Manila Standard - 2022 November 12 - Saturday

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text

our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

PBBM PUSHES FOR REGIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

By Vince Lopez, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz PRESIDENT Ferdinand

Jr. on Friday

Mr. Marcos sets China state visit in early January

Next page Next page

Bantag: I am innocent

Hits Remulla for 'targeting' him, dares him to resign

By Rey Requejo

"What he is saying is 'I will clear my name; I don't have anything to do with that crime. I will face the case," Balisong told CNN Philippines.

In a separate interview with SMNI, Ban tag turned the tables on Justice Secretary Je sus Crispin Remulla, whom he challenged to resign.

"You’re a liar, SOJ (Secretary of Justice). I challenge you to step down. They say you don’t have credibility anymore, that you no longer have moral ascendancy in your post," Bantag said.

can't do anything with the Presi dent's reaction because that is based on the report of the (Justice) secretary. But

Next page

BuCor probes tunnel inside Bilibid area

THE Bureau of Corrections is investigat ing a 200-meter wide and 30-meter deep tunnel discovered inside the New Bilibid Prison, prisons chief officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. said in a television interview Friday.

“We are not experts on this so we called for the Department of Environ ment and Natural Resources. They said this was an illegal excavation or illegal quarrying since there is no permit but we are not experts on this so we will rely on the DENR for this,” Catapang said.

Asked if the tunnel was used for in mates to escape or to smuggle contra band, he said the BuCor will still have to find out.

“We will look into that. There are so many possibilities on what it could be used for,” Catapang added.

QC singular focus: Delivery of basic services

By Rio N. Araja

eyes

“We

Committee

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has accepted the invitation of Chinese Presi dent Xi Jinping for a state visit to China early next year, Malacañang said Friday.

Good governance has played a key role un der Belmonte’s administration to be able to

By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday called for the speedy

UNITED ASEAN. From left: Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, China's Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Laos' Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh and Malaysia's Lower House Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun wave on stage during the ASEAN-China Summit as part of the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Phnom Penh on November 11, 2022. AFP

Marcos

pushed for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea based on international law, which he said should be an example of how states manage their differences. At the 25th ASEAN-China Summit,

President Marcos said the immediate conclusion of the COC becomes more relevant as nations mark 40 years of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and 20 years of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in

the South China Sea.

“It shall be an example of how states manage their differences: through reason and through right,” Mr. Marcos said, adding that he

Stagged as the mastermind in the murder of

President urges ASEAN to end Myanmar crisis

Next page

tablished his own fiefdom" in the Bili bid and "moved with no fear of being punished."

"We

the question is, are they giving you the truth?" he said.

Mr. Marcos, who was then on his way to Phnom Pehn, said Bantag's in volvement was "terrible" even as he

Bantag's lawyer, Rocky Balisong, said his client is ready to face the charges against him.

9 in 10 Pinoys want stronger anti-corruption laws—survey

SOME 92 percent of Filipinos believe the government should strengthen anti-corruption laws and collective mechanisms to implement and fulfill its international commitment to combating corruption, a recentPulse Asia survey showed.

The same survey showed 36 percent of respondents believe that controlling corruption will benefit the country’s eco nomic recovery and development while 22 percent believe it will improve the plight of ordinary citizens.

Stratbase CEO and Democracy Watch Philippines Lead Convenor Prof. Dindo Manhit disclosed the survey in an online forum discussing evidence-based research and advocacy for democratic governance.

Bantag:...

From A1

said the investigation should continue when asked if he believes the buck stops with the suspended Bureau of Cor rections chief.

In a separate press conference on Fri day, DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secre tary Mico Clavano said “nobody wanted the evidence to point” to Bantag, who he said may have felt a “misguided sense of betrayal.”

“The Department of Justice understands the predicament of DG Bantag. His words and actions, no matter how personal and in appropriate, come from a misguided sense of betrayal," Clavano said.

"(But) there is only one issue at hand, the related murders of Percy Lapid and Jun Vil lamor. Let us not muddle the issue, let us not clutch at straws,” Clavano added.

In a statement released late Friday evening, the DOJ said: "The list of per sons-of-interest was long, including some politicians, government officials and other big names. The DOJ is one with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police in gather

President...

From A1

implementation of the Five Point Consensus peace plan to address the deepening crisis in Myanmar.

The President made this remark in a speech at the 41st ASEAN Summit Retreat, where he called on his fellow ASEAN leaders to heed the call for the welfare and protection of the people of Myanmar.

"The Philippines thus reiterates the need for the speedy implementation of the Five Point Consensus, which Myanmar agreed to in the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting held in Jakarta in April 2021," Marcos said.

The peace plan sought to call for an urgent end to violence and dialogue between the military rulers who took power in a coup and the opposition movement.

"While the Philippines adheres to the ASEAN principles of non-interference and consensus, the protracted suffering of the people in Myanmar, in part due to the lack of progress in the implementation of the Five Point Consensus, also challenges the ASEAN-honored principles of democracy and the respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the ASEAN Charter," Mr. Marcos said.

“A very important value that we lack in our governance culture: accountability. I like the Filipino word 'pananagutan.' Imag ine if the public sector is accountable for their actions and their decisions in a more transparent way. Then you know, it leads me to my third word which is 'responsive.' Then they become more responsive. The public would feel that this government is serving us,” Manhit said.

“Considering that the majority of our

ing evidence such as sworn statements of inmates, ballistics analysis, CCTV foot ages, and money trails, among others."

"There is a right place and time to for mally release the results of our investiga tion, but for now we have charged two re spondents. They can answer this through a counter-affidavit," the DOJ said.

Aside from Bantag, BuCor Deputy Security Officer Ricardo Zulueta was also slapped with murder raps for the deaths of Mabasa and alleged middleman, NBP inmate Cristito "Jun Villamor" Palaña.

Bantag on Friday hurled several accu sations against Remulla, starting with the drug case of the Justice Secretary's son. He also accused the Remulla patriarch of being involved in drugs

"People say there might also be a mid dleman who would appear in the case of your son. And there could also be a mas termind... People say you might be the mastermind in the importation of mari juana... Don’t you use marijuana, SOJ Boying Remulla?" Bantag said.

He claimed Remulla was using his po sition as Justice chief to become popular in time for the 2025 elections.

“Step down. You no longer have cred ibility. You are a disgrace to the DOJ.

the government and all stakeholders is vital to ending violence and addressing the crisis in Myanmar.

Mr. Marcos encouraged other ASEAN leaders to continue taking a constructive approach in engaging the stakeholders in Myanmar, consistent with their shared vision of an ASEAN that is peoplecentered and people-oriented.

In the meeting, the President also raised multiple issues affecting the Southeast Asian region, such as post-pandemic recovery, China-Taiwan relations, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Marcos agreed that patience is the key to dealing with the worsening crisis in Myanmar.

“So perhaps your advice Mr. Prime Minister as you have great experience in this matter, perhaps your advice to be patient, is the best that we can do right now. But we can still do more in terms of engagement in Myanmar. I’m in full agreement with you, Mr. PrimeMinister, that that is the way forward,” Mr. Marcos told the Cambodian leader in the meeting.

After the military coup in 2021 that overthrew the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, widespread unrest has been reported in the junta-led nation as civilians denounced military rule.

people are poor, imagine the responsive governance system – they can basically uplift the lives of our people because re sources after resources are placed in the bureaucracy. That’s money spent coming from people’s taxes,” he added.

The survey was conducted from Sep tember 17 to 21, 2022 and was commis sioned by the Stratbase Group.

Manhit said concerns regarding trans parency and accountability in govern ment will not be addressed unless it is prioritized by the government.

With the Marcos government’s proposed P5.268 trillion budget for 2023, Manhit em phasized there is a need to ensure that public funds are spent efficiently and properly.

“What we want is institutions of gov ernment to become more transparent,

You’re using the DOJ to become famous, what for, for 2025?"

He also alleged that Remulla has mon ey from a POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) after selling his Island Cove property.

“The people say you have a lot of money. you just need exposure for 2025," he said.

He went further by insinuating that Re mulla wanted to "control the drug lords."

"I was the target of your group. In BuCor, you want to control drug lords there?" Bantag said.

Bantag, however, corrected his ear lier statement that he and the government should just kill each other.

"I will take this opportunity to correct my statements earlier. Because of my frustration, I said, I will fight against this government. That’s foolishness. Who am I to fight the government? I am a small fry. I will bite, yes, but not this govern ment. (I will bite) syndicates," he said.

Bantag claimed Remulla ordered the transfer of a prisoner -- German Agojo -from inside the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

Agojo, who is under the Witness Pro tection Program, is connected to the self-

Myanmar because it was important not only to him, but to the entire region.

There is growing frustration among the other nine ASEAN countries at the generals' foot-dragging on the so-called "five-point consensus" but so far no concrete plan to enforce it.

ASEAN has blocked junta chief Min Aung Hlaing from attending the gathering in Phnom Penh, which US President Joe Biden will join on Saturday.

Biden will then go on to hold a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia on Monday.

China, ASEAN's biggest trading partner, has historically had good ties with the Myanmar junta, though it has voiced some unease at the ongoing chaos in the country.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was set to hold talks with ASEAN leaders on Friday afternoon, before joining Biden and other regional leaders for an East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh on Sunday.

States have urged ASEAN to take a "forceful" stance to squeeze the junta to reduce the violence, which escalated in recent weeks with deadly military air strikes on civilian targets including a school and concert.

accountable, and responsive in terms of delivering public services, in terms of managing the public sector. Because at the end of the day, they exist for the general public alone and for the national interest of the Filipino people alone. So that’s very key,” Manhit said.

The same Pulse Asia survey showed 91 percent of Filipinos believe that to ef fectively control corruption, the govern ment should cooperate with the different forces and groups in society like the civil society, academe, private sector, mass media, and ordinary citizens.

Similarly, Manhit expressed optimism that with a whole-of-society approach, it is possible to have a transparent and ac countable government. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

confessed gunman, Joel Escorial.

"Agojo is connected to Villamor (Pala ña) who died and the gunman Escorial. They are involved in the killing of a judge in Tagaytay, Cavite," he said, adding that Ago jo’s men were the ones who killed Mabasa.

Meanwhile, inmate Christopher Ba coto, who allegedly served as the second middleman in the killing of Mabasa, has submitted his counter-affidavit denying any involvement in the crime.

Bacoto’s lawyer Salvador Quimpo said the counter-affidavit was submitted during the preliminary investigation of the murder complaints in connection with the killing of Mabasa and alleged first middleman Palaña.

"According to Joel Escorial, it was Ba coto who talked to him even for the pay ment. So we drafted a counter-affidavit de nying all of it because Christopher has been jailed in a high detention facility for almost four years and there is no possibility that he will be visited by someone who is not his relative or counsel,” Quimpo said.

The Department of Justice earlier said Escorial claimed that Bacoto talked to his companions to help him in killing Lapid while Palaña promised to pay them P550,000.

Within the bloc, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have led a push for tougher action.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of ASEAN late Thursday to discuss their concerns about the situation in Myanmar.

"Both leaders expressed disappointment with the absence of commitment of the Myanmar military junta in implementing the five-point consensus," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a statement.

Earlier this month Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan warned that the Myanmar military had "a very high tolerance for pain, very high tolerance for isolation" and the crisis could take decades to resolve.

ASEAN foreign ministers held emergency talks on Myanmar last week and said afterwards they were "even more determined" to find a solution.

Myanmar state media have slammed ASEAN's involvement, accusing the bloc of being a "lapdog for the US" while the junta warned againstimposing a timeline on the peace process, saying it could lead to "negative implications."

PBBM...

From A1

welcomed progress on the negotiations over the text of the COC, which he said he hoped would be approved “in the very near future.”

Tackling post-pandemic recovery, the Philippine leader said one way of insulating the people from shocks is ensuring food security, stressing that the designation of 2023 as the ASEAN-China Year of Agricultural Development and Food Security Cooperation is a welcome impetus for intensified cooperation.

Preserving the environment and its resources is another, the President pointed out, as he welcomed the continued support for the Philippineshosted ASEAN Center for Biodiversity.

At the plenary of the 40th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Mr. Marcos called for regional unity to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations responsive to present challenges, as he appealed to his fellow leaders to continue creating an inclusive and resilient ASEAN conducive to growth and prosperity.

ASEAN centrality must remain the bedrock of cooperation, the President said, noting the “truest” barometers of ASEAN’s success or failure are the people and the communities.

Amid the backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions, countries must firmly choose cooperation over competition at every turn, the chief executive said.

The President suggested the enhancement of ASEAN solidarity as the regional group confronts challenges such as natural disasters, health emergencies, armed conflicts, and economic recessions.

In this spirit, Mr. Marcos called on Myanmar to abide by and implement the previously agreed Five Point Consensus, noting the lack of development in the Myanmar situation in the past two years.

He also called for the reinvigoration of the region’s economies through tourism recovery, energy cooperation, as well as trade and investment revitalization.

“We should enhance ASEAN food security cooperation through strengthened initiatives and expanded projects under the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry and other related mechanisms, including those with our dialogue partners,” he said.

“We need to solidify our food resilience and promote food selfsufficiency, through the use of new agricultural technologies, in order to protect the region and our countries from shocks to the global food value chain, as well as against adverse effects of climate change,” the President said.

Improved digitalization should benefit micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), e-commerce platforms, and other sectors, the President said, adding digital and cyber cooperation in the health care system must also be upgraded.

To address the climate crisis, the President called for a united voice and urged all countries to fulfill their obligation to attain carbon neutrality by 2050.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Friday congratulated the President on his articulation of the Philippine position on various issues affecting the region.

“The President clearly and persuasively highlighted our country’s call for regional unity for ASEAN to be able to respond to the challenges facing the entire region,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez, along with some Cabinet members and other government officials, is part of the official Philippine delegation to the 40th ASEAN Summit.

He also led the Philippine delegation to the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) on Thursday.

Marcos said direct engagement with

From A1

Marcos’ state visit will take place from Jan. 3 to 5 or 6, 2023, the Office of the Press Secretary said.

The announcement superseded an earlier statement by ExecutiveSecretary Lucas Bersamin that the President would make a state visit to Japan ahead of a sim ilar visit to China.

At the time, Bersamin told the Kyodo News service that Mr. Marcos attaches "great importance" to visiting Japan, the biggest source of official development assistance for the Philippines. He added that there was “no urgency” for the Presi dent to go to China as Manila continues to bolster its defense cooperation with Tokyo amid Beijing's growing maritime assertiveness.

Bersamin said the President may ask for more help from Japan with regard to patrol boats, saying that "our coastlines will have to be defended."

The Philippines has territorial dis putes with China in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea in the wa ters within the country’s exclusive eco nomic zone.

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the President will visit the United States

Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said the President raised the question of

at least twice next year.

First, he will be in the US to attend the second Summit for Democracy. US President Joe Biden led the first Summit for Democracy in December 2021.

Romualdez said the US would also host next year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's annual meeting.

"President Marcos will be coming to the United States definitely... at least twice next year," the ambassador told ANC's "Headstart."

Romualdez said they have also dis cussed a possible state visit.

"We haven't had a state visit here for 13 years now. We've not had a Philip pine president come officially to the United States since about eight years ago," he added.

The last Philippine leader who vis ited Washington was PresidentBenig no Aquino III, who went to the White House for an official visit in 2012.

The last state visit of a Philippine leader took place in 2003 when Presi dent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was wel comed by President George W. Bush.

Mr. Marcos' predecessor Rodrigo Duterte had said he would never visit the United States after US officials criticized his bloody war on drugs in which thousands of drug suspects were killed.

Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, said Myanmar would be a top subject when Biden meets ASEAN leaders on Saturday.

Ahead of the meeting, a senior ASEAN diplomat said expelling Myanmar from the bloc was not under consideration. With AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net) Mr....

BuCor...

From A1

Catapang said the tunnel, which leads to a river, was dug below a swimming pool.

The tunnel was discovered days af ter some 12,000 contraband items were seized from the NBP earlier this month.

The illegal items include cellular phones, laptops, illegal drugs, and some 7,500 cans of beer.

The issue of contraband items entering the NBP surfaced after it was confirmed that Cristito “Jun Villamor” Palana, the alleged middleman in the hit order against broadcaster Percival Mabasa, was in pos session of a cellular phone inside the jail facility.

Palana was killed hours after self-con fessed gunman Joel Escorial surrendered to authorities. Before he died – from plas tic bag suffocation based on the second autopsy – the inmate, who was already

QC...

From A1

maintain a robust mechanism in the delivery of all programs and services uninterrupted, despite the challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

fearful for his life, was able to message his sister where he confessed to the crime and revealed details on who ordered the murder of Mabasa.

Meanwhile, Catapang said BuCor will publish the names of some 166 NBP inmates whose cadavers remained un claimed at the Eastern Funeral Homes have been buried.

“There are 176 and we buried 10. So there are 166 left at the Eastern Funeral Parlor,” he said.

The Department of Justice is seeking to transfer the remaining bodies to the University of the Philippines College of Medicine for a possible autopsy.

Catapang said he will also implement the wearing of body cameras for BuCor personnel.

“I will implement a mass cam. The purpose is to guard the guardians.

They will have body cams and it will not be for the prisoners. I will give them a reason not to be ordered around by drugs lords and be their accomplices,” he said.

As part of the push for a people cen tric-governance, Belmonte strengthened the Quezon City People’s Council, where around 4,055 civil society organizations were accredited to help plan and imple ment various programs and services.

The Quezon City local government earlier received the Seal of Good Local

Mr. Marcos arrived with his wife, First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, at the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel on Friday morning and received a warm welcome from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Mr. Marcos is in Phnom Penh for the four-day ASEAN Summit and Related Summits which will conclude on Nov. 13.

On Thursday, Mr. Marcos also joined the ASEAN leaders' meetings with representatives of Southeast Asian parliamentary assembly, youth leaders, and ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

He also met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni who granted a royal audience to the ASEAN leaders at the Royal Palace.

He also had a roundtable discussion with the Cambodian business community to encourage them to invest in the Philippines, assuring them that his administration was able to steer the economy in the right direction, given the country's economic figures for the third quarter of 2022.

He described his first day in Cambodia as “productive.”

Governance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

It also earned a Hall of Fame award from the Department of Finance-Bureau of Local Government Finance (DOF-BLGF) in terms of local revenue generation and obtained the Highest Audit Rating from the Commission on Audit for the second straight year.

MMDA holds vax drive for its workers

By Joel E. Zurbano

EVEN with the new normal slowly but surely setting into the mainstream of Philippine society, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is not taking any chances when it comes to the wellness of its own people.

On Friday, the MMDA pursued its COVID-19 vaccination campaign called “PinasLakas sa Booster” to ensure that all employees and their family members, along with their relatives get the booster shots.

MMDA acting chair Romando Artes, Department of Health officer-in-charge

NHA gives P8.2m cash aid for Odette victims in Palawan

By Rio N. Araja

THE National Housing Authority (NHA) has released cash assistance to over 15,000 families whose houses were destroyed by typhoon “Odette” in Palawan.

NHA general manager Joeben Tai approved the release of the special emergency housing assistance pro gram (EHAP) funds to 15,463 affect ed families in Puerto Princesa City, Roxas, San Vicente, Taytay and the world famous El Nido.

Under the special EHAP, each ty phoon affected family will receive P10,000 pursuant to NHA Memoran dum Circular No. 2021-070 as a grant to help rebuild their homes, regardless of the extent of damage.

The program is NHA’s response to Presidential Directive No. 2021-074 instructing concerned agencies to provide ssistance to families in the Odette-affected areas.

NHA regional manager Roderick Ibanez and special assistant to the general manager Rovin Andrew Feli ciano represented Tai in the ceremo nial distribution of the P8,240,000 fi nancial aid in Palawan on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 for 824 families.

Tai gave assurance that other familybeneficiaries who were not part of the ceremonial event would still receive their cash grant in the following days through the help of the MIMAROPA district.

NHA has already released P2.391 billion in cash assistance since Tai’s assumption in office last Aug. 1.

and their families and relatives to provide extra protection against the coronavirus.

According to Artes, the vaccination program is meant to further boost the immunity of employees particularly those who are always outside.

“The agency currently has 8,480 em ployees 8,348 or 99.9 percent of whom were given both the first and second booster jabs, Artes said.

The MMDA chief reminded the pub lic that the threat of COVID-19 is still present despite the relaxation of health protocols, adding that everyone should still continue to observe basic health

protocols such as washing of the hands.

In May, the MMDA also joined other agencies and local government units in declaring full support to the Depart ment of Health’s “Sabay SaVaxx Kontra COVID” campaign.

As part of the MMDA’s initiatives, the agency deployed mobile vaccina tion drives in key areas where people frequented such as shopping malls and transport terminals.

The agency also rolled out its own “Resbakuna Kids” drive to help aug ment Metro Manila’s respective pediat ric vaccination campaigns.

Taiwan donates $400k for Isabela, Cagayan rehab

THE northern Luzon provinces of Ca gayan and Isabela which were two of the hardest hit provinces by Tropical Storm Paeng will receive $400,000 (roughly P22.9 million) in donation from Taiwan.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Of fice (TECO) Representative Peiyung Hsu turned over the check to his Phil ippine counterpart, Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) chair Silvestre Bello III.

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba was also on hand for the event.

“We hope that with this cash dona tion we could help the affected people recover from the suffering and from the calamity and also make their life back to normal as soon as possible,” Hsu said in his speech.

Hsu said his country wants to “partici pate in the spirit of bayanihan and ensure” that no Filipino in need is left behind.

“We value the Philippines very much. We are the closest neighbors so we have to help each other,” he added.

Bello said the amount, which is to support ongoing disaster relief and hu manitarian efforts on the ground, would be divided between the two provinces.

Taiwan has consistently help Cagay an, extending assistance to the province in times of disaster, Mamba said.

“We are really grateful that you see our plight, as a neighbor, you see how helpless we could be in so many times. This has always been our incessant problem, before Paeng hit us there were three others that hit us, too,” he said.

CEB relaunches Piso fare promo

For as low as one peso one-way

(exclusive of

the airline’s five-day #CEBSuperSeat Fest promo started 12 midnight of Nov. 11 until Nov. 15 2022, and the travel pe riod is from Feb. 1 to Oct. 31, 2023.

“This Christmas will be the first time many families will be celebrating to gether in two years, so we understand how special this season will be. We are also encouraged to see people traveling again. To kick-off the festivities and bring more people together, we are of fering our trademark piso fare,” said Candice Iyog, CEB vice president for marketing and customer experience.

CEB’s offering gives travelers the opportunity to plan ahead and book for their trip to Boracay and Dum aguete, or have a food trip in Davao, Dipolog, or Tacloban.

Grab denies riders’ claims of ‘unfair

By Darwin G. Amojelar

“In light of the November 10 event that transpired in Cebu, we are saddened that these groups have resorted to using fake social media accounts to harass, incite threat of harm, misinform, and even do fake bookings on our community,”

Grab Philippines said in a statement.

“Based on our records, several of these individualswho have posed as Grab delivery partners, are in fact not Grab delivery partners. These individuals are determined to sow discord and discontent, and are willing to place the livelihoods of many Grab partners at risk,” it added.

Grab Philippines said the sentiments from these groups do

not represent the general sentiment of Grab’s broader partner communities across the country.

“We continue to engage our partners, and a far greater majority of them choose to stay on the platform because they understand and appreci ate the recent measures that we had to do for their welfare and wellbeing,” Grab said.

“Our partners need mean ingful livelihood opportuni ties so that they can provide for their families, and we are focused to supporting them amidst these very challenging economic times,” it added.

International travels for 2023 are also within reach as destinations continue to ease requirements for tourists, resulting in CEB adding direct flights to more destinations as well. This includes Bali and Jakarta in Indonesia; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam; Bangkok in Thailand, and Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Joel E. Zurbano

By Vito Barcelo

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has is sued a warning against scammers offering immigration services to foreign nationals.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco reiterated the warning against scammers who offer to fix BI-related documents af ter two separate interceptions at the Ni

CLARK Freeport—The Clark Develop ment Corp. (CDC), in partnership with various government agencies, officially launched its “One-Stop Processing (OSP) on wheels,” designed to bring inclusive ser vices closer to more than 120,000 workers in the facility.

CDC aims to mobilize the OSP on wheels on a weekly basis to ensure that there will be

noy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the BI Main Office.

Intercepted by BI airport personnel at the NAIA Terminal 1 was an American citizen who presented a spurious exit clearance.

An exit clearance is required of foreign na tionals who stay in the country for more than six months under a temporary visitors’ visa.

Immigration officers reported that

no work interruption among locator compa nies within Clark, and to accommodate the workers’ needs on-site such as information on processes and services available.

The project was a brainchild of CDC presi dent and chief executive officer Agnes Deva nadera following a meeting with the heads of government agencies providing services at the One Stop Processing Center (OSPC) lo

upon inspection, they noticed that the document contained various discrepan cies, including misspelling the name of Tansingco. Upon verification with their centralized database, it was found out that no such clearance was issued by the BI.

The American was denied boarding and was turned over to the BI’s Legal Di vision for proper disposition.

BI warns vs. scammers offering immigration services CDC rolls out ‘One-Stop Processing on Wheels’

cated in the Clark Polytechnic compound.

“CDC should also be at the forefront of thinking not only of the welfare of locators, but the welfare of the employees who make the locator’s businesses thrive. We earn, the locators, the investors earn because we have the employees, and the employees have to be taken care of at this point in time,” De vanadera said.

Undersecretary Maria Rosario Ver geire, and Department of the Interior and Local Government Assistant Secre tary Elizabeth Lopez De Leon were on hand to oversee the inoculation drive. The “PinasLakas” vaccination pro gram aims to cover 120 employees daily

THE Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) has an nounced it has relaunched the “Piso” fare promotion for passengers of both domestic and international flights.

base fare

fees and surcharges),

GRAB Philippines on Friday denied allegations that they are unfairly treating its delivery boys in Cebu.

Manny Palmero

NEDA says gov’t on track to meet economic target

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Friday said it is optimistic that the economy would hit the government’s target growth for the entire year. The NEDA said one of the reasons is a stronger-than-expected third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

“We are strongly confident that we will really be attaining this target,” NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon, quoted by a GMA News report, said.

The Marcos administration has set a target growth band of 6.5% to 7.5% GDP for 2022.

As of the third quarter of 2022, the country’s GDP —the total value of goods and services produced in a specific period— grew by 7.6%, faster than the upwardly adjusted 7.5% GDP growth seen in the second quarter of the year, the GMA News report said.

Edillon echoed Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan’s remark that the economy only needs to grow by 3.3% in the fourth quarter to meet the lower end of the target band.

To hit the upper end of the goal, the economy needs to grow by 6.9% in the October to December period.

Edillon said the government is aware of the headwinds that need to be addressed to achieve the growth target such as the high inflation environment.

“Going forward, that is what we need to address. We need to bring down inflation, especially the prices of prime commodities, particularly food,” he said.

Reports earlier said inflation has been trending above 6% in the past quarter — 6.4% in July, 6.3% in August, and 6.9% in September — driven by rising food, utilities, and transport costs amid local and external pressures on commodity prices.

In October, inflation, or the rate of increase in the prices of consumer goods and services, accelerated to a 14-year high of 7.7% from 6.9% in September as food prices remain elevated due to supply challenges brought by external pressures such as the RussiaUkraine war and the onslaught of Typhoon Karding.

The NEDA official said the government is preparing mediumterm solutions to inflation, which includes cash transfers, fuel discounts, and other forms of targeted assistance.

Speaker to meet Vietnamese counterpart

By Maricel V. Cruz

HOUSE Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Friday welcomed the forthcoming visit of his counterpart from Vietnam as announced on Thursday during the bilateral meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Phnom Phen, Cambodia.

The bilateral meeting was held at the Sokha Hotel in as part of the various activities slated for the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and related summits.

During the exchanges between the two leaders, Prime Minister Chinh told President Marcos that he received information of Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s visit to the Philippines

Agri issues guidelines on fish imports starting November

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday issued the guidelines for the importation of 25,000 metric tons of frozen fish to be sold in wet markets starting November to January.

The department issued special order no. 1002 series of 2022 signed on November 10 regarding the implementation of Fisheries Administrative Order 259 in relation to the certificate of necessity to import frozen scad, bigeye scad, mackerel, bonito, and moonfish during the closed fishing period.

The guidelines aim to provide a clear and efficient implementation of FAO 250 series of 2018 regarding the issuance of the SPS import clearances for the certificate of necessity to import.

It said 80% of the maximum importable volume is allocated to registered importers belonging to the commercial fishing sector.

The remaining 20% shall be allocated to fisheries associations/cooperatives.

The DA said all import clearances under the CNI 25,000 MT should be issued on or before December 15, valid for 45 days from the issuance.

The DA said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources should encourage the immediate disposal of the imported fish to ensure that it will not overlap with the local catch by the end of the closed fishing period.

It said a bill of lading should form part of the documentary requirements for the issuance of the SPSICs to be issued under the importation.

Importers that have pending cases or violations, those who are not able to secure Bureau of Customers accreditation, and those not able to complete the requirements are disqualified from applying SPSICs.

on the November 25.

“I welcome the visit of Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to the Philippines this month. This kind of high-level political exchanges and interactions will go a long way to foster and enhance the long-standing relationship and partnership between our two countries,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez noted that during the bilateral meeting, the two leaders agreed to enhance the partnership and relations between the Philippines and Vietnam across several areas such as defense, trade, investment, agriculture and maritime security.

“It would be mutually-beneficial for the two countries to strengthen our relation-

ships. We can learn from each other’s best practices in addressing common challenges facing us such as the effects of the pandemic and the headwinds of global inflation,” Romualdez added.

The Philippines posted the second fastest growth in its gross domestic product in the region for the third quarter with 7.6%, next to Vietnam which achieved a 13.7 growth.

Upon learning of Hue’s impending visit to the Philippines, President Marcos introduced Speaker Romualdez to Prime Minister Chinh.

“We are looking forward to the visit of your Head of National Assembly. In fact allow me to introduce the Speaker of the

House of Representatives, Speaker Martin Romualdez who will serve as his host in the time he is in the Philippines,” President Marcos said.

Romualdez and Hue later met during a break in the ASEAN leaders’ interaction with the leadership and delegates of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), where Hue gave the Speaker a token of his appreciation.

Romualdez thanked Hue for his kind gesture.

Earlier, during their discussions, Prime Minister Chinh had assured President Marcos that Vietnam will continue to be a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the region, especially the Philippines.

JBC re-opens nominations for Sandigan posts

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has re-opened the applications or nominations for four associate justice posts in the Court of Appeals and in the Sandiganbayan.

The seven-man JBC opened for nomination for the CA post vacated by Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh who had been promoted to the Supreme Court on May 18, 2022.

Two other CA posts which will be vacant are those occupied by Associate Justices Manuel M. Barrios and Loida S. Posadas-Kahulugan who will compulsorily retire on Nov. 29, 2022 and Jan. 19, 2023, respectively.

At the Sandiganbayan, the vacant post was the one left by Associate Justice Alex L. Quiroz whose optional retirement was approved on Aug. 2, 2022.

of their bilateral relations.

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday that Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to visit the Philippines from November 14 to 15.

“The Honorable Senator Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, is scheduled to visit the Philippines on 14 to 15 November 2022 upon the invitation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo,” the DFA said in a statement.

Wong and Manalo will have a bilateral meeting on Nov. 15 to discuss various areas of cooperation, as well as the current state

According to the DFA, they will zero in on the strong defense and security partnership, development cooperation, maritime cooperation, and people-to-people ties of the Philippines and Australia.

Both officials are also expected to discuss regional issues including the situation in the West Philippine Sea, the AUKUS Enhanced Trilateral Security Partnership, the Quad, and ASEAN-Australia engagements.

It will be Wong’s first visit to the country since assuming office in May 2022 following the election of Prime Minister Albanese’s Labor Government. Rey E. Requejo

Also opened for applications or nominations are the posts of two regular members of the Legal Education Board (LEB). The vacant posts were those previously occupied by Manuel R. Riguera, representative of the Philippine Association of Law Professors, and Josefe C. Sorera-Ty, representative of the Philippine Association of Law Schools.

The JBC, the constitutional office that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments in the judiciary, said that the deadline for the applications and nominations is on Dec. 20, 2022.

The LEB was created in 1993 under Republic Act No. 7662, the Education Reform Act.

Among its functions are to supervise and set accreditation standards for law schools, to prescribe the basic curricula for the course of study aligned to the requirements for admission to the bar, law practice and social consciousness, and to establish a law practice internship as a requirement for taking the Bar examinations.

LGUs urged to create own mass transport Measure names Pampanga as ‘Christmas Capital’

3rd

In his explanatory note to House Bill 5905, Gonzales said the country is known for having one of the longest Christmas celebrations around the world.

“As soon as September comes, Christmas lights start to glitter and shine. Parols or lanterns are seen in homes, on streetlights and in the malls for everyone’s merriment,” he said.

“The City of San Fernando in Pampanga is no stranger to this

merry occasion. In fact, the city is the place where excellent craftsmen of these parols can be found,” he said.

The Pampanga lawmaker added that city residents pride themselves as makers of beautiful giant lanterns, showcasing their craftsmanship and creations during their annual “Ligligan Parul” or the Giant Lantern Festival.

He pointed out that since the 1990s, San Fernando has claimed the title, “Home of the Giant Lanterns.”

“This is due in part to the establishment of the Paskuhan (Christmas) Village, which was inaugurated on December 11, 1990. The first of its kind in Asia, the village is

shaped like a giant lantern sprawling on 9.3 hectares of land in the city. It provides visitors the real Philippine Christmas experience year-round,” Gonzales stressed.

He said Paskuhan Village also serves as a venue for the display and sale of locally manufactured, exportquality products and services.

It likewise features shops, a Christmas museum, food courts, conference facilities and entertainment venues, he said.

International cable television network CNN once recognized San Fernando as “Asia’s Christmas Capital,” he said. Maricel V. Cruz

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian

He

In

According to Gatchalian, empowering LGUs to develop their mass transport system is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, which aims to make cities

and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable through access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transport systems.

Given the traffic problem in urban areas in the country, Gatchalian emphasized that the bill calls for the interconnectivity and integration of existing and proposed national and local intermodal transportation systems, as well as the creation of a framework for inter-LGUs’ coordination in the implementation of multi-LGU infrastructure transportation projects.

He mentioned the case of the city government of Valenzuela which has entered into a partnership with Global Electric Transport Philippines for the deployment of Community Optimized Managed Electric Transport or COMET electric shuttles.

QUICK CHAT. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. chats with House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez while on their way for a coffee break after the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with Representatives of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council on Thursday afternoon. Ver Noveno

wants local government units (LGUs) to develop their own mass transportation systems to address mobility concerns in the country.

also cited the need for LGUs to deliver improved basic services and provide better facilities.

filing Senate Bill No. 951 or the LGU Transportation Act, the senator seeks to amend certain provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991.

AYALA LIGHTS. The Ayala Triangle’s Festival of Lights reopens at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City on November 10 after being suspended for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Danny Pata

DEPUTY Speaker and Pampanga

District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. has filed a bill declaring the province of Pampanga as the Christmas Capital of the Philippines.

NO TRASLACION. The annual procession of the image of the Black Nazarene, known as Traslacion, in Quiapo Church will not continue and will remain suspended for the third consecutive year due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. Norman Cruz

Finding consensus on the climate crisis

Being forthright would build trust and inspire re spect.

The UNFCCC negotiations should not be treated like a game of one-upmanship.

Despite the differences in circumstances and rep resentations, one overarching goal remains – one that will benefit all the Parties involved.

THE first week of the 27th Conference of the Par ties (COP 27) of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change has now passed.

The world awaits the decisions that will be made here.

The challenge as always is finding consensus on the contentious issues.

Here in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, it is the creation of a loss and damage mechanism that is so critical for countries like the Philippines which is now the coun try most threatened by climate change.

Interestingly, as I wrote a few years ago with Para bukas and University of the Philippines Law Center colleague and fellow University of Makati environ mental law professor Niner Guiao, there has been no definition of consensus in any of the provisions found in multilateral environmental agreements.

One United Nations legal instrument that defines it is the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that consensus is “the absence of any formal objection.” The Merriam-Webster online dictionary definition of consensus, on the other hand, is of “gen eral agreement,” or a “judgment arrived at by most of those concerned.”

In Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) processes, the UNFCCC included, consensus alludes to the definition indicated in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, referring merely to the absence of objections from any of the parties.

No formal voting requirement is required, for as long as no objection is raised by any of the parties concerned.

It is only in the event of a formal objection that consensus is blocked.

In practice, however, parties usually try to resolve known objections before such matters are brought before plenary.

Oftentimes meetings are suspended for a few min utes, in order to allow certain parties to “huddle” and attempt to resolve difficulties on their own.

The climate change regime is a formal one, with legally binding commitments, procedures and pro cesses that are both similar and unique in compari son to other MEAs. It has taken a life of its own after the UNFCCC was adopted, and its annual COP has perhaps the highest attendance among those of other multilateral agreements.

In 2009, for instance, registration for the 15th COP held in Copenhagen reached approximately 45,000 people, the highest for any COP ever held.

Here in Sharm, nearly 30,000 registered.

In both cases, government delegates would number a quarter of those here while the rest are observers from civil society, the development community, business groups, science organizations, indigenous peoples, etc.

What must not be forgotten in the maze of treaty provisions and procedures, however, is that the entire regime is built upon human beings trying to represent the interests of their own constituencies.

The bottom line is that as one negotiates for what would best serve his or her country, the negotiation process builds on relationships between the different country delegations, and the relationship of these del egations with their constituencies.

As in any other venue or setting, everyone must be treated with respect. There should be a presumption of good faith, which will allow parties to make efforts towards compromise more willingly.

Trust-building is also absolutely essential and will pave the way for a satisfactory outcome for all.

Despite the differences in circumstances and representations, one overarching goal remains – one that will benefit all the Parties involved

As negotiations draw to a close and tensions run high, the trust that has been fostered will help parties to disregard rumors and actively work towards the best possible outcome. Equally important in trustbuilding is transparency.

Governments need to open up processes and listen to their constituencies at home and here in Sharm ElSheikh.

I am glad that the Philippine Delegation to COOP 27 led by Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga has been transparent and cordial in their interaction with those of us from civil society here in Egypt.

Secretary Yulo-Loyzaga also made us proud in her competent facilitation of a major climate finance meeting last Wednesday.

She partnered with her German counterpart, the special representative for international climate policy of that country.

Loyzaga and Morgan are my long time colleagues and good friends. I was proud and happy to see them take their leadership role in COP 27.

As I said in my last column, this is my 23rd COP. I have worked on this issue for 30 plus years starting when I chose the issue of climate change as my doc toral dissertation at Yale Law School in 1991.

Much has changed then. The problem has gotten worse and has reached emergency and crisis levels.

There are so many things also being done as we are witnessing in the many events and pavillons here – but they are not enough and we are still failing.

But I have hope. And this is because in the tens of thousands of delegates who are here are quite a lot of youth activists.

As I do in all COPs, I met with the young Filipinos who are here in COP 27 and they inspire me to con tinue this work until I am still physically able to do so.

This is an intergenerational mission and I am happy to see that the next generation is going to be better than we are in achieving in their lifetimes cli mate justice.

Website: tonylavina.com.

Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

By Melandrew Velasco

THE COVID pandemic has given rise to the planti tos and plantitas who have learned the value of cul tivating plants and crops not only as a hobby but also as income generator.

Long before them, however, there were the well ness advocates who pursued the same endeavor as the plantitos and plantitas with greater drive and purpose.

The global health emergency, which hit the Philip pines in mid March 2020, affected every segment of life, including health, economy, education, and social ecologies, with lockdown measures forcing people to stay inside their homes, leading to the “new normal” of living and adaptation and the emergence of planti tos and plantitas – people who enjoy home gardening and taking care of plants.

One wellness proponent is Ecarma Health Op tions Corporation that has revived the affordable health supplements made of narra extracts, which gained popularity during the millennium rollover.

TJ Meneses, president of Ecarma Health Options Corp., said the company has successfully made avail able again in the market the Ecarma Narra tea and capsules, which are made of 100 percent pure narra, the Philippines’ national tree.

The revival of the said product came years after the company that developed the product, Ecarma Narra Tea and Ecarma Narra ImmunElixir capsules, ceased operations in 2018.

Back in 2002, Mercury Drugstores already started selling the Ecarma capsules, which had high demand phenomenal sales figures.

But the product was stopped being sold in 2018 due to the death of the product’s founder, former PAF Reserve Officer Lt. Colonel and PAL Boeing 747

Captain Virgilio Ecarma.

A few years later, Meneses accepted the invitation of Captain Ecarma’s widow, Teresita Ecarma, to revive the product and incorporate Ecarma Health Options.

Meneses said the Ecarma Narra tea and capsules are now widely available in Mercury drugstores na tionwide, St. Joseph drugstores in Northern Luzon, and online on our official stores on Shopee & Lazada.

The products are also very affordable at only P9 per capsule and P16 per teabag.

“Ecarma health supplements are affordable and contain antioxidants from the Narra tree, which has significant health benefits,” Meneses said.

“Money is among the main factors that may prevent one from maintaining good health. Despite pricing challenges especially in the ber months, it is possible to live a healthy lifestyle while staying within budget,” he said.

A recent study by the De La Salle Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy showed the bark and branch wood of the critically-endangered narra have anti oxidant properties that can help improve the lives of millions of Filipinos.

A recent study by the De La Salle Dasmariñas College of Pharmacy showed the bark and branch wood of the criticallyendangered narra have antioxidant properties that can help improve the lives of millions of Filipinos

The Narra Extract Research Study was aimed at determining the different production processes that would be most efficient to the narra sample without sacrificing the efficacy of the product in improving consumer health and wellness.

Using the ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity – a method developed by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Aging to measure the antioxidant capacity of different foods – the research team decided to measure and compare the ORAC Scores of each process combination.

The ORAC Score is also the unit of measure of an tioxidants which is the body’s natural defense versus harmful compounds linked to multiple illnesses, in cluding weakened immunity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

(Mel Velasco is a prolific book author and pub lisher. He is also the Executive Director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc., a non-government outfit ad vocating tree-planting and environment protection.)

EDITORIAL

Basketball’s ‘crime’ of passion

IF IT were a crime, John Amores committed an act of violence that could have meant for him a life sentence which, in sports, is equivalent to a lifetime ban.

Amores, a member of the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers in the Na tional Collegiate Athletic Association, turned heavy puncher when he went berserk in a fit of rage and knocked every opposing player that went his way.

The video posted on social media was such a ghastly sight, an unacceptable act committed in an arena where sports manship is the divine word.

What drove Amores to go on a punch ing spree?

An initial investigation on the matter revealed that a bad call by a referee and the cursing that succeeded caused him to lose his cool.

As he was being held by teammates at the bench, a fan seated at the back of the College of St. Benilde bench kept heck ling and cursing at Amores.

That’s when he lost it and tried to

charge at the fan but he was a Benilde player who tried to hit him and missed. Blinded by rage, Amores hit back at ev ery Benilde player on sight. There’s always a story behind every act.

This is a reminder to others that hooliganism has no place in basketball, or any sport in general, where discipline, patience and sportsmanship are always paramount

In the arena of legal battle, a crime committed because of a strong, sud den impulse such as anger rather than as a premeditated crime, usually begets lesser punishment. They call it a “crime of passion.”

At that heated moment, Amores lost it. However, it was not the first time he was involved in a fracas on the basket ball court.

There’s no justification for Amores’

outburst that triggered that ugly inci dent.

He was banned indefinitely from the league. He was meted out indefinite suspension by his team. And Amores apologized already for what happened. But he has to face the three-point shot.

Former collegiate and the pro player Mark Andaya said it best in his public message to Amores:

“I hope you find a good lawyer, a psy chiatrist, a new school to enroll (in) to (pay for your tuition), a family to really support you, understand you, tell you what is right and wrong, and guide you better moving forward.

“Let not this incident define you as a whole, just make sure you truly learn from it, and in the near future please bounce back, may it not be in sports but in life in general!

“Forget basketball, for now, you need to find yourself first…pray. Pray really really hard.”

This is a reminder to others that hoo liganism has no place in basketball, or any sport in general, where discipline, patience and sportsmanship are always paramount.

As for Amores, go, young man, ex plore the world and find your place else where, at least for now.

Comparative analysis of dev’t loans from Japan and China

The first phase is due to be finished in the third quarter of 2025. The entire line will be complete in 2027. This PNR Bicol passenger train will run at a speed of up to 160km/h and freight trains at a speed of up to 100km/h.

HE rehabilitation of the long-forgotten Philippine National Railways (PNR), now dubbed as the country’s only long haul, will start to reclaim its historic operation in Calamba, ending up in Da raga town in Albay.

The trip will be much faster with the pas sengers seated in air-conditioned coaches with attendant crews providing them all the comfort and amenities given to ordinary express train or airline companies.

The revival of the country’s Bicol Express came with a bit of nostalgia.

The “Tren,” as we fondly call them, finally stopped operating in 2014 after a long neglect that began chugging along its tracks. The Bicol Express was very much dilapidated yet Filipinos remained loyal to the iron horse that provided them the cheapest means of transport for a cen tury.

Thanks to China’s recollection of history, for even if we see that country as fast modernizing, it holds on to things that would identify them with their past, which reason why many of them opted to preserve the train that once upon a time allowed them to see for themselves the mileage they achieved in their lifetime.

Today, we are about to restart history not by buying the old coal-fired train but something that would provide punctuality, comfort, safety and convenience.

There is a sense of rebellion among the Chi nese because many suspect that the fading of the train was triggered by the car manufacturers de mand for people to use gasoline.

China now is supplying us with various loco motives. China’s joint venture has qualified for a P141.79-billion contract for the design and con struction of a 380-kilometer railway in the Bicol Region.

Accordingly, we entered into joint venture with China Railway Group Ltd., China Railway Number 3 Engineering Co. Ltd., and China Railway Engi neering Consulting Group Consortium Ltd.

The contract covers the first package of the PNR’s South Long-Haul Project, or the PNR Bicol, from the village of Banlic in Calamba to Daraga in Albay.

The entire PNR Bicol project is a 560-kilome ter long-haul rail line connecting Metro Manila tand the Bicol Peninsula at the southern tip of Luzon.

The partial operability of the project is from San Pablo, Laguna to Pagbilao, Quezon. It is ex pected to start operations in the second quarter of next year.

The project is expected to fully operate by 2025. The other railway projects funded by China’s official development assistance are the P81.69-billion Mindanao Railway Project Phase 1 and the P50.03-billion Subic Clark Railway.

The Philippines’ Department of Transportation (DOTr) has awarded a $2.8 billion contract to a Chinese consortium to build the first phase of the 565-km Bicol rail on the country’s main island of Luzon.

Philippine National Railways is planning to build the link between Metro Manila and the southeastern tip of Luzon.

According to the department, the first phase will cover four provinces and 39 cities and mu nicipalities. This will include the construction of 23 stations, 230 bridges, 10 passenger tunnels and a 70-hectare depot at San Pablo in Laguna.

PNR Bicol, also known as the South Long Haul project, is expected to reduce travel time between Manila and Legazpi City in Albay from the pres ent 14-18 hours to just six hours using regular commuter trains, and 4 hours 30 minutes using ex press trains. Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian called the signing “another milestone for China–Philippines cooperation and friendship.”

Chinese loans are also being sought for the Mindanao Railway project and the Subic Clark Railway.

Both Japan and China have pledged to help the Philippines build new railways, and Filipino officials are hoping for a speedy implementation of the projects.

Analyzing our loan agreement, it appears that the agreement with Japan is more of a debt trap unlike those incurred by us with China

Beijing also pledged to bankroll the construc tion of a $947.64 billion-cargo train connecting Subic to Clark.

On the other hand, the Japan developmental loan is also involved in the construction of rail way.

But theirs is a subway project, which is a 33km underground railway that will connect Va lenzuela City to Pasay City in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to benefit some 519,000 passengers a day.

The subway offered by Japan will reduce trav el time between Quezon City and NAIAII from one hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes.

The project is being constructed under the Of ficial Development Assistance program of Japan International Cooperation Agency, which will finance 76 percent of the project via a P370.8billion loan package.

The remaining 24 percent, amounting to P117.7 billion, will be paid for by the Philippine government.

Building the metro are Japan’s Shimizu, Fujita and Takenaka, and Philippine firm EEI. Mean while, the Philippines and Japan early this year signed a P51.3-billion loan agreement for the construction of the Philippines’ first subway to decongest the traffic-choked Metro Manila.

Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries –which has started inspecting the MRT3 will re turn as maintenance provider of the overcrowded rail system.

The ceremony was for the subway’s P17.7billion Contract (Package 104), which covers the construction of the Ortigas and Shaw stations that was given to the consortium of Megawide Con struction Corp., Tokyu Construction Co. Ltd., and Tobishima Corp.

CP 102, which was won by Nishimatsu-DMCI Joint Venture, includes the construction of the Quezon Avenue and East Avenue stations.

CP 103, which is set to be awarded to Sumito mo Mitsui Construction Corp., covers the works for the Anonas and Katipunan stations.

DOT announced that the P488.8-billion Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) has reached a

30.55 percent completion as of February.

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) launching shaft will make the so-called “Project of the Cen tury” safer, faster, and more efficient. The project is expected to be partially opera tional by the end of the year, and fully completed by the year 2027.

Once finished, the transportation project will be 34-kilometers long with a 30-hectare depot, which will contain the Philippine Railways Insti tute (PRI) in Valenzuela City.

The MMSP was initially estimated to cost roughly P350 billion, but total cost increased to P488.48 billion.

To fund the construction of the project, Ja pan and the Philippines signed a P112.06-billion (¥253.307-billion) loan assistance for the con struction of the MMSP’s second tranche. The deal comes after the previous P47.58-billion (¥104.53 billion) loan signed last March 2018.

It has a repayment period of 40 years and a grace period of 13 years.

Expected operability date is slated for comple tion in 2025.

The expected base fare for each subway ride is set at P22 with an additional P2 per kilometer per distance traveled, based on the DOTr’s feasibil ity study.

Tokyo’s infrastructure investment in the Phil ippines stood at $33.54 billion. On the other hand, Beijing-backed projects in the Philippines totaled $3.18 billion.

Congestion cost would be about $70m a day, a cost that is expected to rise to more than $100m by 2035 if mass transit systems are not put in place.

What many of our people do not realize is the magic to contractors’ offer to sell the project.

The 34-km loop will cost the government a total of Pesos 488.47 billion, financed through JICA, that once fully operational, will carry up to 519,000 passengers a day. That would give shorter time to commuters by about 35 minutes.

Unlike the long haul of PNR’s Bicol Express which reaches up to nine hours to commute.

The rehabilitation made by China will be less ened to just 5 hours trip, something that commut ers would very much appreciate.

The subway plans to erect 18 stations along the loop with one instance of the subway sub merging the Pasig River.

The construction alone of numerous bridges is costly as many of them have long been rusted and need replacement for being unserviceable to the railway.

The construction of these bridges and setting up 23 stations with rest rooms including the bor ing of up to 10 tunnels and a huge depot surely would entail huge expenditures comparable to the construction of the subway project.

The mere fact that subway commuters will use the subway in going to and from the office will cost them much per trip daily back and forth for a mere 33-km distance trip.

The Metro Manila Subway Project (Phase 1), which has a total project cost of P356.96 billion, is the biggest single project.

Susumu Ito, chief representative of JICA, made the estimate, which is substantially higher than the P2.4 billion daily cost to the economy, given by a 2014 study. Metro Manila’s population is about 13 million. If nothing is done, it will increase and will become P5.4 billion a day traffic cost in 2035, but can be reduced to P3 billion traffic cost a day.

Analyzing our loan agreement, it appears that the agreement with Japan is more of a debt trap unlike those incurred by us with China.

Examine the period for which we have to service our loan, the travel time reduced and the additional cost to each passenger vis-à-vis the length of the trip.

(rpkapunan@gmail.com)

EvEryman

Australia blames Russian hackers for health data theft

RUSSIAN hackers carried out a cyber attack on a major Australian healthcare company that breached the data of 9.7 million people, including the country’s prime minister, police said Friday.

The hackers started leaking the data earlier this week after Medibank – the country’s largest health insurer – re fused to pay a $9.7 million (Aus$15 million) ransom.

Australian Federal Police commis sioner Reece Kershaw blamed the attack on Russia-based “cyber crimi nals.”

“We believe those responsible for the breach are in Russia,” he told re porters.

“Our intelligence points to a group of loosely affiliated cyber criminals who are likely responsible for past sig nificant breaches across the world.”

The hackers have been drip-feeding the stolen data to a dark web forum.

The first leaks appeared to have been selected to cause maximum harm: tar geting those who received treatment related to drug abuse, sexually trans mitted infections, or pregnancy termi nations.

Kershaw said it was a crime that could impact “millions of Australians.”

“These cyber criminals are operating like a business with affiliates and as sociates who are supporting the busi ness.”

He added that Australian police would be working with Interpol and seeking the cooperation of their coun terparts in Russia.

“We’ll be holding talks with Russian law enforcement about these individu als,” he said.

“Russia benefits from the intelli gence sharing and data shared through Interpol and with that comes responsi bilities and accountability.” AFP

STANDING HER GROUND.

A supporter of Peru’s President Pedro Castillo confronts riot police during a demonstration in Lima on November 10, 2022. Hundreds of residents marched through the streets of Lima to support the leftist president, who is under six investigations for alleged corruption. AFP

CHINA EASES COVID MEASURES

Shorter quarantine, no more flight bans

CHINA announced the relaxation of some of its hardline COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, after authorities had vowed to stick to a zero-tolerance virus approach despite mounting economic damage.

The country is the last major econo my welded to a strategy of stamping out virus flare-ups as they occur, through a combination of snap lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines.

Top leaders had pledged to stick “unswervingly” to the policy, which has forced business closures, roiled interna tional supply chains and weighed heav ily on growth.

But a notice from the country’s dis ease control agency on Friday said the Politburo Standing Committee – the apex of power in China – met Thursday to rubberstamp limited relaxations.

According to the notice, quarantines for inbound travellers will be cut from 10 days to eight, consisting of five days in a state isolation centre and three days at home.

East Timor gets the nod to join ASEAN grouping

Southeast Asian leaders agreed on Friday to allow East Timor to join the 10-nation ASEAN regional bloc, according to a statement re leased by summit host Cambodia.

“We the leaders of the Associa tion of Southeast Asian Nations... agreed in principle to admit TimorLeste to be the 11th member of ASEAN,” the statement said.

East Timor is the youngest coun try in Southeast Asia, having gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after 24 years of occupation.

At a summit in Phnom Penh, re gional leaders agreed to grant East Timor observer status and the right to attend ASEAN meetings and summit sessions, according to the summit.

The bloc will now draw up a roadmap setting out the criteria East Timor must hit before being

granted full membership.

The former Portuguese colony is one of the poorest countries in the world and is grappling with high levels of inequality, malnourish ment and unemployment.

President Jose Ramos-Horta has long campaigned for ASEAN membership and an application was first submitted in 2011.

Ramos-Horta, who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, won a second term in office in April, having pre viously served from 2007 to 2012.

Indonesia – which takes over the ASEAN chair from Cambodia in 2023 – hopes East Timor can offi cially join the ASEAN family next year.

ASEAN began as a five-member bloc in 1967 and has gradually ex panded, with Cambodia the most recent addition in 1999. AFP

Inbound arrivals will still be required to undergo six nucleic acid tests and will not be allowed to freely set foot outside during those eight days, the notice says.

It adds that travellers will only be required to show one negative COVID test within 48 hours of boarding flights to China, a reduction from the current two tests.

The new rules single out “important business personnel” and “sports groups” as examples of privileged groups per mitted to skip quarantine as long as they remain in a virus-secure “closed loop” for the duration of their stays. It added that a so-called “circuit

breaker” mechanism on inbound flights would be abolished, bringing an end to a policy that saw the snap closures of flight routes if a certain proportion of passengers tested positive for the virus.

In further signs of easing, the notice did away with the requirement to iden tify and isolate “secondary close con tacts” – those who may have come into contact with people who recently passed near infected people.

A domestic virus risk system has been reduced from three tiers to two, with ar eas to be labelled as either “high-risk” and subject to curbs, or “low-risk” with minimal restrictions. AFP

Twitter chaos deepens as key executives quit

ELON Musk’s ownership of Twitter descended ever deeper into chaos on Thursday as key security executives resigned from the platform, drawing a sharp warning from US regulators.

The walkouts came a day after the turbulent launch of new features in troduced by Tesla and SpaceX owner Musk following his $44 billion buy out of the influential messaging app. Musk on Thursday warned em ployees that the site was burning dangerously through cash, raising the specter of bankruptcy if the situation was not turned around.

“I’ve made the hard decision to leave Twitter,” tweeted chief security officer Lea Kissner, who reportedly stepped down with other key privacy or security executives.

In the most extraordinary exit, US media reported that Yoel Roth, the site’s head of trust and safety stepped down just a day after staunchly de fending Musk’s content moderation policy to advertisers.

The convulsions followed the un veiling of the site’s long-awaited Twitter Blue subscription service, which allows users to pay $7.99 per month for a coveted blue tick, as well as a separate gray “official” badge for some high-profile accounts.

But the release descended into tumult on Wednesday when Musk scrapped the new gray label almost immediately, overshadowing the launch of the pay service, which is currently only available on the mo bile app on iPhones and in the United States.

Russian strike on residential building kills five in south Ukraine

UKRAINE said Friday that at least five peo ple were killed following a Russian strike on a residential building in the southern city of Mykolaiv, near the frontline.

The attack came as Russia said it was drawing down troops from the nearby city of Kher son, the only regional capital Moscow’s forces captured in Ukraine after they launched their February invasion.

The Mykolaiv regional governor Vitaliy

Kim said on social media that the toll had risen to five after the latest fatal attack on the city that has been battered for months by Russian forces.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike was a “cynical response to our successes at the front.”

“A strike at a five-storey residential build ing. Destroyed from the 5th to the 1st floor,” he said on social media.

Images circulating social media showed a gaping hole cut through a Soviet-style residen tial building with emergency workers in yel low helmets on the site clearing rubble.

Ukrainian officials have remained wary af ter Moscow signalled late Wednesday that it would pull forces from the west bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson, in what would be a major Russian setback in a region Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed. AFP

The launch also saw the emergence of a flurry of fake accounts as users used the opportunity to impersonate celebrities and politicians such as NBA star LeBron James or former British prime minister Tony Blair.

Early media reports also said Robin Wheeler, who held a key role linking Twitter with advertisers and was con sidered a key Musk ally inside the com pany, was leaving but late Thursday she tweeted: “I’m still here.” AFP

Bong! Big Ben’s back in Britain

GETTING up close to Big Ben requires earplugs, and ear defenders over them to be safe. When the 13.7-tonne bell sounds, the vibration hits you in the chest.

After a five-year restoration project, the world-famous ringer is back with a bong.

The Great Clock towering above Brit ain’s Houses of Parliament is resuming daily operations following the painstak ing renovation of more than 1,000 mov ing parts.

When the clock’s five cast-iron bells including Big Ben fell silent in 2017, a mournful crowd of parliamentarians and staff gathered below. Some shed tears.

But after a week of testing, normal ser vice will resume every 15 minutes from 11:00 am (1100 GMT) on Sunday.

The time marks the moment on No vember 11, 1918 when the guns fell silent in World War I. In Britain, Remembrance Sunday immediately follows Armistice

Day every November 11.

They are two of the few occasions that Big Ben and his partners have rung since 2017, along with New Year’s Eve, when Britain left the European Union in 2021, and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

Atop the 96-meter Elizabeth Tower is the belfry housing the bells – protected by exterior netting to keep out bats and pigeons.

Beyond lie some of London’s most spectacular vistas.

But parliament’s three in-house time keepers don’t have time to enjoy the view.

Ian Westworth, 60, and his colleagues have been busy overseeing the tests to ensure everything is in order after the £80-million ($90-million) restoration.

“It’s the sound of London back again,” Westworth told AFP on a dawn tour of the tower. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

TOURBILLON WATCH. Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen shows a watch made in Cambodia and offered as a gift to leaders attending the ASEAN summits at Sokha hotel in Phnom Penh. The 25 tourbillon watches feature matte grey faces emblazoned with “ASEAN Cambodia 2022” set in silver-coloured casing inscribed “Made in Cambodia.” Hun Sen – who has ruled the kingdom for 37 years and is Asia’s longest-serving leader – said the new watches “show the progress in science and technology of Cambodia.” Cambodian firm Prince Horology – tasked with designing and assembling the pieces –rejected suggestions that the items were overly luxurious, stressing that the watch faces were made of stainless steel. Tourbillon watches are so-called for their intricate inner mechanism, seen from the outside, and patented around 200 years ago by a Swiss-French watchmaker. While modern horology has made such designs obsolete, tourbillions are highly desirable to watch collectors with limited editions changing hands for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The watches also feature “synthetic rubies”, he said, that are “used to facilitate the watch movement.” AFP

BIG BEN’S BACK. In this file photo, one of the four faces of the Great Clock of the Elizabeth Tower, commonly referred to as Big Ben, is pictured at the Houses of Parliament at midday in central London. After a five-year restoration project, the world-famous ringer is back with a bong. AFP

4 ACE 1.6 0.2 14.29%

5 PRMX 2.4 0.3 14.29%

6 2GO 7.23 0.83 12.97%

7 NI 0.83 0.06 7.79%

8 PRIM 1.82 0.13 7.69%

9 I 0.7 0.05 7.69%

10 ATI 13.88 0.96 7.43%

TOP LOSERS

LAST

1 EURO 0.85 -0.19 -18.27%

2 TFHI 98.05 -16.65 -14.52%

3 WIN 0.235 -0.035 -12.96%

4 LPC 0.175 -0.02 -10.26%

5 OPMB 0.01 -0.001 -9.09%

6 MED 0.19 -0.018 -8.65%

7 LR 2.07 -0.19 -8.41%

8 PERC 4.5 -0.38 -7.79%

9 ION 0.465 -0.03 -6.06%

10 TCB2C 50 -3 -5.66%

MOST ACTIVE

1 BDO 2,761,500 368,285,424

2 ALI 12,939,700 351,926,170

3 BPI 2,914,450 274,254,340

4 SM 322,310 264,500,960

5 SMPH 6,595,000 231,208,735 6 JFC 923,630 220,202,248 7 SCC 6,435,700 198,514,970 8 AC 276,340 186,472,500 9 GLO 78,950 182,045,240 10 ICT 897,680 160,876,475

Stocks and peso advance; SMIC, Semirara top gainers

STOCKS surged Friday after a bumper session on Wall Street as lower US inflation dimmed expectations of more aggressive Federal Reserve rate hikes.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Ex change, jumped 119 points, or 1.9 per cent, to close at 6,286.77 as all six sub sectors advanced.

The broader all-share index also picked up 51 points, or 1.6 percent, to settle at 3,328.89 on a volume turnover of P4.9 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 125 to 58, while 40 issues were unchanged.

All ten most active stocks ended in the green, led by SM Investments Corp. which climbed 4.8 percent to P825.00 and SM Prime Holdings Inc. which gained 3.2 percent to P35.00. Semirara

People walk past a shop in front for Australia’s largest health insurance company Medibank in Sydney on Nov. 11, 2022. Russian hackers carried out a cyberattack on Medibank that breached the data of 9.7 million people, including the country’s prime minister, police said Nov. 11. AFP

Mining and Power Corp. added 3.2 per cent to finish at P30.70.

The peso also appreciated to a near two-month high against the US dollar following reports the inflation rate in the world’s biggest economy eased to 7.7 percent in October from 8.2 percent in September.

The peso gained P0.96, or 1 percent, to close at 57.23 against the greenback, up from 58.19 on Thursday. It was the local currency’s strongest level since it settled at 57.16 on Sept. 15, 2022. To tal volume reached $820.15 million, up from $792 million previously.

“The stronger peso today [was] large ly due to the sharp decline in the US dollar against major global currencies after the lower-than-expected US infla tion data,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said in an SMS to Manila Standard.

Ricafort said the financial markets had reduced and moderated their es timate for additional Fed rate hikes in view of the easing US inflation data.

The peso on Wednesday returned to the 57 territory amid expectations that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas would increase by 75 basis points the policy rate in its meeting next week.

Meanwhile, Asian markets also trad ed higher Friday. Hong Kong stocks rocketed 6 percent at the open while Tokyo’s key Nikkei index also surged, closing up almost 3 percent.

The gains extended global rallies after the US consumer price index showed that the annual pace of inflation was a lowerthan-expected 7.7 percent in October, down from 8.2 percent in September.

As US residents reel from sky-high costs, the central bank has moved force fully to lower demand by raising the benchmark lending rate six times this year.

The latest inflation data should be welcome news to Fed policymakers, be cause prices are “finally showing some response” to the steep rate hikes, said Rubeela Farooqi of High Frequency Economics. Julito G. Rada with AFP

October inflation in the US cooled to 7.7%, but still at decades high

WASHINGTON, United States—US consumer prices cooled in October but remained at decades-high lev els, according to government data released Thursday, keeping the pres sure on President Joe Biden as his Democratic party struggles to retain control of Congress.

The closely-watched report showed more evidence of rising costs, including a rebound in gas oline prices, in a year when surg ing inflation topped voter con cerns and as Americans headed to the polls in this week’s midterm elections.

But there were positive signs in the consumer price index (CPI), which showed annual inflation slowed to 7.7 percent in October, even while underscoring a heightened cost of living, the Labor Department re ported.

That was the lowest annual in crease since January, fueling hopes that soaring costs will start to pull back and causing Wall Street stocks to rally.

Biden welcomed the data, saying it showed “a much-needed break in inflation at the grocery store as we head into the holidays.”

But he cautioned in a statement that it would “take time to get in flation back to normal levels,” with potential setbacks along the way, and vowed to keep helping households with living costs.

While the annual inflation rate was down from a harsh 9.1 percent in June—the highest in 40 years—lat est numbers are unlikely to bring a quick reprieve from the Federal Re serve’s aggressive moves to cool the economy.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has sent food and fuel prices soaring, and the energy index surged 17.6 percent over the past 12 months, according to the data.

Excluding volatile food and en ergy prices, “core” CPI rose 6.3 percent in October from a year ago, slightly below the rate in September.

As residents reel from soaring costs, the US central bank has moved forcefully to lower demand and bring prices down. AFP

By Joseph Boyle

PARIS, France—At parties, on stages, and in meetings, Changpeng Zhao is rarely seen without his black polo shirt, emblazoned with the insignia of his crypto firm Binance.

The look is vital to the myth of Zhao, the boy from rural China who once flipped burgers for a living in Canada but now has a per sonal fortune of $17 billion, according to Forbes.

“I’m a small entrepreneur,” he told AFP earlier this year when comparing himself to Elon Musk, adding for good measure that he was just a “normal guy” in comparison to the world’s richest man.

nance in many jurisdictions—Singapore, France, Malta, Dubai, and Bahrain—without definitively committing to any of them.

He often says he “favors good regulation over bad” and dismisses the idea of a company needing headquarters as a “complex issue” before swiftly changing the subject.

This opacity has made him a popular figure among crypto pur ists, who loathe any form of regulation, and has kept regulators from knocking too hard at his door—so far. Musk flirtation

However, like many crypto companies, there has long been a whiff of scandal around Binance.

It has been accused of pursuing growth at any cost and failing to properly check the identities of customers, allowing money launder ing and sanctions busting to flourish.

Zhao has feuded openly with journalists over the claims—accus ing outlets including Reuters of peddling fake news.

However, a Reuters story this month suggesting Binance had handled billions of dollars in transactions involving Iranian entities proved harder to brush off.

Binance admitted in a blog post—not written by Zhao—that it had “interacted with certain Iran-based nexuses” and had moved to freeze the accounts.

It remains to be seen what further action might come Binance’s way for the sanctions faux-pas, but Zhao’s bruising run-ins with the media have seen him increasingly champion the free speech abso lutism also favored by Musk.

Surprisingly, given their shared interests and newly entwined businesses, the two men have not met in person. AFP

Yet Binance has cornered more than half of the crypto-trading market, and its main rival, FTX, was all but wiped out this week— elevating his company to the pinnacle of the crypto world.

And 45-year-old Zhao, who founded Binance in Shanghai in 2017, has emerged as the most central and most visible figure in crypto.

Hyperactive on social media, popping up at every possible tech conference and rarely out of TV studios, he expanded his reach even further recently by shoveling $500 million to Musk to buy Twitter.

Yet his breakneck rise has been dogged by controversy.

His cryptocurrency exchange has been repeatedly accused of fa cilitating money laundering and sanctions busting—claims it denies —and last month it was hacked for around $100 million.

True grit?

The rags-to-riches tale of Zhao’s life has become almost mythical in crypto circles.

His early life in China was scarred by hardship when his parents were denounced and sent to the countryside for a dose of peasant hardship.

After the family emigrated to Canada a decade later, young Zhao had to work at McDonald’s and a petrol station to help the family survive.

This instilled “drive, grit, and initiative” into the young man and helped to create today’s “crypto leader,” according to the Binance website.

Zhao’s nomadic childhood informed his adult life, which has seen him crop up everywhere from New York to Tokyo.

The official legend has it that he caught the bitcoin bug during a conversation around a poker table and started Binance a few years later in Shanghai.

He quickly left China and has since hinted that he might set up Bi

) no later than December 9, 2022 to receive the confirmation of their registration, Zoom ID and password.

Any stockholder who does not expect to attend the meeting in person and desires to be repre sented may send your duly accomplished proxy form to the Corporate Secretary, 7th Floor, Peaksun Building, 1505 Princeton Street, Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila for validation on or before December 9, 2022. Only proxy forms submitted on time will be validated.

Only those registered stockholders and confirmed at the above-mentioned email address shall be allowed into the online meeting.

The Guidelines for Participating through Remote Communication and Voting in Absentia, Letter of Intent and Proxy with the Information Statement and Annual Report (SEC Form 17-A) and other pertinent documents can be found on our website: https://dizminings.com/ and PSE EDGE portal via https://edge.pse.com.ph. ATTY. FRANCIS V. GUSTILO Corporate Secretary

The record date for stockholders entitled to notice and vote at the Annual Stockholders Meeting was set on October 15, 2022.

For the safety and convenience of participants, the 2022 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of Lodestar will be conducted virtually. Stockholders of Record may attend/participate via proxy, remote communication, or vote in absentia. For the detailed registration and voting procedures, please visit https://www.lodestarholdings. com.ph and refer to the “Guidelines for Participation via Remote Communication and Voting in Absentia and through Proxy.”

Stockholders who wish to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to vote in absentia should notify the Office of the Corporate Secretary through a Letter of Intent to be sent via e-mail to ilodestar@yahoo.com on or before December 12, 2022. Validated stockholders will be provided access to the live streaming of the meeting and can cast their votes in absentia on or before December 9, 2022 through Lodestar’s secure online voting facility. All votes cast shall be subject to validation.

Lodestar is not soliciting for proxies. Stockholders who are unable to join the meeting but wish to vote on items in the Agenda by proxy must submit their duly accomplished proxy forms via email to ilodestar@yahoo.com, not later than December 9, 2022.

Stockholders of Record may send their inquiries and comments to the Management Report and other items in the Agenda to ilodestar@yahoo.com on or before December 9, 2022.

The Definitive Information Statement containing the attendance/ voting (via remote communication) and election procedures, along with the Notice, Agenda, Proxy, Management Report, SEC Form 17-A, and other information related to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting can be accessed at https://www.lodestarholdings.com.ph

Atty. Arlene M. Wilkerson Corporate Secretary

Binance’s Changpeng Zhao, the undisputed king of crypto

Changpeng Zhao

AUSTRALIA CYBERATTACK.

0.0070950.4124

Fitch unit upgrades PH growth forecast; analysts turn bullish

By Julito G. Rada and Jenniffer B. Austria

FITCH Solutions, a unit of the Fitch Group, raised on Friday its 2022 gross domestic product growth forecast for the Philippines to 7.4 percent from 6.6 percent on the back of a strong 7.7-percent expansion in the first three quarters.

“The better-than-expected economic per formance in the year-to- September has prompted us at Fitch Solutions to raise our 2022 growth forecast to 7.4 percent, from 6.6 percent previously,” Fitch Solutions said in a report.

Fitch Solutions, however, lowered its 2023 growth forecast to 5.9 percent from 6.2 percent on higher base effects and mount ing growth headwinds from a quicker pace of monetary tightening and slowing global growth environment.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the fact that the economy continued to perform and even accelerated in the third quarter “suggests a good deal of confidence in the administration.”

The Marcos administration’s move to fur ther reopen the economy and loosen quaran

tine restrictions were the biggest contribu tors to the better-than-expected third quarter GDP and strong third-quarter corporate earn ings, according to stock market analysts.

Regina Capital and Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan said the strong domestic spending, following the re opening of the economy and increased mo bility, helped boost the domestic economy in the third quarter.

“Fortunately in our situation we are do mestically driven, so the effects of the global economic slowdown had less on an impact versus other countries,” Limlingan said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Au thority showed that household consumption in the third quarter rose 8 percent despite the higher inflation.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier promised to continue reopening the econo my and assured the public that there would be no more lockdowns.

A more open economy and more relaxed mobility restrictions also boosted third-quar ter earnings of most listed companies.

“Overall the fast growth we saw can be attributed to current state of the economy, which is more open compared to the same period last year,” Philstocks Financial ana lyst Japheth Tantiangco said.

“As restrictions eases, we had more robust flow of consumer and business activities, better confidence toward the economy,” Tan tiangco said.

PAL Holdings swung to P9.68-b income in the first nine months

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PAL Holdings Inc., the parent firm of Philippine Airlines, said Friday it posted a P9.68-billion comprehensive income in the first nine months, a turnaround from the P27.19-billion loss in the same period last year.

The company said consolidated revenues from January to September reached P32.16 billion, up 204 percent from a year ago, as passenger revenues surged 265.3 percent.

Air cargo revenues increased 20.6 percent from last year. The increase in the number of flights operated led to the increase in revenues, it said.

Consolidated operating expenses doubled to P85.54 billion from P42.75 billion last year on the impact of higher fuel prices and increased flights.

“We are thankful for the strong support of our customers, sharehold ers, partners and personnel that enabled us to achieve this third straight quarter of positive operating results, despite the continuing global eco nomic and geopolitical challenges,” said PAL president and chief oper ating officer Capt. Stanley Ng.

“We at Philippine Airlines will remain steadfast in carrying out our mission of service, bridging our islands and connecting our homeland with the rest of the world, for the benefit of tourism, trade and the Fili pino people,” he said.

0.26602815.4629 BruneiDollar0.72103341.9100 IndonesiaRupiah0.0000640.0037

0.0275411.6008

Dirham0.27227915.8262 EuroEuro 1.02100059.3456 Korea Won 0.0007410.0431 ChinaYuan0.1391898.0904 IndiaRupee0.0124020.7209 MalaysiaRinggit0.21285712.3723

New Zealand Dollar 0.60230035.0087 TaiwanDollar0.0318821.8531

Phoenix focuses on boosting operations

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc. said Friday it remains focused on strengthening its operations despite a tumultuous year of volatility in global oil markets, recessionary concerns amid record high inflation, peso depreciation, monetary tightening and muted demand.

Phoenix said it exercised prudence in operating expenses and capital expenditures and enhanced productivity and efficiency across business es, resulting in a 21-percent growth in per unit earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Its liquefied petroleum gas business, which grew 11 percent quarteron-quarter, remained a bright spot in the portfolio. Domestic LPG vol ume grew 9 percent in the third quarter from a year ago and 8 percent from the previous quarter.

Overseas LPG recovered strongly from a weak second quarter, with volume rising 16 percent quarter-on-quarter and growing 3 percent yearto-date.

Phoenix said both businesses benefitted from robust underlying de mand in the Philippines and Vietnam, adequately supported by working capital.

Domestic fuel volume was sharply lower in the third quarter, which resulted in the year-to-date EBITDA at 32 percent lower at P1.8 billion year-on-year.

“Recovery in fuels was further set back by the lack of scale driven by persistent challenges in liquidity and uncertainties in global markets and economic growth,” Phoenix said.

JG Summits injects P5b into petrochemical unit

CONGLOMERATE JG Summit Holdings Inc. said Friday it is injecting P5 billion in fresh capital into its ailing petrochemical unit.

JG Summit said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors ap proved the planned capital infusion, via share subscription, into wholly-owned sub sidiary JG Summit Olefins Corp.

“JGSOC will use the funds to pay off its expansion project obligations and to support its operations during a period of declining market demand and rising input costs,” JG Summit said. The additional capital infusion aims to improve the JGSOC’s financial li quidity position, the conglomerate said. Under the plan, JG Summit will subscribe to additional 714 million shares in JGSOC at P7 apiece in exchange for the P5-billion cash infusion.

JGSOC operates a fully-integrated man ufacturing complex in Batangas City. It manufactures polyethylene and polypropyl ene, polymer gradeethylene, polymer grade propylene, partially hydrogenated pyrolysis gasoline, pyrolysis fuel oil, aromatics, buta diene and liquefied petroleum gas.

Jenniffer B. Austria

EdgePoint unveils target to be largest tower firm

EDGEPOINT Infrastructure, through sub sidiary Edgepoint Towers Inc., plans to ac quire more tower assets from two incumbent players to become the largest tower opera tor in the Philippines, a top executive said Friday.

EdgePoint chief executive Suresh Sidhu said in a briefing the company was open to acquiring more tower assets from PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom. He said the company also planned to build its own towers to sup port the requirements of the local telecom companies.

EdgePoint Philippines entered the Philip pine market in April this year through the acquisition of 5,907 telecom towers and re lated passive telecom infrastructure for P77 billion from Smart Communications Inc.

Following the sale, Smart is leasing the towers from EdgePoint Philippines to serve its mobile communications and high-speed internet connectivity needs in the region.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Power users ask ERC to avert disconnection

FIFTEEN large power users asked the Ener gy Regulatory Commission to issue tempo rary restraining orders and cease and desist orders preventing retail electricity suppliers from disconnecting their supply. They said the suppliers breached their supply contracts by imposing higher charges beyond what was agreed and wanted to im pose fuel cost recovery adjustments because of the alleged extraordinary increases in fuel costs.

The power users said the RES cited a change in circumstance due to “the unprec edented increases in the global price of oil, coal and gas and other fuel sources” to in crease the rates.

The company expanded its network

a capital-light strategy despite the difficult business backdrop.

Among the companies that filed the cases with the ERC are Winsome Development Corp.,Taifini Copper & Conductor, Inc., Quanta Paper Corp., Air Liquide Pipeline Utilities Services Inc. – Balamban, Air Liq uide Phils. Inc., Air Liquide Pipeline Utili ties Services, Inc., Willin Sales Inc., Wal termart Ventures Inc., WJ Global Inc. and California Garden Square Condominium Association Inc. Alena Mae S. Flores

through

GREENING PROGRAM. Nickel Asia Corp. records 234,823 trees planted within its mining camps and donates 185,466 seedlings to the Department of Natural Resources in support of the government’s National Greening Program. Above and beyond what the law requires, NAC and its subsidiaries take serious participation in the NGP programs by generating seedlings, with the help of the communities and donating thousands of them to DENR.

INVESTMENT DESTINATION. Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual pitches the Philippines as a preferred investment destination for Chinese businesses, citing the country as gateway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and an ideal complement to Hong Kong and China businesses during the Hong Kong-ASEAN Summit 2022 held on Nov. 3, 2022.

Thompson brings Ginebra energy to international play

By Randy Caluag

When invited by then Gilas coach Yeng Guiao for the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, Thompson was still doubtful about himself, after a so-so performance in previous FIBA Qualifiers.

“He felt was not ready. He felt that he needed to improve on his game and skills,” said Guiao in a previous interview. “He was not delivering startling numbers but he was providing intangibles that made the team look good.”

Thompson believed the slot could be used for other more deserving players.

But after much soul-searching and a couple of years of battle with the Covid-19 pandemic, Thompson finally said yes again to the national team. His first two outings in two earlier games versus Lebanon and Saudi Arabia this year were not spectacular nor bad either.

On Thursday (early Friday in Manila), Thompson unleashed an all-around court brilliance in helping Gilas Pilipinas beat a tough Jordan squad, 74-66, in the Fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian

Qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.

The numbers—eight points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, and a steal—he put up for Gilas actually more beautiful than they appear.

Rebounding against taller opponents, scoring when necessary, and giving the ball to teammates to complete spectacular plays were the same stellar scenes that made him shine in a Ginebra uniform in the PBA.

Thompson said he was just doing what he does best and this time he showed he was ready to face the world in Gilas in uniform.

“Doon talaga ako komportable. Kung ano yung best ko na maitutulong sa team, ‘yun ang ginagawa ko sa Ginebra at hoping ako noon na madala ko dito sa Gilas. Thankful ako kasi napapakita ko ‘yun,” he said in an interview by several online media.

Several of his points were made almost on deadplays, salvaging the offense when needed most.

“Hindi ako focused sa scoring but ‘pag may chance, gina-grab ko lang kasi maraming key players diyan. Nandiyan si CJ [Perez], nandiyan si Ray

World tourney veterans spice up IM 70.3 P Princesa chase

SEVEN from among close to thousand bidders set out for strong finishes in the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa reeling off tomorrow (Sunday) in Palawan, all geared up for a test of speed and endurance coming off sorties in two world premier championships.

Mervin Santiago and Aiken Ting expect to crowd the leading bets in the overall individual competitions and in their age-group (30-34) category of the punishing 1.9 km swim-90km bike-21k run race over a topnotch course, raring to flash the form honed up by their stint in the exacting IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Santiago emerged the first Filipino to cross the finish line at Kona.

Yoejan Prudente, on the other hand, headlines the 18-24 age group division while also eyeing a top podium finish in the overall race together with John Nino Monte (25-29), who both competed in the IM 70.3 St. George in Utah, also last month, along with female triathletes Alessandra Castaneda, Mary Jane Baluyot (35-39), Nylah Bautista (45-49) and Celma Hitalia (55-59).

Castaneda also went on to become the first

Powell’s 50 points fuel Dragons past Painters

By Peter Atencio

IMPORT Myles Powell fired 50 points, including 11 triples to power the Bay Area Dragons to a 120-87 smothering of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Friday in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Powell drilled in 20 points in the third period as the Dragons went on to post their seventh triumph in nine outings.

The last time an import scored this much three-pointers was in 2001 when Mobiline’s Jerod Ward did it in the 2001 Commissioners Cup, following their 93-87 triumph over Brgy Ginebra.

“I just give full credit to him. Myles did a tremendous job with it,” said coach Brian Goorjian.

Three treys from Powell came in the last 3:27 of the third, and during a 12-0 blast which lifted the Dragons from a 68-48 edge to an 80-51 spread.

The 33-point setback of the Elasto Painters is the fourth most lopsided game in the franchise’s history.

It was the second time that the 6’2” Powell tallied 50 points since their loss to the Meralco Bolts.

Powell keyed in 19 points in the second period as the Dragons moved away from a tight 28-27 edge and took a 15-point spread, 57-42, at halftime.

So far, Powell’s 11 triples equals the fourth all-time high by imports.

Powell went on to finish with 29 points after the first half, capping his scoring binge with a layup at the 1:22 mark.

PSC orders inquiry on NCAA’s basketbrawl

The blue-ribbon event, organized by the IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc., also marks the first time that national team members Fer Casares, a gold medalist in mixed relay in the last SEA Games in Hanoi, and Bea Quiambao, a two-time winner of 5150 races in Bohol and Subic this year, will vie in an IM 70.3 setting.

Also featured is Bamboo LODI Rafie Liego, who will compete in the 18-24 age group, while Hanoi SEAG medalists Raven Alcoseba and Andrew Remolino, along with Marc Lago, will banner the Go for Gold squad in mixed relay competition, also tipped to go down-to-the-wire.

First-time host Puerto Princess has guaranteed not only a memorable racing experience for both local and foreign participants but also a “race-cation” of sorts with the City in the Forest offering scenic locations, including a number of world-class natural attractions.

How SportsPlus can improve your World Cup experience

OF all the events where the world gets together to compete, only the FIFA World Cup can hold any sort of candle to the Olympics when it comes to international excitement.

This year’s iteration of the global soccer tournament looks to be no different, a s 32 teams look to turn Qatar into their battleground as they fight for the most prestigious prize in all of football.

This year’s FIFA World Cup looks to be one of the most exciting ones in years. While Kylian Mbappe and France are still poised to repeat as champions, every one of the 31 other teams will come into the tournament guns blazing.

Teams like Kevin de Bruyne’s Belgium and Lionel Messi’s Argentina are antsy to get to Doha and remove the chips on their shoulders; while other returning teams like Canada and Saudi Arabia come into the games with a lot of momentum and underdog spirit.

Yet, regardless of which team will win, one

thing is for certain—the World Cup is more fun when you ride along the highs and lows of your favorite team. And with the Philippines Men’s National Football Team still having never qualified for a FIFA World Cup, many Filipinos are looking for a way to substantiate the excitement of rooting for their chosen team.

That’s why, with a mission to help Filipino sports fans immerse themselves in the sports world, sportsbooking site SportsPlus presents itself as the premier sportsboo king option to follow the FIFA World Cup and win the game.

SportsPlus gives Filipino fans a direct glimpse into the exciting crests and troughs of following a FIFA World Cup Team. This means that while Filipino football fans might not be rooting for their home country at Qatar 2022, they can still have a full, immersive experience and win the game alongside their favorite football teams and players.

Plus, with a competitive line of odds, football fans aged 21 and up can make the most of their experience with SportsPlus. The competitive odds mean users will have a sweeter experience whenever their favorite players and teams get those goals.

SportsPlus also takes pride in its easy-touse interface and customer-friendly service. Alongside a sleek user interface that works on any mobile browser, SportsPlus users can also look forward to 24/7 customer service as they win the game. GCash integration of the site is also a fun feature for soccer nuts, as they can simply cash in and cash out through one of the most popular e-wallets on the market.

So for all Filipinos aged 21 and up looking to make the FIFA World Cup even more enjoyable, they should take a gander at SportsPlus, and try their hand at winning the game. Gaming for 21 years old and above only. Keep it Fun. Game Responsibly.

THE Philippine Sports Commission, citing its authority as the sole government body on amateur sports per provisions of Republic Act 6847, issued a resolution today assembling a factfinding committee to investigate the incident involving Jose Rizal University cager John Anthony Amores when he charged and turned violent against the players of the College of St. Benilde in a recently held NCAA game early this week.

PSC chairman Noli Eala aired his view on the incident saying that violence has no place in sport.

However, fairplay is likewise one of the pillars of the sporting community, so the sports chief gave instructions to convene a committee to investigate “all facts and circumstances surrounding the incident.”

The resolution also stated that the investigation will determine the “appropriate actions to be taken by the Commission on all those who may have been involved in the incident.”

Section 11 of RA 6847 gives PSC the “power to perform all acts and things necessary for or in connection with the performance of its functions including the imposition of sanctions upon any national sports association, institution, association, body, entity, team, athlete and sports official for violation of its policies, rules and regulations.”

Representatives from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, NCAA, JRU, College of St. Benilde, Filoil EcoOil Centre, and other parties involved in the said scuffle will be i nvited to the inquiry to be led by Eala, assisted by PSC Commissioner Bong Coo and PSC Executive Directo r Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr.

GINEBRA stalwart Scottie Thompson once begged off from the national Gilas squad before finally agreeing again to come back and answer the call for national duty.

Myles Powell of Bay Area scores with a jumpshot in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup game won by the Dragons over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 120-87, Friday night.

Riera U. Mallari,

Randy M. Caluag, Assistant

Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron, third from left, ashes the thumbs-up sign, o cially ushering in the city’s rst-ever hosting of IRONMAN 70.3 on Sunday. With him during the event launch at Princesa Garden are (from left), Alessandra Castaneda, Mervin Santiago, Princess Galura, president and general manager of the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc., part of the IRONMAN Group, Maria Claire Adorna and Fer Casares.

Filipina to cross the finish line at St. George. But they will be as much tested as the rest of the 898-triathlete international field, including bets from 25 countries—all set to grind it out

in both the individual and age-group competitions. Three hundred and fifteen more are ready to mix it up in the men’s and women’s relay and the mixed relay, which drew 59 teams numbering to 177 participants.

FIFA enthusiasts can now try their luck at betting on the results of the upcoming World Cup matches.

Parks, Dwight [Ramos],” he added. Thompson looks forward to the Gilas’ game against Saudi Arabia on Monday. And against more teams in next year’s World Cup proper. Meantime, he’s thankful for the opportunity to serve the country again and came prepared to play the role given to him as the team’s point guard.

Experiencing Mauway in a different light

in the middle of the city as generous open spaces, lush greenery, and a beautifullystructured amenity area create a charming sanctuary.

Future ready

HOME improvement and building supplies retailer Wilcon Depot, recently joined PhilConstruct 2022, the Philippines’ biggest trade show, at the SMX Convention Center Manila.

The company exhibited an array of product lines that include Pozzi bathroom solutions; Rubi Tile cutting necessities; Hamden kitchen products; Alphalux energy-efficient lighting solutions; Grespania Spanish tiles; Herberia Italian tiles; Kaze air cooling products; Hills power tools; and P.tech building materials.

The Wilcon VR store took likewise took visitors to an interactive 360° VR experiential tour of an immense branch of Wilcon—Wilcon Depot Balintawak store.

To know more about Wilcon, visit www.wilcon.com.ph and follow them on their official Facebook and Instagram accounts at @wilcondepot. ph

Finding refuge in a sacred place

DMCI Homes aims to offer the same joy with its newest project in Barangay Mauway, Mandaluyong City—Sage Residences, a serviced one-tower resortinspired residential condominium, which puts experience on top of its best features.

PREMIUM ADDRESS

Owning a piece of property at Sage Residences means becoming part of a vibrant neighborhood that is surrounded by the major commercial and business districts of Makati, Taguig, and Pasig.

A few minutes from Sage Residences are the Ortigas, Rockwell, and Capitol Commons business centers. It is also a good take-off point going to prestigious schools such as Immaculate Conception Academy, Xavier, Poveda and La Salle Greenhills, making the property a convenient home, or a high-value income property.

Also, nearby are the Greenfield District, Megamall, Shangri-La Plaza, Rockwell Powerplant, Robinsons Galleria, and Greenhills, where there is a multitude of lifestyle choices in terms of food, fashion, and entertainment.

CHARMING SANCTUARY

The property has a 50-storey residential building with special architectural design to allot more space for amenities.

It was designed in a way that gives residents a grand entrance, something that makes one excited to come home every day.

Residents won’t feel like they are living

Imagine entering into a resort-hotel, that leads you to a cozy reception area, which slowly and elegantly opens up to a whole new level of amenities.

FEATURES AND AMENITIES

Sage Residences also has a distinctive roof-deck that contains an elevated Sky Deck Pool, a Sky Garden, and two Sky Lounges, where expansive and unobstructed views await every resident.

To support the changing lifestyle needs of residents, units and common areas of the property will have a built-in commercialgrade internet similar to the service premium hotels provide their guests. There will also be a shared workspace facility to make it convenient for residents to accomplish their work, school, or business tasks within the property.

LIVING SPACES

The property offers a mix of studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units ranging from 30 to 95 square meters, which are all spacious and well-engineered to accommodate the different living requirements of residents.

The bedrooms will have highly functional features such as big glass windows. Buyers can opt for a layout with balcony with glass railing or one that has full glass windows. Either way, you get to enjoy a unit with a stylish and elegant design.

Sage Residences is set to open its doors to residents in Feb. 2028. Units are now preselling at a starting price of P6.149 million.

OUR Lady of Lourdes Chapel in Filinvest City, Alabang was opened to the public recently, completing the innovative lifestyle in the Garden City of the Metro South.

The blessing and first mass was officiated by His Excellency, Most Reverend Jesse E. Mercado D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Parañaque (DOP); and was attended by the Gotianun Family, Filinvest executives and LGU representatives with Muntinlupa City Mayor Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon (Inset photo).

Situated along the gardens of Filinvest City’s River Park near Festival Mall, the Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel integrates nature with design, from its location to its unique architecture.

The project was a special collaboration of renowned artists and craftsmen including Hiroshi Nakamura

Safe houses from bamboo

A house built in this manner lasts up to 60 years and has 60% less environmental impact compared to a conventional concrete house. This translates to a reduction of 9 tons of CO2 equivalents over the life of the bamboo building.

The Hilti Foundation established the BASE Bahay Foundation and Innovation Center, in Manila, to apply and promote the safe, affordable and sustainable construction solution.

So far, more than 1,200 houses have been built, mainly in the Philippines and Nepal. “Adequate housing is a human right, and yet an estimated 1.6 billion people worldwide – that’s one in four – live in substandard housing,” said Werner Wallner, CEO of the Hilti Foundation. “Experts predict that this number will nearly double, to 3 billion, by 2030.

glory of Christ’s resurrection as the altar centerpiece.

For more information, visit the official Facebook Page of

Pixel Residences is the first residential project of ARHC=. The 15-story residential estate has 170 generous-sized units ranging from 36 to 88 square meters and offers hotel-like amenities. Meanwhile, 8912 Asean Ave. is the biggest office development of DMWAI to date with approximately 69,000 sqm of leasable office and retail spaces. “Filipino architecture has gone a long way from bahay na bato and bahay kubo, but what makes DMWAI’s architectural trademark completely grounded to our roots is because: it integrates sustainable living to heart,” said CEO of DMW Group of Companies Buds Wenceslao. “When we created our masterplan for Aseana City, we followed our vision of creating a breathable city that looks back on our Filipino architectural heritage of a sturdy, reliable yet livable community.”

& NAP Architects, Helen Whittaker of the esteemed Barley Studio for stained glass windows, and renowned Filipino sculptor Daniel Dela Cruz, who crafted a life sized metal piece depicting the

Filinvest City

by PropertyGuru, the leading property technology company in the region.

MORE than 150,000 bamboo poles have been used to build safe and affordable houses with the Hilti Foundation’s innovative Cement Bamboo Frame Technology.

Creating new affordable and sustainable housing for these people is a major task that impacts not only their safety and health, but also their economic and social opportunities.”

Motoring

12 reasons why Chery Tiggo8 PRO 1.6T delivers safest, most stress-free drive

in slow-moving traffic for enhanced comfort in gridlock situations. It will autonomously accelerate and brake the vehicle in traffic.

9. Integrated Cruise Assist - ICA constantly measures the distance to the vehicle in front of you in real time and automatically maintains a safe distance

10. Intelligent High-Beam Control – IHBC automatically adjusts the headlights to maximize vision even in poorly lit roads

11. Lane Departure Warning – LDW alerts you via audible alert and forcefeedback when your vehicle inadvertently drifts to another lane—very helpful when the driver’s alertness is impaired due to fatigue or other factors

12. Traffic Sign Recognition – TSR alerts you when your speed exceeds that of posted speed limits

ONE of the most crucial aspects in the car-buying decision is safety—especially at a time when people are revenge-traveling and going back to face-to-face work and school.

And we’re not talking about your basic seatbelts, airbags, ABS, and crumple zones. We’re talking about features that will actively protect you and your loved ones by helping avoid or eliminate the risks that can lead to accidents. These are state-of-the-art smart features that will not only help prevent accidents before

MPV overload!

they happen, they actually help direct you away from situations that can lead to an accident.

Which is why CHERY Auto Philippines has loaded its new 7-seater midsize SUV, the Tiggo 8 PRO 1.6 Turbo, with no less than 12 Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS).

1. Rear Cross-Traffic Assist – RCTA alerts you when another vehicle is approaching you just as you reverse out of a parking space

2. Blind Spot Detection – BSD notifies you if a vehicle is approaching your blind spots on either side of your car

3. Autonomous Emergency Braking – AEB automatically activates the brakes once it detects an obstacle and doesn’t receive any braking inputs from the

driver 4. Door Opening Warning – When DOW detects an oncoming car from behind as you or your passengers are about to go down from the car, the DOW automatically issues an alert

5. Forward Collision Warning FCW detects objects ahead and alerts the driver for potential collisions

6. Adaptive Cruise Control – ACC automatically adjusts your vehicle’s speed depending on the speed and distance of the vehicle in front

7. Lane Keeping Assist – LKA helps the driver remain inside the marked lanes, which comes in handy during drives with low visibility or when temporarily blinded by other cars’ high beams

8. Traffic Jam Assist – TJA serves as an extension of cruise control, but works

Over and above these 12 Advanced Driver Assist Systems, the Tiggo 8 PRO 1.6 Turbo offers an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Assist Control (HAC), Hill Descent Control (HDC), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and ISOFIX child-seat tethers, among others. With all these smart safety features and Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS), the new CHERY Tiggo 8 PRO 1.6 Turbo is convincingly one of the safest automobiles on the market.

The Tiggo 8 PRO 1.6T is made even more irresistible with the brand’s industry-leading CHERY Premium Preserv consisting of a 7-year engine warranty, 7-year bumper-to-bumper general vehicle warranty, FREE 3-year preventive maintenance service (PMS), and FREE 3-year roadside assistance.

The all-new CHERY Tiggo 8 PRO 1.6 Turbo has a retail price of PHP 1,698,000.

All-new Lexus RZ 450e electrifies ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

DURING the Covid-19 pandemic various pick-up trucks came sprouting left and right after a certain tax was taken out by the government. They saw them (pick-up trucks) as a big help in the transportation of various necessities and essentials.

The streets then, and even now, are still flooded with eye-popping pickup trucks from various manufacturers even though there are talks that the government is bent on rescinding tax exemptions on it.

These days, it seems like a new trend in the local motoring scene is moving towards these MPVs or more popularly called the multi-purpose vehicles, or multi-utility vehicles. These are cars that are for passengers and also for freight transport. They are 7-seaters wherein the last row seats can be folded in order to give you more trunk space when you need to haul cargoes.

If you notice it, most major car manufacturers are rushing to introduce their respective entries to the MPV segment of the market. And it is really gaining popularity these days.

Mitsubishi has its Xpander while Toyota has its Innova, Sienna, Avanza and Rush and Nissan has its Livina. Suzuki has its Ertiga, Foton has its Gratour, Peugeot has its Traveller Premium, Mercedes-Benz has its V-Class, BYD has its E6, and there is the Haima.

During the recent Philippine International Motor Show, the Korean car manufacturer Hyundai unveiled two of their MPVs such as the Staria (considered as a big MPV) and the Stargazer. Yes, the Stargazer was formally launched last Tuesday during a gathering of media people at the Samsung Hall of the SM Aura in Taguig City. The next day, a public/online launch was held through the Hyundai facebook page.

The entry of Stargazer into the already crowded MPV local market is very exciting news as this car is expected to slug it out against its rivals. We haven’t tested it or even driven it yet but by just looking at the number of advanced driver-assistance technologies and features that it has, the Stargazer will be there punching at this early.

For us, the 5-Year or 200,000-km (whichever comes first) warranty and the wise pricing scheme implemented by Hyundai on its three variants — 1.5 GLS Premium IVT - P1,218,000; 1.5 GLS IVT - P1,128,000; 1.5 GL IVT - P998,000 – are simply a good stroke to immediately penetrate the market. Mind you, these all three variants are all automatic transmission, with no manual.

By the way, in case you are wondering why the very popular Starex is no longer in its lineup of vehicles here, the answer is that the new Hyundai management had already stopped selling it. Instead, Hyundai had already presented the Staria as its newest replacement to the ever-popular Starex.

A Hyundai exec that we talked to last Tuesday said that present Starex owners are still allowed and accepted in all their Hyundai dealership for maintenance. Or they can even look for the Staria, which is a futuristic replacement for their Starex, whose price range from P1.5-million to a whopping P2.9-million.

Back to our main issue, which is the looming battle of the MPVs in the local market, we heard that one or two more car manufacturers are keen on entering their respective entries just before the year ends. Well, good luck to you all!

TOKYO, Japan – To join the ranks of the nation of Wakanda’s elite Dora Milaje warriors, one must possess extraordinary qualities – and their mode of transportation choice does too. Enter the all-new, all-electric RZ 450e, Lexus’ technologically-advanced BEV that brings another specialized trait to the Dora Milaje’s arsenal: An electrifying attitude.

This fall, the Marvel Studios’ Black Panther franchise and Lexus will once again join forces as the official automotive partner of the highlyanticipated Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ahead of the film’s global release beginning November 9 2022, the RZ 450e, driven by Dora Milaje warriors, will star in heart-pumping 60-, 30-, and 15-second spots called “An Electric Future”.

Directed by Anthony Leonardi III, the visually-thrilling spot finds General Okoye (played by Danai Gurira) in the RZ 450e as she prepares to fulfill her national duty in the unfamiliar role of public speaker. General Okoye is joined by her fellow Dora Milaje as they embark on what becomes a car chase experience filled with spectacular jinks, explosions, and pin-point accurate vibranium spear throws. The RZ 450e welcomes General

Okoye’s adventure in stride, allowing the Dora Milaje to dodge their pursuers with its precise Steer-by-Wire steering, balanced handling thanks to DIRECT4 all- wheel drive, and a seamless ondemand application of power via front and rear eAxle motors. And because of the RZ’s BEV-specific seating placement and versatile digital rearview mirror, allaround visibility for General Okoye’s driver and front passenger is optimal.

“The power, elegance, and futureforward vision of the Lexus brand aligns perfectly with the Black Panther franchise. We couldn’t be happier to team-up with Lexus once again to bring an action- packed story and supporting 360 campaign to life,” said Mindy Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Global Partnership Marketing at The Walt Disney Company. “We’re excited and honored to continue our collaboration with the Marvel Studios’ Black Panther franchise,” adds Michael Moore, Lexus International’s General Manager for Strategic Communication.

“Our all-electric RZ 450e is a perfect fit in the Dora Milaje’s cutting-edge arsenal, bringing an elevated driving experience that intuitively connects with its users through advanced technology and compelling performance.”

The Creta: Hyundai’s newest darling

By Julian Cardenas and Gabby Pariño

SOUTH Korean Chaebol Hyundai had faced harsh criticisms in the past for their alienating business method of rapidly shifting their industry from heavy machinery to suddenly producing road cars which caused many to doubt the brand’s quality. But then Hyundai had the last laugh, for they have risen from the ashes and have become a phoenix in the automobile industry and a real game changer- In 2010, Hyundai gave the world an amazing lineup of vehicles such as the popular Starex Van, fabulous SUVs Santa Fe and Tucson, the underrated Genesis sports car and the durable compact car Accent - which is popularly used in the public transport industry .

With the growing popularity of SUVs and Crossovers across the world, Hyundai sufficiently provided their Tucson and Santa Fe models to the demands but the market kept expanding so they introduced the mini crossover Kona to the world- with the Philippines included.

Sadly, the Kona failed to impress the Filipino motorists with its thirst for gasoline especially now that continuous price hikes have been expected to plague the country. Hyundai immediately pulled it out of the showrooms and dug into one of their other subsidiaries to which they retrieved the all new Creta to replace the Kona and to make its first mark in the mini MPV market , aiming to fight against the Honda BRV , Toyota Veloz and its sister car-the Kia Seltos.

But keep in mind, the Creta nameplate is not a new one for this vehicle that they have introduced here is the second generation of an already existing mini suv positioned below the Tucson. The first generation Creta was a top selling vehicle in India, China, Russia and Latin America.

With this second generation CretaHyundai aims to attract young Filipino families and individuals with an active lifestyle. Already upon stepping into the vehicle, they would find themselves immersed in an extremely roomy cabin and a trunk that can swallow all the sporting and basic goods that they can carry.

“The interior, while nothing extraordinary in terms of design, features a clean and minimalist appearance. There’s even a drop-down table installed on the rear of the front seats,” a car magazine has reviewed the Creta, claiming it to be a rebadged Alcazar, as on-point and stylish to the rising minimalist trend.

With a ground clearance even higher than that of its older brother the Tucson, the Creta can certainly reach new heights and tackle the inevitable floods.

To soothe their journey along the way, the Creta has an easy-to-use infotainment with Apple car play & android auto and on the top of the line variant. One can enjoy wireless charging and a chilled glove compartment for their drinks.

All this comfort, however, will most likely be shattered by a rough ride even with an adjustable suspension on the top model which has four settings: eco, normal, sport, and smart.

Along with a rough ride, The Creta is underpowered and slow due to the 1.5-liter engine which is hampered by the IVT transmission.

Though on a lighter side and to cope with its slow performance, The Creta is quite economical being able to achieve 23 km/L.

Despite this, 27-year-old law student Abigail has her eye out for the mini SUV. Having driven an SUV for as long as she can remember, the creta has become an ideal car for a solo girl living in the city.

“I had no choice but to drive an SUV because it was the only one my parents had left at home after moving to Europe. When I decided to move out, I browsed for cars that would better suit me now that I’m living alone. The creta is an absolute buzz,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jerry, who has been an accountant for three years said that he wants to upgrade to a Creta from the present minisuv he is currently driving.

“After driving the second-hand SUV for long, I think it’s about time to treat myself and the minimalist design of the creta is just the tip of the iceberg as to why I’ve chosen it as my dream car,” he explained that Hyundai’s newest icon is at the top of his list of possible choices to replace his current vehicle.

And with its SRP prices starting at PHP998,000 to 1,332,000- By the looks of it, the Creta will be a top-tier choice for local buyers. There’s no doubt that Hyundai’s newest sensation will be the cherry on top to the South Korean Chaebol’s newest line of vehicles to reintroduce the brand to Filipino consumers.

No doubt, from single gals and adventurous boys living their best life in the city to small families taking nightly dinner joyrides, the Creta will be an amazing choice!

Geely, Renault Group sign pact to take powertrain tech to greater heights

GEELY and the Renault Group have signed a non-binding framework agreement to create a new global leader to develop, manufacture and supply best-in-class hybrid powertrains and highly efficient ICE powertrains.

Under the framework agreement, Geely and Renault Group will hold respective 50-50 equity stakes in the new company.

The new company will be a standalone global supplier of propulsion system solutions,

producing next generation hybrid propulsion systems, and developing carbon free and low-emission technologies from five global R&D centers. At launch, the new company is expected to supply multiple industrial customers including Renault, Dacia, Geely Auto, Volvo Cars, Lynk & Co, Proton, and also Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Company.

In future, the partnership could also offer powertrain technologies to third-party car

brands.

The new company is planned to operate 17 powertrain plants in 3 continents, employing around 19,000 people in total. It will have a combined capacity of over 5 million

internal combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines and transmissions per year, supplying over 130 countries and regions.

The new company’s joint product portfolio and regional footprint could offer solutions for 80% of the global ICE market.

News of this agreement has coincided with a Renault Group Capital Market Day in Paris, at which the Group has outlined a range of initiatives to speed-up its transformation and

shared its mid-term financial outlook.

The new company will welcome partners and shareholders attracted by the opportunity to contribute to industry-leading “cradle-tograve” low and zero emission ecosystems worldwide.

This framework agreement is expected to lead to a formal combination in 2023. Further details of the new entity are expected to be announced over coming months.

Tech & Gadgets

WiFi Mesh vs. WiFi repeater: Which eliminates dead spots at home better?

SOCIAL media management firm

Hootsuite has recorded 76 million internet users in the Philippines this year, as more people go for a hybrid setup for school or work. That is why a speedy and steady internet connection remains a must for every household.

However, there may be times when your internet connection weakens or slows down at the expense of your activities. It’s mostly due to the distance of your devices from the router or the thick walls interfering with the passage of signal from the router, which may result to dead spots.

To improve your WiFi connection at home, a quick Google search may lead you to using WiFi enhancers —but with another dilemma: between a WiFi Mesh and a WiFi repeater, which one will work better for your needs?

But first... what are WiFi dead spots?

Before deciding on a purchase, it’s important to identify the exact WiFi issue you’re experiencing at home. It’s one thing to experience some slowdown given the too many devices connecting and using up the bandwidth all at once. It’s another to lose internet signal altogether just by moving to an area at home farthest from the router.

The latter makes an example of a WiFi dead spot, or a place where your home internet connection is at its weakest. The common cause is the router placement, especially with thick walls and floors reducing the ability of your WiFi signal to pass through.

WiFi Mesh System vs. WiFi repeater

Both WiFi Mesh and WiFi repeater can help increase the WiFi area coverage at home and get rid of dead spots. The way one does the magic, however, differs from the other.

A WiFi repeater extends your router’s signal by creating a separate WiFi network that then wirelessly grabs the incoming data from the original network. While it does the job at a rather budget-friendly rate (a basic repeater unit can go as low as under P1,000), there are a couple of downsides to it.

First, since a repeater merely grabs the data and rebroadcasts the wireless signal, you don’t get as much bandwidth. Hence, expect the internet connection on your devices to get slower.

Then, there’s also the hassle of having to set up each individual repeater and its respective wireless network. You’ll also have to manually connect each device to every secondary network closest to you as you move through different areas at home. Worse, if you have a relatively larger

house with many walls and floors, you’ll need to set up and connect to as many repeater units as possible. Meanwhile, a WiFi Mesh works like a second router, creating another access point within the original WiFi network. Thus, a set of multiple mesh devices or a WiFi Mesh System works like one single network connection —enabling the same speed and quality of connection in areas installed with the devices. And since a mesh node already widens the coverage of the already-existing WiFi network, you don’t need to manually connect your device to it. In general, the more WiFi Mesh devices installed inside your home, the more stable your connection would be, even in areas that used to be dead spots. What is the best WiFi Mesh model to get?

A high-quality WiFi Mesh goes a long way in improving your productivity at home. When it comes to picking a model, choosing between the WiFi 5 Mesh or WiFi 6 Mesh is a matter of what you and your family really need.

WiFi 6 ensures faster overall speeds and greater bandwidth, allowing you to connect to multiple devices smoothly anywhere at home. This works well with newer high-end WiFi 6-compatible devices such as smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, and basically any smart device that came out in 2019 and beyond. Thus, it makes a great option for smart, automated homes that need to stay connected all day. If you’re on a budget, WiFi 5 similarly provides seamless connectivity and coverage. As a cheaper alternative to the WiFi 6, it works better with older devices or those released before 2019.

Still, there might be no need to split hairs on which gadget you should invest in. Focus on the goal: eliminate dead spots at home stat with a WiFi Mesh system. The more advanced WiFi 6 or the more affordable WiFi 5, either model will do the job for you just fine—so that you can do your job and spend better bonding moments with your family as fast and seamless as possible.

Esports committed to fair play, transparency: 68% of esports pros against cheating to win

A RECENT Kaspersky survey revealed that professional gamers stand for fair play and competition.

According to the study, 68% of esports pros agree that using cheats is inappropriate, even if it means their team can win. Survey results also show that cheating can even cause negative emotions in gamers—86% of professional players admit they get angry when another player obviously cheats. In addition, 76% of pro gamers believe that using cheats or loopholes just shows that a player is not good enough to win honestly.

According to various surveys, cheating is not unusual in the gaming world. According to the recent study commissioned by Omdia “Cheating, hacking, piracy and esports: critical steps needed to protect the industry.”, 81% of respondents flagged cheating or hacking in esports as either a ‘major’ or ‘moderate’ concern.

Kaspersky’s data revealed that most of the professional gaming community stands for fair play. In particular, 68% of esports pros don’t recognize cheats as a suitable method of winning. And 86% of professional gamers say that they become very angry when other

players clearly cheat.

Besides, esports pros believe that the use of cheats and loopholes discredits gaming qualities and achievements.

According to research data, a majority (76%) of professional gamers be-

lieve that using cheats and loopholes shows that a player’s skills are not good enough to win fairly.

Moreover, the professional gaming community believes that the industry must do more to stop cheaters. Almost all

esports pros (92%) believe that game providers should do more to prevent players from using cheats in their games.

“Cheating can negatively affect the performance of gamers’ computers, or cause data and gaming assets leaks. Such scenarios can happen because cheats often contain malicious files and programs. Besides, cheating creates a trust issue between gamers, game providers, and platforms. Gamers are not happy when someone has an illegal advantage over honest players and expect game manufacturers and platforms to create conditions for fair play,” comments Marina Titova, Vice-President, Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky.

In order to maintain the high level of performance and security of the system, Kaspersky recommends the following:

A strong, reliable security solution would be a great help to you, especially if it won’t slow down your computer while you’re playing. But at the same time, it will protect you from every possible cyberthreat.

It’s safer to buy games on official sites only and wait for the sales—they regularly take place, so you won’t be sitting on your hands for long.

GLOBE’S IT solutions company, Yondu, is now a select partner of Cisco, a worldwide leader in IT and networking.

The partnership enables Globe, through Yondu, to expand its product offerings for Managed Networks—a complete connectivity solution that consists of routing, switching, and wireless solutions and Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SDWAN) services.

“We are excited to offer world-class solutions from Cisco to our enterprise clients to help them scale in this digital economy, especially now that a stable internet is critical for the evolving workplace. This partnership can give them increased connectivity, mobility, and flexibility without the need for equipment set-up and maintenance,” said Joan Penaflorida, Yondu CEO.

“Cisco’s market leadership and products complement Globe’s goal of providing managed network services that allow businesses to increase their productivity and simplify IT operations. With Cisco as Yondu’s partner, we can now add Cisco cloudmanaged network and security capabilities and functionalities in our portfolio to serve our enterprise customers better,” said Chris Cheng, Vice President for Connectivity and Digital Products for Globe Business, Enterprise Group.

Cisco Meraki is a reliable indoor & outdoor connectivity solution that can help businesses in building a resilient network and boosting productivity.

Globe Managed Networks provide end-to-end managed services for businesses— from scoping, design, and evaluation to implementation, testing, and maintenance of the entire network.

They provide hassle-free implementation by utilizing Yondu’s pool of IT network experts and engineers to design and manage complex networks for companies. With the same in-house experts operating our established Network Operations Center at scale, Globe helps unburden enterprises with its daily IT operations so they can focus on more important tasks.

Businesses also have the opportunity to access Globe’s 24x7 Service Helpdesk to assist them with their concerns.

Learn more about the best IT solutions for your business by visiting https://www. yondu.com/.

SmarTrade celebrates 5 years of helping Filipinos gain financial independence

SINCE its foundation in 2017, SmarTrade has been steadfast in providing world-class financial education to Filipinos willing to learn about online trading as an investment opportunity and a way to create another income stream.

In the past five years, SmarTrade has trained thousands of Filipinos by offering free learning sessions and one-on-one coaching, as well as holding roadshows in cities across the country including Cebu, Davao, and La Union. Even with the pandemic, SmarTrade found a way to continue servicing its clients by rolling out online learning sessions when everything was in lockdown.

To date, SmarTrade’s learning sessions have reached 36,332 participants from 566 locations nationwide. The company has conducted 1,069 inperson learning sessions and 547 webinars.

“We would like to see Filipinos have the financial freedom they deserve,” says Joyce Mayo, President and CEO of SmarTrade. “Our advocacy is to promote financial literacy and thereby contribute to nation-building and set many lives for more growth by having an additional income stream through online trading.

“Our role is to educate and equip Filipinos with the skills they need to make smarter trading deci-

sions because we believe that education is the key when it comes to trading. We also partnered with ATFX, an award-winning global broker to make sure that what we teach can be carried out in the most efficient and reliable platform for our clients,” adds Mayo.

Guiding ‘SmarTraders’ in their trading journey are coaches with years of experience in the trading industry. Among them is Gab Santos, a Market Analyst with expertise in Gold, FX currency and oil; and highly-skilled in technical and fundamental analysis. He won first place at the ATFX Southeast Asia 2021 Trading Competition.

Still in line with its goal of taking part in nationbuilding, SmarTrade embarks on yearly relief programs, environmental preservation activities, and social welfare projects. These include the coral reef restoration in Panglao, Bohol; coastal cleanup efforts; gift-giving programs; and covid and disaster response.

Like the communities it serves, SmarTrade also takes care of its internal community, its human resource, by creating a work environment that fosters openness, transparency, and empowerment. Regular mentoring with management and health and wellness activities and seminars are among the

To know more about SmarTrade and its services, visit www.smartradeph.com.

More than providing reliable connectivity, PLDT Home’s WiFi Mesh devices also have your quality family moments covered

Kaspersky’s data revealed that most of the professional gaming community stands for fair play.

SmarTrade coaches with (front) ATFX CEO for Southeast Asia Jeff Hsu, SmarTrade President and CEO

Joyce Mayo, and ATFX Vice President for Southeast Asia Norris Li. company’s programs for the employees.

When it comes to hiring people, SmarTrade believes that equal opportunities should be given to everyone as long as they have the drive and dedication to succeed in their work, regardless of their gender, religion, or being specially abled. This is yet another way the company is able to contribute to nation-building.

“There is more to look forward to as SmarTrade gears up for bigger transformations in the years to come. SmarTrade will continue to build a fair and transparent trading community and an environment that promotes open opportunities for every learner,” says Mayo.