols.

Inbound travelers who test positive for COVID-19 through rapid antigen tests must be subjected to prevailing quarantine and isolation protocols of the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated inbound travelers will no longer be required.

A fully vaccinated person must have received the primary series CO VID-19 vaccine more than 14 days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin or port of embarkation.

They must also present a World

dered for doing their job, 91 were killed while off the clock.

"Several were killed in front of fam ily members, including their children," it said.

UNESCO said it was working with member states to develop and implement national media laws and policies.

It was also training judges, prosecu tors, and security forces "to enforce the rights of journalists and ensure that at tacks against them are investigated and prosecuted". AFP

neering offices (DEOs) in the BARMM to intensify the implementation of na tional roads and bridges programs in the region.

Mr. Marcos issued the order in a late afternoon post-disaster assessment meeting in Awang, Maguindanao del Norte, between members of his Cabinet Cluster on disaster risk-reduction and local officials, including BARMM ex ecutives.

The Chief Executive told Bonoan to include BARMM in the operational coverage of District Engineering Of fices (DEOs) in the aftermath of Paeng, which caused extensive damage to pub lic infrastructure, with many roads and bridges closed to traffic.

Mr. Marcos also directed Depart ment of Social Welfare and Develop ment Secretary Erwin Tulfo to beef up prepositioned humanitarian resources in BARMM.

The BARMM has reported that of the 164,581 families (580,416 people) displaced by tropical storm Paeng, only 24,000 remained in evacuation centers, including those in Cotabato City from hardest-hit Datu Odin Sinsuat and Datu Blah Sinsuat towns.

on the 2023 General Appropriations Bill Tuesday, Nov. 8, and sponsor it in the Sen ate’s plenary session in the afternoon.

The senators are expected to hold mar athon deliberations on the proposed 2023 budget next week as they aim to pass it be fore the end of November.

Also on Wednesday, Senator Christo pher Go renewed his call for the establish ment of the Department of Disaster Resil ience and the construction of mandatory evacuation centers in every town, city, and province following the devastation brought about by Tropical Storm Paeng and other recent disasters.

"As we commiserate with those who have lost lives, let us do our best to ensure we can save more lives now and protect more lives in the future,” Go said.

Last week, Paeng triggered floods and landslides in the country, leaving at least 121 people dead and 103 injured.

Some three million Filipinos were affected by the storm, the latest data from the country's disaster agency showed (see related story on A1 – Editors).

Damage to infrastructure was estimated at P896 million while losses from crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries reached P1.2 billion.

Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Pro phylaxis; VaxCertPH; national or state manual/digital vaccination cer tificate of the country/foreign govern ment; and other proof of vaccination.

Currently, masks are no longer re quired in indoor and outdoor settings in the Philippines.

Last month, Mr. Marcos empha sized the need to improve access to the country’s tourist destinations to attract more visitors.

He also underscored the need to ensure that these destinations are ac cessible through improved tourism infrastructure.

On Wednesday, the Philippines logged 775 new COVID-19 infec tions, the second day straight of fewer than 1,000 new infections recorded daily.

The Department of Health (DOH) also said active cases went down to 18,689 from 19,340 on Tuesday.

The new infections pushed the na tionwide tally to 4,005,840.

The National Capital Region (NCR) registered the most cases in the recent two weeks with 4,679 cases reported, followed by Calabar zon with 2,861, Western Visayas with 1,658, Central Luzon with 1,653, and Davao Region with 1,141.

The country’s recovery tally in creased to 3,923,006, while the death toll rose to 64,145.

The Health Department said the country’s bed occupancy slightly stood at 23.7%, with 6,739 beds oc cupied while 21,680 were vacant as of Monday, October 31.

A total of 8,641 individuals were tested, while 312 testing labs sub mitted data as of Tuesday, Novem ber 1.

Customs reports P75-b windfall in collection for Oct.

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday reported it collected a total revenue of P75.5 billion in October.

This was 18.6 percent or P11.8 bil lion higher than the agency’s target of P63.7 billion for the month, and 35 percent or P19.6 billion higher than the same period last year.

Year-to-date records also showed that the agency collected a total of P714.3 billion, which was 18.6 per cent or P111.5 billion higher than the P602.8 billion projected collection.

Compared to last year's P525.4 bil lion collection for the same period, revenues grew by 37 percent or by P188.9 billion.

The bureau attributed the positive performance to the agency’s proactive measures against revenue leakages, corruption, and smuggling addressing customs procedural bottlenecks.

Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said the bureau is prioritizing its modernization program and process innovations to sustain outstanding performance and improve services to stakeholders.

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The SWS survey said the 11.3-per cent rating is equivalent to about 2.9 million Filipino families who experi enced “involuntary hunger” moving into the third quarter of the year.

The 11.6 percent in the second quarter survey, conducted during the tail end of former President Ro drigo Duterte’s term in June, is also estimated to be equal to 2.9 million families.

The SWS said the 11.3 percent hunger rate is the sum of 9.1 percent who experienced “moderate hunger” — or those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” — and 2.2 percent who experienced “severe hunger” or those who experienced it “often” or “always.”

Hunger in Metro Manila rose by 1.6 points from 14.7 percent in June, while it also rose 1.3 points in the Vi sayas and Mindanao from 5.7 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, in Balance Luzon or the rest of Luzon excluding Metro Manila, hunger fell by 2.3 points from 11.9 percent.

The SWS said overall hunger dropped among those who rated them selves as “non-poor” to 6.7 percent from 8.1 percent, while it increased to 16 percent from 15.3 percent among those who rated themselves as poor.

The latest SWS survey was con ducted from September 29 to October 2 using face-to-face interviews with 1,500 adult Filipinos. It has a margin of error of ±2.5 percent for national percentages; ±5.7 percent each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Min danao; and ±4.0 percent for Balance Luzon.

Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Joey Sal ceda on Wednesday expressed alarm over the hunger survey results which showed overall hunger only decreased by 0.2 percentage points from the sec ond quarter.

“It’s alarming that despite more reopening of the economy, hunger remains stubborn. This, I attribute in large part to high inflation with a still-fluid jobs situation. But the availability of cheap food at all times is also clearly a major cause,” he said.

“Metro Manila, where inflation has been lower than most other regions, has the highest hunger rate among the major groupings," Salceda, chair of the House committee on ways and means, said in a statement.

In response to the risks of higher or continuing hunger, Salceda urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to compose a “Food Security Cluster” in the Cabinet to take up issues with food security and hunger in a “more holistic, whole-of-government way.”

“There are areas with food secu rity that are beyond the mandate of the Department of Agriculture, which PBBM heads. Whether we like it or not, for example, some 20 to 25 per cent of our food is imported. So, Cus toms, the DOTr, and our ports play a key role in getting food where it is needed,” Salceda said.

“As long as hunger numbers do not see major improvements, and given global conditions, food secu rity should be atop PBBM’s priori ties, with agriculture and food trade being the most important concerns,” he added.

PNP chief: Undas observance

‘generally peaceful and orderly’

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday described the national observance of All Saints’ Day as generally peaceful and orderly despite the arrest of at least five men for alleged illegal possession of firearms while another man reportedly died of electrocution.

In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said no significant incidents were monitored nationwide except for the electrocution of a man at the Eternal Peace Memorial Park in Mabalacat

DHSUD chief lauds PBBM’s desire to build 6.5m homes

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is inspired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “unwavering effort” to address the country’s housing backlog of 6.5 million units.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said Marcos’ relentless desire to end the housing gap was evidenced by his recent engagements with stakeholders to tackle the matter directly.

The President recently inspected the Bagong Sibol housing project in Barangay Nangka, Marikina City and discussed the plan to build shelters for 10,000 minimum wage earners and government employees.

According to Acuzar, the project is among the first under the Marcos administration’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program.

The President and Acuzar earlier met with executives of big banks to seek a public-private partnership in building homes for the poor.

“These activities are clear testaments of the President’s unwavering effort to help ordinary Filipinos realize their dream of owning decent, affordable homes,” Acuzar said.

“These will definitely boost the program and we are inspired to exert all efforts to achieve our President’s goal,” he added.

Under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program, DHSUD is tasked to build one million housing units every year in the next sixyears to address the country’s housing backlog pegged at more than 6.5 million units.

Water from Magat Dam oods Isabela, Ifugao, Cagayan

THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) was confronted by a dilemma of dam if you do, dam if you don’t insofar as releasing water from the Magat Dam was concerned.

Since last Saturday, the NIA opted to release water from the Magat Dam to avoid overfilling and breaking the infrastructure.

In the process however, several downstream areas in the provinces of Ifugao, Isabela, and Cagayan remained inundated with no relief yet on sight even as tropical storm has Paeng already left the country.

Incessant rains precipitated by Paeng have reportedly filled the Magat Dam to overcapacity.

“Dito po sa probinsya ng Cagayan talagang matagal humupa ang tubig. It would take two to three days or even more, depende po yun. ‘Pagnag-release po ulit ang Magat, mas matatagalan po. It can cost almost a week,” said Cagayan Vice Governor Boy Vargas.

“As of kahapon, mayroong two gates na nag-release sila. Sana po di na sila mag-release,” he added.

The NIA explained that the gates of the dam remained open, sending water into the Magat River, as the dam is currently at critical level.

But should the weather continue to clear up, the NIA said it will stop the release of water supply by Friday, November 4.

“Calculated po ‘yung pag-release natin, ‘wag lang po masira ‘yung structure to avoid a bigger disaster. It is gradual release of water although meron pa rin pong konting pagbaha pero manageable po sya,” said NIA Administrator Benny Antiporda.

City, Pampanga.

For its part, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) collected more than 24 tons of trash in the vicinity of various cemeteries in the

National Capital Region during the observance of Undas.

“I extend the gratitude of the national leadership to all PNP units, partner agencies, NGOs, LGUs (local government units), and volunteers for making this happen. These best practices shall henceforth be our template in similar public safety operations for upcoming major public events,” Azurin said.

“These police units will remain in their posts until public activityhas returned to normal,” Azurin said.

The Southern Police District identified the suspected holders of unlicensed firearms as Owwamar Kasan, 22; Danilo

Conot, 56; Leonie Carpio, 29; Gregorio Donor III, 30, and John Kennedy Ibañez, 22.

Kasan was nabbed while in possession of a .22-caliber revolver with two bullets inside the Palanyag Cemetery in Barangay San Dionisio, Parañaque on Oct. 31

He was charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) before the city prosecutors office.

On the same day, Conot, Carpio, Donor and Ibañez were also arrested after a concerned citizen called up the police and informed them about a drinking session inside the Manila Memorial Park in Barangay BF Homes.

CHR: Deaths of inmates ‘cruel reality’ of jails in PH

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has deplored the reported deaths of 1,166 inmates or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) as a “cruel reality” taking place in the country’s correction facilities.

The deaths were the highest recorded by the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) in 32 years. These are on top of the 700 PDLs who died in Bucor facilities from January to September this year.

“According to BuCor, the leading causes of death among PDLs were old age and sickness.

BuCor officer-in-charge General Gregorio Catapang Jr. pledged to review the data to determine if the prisoners’ deaths were COVID-19-related.deaths.

“These numbers depict a cruel reality for PDLs across the country,” the CHR stressed.

The Commission noted that “overcrowding of detention facilities—coupled with poor hygiene and ventilation issues—severely endangers the safety of PDLs and staff alike, even more so when there are imminent threats to their health because of a global pandemic.”

The untimely death could rob PDLs of due process and even hamper the delivery of justice for their victims, the CHR said.

“Such circumstances affect the justice system at large. If these continue to be neglected, the country may be at serious risk of betraying its international commitments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UN CAT) and its Optional Protocol (OPCAT); and other international instruments protecting the rights of PDL,” the CHR pointed out.

The CHR also said that the Philippine government has the primary responsibility to ensure a humane correctional system that will guarantee the welfare of the PDLs.

MMDA warns

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday warned the public against fake information posted on social media claiming that enforcement of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) would resume beginning Nov. 15. .

“The message circulating on social media about the alleged re-implementation of NCAP starting November 15 is fake and did not come from the MMDA,” the agency said in an advisory.

The Supreme Court (SC) earlier issued a temporary restraining order

saying

(TRO) against the NCAP being implemented by several local government units in Metro Manila.

The High Tribunal said any apprehensions through the NCAP programs and ordinances were prohibited until further notice from the court.\

This was after the transport groups Kapit, Pasang Masda, Altodap, and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations filed a petition questioning the validity of the NCAP.

A lawyer also asked the SC to declare as unconstitutional and issue a TRO against Manila City Ordinance No. 8676,

MRT-3 back on track after mishaps

THE Philippine National Railways (PNR) and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) are literally back on track after encountering problems that forced a oneday suspension of their operations

In an advisory, the PNR said its Tutuban-Alabang, Bicutan, Biñan, and route has resumed after technical crews put the train back on the rail.

The train was derailed on Wednesday at the Magsaysay Crossing near the Santa Mesa station.

“Naibalik ang normal operations bandang 8:00 ng umaga matapos ang re-railment at testing (Normal operations resumed at about 8 a.m. after rerailment and testing),” the PNR said in a statement.

The accident was attributed to the softening of the earth beneath the rails in Magsaysay Crossing caused by the former Severe Tropical Storm Paeng and several days of rain.

“The PNR immediately performed rerailment by placing ballasts in the affected rails),” the state-run corporation said.

The incident affected six routes—four headed towards Alabang, Bicutan, and Biñan, and two headed to Tutuban.

On the other hand, MRT-3 train operations were suspended at 5:12 a.m. yesterday after an “abnormal signaling indication” occurred along Shaw Boulevard Station.

“All trains were stopped at the nearest station as a precautionary measure as technicians troubleshoot the issue,” the MRT-3 said in an advisory.

It said “full and normal operations” resumed at 6:58 a.m. after the MRT-3 Control Center reported normal indications on the signaling system.

A total of 3,615 passengers were reported to have been affected by the temporary suspension based on the automatic fare collection system of the MRT-3.

which covers the policy.

The SC has scheduled the oral arguments on NCAP for December 6, 2022 at 2 p.m.

The MMDA has said it would refrain from implementing the NCAP.

“Be vigilant and don’t immediately believe messages that you receive.

The information must be verified by legitimate sources, the MMDA said.

The agency also advised the public to call MMDA Hotline 136 or send messages to MMDA’s official social media accounts for concerns and clarification about the BCAP.

It said the need for humane conditions is enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (‘Mandela Rules’), the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (‘the Bangkok Rules’), and the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (‘the Havana Rules).

“The government must therefore take constitutional actionable steps towards the reformation and possible reintegration of PDL to mainstream society. However, present conditions, which imperil the lives of PDLs, fall short in compliance with these standards,” the CHR said.

BI rescues 4 human tra icking victims

By Vito Barcelo

IMMIGRATION operatives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have rescued four human trafficking victims who were recruited to illegally work in Thailand, Laos, and Dubai.

According to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco, four passengers, whose names were withheld for their protection, were intercepted at NAIA terminal 1 after they attempted to

board a Tiger Air fl ight to Singapore. Three of the victims had connecting flights to Bangkok, Thailand, claiming they were going on a 7-day vacation.

“The intercepted Bangkokbound passengers initially presented themselves on primary inspection as tourists, but later on admitted that they were recruited to work as customer service representatives to be deployed to Thailand and Laos. They were even promised to receive P50,000 once employed,” Tansingco added.

The victims were allegedly recruited through Facebook ads.

Tansingco narrated the case of the other victim who earlier claimed that she was going on a 5-day vacation to Singapore.

“The other passenger was a woman in her late 30’s who disguised as a tourist. As it turns out, she was offered a job as a household serviceworker in Dubai and that she was instructed to stay in Singapore for five days while she waited for her UAE visa,” Tansingco said.

RELIEF GOODS. A team from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council of the Cordillera Administrative Region loads relief goods to a military chopper enroute to the town of Calanasan in Ifugao provinces which has been placed under a state of calamity.

HILARIOUS TERROR. The Horror Booth of Lapu-Lapou City’s latest attraction in conjunction with the observance of Halloween o ers some spooky scenes and creatures, but all is just for fun and enjoyment by the whole family. Alan Tangcawan

TRASHY BUSINESS. Members of Manila’s Engineering and Public Works Manila arduously collect trash left by the people who visit their departed loved ones during All Saints Day at the Manila North Cemetery. Danny Pata

of public schools in NCR go face-to-face

DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd)

spokesperson Michael Po said 94 percent of public schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) resumed five-day in-person classes on Wednesday, more than 2 years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citing the NCR regional director, Poa said these public schools are now operating at full capacity, meaning 100 percent of their students have come back to study in their respective schools, GMA News reported.

The official said so far, the return of the mandatory face-to-face classes in public schools starting November 2, has been orderly.

The DepEd is also waiting for up dates from their regional offices re garding the situations in schools in other parts of the country.

Earlier, the DepEd disclosed that there is still a shortage of classrooms and teachers in several public schools, but said the implementation of the five-day full face-to-face classes would still push through.

A pediatrician meanwhile raised concern regarding the voluntary wearing of face masks in classrooms amid the full implementation of faceto-face classes

Dr. Benito Atienza, vice president III of the Philippine Federation of Professional Association, advised the continued wearing of masks in schools as there are classrooms with out proper ventilation while others are too small and social distancing is difficult to follow.

“It’s risky. There should only be 25 students in a classroom, but there are more than 40 students now.

IN BRIEF

Remulla son attends initial probe on drug raps

JUANITO Remulla III, the son of Jus tice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, on Wednesday attended the preliminary investi gation on his drug-related cases at the Office of the Prosecutor in Pasay City.

Wearing a dark hoodie and sporting a base ball cap and dark eyeglasses, Juanito has been named respondent in a complaint regarding importation of dangerous drugs and for failure to exhibit or deposit documents under the Cus toms Modernization and Tariff Act.

He was nabbed during a controlled de livery operation by the Philippine Drug En forcement Agency and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group at Talon Dos, Las Piñas, on October 11.

Authorities had seized a parcel contain ing suspected kush or high-grade marijuana worth P1.3 million during the operation.

The probe lasted for only about 20 min utes, according to Super Radyo dzBB re porter Sam Nielsen.

Duterte bats for sustainable land use

DAVAO City Rep. Paolo Duterte has under scored the urgency of instituting a national policy that would ensure the efficient and sustainable use of the country’s land and physical resources as a means to provide long-term safeguards to com munities vulnerable to climate change.

Duterte said the recent destruction wrought by severe tropical storm “Paeng” in Magu indanao, which resulted in scores of deaths caused mostly by landslides, demonstrate the direct impact of proper planning and use of land resources on saving people’s lives.

Along with Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and two other lawmakers, Duterte has filed House Bill (HB) 3956 which aims to establish clear parameters on the utilization of all land and physical resources in the country by institution alizing a National Land Use Policy.

The bill outlines land use policies to de termine areas allocated for agricultural production, housing and settlements, en ergy development, industries and other economically productive sites, and protected zones for environmental sustainability.

Maricel V. Cruz

Also, our real problem is the ven tilation. Air in classrooms should be coming in and out. We can see that that is not being followed in some schools,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

The DepEd confirmed on Tuesday that students and teachers attend ing face-to-face classes may now opt to remove their face masks even in classrooms, in accordance with the existing national policy on the op tional masking indoors and outdoors.

The government should also in clude schools in areas where the wearing of face masks is still manda tory, like healthcare facilities, medi cal transport vehicles, and public transportation, Atienza said.

Atienza emphasized that face masks not only help prevent children from acquiring COVID-19, but also other infectious diseases like pneu monia and influenza.

A group of parents also made an appeal to the DepEd to reconsider its decision allowing students to remove their face masks while inside class rooms.

Lito Senieto, executive vice presi dent of the National Parent-Teacher Association Philippines, said their group has so far supported all of the DepEd’s decision for the safe return of in-person classes, ABS-CBN News reported.

GSIS maintains ISO

STATE pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) reported that it has maintained its International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 cer tification for its major processes for seven straight years following the audit by TÜV Rheinland Philippines Inc. (TUV-R) today.

“We are happy to share this piece of good news with our members, pen sioners, and other stakeholders. With the ISO seal of approval, our mem bers and pensioners can be assured of world-class service from GSIS when they transact with us. Our clients de serve nothing less,” GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso announced.

rating following recent audit

“Congratulations to the men and women of GSIS. Their consistent adherence to world-class standards shows that our core values of service excellence, integrity, and profession alism are deeply ingrained in our em ployees,” Veloso added.

A total of nine major GSIS pro cesses were recertified consisting of loans processing, membership administration, maturity claims, funeral benefit claims, motor ve hicle claims, data center facilities management, marketing process for renewal of bidding accounts for nonlife insurance, renewal of Phil ippine Charity Sweepstakes Office surety bonds, and releasing of no tice to claim transfer certificate of

title for non-problematic fully-paid housing accounts.

An ISO 9001:2015 certification shows a company’s capability to con sistently serve the needs of its client and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Through the imple mentation of a quality management system, the certification safeguards customer satisfaction.

TUV-R, one of the leading third party ISO-certifying bodies in the country, recommended the ISO re certification of GSIS processes this year. The audit was conducted on-site for the first time after the pandemic. It was held at the GSIS headquarters in Pasay City. The audit was conduct ed online in 2020 and 2021.

Estrada: Online death verification can detect, prevent identity theft

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Jinggoy Ejercito Es trada said setting up an online death verification system in the country will facilitate early de tection and prevention of iden tity theft of deceased persons.

He said it was proven during Senate investigations that the names of deceases were being used in many instances, including fraudulent payment claims, elec tion cheating, and other forms of deception.

Estrada noted that criminals and syndicates have been exploit ing the lack of immediate access to death data in carrying out their fraudulent activities and corrupt practices.

He recalled the case of the multibillion-peso bogus claims paid by the Philippine Health In surance Corporation (PhilHealth)

to dialysis treatment centers un covered in 2019.

“Those funds that were in tended for the poor and in ac tual need of medical assistance ended up in the hands of owners of private dialysis centers,” Es trada said.

“This ‘ghost dialysis’ scheme involving the filing of claims be fore PhilHealth on behalf of dead patients highlighted the weak nesses in the bureaucracy and provided an impetus for stronger anti-fraud mechanisms,” he add ed.

Estrada also said he will file a bill proposing the establishment of the Philippine Death Check (PDC) Register, a centralized electronic database containing mortality data registered with the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) to be managed by the Philippine Statis tics Authority (PSA).

By Gabriellea B. Parino and Chelsea Din

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have been observed to cause menstrual disorders in women, a recent study by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) suggested. The EMA also clarified that the benefit and protection the vaccines provide outweigh the possible risks and side effects they may deliver.

In a meeting conducted by the agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Com mittee (PRAC), EMA updated its recent study into the effects of the Comirnaty and Spikevax vaccines - adding heavy menstru

al bleeding as a side effect.

“Menstrual disorders in general are quite common and they can occur for a wide range of reasons. This includes some under lying medical conditions. Any person who experiences postmenopausal bleeding or is concerned about a change in menstruation should consult their doctor,” a statement from the agency reads.

In December of the previous year, the agency said that they have not established a link between the vaccines and menstrual cycles despite reports from Norway sug gesting that women had heavier period flows after taking their COVID-19 shots.

A study conducted earlier this year by

Vico leaves Aksyon Demokratiko; party ‘saddened’ by his resignation

son or candidate.

“For instance, a person used to a 28-day cycle may experience a 29-day cycle after getting the vaccine, meaning their period may begin a day later,” Dr. Alison Edelman of Oregon Health & Science University said in a report by Reuters.

The data was collected from 4,000 smart phone application users who tracked their menstrual cycles. The change, however, seemed temporary and minimal.

In a DZMM Teleradyo interview, a mem ber of the Department of Health (DOH)

However, Lim admitted that these side effects can also take six months for some cases, but for the majority, it was for only a short period and has been sighted in people who have received both primary and boost er shots of the vaccine.

Some young adult women reported that after getting vaccinated by Pfizer and Mod erna, their menstruation got shorter but its side effects such as dysmenorrhea wors ened.

DEPUTY Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. has met with regional officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to ask them to take measures to prevent landslides in communities around Mt. Arayat in the town of Arayat, Pam panga.

Gonzales, who represents Pampanga’s third district, which includes Arayat, met with the officials after the onslaught of tropi cal storm “Paeng” and in preparation for the landfall of tropical depression “Queenie.”

He said residents of Barangay San Juan Baño have complained to him that landslides and debris flows from the summit of the mountain occur whenever there is a typhoon or heavy rain.

He appealed to the local government of Arayat and the provincial government of Pampanga to help the DPWH and the DENR prevent such occurrences in the future.

Maricel V. Cruz

PASIG City Mayor Vico Sotto has re signed from Aksyon Demokratiko, the party’s chairperson Ernest Ramel said in a report.

Ramel told GMA News Online that Sotto’s resignation was effective June 30. Prior to his resignation, Sotto acted as the party’s executive vice president.

In a tweet, Sotto posted his resignation letter, saying he joined the party in 2018 in search of a reform-oriented political party that stood for principled politics and inclusive governance.

“Unfortunately, recent events have made it apparent that the party is now headed towards a different direction. I be lieve that we are no longer a group of in dividuals with similar political goals and ideals. To me, this defeats the purpose of being a member of a political party,” Sotto said in the letter.

Sotto, however, clarified that his resig nation was not about any particular per

“I maintain the highest respect for the party’s leadership and members. It is, in part, because of this respect that I de cided to delay my resignation until after the 2022 national and local elections,” he said, quoted by the GMA News report.

“I will always be grateful for the oppor tunity to share in Aksyon Demokratiko’s advocacies. I wish the party and its mem bers continued success,” Sotto added.

In a separate statement, Ramel said the party was saddened by Sotto’s decision as the latter was one of the party’s inspira tions to be better and that they were hop ing that the city mayor will be the future of Aksyon Demokratiko.

“However, the party is not lacking in talent and strong young future leaders of this country that were elected last 2022 and those who also did not make it but had shown exceptional leadership abili ties,” Ramel said.

the US Cohort on Obstetrics & Gynecology linked vaccines against the coronavirus to slight and unserious changes in the female menstrual cycle.

Technical Advisory Group, Dr. Anna OngLim said that menstrual irregularities expe rienced by females who got vaccinated by Pfizer and Moderna are transient and can be normalized.

Solon urges DPWH to take action on possible Arayat landslides

HELPING MAGUINDANAO. Tingog Party-list led by Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre, a House Deputy Majority Leader, in partnership with the House of Representatives’ re lief operations initiated by Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday afternoon deliver relief goods to the affected families of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng in Maguindanao.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM. Passengers had to line up and wait after the cancella tion of operations of the MRT in Edsa-Taft Station due to technical problem on Wednes day. Danny Pata

REMEMBERING THE MISSING. With no graves to visit on All Souls’ Day, members of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance and the Asian Federation Against Enforced Disappearances gather at Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City to pray, offer flowers, light candles and share stories. Manny Palmero

back

Opinion

trees to our forests

program.

But what the President has in mind is the massive reforestation program that will mini mize the effects of heavy rains and onslaught of super typhoons that batter the islands yearly.

We must all agree with PBBM’s assessment and logically there is no reason not to.

Short end of the stick

I REMEMBER somebody saying years ago, “We are simply killing ourselves.”

He was referring to the unabated denuda tion of our mountain forests, as well as the land conversion of the agricultural greenery into subdivisions, commercial developments and infrastructure projects in the past decades.

In recent years, the grim reality of that state ment has set upon us.

Last weekend, tropical storm Paeng’s on slaught was the latest demonstration of the widespread floods and landslides resulting from forest denudation and illegal logging in protected areas.

No less than President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr. (BBM) validated the assertion that the loss of the country’s rainforests and vegeta tion is the cause of loss of lives, properties and livelihood.

The President and I, along with Local Gov ernment Sec. Benhur Abalos and NDRRMC officials, conducted an aerial inspection of the flooded areas, including Cavite and Maguin danao provinces over the Undas weekend.

Thousands of Filipinos have been made homeless and displaced and billions of pesos lost in damaged crops as powerful storms and typhoons hit various regions of the country ev ery year.

It has gotten worse and worse each time.

The extent and the size of floodings have been far greater than those we experienced in previous decades.

“Noong nasa helicopter kami, nakita ko la hat ng gumuho, kalbo kasi ang mga bundok. That’s the problem,” PBBM said.

(When we were on the helicopter, I noticed the areas with landslides had bald mountains.)

“So we have to include tree planting in our flood control. Dapat kasama ‘yan. Kung gaga stos tayo sa flood control, kailangan mayroong tree planting,” the President stressed.

(So, we have to include tree planting in our flood control. It should be included. If we spend on flood control, it should include tree planting.)

Calamities cost the government billions of pesos in funds intended for various programs and projects but have to be diverted to rehabili tation and rebuilding efforts.

PBBM declared that flood-control projects from hereon must include tree-planting.

At first, it may sound as contrived images of school children or government employees go ing “plantitos” as part of their clean-and-green

We need to bring back the trees to the moun tain forests and thicken them to help absorb the massive rainwater and shield the lowland farm communities from strong winds of super typhoons.

It is high time for everyone to be aware of the need for a balanced and sustainable devel opment.

The President has in mind the massive reforestation program that will minimize the effects of heavy rains and onslaught of super typhoons that batter the islands yearly

We need to consider seriously maintain ing ecological balance which has far-reaching implications in terms of disaster-risk reduction management, agro-industrial production, and food supply.

We, at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), are working hand in hand with the DILG, the local government units (LGUs) and accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the continuing relief operations.

No bureaucracy

As DSWD Secretary, I have directed my fellow social workers to speed up the distribu tion of family food packs (FFP) and other es sential items to evacuees, even as we appealed to good-hearted individuals to volunteer to help repack more relief goods.

I have also stressed to our staff in the DSWD central and regional Field Offices to avoid red-tape in extending various assis tance, like requiring the nonsensical certifi cate of indigency.

It is a marching order from the President for us to immediately help our fellow Fili pinos in dire need during times of calamity such as this.

I agree with PBBM it is preposterous to aggravate the hardship of our kababayans in distress situation by the requirement of more paperwork than what is necessary before a gov ernment assistance is given.

ISTHE the national government honoring its obligations in implementing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro?

Sad to say, according to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), it doesn’t look that way.

The MILF and the indepen dent Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) are not happy at all with the slow implementation of the nor malization track of the Bangsamoro peace process. They are saying that this has been lagging far behind the political track.

According to Ahod “Al Haj Mu rad” Ebrahim, MILF chair and inter im chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Min danao (BARMM), the problem lies in the lack of funding from the national government, which failed to include it in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) this year.

The normalization track of the peace process should have been im plemented parallel and complemen tary to the political track provisions of Republic Act 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM.

The normalization track provides for the decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons, the transforma

tion of six recognized MILF camps into peaceful and productive zones, and the disbanding of private armed groups.

It also includes the grant of amnesty to MILF members and the redeploy ment of the Armed Forces of the Phil ippines from or within the Bangsam oro region, among others.

It now appears that the decommissioned MILF-BIAF fighters erroneously thought that they would each be given P1 million

But although the decommissioning process is now on its third phase, with the last 35 percent of former MILF combatants turning in their weapons to be kept “beyond use,” the socio economic package that combatants expect to get from the government to rebuild their lives has been lacking.

The decommissioning of the 40,000-strong Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the armed wing of the MILF, is one of the sig nificant aspects of the normalization process.

It is currently in its third phase, in volving 14,000 combatants or 35 per cent of the MILF-BIAF members.

The second phase was completed

in March 2020, involving 12,000 in dividuals or 30 percent of the MILF combatants, but the promised socio economic package of P1 million for each of the decommissioned combat ants has not been fulfilled by the na tional government.

It now appears that the decommis sioned MILF-BIAF fighters errone ously thought that they would each be given P1 million.

But it turns out that the promised P1 million would consist of P100,000 in immediate cash assistance, with the rest in the form of non-cash benefits such as study grants, skills training, and social protection based on the re sult of the needs assessment conduct ed for each of the decommissioned combatants.

This actually involved a 10-year program for the combatants.

It is unfortunate that even with the third phase of the decommissioning process, the socioeconomic support for the deactivated combatants has been coming in trickles, while the transformation of former rebel camps has yet to be fully implemented.

These, plus the fact that the Na tional Amnesty Commission has not been constituted, thus delaying the grant of amnesty to MILF mem bers, complicate matters, and raise concern the national government appears to be taking its own sweet time in fulfilling its promises under the peace agreement.

Our roads and bridges

ties are not fully manned or are outright empty.

This is perhaps one of the reasons why truck owners are emboldened to overload their trucks.

Sinking Alexandria faces up to coming catastrophe

By Bassem Aboualabbas

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt’s fabled second city and its biggest port, is in danger of disappearing below the waves within decades.

With its land sinking, and the sea rising due to global warming, the metropolis Alexander the Great founded on the Nile Delta is teetering on the brink.

Even by the United Nations’ best case sce nario, a third of the city will be underwater or uninhabitable by 2050, with 1.5 million of its six million people forced to flee their homes.

Its ancient ruins and historic treasures are also in grave danger from the Mediterranean.

Already hundreds of Alexandrians have had to abandon apartments weakened by flooding in 2015 and again in 2020.

Every year the city sinks by more than three millimeters, undermined by dams on the Nile that hold back the river silt that once consoli dated its soil and by gas extraction offshore.

Meanwhile, the sea is rising.

The Mediterranean could rise a meter within the next three decades, according to the most dire prediction of the UN’s panel of climate ex perts, the IPCC.

That would inundate “a third of the highly productive agricultural land in the Nile Delta”, as well as “cities of historical importance, such as Alexandria”, it said.

Third of city could go UN experts say the Mediterranean will rise faster than almost anywhere else in the world.

“Climate change is a reality and no longer an empty threat,” said Ahmed Abdel Qader, the head of the authority protecting Egypt’s coast line.

Even under the best-case scenario outlined by other Egyptian and UN studies, the Mediter ranean will rise 50 centimeters by 2050.

That would leave 30 percent of Alexandria flooded, a quarter of the population having to be rehoused and 195,000 jobs lost.

Such a catastrophe will have dramatic re percussions for Egypt’s 104 million people be cause “Alexandria is also home to the country’s biggest port” and is one of the main hubs of the economy, Abdel Qader said.

Across the Delta, the sea has already ad vanced inland more than three kilometers since the 1960s, swallowing up Rosetta’s iconic 19thcentury lighthouse in the 1980s.

All this is happening as Alexandria’s popula tion is exploding, with nearly two million more people arriving in the last decade, while invest ment in infrastructure, as elsewhere in Egypt, has lagged.

The city’s governor, Mohamed al-Sharif, said the drainage system for its roads was built to absorb one million cubic meters of rain.

Destruction and rebuilding is nothing new to a city that once was home to the Library of Alexandria, the world’s greatest temple of knowledge until it was accidentally burned by Julius Caesar’s troops

But with the more violent storms that have come with climate change, “today we can get 18 million cubic meters falling in a single day.”

The changing climate is also playing havoc with Alexandria’s weather, which can veer from unseasonal heat to snow.

“We have never experienced such heat at the end of October,” resident Mohamed Omar, 36, told AFP, with the temperature rising to 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 Fahrenheit), five degrees above normal.

‘Lost beneath the waves’

The looming threat has also been a ham mer blow to the image of a city that likes to celebrate its cosmopolitan golden age at the start of the 20th century, with its art deco ca fes and elegant avenues of Paris-style apart ment buildings.

Many Egyptians were horrified when Brit ain’s then-prime minister Boris

ABOUT two weeks ago, a huge truck caused a bridge to collapse in Pangasinan.

The DPWH later said this was due to over loading. I do not know whether the public had noticed, but the number of big 12 to 20 wheeler trucks plying our highways have increased over the years.

This is why I am a bit surprised it has taken so long for this to happen. It is not known whether these huge imported second hand trucks whose loading capacities are putting too much strain on our highways and bridges have been remod eled locally to carry heavier loads.

If these trucks have been remodeled, I hope they have with government permits as required by the Anti-Carnapping Law.

That fully loaded truck must have weighed about 25 or more tons while traversing a bridge that can only take a maximum of 20 tons.

Up to this time, we do not know whether charges were filed against the truck owner for damaging the bridge or DPWH will shoulder the repair cost.

What might be happening is that these im ported reconditioned trucks upon reaching the country are locally remodeled to increase the load capacity.

To do this, importers must first secure gov ernment permits. If they do not, they are in violation of Section 2 of the Anti-Carnapping Law. Remodeling changes the vehicles identity, hence, a permit is needed.

Given that these trucks are already very heavy, no remodeling should be allowed.

As the DPWH very well knows, road main tenance is directly correlated to road use and these heavy trucks are doing serious damage to our public roads.

The more vehicles using the road, the more maintenance is required.

If we add overloaded trucks into the mix, maintenance expenditure will go up astronomi cally.

There are supposed to be many weighing sta tions all over our highway system but these facili

Johnson warned that Alexandria was at risk of being lost “beneath the waves” at the COP26 climate change confer ence in Glasgow last year.

“Yes, the threat exists and we don’t deny it, but we’re launching projects to attenuate it,” Ab del Qader said.

A huge belt of reeds is being planted along 69 kilometers of coastline. “Sand sticks around them and together they form a natural barrier,” he said.

Alert mechanisms and wave measuring sys tems are also soon to be put in place, Abdel Qa der added.

The consequence, of course, was that bridge in Pangasinan collapsing and damaged roads making them dangerous to motoring.

For instance, there are weigh stations upon entering our expressways but we do not see the heavy trucks stopping at these weigh stations for checkup.

What if it happens along the 5-kilometer Pampanga viaduct?

It is time the government enacted laws or regulations to better manage, monitor and control second hand vehicle importation for health reasons and as a climate change initiative to cut vehicle pollution

It would cause a monumental traffic jam that would take much longer to repair. Although it is currently being widened, that bridge needs more retrofitting because the trucks using the bridge are also getting much bigger.

Furthermore, the bridge has been made into three lanes instead of the original two.

The bridge is also already old having been around since the late 1970s if I remember cor rectly and badly needs upgrading.

Over the 15 years, we have seen an unprec edented road building program by various ad ministrations.

Our divided highways or freeways have been increasing thru the years.

As a rule of thumb, a country our size which is about 300.000 square kilometers should have a minimum road network of about 300,000 kilometers or one kilometer of road for every

Treasures in jeopardy

Alexandria’s rich and ancient heritage is par ticularly vulnerable.

Most exposed is the 15th-century Mamluk cita del of Qaitbay, built on a neck of land that was once the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Lashed relentlessly by the sea, a breakwater made up of 5,000 huge concrete blocks has been installed to protect it.

More have been put in place to limit damage to the 19th-century corniche.

Destruction and rebuilding is nothing new to a city that once was home to the Library of Al

square kilometer. I do not think we have reached 300,000 ki lometers yet but we are closing on that number from what I know.

It is not enough, however, to simply build roads.

The roads must be up to standards in design and construction.

The roads must also have to be well main tained with proper lighting, adequate traffic signs and devoid of road hazards to make driv ing for all motorists safe.

We also need a robust law enforcement pres ence in our highways.

There used to be Highway Patrol Teams as signed in every Province until discontinued by the Secretary of Interior and Local Government during the last Aquino administration.

That was a wrong move and the PNP should return them with added capabilities.

With motorization increasing rapidly and the frequency of road accidents going thru the roof, they are needed more than ever.

The Highway Patrol also used to conduct inspection of repair shops big or small to en sure that these facilities were complying with the provisions of the Anti-Carnapping Law or RA10883.

The Philippines is one of the few countries that still allow the importation of second hand vehicles of every kind.

Trucks, buses, sedans, SUVs and even right hand drive vehicles. All our traditional jeepneys for instance, use engines that can be 20 years old or older.

Almost all our provincial buses are recondi tioned second hand buses.

It is time the government enacted laws or regulations to better manage, monitor and con trol second hand vehicle importation for health reasons and as a climate change initiative to cut vehicle pollution.

As we build more roads and modernize our highway system, motorists must also learn how to use our freeways and other national roads properly.

Road use cannot be free for all as many would want to do. There are responsibilities. But this seems to be lost in the minds of many of us.

exandria, the world’s greatest temple of knowl edge until it was accidentally burned by Julius Caesar’s troops.

Neither its modern heir, a gleaming edifice on the corniche tilting like a solar disc toward the Mediterranean, nor the rest of the city can be left to a watery grave, Abdel Qader insisted.

“The West has a moral responsibility: it must help to counter the negative effects of climate change, which are the result of its civilisation” and industrialized model.

And Egypt will be hammering that message home when the UN COP27 climate talks open there on November 6. AFP

SÉOUL—North Korea fired more than 10 missiles Wednesday, including one that landed close to South Korea’s waters in what President Yoon Suk-yeol said was “ef fectively a territorial invasion”.

One short-range ballistic missile crossed the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two countries, prompting a rare warning for residents on the island of Ul leungdo to seek shelter in bunkers.

The military said it was the “first time since the peninsula was divided” at the end of Korean War hostilities in 1953 that a North Korean missile had landed so close to the South’s territorial waters.

“President Yoon pointed out today that North Korea’s provocation is an effective ter ritorial invasion by a missile that crossed the Northern Limit Line for the first time since the division,” his office said in a statement.

The missile closest to South Korea landed in waters just 57 kilometres (35 miles) east of the mainland, the military said.

The military released a statement describ ing the launch near the South’s territorial

waters as “very rare and intolerable”.

Soon after, the South Korean military said it had fired three air-to-ground missiles into the sea towards the north of the two coun tries’ maritime boundary.

An air raid warning was issued for Ul leungdo after the North Korean missile launch. The alert was flashed on national television and told residents to “evacuate to the nearest underground shelter”.

The South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff initially said it detected the launch of three short-range ballistic missiles.

But it later announced North Korea had fired more than 10 missiles “of various types today towards the east and west”.

Yoon Suk-yeol called a meeting of the Na tional Security Council over the launches, or dering “swift and stern measures so that North Korea’s provocations pay a clear price”.

Japan also confirmed the North Korean missile launches, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida telling reporters he planned to call a “national se curity meeting as soon as possible.”

South Korea closed some air routes over the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, advising lo cal airlines to detour to “ensure passenger safety in the routes to the United States and Japan.” AFP

violence, personal assault or assassination for the success and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. I am not suffering from mental alienation or from any incurable contagious disease. The country of which I am a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or subjects thereof.

GRAIN EXPORTS TO STOP

Putin demands ‘real guarantees’ from Kyiv

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF ANISH VIJAY PHABIANI to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant to Republic Act No. 9139.

SCN CASE NO. x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

PETITION

Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139, petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and respectfully declares:

1. My full name is ANISH VIJAY PHABIANI, but I have also been known since childhood as or I have been judicially authorized to use the alias name(s) N/A

2. My present place of residence is 432 ROXAS SEAFRONT GARDEN HOMES. ROXAS BLVD. City/ Municipality of PASAY Province of METRO MANILA and all my former places of residence are (please indicate periods of residence)

3. I was born on OCTOBER 8, 1998, in MANILA, Philippines. I have been a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a citizen or subject of INDIA.

4. My father's name is VIJAY PARMESHWAR PHABIANI and he was born on APRIL 3, 1968, in INDIA. He is a citizen or subject of INDIA. My mother's name is DEEPA VIJAY PHABIANI and she was born on JANUARY 27, 1974 in INDIA. She is a citizen or subject of INDIA.

5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is MEDICAL STUDENT and from which I derive an average annual income of N/A , inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances. My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is N/A and from which she derives an average annual income of P N/A (Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years because I am a college degree holder [please state (1) degree obtained: N/A (2)

13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to INDIA of which at this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously in the Philippines from the date of the filing of this petition up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship.

14. My character witnesses are MR. VINOD VASUDEV MOORJANI and JOSE MICO MENDIOLA both Filipino citizens, of legal age, and residing at 9 LIMASAWA, MAGALLANES VILLAGE, MAKATI CITY and 2415 LEIVA ST. STA. ANA, MANILA respectively, who have executed sworn statements attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b) detailed statements on the dates they first came to know me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the number of times they have acted as character witnesses in other petitions for naturalization.

15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of this petition are the duplicate originals or certified photocopies of the following documents (please check the appropriate box): [ / ] a. Petitioner's birth certificate [ / ] b. Petitioner's alien certificate of registration (ACR) [ ] c. Petitioner's native-born certificate of residence (NBCR) [ ] d. Petitioner's marriage certificate, if married [ ] e. Death certificate of his/her spouse, if widowed [ ] f. Court decree annulling his/her marriage or granting legal separation, if such was the fact [ ] g. Birth certificates of petitioner's minor children [ ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children [ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children [ / ] j. Affidavits of financial capacity by the petitioner, duly supported by bank certifications, passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of ownership of other properties [ / ] k. Affidavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation in petitioner's place of residence [ / ] l. Medical certificate from a government hospital stating that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she is not afflicted with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious disease. [ / ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the petitioner from the school/s he or she attended in the Philippines [ ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor children are enrolled in public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the DECS, where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality [ / ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three years [ / ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax for the past three years

16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in support of his/her petition:

INSURANCE

- ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND SHARES OF STOK - DIVIDEND COPY.

PRAYER

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No, 9139.

Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this 5 th day of August, 2022

ANISH VIJAY PHABIANI Name and Signature of Petitioner Address: 432 ROXAS SEAFRONT GARDEN HOMES ROXAS BLVD. PASAY CITY Telephone Number: 8851-0710

of Petitioner

Right

Philipine History, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

Name of ChildName and Place of School Date of Enrollment N/A N/A N/A

12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good moral character. I believe in the principles underlying the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the constituted government as well as with the community in which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under Republic Act No. 9139.

I am not opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of

Petitioner's

KYIV— Grain exports will halt on Wednesday after Moscow pulled out of a deal to let ships through the Black Sea, as Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded “real guarantees” from Kyiv before returning to the agreement.

Russia announced its suspension on Saturday, ac cusing Ukraine of misusing the safe shipping corridor for an attack on Russian ships in Crimea. Kyiv has dis missed this as a “false pretext” to withdraw.

The Turkey and UN-brokered deal signed in July by Kyiv and Moscow is crucial to easing a global food cri sis caused by the war.

In a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday, Putin wanted Kyiv to give “real guar antees” that it was “not using the humanitarian corridor for military purposes”, a Kremlin statement said.

No grain ship movements were planned for Wednes day, the body overseeing the export deal said, although three more grain-loaded cargo ships left Ukrainian ports on Tuesday.

Moscow had warned on Monday it was “more risky, dan gerous” to continue the exports without Russia’s participation.

Russia is also putting greater pressure on Ukrainians inside the country as recent attacks damaged the coun try’s infrastructure, plunging families and businesses into darkness weeks before winter.

On Tuesday, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said water and electricity supplies had been “fully restored” in the capital. AFP

Bolsonaro OKs transition sans white flag wave

BRASÍLIA—Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday “authorized” the transition to a new government, without acknowledging his defeat to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro, 67, broke two days of si lence after his razor-thin loss to Lula on Sunday, which sparked protests from his supporters across the country and fanned fears he would not accept the outcome.

In a speech that lasted just over two minutes, the far-right incumbent neither acknowledged defeat nor congratulated Lula on his victory.

But microphones did catch the presi dent saying before his speech with a smile: “They are going to miss us.”

GUAYAQUIL—Ecuador’s Presi dent Guillermo Lasso declared a state of exception in two provinces Tuesday, after at least five police officers were killed and prison guards taken hostage in the latest wave of attacks in the deadly gang war consuming the country.

The state of exception and night ly curfew in the coastal provinces of Guayas and Esmeraldas will be in place for 45 days, and allows the government to limit freedom of as sembly and movement.

Officials said organized crime groups launched at least 13 at tacks with explosives and fire arms against police and oil instal

lations in response to a transfer of inmates from Guayas 1 prison. The prison authority also report ed that “shots were fired inside” the facility.

Located in the southwestern port city of Guayaquil in Guayas province, the prison was one of the main scenes of a series of prison massacres that have left about 400 inmates dead since February 2021.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata told reporters in the Ecuadoran capital of Quito on Tuesday that there were “reactions (of) organized crime” in Guayaquil and in the northwestern oil port of Esmeraldas. AFP

Bolsonaro started by thanking the 58 million Brazilians who voted for him, before saying that the roadblocks erect ed by his supporters across the country were “the fruit of indignation and a feeling of injustice at how the electoral process took place.”

“Peaceful protests will always be welcome,” he said.

“As president of the Republic and a citizen, I will continue to comply with our constitution,” he said, before hand ing the podium to his chief of staff Ciro Nogueira, who said Bolsonaro had “au thorized” the “start of the transition” process.

Lula’s Workers’ Party announced Tuesday that his vice-president-elect Ger aldo Alckmin would lead the transition process which would begin on Thursday. Lula will be inaugurated for his third term as president on January 1. AFP

Danish left clings to power with razor-thin election victory

COPENHAGEN—Denmark’s left-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reached out to the centre for broader collaboration on Wednesday after winning a one-seat majority in a nail-biter general elec tion.

Frederiksen’s five-party “red” bloc had looked set to lose its majority as vote counting wore on throughout Tuesday evening, but as the last votes were tallied, the bloc eked out the 87 seats it needed in mainland Den mark.

Together with another three seats from the autono mous overseas territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the bloc holds a total of 90 of parliament’s 179 seats.

Opinion polls had predicted a historically weak elec

tion for the Social Democrats, but they instead gained two seats compared to the 2019 election, winning 27.5 percent of votes.

“Social democracy had its best election in over 20 years,” Frederiksen said in a speech to campaign sup porters early Wednesday.

“We are a party for all of Denmark,” she added.

The right-wing “blue” bloc—an informal liberal and conservative alliance supported by three populist par ties—won 72 seats in mainland Denmark and one in the Faroe Islands.

The photo-finish victory scuppered the hopes of a newly-created centrist party, the Moderates, of play ing the role of kingmaker—an outcome that had looked likely until Frederiksen secured a majority. AFP

BACK AS PREMIER. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s ex-premier and leader of the Likud party, addresses supporters, flanked by his wife Sara, at campaign headquarters in Jerusalem early on November 2 after the end of voting for national elections. Netanyahu inched towards reclaiming power after projected election results showed a majority government was within reach for the veteran right-winger. AFP

N. Korea fires more than 10 missiles, one close to S. Korea

Ecuador declares emergency state as five police officers gunned down

SEARCH RESUMES. Rescue workers conduct search operations on November 1, days after a bridge across the river Machchhu collapsed on October 30 at Morbi in India’s Gujarat state. Rescue divers were still searching for more bodies in the river on with 134 people confirmed dead -- among them 47 children. AFP

INTEGRATED energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corp. set a record profit of P36 billion in the first nine months, up 250 percent from P10.3 billion it posted in the same pe riod last year.

SMPC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange on Wednesday the nine-month net income also repre sented a 122-percent increase from the full-year net income of P16.2 billion in 2021.

Its exceptional performance was mainly due to elevated market pric es, all-time high coal production and higher spot electricity sales volume.

“Historically, the third quarter is our slowest because of the rainy season and sluggish demand. But because of improved market prices, we did much better than expected,” said SMPC president and chief operating officer Maria Cristina Gotianun.

SMPC netted P10.2 billion in the third quarter, a 153-percent upswing from P4 billion in the same period last year.

The average selling prices of Semir ara coal rallied by 122 percent from January to September to P5,224 per metric ton from P2,351 per MT a year earlier amid the surge in global index prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The average Newcastle prices climbed 191 percent to $353.80 from $121.70, while the average Indonesian coal index 4 expanded by 50 percent to $84.30 from $56.10.

SMPC said the nine-month coal pro duction grew by 27 percent from 10.8 million MT to a record 13.7 million MT due to controlled water seepage levels in the Molave mine and better coal access in East Block 4 and South Block 5.

Meanwhile, SMPC’s power busi ness posted a 216-percent increase in spot market sales to 1,546 giga watt-hours from 489 GWh owing to a 5-percent uptick in plant availabil ity, a 7-percent improvement in gross generation and its pivot away from bilateral contracts.

Its average spot selling price jumped 38 percent to P7.33 per kWh from P5.30 per kWh on recovering demand, higher fuel costs and thin power sup ply margins. Alena Mae S. Flores

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE provincial government of Cavite is inviting local and foreign groups to challenge the unsolicited proposal submitted by San Miguel Corp. to build the P27billion Cavite-Batangas Expressway.

“The provincial government of Cavite invites local and international compa nies to submit comparative proposals under a competitive challenge bidding process to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the project under a 35-year concessional period,” Cavite’s public-private-partnership selection committee chairman Renato Abutan said.

Cavite earlier received and ap proved the unsolicited proposal from San Miguel Holdings Corp., the infra structure unit of SMC, for the financ ing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the 27.06-kilometer Cavite-Batangas Expressway.

The project will traverse the munici palities of Silang, Amadeo, Tagaytay, Indang, Mendez, Alfonso in Cavite and Nasugbu in Batangas.

The committee said to obtain a copy of the request for comparative proposal and participate in the competitive chal lenge, any interested party should reg ister and submit a written expression of intent, sign the prescribed non-disclo sure agreement and pay the non-refund able participation fee of P1 million on or before the last day of registration and purchase of RFP.

It said the challengers should also sub mit qualification documents, technical and financial proposals as one bid pack age not later than Jan. 24, 2023 at 2 p.m.

“The provincial government of Cavite reserves the right to reject any or all comparative proposals, and other rel evant tender or bidding documents, de clare a failure of bidding and not award the contract for any justifiable and rea sonable ground where an award will not benefit the province or the govern ment of the Philippines, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected proponent[s] or bidder[s,]” Abutan said.

Meanwhile, San Miguel’s rival Metro Pacific Tollway’s Corp. proposed the P22.4billion Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Express way Project which would also connect the two provinces in southern Luzon.

The Department of Public Works and Highways granted the original propo nent status to MPTC for the construc tion of CTBEX in 2018. CTBEX is a 50.4-kilometer expressway that will connect Cavite and Batangas, with a spur road to Tagaytay City and ultimate ly terminating in Nasugbu and another spur road to Tuy, Batangas.

Prime Infra seeks Malampaya project contract extension

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PRIME Infrastructure Capital Inc. is seeking an extension of Service Contract No. 38 or the Malampaya deepwater gasto-power project in northwest Palawan which is expiring in 2024.

This followed the completion by Prime Infra, through one of its subsid iaries, of its acquisition of the 45-per cent operating stake in the Malam paya gas project.

Prime Infra said the next urgent step is to sustain and expand gas pro duction in light of the growing elec tricity demand.

“As a purpose-driven company, Prime Infra is committed to investing in critical infrastructure that supports the country’s urgent needs. We are excited to be part of the next phase of Malampaya and to further the po tential of SC 38 as we work on secur ing the license extension,” said Prime Infra president and chief executive Guillaume Lucci.

SC 38, located northwest off Pala wan covering an area of about 830 square kilometers, was awarded to Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. on Dec. 11, 1990.

The Malampaya project is one of the country’s most important power assets. It produces natural gas to pow er plants in Batangas City that supply 20 percent of Luzon’s total electricity requirements.

The government earned revenues from Malampaya amounting to $11.9 billion as of December 2020.

Prime Infra, through Malampaya Energy XP Pte. Ltd. completed its ac quisition of the 45-percent operating stake in the Malampaya gas project effective Nov. 1.

It assumed full ownership and con trol of Malampaya operator Spex which will be renamed Prime Energy Resources Development B.V.

Aboitiz Power’s income hit P19.5-b in 9 months

ABOITIZ Power Corp. said Wednesday net income went up 24 percent in the first nine months to P19.5 billion from P15.7 billion in the same period in 2021. Core net income reached P18.3 billion, or 17 percent higher than P15.7 billion a year ago.

Aboitiz Power said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its financial performance was primarily due to new contributions from GN Power Diningin Units 1 and 2, higher availabil ity of the GN Power Mariveles Energy Center Ltd. Co. facility, higher water inflows and gains from commodity hedges.

“We have seen peak energy demand contin ue picking up in Luzon and Visayas during this past quarter, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Our new capacities have been delivering muchneeded energy to the grid during its commis sioning period,” Aboitiz Power president and chief executive Emmanuel Rubio said.

“Now that we have taken over these facili ties, we look forward to reinforcing our sup port for the country’s growing power require ments,” Rubio said.

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippines is advancing the ratifica tion process for a convention on labor to renew the trade privileges it enjoys under the European Union’s Generalized Sys tem of Preferences Plus.

Department of Trade and Industry assis tant secretary Alan Gepty said the Conven tion on Labor Inspection No. 81 is one of the treaties that maybe added to the list of international agreements required for com pliance by a GSP+ applicant or beneficiary.

“In any case, of the six proposed ad ditional conventions by the EU Commis sion, PH has yet to ratify ILO Convention No. 81 on labor inspection. DOLE [De partment of Labor and Employment] is working on it,” he said Wednesday.

He said the DFA would assess if the ratification could be done via an executive agreement or treaty after the concurrence by concerned agencies. If the process will be via treaty accession, the ratification will require Senate concurrence, he said.

“For the Philippines, we are already working on the ratification process. As you know, the Philippines is a strong ad vocate of labor rights and welfare, thus, working on this accession will further strengthen our regime for the protection of workers,” Gepty said.

Under the current GSP+ regulations, beneficiaries are required to comply with 27 international agreements on labor rights, human rights, environment and good governance.

The European Commission proposed to add six conventions as part of the condi tionalities to accessing the GSP+.

The DTI said the EU proposed addi tional agreements including the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Chil dren in Armed Conflict, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Convention on Labor Inspection No 81, The Paris Agreement on Climate Change and United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

AUB’s net income rose 57% to P4.6b in three quarters

By Julito G. Rada

ASIA United Bank, the financial arm of the Rebisco Group, said Wednesday net income climbed 57 percent in the first nine months to P4.6 billion from P2.9 billion a year ago and surpassed its pre-pandemic performance.

The bank said in a statement the cumulative net profit was 3.8 percent higher than its pre-pandemic net in come of P4.4 billion.

It also translated into a return on assets of 1.9 percent and a return on equity of 16.4 percent.

The bank said it remained consis tent in terms of operational efficiency with only a 3-percent increase in op erational expenses from P4.1 billion, resulting in a cost-to-income ratio of 38.6 percent, an improvement from 44 percent a year ago.

Net interest income went up by 14 percent to P9.3 billion, while interest expense decreased by 9 percent to P1.2 billion, year-on-year.

Low-cost current account/savings account deposits reached P214 bil lion as of end-September, or 5 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

“Since AUB started at the height of the 1997 financial crisis, it has consistently been among the top five publicly listed local banks in the country that have posted healthy profitability ratios. We are extremely pleased to have beaten our pre-pan demic performance as we celebrate our 25th anniversary,” AUB presi dent Manuel Gomez said.

Other operating income increased 40 percent to P1.6 billion, fueled by an 850-percent surge in trading and securities gain to P164.2 million and a 100-percent rise in foreign ex change gain to P345.2 million.

Rubio said the company was focused on growing its renewable energy portfolio, with the latest foray into wind power.

Alena Mae S. Flores

UnionDigital’s customers reached 1.73m in 4 months

UNIONDIGITAL Bank, a subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines, said Wednesday it acquired 1.73 million customers, reached $70 million in loan book size and collected $50 million in deposits in the first four months of operations in the country.

UnionDigital said it achieved double-digit growth in digital loans to mass market commu nities through ecosystem partnerships powered by UnionBank.

“Since our launch, UnionDigital Bank has been focusing on serving the needs of the un derserved communities within UnionBank by offering digital deposit and lending products to our ecosystem, and we will continue to support the needs of these customers with additional products overtime,” UnionDigital co-founder, president and chief executive Arvie de Vera said in a statement.

He said that as a subsidiary of the Philippines’ largest techglomerate, UnionDigital Bank’s success in growing its loan book was due in part to its sophisticated use of available data of consumer behavior within the larger Aboitiz ecosystem to create tailor-fit loan products. Julito G. Rada

Emperador’s Mexican unit expanding winery business

LIQUOR producer Emperador Inc. said Wednesday its Mexican subsidiary is expand ing its winery business to support long-term growth plans.

Emperador said in a statement Casa Pedro Domecq which specializes in wine-making and tending vineyards would embark on an ex pansion program to support the continued and long-term growth of the winery.

“While Casa Domecq is essentially known for its popular brandies in Mexico—Presi dente, Don Pedro and Azteca de Oro—the winery business is showing great promise and prospects. Over the years, Bodegas Domecq has successfully developed wines such as Los Reyes, Calafia, XA, and Chateux Domecq,” Grupo Emperador Spain chief cxecutive Joan Cortes Vilardell said.

Emperador said there were plans for the planting of vineyards in the Ojos Negros Valley and equipping the winery with the latest tech nology. “We are very much honored to have a role in the advancement and recognition of the wine-making tradition in Mexico through Bo degas Domecq,” Vilardell said.

RECYCLING PROGRAM. Five community-based programs that offer circular economy solutions receive up to P500,000 in grant from the Reimagine Recycling initiative of Save Philippine Seas and Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, with special participation from Tetra Pak Philippines. The program aims to help non-government groups with emerging circular economy solutions that address issues in solid waste management and help improve the welfare of the informal waste sector. It will help expand these projects through capacity-building workshops on stakeholder management, communications and business models, mentoring and financial grant funding.

SBC’S TAGUM BRANCH. In line with its vision to become the most-customer centric bank in the Philippines, Security Bank Corp. moves its Tagum City, Davao del Norte branch to a bigger and more accessible location at the ground floor of SG Complex, National Highway, Purok Tandang Sora, Magugpo Poblacion, Tagum City. Leading the ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left) SBC branch banking group Region 4 head Jason Ang, branch channel manager Adi Sexcion, branch manager Jocelyn Angcos, Tagum Pioneer Foods president Robert So, Power Up corporate treasurer Norma Maglente, SBC executive vice president and branch banking group head Leslie Cham and cluster head Salvador Castro.

Gilas PH looks good, cohesive, says Kiefer

THREE Gilas Pilipinas players from the Japan B.League showed up at the national men’s team practice sessions on Wednesday and are looking forward to Team Philippines’ games in the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Kiefer Ravena, who currently plays for the Shiga Lakestars, said this after he and his brother Thirdy, along with Bobby Ray Parks, took part in Wednesday’s training since returning from Tokyo.

“The team is looking good with the core players from the last window,” said the 29-year-old Ravena.

The Philippines is set to play away-games against Jordan and Saudi Arabia on Nov. 10 and 13, respectively.

More players are arriving, according to Ravena, and help Gilas gain the strength it needs to perform better.

Ravena added that the team will be a more cohesive unit this time around.

“Malaking bagay na kaunti na lang iyung iaadjust sa team, knowing how to play with each other,” said Ravena.

Thirdy plays for Sanen Neophoenix, while Parks is with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins.

Dwight Ramos is expected to arrive for the practices before Gilas leaves on November 7.

The last time players of Gilas got together for the fourth window, members of the squad barely had a chance to gel for lack of enough time to do so.

“‘Yun ang nangyari before, dahil walang time,” added Ravena. Peter Atencio

Fernandez bows to Jordanian in opener

VETERAN Mario Fernandez opened the Philippine campaign in the ASBC Asian Elite Championships on a sad note as he bowed in a close 3-2 decision to host Jordan’s Yousef Iashash in their featherweight match (57 kg) on Day2 (Wednesday) of the Asian Elite Championships currently being held in the capital city of Amman.

The airman from Bukidnon fought a spirited fight, connecting with some snappy combinations but had his hands full as the wily Jordanian employed some unorthodox tactics to earn the nod of the judges from Morocco, Italy and Kyrgyzstan.

Those from Bulgaria and India saw the fight in favor of Fernandez.

ABAP coaches Don Abnett, Roel Velasco ad Gerson Nietes were at ringside.

There are 13 Filipino boxers in the championships (7 men, 6 women), including Tokyo Olympics veterans Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Irish Magno.

James Palicte is scheduled to face an opponent from Iraq in the Philippines’ next fight.

Sports

Maroons clip Falcons’ wings; UE Warriors boost Final 4 bid

By Peter Atencio

THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons are on a roll, while the University of the East Warriors kept their Final Four chances alive on Wednesday in the 85th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Carl Tamayo struck hard in the third period as the Fighting Maroons brought down the injury-stricken Adamson Falcons, 91-70, while Calvin Payawal and Luis Villegas made 17 and 16 points, respectively for the UE Warriors in their 81-51 thumping of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

The 21-year-old Tamayo led the Fighting Maroons’ offense in the opening minutes of the second half, hitting nine of 18 points as UP broke

the game wide open and moved ahead in the solo lead with its five-game winning streak.

Malick Diouf showed the way for the Fighting Maroons with a careerhigh 20 points and eight rebounds as UP pushed itself further ahead in the team standings with its 8-1 win-loss record.

UP unleashed a decisive 12-2 blast to break away from a 50-47 edge and gain a 13-point spread, 62-49, with 4:27 left off

Tamayo’s triple.

One of the Falcons’ defenders Vince Magbuhos left in the final 3:41 of the third with a hurt right ankle, after Adamson managed to strike back off Cedrick Manzano’s driving shot, 51-62.

“I think they made better decisions in the third. And this led to improvements in our offense,” said UP coach Goldwin Monteverde, as UP boosted its chances of getting a twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four.

Jerom Lastimosa banged in 19 points for the Falcons, but he became the second Adamson player to leave on an injury when he twisted his right ankle after making a layup in the 5:42 mark of the fourth and then stepping on the foot of Joel Cagulangan following a bad landing.

As Lastimosa was carried out of the court, UP continued with its fluid

offense, with Cagulangan handing the Maroons grabbed a 69-57 lead with his trey with 38 ticks remaining.

The Falcons, with Manzano shooting nine points, slipped behind at 3-5.

Meanwhile, the Red Warriors, who hiked their record at fourth spot (45) after posting the season’s biggest winning margin, limited UST to just two out of 16 field goal attempts to coast to a 45-23 halftime lead.

Villegas scored nine points in the first period as the UE Warriors quickly took control with a 25-14 edge.

The win put UE within reach of its first Final Four appearance in 13 years when it made the finals against Ateneo back in 2009.

“It was our game plan not to involve UST. They’re a scary team. Their morale is down. I told the boys not to make this game close,” said Warriors’ coach Jack Santiago.

Team Lakay ready for November, December challenges

ONE Championship has four massive shows this November and December, and Team Lakay will feature in two of them.

Bantamweight contenders Stephen Loman and Kevin Belingon are scheduled for ONE Fight Night 4: Abbasov vs. Lee on November 19 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium while their Team Lakay stablemates will close out the year in December.

ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio will defend the gold against Jarred Brooks in the main event of ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks on December 3 at Mall of Asia Arena.

Geje Eustaquio, Danny Kingad, Jeremy Pacatiw, and Jenelyn Olsim will also compete at ONE 164.

With so much from his stable fighting, Team Lakay head coach

Mark Sangiao admitted that there is indeed pressure for them to come out victorious.

Nevertheless, Sangiao knows that a busy schedule is just another challenge for his famed gym.

“Much pressure, but who says pressure is not good? We are taking the pressure as a strong force pushing us to train well today and train better tomorrow,” said Sangiao.

“Overwhelmed, yes I am. My hands sweat every time I see the fight matches for Singapore this November and December in Manila. But we are warriors from the mountains, we take every fight as a hunting game.”

Loman, the no.4-ranked bantamweight contender, will have the biggest fight of his career when he faces former ONE Bantamweight World

Belingon, who’s a former ONE Bantamweight World Champion, will welcome Kim Jae Woong, the former no.1-ranked featherweight contender, into the 145-pound division at the same Singapore card.

ONE 164, though, will be the busiest card for Team Lakay with five of its fighters set to step inside the Circle at ONE Championship’s final event of the year.

Olsim will face Chinese star Meng Bo while Jeremy Pacatiw will take on Myanmar’s Tial Thang in the lead card of the event.

Eustaquio, a former ONE Flyweight World Champion, will try to get his third straight win when he squares up against China’s Hu Yong.

Magaluna is Pilipinas Surfing Leg 2 shortboard champ

By Charles Dantes

REMAR Magaluna conquered the waves of Baler as he ruled the Men’s Shortboard finals of the Pilipinas Surfing National Leg 2 here in Baler, Aurora.

Despite the threat of bad weather, Magaluna remained cool, calm and collected as he tallied a total of 10.35 heat score in a tightly contested Bay’s Inn Surfing Challenge finals against La Union’s Jay-R Esquivel.

“’Yung alon nu’ng finals namin maganda. Alam ko magaling si Jay-R, pero nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa akin at nanalo tayo,” said Magaluna.

The pride of Siargao managed to break away in the last few minutes with a consistent showing against the strong start of Esquivel.

In the Men’s Longboard finals, June Esquivel capped his impressive first rodeo in Baler with a title after tallying 13.50 points over Jomarie Ebueza’s 8.60 markers.

“First time ko dito sa Baler, medyo nanibago ako sa alon kumpara sa amin (La

Union),” said Esquivel. “Dito kasi beach break, du’n sa amin point break kaya iba ang adjustments sa pag-ride.”

The younger Esquivel also competed in the Junior Boys Shortboard Division, where he ended up as the 1st runner-up to eventual champion, Jayuard Alciso of Siargao.

In the Women’s division, Nilbie Blancada of Siargao bagged the Open Shortboard crown, while another Siargao surfer, Aping Agudo successfully made her return to the professional scene and topped the Open Longboard category.

Baler’s very own little star, Cathleya Isidra Casals shone the brightest and was hailed as the champion of the Junior Girls’ Shortboard.

The champions of each division will receive P30,000 cash prize and 500 points for their national standings.

The Bay’s Inn Surfing Challenge is officially sanctioned by United Philippine Surfing Association, in partnership with Bay’s Inn Resort, together with Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.

Champion Bibiano Fernandes at ONE Fight Night 4.

Remar Magaluna gets a victory ride.

GOLF CHAMP. Likit Chai, President of the Junior Golf of Thailand Club, hands a trophy and a gold-laced certi cate to six-year-old Kamilla Edrianna del Mundo, who won the 6-under category of the Prime City Golf Club Tournament in Nakhom Nayok, Thailand last October 29 and 30 with a 13-under score. Del Mundo is a Colegio San Agustin-Makati rst grader, whose victory was her rst in an international event. Other Filipino podium nishers were Brianna Macasaet (runner-up in girls’ Class E), Halo Pangilinan (runner-up in boys’ Class F), Lucas de Guzman (third in boys’ Class F) and Stephanie Gan (fourth in girls’ Class F).

UP’s Carl Tamayo makes his move in the lane against two Adamson defenders.

HD Spikers, Flying Titans seek to boost semis drives

CHOCO Mucho and Cignal set out to bolster their respective semifinal bids against teams trying to stave off virtual elimination as action in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference resumes at the Filoil EcoOil Center in San Juan City today (Thursday).

The Flying Titans dropped to 2-2 after yielding a four-setter to the first semifinalist Chery Tiggo Crossovers last week before the league took a break but are expected to bounce back strong when they play the struggling Akari Chargers at 5:30 p.m.

The league’s newcomers are reeling from three straight losses to slip to 1-4 and will need to raise their level of play to surprise the equally hard-pressed Flying Titans.

The HD Spikers likewise go all out for a win after losing their last two games following a four-set escape over the Chargers in the opening day but are facing an UAI-Army side due for a win after losing its first four games.

Gametime is at 2:30 p.m.

Choco Mucho coach Oliver Almadro is expected to bank on import Odina Aliyeva and Kat Tolentino for the firepower with support likely to come from Bea de Leon, Des Cheng, Maddie Madayag, Cherry Nunag and Deanna Wong as they go for the win that would net them hold of solo third heading to the final stretch of the single round robin elims of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

But the Chargers, who put up a gutsy stand before bowing to the powerhouse Creamline Cool Smashers in four last Oct. 27, remain hopeful of bouncing back strong behind reinforcement Prisilla Rivera and locals raring to prove their worth against their seasoned rivals, including Michelle Cobb, Lycha Ebon, Janine Marciano, Jhoana Maraguinot, Krich Macaslang and Princess Madrigal.

Cignal, meanwhile, has so much work to do in a bid to catch up with the leaders with coach Shaq delos Santos hoping the break has helped his wards get re-energized for the grueling elims stretch.

Nets slump again after Nash sacking

NEWYORK—Zach LaVine produced a fourthquarter scoring blitz as the Chicago Bulls piled on the misery for the crisis-hit Brooklyn Nets with a 108-99 win on Tuesday.

A tumultuous day that began with Brooklyn’s sacking of head coach Steve Nash ended with the Nets blowing a 12-point third-quarter lead as Chicago surged to victory at the Barclays Center.

Interim coach Jacque Vaughn took over on the sidelines for the Nets, but could only watch in dismay as Brooklyn wilted in the fourth quarter once again.

Chicago outscored the Nets 31-19 in the fourth quarter, with LaVine raining down 20 points in the final frame to finish with 29 points, including five assists and four rebounds.

DeMar DeRozan provided offensive support with 20 points while Goran Dragic added 15 and Patrick Williams 12. Ayo Dosunmu added 17 points from the bench.

The Nets meanwhile saw Kevin Durant

tally 32 points with nine rebounds and six assists while Royce O’Neale chipped in with 20 points. Yuta Watanabe and Nic Claxton added 10 points apiece.

Kyrie Irving had a frustrating night for Brooklyn, finishing with four points after shooting just 2-of-12 from the field.

Durant admitted afterward that Nash’s abrupt dismissal earlier Tuesday had been on his mind in the hours before the game, revealing that he had first learned of it on television.

“I woke up from my nap and turned to my right and saw it on ESPN,” Durant said. “I was shocked. You’re always shocked when a move like this happens, but it’s normal in the NBA.

“So you just get ready for the game. It’s a quick turnaround in the league so you can’t think too much about it—but it was

on my mind for a little bit today.”

‘I liked Steve’

Durant—who requested a trade from Brooklyn in the offseason before later issuing an ultimatum to replace Nash or let him go—insisted he had a good relationship with the dismissed coach.

“I liked working with Steve, I liked the coaching staff,” Durant said.

“It was a roller coaster last few years but the core of it—the basketball—is something we all loved to do. I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.

“We didn’t have a healthy team, and we didn’t play well. That’s what happens in the league. It doesn’t take away from Steve’s basketball IQ, or how he teaches the game. It just didn’t work out.”

Brooklyn fell to 2-6 with the defeat and are languishing near the foot of the Eastern Conference while Chicago improved to 4-4, snapping a two-game losing streak.

In other games on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors slumped to a third straight loss with a 116-109 defeat to the Miami Heat in Florida. AFP

Djokovic hits ground running at

PARIS—Novak Djokovic began the defence of his Paris Masters title with a clinical 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 second round win against American Maxime Cressy on Tuesday.

Arriving in the French capital after back-to-back indoor titles in Tel Aviv and Astana in October, the Serbian stretched his winning run to 10 matches following his summer hiatus.

The number six seed is targeting his fifth title from just 11 events after a season heavily curtailed by his opposition to being vaccinated against Covid.

That stance saw him ejected from Australia before hitting a ball in anger at the Australian Open in January.

And aside from competing in Roger Federer’s farewell to the sport at the Laver Cup he effectively did not play for three months after Wimbledon, the US Open among the tournaments he was forced to sit out.

But he has said he is “super pumped” to finish 2022 in style, and his one hour, 42 minute beating of Cressy also took his winning streak in Paris to 10 matches after claiming the title here in 2019 and 2021, having missed the 2020 edition.

The big-serving Paris-born Cressy proved

ABL set for return with Invitational Tournament Series 2023

AFTER a three-year lull, the Asean Basketball League is finally set for its muchawaited return with its 11th season through the Invitational Tournament Series 2023.

As the sporting world gets back to its feet, the league is forging ahead with the Invitational Tournament that will feature games across the region starting off on Jan. 2, 2023.

The league will then take a break in February to respect the International Window for men’s basketball before the playoffs and the finals take place in early March.

Some of the best squads around the region are expected to take the centerstage and go for a mad dash for glory in the three-month Southeast

Asian basketball spectacle.

Even as the leagues around the region have grown along with the progression of the ABL over the years since its foundation in 2009, the Invitational remains consistent to the league’s commitment to maintain a strong presence as a developmental platform for all the teams involved.

ABL Chief Operating Officer Kuhan Foo is pleased with the return of the first-ever regional basketball league in Asia, noting that the move is a huge step forward in sustaining the growth of the sport in the region over the past 10 years.

“We’re glad to announce that the Asean Basketball League is finally coming back for its 11th season with the ABL In-

vitational Tournament Series 2023. After the Covid-19 pandemic put everything to a halt, the return of the ABL is a huge step towards the right direction as we hope to give our fans the sense of normalcy while we continue to recover from the aftereffects of the pandemic,” said Foo.

“We are excited to welcome our teams, our players and our fans back in our bid to further foster the growth of basketball across the region,” he added, stressing the role of the league to the vast improvements of countries like Singapore and Vietnam which finally won historic medals in the Southeast Asian Games with the former winning in 2013 and 2015 while the latter bagging one in 2019.

Tough task for World Cup host Qatar in 1st round

PARIS—Qatar will have to spring a surprise to avoid becoming only the second host nation to be knocked out of a World Cup in the first round, with the Netherlands and Senegal favourites to progress from Group A.

The Asian champions will open the tournament on November 20 against Ecuador in Al Khor, after the tournament start date was moved forward to allow the home side to play the first match.

The Qatar squad spent almost four months in near-lockdown to prepare for the tournament, but have struggled in recent friendlies —losing to Canada and a Croatia Under-23 team.

“They are preparing for a World Cup for the first time in their lives. These players are sacrificing their time, they are staying away from home, from their families,” former Qatar player Mohamed Mubarak al-Mohannadi told AFP in September.

The only time the hosts fell at the first hurdle was when South Africa went out in the 2010 group stage.

Qatar will be quietly confident of making an impression in their first appearance at the global showpiece, though, having won the 2019 Asian Cup and reached the semi-finals of the Arab Cup 12 months ago.

Ecuador have qualified for only their fourth World Cup and will be the underdogs in the group.

Three-time losing finalists the Netherlands, featuring Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk and several exciting young players including PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo, take on Senegal the following day.

All five African teams failed to reach the knockout phase of the 2018 edition in Russia, although Senegal will be expected to get through this time after the heartbreak of missing out to Japan four years ago only due to their worse disciplinary record.

Sadio Mane, who finished second in this year’s Ballon d’Or voting to Karim Benzema, will lead a strong squad who won their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title in February. AFP

Masters

tough to crack in the opening set, saving three set points before being undone by two double faults in the tie-break.

Djokovic though weathered Cressy’s aggressive but not altogether reliable delivery—he hit 15 aces and 10 double faults—and he got his break on return to lead 5-4 in the second set, to go on to serve out for the match.

“It was very intense, just a lot of pressure,” said the 35-year-old Djokovic, whose winning start was celebrated by the Bercy crowd.

“When you play someone that serves this well—first and second serve—you don’t have much room to relax and maybe play kind of a softer few games.

“You just have to be on your toes all the time.

“I’ve never come up against a player in my career with such a second service.”

“I had to lock in, I had to not give him gifts and points,” added Djokovic, who won his 21st Grand Slam at Wimbledon, one shy of Rafael Nadal’s record 22.

“Just overall very pleased with the way I felt and the way I played.”

Djokovic, seeking his seventh Paris title

13 years after his first, will next face Karen Khachanov in the last 16.

On court Wednesday are top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who takes on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, and Nadal who like his old rival Djokovic faces American opposition in the shape of Tommy Paul.

Nadal, who in October celebrated the birth of a son, Rafael, has not played since the US Open and a last-16 loss to Frances Tiafoe, aside from teaming up with Federer in the doubles at the Laver Cup. ‘Ageing body’

At 36 he says he is no longer motivated to chase the end of year number one spot. He currently lies second to Alcaraz in the ATP rankings.

“I’m at a stage of my career where I’m no longer fighting to be number one, but simply to remain competitive in each tournament that I’m playing in,” Nadal said.

Asked about his state of fitness after a season “extraordinary in terms of results but complicated in terms of injuries” he added: “With an ageing body like mine, when you are coming back from a lay-off, it’s difficult to know how you are going to react and play.” AFP

Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls is fouled by Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter of the game at Barclays Center in New York City. AFP

Some of the best squads around the region are expected to take the centerstage and

for

dash

glory in the three-month Southeast Asian basketball spectacle.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays a forehand return during his men’s singles match against the

Maxime Cressy on Day 2 of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 - Paris Masters (Paris Bercy) - indoor tennis tournament at The AccorHotels Arena in Paris. AFP

back

CONCERT promoter Live Nation has announced that Backstreet Boys, one of the best-selling bands of all time, will bring it highly-anticipated DNA World Tour 2023 to Asia. The boyband will tour in multiple cities including Tokyo, Kaohsiung, Singapore, and Manila.

In May 2019 the Backstreet Boys kicked off The DNA World Tour - the group’s biggest arena tour in 18 years thanks to the global success of their #1 new album. The DNA World Tour has seen the group sell out arenas all over North America, Europe, Asia, and South America.

For 29 years the Backstreet Boys has delivered the finest pop music one has to offer, making the group one of pop’s most influential performers. With countless #1s, record-setting tours, numerous awards, and worldwide sales in excess of 130 million, BSB has been recognized as the best-selling boy band in history.

EVERYONE loves magic. Everyone wants a little fantasy in their lives. It is the reason why some people enjoy living in a world that allows them to experience fantastical realms where dragons, emperors, and artificial intelligence rule.

We listed some of the must-watch and anticipated fantasy series that can satisfy your journey in the world where every impossible thing becomes possible.

House of the Dragon (2022)

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

The Last of Us (in 2023)

The HBO Original drama series The Last of Us is based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same title developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for PlayStation platforms. The show debuts in 2023 on HBO and will be

to Manila

Go Breaking My Heart.” The critically acclaimed and chart topping single was nominated for the “Pop Duo / Group Performance” 2019 Grammy, and was BSB’s first hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 10 years. Upon its release, the single went straight to #1 on iTunes Top Songs and Global charts and charted in over 22 countries.

Over the years, the band has continually captivated millions of people with its impressive catalog of hit songs and creative partnerships.

DNA World Tour 2023 Live in Manila will take place at SM Mall of Asia Arena on February 20. Fan Club Pre-sales starts on November 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. while Live Nation Philippines Members Pre-sale happens on November 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Tickets to the general public will be available starting from November 9 at 10:00 a.m. Visit livenation.ph for membership signup and pre-sale access.

Dynamic trio

Taylor Swift back on the road with ‘Eras’

AMERICAN country megastar Taylor Swift on Tuesday announced she was returning to touring, getting back on the road for the first time since 2018’s Reputation tour.

The Grammy-winning singer and songwriter said the Eras tour would be “a journey through all of my musical eras of my career.”

“Good Morning America, it’s Taylor,” she said, making the announcement on ABC’s morning news program.

“I wanted to tell you something that I’ve been so excited about for a really long time and I’ve been planning for ages, and I finally get to tell you I’m going back on tour.”

A number of acts are set to join the 32-year-old, including Paramore , Phoebe Bridgers, and HAIM

The tour is set to kick off March 18, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, with stops including Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, and two final domestic shows in Los Angeles in early August. International shows will be announced at a later date.

The tour announcement comes two weeks after Swift dropped her 10th album Midnights , which debuted to fanfare and made chart history.

“WE

have yet to test each other’s patience in case our creative differences become a major issue while planning for the concert. Clash of ideas happens and it’s healthy since we just wanted to give our audience a great show,” said Kean Cipriano when asked by Manila Standard Entertainment about their dynamics mounting Pulso, a one-night show to be directed by Paolo Valenciano

“So far we’re okay, but we haven’t gone too serious yet because we still have plenty of time to prepare. Papunta pa lang kame sa exciting part, sabi nga nila. But for sure, after having this show, it’s going to be a different era for every one of us,” he added.

OC Records and Viva Live, Inc. are mounting Pulso, a concert happening on November 29 at the New Frontier Theater. The concert feature Cipriano, Adie Garcia, and Unique Salonga

The three main acts in Pulso also happen to be the top acts at OC Records, the music label that Chynna Ortaleza and Cipriano established some four years ago.

Unique, of course, was with OC Records almost since the start. Since the singer-songwriter bolted out of IV of Spades, he has proven himself quite the creative force

with a hit full-length solo album that spawned a handful of hits and fan-fave singles that include “Sino,” “Midnight Sky,” “Ozone (Itulak Ang Pinto),” “Huwag Ka Sanang Magalit,” and “Bukod-Tangi.”

Adie (a.k.a. Adie Garcia) in turn is known for his breakout hit “Paraluman.” The song has been one of the biggest songs of 2021 and has been a comfort for Pinoy music fans for its lilting music and Adie’s effervescent singing. Adie has since become a steady source of hit singles for OC Records that include “Tahanan,” “Dungaw” and his recent Janine Berdin featured-hit “Majika” Cipriano, on the other hand, is the more experienced rocker, and hitmaker of the three. As the former frontman of Callalily, Kean had his share of big hits with the band. His career as a musician-recording artist has been thriving for more than 20 years now. As OC’s Co-chairman/CEO, besides overseeing his label’s output as producer and allaround creative source, Cipriano still finds time to expand as a solo artist and has since released a string of worthy singles that include “Nandito Ka Na,” “Eye Contact,” and his most recent single “Tayuman.” Ortaleza-Cipriano, the heart of OC Records had this to say about the significance of the Pulso concert for the label and its roster of artists.

“For me, it is a thanksgiving for the blessing of freedom in creativity that our partners and our community have blessed our artists with,” she said, adding, “It is one thing to have a string of massive hits, but to be loved and supported while knowing that everything that you are sharing with the world is from your own unique way of making art, your own heart & feel, your own pulse is the biggest blessing.”

Tickets to Pulso are now available via TicketNet outlets nationwide and online. Ticket prices range from P 5,000 for SVIP, P3,600 for VIP, P2,400 for Orchestra and Loge and Balcony going for P 1,800 and P900, respectively.

She became the first artist ever to notch all 10 spots of the Billboard hot songs chart, and breezed past Drake and The Beatles by counting the most titles occupying the Hot 100 in a single week.

It was the biggest week for a release since Adele ’s 25 in 2015. AFP

available to stream on HBO GO.

The Last of Us storyline takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the US and depend on each other for survival.

Cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, Elaine Miles as Florence, with Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker

The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann

The series was created for television by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who are executive producers with Alison Schapker, Denise Thé, J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, and Ben Stephenson. Production companies include Kilter Films and Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, and is based on the film written by Michael Crichton

Thanks to the streaming platform HBO GO, powered by PLDT Home, millions of Filipino viewers can enjoy these shows every day.

New PLDT Home customers can get free three-month access to HBO GO for plans 2099 and up. They can enjoy the fastest connections of PLDT Home within 24 hours upon approval of application in select PLDT Sales and Service Centers with 24H Quick Connect Service.

GMA’s

In

Premyo Panalo

the

proof-of-purchase and

details. For a chance to win additional prizes, the mamimili can also write the name of the sari-sari store where they bought the product, its store address, and store owner’s contact number. Write “KAPUSO BIGAY PREMYO PANALO” on the envelope, including the brand of the enclosed proof-of-purchase, and area of residence (NCR, Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao).

Sari-sari store owners, meanwhile, should write their own sari-sari store name on their entry, and ‘SARI-SARI STORE’ outside the envelope.

The promo further extends its reach to Kapuso participants with more drop boxes located all over the country. Participants can submit entries through designated drop boxes at selected Mercury Drug branches nationwide, the GMA Network Center in Quezon City, in all GMA Regional TV stations, and now, in all RGMA stations as well!

The announcement of promo winners will be done weekly via Facebook Live on the official GMA Promos Facebook Page www.facebook.com/GMApromos.

Participants can also visit the official promo microsite to know the detailed mechanics, proof of purchase requirements, complete list of winners, and other promo details.

Promo runs until January 6.

Continuing to add to the winning beat this season are the energetic and talented cheer dancers from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools as they groove to the official BPP jingle performed Hannah Precillas. The jingle is also now available across major music platforms in over 200 territories worldwide.

The public is reminded to be careful of scam texts and fake Facebook accounts using the names of GMA Network, GMA Promos, or Bigay Premyo Panalo to solicit money. GMA will notify winners via voice call and SMS using its official numbers and will not ask for money or anything in exchange to claim prizes.

Permit No. 1557 S.

Per

Nickie Wang Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant

Westworld

In early 2019, BSB released its Grammy-nominated 10th studio album DNA on RCA Records. The album debuted at #1 and featured the Top 10 hit “Don’t

Boys has been

Kapuso Bigay Premyo Panalo sa Pasko gives away exciting prizes to almost 2,000 winners from all over the country

Grammy Award-winning singersongwriter Taylor Swift

Life Going beyond looking your best

By Nickie Wang

and singer Sam Milby believes that maintaining a health and fitness regimen as an actor goes beyond looking your best, you have to feel your best, too. And in an effort to feel good inside and out, he incorporates a healthy lifestyle into his dayto-day routine.

ACTOR

As one of the busiest artists in the industry today, whose career spans almost two decades as he starred in a steady string of top-rating prime time TV series and blockbuster mov ies while endorsing some of the most trusted brands in the market, Milby makes conscious efforts to take chard of his health. And being self-aware is the primary step in knowing how to reach your goal, healthwise.

“There are a few things that I struggle with, I don’t eat enough grains. We know the good things that fiber-rich food does for our body. And when I don’t have time to workout and stay in shape, I feel some fatigue, and my brain doesn’t function right,” Milby told Manila Standard Life during the official launch of Beaute derm’s new set of health essential products.

With a hectic schedule, being the health buff that he is, Milby openly admits that is vital to living a bal anced and healthy lifestyle, espe cially in the midst of the pandemic.

He also underscored that during these try ing times where good health is the most important currency to weather life’s man challenges, we should strengthen our body with a regu lar boost of natural vitality.

“Taking these products helps me a lot. They reduce fatigue and pro mote men tal

clarity while building up something I lack in my immune system,” Mil by shared.

During the event, the 38-yearold actor was welcomed by Beautéderm’s President and CEO Rhea Anicoche-Tan, who mentioned that Milby’s lifestyle should be emulated because of his discipline and professionalism.

“He lives a balanced and healthy life which makes him the perfect artist to represent Beautéderm Health Boosters Effervescent Tablets.”

In turn, Milby responded that through the years, he learned the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Of Starbucks planners and random acts of kindness

in

Starbucks

because of the challenging tasks that he has as an actor which could affect the well being of both his mind and body.

“ I need to ensure that I am always in the best physical condition through regular ex ercise and the right diet cou pled with the right amount of sleep. Beautéderm Health Boosters Effervescent Tab lets are the perfect partner for me to further guaranteed that my body stays healthy and fully charged all the time,” he asserted.

Collectively packaged as Beautéderm Health Boosters Effervescent Tablets, the new line under REIKO and KENZEN consists of three brand new products that are developed and manufactured in Japan – all of which are FDA Compliant and are expertly formulated to bolster the body’s overall health and well-being with the objective of being deliberately handy as each product could be easily dissolved in water and could be taken anytime and anywhere for that extra boost of energy and revitalization that the body needs ev ery day.

The first is Reiko ShiroSan – a firstgrade dietary supplement that contains a blend of marine collagen that is ideal for the rejuvenation of joints and other

bodily organs; peptides; and non-acidic Vitamin C which is known as an energy booster and a natural antioxidant.

The second is Kenzen YasaiDes – a di etary superfood supplement with a potent blend of Vitamin E and tomato extract with fruit and other vegetable extracts that help in strengthening the immune system. This is also a very good dietary option for veggies and is best for kids and adults who are in need of extra nourish ment in their diets.

Completing the set is Kenzen MizuP lus – an excellent dietary supplement that contains a blend of Green Tea extract and magnesium, which helps in normalizing high blood pressure and in the prevention of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Ken zen MizuPlus also contains high-absorp tion calcium that helps in maintaining the strength of the bones and joints while aiding in the prevention of osteoporosis; and high-absorption L-Malic Acid that helps in the prevention of fatigue, in the increase of mental focus, and the speedy recovery from muscle pain. This tablet, which can also be used as a meal replace ment for those who are on a diet, also contains vanilla which is considered as an effective agent in controlling glucose levels in the blood.

For more information on Beauté derm and Beautéderm Health Boost ers as well as news updates on Sam Milby, follow @beautédermcorpo ration on Instagram and TikTok; follow @bdhealthboosters on Insta gram; follow @beautédermcorp on Twitter; like Beautéderm on Face book; and subscribe to Beautéderm on YouTube.

wear clean and

Philippines

I STARTED collecting Starbucks planners in 2009, not only for myself but also for gifting. I associate Starbucks planners with [doing] random acts of kindness maybe because it is during the Christmas season that one can start collecting stickers to get the coveted planners and being that it’s the season of giving. Or that because they do this for a cause since a portion of the proceeds from the drinks brought with the stickers will go to the farmers who grow their coffee beans. Also, I have a fond memory at tached to it.

Let me take you to the year 2013. I managed to collect three planners before Christmas day, so I thought of giving one to someone I know will never expect to receive something from me.

I had just moved on to a new company and was going through a rough adjustment period. Strangely though, I had been receiving random acts of kindness from people, even strangers –from an airport staff who went out of her way so I would not miss a flight to a supplier going the extra mile for an event I was spearheading, and a taxi driver who shared his inspiring life story.

at Starbucks, and for our customers who cel ebrate with us,” Jamie Silva, Senior Manager for Marketing, Digital Customer Experience & Loyalty at Starbucks Philippines shared. “For our 25th year celebrations, we pay homage to our partners (employees) and customers who have grown with us and have opened up oppor tunities to touch the lives of local communities.”

The brand recently released a series of videos based on real-life anecdotes, wherein each persona represents the communities Starbucks Philippines has built over the years. In the video, they share how the brand has and continues to fill their days forward. Watch the videos here: https://www.face book.com/StarbucksPhilippines

The Starbucks tradition

This year’s collection showcases a sophisti cated new look that pays tribute to Starbucks’ famous Siren, with thoughtful details that cel ebrate the brand’s silver anniversary. Patrons have the choice among two limited-edition planners with organizer sleeves, a classic cold cup, and a durable stainless-steel tumbler.

Each

I was having a rough time, but also found rea sons to be grateful. It was like the universe was telling me that I was not alone in my journey and by shifting my focus from my own chal lenges and anxious thoughts to the good things around me, I was helping myself. I thought: these people have their own problems and yet they still choose kindness and managed to in spire me so, why not do the same? I decided to gift the planner to a former colleague whom I admire as a mother, and as an editor. I was se cretly following her then blog, so I knew bits and pieces of her life story.

The two (2) 2023 Starbucks traditions plan ners with organizer options come in a premium ring binder format with a matching pen and cover. For Starbucks Philippines’ 25th anniver sary, this year’s edition showcases a sleek Siren tail design in two elegant colors — champagne and black. The leather cover accentuated with gold hardware has both a pocket and pouch to store your files (or Starbucks cards!). Also, with the ring bind style, you can use it well beyond 2023. Inside, the 12 monthly special artworks highlight some lovely quotes to inspire you each month.

IN ITS continuous endeavors in keeping wellness in mind, Panasonic once again makes headlines in home care with the launch of its latest premi um front-load washing machines and washer dryers under the Panasonic CARE+ Edition, designed to keep everyday wear clean and hygienic for better wellbeing. Extending its brand promise of “Caring for your wellbe ing”, CARE+ Edition of washing machines and washer dryers are Panason ic’s sophisticated laundry solution, blending form and function that takes the worry and hassle out of clothing care from washing to drying.

“The most essential function of a washing machine is to remove stains, but our world and needs have since evolved, making bacteria-free and fastdrying laundry a prerequisite for every household. From our findings, we know that hygiene and drying are the highest priorities for Asians, and many would opt for a washer that not only cleans but also eliminates bac teria with smart convenience functions. With the CARE+ Edition washer dryer or washing machine with Dry Assist, we assure users that their laun dry and family’s wellbeing are well taken care of,” said Yasushi Kondo, Panasonic Philippines President.

Panasonic’s CARE+ Edition features two new flagship models – Front Load Washing Machine and Front Load Washer Dryer. Both are designed with hygiene and drying convenience in mind.

Starbucks

I visited my former office and handed my gift to her. I could see she was surprised. I didn’t think much of it until weeks later when I read her blog. I had no idea what she was going through then but, in her blog, she wrote that she has been “feeling uninspired” for many reasons and didn’t feel like putting up the Christmas tree but that my “gesture had knocked some sense into her head. In her words: “Tonight, I decided — no, I knew — that everything will soon fall into place. And so the tree will go up. Good will is not a commodity that you will have less of if you have less money. We show others we make a difference, we inspire and move them, we surprise them. Whatever your religion is, this is what makes the holidays special. There is just no price tag for that. So, thank you, J. You knocked some sense into my head today.”

When I received the 2023 planner from Star bucks, I was transported to that memory. For Starbucks, there’s more than just the collections to celebrate this year, as the brand celebrates 25 years of filling our days with more than just cof fee in the Philippines.

#Fillitforward this Holiday

“The holidays are an exciting time for us all

Starbucks wanted to bring back multiple op tions for its customers who love using reusable vessels. This year’s line-up includes a 15 oz. Steel Tumbler and 22 oz. Cold Cup featuring a similar Siren design as the planners.

From November 2 to January 2, custom ers will earn a sticker for every purchase of a Tall, Grande, or Venti handcrafted beverage. One Reward Voucher can automatically be re deemed for every eighteen stickers collected. For easy tracking of stickers, opt-in through the Starbucks App and join using an e-Promo Card.

For those shopping for their Christmas gifts online, here’s some good news. A registered Starbucks Rewards member with a linked Laza da Philippines account will automatically earn one Reward Voucher on the Starbucks PH app e-Promo card for every P5,000 purchase in a single receipt after 7 days from successful deliv ery. Visit starbuckstraditions.ph to learn more.

If you love Starbucks coffee but are not much of a planner user, then gift someone with one— perhaps one you haven’t spoken to in a while. The gesture might earn a smile or inspire the person to pay it forward.

For feedback, I’m at joba.botana@gmail.com.

Panasonic’s CARE+ Edition Front Load Washing Machine is equipped with a Dry Assist function through the Hybrid Dry Lite technology. This function is exclusively available in the washing machine-only variant and is especially useful during bad weather and urgent drying needs. Dry Assist dries the laundry through the promotion of airflow through the door inlet via drum rotation, where it is then heated with a 300W heater. This function is offered in three modes – Lite Dry, Finish Dry, and Hygiene Dry, which users can choose for urgent laundry drying, shortening hang dry time, or enhancing bacteria and odor elimination.

The CARE+ Edition Front Load Washer Dryer, on the other hand, comes with Gentle Dry, a new drying mechanism comprising of a unique door de sign with a precise slanted airway that allows the air inside the washer dryer to cool down with the atmospheric air. This condenser drying-type method also uses a heat dissipator located around the drum to further allow the hot air circulating inside to drop to a lower temperature. This helps ensure clothes do not shrink and damage easily.

The CARE+ Edition washing machines and washer dryers, available now at all Panasonic retail partners’ physical and online stores, bring the per fect balance of functionality and aesthetics for spatial harmony, inspiring wellness in the space we live. These new models showcase an iconic door design and a tilted floating control panel with slider touch sensing for bet ter usability. In terms of capacity, users can choose between 10.5–9.5kg washer + 6kg dryer and 10.5 – 9.5kg for the washing machine model. Both variants are available in Black and White.

Anicoche-Tan (left) believes Milby’s lifestyle should be emulated because of his discipline and professionalism

The actor-singer finds Beautéderm products as a perfect partner to maintain a healthy lifestyle despite a hectic schedule

Beautéderm’s President and CEO Rhea AnicocheTan (left) with Sam Milby during theofficial launch of Beautederm’s new set of health essential products