Manila Standard - 2022 November 16 - Wednesday

US to expand facilities in PH

Eyes 5 more military areas on top of other projects under EDCA

THE United States is interested in building five more facilities in the country under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro said.

Bacarro said these include—sub ject to vetting--two possible sites in Cagayan, one in Palawan, one in Zambales, and one in Isabela.

Finalized after eight rounds of talks in August 2013, the EDCA which was signed in 2014 allows US troops access to designated Philip pine military facilities, the right to build facilities, and preposition

equipment, aircraft, and vessels, but rules out permanent basing.

Under the EDCA, the Phil ippine government is work ing with the United States to build the future facilities in Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampan ga; Fort Magsaysay

PBBM leaves today for APEC Summit set in Thailand

By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will travel to Bangkok, Thailand on Wednes day, Nov. 16, to join other world leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Coopera tion (APEC) Summit.

The Palace said the President tested negative for COVID-19, after he had come in contact with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who had tested positive at the Group of 20 meetings in Bali, Indonesia.

“The President had himself tested as part of the health

DOJ serves subpoenas to Bantag, Zulueta et al. over Mabasa killing

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Department of Justice served a subpoena to suspended Bureau of Cor rections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag on Tuesday, in connection with his al leged involvement in the killing of broadcast commentator Percival Ma basa also known as Percy Lapid.

“The subpoena was served to the last

known address of Bantag in Caloocan,” Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Charlie Guhit said in a text message to reporters. But he added that the barangay cap tain told the process server that Bantag no longer stayed at that address after his appointment to BuCor.

Guhit said the subpoena against Ban tag, who was tagged as the mastermind in Mabasa’s killing, was deemed served.

DOH for extended calamity state if health emergency bill not OK’d

DOH

By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz

Speaker raises P70.92m for disaster victims to mark 59th birthday

By Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano

Reports

BIR chief, CAAP head, DOH Usec. named

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Dr. Eric Tayag as new under secretary of the Department of Health and tax lawyer Romeo Lumagui Jr. as com missioner of the Bureau of Internal Rev enue (BIR).

An infectious disease specialist, Tayag was previously DOH spokesman, an as sistant secretary under the Aquino III ad ministration, and most recently the head of the agency’s Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service.

By Willie Casas

The

“The option really is for us to extend

By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez

THE administration of President Ferdi nand R. Marcos Jr. is confident it will be able to bring down the country’s pov erty rate by half to nine percent by 2028.

According to Socioeconomic Plan ning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, the nine-percent goal by 2028 will be ac complished by bringing growth to a higher level, enhancing the quality of growth through the creation of quality jobs, and improving the social protec tion system, among others.

The Marcos administration will present the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 to 2028 next month,

A BABY girl born in the City of Ma nila early Tuesday is among the new borns symbolizing being the 8 bil lionth person in the world.

baby, identified as Vinice Ma bansag, was born at Dr. Jose Fabella

Gov’t sees rate of poverty down to 9% in 2028

Manila newborn one of world’s 8 billionth babies

THE Department of Health (DOH) will recommend extending the state of ca lamity for COVID-19 in the country for next year should Congress reject its pro posed bill on a public health emergency.

officer-in-charge Maria Rosa rio Vergeire said they will urge the Of fice of the President to extend anew the state of calamity, which is set to expire on December 31.

SPEAKER Martin Romualdez turned his birthday celebration Monday night into an opportunity to help, raising P70.92 million in cash and pledges for disaster victims, with victims of a recent fire in Navotas City as the first beneficiaries.

said at least five persons died, while two others were injured in a fire that razed a residential area in Navotas on Mon day evening.

MILESTONE BIRTH. Maria Villorente cuddles Baby Vinice, the symbolic 8 billionth human in the world, at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila past 1 a.m. Tuesday. Norman Cruz

DAZZLING LIGHTS. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto share a light moment during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the city hall complex. Manny Palmero

BIRTHDAY FOR A CAUSE.

Speaker Martin Romualdez turns over to Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco P5 million in cash and 500 rice packs -- raised during his birthday Monday evening -- to help the victims of a fire that razed a residential area in Navotas City. Photo shows residents looking for usable materials that can still be salvaged from their gutted homes. Ver Noveno and Norman Cruz

Dr. Eric Tayag

Romeo Lumagui Jr.

NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. The house of suspended prisons chief Gerald Bantag in Tamban Street, Caloocan City where a personnel of the Department of Justice served a subpoena in connection to the murder of broadcaster Percival Mabasa on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Danny Pata

Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan De Oro; Antonio Bautista Airbase in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

The DND said $66.5 million has been earmarked for construction in three of these—training facilities and warehouses in Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Cagayan de Oro—scheduled to begin in 2023.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Ando

long, in a statement Tuesday, said the DND is committed to accelerate the EDCA by concluding infrastructure enhancement and repair projects, and developing new infrastructure pro jects at existing EDCA locations.

This also includes exploring new lo cations that will build a more credible mutual defense posture.

DND officer-in-charge Undersecre tary Jose Faustino Jr. said these EDCA sites are only “training facilities and warehouses.”

“We already have five EDCA agreed locations and there are ongo

ing projects now and for the next two years, the concentration will be on the completion of the projects within EDCA during the MDB-SEB (Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board) held in Hawaii. There were some additional EDCA sites being considered,” he added.

Faustino said these still have to go through the process, which includes making sure they adhere to constitu tional provisions.

Andolong added that the DND re mains consistent in its position that all engagements with the US as well

as other foreign partners must be con ducted in accordance with the Consti tution and other national laws.

“The Department is focused on plan ning joint activities that will enable us to develop our individual and joint capacity to address current security challenges in line with the implement ing details provided by Philippines-US defense agreements anchored on the MDT. With the progress in Fort Mag saysay, Basa Air Base, and Antonio Bautista Air Base (in Palawan), the de partment hopes to be able to complete other pending projects,” Andolong said.

Bantag’s lawyer, Rocky Balisong, insisted that his client is not hiding and is only staying in Baguio.

“He is just here in the Philippines. He is not hiding. There is no reason for him to hide. There is no warrant of ar rest issued against him,” Balisong said in a television interview with ANC.

“In fact, we are just waiting for the subpoena to be served so he can sub mit his counter-affidavit on the charg es filed against him. We are willing to have it received here in Baguio.”

protocol for the APEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand,” Cheloy Garafil, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary, said.

“He also instructed members of the official delegation to Cambodia to have themselves tested,” he added.

The President wished the Cambodi an prime minister a speedy recovery.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said the chief executive would fo cus on food security, energy security and climate change mitigation in his meeting with fellow leaders at the APEC Summit.

This will be the first time the Presi dent will attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM), which runs until Nov 19.

It will also be the first in-person meeting of the leaders of the APEC economies since the COVID-19 pan demic hit in early 2020.

In the summit, the President will join world leaders in various dialogues and will hold bilateral talks with other heads of state on the sidelines of the AELM.

The President, who attended the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits last week, considers both ASEAN and APEC as vital platforms in advancing the country’s interests and positions before world leaders.

The APEC serves as the premier AsiaPacific economic forum established in 1989 with the primary goal of support ing sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

APEC’s 21 member-economies are home to more than 2.9 billion people and make up over 60 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP).

APEC membership includes Aus tralia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, the Russian Federa tion, Singapore, Chinese-Taipei, Thai land and the United States of America.

the state of calamity or file another bill that only has a little content and is only specific to our requirements if the state of calamity will not be extended,” she said in a press briefing Tuesday.

The Department has urged lawmak ers to pass the Public Health Emergency for Emerging and Reemerging Disease Bill and a measure that would establish the Philippine Center for Disease Pre vention and Control.

“Part of those bills would be that even though there is no state of calamity declaration or public health emergency declaration, we can still continue on to implement our vaccination program,” Vergeire said.

“We can still do expedited pro curement. We can still do the other things we are doing right now for this pandemic.”

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Tuesday backed the appeal of Tourism Secre tary Christina Garcia-Frasco to local officials through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to lift entry restrictions on travelers that they had enforced in their respective lo cal government units (LGUs) since the pandemic broke in 2020.

“Keeping the restrictions on the entry of travelers or tourists up to now defeats the purpose of Executive Order (EO) No. 7, which President Marcos had is sued to further relax anti-Covid health and travel protocols nationwide as part of accelerated government efforts to fully open the economy and rev up the once flourishing tourism sector into an engine of post-pandemic high growth,” Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte said EO 7 will be rendered useless if international travelers or tour ists would finally be enticed anew to go to the Philippines, “only to end up being saddled, upon their arrival in the national capital or elsewhere, with trou blesome entry requirements in the local places they want to visit.”

“How can Malacañang Palace and

the DOT (Department of Tourism) con vincingly tell the rest of the world that the Philippines is truly open for busi ness and for tourists if the burdensome travel protocols that were put up as part of the anti-Covid lockdowns or mobility restrictions are still in place?” he said.

In March 2020, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 922, which declared a state of pub lic health emergency in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In September, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., two months after he took office, extended the state of calamity throughout the country until the end of the year.

Since the pandemic began, the Phil ippines has tallied some four million coronavirus infections, of which some 64,000 led to deaths.

As of Nov. 14, the country has 19,821 active COVID-19 cases.

According to a report, Garcia-Frasco told members of the Filipino commu nity during a recent dialogue in London that she was in talks with the DILG on withdrawing local travel restrictions that continue to be enforced by LGUs.

Frasco was quoted as saying: “We’re currently working with the DILG for the purpose of ensuring that any and all re strictions individually implemented by LGUs nationwide are lifted so that we have a national policy as far as the entry of tourists is concerned. The national policy being to welcome our friends and family back into the Philippines.”

Villafuerte, the president of the Na tional Unity Party (NUP), said: “it is nice to know that we are starting to see a turnaround in our tourism business, with the number of arrivals hitting 1.9 million at the start of November, or higher than this year’s official target of 1.7 million and 2021’s total arrivals of 1.4 million.”

“But there is really no room for com placency here when one considers that our regional rivals, like Thailand, for instance, already had 7 million tourists as of October, and expects its visitor ar rivals to reach a total of 10 million by end-December,” he said.

“We certainly have no way of catch

ing up, much less overtake our ASEAN competitors for tourists when we con tinue to have barriers like cumbersome local-travel requirements that naturally turn off prospective visitors.”

He said the downward trend in infec tion rates should help convince LGU officials to heed the appeal of GarciaFrasco for them to do away with what ever inbound travel rules remain in their respective localities.

Citing a report by the independent OCTA Research Group, Villafuerte said the Covid-19 positivity rate in the Na tional Capital Region (NCR) was down to 7.5 percent early this week from the week-ago 8.12 percent, or the lowest in the region since the 14.6 rate in July.

The positivity rate is the percent age of people found Covid-positive from among the total number of in dividuals tested for the coronavirus at a given time.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David was quoted in a report as say ing: “I am confident that the downward trend will continue because our fellow Filipinos more or less know how to pro tect themselves from the virus, which allows us to keep our businesses and economy open.”

David reportedly projected the posi tivity rate in NCR to further fall by end-November to less than 5%, which is the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Villafuerte said the lifting of entry curbs for overseas and local travelers in all areas of the country would be the best way to carry out President Marcos’ view that the government should start treating Covid-19 not as an emergency but as something that has to be managed in the long term like flu and pneumonia.

Relaxed health protocols support the President’s belief, as stated in his Oct. 20 speech before the 48th Philippine Business Conference and Exposition (PBC&E), that for the country to open up businesses, we need to “get away from the emergency stance of the DOH … (and) make the Philippines more hospitable to travelers, both business and tourists.”

“We are going to coordinate with the DOJ on how they will treat the serving of the subpoena at the last known ad dress. If that is the interpretation that it is considered served, then we will take it from there,” Balisong added.

Guhit, however, said they have no information about where in Baguio City Bantag was staying.

He said the National Bureau of In vestigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) must provide a new address before the DOJ can issue another subpoena to Bantag.

Murder complaints have been filed against Bantag, BuCor Senior Supt. Ricardo Zulueta, and others over the killing of Mabasa and an alleged mid dleman in the slay plot, New Bili bid Prison inmate Cristito Villamor Palaña a.k.a. Jun Villamor.

Bantag has denied involvement in the killings and refused to surrender.

Prosecutor General Benedicto Mal contento said the hearing is set for Nov. 23, Wednesday at 9 a.m. and Dec. 5, Monday at 1 p.m.

Also subpoenaed were BuCor Dep uty Security Officer Ricardo Zulueta and four inmates.

The DOJ previously said evidence prompted the filing of murder charges against Bantag, contrary to his claim that he is being persecuted to ease him out of office.

“Nobody wanted the evidence to point to Bantag. It was not good news when the evidence started to point to the respond ents,” DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano said in a press briefing on Friday.

Meanwhile, Senator Ronald dela Rosa dismissed speculation that the PNP and NBI connived to pin the murder on Ban tag and to cover up the real mastermind. He said this was “very impossible” because both investigative agencies were professional.

Dela Rosa spoke to CNN Philip pines, which asked him to comment on Bantag’s statement that he would surrender only if Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla steps down for alleg edly bungling the investigation into Mabasa’s murder.

The senator also said no need for a Senate investigation into the death of the broadcaster.

economy and more sustainable, af fordable, and livable residential ar eas in the next six years.

Balisacan noted after his meeting with the President to discuss the sixyear roadmap.

“It will come out next month and we al ready briefed him on what the major ele ments… the key elements of those plans, and he provided comments, suggestions moving forward,” said Balisacan, who heads the National Economic and Devel opment Authority (NEDA).

Meanwhile, Balisacan said bringing down the poverty rate from the current 18.1 percent – translating to nearly 20 million Filipinos or one-fifth of the population – is achievable amid global headwinds and the challenges of a faster inflation rate.

“But associated with that would be the generation of not just more jobs but higher quality jobs. And those two, growth and jobs and paying attention to social protec tion to address shocks like typhoons and crises… to enable us to achieve a faster reduction of poverty from where it is to day to a single digit, at nine percent actu ally,” Balisacan said in a meeting.

The PDP sets the government’s eight-point program and contains targets and actionable plans that will help the country pursue a greener

The Chief Executive earlier noted the GDP displaying a rebound growth rate of 5.7-percent in 2021 and a 7.8-percent aver age growth rate for the first half of 2022.

Balisacan expressed confidence there is a reason for optimism as the Philip pines’ rapid growth recovery is firming up despite global headwinds.

The country’s poverty incidence was at 18.1% in 2021, according to the Phil ippine Statistics Authority in a state ment last August. This translates to 19.99 million poor Filipinos.

The other targets set under the 2022-2028 Medium-Term Fiscal Framework include: - 6.5-7.5 % real GDP growth in 2022; - 6.5-8% real GDP growth annually between 2023 to 2028;

- 3% national government deficit to Gross Domestic Product ratio by 2028; - less than 60% national government debt-to-GDP ratio by 2025; and - at least $4,256 gross national in come per capita to attain upper middle income status.

The President emphasized that the plan “should address the concerns of the de velopment... of the local markets. Which is correct, ensuring that they receive the same assistance,” Balisacan pointed out.

butions and pledges and in-kind donations such as blankets, food items, and toiletries from lawmakers and private entities for its Tropical Storm “Paeng” relief drive.

Lumagui, on the other hand, took his oath on Tuesday, November 15. He previ ously served as deputy commissioner of the BIR before his latest appointment.

Also, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has administered the oath of Manuel Antonio Tamayo as Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Tamayo is a licensed pilot with 42 years of experience in the aviation in

dustry, owing to his flying prowess with the Philippine Air Force (PAF) where he started his flying career. He graduated in 1975 from the PAF Flying School.

The Palace has yet to release the ap pointment papers of Tayag -- known for dancing to promote the agency’s cam paigns -- as of press time, but DOH offic er-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire con firmed his new position in the agency.

“We received the transmittal of his appointment yesterday. He has not tak en his oath yet. We are still scheduling [it]. So, he has not assumed the position yet,” she said.

Tayag’s duties as health undersecretary are still being discussed, Vergeire added. According to the Palace, Lumagui was designated to various posts and func tions, including technical assistant to the commissioner as well as tax fraud head for Revenue Region No. 6, Manila; Rev enue Region No. 4, Pampanga; and Rev enue Region No. 7B, East NCR.

Lumagui was also assigned to the pro ject management and implementation service, which develops and oversees the implementation of the overall reform or modernization program of the BIR. Vince Lopez and Willie Casas

garette Villorente, said she is happy that her daughter is considered as the world’s “8th billion baby.”

Memorial Hospital at 1:29 a.m. yesterday.

“We just witnessed the world’s 8th billion baby in the Philippines. So we waited around two hours starting 11 p.m. last (Monday) night and the baby was delivered at around 1:29 a.m., nor mal spontaneous delivery,” said the hospital’s chief medical professional staff, Dr. Romeo Bituin.

Baby Vinice’s mother, Maria Mar

Commission on Population and De velopment’s (POPCOM) chief admin istrative officer Lyneth Therese Mon salve said they are hoping that Baby Vinice will be a symbol of development in the future.

“We are looking at particularly the local government units for the possible interventions that they have to give for these babies and the coming other ba bies for that matter in terms of health,

materials for road clearing operations.

education, then housing when they grow up,” she said.

According to POPCOM, the popu lation in the Philippines is growing slower with a 1.9 fertility rate in 2022, which means a mother gives birth to less than two babies only.

This is lower compared to the 2.7 fer tility rate in 2017.

The lower fertility rate is attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pan demic and the growing knowledge of Filipinos about family planning, ac cording to the report.

Romualdez, who turned 59, on Tues day turned over to Navotas Lone Dis trict Rep. Tobias Tiangco P5 million in cash to help the fire victims. The Speak er will also send 500 packs of rice, each consisting of 5 kilos, for distribution to the Navotas fire victims.

Meanwhile, under the Speaker’s lead ership, the House of Representatives was able to raise P49.2 million in cash contri

In a related development, about 2,398 families affected by Paeng in Magu indanao and Antique have been served with clean water by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

In Maguindanao this week, the 28man MMDA team served the villages of Pandi, Penditen, Kusiong Sitio Mandalay Badak, Kusiong Tinabon, Kusiong Sitio Mandalay, Sitio Tinabon, Igdalaquit, Ka

kar, Kusiong Sitio Tinabon, Tapian Sitio Tuka, Villafont, Buenavista, Sefegefen Sitio Kisufa, Dagurao Sitio Tenongol, Rempes Sitio Dela Fuente, Kusiong Pi nutulan, Kusiong Proper, Kusiong Sitio Malanday, Kusiong Sitio Bual Badak, and Kusiong Sitio Pinutulan.

In Antique, the team also delivered clean water to barangays Igdalaquit, Villafont, and Buenavista.

The MMDA brought with them 40 units of portable water purification sys tems, which have the capacity of filtering 180 gallons of water per hour, and some

Also related to Paeng, Romualdez said he would rather make changes to the 2023 national budget pending before the Senate than pass a supplemental budget to help those affected by Paeng.

“The supplemental budget is a very formal process... Just specifically for Paeng, it might actually be more ex pedient to just use the current setup of what we have in terms of the budget and to actually effect the release,” Romual dez told reporters on Tuesday.

He expressed his gratitude to his guests

led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos, former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senior House Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos, friends, and his fellow law makers for gracing the occasion.

Earlier, he appealed to family, friends, and colleagues that instead of sending gifts, well-wishers consider donating to his Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Initiative.

PNP seizes 8k guns, P9.7b drugs since July

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it has confiscated some 8,000 loose firearms across the country over the past three months in an unrelenting drive against criminality.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., in a statement, said the seizures of un licensed firearms were made through checkpoints and anti-drug operations nationwide, conducted from July to Oc tober 8 this year.

Azurin said the PNP also seized antiprohibited drugs worth P9.7 billion and

arrested 22,646 drug suspects in an in tensified campaign since President Ferdi nand Marcos Jr. assumed office last July.

He said the operations also resulted in the arrest of 2,471 people who are currently facing charges of violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Com prehensive Firearms and Ammunition

Regulation Act.

PNP records showed a total of 8,255 loose firearms were either recovered, surrendered, or confiscat ed, with additional 4,895 guns of various calibers voluntarily turned in for police safekeeping.

Azurin directed all police officers nationwide to sustain their campaign against loose firearms and lawless ele ments.

“I have directed all police offi cers around the country to sustain their campaign against loose firearms and other lawless elements of society to keep the streets safe from criminals, especially this holiday season. One fire

Jinggoy eyes 50 kgs. monthly rice subsidy for policemen

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Jinggoy Estrada wants to increase the rice allowance of policemen from 20 kilos to 50 kilos a month.

“Can we not increase it to 50 kilos per month? Are we capable of doing this?” Estrada inquired during the Senate deliberation of the proposed 2023 budget of the Philippine Na tional Police (PNP).

“We’ll look into that at the prop er time,” replied Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, Senate Finance Committee chairperson.

Earlier, Estrada questioned how much is the cost of this rice subsidy per month.

“Is this allowance clearly indicated in the payslip of the PNP?” Estrada asked.

Angara said the 20 kilos amount to P650 per month per policeman.

A surprised Estrada then blurted out, “So this isn’t a sack of rice?”

“How much is one cavan of rice? P2,000?”

He then inquired if the rice subsidy was being given monthly or quar terly.

Estrada also asked on the total

number of policemen throughout the country, how many are assigned in the field and how many are doing administrative work.

According to Angara, 180,000 of the 226,000 PNP police force are assigned outside.

He said this represents 85 percent of the PNP’s man power compo nent.

The amount of P1.662 billion, he said, is allocated for rice subsidy of the PNP, and equivalent to 20 kilos of rice per month in the form of financial assistance to the uniformed personnel of the PNP.

BoC overshoots 2022 tax collection target as of November

By Vito Barcelo

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has al ready exceeded its 2022 tax collection target as early as November, muster ing an unprecedented P745.50 billion, reaching the agency’s highest annual collection to date.

Based on the bureau’s data, all 17 collection districts of the agency also hit their respective collection targets, garnering a surplus of 16.8 percent or P103.29 billion as of October 31.

The amount, which was recorded as early as Nov 11, was already 3.27 percent or P23.98 billion more than this year’s target of P721. 5 billion.

The collected revenue this year also surpassed pre-pandemic tax take, which was at P630.31 billion back in 2019.

Last year, the BOC collection stood at P645.765 billion while its 2020 collection amounted to P539.660.

“Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz led the BOC in achieving

the remarkable feat through the stringent implementation of his priority programs to curb smuggling and corruption, optimize revenue collection, and digitalize and enhance customs operations,” the BOC said.

Ruiz has also streamlined customs processes to ease bottlenecks and promote local and international investments and efficient trade facilitation while preventing revenue leakages through heightened border security measures.

arm confiscated can be equated to a mini mum of one life saved,” he said.

Forty-six suspects were killed during these operations, Azurin said.

The police chief bared that the PNP has partnered with the religious sector in an attempt to peacefully bring down the drugs incidents at the commu nity level.

Azurin also acknowledged the President’s full support for the PNP’s “more focused holistic approach” to stop illegal drugs and criminality, which signifies the government’s commi ment to put in place mechanisms to improve the country’s peace and order situation.

According to Azurin, the entire PNP remains steadfast in the implementation of the anti-illegal drugs programs of the government aimed at ensuring that Fili pinos everywhere can “enjoy a peaceful society and embrace a greater sense of security by sustaining vigilant trust and confidence in law enforcers.”

In an interview last month, Phil ippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) spokesman Derrick Carre on said the Philippines is now in a “good situation” in terms of comba ing the illegal drug menace as more areas in the country are now drug cleared as the government implements a holistic approach.

Strengthen maritime security amid territorial conflict in WPS—Group

A THINK tank group has called on the national government to strengthen the country’s maritime security “amid the rising and continuous non-traditional conflicts among states.”

Prof. Dindo Manhit, president of the Stratbase ADR Institute, noted that the Philippines is “in a strategic location and security challenges have evolved through time.” He lamented however that the Philippines’ “ civil maritime capability is lagging behind.”

“It’s not simply traditional. I always used the term asymmetric—it is not what is in front of you. You see fishing boats; you see harassment by Chinese coast guards in our territory. That’s not war,” Manhit stressed.

“But that’s actually coercion of our people, coercion of our fisher folks. Then the overfishing, that might be affecting our own marine resources. That is basically stealing from the resources of another nation - That’s actual war. But there’s no bombing, there’s no killing,” he added.

“We all know it’s part of what we call their aggression based on the strategies of the gray zone—there is no actual conflict, but there’s

already conflict. They are what we call non-traditional conflicts and we seem to have lost our edge there because we are not ready to confront them,” Manhit argued.

According to him, there is a need to empower the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fisheries, and the Philippine Navy. He also batted for the strengthening of inter-agency coordination to protect the country’s coast and economic zone.

“We believe that in Stratbase ADR Institute, we live in a rules-based international order. And that rule of law, the international rule of law, makes a country, a small country like the Philippines, equal to bigger countries like China. It defines what is our economic zone, exclusive economic zone. It defines what is our sovereign territory,” he explained.

Manhit also urged the government to strengthen relations with state allies beyond China and the United States.

“This is what I believe is a truly independent foreign policy, when you engage other countries and not limit yourself to either the China way or the American way.”

SC asked to issue TRO on BSKE postponement

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court (SC) is being urged to immediately issue a temporary re straining order or status quo ante order enjoining the implementation of Repub lic Act 11935 which mandates the post ponement of the conduct of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) from December of this year to October 2023.

In his four-page motion, lawyer Romu lo Macalintal stressed the SC should is sue the TRO and compel the Comelec to proceed with the preparations for the BSKE noted the admission of the Com mission on Elections through its counsel, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), to remove the practice of postponing ba rangay elections, which in the process, extending the term of barangay officials.

Macalintal said the OSG admitted if the issues are not properly addressed, this could undermine the holding of a free, or derly, and credible barangay election.

The petitioner argued that the election should push through considering that the poll body had already spent P1 billion of the P8.5 billion budget for barangay elec tions, aside from the five million ballots already printed.

“Thus, there is the compelling need to direct respondent Comelec to re sume its preparations for the conduct of the BSKE to make it logistically possible for the poll body to hold the said elections in May 2022 in the event that the instant petition is granted,” Macalintal said.

The SC earlier heard the parties in the petition in an oral argument held last October.

HB seeks to stop spread of illegal items in prisons

FOLLOWING the confiscation of thou sands of contraband items at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers on Tuesday said he has filed a bill that seeks to put an end to the pro liferation of prohibited objects or items inside all correctional and detention fa cilities nationwide.

“The series of events, whereby thou sands of contrabands, including shabu, were confiscated inside the NBP, and the discovery of a middleman inmate who used a cellphone to hire gunmen to kill Percy Lapid, have prompted me to craft a measure that would address this serious problem in our prison institutions,” the chair of the House Committee on Dan gerous Drugs said in a statement.

“The proliferation of contraband in prison has remained a perennial problem in the country. Its never-ending presence inside the correctional facilities has now transformed our prison institutions into breeding grounds for continuing crimi nality,” Barbers added.

House Bill (HB) No. 6126, or the AntiProliferation of Contraband in Prison Act of 2022, was filed by Barbers on Monday.

In filing the bill, the veteran lawmaker from Mindanao said it is very alarming that persons who are supposed to be serv ing their sentences behind bars, still have the liberty to access gambling materi als, dangerous drugs and deadly weap ons, and can even use communication devices to continue their criminal activi ties outside of prison jails.

“What is happening right now in our correctional institutions runs counter to very foundations of our criminal justice system that mandates punishment, refor mation and/or rehabilitation of offenders for their crimes,” he said.

Remulla to UN: Justice system in PH ‘working’

Rey E. Requejo

DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has declared before the United Nations Human Rights Council that the Philippine criminal justice system is working, citing the speedy investigation and filing of cases against the respondents in the October 3 killing of veteran radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa as proof.

In his opening statement during the UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review of the Philippines in Geneva, Switzerland, Remulla hyped the filing of the case against suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and other respondents.

“In the recent case of journalist Percy Lapid, we were able to take resolute

CASUALTY.

and pro-active action, upon the express directive of the President himself,” Remulla told members of the UN human rights body.

“In 17 days, we completed the investigation, case build-up, and filing of charges against a high-ranking government official, the first in decades,” he said.

Remulla, who is leading the Philippine delegation to the gathering, also said the investigation on the killing of Mabasa also led to the “uncovering of a deeplyrooted criminal enterprise inside the corrections system.”

Earlier, Remulla said the murder of Mabasa and that of inmate Cristito Palana Villamor alias Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the case, and the subsequent confiscated of a huge stash of contraband items, including over 7, 500 cans of beer inside the New Bilibid Prison, showed the presence of a criminal organization within the BuCor itself.

The promotion and protection of human rights in the country is making significant progress during the first months of the Marcos administration, Malacanang meanwhile said.

IN BRIEF

PBBM to grace launch of ‘Kadiwa ng Pasko’

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will lead the nationwide launch of the government’s “Kadiwa ng Pasko” project aimed at providing a market to the country’s local agri cultural producers while at the same time giving the public access to af fordable and high-quality products.

Mr. Marcos is scheduled to arrive in Barangay Addition Hills in Man daluyong City for the launch of the program, where he is expected to speak and visit the Kadiwa stalls.

Fourteen sites will be opened si multaneously across the country on Wednesday, including 11 in the National Capital Region, one in Tacloban City, one in Davao De Oro, and one in Koronadal City, South Cotabato.

The Kadiwa ng Pasko project was conceptualized to address inflation by providing the people with affordable goods, especially in the upcoming holiday season in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA) as the lead agency. Support agencies include the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Vince Lopez

Poe backs P500m for Comelec building

SEN. Grace Poe is pushing for a P500-million increase in the proposed budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in 2023 for the construction of its own building.

“Comelec should have a proper venue to store whatever election documents they have, to be able to operate efficiently and comfortably,” Poe said, adding that “I think it’s reasonable for us to assume that really, every government agency should have a proper place.”

Pimentel urges Ombudsman to be ‘model agency’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

been allocated confidential funds annu ally during the previous years.

“And the confidential fund has been increasing every year,” he noted. Due to this, he said the Ombudsman knows the rules on how to report or liquidate confi dential funds and what items can be used.

Audit can point to as a way to be trans parent in the reporting of confidential funds,” Pimentel said.

In yesterday’s interpellation of the pro

She recalled the fire that hit Comelec’s office in Intramuros, Manila last July 31, affecting its information technology department.

P4.7 billion

Ombuds man, Pimentel related that the agency has

“If there can’t be a zero or reduced con fidential fund, the Ombudsman can be a model agency which the Commission on

He aired his openness to back up in creased funding for Ombudsman to sup port its fight against corruption in gov ernment and said the budget allocation proposed by the Executive branch for the Ombudsman was retained in the Houseapproved General Appropriations Bill.

House bill seeks protection of Panaon Island

By Ronald O. Reyes

TACLOBAN City—Southern Leyte 2nd congressional district Rep. Christopher son “Coco” Yap has pushed for House Bill 4095, which seeks to protect the wa ters surrounding Panaon Island by plac ing it under the protective mantle of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS).

“This will protect the diverse flora and fauna of the area and ensure food security and green sustainable livelihood for our people via tourism jobs and enterprises,” Yap said.

The lawmaker maintained that the declaration of Panaon Island as Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Enipas Act “is very important to ensure that our

future generation, including our children, would be able to experience the island as we experience it today.”

“The formation of a body specially created for its protection would deter commercial vessels from encroaching in municipal waters to do their illegal acts with impunity and keep our most prized reefs from destruction. This will allow marine life to thrive and be available to our subsistence fishermen and give assurance to our visitors that they will get what they came for or will have something much better to come back to,” Yap added.

He then thanked the support from the marine advocacy group Oceana Philip pines, particularly Oceana vice president Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos and her team.

“And it’s usually right after a contested election. So I think, maybe, in this new facility, hopefully, it will be state-of-the-art, at least, when it comes to the safety standard,” she said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

House approves bill on caregivers’ welfare

THE House of Representatives on Tuesday passed on third and final reading a bill instituting policies for the protection and welfare of caregivers in the practice of their profession, or the proposed “Caregivers Welfare Act.”

With an overwhelming 271 votes, the House of Representatives approved House Bill (HB) 227 which aims to “recognize the role of caregivers in national development and to institute policies in the practice of the profession with the end in view of developing competent caregivers whose standards of professional service shall be excellent and globally competitive.”

Maricel V. Cruz

SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III is urging the Office of the Ombudsman to be a “model agency” in the reporting and liquidation of confi dential funds.

posed

budget of the

Funeral workers collect the cadaver of a female senior citizen who died after she was trapped during a fire on a threestory house in Teresa Street, Ermita, Manila on November 15. Danny Pata

RICE FIELD AND BIRDS. A farmer using his tractor cultivates a rice field surrounded by migratory birds in Lubao, Pampanga. Manny Marcelo

Economic rebound

of moving forward from the ravages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The House of Representatives, he vowed, would follow through with policies that will further build on this economic growth.

AMID high inflation that has left Juan de la Cruz reeling from outrageous prices of fuel and other basic goods, the good news is that the national economy is growing—and that such growth could extend well into 2023.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) broke the good news last week: the Philippine economy grew by 7.6 percent in the third quarter, faster than the 7.5 percent expansion in the second quarter of this year and the 7.0 percent growth rate in the third quarter of last year.

This makes the Philippines second only to Vietnam in real GDP growth for the quarter. Most economic sectors sustained their expansion.

That we have managed to post modest GDP growth despite high inflation offers ample proof that the administration’s economic managers are doing a good job

The services sector grew by 9.1 percent, while industry posted 5.8 percent growth. The agriculture sector also grew by 2.2 percent, up from a 1.7 percent decline in the same period last year. Most sectors have already returned to their pre-pandemic output levels.

Domestic demand remained robust with a 9.5 percent growth, driven by accelerated growth in household consumption and investments.

Exports grew by 13.1 percent and imports, by 17.3 percent. The growth in exports and imports was driven by services, particularly growth in travel.

The economic planning agency is confident that the government can very well achieve its growth target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent for 2022.

Given the 7.7 percent growth rate for the first three quarters, the economy needs to grow by 3.3 to 6.9 percent in Q4 2022 to meet this year’s target.

For NEDA, amid higher global inflation and the slowdown in the world economy, our government must boost domestic demand, and increase and improve the competitiveness of domestic production to sustain and further accelerate economic recovery.

In the immediate term, however, the government must provide targeted assistance and implement measures to ensure adequate supply of food and other essential goods to the most vulnerable sectors.

NEDA’s announcement of better-thanexpected GDP growth has been welcomed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who said that “President Marcos’ silent hard work on uplifting the economy is beginning to work.”

The Leyte lawmaker said he himself “witnessed how the President engaged business stakeholders here and abroad with the purpose

House ways and means committee chairperson Joey Salceda also believes “there is momentum for growth,” with the fourth quarter likely to be better than the third, thus quite possibly making the country’s economic performance this year the strongest in the region, and one of the best in Asia.

Where does the lawmaker’s optimism come from?

For one thing, OFW remittance figures jumped in August, near the end of the quarter.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed cash remittances sent through banks stood at $2.72 billion in August, higher than the $2.60 billion a year earlier. This boosted household consumption.

Another bright spot, he pointed out, is the 24.79 percent year-on-year growth in tax collections in September. This means that economic activity, the base of taxation, is getting stronger.

Moreover, the manufacturing sector created 1.09 million jobs in the last quarter: “Manufacturing jobs growth tends to indicate positive macroeconomic fundamentals,” Salceda said.

Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, is just as upbeat about the country’s economic prospects. Despite high inflation in the third quarter of 2022, she said: “We saw growth in output. On the supply side, all sectors grew. At the same time, domestic demand remained robust.”

At the same time, Quimbo expressed confidence that the Marcos administration’s planned expansion of cash assistance (“ayuda”) or subsidy programs would further the country’s economic turnaround.

She is correct in saying: “At this point, the best defense against inflation is domestic output expansion. The government has been providing fuel and fertilizer subsidies to boost agricultural production. We should consider expanding this program to better support our producers.”

News reports indicate that the Marcos administration is eyeing the provision of P206.50 billion worth of subsidies and cash aid under the proposed 2023 national budget to support vulnerable sectors amid surging commodity prices caused by global inflation.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will get a big chunk of the budget, with P165.40 billion to be allocated for the implementation of various social assistance programs.

Quimbo explained that providing assistance to affected sectors is one way for government to boost spending as it “enables greater consumption and well-being, especially when targeted to the most vulnerable sectors.”

In the long run, however, the government must exert efforts to improve the productivity of the agricultural sector and invigorate Philippine industry to reduce our country’s exposure to volatile global prices and global supply shocks.

“As the economy slowly reopens, we should exploit the existing advantage of the sectors that stand to gain from a weakening peso, such as tourism and export industries,” the lawmaker explained.

The Marcos administration is taking the right steps in boosting economic growth amid global inflation that has led to increased domestic prices of fuel and other basic commodities.

That we have managed to post modest GDP growth despite high inflation offers ample proof that the administration’s economic managers are doing a good job. Our hope is that the growth will continue and be as inclusive as possible so that no one is left behind. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Doctors answer: ‘To mask or not to mask?’

as coughing, sneezing, singing, and talking.

Dr. Alejandria said the coronavirus “can be aerosolized into fine respiratory droplets especially in enclosed areas without good ventilation, where air flow is not good.”

You can also get COVID, she said, “if you touch your mucus membranes with your contaminated hands or hands that have touched contaminated surfaces.”

WITH the government’s recent announcement that the wearing of face masks is now voluntary (except in health care facilities, medical transport vehicles, and public transport, where it is still required), many are asking— should I still wear a face mask?

‘Voluntary’ means people will need to decide for themselves when and where they will use masks.

So what is the best guidance for this? The University of the Philippines’ TV UP is holding a series of webinars titled ‘Stop COVID Deaths,’ and in their recent episode, they tackled the question, ‘To mask or not to mask?’

According to resource speaker Dr. Marissa Alejandria, the answer to this is, “Yes, we encourage everyone to wear masks indoors,” particularly those who are at high risk for severe COVID-19.

Dr. Alejandria, who is the director of the UP Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, first explained the context of where we are in the pandemic. She said there is a declining trend in the number of cases and deaths globally and locally. However, “variants continue to emerge,” most recently the XBB, XBC, and BQ.1, that are descendants of the predominant variant BA.5, which is an Omicron variant.

Less deadly than the Alpha and Delta variants at the height of the pandemic, Omicron is highly transmissible and its cases are predominantly mild, especially among those who are vaccinated and have received booster shots.

Vaccines, Dr. Alejandria added, remain effective in preventing hospitalization and death but are not transmission-blocking.

Among Filipinos, the vaccination rate for primary (first set of) doses is around 70 percent, but for booster coverage it is less than 50 percent. This needs to be increased, she said.

The transmission of the coronavirus is still ongoing, she explained further, so the virus is still mutating.

“The mode of transmission is still the same,” she said – “person to person via respiratory droplets that can enter through the mucus membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth” via activities such

She warned that “even if cases are decreasing, there are still variants, and there is still a benefit to wearing masks.”

She explained that masks work two ways— they can be source control, to block the wearer’s exhaled droplets, and thus prevent or reduce the risk of the ill person’s spreading the virus; and as filtration for wearer protection—they reduce the inhalation of droplets and thus increase the protection of healthy individuals.

Less deadly than the Alpha and Delta variants at the height of the pandemic, Omicron is highly transmissible and its cases are predominantly mild, especially among those who are vaccinated and have received booster shots

“Individual benefit increases with increasing numbers of people using masks correctly and consistently,” thus masking has community benefit as well.

Masks are safe and do not have side effects, Dr. Alejandria pointed out.

She cited several studies that point to the benefits of masking.

Among those she mentioned was one that studied an outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which found that “the use of face coverings on board was associated with a 70 percent reduced risk of infection.”

Cross-sectional surveys in the U.S. and Eu-

EDITORIAL

The world is watching carefully

THE two-day 17th meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20), a summit scheduled in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, ends today with a plea, among others for unity as the nine-month Ukraine war topped the agenda of the world’s leaders.

The 17th edition of the meet has focused on key issues of global concern under the Summit theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger,’ with three working sessions as part of the G20 Summit Agenda: food and energy security, health, and digital transformation.

Global leaders—minus Russian President Vladimir Putin—have converged in Bali for the all-important Summit, the pinnacle of the G20 process and intense work carried out within the Ministerial Meetings, Working Groups, and Engagement Groups throughout the year.

As of 2022, there are 20 members in the group: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union

The G20, formed in 1999, makes up 20 of the world’s largest economies, including the European Union, that meets regularly to coordinate global policy on trade, health, climate, and other issues.

Previous summits have addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, 2008 fi-

The 17th edition of the meet has given extensive focus on key issues of global concern under the Summit theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger,’ with three working sessions as part of the G20 Summit Agenda

nancial crisis, the Iranian nuclear program, and the Syrian civil war.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine deepened divisions within the group, reducing the chance it will find consensus on economic issues at its 2022 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

With the absence of the Russian leader, although he is represented on the ground by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, eyes and ears have been on US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The world leaders also had a chance to listen to Ukraine President Volody-

myr Zelensky, who attended—virtually—the summit, the premier global forum for discussing economic issues.

The group, which accounts for more than 80 percent of the world’s gross domestic product, 75 percent of international trade and 60 percent of its population, has faced divisions over trade, climate change and the current humanitarian and economic fallout from the war in Ukraine.

These figures have remained relatively stable while the corresponding rates for Group of Seven (G7) nations, a smaller group of advanced democracies, have shrunk, as larger emerging markets take up a relatively greater share of the world’s economy.

Bilateral meetings on the summit’s sidelines have occasionally led to major international agreements. And while one of the group’s most impressive achievements was its robust response to the 2008 financial crisis, its cohesion has since frayed, and analysts have criticized its lackluster response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under President Donald Trump (2017-2021), the United States clashed with the rest of the group on trade, climate and migration policy.

President Biden, who succeeded Trump, promised a return to multilateral cooperation, achieving a global agreement on corporate taxation.

But tensions have continued to rise as high- and low-income countries have increasingly been split on major issues. The world watches conscientiously.

The best

years, towards a path of sustained growth and inclusion. He became the Asia’s—and the world’s—best central banker.

THE past two years and nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic were a litmus test of the resilience of the Filipino people and many businesses.

I am happy to note that the Philippines has just survived the worst pandemic and the worst economic crisis of the last 100 years.

COVID-19 infected four million Filipinos. About 64,000 died. Another 60,000 died, but their cause of death was not blamed on COVID—an act of dishonesty during a time of grave peril.

In the third quarter of 2022, the economy continued its frenetic growth, after coming from a crippling 16.9 percent decline in the second quarter of 2020—the height of the pandemic.

Since then, the economy has pulled itself up, registering an awesome 12.1 percent jump in the second quarter of 2021 before steadying at a robust pace of 7.0 in Q3 2021, 7.8 in Q4 2021, 8.2 in Q1 2022, 7.5 in Q2 2022, and 7.6 in the third quarter this year.

Government economists could have reported a 7.7 percent growth in Q3 2022 to satisfy President BBM’s love for the No. 7, and gotten away with it, but did not claim a 7.7 percent growth clip.

The 7.6 per cent third quarter GDP growth beat everyone’s expectations.

Anyway, average GDP growth for nine months is –7.7 percent.

If the last quarter, October-December, usually a strong one for the economy, manages to eke out 7 percent, average whole growth 2022 will be 7.38 percent.

Against that happy backdrop, let me cite among the best CEOs who did spectacularly in the last two years and nine months. They are, in no particular order:

1. San Miguel Corporation President and CEO Ramon S. Ang

His aggressive pandemic response, reasonable pricing for SMC’s products, and large-scale investments in food production, storage battery, refined petroleum products, and infrastructure make life better for most Filipinos and accelerate economic recovery and growth.

His P735-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulacan is the single largest investment by any company ever. He leads SMC to unprecedented growth.

2. Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno

As the Bangko Sentral governor, he engineered the largest ever cash infusion into the economy, P2.3 trillion, to rescue the country and enable it to overcome the worst pandemic and the worst economic slump in 100

rope, she added, have shown that “universal masking in the community reduces infections, mortality, and hospitalization growth rates.”

An economic analysis using US data showed that “increasing universal masking by 15% could prevent the need for lockdowns and reduce associated losses of up to US$1 trillion or about 5 percent of GDP.”

Dr. Alejandria also said the Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC), an alliance of more than 160 health professions organizations in the country, issued on October 29 a statement on voluntary mask wearing indoors.

They highly recommend everyone to continue masking, especially those at higher risk, particularly the elderly, immunocompromised, and those with comorbidities; those in close contact with these groups of people; and those in an enclosed space or crowded outdoor space,

In turn, his job as President Marcos Jr.’s chief economic manager is made easier but no less daring.

If the last quarter, October-December, usually a strong one for the economy, manages to eke out 7 percent, average whole growth 2022 will be 7.38 percent

3. Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda

He uses intellectual heft, rigid research, a punishing work ethic, and a pro-nation visioning to create the most disaster-resilient province, Albay, and to produce the most innovative and high-impact pieces of legislation ever from Congress, such as TRAIN (to boost infra), CREATE (to infuse capital), Free College Tuition (to boost human capital), the Philippine Space Agency, Balik Scientist Program, National Broadband, the Virology Institute, the Center for Disease Control, and Ligao City which he fathered.

4. SMIC Vice Chair and BDO Chair Teresita Sy-Coson

She made BDO the largest Philippine bank, bar none, and the most profitable during the nine months of 2022 (P4 billion profits per month).

The two biggest most valuable Philippine companies—SM Prime and SM Investments Corp.—each with P1 trillion value, are controlled by the family which makes the Sy family the richest locally.

Tessie is one of Asia’s most powerful women.

She sustained SMIC as the largest conglomerate with businesses that are buoyant, nimble, hugely profitable; focused on sustainability, greater customer satisfaction; and trailblazing in new and even bigger sectors of the economy.

4. Union Bank President and CEO Edwin R. Bautista

He made UB No. 1 in digital banking, the most profitable (an amazing 94% return in 3 years), and one of the most competitive in terms of speed, reliability, effectivity, and timely delivery, quality, and price of financial products and services. In the process, UB boosted financial inclusion and democratized banking.

whether for work, travel or leisure.

Dr. Alejandria and other doctors at the webinar also pointed out that mask wearing also helps prevent the transmission of other respiratory diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and chronic respiratory diseases. There was a decrease in the incidence of these other diseases during the pandemic, and this is a very good reason to continue wearing masks.

To watch the webinar in full and find out more information I couldn’t fit here, visit the Stop COVID Deaths Facebook page.

* * *

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), through its Intertextual Division and with Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books (PRPB), will hold a discussion of writer-painter-musician RM Topacio Aplaon’s latest novel Topograpiya ng Lumbay on November 19, 2022, 1:00

Under him, RCBC regained traction and has become The Best Digital Bank, the Best Brand for SMEs, and the Best in Financial Inclusion for its best-in-class products and services, digitalization initiatives, and financial inclusion.

Earnings doubled in one year, profits are up 88% in 9 months of 2022, and return on equity is up to a hefty 19.4%.

6. PLDT Chair and First Pacific CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan

From scratch, he built one of Asia’s leading conglomerates with leadership stakes in four growth areas—consumer food, telco, infrastructure, and natural resources with an asset value of $4.2 billion—$1.74 billion in Indofood, $1.44 billion in PLDT, and $751 million in Metro Pacific Investments Corp., and a sterling 17 percent dividend 18year growth, while enhancing shareholder value, sustainability, and human capital.

7. PLDT President and CEO Al Panlilio PLDT has become the leading and most diversified telco conglomerate in the Philippines, with a culture of innovation, customer focus, tight financial management, and commitment to digitalization that enhance the life of the people and business, and provide digital solutions to their daily challenges using the most powerful and broadest connectivity network.

8. First Philippine Holdings CEO Federico “Piki” Lopez

He has led the Lopez group into a massive transition into low-carbon energy and renewables and into creating the largest portfolio of clean, renewable, and indigenous fuels such as steam, water, wind, solar, and natural gas, thus uplifting people’s lives without compromising the environment.

He is the Management Man of the Year of the Management Association of the Philippines, which has 1,000 CEOs, for 2021-2022.

9. Robinsons Retail Holdings CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe

Low-key but tough, she has assembled an amazing portfolio of retail businesses staggering in diversity, formats, and breath of offerings, with cutting edge in supermarkets (No. 1), drug stores (No. 1), and specialty shops (No. 1) for toys, pets, and mothers, serving a broad range of consumers, from the poorest to the richest.

10. Globe Telecom CEO Ernest Cu

He made Globe Telecom the No. 1 cellular company and a vast profit machine for the Ayala Group.

Globe’s Gcash is an emerging financial behemoth and probably is the biggest virtual bank in the country today, with P6 trillion in total value of transactions.

More later.

biznewsasia@gmail.com

p.m. at the CCP Little Theater Lobby.

The discussion, led by writers Danim Majerano and Gerome Dela Peña, will introduce Aplaon’s latest novel, the sixth in his sevenvolume Imus series.

Topograpiya ng Lumbay, published by the University of the Philippines Press in 2020, won the 39th Manila Critics Circle and National Book Development Board (NBDB) National Book Award for Nobela sa Filipino.

The activity, part of CCP’s celebration of National Book Development Month, is free and open to the public. For details, see the CCP Intertextual Division’s Facebook page.

* * * Dr. Ortuoste is a board member of PEN Philippines, member of the Manila Critics Circle, and judge of the National Book Awards. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Baldwin R. Felipe Head—Ad Solutions Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager Emil

Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors

Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

Honor Blanco Cabie Opinion Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

5. RCBC President and CEO Eugene Acevedo

ZELENSKY TELLS G20 NATIONS

‘Now is the time’ to end Russia’s war

NOW is the time to end Russia’s “destructive” war and “save thousands of lives,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the G20 summit in Bali via video address on Tuesday.

“I am convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped,” he said, according to a speech obtained by AFP. “It will save thousands of lives.”

Wearing his now-familiar army green T-shirt and speaking in Ukrai nian, Zelensky addressed leaders including China’s Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was not in the room, however, hav ing shunned the gathering and sent his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Bali in his place.

Zelensky slammed “the crazy threats of nuclear weapons that Russian officials resort to”, referring to dark rhetoric by Putin that has made even Beijing uncomfortable.

“There are and cannot be any excuses for nuclear blackmail,” he add ed, pointedly thanking the “G19” – excluding Russia – for “making this clear.”

The Ukrainian leader also called for the expansion and indefinite ex tension of a grain deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that will expire on November 19.

Ukraine is one of the world’s top grain producers, and the Russian invasion had blocked 20 million tonnes of grain in its ports until the deal was reached in July.

“I believe our export grain initiative deserves an indefinite extension – no matter when the war ends,” Zelensky said, urging its expansion to other ports.

The Ukrainian leader also accused Russia of an “attempt to turn the cold into a weapon” with a campaign of strikes against key infrastructure ahead of the coming winter.

Zelensky also backed a US-led push for a price cap on Russian oil exports “so that energy resources are no longer used as weapons.”

“If Russia is trying to deprive Ukraine, Europe and all energy consum ers in the world of predictability and price stability, the answer to this should be a forced limitation of export prices for Russia.” AFP

Born this way: Rats move to beat of Lady Gaga—study

Researchers

tiniest movements.

They found the rodents had an innate ability to synchronize their moves to the beat, previously believed to be a skill unique to people.

“Rats’ brains are designed to respond well to music,” even though their bodies move only a little, said associate professor Hirokazu Takahashi, part of the team who conducted the study.

“We all believe that music has magical powers, but we don’t know anything about its mechanisms,” he told AFP on Tuesday.

So “we wanted to find out what kind of sound connections appeal to the brain, without the influence of emotion or memory.”

For rats, the “bopping” effect was most pronounced for music in the range of 120-140 beats per minute – the same as humans.

This led the scientists to hypothesise that it could be a reaction that is consistent across different species.

“Music moves the body. It goes beyond the auditory system and affects the motor system... the power of sound is that great,” Taka hashi said.

The research mainly focused on Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K.448, played at four different tempos.

But the scientists also tried out “Born This Way” and the driving rhythm of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” tracks picked by Takahashi’s students.

Unlike other pets such as parrots, which are famous for their uncanny imitations of music and other sounds, it was the first time the rats in the study had listened to music.

The effect of music on rats may have been overlooked until now because previ ous research was mainly carried out using video footage, not movement sensors, mak ing the animals’ tiny movements more dif ficult to detect, Takahashi said. AFP

IN BRIEF

NASA to launch mega Moon rocket

THIRD time’s the charm?

After two failed attempts, NASA plans to launch its new mega Moon rocket early Wednesday from Florida, less than a week after the massive machine withstood a hurricane.

“Our time is coming. And we hope that that is on Wednesday,” said Mike Sarafin, the manager of the much-delayed Artemis 1 mission, at NASA headquarters.

The Artemis 1 mission, a test flight without astronauts, represents the first step in the US space agency’s plan to build a lasting presence on the Moon, and taking lessons from there to prepare for a future voyage to Mars.

Named after the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, the new space program comes 50 years after humans last set foot on lunar soil.

The first launch of the Space Launch System rocket, the most powerful ever designed by NASA, is set for Wednesday at 1:04 am local time (0604 GMT), with a possible launch window of two hours.

Countdown has already begun at the storied Kennedy Space Center, where the orange and white behemoth awaits its maiden flight.

The takeoff is scheduled less than a week after the passage of Hurri cane Nicole, which the rocket endured outside on its launch pad.

For now, officials are evaluating the risk associated with hurricane damage to a thin strip of caulk-like material called RTV, which encircles the Orion crew capsule atop the rocket, and makes it more aerodynamic.

Teams are looking at whether the RTV could shake loose during launch and pose problems.

Two backup dates are possible if needed, on November 19 and 25.

The weather promises to be mild, with a 90 percent chance of favorable conditions during the launch window.

At the end of September, the rocket had to be wheeled back to its as sembly building to be sheltered from another hurricane, Ian.

Before these weather setbacks, two launch attempts had to be canceled for technical reasons. AFP

HK probes protest anthem mix-up

Hong Kong police said Tuesday that they are investigating how a de mocracy protest song was played instead of the Chinese national anthem at a South Korean rugby tournament.

The city’s sports teams play the Chinese national anthem, but before Hong Kong took on South Korea in the final of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series in Incheon on Sunday, a protest song was broadcast instead.

Hong Kong’s government has reacted with fury, with the city’s number two official meeting South Korea’s top diplomat to request Seoul conduct its own “comprehensive” investigation.

In a statement, police said they are probing “whether the incident has breached the National Anthem Ordinance or any other legislation of Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong National Security Law.”

That latter provision, imposed by Beijing after huge democracy pro tests in 2019, claims universal jurisdiction.

That means Hong Kong and Chinese authorities say they can prosecute national security offences committed overseas.

“The Hong Kong government finds this incident unacceptable, and ex presses opposition and strong dissatisfaction,” city leader John Lee told reporters on Monday.

Lee declined to give specifics on how the police will deal with an ex traterritorial crime and did not say whether Hong Kong will ask Beijing to intervene.

Asia Rugby, the tournament organizers, said the protest song was played due to “human error from a junior member of the local organizing committee.”

The song “Glory to Hong Kong,” written by an anonymous composer in 2019, urges residents to strive for freedom and democracy despite ad versity. AFP

2021-09-0030, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidders. ORMECO, Inc. also has no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

NODDING along to catchy music is not just a human habit, accord ing to Japanese scientists who have discovered that rats also move to the beat of songs by stars like Lady Gaga.

at the University of Tokyo played Mozart, Queen and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” to rats wearing miniature sen sors to detect even the

CYAN

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Approved for release:

SGD. JOHN EZEKIEL M. SANTIAGO, REE, MBA TPBAC Chairman

Noted by: SGD. HUMPHREY A. DOLOR, PECE, MBA General Manager

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

EARLY BIRD. A man fishes at sunrise in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 15, 2022. AFP

DISPLAY. A model of the Indigenous Defense Fighter, Ching-Kuo Fighter, is displayed at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology in Taichung on November 15, 2022. AFP

Stocks climb above 6,400; Converge, SMIC top gainers

STOCKS rose Tuesday as investors brushed off a reverse on Wall Street and focused on signs of slowing inflation and China’s moves to shore up its economy.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Exchange, climbed 64 points, or 1 percent, to close at 6,418.94, as five of the six subsec tors advanced.

The broader all-share index also picked up 26 points, or 0.8 percent, to settle at 3,379.58 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 102 to 83, while 49 issues were unchanged.

Seven of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Converge ICT Inc. which soared 8.9 per cent to P13.94 and SM Investments Corp. which went up 3.3 percent to P8.70. Ayala Corp. gained 2.4 per cent to P687.00.

Most Asian markets also traded higher. A largely positive meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping indicated an easing of

tensions between the powers and added to the upbeat mood on trading floors.

Still, there remains a lot of trepidation that central bank interest rate hikes aimed at taming inflation will eventually send economies into a recession.

And since Thursday’s forecast-beating consumer prices data, Federal Reserve officials have warned there were more increases in the pipeline, though they are not expected to be as big as the previous four rises, of 75 basis points.

The latest was vice chair Lael Brainard, who said that while it would probably be right to slow down the rate hikes, “we have additional work to do both on raising rates and sustaining restraint to bring inflation down”.

The comments, along with profit-taking, helped push Wall Street’s three main indexes into the red and pushed the dollar up against its peers, having tumbled last week.

Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management said: “With US growth yet to fall off a cliff, make no mistake, infla tion is still at the fulcrum of market expectations as board members continue to push back a bit on market pricing.”

However, Asian traders were a little more upbeat, cheered by China’s move to ease some of its strict Co vid-19 restrictions and provide much-needed support to its beleaguered property sector.

Hong Kong rose more than four percent and Shang hai also closed in positive territory.

Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Manila, Mumbai, Taipei, Jakarta, Bangkok and Wellington also gained, but Syd ney dipped.

Paris and Frankfurt rose at the open though London was slightly down.

Optimism for a thawing in relations between Wash ington and Beijing was boosted after Biden and Xi’s extended talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia.

While there remain differences on hot-potato issues such as Taiwan, the two did find common ground on the Ukraine conflict, climate and the need to avoid an other Cold War.

After the talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described it as a “new starting point”, adding that Bei jing hoped “to stop the tumbling of bilateral ties and to stabilise the relationship.” With AFP

Xi urges rich G20 nations to contain Fed hikes fallout

NUSA DUA, Indonesia—Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday asked the G20 wealthy nations to contain the fallout from interest rate hikes as the US Federal Reserve moves aggres sively to fight inflation.

“We must contain global inflation and resolve systematic risks in the economy and finance,” Xi told a sum mit of the 20 major economies taking place in Bali.

“Developed economies should re duce the negative spillover effects of their monetary policy adjustments and stabilize debts at a sustainable level,” he said.

The Federal Reserve has raised in terest rates to their highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis as it seeks to tighten money supply in an ef fort to wrestle back inflation.

The US monetary stance has pushed the dollar up to levels not seen in two decades, causing distress for develop ing economies that rely on exports or that are trying to curb inflation them selves.

Xi, on only his second overseas trip since the pandemic, was addressing the summit a day after meeting US President Joe Biden.

The talks with Biden were strikingly friendly, with the two leaders both indi cating they would like to ease tensions that have soared in recent months.

TO LEAD ethically, you must set an example for others, encourage open communication, eliminate bias, take accountability for your actions and be prepared to accept blame and confess wrongdoing. In your business, ethical leadership makes the workplace a better place to work, improves the brand’s image and recognition, makes customers and employees more loyal and increases productivity.

This article is for managers and company owners interested in learning more about ethical leadership, its advantages and how to use it in their organizations. There is a noticeable distinction between being a manager and being a leader. They focus primarily on ethical leadership.

What exactly is moral leadership? Ethical leadership is the practice of doing the right thing inside and outside the workplace.

Ethical leaders exhibit positive principles in both their words and deeds. Being an ethical leader is fundamentally about acting with integrity and doing what is right. How can you lead with integrity? Despite being idealistic, ethical leadership is more feasible than you may imagine.

Here are some tips on how to lead ethically:

1. By writing down your principles, you show that you are honest and encourage your staff to do the same. This gives everyone a sense of purpose. According to Matthew Kelly, CEO of Floyd Consulting and author of The Culture Solution, “This is the biggest difficulty ethics faces in our culture and at work and is the biggest challenge ethical leadership faces” (Blue Sparrow Books, 2019). “Leaders with strong moral principles have a very tough time in this relativistic climate. Kelly told business owners that if they want to succeed “with ethical leadership,” they should show how sticking to certain principles helps the organization achieve its goal.

2. Employ individuals who share your values. Although you don’t have to share your employees’ beliefs exactly, you should be able to find areas of agreement with them. This frequently begins with the employment procedure and is upheld by a vision statement. Instead of merely recruiting for expertise, businesses need to do better to ensure the candidates they choose are aligned with their values.

3. Encourage open communication. Be open and clear about every choice you make, and invite input from your staff. Getting feedback from your employees helps you grow as a leader and moves your company forward.

4. Be wary of prejudice. No leader wants to admit they have made mistakes, but not doing so can lead to bad things.

5. Set a good example. From the top down, you must create an ethical business.

6. Without hesitation, admit your flaws. Don’t be afraid to take full responsibility for your staff’s mistakes and bad behavior.

7. Integrate corporate social responsibility into your company’s business plan. As an ethical leader, you should instead support CSR projects that align with your firm’s mission, vision and goals and ensure they are included in your business strategy and workplace culture.

8. Read books. These experts in the area can teach you the ideas of applied ethics, so you have a better understanding of the values you should uphold in the workplace and why, much like learning from role models.

9. Take care of yourself so that you may care for others. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Leaders are more likely to be good at their jobs and care about other people if they take care of themselves and keep filling their “cups.” Matzen says, “Taking care of yourself might seem easy, but it’s important if you want to keep your leadership skills.”

Being an ethical leader requires implementing all of the advice mentioned above. Here are a few methods for exhibiting moral leadership: Remember that deeds speak louder than words. Practice effective communication. Be honest in all of your commercial relationships. Any firm can benefit from the management approach known as “ethical leadership.”

When team members know they are following a moral leader, morale and productivity increase. Leaders who uphold moral principles can motivate their teams to excel. Staff will regard themselves as essential components of the company’s operations and culture rather than feeling like they are aiding a crooked individual in making more money.

Ethical companies have better brand perceptions. When executives behave ethically, they give the greatest possible impression of the company. They make decisions that benefit employees and consumers, establishing a reputation as a business guided by morals and a sense of justice. Both within and outside of the workplace, they gain respect.

Moral leaders don’t damage their organization’s reputation. They avoid circumstances that harm the company’s brand and drive consumers to switch to competitors because they uphold the established ideals and lead by example.

Organizations that employ moral leaders are more likely to retain their staff members and clients. Staff members and customers will want to continue doing business with the company as these executives aim to be fair and equal. They will not be inclined to search elsewhere if they can count on consistent, thoughtful service.

Ethical leaders provide greater emotional stability. Stress at work might reduce productivity. When a leader is ineffective, efficiency suffers. When moral leaders show that they care about mental health and social responsibility, they motivate employees to keep up healthy habits that will help them do better at work and at home and keep them from getting burned out.

The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She can be reached at nicole_fajardo@dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and

ensure the welfare and safety of our stockholders, the 2022 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of NiHAO 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. nihaominerals.com 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 nihao.8888@yahoo.com on or before 25 November 2022. Validated stockholders will be provided access to the live streaming of the meeting and can cast their votes in absentia on or before 3 December 2022 through NiHAO’s secure online voting facility. All votes cast shall be subject to validation.

NiHAO 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 nihao.8888@ yahoo.com, not later than 3 December 2022.

Stockholders of Record may send their inquiries and comments to the Management Report and other items in the Agenda to nihao.8888@ yahoo.com on or before 3 December 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 http://www.nihaominerals.com and at the disclosure made through the Electronic Disclosure Generation Technology of the Philippine Stock Exchange (“PSE Edge”).

Very truly yours,

ARSENIO C. CABRERA, JR. Corporate Secretary

The White House said that Xi and Biden agreed against any use of nucle ar weapons in Ukraine, as the United States seeks to encourage distance be tween Beijing and its nominal ally in Moscow.

Xi, in his remarks to the G20 of fered possible veiled criticism of Russia, which has attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and, until a UNbrokered deal, had been blocking vital exports of Ukrainian wheat.

“We must firmly oppose politicisa tion, instrumentalisation and weaponi sation of food and energy problems,” Xi said.

He also repeated his familiar opposi tion to Western sanctions and warned against aggravating differences among countries.

“Drawing ideological lines and stir ring up opposition among political blocs and factions will only divide the world and obstruct the advancement of humankind,” he said. AFP

Stockholders who wish to participate in the meeting through 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 g.geograce@yahoo.com on or before 26 November 2022. Validated stockholders will be provided access to the live streaming of the meeting and can cast their votes in absentia on or before 3 December 2022 through GEOGRACE’s secure online voting facility. All votes cast shall be subject to validation.

GEOGRACE 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 g.geograce@ yahoo.com, not later than 3 December 2022.

Stockholders of Record may send their queries and comments to the Management Report and other items in the Agenda to g.geograce@yahoo. com on or before 3 December 2022.

The Definitive Information Statement containing the attendance/voting (through 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://geograceholdings.com/.

MS-NOV. 16 & 17, 2022

CLIMATE FORUM. Xie Zhenhua, special representative for Chinese President Xi Jinping and China’s special envoy for climate change, speaks at a high-level forum on South-South cooperation on climate change held at the 27th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the China Pavilion in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh on Nov. 14, 2022. Xinhua

6,418.94 F

United

Dollar 1.00000057.3120 Japan Yen 0.0071490.4097 UKPound1.17560067.3760 Hong KongDollar0.1276187.3140 SwitzerlandFranc1.06055860.7827 CanadaDollar0.75125843.0561 SingaporeDollar0.72865141.7604 AustraliaDollar0.66960038.3761 BahrainDinar2.653928152.1019 Saudi Arabia Rial 0.26608515.2499 BruneiDollar0.72600641.6089 IndonesiaRupiah0.0000640.0037 Thailand Baht 0.0280271.6063 UAE Dirham0.27227915.6049

PREIT

SEC approves P3.2-b IPO of Villar’s

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Securities and Exchange Com mission said Tuesday it approved the P3.2-billion initial public offering of Premiere Island Power REIT Corp., a power and infrastructure real estate in vestment trust under the Villar Group.

PREIT is sponsored by Prime As set Ventures Inc., the holding firm of Manuel Paolo Villar, the eldest son of billionaire Manuel Villar.

PREIT plans to sell 1.4 billion sec ondary shares priced at P2 apiece and another 210 million secondary shares as part of the overallotment option, according to the SEC documents.

PAVI subsidiaries S.I. Power Corp. and Camotes Island Power Generation Corp. are the selling shareholders.

PREIT said the shareholders would reinvest the IPO proceeds in various projects as provided for under the re vised implementing rules and regula tions of Republic Act No. 9856 or the Real Estate Investment Trust Act of 2009.

PREIT will have a public float of 42.6 percent while SIPCOR and CAMPCOR will retain a 57.4 percent interest in case the company exercis es the overallotment option.

PREIT plans to conduct the IPO from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2, based on the latest timetable the company submit ted to the SEC.

The shares will be listed on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange on Dec. 12.

The company engaged China Bank Capital Corp. as the sole issue manager, underwriter and bookrunner for the of fering. RCBC Capital Corp. will also serve as a participating underwriter.

The company’s initial property portfolio consists of land and power plant assets utilized in the power generation projects of SIPCOR and CAMPCOR in Cebu and Siquijor, which have a combined installed ca pacity of 21.2 megawatts.

September remittances increased 3.8% to $2.84b

By Julito G. Rada

REMITTANCES rose for the 20th straight month, as global economies that host Filipino overseas workers further reopened, resulting in sustained inflows ahead of the holiday season.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pili pinas on Tuesday showed that cash re mittances coursed through banks grew by 3.8 percent to $2.84 billion in Sep tember from $2.74 billion in the same month last year.

This brought cash remittances in the first nine months to $23.83 billion, up 3.1 percent from $23.12 billion record ed a year ago.

It also marked 20 consecutive months of remittance growth since January 2021 when money sent home by Filipinos working overseas declined 1.7 percent.

“The expansion in cash remittances in September 2022 was due to the growth in receipts from land-based and seabased workers,” the BSP said in a state ment.

It said the growth in cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Qatar contributed largely to the increase in remittances in the first three quarters.

Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, climbed 4 percent in September to $3.15 billion from $3.03 billion in the same month last year. This resulted in cumulative remittances rising by 3.1 percent in the first three quarters to $26.49 billion from $25.70 billion.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

chief economist Michael Ricafort said the continued growth in OFW remit tances could be attributed to the need of OFWs and their dependents to pay for higher prices locally and support more of their local spending with the further reopening of the economy towards greater normalcy.

“However, the modest single-digit growth in OFW remittances in recent months may be partly attributed to el evated US/global inflation and higher interest rates in recent months,” he said.

Ricafort said whatever gains OFWs and their families might have due to more peso proceeds for their US dollars could be offset by higher inflation.

“Thus, there may still be a need to send more OFW remittances due to higher inflation, which erodes whatever foreign exchange gains due to the stron ger US dollar vs. major global curren cies,” Ricafort said.

Construction of P5.48-b Boracay power line starts

By Alena Mae S. Flores

NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines said Tuesday it started the construction of the P5.48billion Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138-kilovolt line to address the growing demand for power in Bo racay Island.

NGCP said Boracay recorded a spurt in visitor arrivals, with tourism leading the post-COVID economic recovery.

EuroEuro 1.03290059.1976 Korea Won 0.0007550.0433 ChinaYuan0.1414238.1052 IndiaRupee0.0123510.7079 MalaysiaRinggit0.21774612.4795 New Zealand Dollar 0.60940034.9259

TaiwanDollar0.0323761.8555

Grab, drivers co-develop new commission scheme

GRAB Philippines and its driver partners co-developed a new commission scheme to protect the latter’s income amid the challenging economic conditions.

“This commission scheme, as part of its overall Ka-Grab Rewards program, has been well received by Grab partners as it introduces new mechanisms that allow partners who drive the most on the platform to further maximize their earning potential,” Grab said.

“One of the mechanisms include a new fare rebate program, enabling drivers who are more frequently on the road, to receive larger cash payouts,” it said.

Grab said it engaged its partners to codevelop the commission scheme over several months, which was only announced to the driver community upon reaching a full consensus and after multiple rounds of consultations and forums.

Grab’s statement came on the heels after Jun De Leon, national president of Laban TNVS, opposed the alleged 2-percent commission rate increase of Grab, which would take effect on Dec. 1, 2022. Darwin G. Amojelar

Meralco affirms support for hotel sector recovery

MANILA Electric Company reaffirmed its commitment to support the recovery of local hotel operators as they bounce back from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The power distributor, which has long been a partner of the Philippine Hotel Owners Association, pledged in a webinar to continue providing stable and reliable electricity service and energy solutions befitting the needs of the industry moving forward.

The pandemic, at its peak in 2020, led to temporary closure of businesses and loss of income for the hospitality industry. Despite the challenges, the industry supported the government in its fight against the pandemic.

“For the past two years, our customers from the hotel industry were among the hardest hit with the sudden decline in occupancy. Their facilities were used for quarantine, requiring them to operate as quasi-hospitals and to strictly implement health and safety protocols while providing utmost care to travelers that had to be accommodated,” said Meralco vice president and head of enterprise and national government Ma. Cecilia Domingo.

PHOA executive director Benito Bengzon Jr. said Meralco played a vital role in helping members deliver on their commitments with energy-saving measures, such as contract rightsizing and temporary waiving of the guaranteed minimum billing demand.

BDO Capital awarded top investment bank

Building Filipinos’ financial resilience with Moneybility

NOWADAYS,

Metrobank hopes to change that mindset and aims to make Filipinos not just financially secure, but more importantly, financially resilient. This means they know how money works and where their money goes, they have set financial goals, and they are backed with an emergency fund.

With this, Metrobank recently launched a comprehensive and dynamic financial education platform called “Moneybility.” This new platform is convenient for individuals who want to start developing wise money habits on budgeting, dealing with debt, insurance, investing, and more. It provides a guide for personal finances that is accessible to Filipinos anytime, anywhere. Its first two chapters are now available for download at moneybility.metrobank.com.ph.“Moneybility” is no ordinary platform on financial education. It has a collection of money management topics customized with Filipino money habits in mind. Complemented with its website, the e-book will also have multimedia and interactive features and tools like quizzes, a money tracker, and calculators to make different topics on money more relatable and understandable.

“Our customers have always been at the center of our business. Our strategy revolves around meeting and anticipating their current and future financial needs. As part of our goal to deepen and strengthen our relationship with our clients, we want to equip them with a tool that will help enhance their understanding of different financial products and services and help them build their financial resilience” said Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Digs Dimagiba. He added that the development of the platform comes from the bank’s 60 years of credible and solid experience in guiding clients across different financial challenges.

It’s their way of sharing the knowledge they have amassed throughout the decades.

Moneybility is only one of Metrobank’s financial education tools. Depending on a person’s level of proficiency, the Bank also offers various platforms tailored to Filipinos’ specific needs. For those who are already aware of basic financial concepts and are looking at getting into investments, Earnest is the appropriate tool. It is a learning and investing platform with easyto-understand lesson cards, digestible financial news, and simple investing explainers. You can access Earnest by downloading the app from Apple Store for iOS users or Play Store for Android users. The bank also has Tara Invest, a series of bite-sized social media video explainers on the basics of investing. You can watch the series on Metrobank’s Youtube page.

Metrobank also recently launched a website called Wealth Insights for high-net-worth clients. Here, the bank’s finance experts and independent third-party research providers impart timely and relevant investment ideas, thoughtful perspectives on wealth management, and curated market-moving news for free.

For daily light reading on managing money, Metrobank has Money Basics, a collection of simple and creative articles and social media posts to help people build their savings habits. You can go through these tips at Metrobank’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Lastly, because Metrobank gives a high priority to the security of its clients’ accounts, it has Fight Fraud. This campaign educates Filipinos about the dangers of financial fraud and how they can avoid being a victim through a content series posted on the bank’s social media pages and website. In line with this, Metrobank, together with other banks rolled out the ScamProof.ph campaign, a website focused on fraud prevention.

With “Moneybility” and their other financial education initiatives, Metrobank proves they are more than just a bank, they go beyond the financial services needs of their clients—they are “the bank that educates” Filipinos towards financial resilience.

Check out Moneybility and download the first two chapters now at moneybility.metrobank.com.ph.

The company said there was a need for grid ex pansion and development projects to keep up with the increasing power demand which could surpass pre-pandemic levels on increased economic activ ity.

NGCP said Boracay’s demand now hit 25 mega watts, closer to the 27-MW limit of the existing 69kV submarine cable and overhead line serving the island.

It said without any transmission reinforcements, further developments in Caticlan and Boracay could not be accommodated.

“The existing 69 kV submarine cable and overhead line serving the island is no longer adequate to support load growth in the coming years. Under the project, NGCP will reinforce the grid with an additional submarine cable and upgrade the existing 69-kV facilities to 138kV,” said NGCP.

The entire project consists of underground and submarine cables connecting the mainland to Bo racay Island, overhead transmission lines, a cable terminal station, a new Boracay substation and an upgraded Nabas substation.

BDO Capital & Investment Corp. was recognized as the country’s Corporate and Investment Bank of the Year for the 5th straight time at the Asian Banking & Finance Awards.

BDO Capital’s remarkable achievement is a testament to its consistent excellence in delivering best-in-class investment banking services across various product lines in the Philippine capital markets.

BDO Capital is a full-service investment house offering a wide range of investment banking services, including securities underwriting and trading, loan syndication, financial advisory, private placement of debt and equity, project finance, and direct equity investment.

The company’s continued dominance in the domestic investment banking industry can be attributed to its solid capital strength and stability, unmatched distribution capability and customer-centric approach with its customized, optimal solutions to achieve clients’, issuers’ and investors’ business goals.

“This recognition exemplifies our clientfocused mindset. We are committed to our customers, ensuring that we consistently deliver great customer experience amid changing market conditions,” said BDO Capital president Eduardo Francisco.

Pag-IBIG members save record P66.7 billion

PAG-IBIG Fund members saved more than P66 billion in the last 10 months, break ing yet another record for the period and exceeding all prior full-year figures, top agency officials said Monday.

Data showed that from January to Octo ber, the amount collectively saved by mem bers with the agency reached P66.66 bil lion―the highest for any 10-month period.

The savings collected so far this year grew 27 percent from the same period in 2021 and surpassed all full-year figures in the agency’s history including last year, when it collected P63.67 billion, Pag-IBIG Fund’s best performing year yet.

“Pag-IBIG Fund has again set another re cord-high, this time in its members’ savings collections. It speaks well of the trust that our members and stakeholders have in our capability to manage their savings excel

lently and prudently,” said Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, who heads the Depart ment of Human Settlements and Urban De velopment and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees.

“With more funds, Pag-IBIG remains in a strong position to finance its programs, particularly its home loans, while keeping interest rates on its loans low. All these are part of our efforts in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for providing a better life for all Filipinos,” said Acuzar.

Continuing to drive the growth of its members’ savings is the agency’s voluntary savings program, the Modified Pag-IBIG 2 or MP2 Savings. In the last 10 months, MP2 Savings amounted to a record-break ing P33.72 billion or 51 percent of the total savings collected by the agency during the period.

PARITYBIT LAUNCHING. Singapore-based ParityBit, a privacy-enhancing technologies company, presents its solutions before the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines’ monthly meeting on Oct. 19 at the Dusit Hotel Manila in Makati City, coinciding with the formal launch of the company in the Philippines. Photo shows BMAP president Mai Sangalang (fourth from left) of Standard Chartered handing over the certificate of appreciation to ParityBit founder and chief executive Dr. Zhen Luo (fifth from left). With them are (from left)

BMAP director for publicity and digital marketing Tanya Ansaldo-Deakin (Security Bank), director for programs Judith Songlingco (Philippine Business Bank), secretary Owen Cammayo (Bank of the Philippine Islands), treasurer Emmanuel MariValdes (Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.); auditor Mary Ann Ducanes (Chinabank) and chair for election Yayu Javier (Avanza Inc.).

one of the most prominent goals Filipinos want to achieve is financial security. Yet not everyone is knowledgeable about managing their finances. Some even mistake themselves as financially secure when their salary increases, without realizing that their expenses are also getting higher. And some think that they will never achieve financial security with all their obligations on hand.

By Patricia Taculao

F

The Season of Giving

Some people plan out their gifts for months, carefully organizing their time, effort, and budget to acquire the best gift they can give to others. Meanwhile, others prefer to search at the spur of the moment when shops are releasing new items or rolling out discounts.

Regardless of which type of gift giver you are, we all fall into a rut now or later when finding the perfect gift. If you’ve run out of ideas on what to give to others, here are some suggestions worth looking at:

GIVING AN EXPERIENCE

Want your gift to be something practical yet not too serious? Something that the recipient will find memorable even after using it? Try gifting a voucher to a key tourist destination, like a hotel, spa, amusement park, or staycation.

Whether for a friend or a loved one, they’d feel grateful that someone offered them a chance to escape hectic schedules or bad days.

Most vouchers usually last a year

ILIPINOS are already scrambling to find the ideal gifts for their friends and loved ones as Christmas is nearly a month away. Malls and markets are seeing a lot of heavy foot traffic from eager shoppers as they navigate through various sections in search of the perfect present.or so, depending on the destination’s availability. But giving recipients time to plan their trip or reschedule things makes the gift more endearing. Bonus points if you get to tag along.

SOMETHING TO READ

Although we’re at an age where people depend immensely on gadgets, most people retain traditional hobbies, like reading. And within our immediate circle, we all know someone who loves to read novels, comics, or other similar material. While most of these are now available online, some books are rare finds and contain unique content not available digitally.

It may seem like a lot of work and maybe even pricey, but imagine the look on their faces once you present them with a rare issue of a book or a special edition from their favorite author.

ENCOURAGE SELF-CARE IN EVERYONE

We’re way past the point of thinking our mental health isn’t as important as physical health. After the grueling two years and more challenges in the future, we all deserve a break that makes us feel better immediately.

Those who don’t have the luxury of getting away from it all can find refuge in care packages with products meant to soothe troubled minds. You can pack their favorite snacks, essential oils, skincare products, or self-help books, among other items.

One of the best things about it is you can give it to anyone, male, female, young, old, etc. Make sure to curate the items properly to get the best results (specifically, positive reactions from your recipients).

It’s also suitable for those who can’t decide on a single gift because the local market and shopping malls offer numerous options in different gift categories. These specially-curated boxes are a treat to have. It means that you’re thinking about your recipients’ needs and wants.

POINTERS TO MAKE THE GIFT SEARCHING WORTHWHILE

Finding the perfect present to give isn’t always a piece of cake. Sometimes

external factors play a role in keeping us from securing the goods. But if there’s a will, there’s a way, and hardly anything can stop us if we put our minds to the task.

Yet to avoid stressing out over gift-buying, here are some reminders to guide you this season:

BUDGET YOUR EXPENSES

Some people think the best gift has hefty prices—but that’s not always true. Breaking your bank for the sake of buying a gift is not only impractical but also dangerous, especially in the midst of a global recession and inflation.

If you’re planning to give gifts to several people, try buying items in bulk since it’s comparatively cheaper. While not many malls offer discounts on bulk buying, some online and physical stores do, so it’s best to research before making that purchase.

GO ONLINE AND SKIP THE LINE

The Philippines, during the Christmas season, even a few months before it, is a bustling place to be. Vendors line up the streets while Christmas shoppers flock to malls or shopping centers. Not everyone can thrive in that environment, and they often feel discouraged looking for gifts when they think of going up against the traffic from the people and vehicles.

All hope is not lost—thanks to the advent of technology and prolific e-commerce platforms. Shoppers can simply go online to browse through a

variety of products that they see fit for their recipient. They don’t have to fall in line or spend a lot of energy and resources going from place to place.

Shoppers can even send their gifts directly to their recipients. Some shops offer gift-wrapping or dedication services to make the item/s more presentable.

One downside to going online is that people must wait for stocks to replenish once it runs out. But it only takes a matter of time, and merchants usually give out updates on social media.

FIND THEIR INTERESTS

If you’re worried about finding the best gift for someone, look at their interests. It’s one step closer to finding the perfect present because it’ll hit close to their hearts. For instance, people who love investing in their workspace will appreciate organizational items or accessories like a keyboard, mouse, or headset.

Meanwhile, those who love baking or cooking can appreciate a new apron, kitchen tools, or utensils.

The possibilities are endless. But also try to get them something they don’t have yet to make the gift more worthwhile.

Gift-giving may be a well-loved Christmas tradition that we all enjoy. But in the spirit of the holiday, one of the most significant things we can do is share our blessings with others and spread joy as much as we can.

Nonetheless, these gift-buying tips and ideas will inspire you as you search for the perfect gift for the people you love. You can even keep them in mind for the next Christmas or so. Happy shopping!

Ikeda, Malixi triumph; Constantino nips Singson

TOP seed Chihiro Ikeda and fancied Rianne Malixi romped away with convincing victories to advance while No. 2 Harmie Constantino needed to toughen up in the stretch to squeak past Mafy Singson, 1-up, at the start of the ICTSI Villamor Match Play Invitational at the Villamor Golf Club yesterday.

Sunshine Baraquiel shone early by taking five of the first seven holes at the back and bundled out Eva Miñoza five holes later with a 7&6 rout, leading the assault of the top-ranked bets in the novel championship capping the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour season, which featured 11 legs at various championship courses in Luzon.

“I shot four birdies but made a double at the par-3 No. 17 and finished with seven pars,” said Baraquiel, seeking a follow-up to a career breakthrough at Highlands in wicked conditions last year.

She flourished off the mound and got good looks at the pins which she hopes to produce against second seed Harmie Constantino as action heats up in the head-to-head clashes leading to a crack at the championship worth P280,000.

Ginebra’s Brownlee may suit up for PH in FIBA tilt’s 6th window

the process for his naturalization will start rolling by today.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announced on Tuesday that the main venue of next year’s qualifiers will be the Philippine Arena, the site of the final two games of the national team in the February window as it tangles with Lebanon and Jordan. And should everything falls into place, Brownlee could be suiting up as the naturalized player for the national team in the Feb. 24 to 27 event.

SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios both confirmed the latest development in the campaign of Gilas Pilipinas during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum held face-to-face at the ground floor of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“‘Yung Philippine Arena talagang naka-schedule tayo doon, ‘yung dalawang laro sa Pebrero,” said Barrios, a day after the national team arrived from the Middle East following a two-game sweep of Jordan and Saudi Arabia for the fifth window.

It will be the third window to be staged

Blazers enter semifinals for 1st time in 20 years

By Peter Atencio

A 20-YEAR wait ended on Tuesday for the College of St. Benilde Blazers in the 98th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the FilOil-EcoOil Arena in San Juan.

Will Gozum knocked in 25 points and had 10 rebounds for the Blazers as they defeated the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Stags, 83-78, to claim a Final Four semifinal slot for the first time in 20 years.

“It was a good win for us. It was a great achievement. We reached our goal to make the Final Four,” said Blazers’ coach Charles Tiu, who hopes to bring CSB back to the finals after achieving the feat in 2002.

The mood at the dugout was happy after the Blazers completed the Final Four, where they joined the Letran Knights, the Lyceum Pirates and the San Beda Red Lions with their 10th win in 14 games.

The 6’7” Gozum fired 14 points in the second half as the Blazers went on to break free from a 40-all halftime deadlock, including nine in the third as they moved away, 63-57.

The Stags played the second half without their coach Egay Macaraya, who was ejected with 4.1 seconds to go in the second period, after arguing the with referee over a non-call, when Alex Desoyo was hit accidentally by Blazer Carlo Lim on the head while driving.

“Hopefully, we can add more wins, and continue to win,” added Tiu, after they bounced back from their 83-89 loss to the University of Perpetual Help Altas.

The Blazers weathered a late rally after they took an 83-76 edge in the last 1:17 off Migz Oczon’s trey.

in the country after earlier hosting the first and second windows in February at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and the fourth window last August at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Games in the 2023 World Cup will be held at the Big Dome, MoA, and the Philippine Arena.

“‘Yung tatlong venue na ‘yan ang lalaruan sa World Cup. Kaya hangga’t maaari, lalaruan na natin. Parang nagOJT na rin ‘yung local organizing committee natin ‘pag nagho-host tayo sa iba’t ibang venue natin,” Barrios said in the weekly session presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

For the sixth window, the Filipinos tangle with Lebanon on Feb. 24 before taking on Jordan on Feb. 27.

And the prospect of the 34-year-old Brownlee serving as the naturalized player of Gilas in both games looms as

“May hearing na sa Congress, at aappear si Justin Brownlee doon,” said Barrios of the beloved Barangay Ginebra import who will appear at the Lower House wearing his newly-tailored barong tagalog.

“Magiging malaking bagay kung magiging available si Justin,” admitted the SBP executive director.

Barrios said Brownlee would be appearing before the Committee of Justice in Congress for the initial part of the naturalization process, which will also go through the Senate once it passed the Lower House.

“Nag-uumpisa ‘yan sa Congress. Kapag na-approve (sa Congress), saka aakyat sa Senate,” he explained. “May proseso ‘yan at walang shortcut ‘yan.”

The former PBA commissioner said the SBP is letting the naturalization process of Brownlee takes its course, though he is very optimistic Brownlee would eventually make it.

“‘Yun ang target. Ayokong manguna sa ating mga congressmen at senators. That’s the last thing we like to do,” said Barrios. “Let’s allow them to do their jobs first. They know what’s required. We are very fortunate that both houses,

“Same game plan – hit fairways so I can attack the pin,” said the seventh ranked lady pilot, also seeking to redeem herself from a string of mediocre finishes in the just-concluded season.

Ikeda, who gained the top seeding after winning her second LPGT Order of Merit title on victories at Mount Malarayat and Eagle Ridge-Aoki, imposed her will against Martina Miñoza and posted a 4&2 victory while Malixi, actually the most fancied in the 16-player roster, sized up Pamela Mariano in the first four holes at the back then went 2-up on No. 17.

The 15-year-old amateur star, who swept all her three stints in this year’s LPGT at Luisita, Valley and Riviera, then held sway at the front to carve out a 3&2 triumph for a quarterfinal face-off with Gretchen Villacencio, who repelled Kristine Fleetwood, 2&1.

Save for Malixi, who took the No. 13 ranking, all but one of the top seven players progressed with Constantino hacking out a tense-filled 1-up win over Singson, the other amateur in the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized championship, in a back-andforth duel.

“It was more like a rally, it went back-and-forth,” said Constantino of her face-off with the Splendido Taal leg winner. “She (Mafy) led early on and we were all square after 9. Then we just kept on going back from 1-up or all square then I would go 1 up. It’s always a rally.”

Florence Bisera posted the lone reversal but not after three extra holes as the 14th ranked bet upended third seed and fellow Davaoena Sarah Ababa on the 21st to join Ikeda, Malixi, Constantino, Baraquiel, Gretchen Villacencio, Marvi Monsalve and Lovelynn Guioguio in the quarterfinals.

Delo opens PH team’s world taekwondo bid

The 21-year-old

Team manager and technical head Rocky Samson said the Filipino jins are facing talls odd considering the presence of the world’s elite and established fighters, all eyeing crucial points to strengthen their bid for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Ready naman tayo, pero ready rin ang mga kalaban natin. May advantage pa sila dahil tayo huminto sa pagsali abroad dahil sa pandemic habang sila nakapagpatuloy pa rin. Walang patapon na fighters dito, but I like our chances and I firmly believe na makaiwas lang sa injury at masaktan ng todo makaka-survive ang atleta natin going to the medal round,” said Samson, the current secretary general of the Philippine Taekwondo Association.

The games which have drawn 755 fighters from 122 countries were formally opened Sunday night via a grandiose ceremonies and parade of the athletes. Highlighting the event were the performances of the renowned Korean Taekwondo Demo Team and Mexico’s national synchronized swimming team.

Tokyo Olympian Kurt Bryan Barbosa was the flagbearer for Team Philippines.

The pride of Bangued, Abra is eyeing to erase his unforgettable stint in the 2019 edition in Manchester. His first-round match against Sanoh Lancery of Republic of Guinea in the men’s -54kgs. is the last event on the 16 weight categories (eight for men and eight for women) happening on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

PH jet ski racer wins World Finals

Jet ski racing is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a water sport similar to motorbike or powerboat racing, in which riders use jet skis to compete in open water. It’s a popular sport in the United States, Japan, Australia, and Europe.

One of the world-class athletes bringing more attention to the sport—and putting the Philippines on the map of competitive jet ski racing—is Paul del Rosario.

Most recently, Del Rosario took home the gold medal at the International Jet Sports Boating Association World Finals (Ski Modlites) held in October in Arizona, USA.

IJSBA is the governing body of the sports, similar to how the Federation Internationale de Football Association oversees soccer in the world.

Bagging the top prize in categories offered in the World Finals is a big deal. In the world of jet ski racing, this league is like its Olympics, with respective national champions from other countries sent to compete. Last October, Del Rosario beat racers from countries such as Brazil, South America, France, and America.

Aside from bragging rights and taking home an awesome trophy, the prestige of winning at the World Finals comes from moving up the world rankings. This also makes it easier for athletes to land sponsorships from brands. With his recent win, Del Rosario is now ranked #1 in his category (Ski Modlites), which is part of the ski/

stand up type class, the hardest category of all Jet Ski races.

Del Rosario had also become world champion at the IJSBA World Finals Runabout (Amateur Runabout Open Class) in 2010, as well as being the 2007 Thailand Pro Am Runabout Super Stock, national champion, among many other awards.

“Jet Ski races have been happening in the country since the ‘80s. And while there’s still a long way to go before the sport becomes more mainstream, Filipino Jet Ski racers are slowly being respected and seen as a powerhouse in the international scene,” said Del Rosario.

It’s all about cultivating athletes and designating them in the right categories. For the sport to become more popular, it’s going to take more than just one person, but rather a group of athletes and advocates dedicated to the movement.

Government support is crucial, too, in the form of tax benefits, incentives and athlete recognition, if Jet Ski racers hope to further make a killing in the sport.

Barrier to entry

Perhaps one of the reasons why jet ski racing hasn’t cultivated a bigger following is because of the high cost it takes to get into the sport. In fact, some had called the sport “elitist.”

Del Rosario said these observations are not entirely baseless. It does, in fact, cost a lot to take up the sport, including the cost of buying the actual Jet Ski (it’s virtually impossible to train competitively without owning one), as well gear like helmets, wetsuits, floatation aids, and other forms of safety equipment.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Southeast Asian Games multi-medalist Laila Delo takes on Germany’s Vaness Koerndl as the eight-man SMART/MVP Sports Foundation Philippine Team starts its campaign in the World Taekwondo Championships, which officially opened on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) at the ultra-modern Centro Acuatico CODE Metropolitano here.

Delo from University of Santo Tomas crosses paths with Koerndl in the women’ -67 kgs class scheduled on Tuesday (Wednesday night in Manila).

Providing the plans and strategies are coaches Paul Romero and World Championship veteran Carlos ‘Caloy’ Padilla. The head of the delegation is former senator Anna Dominique “Nikki” Coseteng with former Zambales congresswoman Cheryl Dolosa Montalla as her deputy.

The nationals’ participation here is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

GILAS Pilipinas’ 6th window campaign in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers may just feature the Philippine team debut of popular Ginebra San Miguel import Justin Brownlee.

Chihiro Ikeda imposed her will against Martina Miñoza and posted a 4&2 victory. (Manny Marcelo)

Lowe and Upper House, the support for basketball is immense and unquantifiable,” said Barriors.

“‘Yung chances na naibigay sa akin talagang malaking pasalamat ko. For almost one month, nag-training ako sa Korea and with the experiences I gained in the past tournaments, including Olympics in Tokyo, mas kumpiyansa ako ngayon,” said Barbosa.

Members of the Philippine Taekwondo Team (from left) are shown during the opening ceremonies.

Justin Brownlee

Paul Del Rosario is among the athletes putting the Filipinos on the map of competitive Jet Ski and motorsports racing

What’s showing in cinemas?

and embrace familiarity, while romance attracts people who are struggling with their emotional stability.

* * *

Speaking of movies, the cinema industry has been bustling. Aside from films on streaming apps, we have film festivals happening simultaneously in the metro.

Take for instance, the QCinema International Film Festival, which is on its 10th edition this year. Aside from its wellcurated film selections; some of which have

APART from the accessibility of the cinemas and it being an economically viable option, there is a reason (or several) that going to the movies is a great idea for a date night, especially if the couple is still on that gettingto-know stage of the possible relationship.

While movie dates might not be such an original idea, one can learn a lot about a person while watching a film. First, their body language while watching the film. Cliche as it may sound, actions do speak louder than words. How they act while watching speaks volumes about their personality.

Is your date engaged with the movie, or do they look bored, or worse falling asleep? Are they sitting comfortably or fidgeting? Are they trying to connect with you, or are they more interested in holding and eating the popcorn?

How are they with silence? There are some who are a little awkward with sitting in silence in front of the big screen for more or less two hours; while others relish it.

Second, the choice of movie. Studies show that your movie preference is directly related to your personality. Apparently, certain personality types are attracted to particular genres.

According to studies, people who like comedy are more creative and adventurous, albeit a little bit disorganized. While those who prefer horror movies are more reserved, less altruistic, and more neurotic. Action movies are for those who are stable

been

The

In 10 days, viewers can watch 58 films, including six short film production grantees, grouped into seven full-length sections and three shorts programs.

The Main Competition is back, with the Asian Next Wave, focusing on emerging filmmakers from Southeast Asia and East Asia, including Singaporean Oscar entry Ajoomma

There’s

“It has grown bigger and stronger beyond our dreams and much sooner than our expectations. It is like the making of a film, QCinema’s growth has been a collaborative effort. While it started as a brainchild of mine 10 years ago, it took a whole city and the efforts of many sectors to propel it to what it is now, one of the country’s most formidable film festivals,” said QC Mayor Joy Belmonte

Theatrical screenings for all films will be held at Gateway, Trinoma, Powerplant, Cinema 76, and SM North EDSA. Online

Getting to know more about Geraldine Roman

By Patricia Taculao

PUBLIC service is an occupation many people aspire to acquire, yet only a few truly understand the responsibilities it entails. Congresswoman Geraldine Roman hopes to shed some light on her position as the representative of the First District of Bataan but through a more modern and inclusive approach.

Within the year, the congresswoman plans to debut her YouTube channel, Geraldine Romantik. It will allow viewers to learn more about Roman through the first series of her vlog, which revolves around getting to know her more.

As the first transgender person elected to the Philippine House of Representatives, Roman also holds the most coveted position as chairperson of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality. Yet what do we know about Roman outside of her distinction in Congress?

For instance, a few people know that the Congresswoman is fluent in Spanish and skilled in French. It stems from her fascination with all things Spanish, prompting her to study European languages and earn a degree from the University of Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Eventually, a young Roman received a scholarship and traveled to Spain to forge her path. She stayed there for more than two decades, where she worked as a journalist and put her fluency in the European language to good use.

While there, she had the privilege to cover business and lifestyle beats, where the latter landed her opportunities to interview well-known celebrities like Drew Barrymore

If there’s one thing that Roman learned as a journalist that she now applies to her vlog, it’s how to listen to the public and produce stories that will pique their interest. Roman also plans to interview local personalities on her upcoming vlog, including Kris Aquino and the Marcos siblings, separately.

One of the main focuses of Roman’s vlog is her relationship with her family, especially when she came out and finally realized who she wanted to be in this life: a woman who’s happy and confident in her skin.

Geraldine Romantik will highlight those parts of Roman’s life during its launch.

Aside from putting her life story under the spotlight, Roman will also feature topics she’s passionate about on her vlog, including fashion, food, health, and beauty. But one thing’s for sure, as the representative of the First District of Bataan, she will also highlight the province’s splendor as a tourist destination, its rich culture through the people’s way of life, and more.

The channel’s name is a play on words and a clear description of how it will feature stories that Roman is passionate about—or simply brings out her romantic side.

Despite her busy schedule as a district representative, Geraldine tries to balance her time and squeeze vlogging in whenever she can. She also has a team of professionals eagerly assisting her in creating and curating content for her upcoming channel.

Following the release of the first episode, Geraldine Romantik will release new episodes weekly.

Roman hopes to connect with Filipinos through her YouTube channel and inspire them to lead better lives where they happily pursue their passions.

* * *

Meanwhile, after two years of online iterations, the International Silent Film Festival returns with on-site screenings on November 24 to 27, at the Shangri-La Mall in Mandaluyong.

Celebrating 16 years of silent film culture, featured films are: British film Piccadilly, live scored by Filipino band Anahata, in collaboration with Sensoria; 1922 German film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, scored by The Brockas, the first cinematic adaptation of Dracula; Charles Burguet and René Le Somptier’s 1919 French piece La sultane de l'amour (The Sultan of Love – A Thousand and One Nuits), to be scored by Bras Pas Pas Pas; 1926 Spanish film Malvaloca, scored by Talahib People’s Music; Japanese film The Lady and the Beard, with Bullet Dumas; and Italian film I Figli Di Nessuno (Nobody's children) by Ruggero Rindi.

There will also be screening of the best short films from the 2021 Mit Out Sound (MOS): International Silent Film Competition, including EJ Gagui and Marienel Calma's animated film Ing Tianak Vahn Pascual’s Alingasngas ng mga Kuliglig (Gossips of the Cicadae), and Gabriela Serrano’s Dikit (Cinemalaya 2022 Best Director for Short Film Category). Music scores will be played by the BConcept and Vincent Del Rosario. For more details, follow Silent Film Festival on Facebook.

Happy watching, lovebirds!

Redefining the formal parallels between real and abstract

The work is aloof and systematic and cool and neutral imagery is used. His art practice provides a useful set of allegorical tools for maneuvering with a pseudo-minimalist approach in the world of mixed media art.

These meticulously planned artworks executed in an almost spontaneous manner are borne out of years of refinement from his time as a hyper-realist where the use of light and shadow, proper composition, and creating visual interest were much more straightforward. But in abstraction, the very same principles are still at work but are more indirect yet nonetheless integral to the narrative and aesthetic success of an artwork.

Though his work does not often reference recognizable forms, the intention of form and narrative is there, coinciding in an almost formal parallel to the aesthetic and emotional dynamic of the work. Though the correlation between the two is not easily seen, it is his job as the artist to create, maintain and perpetuate the balance between those elements.

Magno's works are based on formal associations or parallels to the human condition which may or may not necessarily be narrated in a precise and formal manner. This in turn opens a unique poetic vein in the narratives and expositions of each artwork.

Multilayered images arise in which the fragility and instability

Though the artist has veered away from formal representational work, his time as a hyper-realist focusing primarily on portraiture and architecture has become the foundational cornerstones of his abstract and mixed media practice today.

To deconstruct an idea or an image to its many different components, one must first begin from a fully formed whole.

To fully be able to appreciate the various elements, one must also begin with an understanding of the whole. Indeed it is impossible to create abstraction from nothing.

One must learn the rules before one can break them, it is how one earns their due to be able to delve into abstract work.

And that is how Magno finds, reconfigures, and redefines the formal parallels between the real and the abstract.

1 to 18

sourced from the most prestigious festivals from all around the world, the QCinema will be in10city.

festival, slated from November 17 to 26, opens with the Palme d’Or-winning class satire Triangle of Sadness by Ruben Östlund, which stars our very own Dolly de Leon. The closing film is To The North by Mihai Mincan, a Venice Film Festival entry starring veteran actor Soliman Cruz

by Shuming He; Japanese Oscar entry Plan 75 by Chie Hayakawa; South Korean

film Return to Seoul by Davy Chou; Thai film Arnold is a Model Student by Sorayos Prapapan; Autobiography by Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak; 12 Weeks by Anna Isabelle Matutina (Cinemalaya 2022 NETPAC Awardee and Best Actress for Max Eigenmann), and Elehiya by Loy Arcenas (which features the late actress Cherie Gil in her last screen performance).

also the QCShorts competing films: Ang Pagliligtas sa Dalagang Bukid by Jaime Morados; Bold Eagle by

Whammy Alcazaren; Luzonensis Mula 7 hanggang 9 by Glenn Barit; Mga Tigre ng Infanta by Rocky De Guzman Morilla; Ngatta Naddaki y Nuang? (Why did the Carabao Cross the Carayan?) by Austin Tan; and Sa Ilog Na Hindi Nagtatapos by JT Trinidad

screenings of QCShorts 2022, QCShorts 2021, and RainbowQC Shorts will be in partnership with VivaMax from November 22 to 26. For complete details of film schedules and sections, check out qcinema.ph Follow their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

CARLO Magno creates mixed media artworks on canvas and sculptures. By rejecting objective truth and global cultural narratives, he creates work in which a fascination with the clarity of content and an uncompromising attitude towards conceptual and minimal art can be found.

‘Formal Parallels’ (2022), 96 x 72 inches, mixed media

of our seemingly certain reality is questioned, the fleeting moments of unbridled joy celebrated, and the resilience of the human spirit become celebrated triumphs.

By applying abstraction, Magno tries to develop forms that do not follow logical criteria, but are based only on subjective associations and formal parallels, which incite the viewer at each instance to make new personal associations and correlations to their own existential nature.

Formal Parallels exhibition runs from December

at Art Lounge Manila –Podium and at Manila Bang from December 8 to 11 at UGF, Expansion Wing, Civic Drive Hall way, Festival Mall, Alabang.

‘Formal Parallels’ (2022), 96 x 72 inches, mixed media

‘Reverie,’

A scene from ‘Return to Seoul’ by Davy Chou

‘Elehiya’ by Loy Arcenas, featuring the late actress Cherie Gil in her last screen performance

The Palme d’Or-winning class satire ‘Triangle of Sadness’ by Ruben Östlund

Congresswoman Geraldine Roman, the rst transgender woman to hold a position in Congress as the Representative of the First District of Bataan, will soon launch a vlog to give the public a glimpse of her life

The Season of Giving

Investing your

as

Christmas

bonus

a gift for you or your loved ones

By Julienne Rivera and Kyla Victoriano

AS CHRISTMAS approaches, many people plan events and activities they should include in their Christmas celebrations. Aside from these joyful reunions and get-togethers, one of the aspects of this time of the year is that most Filipinos, especially employees and workers, are looking forward to receiving their Christmas bonuses.

Every Christmas, we observe our tradition of gift-giving, and we do this with the anticipation of receiving our 13th-month pay and Christmas bonuses. People look forward to the money they will receive and plan on what to buy and how to spend it for their family. Oftentimes, some would use it to purchase gifts for their loved ones, special meals, family getaways, or as a budget for a particular time.

However, Christmas is also the most costly time of the year, especially with inflation and other crises affecting the public’s way of life. It is also practical to consider saving and using our money efficiently. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, having some vital investments that could back you up and your family’s safety and comfortability for the future will be the most fulfilling gift that you can give yourself and your loved ones.

While it is common to use these incentives to help out over the holidays or simply treat yourself and your loved ones to something nice, your hard-earned money may go a long way if you handle it wisely by investing it for the long term.

The idea of saving the holiday bonus for investment is a common practice amongst employees, who understand the benefits of saving. Hence, investing your money is a good way of making money work for you and growing wealth out of your savings.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

Thinking about investing your hard-earned funds this holiday season can go a long way if you spend and manage it wisely. Upon receiving their 13th-month pay and Christmas bonuses, some people are excited to go shopping and take advantage of the holiday sale or check out all the items in their cart on that shopping app.

However, it’s more necessary for you to budget hard-earned finances —so you know where it goes. Creating a list of things you will be spending on gifts and writing down all your expenses for this

holiday season is one of the easiest ways to maintain your budget and celebrate Christmas with your loved ones.

One of the frequent things that people do is invest. They create an emergency fund because they believe it is ideal when incidents and accidents occur and require sudden cash outflow. But if you don’t have the proper amount yet, you can continue saving money and set it aside in a separate bank account to avoid using it for your regular expenses.

You can also use it to pay off debts or start insurance that could benefit a loved one soon. Several types of insurance are available in the Philippines, depending on a person’s needs or budget. Choose which best fits your preferences to make the most out of it when you can finally reap its rewards.

Meanwhile, if you’re planning to invest your 13th-month pay as a gift for a loved one, you can use it to fund any entrepreneurial pursuits you share. It would not only show support but as well as trust, which can boost their confidence. Who knows? One day when their business succeeds, they have you to thank, or you can be their partner in the future.

While we’re on the topic of investing for the future, remember that it’s not always money you’re hoping to return with your choices. When it comes to your loved ones, use the extra time and money you have to build a strong relationship and mutual connection with them. Consider giving experiences as gifts. Instead of material things, look for activities or events where your recipients can visit and grow.

For example, if your sister likes history, this is the best time to look for free museums and offer to take her there. This way, you will not only share meaningful experiences with another but also the recipient will develop and acquire long-term knowledge.

Personal growth as an investment

Although we Filipinos see Christmas as a time to give gifts to others and spread joy all around, we sometimes forget that we deserve reward and pampering too. Another ideal way to use your 13th-month pay is by investing in yourself and becoming a better person.

For instance, technology paved the way for various smartphones to dominate the market and increase everyone’s productivity with the appropriate specifications. If you feel like it’s time for an upgrade from your previous unit, then go ahead and treat yourself. Not only will this purchase boost your morale and productivity for better returns, but it’s also an investment since you can still sell high-functioning devices back to the market.

You can also start investing in a hobby, building a business, or joining a wellness group. These are ways to help kickstart the better version of you in the future. It also paves the way for someone to upgrade their wardrobe or refurbish their house so they can feel more comfortable and confident to seize the day and its opportunities.

Investing in yourself and others is one of the best investments for personal growth. Allowing yourself to learn about the things you are interested in will allow you to gain new knowledge and skills, which can give you returns in the future.

Christmas is not just about giving and receiving presents—it’s also about remembering those who have been part of your success. Investing your time with your family and friends this holiday season will build stronger relationships and memories that you wouldn’t trade for material things.

Moreover, it’s also a time to reward yourself for all your hard work during the previous year. Use this time and the funds you get wisely by putting them where they need to be.

Happy holidays, everyone, and spend wisely!

Best gift ideas for Christmas 2022

By Chelsie Alquinto

THE holidays are just around the corner and if you’re still clueless on what to give your significant other, friends, or family, look no further as we’ve gathered the best gift ideas for them this 2022.

Christmas this year is starting to look different, with things slowly returning to normal and people’s lifestyles are slowly changing. It can mean wanting various items for the coming year.

For the K-pop or K-drama fan Korea is more accessible than ever! You can quickly buy K-pop merch or tickets to your favorite actor’s meet and greet. Merch is available online from resellers and online shopping platforms, like KPOPTOWN, or you can even directly purchase it from a store in Korea and ship it to the Philippines with the help of a logistics partner. Be sure to find trusted online resellers to ensure a positive experience. You can check their legitimacy through positive feedback or agreeing to pay cash on delivery for the item.

However, if you want to make someone’s Korean dream come true of meeting their ideal and have the means to splurge more, there are back-to-back concerts and meet and greets this 2023 where you can cop early bird tickets after a few clicks! Convenient right?

SM Tickets are one of the most reliable sources for tickets. You can visit their website or go to the nearest SM branch in your area to purchase tickets.

For the one looking to ‘glow up’ in 2023

Everyone’s going back to their regular programming next year. That can mean going back to school, working, or traveling. We’re all about looking and feeling our best.

You can give your loved one an allexpense paid trip to the salon or Watsons!

Multiple stores accept Sodexo as their mode of payment in case you’re too shy to give cash directly. You can check which brands accept gift vouchers as their mode of transaction on their website, where you can also purchase gift certificates.

Place your order, and they will deliver it right to your doorstep. No need to worry about location because they will ship anywhere in the Philippines!

Another way to show them your love is to subscribe them to a beauty subscription box so they can try out new skincare and makeup products every month!

For the one trying to get their life together You could never go wrong with a planner! The new year is always the perfect time to start organizing so you can start strong and get a hold of your schedule.

Thanks to online stores, there are plenty of planners to choose from, depending on preference. You can even check the inside pages to see if the layout suits your needs! However, if you are the type to want to see the actual product, Typo has plenty of planners to choose from, and they are all must-haves!

National Bookstore also carries numerous planners, but if you want to add a personal touch, get them a customized planner with their name or a short message on the cover page.

A quick search on Lazada or Shopee will show numerous sellers that customize a wide range of things, from planners to mugs, you name it! The best part is it is inexpensive and convenient to do.

For the game enthusiast

If your partner is into gaming, a steam card is guaranteed to keep him in awe! There are plenty of games for him to purchase and play. Lucky for you, it doesn’t need to cost as much as a new PS5. You could choose from a digital voucher or a physical gift card with your selected amount.

However, if you’re feeling a little extra generous this year, a brand-new PS5 won’t hurt either! Stop by Game Xtreme or Datablitz the next time you visit the mall so you can start scouting for the best prices and freebies!

For the music lover

We can’t stress enough how many great earphones and headphones are in the market that fit all budgets!

For earphones under P1,000, the Baseus wireless earphones ensure a great listening experience. You can buy it directly from their Shopee Mall store and even score it at a discounted price when you stack vouchers.

If you’re willing to splurge a little more, Sudio’s ETT earphones are a great match to Apple’s Airpods Pro! Both can be found in Power Mac stores nationwide.

However, if you’re going to go all out, the second-generation Apple Airpods Pro will bag you the best gifter award this year!

And if they’re not into earphones, then Sony’s WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones should be on your radar. It has gained popularity and positive reviews over time and has been a great alternative to the Airpods Max, which costs almost twice as much.

You can cop these wireless headphones at Abenson, Electroworld, or Sony’s official Lazada or Shopee store.

There are countless gift ideas to consider this holiday season. Regardless of the price or item, remember the well-known adage, “it’s the thought that counts.” Don’t go buying expensive gifts just to impress someone. Always make the gift-giving season and activity heartfelt to make the recipients know that you care for them this Christmas and throughout the year.