Manila Standard - 2022 November 25 - Friday

‘concerned’ over debris row

PH envoy bares Manila coordinated with Washington after incident

By Rey E. Requejo

Report: US military likely to return to Subic Bay

Romualdez told radio dzBB the Phil ippines coordinated with the US gov ernment after Naval Station Emilio Li wanag (NSEL) and the Chinese Coast Guard had a confrontation off Pag-asa Island on Sunday.

That was when the Chinese, according to the Philippine Navy and Department of Defense, “forcefully took” an uni dentified floating object that Philippine forces had retrieved, a report the Chi nese embassy denied, saying the object

was taken after “friendly consultation” on both sides.

Foreign Af fairs Secre tary Enrique Manalo said Thursday the country sent China a note verbale to

to boost local

fisheries sector

By Vince Lopez

THE National Economic and Devel opment Authority (NEDA) has ap proved a P11.2 billion fisheries project aimed at addressing the problems in the sector, reducing poverty, and en suring food security.

In a NEDA board meeting, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday the project was timely as in a few decades, there will be more saltwater fish cultiva tion because of overfishing.

Bicam panel meets today to reconcile conflicting budget provisions

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE bicameral conference committee meetings on the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023 will kick off to

SC scolds poll body over VP bet’s exclusion

THE Supreme Court (SC) has repri manded members of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) who did not include vice presidential aspirant Wil son Amad on the ballots for the May 2022 polls.

In a decision dated July 5 but made public last Tuesday, the SC admonished the Comelec for not complying with the temporary re straining order (TRO) that would have prevented Amad’s exclusion from the official ballots.

Amad’s omission came after the poll body en banc upheld on January 3, 2022, the first division’s finding on December 13, 2021, that he had failed to prove that he has a bona fide inten tion to run for vice president.

Comelec also doubted that Amad’s popularity in Northern Mindanao, cou pled with the capitalization of the use of

day

With no negative vote, the Senate ap proved on the third and final reading House Bill 4488 or the proposed budget for next year.

Lady solons cited for ‘PamasCong Handog’

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER

fund-raising for charity project this year dubbed “PamasCONG Handog: Garage Sale for a Cause III.”

The charity project is an initiative of

Going after erring fathers beyond DSWD’s scope

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice has turned down the plan of Social Welfare Secre tary Erwin Tulfo to write erring fathers

and compel them to provide financial support to their children to evade pos sible civil and criminal liabilities.

In a five-page legal opinion, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that

while “the intention is noble,” the plan may already constitute providing legal service to the minor children, which is not among the duties and functions of the

PBBM names Ledesma acting PhilHealth chief

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Mar cos Jr. has named Emmanuel Rufino Ledesma Jr. as the acting president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Philippine Health Insurance Cor poration (PhilHealth).

Ledesma took his oath on Thurs day before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, according to a press state ment from Malacañang. He replaced his predecessor Eli Dino Santos.

Aside from being PhilHealth chief, Ledesma is also a member of PhilHealth’s expert panel and board of directors. H used to be president and CEO of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corpo ration (PSALM).

Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr. on Thursday meanwhile officially as sumed as the Philippine Navy’s (PN) flag-officer-in-command. He replaced

Martin G. Romualdez has commended the lady lawmakers in the House of Representatives for their

at the Manila Polo Club in Makati.

The Senate bicam panel will be com posed of Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sen. Sonny Angara as chair; Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Le garda; Senators Pia Cayetano and Imee

Marcos, senior vice chairpersons; Senators Cynthia Villar, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Win Gatchalian, Bong Go, Risa Hontiveros Nancy Binay, Grace Poe,

HELP PLEASE. Fisherfolk supporters of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under the group Nagkakaisang Mangingisda Laban Sa Gutom at Pananakop end their ‘peaceful caravan’ from Quezon City to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila (inset). They appealed to Mr. Marcos to protect their fishing rights in the Bajo de Masinloc as they said China’s Coast Guard continues to harass them. Norman Cruz

BIZ AWARD. Angkas CEO George Royeca (center) was awarded the Emerging Entrepre neur of 2022 during the Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines awarding ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Manila on Monday night.

WASHINGTON has expressed concern over the confrontation between Filipino and Chinese personnel near Pag-asa Island over the weekend, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Thursday.

SALE FOR A CAUSE. Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica, President of the Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI), joins event chair Rep. Florida Robes and guests in cutting the ceremonial ribbon during the launch of the ‘PamasCONG Handog: Garage Sale for a Cause III’ at the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno

THE American military will likely re turn to Subic Bay, 30 years after leav ing what was once their largest mili tary base in Asia, due to concerns over China’s increasing maritime asser tiveness, the top official of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Au thority told a Japa nese news agency.

Rolen Paulino, chairman of the SBMA, told Kyodo News on Wednes day that he would be “very surprised” if Subic Bay does not become a site un der the

Philippine-US Enhanced Defense Co operation Agreement (EDCA).

page

PBBM eyes stronger health sector

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday raised the need to strengthen the collaboration between the public and private sectors to improve the country’s health sector.

and offering health benefits.

This comes after he met with rep resentatives of the healthcare clus ter of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC).

In the meeting, the President tasked the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to check “best practices” and include digitalization initiatives for improving health insurance operations

“So, we have to get into the indus try,” he said. “For some reason, aqua culture doesn’t flourish and develop. That’s why this is important to me. I think this is where — if not all, it will be part of our food supply. It will give very good income for our fisherfolk.”

Of the P11.2 billion total project cost, P9.6 billion will come from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) provid ed by the World Bank (WB).

The remaining P660.6 million will be shouldered by the government through the Department of Agricul ture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), while the P1.16 billion will come from private sector partners and beneficiary groups or cooperatives.

Some 354,905 registered fishers in 24 provinces with a coastal and marine area of about 32 million hectares are ex pected to benefit from the project.

Although the share has been shrink ing in recent years, the fisheries sec tor accounts for 1.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and is ranked 8th globally in terms of volume of pro duction, including the 3rd largest pro duction of seaweed.

With a total export value of $1.125 billion and an import value of $749 million, the Philippines is a net ex porter of fish with an annual trade surplus of over $337 million in 2018.

The PH fisheries sector provides about 1.6 million jobs (4 percent of labor force), including those for lowincome families engaged in subsist ence fishing in municipal waters, and contributes to food security by provid ing over 50 percent of animal protein for human consumption.

Strengthening public-private partner ships coupled with strong third-party assessments, Mr. Marcos said, will ad dress efficiency concerns in dealing with the health needs of Filipinos.

In the meeting, developments on the so-called “ladderized” program for medical workers were also discussed.

The President had earlier supported a proposal to implement a “ladderized” program to address the “brain drain” among nurses in the country

“You can’t hold people back from a better life, a better future… It’s fair that you provide scholarships,” the Presi dent told PSAC officials.

“We just have to find ways to keep them here,” he pointed out.

Department of Health Officer-inCharge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the government is look ing at “bilateral partners” to provide scholarship programs for medical stu

dents and professionals. “Part of these discussions would be that with our bilateral relationships… we will have exchange programs or ex change conditions,” said Vergeire.

Improving scholarship programs for Filipino healthcare workers is also vi tal to addressing the concerns in the healthcare workforce, according to Vergeire.

The chief executive earlier backed the passage of a law improving the pro fession’s domestic career prospects and access to “relevant nursing education.”

Vince Lopez

Hospitals group pushes calamity state extension

By Willie Casas

A PRIVATE hospitals group said Thursday that the state of calamity in the Philippines due to COVID-19 should be further extended to the first quarter of 2023 considering a possible spike in cases during the holiday season.

The state of calamity is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2022.

“I think it should continue maybe un til the first quarter of the year,” Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPI) president Dr. Jose de Grano said at a public briefing.

De Grano said active COVID-19 cas es in the country still stand at 17,000.

“And this will continue, especially since it is now the holiday season. And we can see that almost everyone is not wearing face masks. So, this means there is a possibility that cases will in crease again,” he said.

Mask use was made optional late last month, except for places like hospitals, ambulances, and public land, air, or sea transportation.

Earlier, the independent monitoring group OCTA Research said that another wave of COVID-19 infections may start in the National Capital Region. The De partment of Health (DOH) on Wednes day said NCR recorded the highest number of cases in the past two weeks

seek clarification on the incident.

Manalo said the government wanted an “official comment” from the Chinese side after the Chinese Embassy in Ma nila denied the report that came from the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“Now, depending on how the reply comes out, then we will have to see what to do. But definitely, in order to begin the process, we would like to get an of ficial comment from China, especially in response to our note,” Manalo said in an interview with CNN Philippines, A note verbale does not equate to a diplomatic protest yet, Manalo noted.

On Nov. 20, personnel of Naval Sta tion Emilio Liwanag (NSEL) went to the waters off Pag-asa Island to retrieve what turned out to be rocket wreckage from China after noticing it through a long-range camera drifting towards Pag-asa Island’s Cay 1 sandbar.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said the note verbale would determine why the version of Chinese authorities of the incident in Pag-asa was different from that of the Philippine Navy.

The Philippines has lodged 189 diplo matic protests against China so far this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday, as Beijing continued to press its stance in contested waters.

The DFA made the statement after Manila asked Beijing to explain its sei zure of a rocket part.

“As of 22 November, the DFA has is sued 189 protests; 61 of which were made during the current administration. The figures are for 2022,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said in a text message.

The South China Sea is a longstanding source of tensions between the two nations.

Beijing claims sovereignty over al most the entire sea and has ignored an arbitral tribunal ruling that its claims have no legal basis. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have overlapping claims to parts of it.

Rear Adm. Caesar Bernard Valencia, who served in an acting capacity fol lowing the retirement of Vice Adm. Adeluis Bordado last September 9. Before being named to the Navy’s top post, he served as commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao and skippered four naval ships aside from commanding various naval task forces during his long career.

“As your Navy we are directly in volved in preserving and protecting our country’s maritime interest. We will adhere to and stand with the po sition of our Commander-in-Chief regarding our rights in the West Phil ippine Sea and the seas all over our archipelago. We will protect our sov ereignty and territorial integrity at all times,” he added.

“We are already sustaining the policy priorities of our predecessors according to our Philippine Navy Sail Plan 2028. The modernization of hardware focuses on field specializa tion, automation, and inculcation of a modern mindset in our navy person nel,” Adaci said. Vince Lopez

However, members of the Chinese Coast Guard supposedly approached them and “blocked their pre-plotted course twice” before “forcefully” re trieving the object by cutting the towing line attached to the NSEL rubber boat, the AFP report read.

China, through its embassy in Ma nila, denied the report, saying its coast guard took the object after a “friendly consultation.” It also claimed that AFP’s reports “are irrelevant with facts.”

Hundreds of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels prowl the waters, swarming reefs, harassing and attacking fishing and other boats, and interfering in oil and gas exploration as well as scientific research.

Last November, Chinese coastguard ships fired water cannon at Philippine boats delivering supplies to marines at Second Thomas Shoal in the same archipelago.

Mr. Marcos, who took office in June, said he would not let China trample on

Just like the past Congress, Angara noted that only the opening and closing ceremonies of the bicam will be opened to the public and the media.

with 3,382.

OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said that NCR’s seven-day COVID-19 posi tivity rate jumped from 7.4 percent on Nov. 15 to 9.2 percent on Nov. 22.

The positivity rate refers to the per centage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

Despite the uptick, PHAPI said it has not experienced a rise in hospi talization because most of the symp toms are mild.

Overall new COVID-19 infections in the Philippines logged on Wednesday were at 703 — the third day straight of fewer than 1,000 new cases.

the Philippines’ maritime rights.

The President said his planned visit to China in January could be an opportunity to find a way to avoid further incidents.

Meanwhile, Manalo said negotiations on a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea will resume next year.

Manalo said talks were stalled for at least two years due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They will most likely continue again next year. In fact, the talks, the negotia tions actually, not just talks, are actu ally taking place on a regular schedule,” he said in a CNN interview.

“The problem is when COVID came, there was a two-year gap in the negotia tions because there were no in-person meetings, but they are now continuing.”

At least two or three rounds of ne gotiations are expected to take place in 2023, Manalo said.

He expressed hope that talks could conclude in one or two years but admit ted that “technical issues” are a chal lenge to the negotiations.

“It’s quite a technical exercise because it would really be a code. What’s impor tant in our point of view is that it should be substantive and effective,” Manalo said.

“My hope is in one or two years but just another issue is, of course, this involves negotiations among 11 countries. All I can say is we will do our best to conclude it at the earliest possible time.”

Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi last month said China and the bloc are working on the COC’s second draft.

Senators wary of abolition of RITM vs. CDC

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATORS have misgivings on the planned abolition of the Research In stitute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), an attached agency of the Department of Health (DOH), which had been at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Thursday’s first Senate hearing on the proposed measure to establish a Center for Disease Control and Pre vention (CDCP) and Medical Reserve Corps, Senators Pia Cayetano and Nancy Binay opposed the plan to abol ish RITM and place it under CDC.

They suggested to strengthen the in stitute or widen its scope instead.

In a separate proposal, the Philippine Virology Institute, which functions sim ilarly to RITM, would be established.

Cayetano noted that since last year and in the last Congress, she and Binay had been concerned about the creation of the Virology institute under the De partment of Science and Technology versus supporting and giving more funding to RITM, “because clearly, they perform similar functions.”

DSWD under its charter.

That function, according to Remulla, belongs to other government agencies such as the Public Attorney’s Office.

“After a careful study and consid eration of your query, we note that the proposed act of the DSWD to write a letter to the fathers, presumably on behalf of the minor child/children, to remind them to give financial sup port, as ‘there are civil and criminal consequences under the law if finan cial support is not properly given’, may be outside of the DSWD’s stated mandate, powers and functions under Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, and the DSWD Citizen’s Charter of 2022…,” the DOJ opinion said.

The opinion was issued in response to Tulfo’s letter seeking the DOJ po sition on whether the Department of Social Welfare and Development can write a letter to the named father in the child’s birth certificate.

This would be to simply remind the father of his obligation under the law to provide financial support to his minor child, and that his failure to do so has corresponding civil and criminal consequences.

the Association of Women Legisla tors Foundation, Inc., spearheaded by its chairman, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, and its president, Bulacan 4th District Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica.

Francis

Angara said disagreeing provisions of the recommended budget or the General Appropriation Act (GAA), separately approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives, will be reconciled during the meeting.

The House contingent will be led by Rep. Elizaldy Co, chair of the House committee on appropriations.

weapons under the EDCA.

The Senate Minority Bloc said it will closely scrutinize the national budget, particularly the more than P9 billion con fidential and intelligence funds (CIFs).

Cayetano said he vowed to dig deeper into the lump sum and double inser tions in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH). He strongly criticized the government agency for having more repairs than building infrastructure projects.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pi mentel III said he hopes the CIF can be

transferred to other government agen cies. Pimentel cited the need to tackle the confidential funds in the bicam meeting if the House of Representatives panel can be convinced.

He noted that the budget version of the House does not contain the stashed CIF contrary to the Senate version. Pi mentel said he also expects the debates to be heated during the discussions.

The approved national budget main tained the P500 million confidential fund of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the now P30 million (from P150 million confidential fund) of the Department of Education (DepEd), both led by Vice President Sara Duterte.

In his message to AWLFI, Speaker Romualdez lauded the lady lawmak ers for their project, which devotes the proceeds to various social activities of the foundation meant to bring help to those who need it the most.

“By doing so, you have transformed this sale to transcend the common ob jective of trade and elevated it to that of a lofty and noble undertaking,” Romual dez said in the event also graced by House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose M. Dalipe.

The Speaker said the concept and the launching of the project at the on set of the holiday session are both fit ting and timely.

T his was as “during war, time is of the essence,” Paulino said, a day before the 30th anniversary of the US Navy’s departure from the harbor off the west coast of Luzon island that it had con trolled for nearly 94 years.

The former US Naval Base Subic Bay, which faces the South China Sea, has become a bustling free port that employs about 150,000 locals, adminis tered by the SBMA.

Manila and Washington have been in negotiations over setting up five more locations in the Philippines to build US military facilities and preposition

A series of events were held Thursday at the free port to mark the 30th Found ing Anniversary of the SBMA, including a public display of civilian airplanes and a Philippine Navy helicopter at the Subic airport, which is now being repurposed for surveillance and aviation training.

Signed in 2014, the EDCA is likely to continue beyond its 10-year pe riod, as indicated by the renewed US interest in establishing new bases in the Philippines and fresh funding for upgrading existing EDCA sites, ABSCBN News reported.

Paulino said tensions over the Tai wan Strait and the growing animosity between the US and China are causes for concern.

social media, will be enough to launch and sustain a nationwide campaign.

However, the high court said the 1987 Constitution only prescribes age, citizenship, voting and residence qualifications to be able to run for vice president.

“Clearly, being known throughout the Philippines and having an estab lished network nationwide are not qual ifications for vice president. In fact, the lack thereof [is] not even grounds to be declared a nuisance candidate in ac cordance with the Omnibus Election Code,” the ruling stated.

In Amad’s case, there was no evi dence to prove that his filing of a cer tificate of candidacy was intended to put the election process in mockery or to cause confusion among voters, the SC said.

“Moreover, the Comelec’s allegation that Amad is only known within North ern Mindanao also does not establish that he has no bona fide intention to run for vice president,” it said.

“Thus, it is manifestly clear that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion when, without any factual or legal basis, it denied Amad’s motion for reconsideration, and declared him a nuisance candidate.”

The Comelec knew that Amad had availed himself of remedies before the

SC to challenge its declaration of him as a nuisance candidate as early as Jan uary 4, the high court said.

Amad obtained the TRO on January 20, but he learned from news reports the Comelec had already made public what looked to be the ballot face, which did not include his name among the list of vice-presidential candidates, on January 25.

“Notably, without considering Am ad’s statutory right to challenge the Comelec dispositions, the Comelec proceeded with its pre-election activi ties, and even commenced the printing of the serialized ballots without Am ad’s name on January 23, 2022, after the Court’s issuance of a TRO,” the SC said. Rey E. Requejo

Tolentino, Mark Villar, and JV Ejercito, vice chairpersons; and Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, and Jinggoy Estrada, members.

IN BRIEF

Phivolcs: More equipment needed for monitoring

THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) wants additional facilities

and equipment by 2028.

The agency’s officer in charge, Teresito Bacolcol, said Phivolcs is creating a plan to put up more volcano observatories, seismic stations and even intensity meters. To date, Phivolcs has 116 remote seismic stations. “There will be 140 seismic stations by 2028,” Bacolcol said.

“For the volcanos, currently, we have seven observatories but by 2028, we will add two more,” he added. Phivolcs would put up more seismic stations around the country’s volcanoes, he noted. The agency shall update the mapping of geohazards on its HazardHunterPH application, he said, adding that a plan is already underway to align with the Philippine development plan of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “We are now formulating a plan that is realistic and achievable, and this should be aligned with the Philippine development plan of the President,” he stressed. Rio N. Araja

Manila filmfest parade of stars set for December 21

THE

Development Authority (MMDA) announced Thursday.

Organizers brought new partners to make the 48th edition of the film festival dubbed “Balik Saya

sa MMFF 2022” more thrilling for film makers and moviegoers.

The parade, featuring floats carrying celebrities of the film festival’s entries, will start from Wel come Rotunda to Quezon Memorial Circle at 2 p.m. of Dec. 21. It will run for seven kilometers, with an estimated travel time of 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Staging area for the floats of eight official entries will be along E. Rodriguez to D. Tuazon. MMDA traffic enforcers will assist on the sidelines of the parade route for crowd control. Meanwhile, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) announced it will be pro viding funds worth P500,000 to help in marketing the films through CreatePHFilms, for each film producer whose entries made it to the MMFF 2022.

The FDCP’s CreatePHFilms Funding Program is designed to provide support to filmmakers, pro ducers, and distributors in all stages of filmmaking to complement their efforts to produce quality Filipino films.

The MMFF also signed a Memorandum of Agreement with BingoPlus, an online bingo game platform, to be the film festival presenter.

“This year’s festival promises an exciting selection of films for all moviegoers. It offers a wide variety of genres that will complete the tradition of Filipinos going to the cinemas during the holiday season,” said Romando Artes, MMDA and MMFF Over-all Chairman during a meeting with the film producers, marketing team, and the parade committee on Wednesday. Joel E. Zurbano

Grab urges lawmakers to allow more players to join ride-hailing service for commuters

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GRAB Philippines on Thursday urged lawmakers to open the field to more mo torcycle taxi players to address the needs of commuters for affordable, safe, and reliable modes of public transportation.

Grab issued the statement following a public hearing conducted on Wednesday by the House Committee on Metro Ma nila Development during which regula tors, lawmakers, and transport stakehold ers tackled proposals surrounding the safety and efficiency of motorcycle taxis.

Motorcycle taxis have yet to be offi cially legalized as a form of public trans

portation and are currently operating un der a pilot study.

The government has only accred ited three firms—Angkas, JoyRide, and Move It—for the pilot run, which would aid in crafting laws allowing motorcycle taxis on the road.

“We appreciate that there are con tinuing discussions that would help our lawmakers craft the law toward the le galization and regulation of the indus try. Putting in place a law is the win-win solution for all stakeholders, particularly our commuters who deserve an efficient and safe form of public transportation,” Grab said.

E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Survey: 8 in 10 Filipinos favor ‘no contact’ rule for motorists

THE government’s “No Contact Apprehension Program (NCAP)” will help solve the problems that perennially hound commuters in Metro Manila, a survey commissioned by the thinktank StratbaseADRI said.

Stratbase-ADRI chief executive officer Dindo Manhit bared the results of a recent Pulse Asia survey showing that 8 out of 10 Filipinos are in favor of NCAP.

In the survey, majority of Filipinos agree that “NCAP will be effective in achieving its objective of disciplining motorists to improve road safety.”

According to Manhit, the NCAP policy will promote a culture of dis cipline as drivers are reminded and encouraged to follow existing traffic rules—knowing that improved sur veillance systems are in place. Man hit said that this effect can be seen on roads in Subic where stop-and-go policy is strictly implemented, and on parts of Skyway 3 where 60kph speed limit is enforced.

“Motorists know that these roads are monitored, and they willfully abide knowing the consequences of violating the rules,” Manhit said.

The executive added that NCAP will also help eradicate corrup tion and bribery in the streets.

“Since the NCAP remotely monitors traffic violations without the need for physical apprehension by traffic enforcers, it thereby reduces the oc currence of ‘kotong operations’ in the streets,” Manhit said.

According to the Metro Manila De velopment Authority (MMDA), the NCAP was first introduced in 2009 and was only reimplemented during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration in 2016. Several LGUs slowly started enforcing NCAP, and some Mayors insisted on its benefits in their respective cities and munici palities.

Gov’t releases more inmates from New Bilibid, other prisons

By Rey E.  Requejo

THE government has formally released more than 230 inmates from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City and other operating prisons and penal farms under the Bureau of Cor rections (BuCor).

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the 234 were the fourth batch of inmates to be released from prison since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed power in July.

“This is the fourth time that we are releasing PDLs or persons deprived of

liberty. I hope this is the last time that I would see you here in Bilibid so better put your life in order,” Remulla said in his speech during the ceremony at the national penitentiary.

BuCor data showed that of the newlyreleased inmates, 128 came from NBP, 47 from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, 16 from San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City, 21 from the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, 12 from Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, three from Iwa hig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan,

and seven from the Leyte Sub-Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte.

Of the 234, the data showed 106 were released on parole, 104 have already completed their maximum sentence with Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA), and 12 were acquitted.

For the 128 inmates from the NBP, eight were acquitted, 45 served their maximum sentence with GCTA, while 71 were released on parole.

Remulla said he is eyeing the release of around 5, 000 inmates by June 2023 as part of the BuCor’s prison deconges tion policy.

parade of stars for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) will be held in Quezon City on Dec. 21, the Metropolitan Manila

WHAT’S wrong with allotting nearly P10 billion in funds that, if spent, cannot be questioned or looked into at all by the Commission on Audit?

Plenty, if we’re to believe what opposition lawmakers are saying.

We’re talking about the P9.29 billion out of the P5.268 trillion national budget for 2023 proposed by Malacañang that will go to the confidential and intelligence (CIF) budgets of several agencies.

The Office of the President will be the biggest recipient of the CIFs, with P2.25 billion intelligence and another P2.25 billion confidential funds. That’s not an issue as the OP has long been given such funds.

What’s unusual is that the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, both under Vice President Sara Duterte, have P650-million confidential and intelligence funds tucked in their budgets.

The P500 million CIF under the OVP is even higher than the P444 million CIF for the Philippine Army, P175 million for the National Bureau of Investigation and P141 million for the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

That’s not only unusual, but perhaps even unconscionable and unseemly, as it would appear that school principals and teachers would be used for intelligence gathering, something for which they are not trained at all.

The Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency will each get P500 million, the same amount as the OVP’s allocation for CIF.

Under a 2015 Commission on Audit set of guidelines, confidential funds refer to expenses for surveillance activities of civilian government agencies.

On the other hand, intelligence expenses are defined as disbursements related to intelligence information-gathering activities of uniformed, military personnel and intelligence practitioners.

Rep. Edcel Lagman of the First District of Albay is among those opposed to CIFs because of the lack of transparency in spending the amounts.

He says that CIF use is “shrouded in mystery” and barely audited. If these are audited at all, the Commission on Audit has refused to disclose its findings to Congress, which appropriates the amount.

“These funds breed corruption, and the more enormous the funds are, the greater the magnitude is for the possibility of graft,” the lawmaker said.

At a budget hearing in the House of Representatives in September, Lagman questioned the refusal by the Commission on Audit (COA) to disclose details of the use of confidential funds, including liquidation reports.

Lagman warned that if the post-audit was “covered by secrecy and not disclosed to this very House that appropriates funds, that makes the audit more imaginary and possibly not being done seriously and effectively.”

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel has gone one step further and enumerated where some of the CIF funds could be realigned.

The P4.5-billion allotment for the OP alone could be used to fund the salary increase of 460,000 teachers or 368,000 nonteaching personnel.

The same amount would also be enough to repair and rehabilitate 6,800 classrooms or provide 31,200 school seats or hire 9,300 nurses for the schools or provide 700,000 classrooms with improved ventilation based on the latest COVID-19 protocols.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd is just as livid in his objection

to what he calls excessive lump sum allocations for confidential and intelligence funds in the proposed 2023 national budget.

Pimentel said ordinary Filipino taxpayers should also question the propriety of appropriating confidential and intelligence funds to agencies with no clear mandate to use them.

“This is the time our people should now take part, first by understanding what confidential funds are,” he pointed out.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros has also questioned the P150 million additional funding for the DepEd.

She said the department should focus instead on institutional reforms to improve basic education in the country, rather than venture into national security concerns.

What’s unusual is that the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, both under Vice President Sara Duterte, have P650million confidential and intelligence funds tucked in their budgets

“[DepEd’s] budget prioritization is misplaced. Let’s leave intelligence and security to the pros,” Hontiveros said.

“We do not question the legal basis for the provision of confidential funds to civilian agencies like DepEd. But their confidential fund is higher even than what the state’s intelligence agency had asked for. DepEd would just be duplicating the existing functions on national security, national defense, law enforcement.

The senator cited other areas under DepEd’s mandate where funding is more urgent, such as ensuring the health and safety of teachers and students amid the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening its education program for the indigenous peoples and improving overall literacy in the country.

VP Duterte earlier defended her department’s request for intelligence funds, saying it needed the money for the surveillance of criminals targeting school children.

Huh? She had also asked for a separate P500 million — this time as intelligence funds for the Office of the Vice President — an item never allotted to that office during the time of her predecessor, Leni Robredo.

Where will the money go?

Into below-the-radar programs and projects that will ultimately redound to the public good and protect national security?

Or simply go down the drain—into the pockets of the corrupt and the unscrupulous?

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Judicial admissions

while cross-examining them.

The opportunities for eliciting judicial admissions extend to modes of discovery, such as depositions pending action, perpet uations of testimony, or requests for admis sions.

Closer PH-US ties

THE recent fourday official visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris to the Philippines underscores the importance Washington attaches to our bilateral relations.

At the same time, it emphasizes the Marcos administration’s commitment to strengthen long-standing ties based on shared values and adherence to democratic principles amid changing geopolitical re alities in this part of the world.

The US Vice President’s meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss economic ties and security cooperation was timely.

The Philippines wants to accelerate eco nomic recovery in the aftermath of nearly three years of lockdowns and mobility re strictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to shutdowns of factories and busi ness enterprises and massive job losses.

The US government can facilitate twoway trade as well as encourage American corporations to invest in various economic sectors in the Philippines.

The Philippines also needs to modernize its armed forces as part of building a cred

Another flashpoint is Taiwan, which China says is a renegade province that should be re-united with the mainland, by force if necessary, especially if it declares independence

ible defense posture due to tensions in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait.

The US can extend help in this regard not only through arms sales but also by re-affirming its firm commitments to the country under the Mutual Defense Agree ment (MDT), the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Coopera tion Agreement (EDCA).

At the same time, our independent foreign policy clearly stipulated in the Constitution allows us to strengthen our ties with our tra ditional ally, the United States, without an tagonizing our next-door neighbor, China,

BBM, Imee and Irene should question certain UP President candidates

THE University of the Philippines Board of Regents (UP BOR) will meet early next month to elect the next UP President.

As usual, local communists are determined to install a communist or a radical with the same mentality as UP President. They do not relish the idea of losing their influence in UP.

I believe that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and his sisters, Senator Imee Marcos and Irene MarcosAraneta, have good reason, and even the moral obligation, to make sure that the next UP President is not a communist or a red sympathizer.

As long as the UP President is a communist hardliner or sympathizer, UP will remain a hotbed of communism.

It will continue to preach the canard that everything about the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. is evil, and the falsehood that everything about the latter’s martial law administration was just as nefarious.

In my opinion, while the martial law years were not perfect segments in Philippine history, and that abuses may have taken place, it must not be lost on the Filipinos that martial law in 1972 effectively stopped the communists from overthrowing the dulyconstituted government of the Philippines and replacing it with a vassal state that obediently takes orders from Red China.

I maintain that it’s about time UP put an end to its internecine type of historical revisionism, and to present an objective perspective of Philippine history that every Filipino is entitled to know.

As taxpayers who finance the existence of UP, parents of UP students have the right to expect that their children, if they are studious enough, will graduate from UP and become useful citizens of the country.

They have a right to demand that their children will not end up enticed by the communists to abandon their studies, to join the rebel groups in the mountains, and to die for communism and local communist chieftain Jose Ma. Sison.

Those expectations will be impossible if

the next UP President is a communist or an ally of the reds.

I invite attention to several incidents when the communists in UP demonized the Marcoses.

In September 2018, incumbent UP President Danilo Concepcion attended a gathering of the Kabataang Barangay at the Bahay ng Alumni venue in UP Diliman.

The KB was the state-sponsored youth group under President Marcos Sr., and Concepcion was a leading figure in the KB and a friend of Imee Marcos.

I believe President Bongbong Marcos and his sisters Imee and Irene should object to a UP presidency held by either Nemenzo or Jimenez

News of Concepcion’s presence at the KB gathering infuriated many UP faculty members.

Although Concepcion did nothing illegal, the faculty had the temerity to demand Concepcion’s resignation. Mob rule forced Concepcion to apologize for his presence at the event.

Senator Imee Marcos must be aware that if the next UP President is a communist or a red sympathizer, the KB incident in UP will not be the last of the Marcos-bashing the communists in UP are known for.

In 2019, Irene Marcos-Araneta accepted an invitation to watch a play at UP Diliman.

with whom we have our own differences over the South China Sea issue.

China has built artificial islands hosting military facilities across the vital sealane, parts of which are also claimed by the Phil ippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Viet nam.

The US supports the decision of the Per manent Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague fa voring our maritime claims in our Exclusive Economic Zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UN CLOS).

We welcome US support for our position, and emphasize that the rule of law should prevail on the territorial claims in the South China Sea by the Philippines and other neighboring countries.

Another flashpoint is Taiwan, which Chi na says is a renegade province that should be re-united with the mainland, by force if necessary, especially if it declares inde pendence. While we support the one-China policy, we also maintain robust trade rela tions and de facto diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

We need to enhance security cooperation with the United States to protect our own national sovereignty, territorial integrity and the national interest while keeping our bi lateral ties with China at an equally robust level.

Who says we can’t have our cake and eat it too?

When radical elements in UP learned that Irene had arrived in UP Diliman for the event, they organized a protest rally there which almost caused physical harm on Irene. Fortunately, Irene was defended by civilized people in the vicinity who ushered her to safety.

Instead of reprimanding those troublemakers, UP authorities issued an apology to the public for Irene’s presence in UP Diliman.

The soft spoken Irene Marcos-Araneta must likewise be aware that if the next UP President is a communist or a red sympathizer, that incident involving her aborted plan to watch a play in UP Diliman will not be the last of the same type of Marcos-bashing the reds in UP are notorious for.

At least two leading candidates for UP President have some explaining to do. UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo is one. He needs to explain his known ties to the radicals.

Nemenzo is just on his first term as chancellor, and that term has been a lackluster one due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite that baggage, the ambitious Nemenzo thinks he should be the next UP President.

Another such candidate is Angelo “Jijil” Jimenez, a former member of the UP BOR. Jimenez must explain his role, when he was a member of the BOR, in the decision of UP to give up 1.4 hectares of valuable land in UP Diliman for a museum on martial law designed to demonize President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his martial law administration, and which will glorify the communist rebels who, in 1972, tried to overthrow the government and install a communist state in the country.

Other than his brief stint as UP regent, Jimenez has no experience in actual university operations.

I believe President Bongbong Marcos and his sisters Imee and Irene should object to a UP presidency held by either Nemenzo or Jimenez.

A JUDICIAL admission is a formal state ment, either by the party or by his or her at torney, during a judicial proceeding which removes an admitted fact from a field of controversy.

It is a voluntary concession of a fact by a party or a party’s attorney during judicial proceedings (Agbayani v. Lupa Realty, G.R. 201193, June 10, 2019).

What is the value of a judicial admission in a court proceeding?

The act, declaration, or omission of a party with regard to a relevant fact requires no proof.

“[I]t is used as a substitute for legal evi dence at trial,” which means that proof of genuineness and due execution of docu ments is not required (see Rule 132, Sec tions 19 to 33, 2019 Rules on Evidence).

A judicial admission is one made by the parties in the pleadings such as a Com plaint, Answer, or Reply.

The failure of the defendant in an Answer to specifically deny under oath an action able document (basis of a plaintiff’s claim) amounts to a judicial admission.

Facts alleged in the complaint are deemed admissions by the plaintiff and are binding upon him.

Facts alleged in the answer are deemed admissions of the defendant and are binding upon him.

Facts stipulated in an agreement (stipu lation) of facts are deemed admissions of both parties and are binding upon them (Francisco, Evidence).

There are judicial admissions made dur ing the trial, such as admissions in the judi cial affidavits of witnesses or those elicited

During pre-trial in civil cases, the parties are required to enumerate a summary of ad mitted facts and facts for stipulation (to be admitted) in their pre-trial briefs (Rule 18, Section 6, 2019 Rules of Civil Procedure).

Strictly speaking however, the latter is not a judicial admission until admitted (or stipulated upon) by the parties.

“And well-settled is the rule that an ad mission, verbal or written, made by a party in the course of the proceedings in the same case, does not require proof” (Republic v. Sarabia, et al., G.R. 157847 August 25, 2005).

In criminal cases, “[A]ll agreements or admissions made or entered during the pretrial conference shall be produced in writ ing and signed by the accused and counsel; otherwise, they cannot be used against the accused (Rule 118, Section 2, Rules on Criminal Procedure).

A plea of guilty (or confession) to a less er offense shall be approved by the court.

“In order to constitute a judicial admis sion, the statement must be one of fact, not [an] opinion [or matter of law]. [It]… must be contrary to an essential fact or defense asserted by the person giving the testimony; it must be deliberate, clear and unequivo cal…” (G.R. 201193, June 10, 2019).

“Judicial admissions are evidence against the party who made them, and are consid ered conclusive and binding as to the party making the judicial admission.

A judicial admission bars the admitting party from disputing it…” (G.R. 201193, June 10, 2019).

“While it is true that a party making a ju dicial admission cannot subsequently take a position contrary to or inconsistent with what was pleaded…[t]o constitute a judicial admission, the admission must be made in

the same case in which it is offered” (Social Justice Society v. Atienza, G.R. 156052, February 13, 2008).

Generally stated, an admission in a pleading on which a party goes to trial is conclusive against him unless the court in its reasonable discretion allows the pleader to withdraw, explain or modify it if it ap pears to have been made by improvidence or mistake, or that no such admission was made (Francisco, Evidence citing Kanopka v. Kanopka, 31 C.J.S. 1171).

Hence, no admission is made if it is “not in the sense in which the admission was made to appear” or if “the admission was taken out of context” (Francisco, Evidence citing the Minutes of the Revision Commit tee [1989]).

In the 2019 Rules on Evidence, the phrase “that the imputed admission was not, in fact, made” was incorporated into

Rule 129, Section 4. In cases of failure to file an Answer lead ing to the defendant being declared in de fault, “such a failure does not amount to an admission of the facts alleged in the com plaint” (Francisco, Evidence citing Lopez v. Medezona, 11 Phil. 209).

However, allegations in the complaint being left uncontroverted may be consid ered in rendering a judgment.

Superseded or amended pleadings, on the other hand, disappear from the record as ju dicial admissions.

For these to be considered as extra-ju dicial (out-of-court) admissions, the said pleadings should be offered formally in evidence.

If not offered in evidence the admission contained therein will not be considered (Francisco, Evidence citing Buenaventura v. Villar, 53 O.G. 3100).

Judicial admissions of attorneys, being agents of their clients, apply to the latter.

A party is bound by the admission con tained on the pleading prepared by his attor ney, although he did not swear to or know of the statements therein, and even though he had no actual knowledge of the existence of the pleading (Francisco, Evidence citing 31 C.J.S. 1078).

In the case of Agbayani v. Lupa Realty, “[T]he admission by Nonito’s counsel dur ing the pre-trial proceedings… that there was no sale between Tranquilino and Noni to qualifies as a judicial admission because [it] is a deliberate, clear, unequivocal state ment… [made] during judicial proceedings in open court… (G.R. No. 201193, June 10, 2019).

“The admission by Nonito himself, on cross-examination by Tranquilino’s coun sel, that Tranquilino was in the United States at the time of the purported transac tion supports the statement of the counsel of Nonito that there was no sale between Tranquilino and Nonito…” (G.R. 201193, June 10, 2019).

The truth of breakaway from Marcos in 1986

There are judicial admissions made during the trial, such as admissions in the judicial affidavits of witnesses or those elicited while crossexamining them

DILG urges mayors to support renewed anti-drugs campaign

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday urged local chief executives to support the government’s renewed campaign against illegal drugs by formulating a plan of action that responds to the needs of their localities.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said it re spects the decision of a Caloocan City court convicting a policeman in the tor ture and planting of evidence against two teenage boys, Carl Angelo Arnaiz

IN BRIEF

IMPUNITY has no place in the Philippines, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday.

Remulla made statement after the Calo ocan City Regional Trial Court convicted a policeman for planting evidence and torturing two teenagers who were eventually executed in 2017 at the height of the bloody anti-illegal drug crackdown under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We don’t want impunity to rule in our country. We will never succumb to impunity,” Remulla said, in an ambush interview in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City where he officiated the formal release of 234 inmates.

Remulla also disclosed that he has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to contact the family of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Senior Superintendent Ricardo Zulu eta who has clammed up on the murder charge against him.

“Yes, I’m asking the NBI to contact his family, so that they can know his where abouts,” Remulla said when asked if there were efforts to locate Zulueta.

Zulueta, one of the alleged masterminds behind the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor, was said to have gone into hiding in early November.

“All of these forces have to deal with the consequences of their action,” Remulla added. Rey E. Requejo

Solon lauds passage of caregivers’ bill

A BATAAN solon on Thursday lauded the plenary approval of the proposed “Caregivers Welfare Act” which seeks the protection and welfare of caregivers in the practice of their profession.

Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, principal author of House Bill 227, also thanked her col leagues led by Speaker Martin Romualdez “for the swift passage of this measure and ensuring the strong accountability and implementation efforts to turn the strategy into action.”

With an overwhelming 271 votes, the House approved last Monday HB 227 which aims to “recognize the role of caregivers in na tional development and to institute policies in the practice of the profession with the end in view of devel oping competent caregivers whose standards of professional service shall be excellent and globally competitive.”

Roman, chairperson of the House committee on women and gender equality, said professional and responsive caregiving is very vital to medi cally and physically challenged individuals.

The country’s aging population, the in crease in the number of children born with medical issues and prevalent illnesses are the reasons the demand for caregiving service continues to rise in the Philippines, she added.

“Policies must be enacted to protect the welfare and well-being of caregivers, as well as to maintain excellent and globally competi tive standards for the caregiver professional service,” Roman said. Maricel V. Cruz

Bill aims to revive banana industry

A PARTY-LIST lawmaker has filed a bill seek ing revitalize and strengthen the country’s ba nana industry.

Rep. Wilbert Lee of AGRI party-list group filed House Bill 6300, or the Banana Research and Export Act of 2022 amid the massive decline in the production of bananas in the country.

Lee cited the need to pursue research and development of the banana business for its sus tainability. This, he said, in light of the fact that fresh bananas are widely in demand world wide, and being the fourth most important ag ricultural commodity in developing countries.

“Undeniably, the banana industry contrib utes significantly to our national economy and serves as an important source of income for a big population of Filipino farmers,” Lee said.

“Our banana industry is a low-hanging fruit that needs to be picked up and provided with enough support from the government... Continuing research and development on this fruit and export product must be pursued for its sustainability and competitiveness,” he added.

Citing the Food and Agriculture Organiza tion of the United Nations, Lee said 90 per cent of Asian banana exports originates in the Philippines, which ranks as the second leading global banana exporter worldwide. However, this 90 percent share fell to some 60 percent last year.

COVID-19 and the spread of the Panama disease were two of the leading factors behind the rapid decline of the country’s banana ex ports.

Lee noted that over the years, the banana business has faced several struggles, including poor infrastructure, pests and climate change. Increasing costs of equipment and worldwide inflation have also caused quite a problem for the production of bananas, while storms and maintenance costs led to the decline in domes tic production, significantly affecting smallscale banana farmers.

and Reynaldo “Kulot” De Guzman in who eventually turned out to be vic tims of salvaging in 2017.

“Our anti-illegal drugs campaign takes a whole-of-government approach which would only be efficient if we are

able to execute plans such as local anti-drug plan of action and barangay anti-drug plan of action down at the grassroots. It is imperative that our local govern ment units (LGUs) work with us and draft their re spective plan of actions in the barangays,” said DILG secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. Abalos said the LGUs must include these ac tion plans in their initiatives and efforts that will strengthen the campaign, and specify programs and activities that will be given allocation in their respective annual budget relative to anti-illegal drug efforts.

“The local Sanggunian shall appropriate the fund for the enforcement of the anti-illegal drug initiatives included in the plan of actions,” he added.

Bucor to bury remains of 70 NBP inmates

By Rey E. Requejo

SEVENTY cadavers of inmates of the New Bili bid Prison (NBP) in Muntinljupa City that have been stored at the Eastern Funeral Homes are set to be buried today, Bureau of Corrections (Bu Cor) officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. said Thursday.

“Bukas ho, maglilibing tayo ng 70,” Catapang said during a program for the release of more than 200 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla con firmed today’s interment of the 70 deceased pris oners.

He said the cadavers were all from the Eastern Funeral Homes.

“Hindi na kaya i-autopsy ang iba, eh, kasi ad

vanced state na. Mummified na nga ‘yung iba, talagang natuyo na. Very dry. So very, very val iant effort ang kinakailangan para malaman mo talaga sa autopsy,” he said.

In early November, authorities found 176 bod ies of deceased inmates from the New Bilibid Prison at the Eastern Funeral Homes.

Catapang previously said 10 bodies had been buried already, leaving only 166 at the funeral parlor.

Meanwhile, Remulla was eyeing the transfer of the cadavers to the University of the Philip pines College of Medicine for an autopsy.

Asked when the memorandum of agreement with UP will be signed, Remulla expressed hope that things will be cleared in the next seven to 10 days.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

RECOGNIZED as one of the “World’s Best Environmental Projects,” the VIllar SIPAG’s Las Piñas Kitchen Wastes Composting Project won the Energy Globe Award, the world’s most pres tigious award for environmental sustainability.

Senator Cynthia Villar, representing Villar SIPAG where she sits as a director, received the “Certificate of Honor” from Austrian Ambassa dor to the Philippines Johann Brieger and Com mercial Counselor of the Embassy of Austria in the Philippines Christina Stieber.

The Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) was acknowledged for its significant contributions and sustainable efforts to protect, preserve and save the environ ment.

The certificate was handed to the senator dur ing the 23rd Energy Globe of Austria Award held November 22 at Villar SIPAG Complex, C5 Ext.,Pulang Lupa, Las Piñas City. The award ing was joined by the senator’s family- former Senate President Manny Villar, founder of Villar SIPAG along with Sen. Cynthia; Sen. Mark Vil lar; House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar and Vista Land CEO Paolo Villar, and witnessing the event is Vice Mayor April Aguilar, who repre sented the Las Piñas city government.

8834-2713, 8831-1824, 88310527, 8832-9830, 8834-2706 and 8551-1989. 23 November 2022.

MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA Secretary

Remulla: No room for impunity in PH

The award is presented in the country where a project is being implemented in cooperation with the international offices of the Austrian Cham ber of Commerce and the United Nations Indus trial Development Organization (UNIDO).

CYAN MAGENTA

CHURCH IN RED. The Quiapo Church, a famous landmark in Manila, glows in red red as it joins other churches worldwide in commemorating Red Wednesday which aims to raise awareness and to pray for persecuted Christians around the world. Danny Pata

SENIOR CITIZENS’ DAY IN SAN JUAN CITY. San Juan  CIty Mayor Francis Zamora offers a birthday cake to one of 442 senior citizens who trooped to the San Juan City Hall’s Atrium to partake of gifts and cash assistance, courtesy of the city government. Three hundred thirty-three septuagenarians got P3,000 each, while 90 octogenarians received P5,000 each, and 19 nonagenarians went home with P8,000 in their pockets. Manny Palmero

Croatia pounce on Nadal, Alcaraz absence as Spain falls in Davis Cup

MALAGA — Marin Cilic on Wednesday led Croatia into the Davis Cup semi-finals, knocking out six-time champions Spain who were missing Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, the world’s two top-ranked players.

World number 17 Cilic, a former US Open champion, fought back to de feat 13th-ranked Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) as Croatia booked a semi-final clash against Australia.

Earlier Wednesday, Borna Coric had set the 2005 and 2018 champions on their way, defeating Roberto Bau tista Agut 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Cilic, 34, who made his Davis Cup debut back in 2006, dropped the first set, gave up a break in the decider and was 1/4 down in the tiebreak before triumphing after three hours and 13 minutes on court.

His 20 aces helped alleviate the damage caused by 15 double faults as the 10,000-strong home crowd at the Palacio de Deportes was stunned into silence by Croatia who were runnersup to Russia in the 2021 final.

“It was incredible battle,” said Cilic.

However, he admitted that the ab sence of US Open champion Alcaraz and 22-time Grand Slam title winner Nadal played into the hands of Croatia who had lost all of their three previ ous Davis Cup meetings with Spain.

“It would be much different. Rafa has been during all his career a leader of the team. He’s one of the best Davis Cup players ever.

“Carlos, fantastic season for him. Such a pity for him to get injured.”

Spain captain Sergi Bruguera la

mented his team’s exit.

“I think luck had a little bit of influ ence, and Cilic had a little bit more today,” he insisted.

Coric, the world number 26, fired 14 aces past his 21st-ranked rival who he had already defeated on his way to the Cincinnati Masters title in the summer.

Bautista Agut had been on a sevenmatch winning streak in the Davis Cup, a run stretching back to 2019.

“I just think in general I was play

Nueva Ecija, San Juan dispute MPBL North title

ing very smart. When I needed to at tack, I did attack. When I needed to make a defence, I was defensive,” said Coric.

“I also mixed up the rhythm, as well, which is very important against him. I was just very pleased with my game, to be honest.”

Play was briefly halted when two environmental protesters dashed onto the court and attempted to tie them selves to the net before being wrestled to the floor and ejected from the arena

by security staff. The pair were members of the “Fu turo Vegetal” group which demands “the adoption of a vegetable-based agri-food system.”

“We interrupted the Davis Cup to demand urgent changes in the food system,” the organization explained on its Twitter account.

In Thursday’s remaining quarterfinals, 32-time Davis Cup champions United States face Italy while Germa ny take on Canada. AFP

Tatum leads Celtics over Mavericks

WASHINGTON — Jayson Tatum scored 37 points and grabbed 13 re bounds Wednesday to spark the NBAleading Boston Celtics to a 125-112 victory over visiting Dallas despite 42 points from Luka Doncic.

The Celtics, whose nine-game win streak was snapped Monday at Chicago, bounced back by dominating the Mav ericks, improving to 7-1 in Boston and an NBA-best 14-4 overall.

“I think we were locked in from the beginning,” Tatum said. “Losing to Chi cago made us regroup and refocus.

“We just knew they were a really talented team. Luka is the head of the snake. It was good to come home and get back in the win column.”

It was Tatum’s 10th career game with 35 points and 10 rebounds. He made 11of-24 from the floor and 13-of-15 from the free throw line.

In a showdown of early season NBA Most Valuable Player candidates, league scoring leader Doncic countered with a game-high point total on 17-of-28 shoot ing and five-of-9 from the line. The Slo venian guard also had nine assists and eight rebounds.

“Everybody knows how talented and special he is,” Tatum said. “He can do so many things on the court. He’s somebody I respect and like competing against.”

The Celtics led 70-49 at halftime and by double figures from late in the first quarter until Doncic sparked a late rally to pull Dallas within 114-105 with 3:43 remaining.

Al Horford answered with a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-2 Boston run and Dallas never came within 13 again.

The Sacramento Kings saw their seven-game win streak snapped as Trae Young scored 35 points to lead the host Atlanta Hawks to a 115-106 victory.

Domantas Sabonis had 15 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to spark Sacramento (10-7). Clint Capela pulled down 14 rebounds for the Hawks (11-7).

Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers over Port land 114-96 and stretch their win streak to four games. AFP

Tigers, Lions score opening night wins in Super League

behind a more balanced attack.

The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards subdued the San Juan Knights, 89-83, in overtime on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Arena to level their title series at 1-1 and force the Game 3 decider at their homecourt.

The Knights stunned the Rice Vanguards, 79-72, in the series opener on November 18 to stop Nueva Ecija’s 25-win run.

Nueva Ecija, however, exacted revenge and will reassume the favorite’s role in the game set at 5:30 p.m.

Novo Ecijanos are again expected to come in droves to support the Rice Vanguards, who swept the round-robin eliminations before oust ing the Marikina Shoemasters and the Pampan ga Giant Lanterns by similar 2-0 scores in the quarterfinals and the semifinals, respectively.

Nueva Ecija Coach Jerson Cabiltes has the deeper roster to choose from as San Juan Coach Randy Alcantara can depend on 10 players, led by Judel Fuentes, at the most.

John Bryan Villarias, Mi chael Mabulac, Michael Juico, Will McAloney and Renz Palma are expected to put up better num bers on Monday as it was burly JR Taganas and playmaker Hesed Gabo who powered Nueva Ecija to victory in Game 2.

Taganas tallied 19 points and 15 re bounds to compensate for the subpar performances of Mabulac, who was held to 9 points and 3 rebounds and Will McAloney, 6 points and 2 rebounds, at the slot. Gabo, on the other hand, posted 18 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Fuentes knocked in 27 points for San Juan in Game 2, followed by Marwin Taywan with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Michael Calisaan with 10 points and 5 rebounds, Dexter Maiquez (7 points, 10 rebounds) and Orlan Wamar (7 points, 5 assists).

Kami naman: New Azkals rising!

ries of the many great Azkals who played for flag and country, most of the players in the camp may not be easily recognizable, and it’s hard to match the names and the faces yet. But there are things that are quite certain. The younglings exude the hunger, the aspira tions and even the fire of those who came in before them. And their “kuyas” are there to help and set an example for them to follow. Which at this point is the positivity that the team needs.

Mendoza who are both excellent goalkeepers. They have been there longer but hopefully, I can make my mark. I’ve been very consistent in the league. If I can continue that consistency, that would be amazing for me and I can only strive to work as hard as I can and train everyday and hopefully perform under the big stage. If the opportunity comes, I’m ready,” Schwar zer said.

The same can be said about Pinthus, who is just a year older than Schwarzer. He says it has been his goal to represent the country.

DEFENDING champion Davao Occi dental pulled off a thrilling 88-85 de cision over hard-fighting Boracay last Wednesday night in the opening match of the Pilipinas Super League Pro Divi sion- Second Conference Dumper Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Proving steadier in the stretches that mattered, the Tigers’ Kyt Jimenez canned two free throws off an unsports manlike foul on the Islanders’ KG Ca naleta and followed it up with a clutch jumper that pegged an 86-83 count in the final 1:26 after Boracay briefly took an 83-82 lead on a Johnsherick Estrada layup.

Larry Rodriguez’s basket padded Davao’s lead to 88-83 in the ensuing play, only 54.6 ticks left that took the fight out of Boracay.

Keith Agovida wound up with a dou ble-double of 25 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Tigers, while Bonbon Custo dio chipped in 17 markers, four boards, six assists, and two steals.

In the other game, Sta. Rosa Laguna ripped Cagayan De Oro-PSP, 100-62

and get points.”

Lyngbø is also aware that Azkals fans expect much from them right now and at a time that the team is facing a crucial moment in its history.

“It is a very exciting time that we’re going into right now. We have to give the older batch much cred it for the work they have done in the past. And it’s up to us now to bring that forward and continue the good legacy by getting results in the upcoming tournament and to find our identity on the pitch,” he added.

Mon Rogado scattered 17 points, grabbed two rebounds, and issued five assists for the Lions, while Enzo Joson added 16 markers, four boards, and three feeds.

Mark Yee, Marvin Lee, and Troy Malilin also had 12 points each for Sta. Rosa.

Dariel Bayla and Alexander Moham mad carried the fight for Cagayan De Oro with 16 points apiece.

John Wilson also finished with 16 points, four caroms, two dimes, and two steals and Rodriguez had 14 and three as Davao launched its drive for a second straight crown on a high in the tilt pre sented by Dumper party-list and Winzer and supported by Wcube Solutions Inc., MDC, Unisol, Don Benitos, and Finn Cotton, with PBA and Gilas Pilipinas great Marc Pingris serving as Commis sioner.

Estrada paced the Islanders with 18 points and four rebounds, while former PBA stars KG Canaleta and Mac Cardo na got 17 and 14 markers, respectively.

ing week of the biggest football event in the planet give hope that nothing is eternal in football and that the ball is indeed round.

Japan came back from a goal down to bring down four-time winners Germany, 2-1 while the Saudis stunned Argentina with the same score. Moreover, Saudi Arabia ended La Albiceleste’s 37 winning streak and added woes to Lionel Messi’s quest to win the cup for his country.

WHEN Dan Palami said that the Philippine Az kals are in transition, he wasn’t really kidding. The Designated Kit Man dropped by at the Rizal Me morial Stadium the other day, and it hit me right away that gone are the old and familiar faces, most of them anyway, that are the usual fixtures when a training pool is being assembled in preparation for a major tournament.

Most of the players on the pitch and on the side lines are young, with the exception of a few “seniors” like Stephan Schrock, Mark Hartmann, Kenshiro Daniels, Pika Minegishi, and Daniel Gadia. Even fan favorite Marco Casambre can be considered as one of the elders now in the team.

A look in the list of foreign-based Azkals called to the camp is also without the familiar names such as Neil Etheridge, Gerrit Holtmann, Daisuke Sato, and Patrick Reichelt, among others. This is probably due to the fact that the Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 schedule doesn’t fall under FIFA dates, which means clubs are not obligated to release players to play for their national teams. Which only adds more possi bility that, literally, a new Azkals team will start its campaign in Cambodia less than a month from now.

Shrugging aside the what-ifs and the fond memo

Defender Yrick Gallantes and goalkeeper Julian Schwarzer are just two of the youngsters representing the Azkals Development Team in the camp.

Gallantes, who is just 21, maintains that represent ing Philippine football is always a big deal for him. Despite being called and invited to camps before, Gallantes says the feeling will never get old.

“To be here and be able to be with them and speak with the senior team members like Mark Hart mann, Kenshiro Daniels and especially, Schroecky (Stephan Schrock) is always another learning step up for me,” Gallantes said.

Schwarzer, on the other hand, is visibly stoked to be in the camp competing for a spot to man the sticks. But unlike his initial call, this invite means a lot to the 23-year-old goalie.

“This is different because the first one was just for a friendly. This is my first competitive tournament I’ve been involved in and hopefully, I’ll get selected on the final squad. That is the aim that it will be my first competitive debut,” he said.

Schwarzer knows that he is up against strong op position for the number “one” spot in the team. But this reality doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

“Of course I love to play. I know we’ve got tough competition with Anthony Pinthus and Kevin Ray

“My future goal is to be the number one when Neil Etheridge retires. But there is good competition. I mean Julian (Schwarzer) is now very good and Kevin (Mendoza) is having an amazing season in Malaysia,” he said.

He added that he is looking forward to the camp and is very excited to know who will start for the Az kals in the Mitsubishi Cup. “You know what is clear in our team, in the Azkals, is that there is no problem for goalkeepers. All our goalkeepers are amazing,” Pinthus said.

Pinthus said aside from the honor of representing the Philippines, playing for the Azkals means open ing new opportunities for him. While he loves to play in the domestic league – he mans the posts for United City FC (UCFC) in the Philippines Football League –Pinthus hopes to play overseas where the level of play and competition is higher and more intense.

“I’m thinking of making a transfer this year or at the latest in January. I hope to get two more caps from the Azkals so that I can move to Thailand. Malaysia is my choice too,” he explained.

Defender Simen Lyngbø and Pinthus’ teammate at UCFC is happy, too, that he was in the camp, his first invite since 2019.

“It feels good to be here. Hopefully, we can pre pare as soon as possible to make sure that we get good results in the tournament. And it is also good to be together again. We are here to perform, win matches

Which brings us to Schrock. The Pinoy football icon says he is happy with the things are going on in the camp and for the Azkals as well.

“We know their strengths, their skills and how good they are. So far the team is working very hard and it’s a very promising start into the camp,” he said.

The Azkal elder revealed that the camp is missing two to three local-based players but overall they al ready have a good number. Which is enough to form the core of the team.

“Obviously, we have a very young and inexpe rienced team right now but we have to start some where. It’s very good that we started already and that we have three and a half weeks to prepare things and it’s the best way we ever had. It was a smart move for the Akals management to start early. ” Schrock explained.

As of now, the youngest player in the camp is just 17-years-old and the average age is from 20 to 23-years-old.

“Once the new coach arrives, I think he will sort out pretty quickly what he wants and what type of player he wants at the camp. Other than that, I’m pretty confident that the most important right now is for everyone to be healthy through the first week because they had a week off before and I see some heavy legs already. But I’m happy that we have a good team right here,” Schrock added.

Speaking of the FIFA World Cup, the shocking upsets made by Japan and Saudi Arabia in the open

Just hoping that the victories by the Blue Samurai and the Green Falcons may inspire our Azkals and other underdog teams all over that anything is possi ble in the beautiful game. That even the most unher alded and often taken for granted teams are capable of slaying the mighty and the heavily-favored giants of the game.

But more importantly, having the faith, the heart and the courage to fight back when all things seem lost are more important than having the biggest names and the so-called experts putting you down even before the start of the competitions. This is why football is a great equalizer.

Just like in life, laban lang peeps!

Please tune in to 3PTS–Pambansang Tambayan ng Sports this coming Sunday, November 27, from 2 to 3 p.m. at DZME 1530. The Designated Kit Man and partner Rommel Miranda will get the opportu nity to catch up with Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales and the country’s first-ever Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna and get to know more about ex citing developments on chess in the country and the tournaments they look forward to in the coming new year.

MMA siblings Drex and Denice Zamboanga will also join us on the program.

Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!

For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@yahoo.com or follow his account at Twitter: @erelcabatbat

NUEVA Ecija and San Juan dispute the North division of the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pili pinas Basketball League) 4th Season Presented by Xtreme on Friday at the Nueva Ecija Coli seum in Palayan City.

Game 2 hero JR Taganas is expected to play big role for Nueva Ecija again.

Croatia’s Marin Cilic celebrates with team after winning the men’s single quarter-final tennis match between Croatia and Spain of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Martin Carpena sportshall, in Malaga. AFP

JRU coach says Amores may return next season

By Peter Atencio

JOHN Amores

will mostly likely re turn and play again for the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers next sea son.

Heavy Bombers head coach Louie Gonzalez said this following daily talks with Amores, and two weeks af ter the latter started a bench-clearing melee during the second round of the CSB-JRU game in the 98th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

Amores, who punched four Benilde players has learned a lot from his mis deeds, according to Gonzales, following JRU’s 87-71, clobbering of the defending champion Letran Knights in their last game of the elimination round.

“I am happy that he is doing fine. And hopefully na he’ll be back, hindi ko naman sinasabi na…mali ‘yung nangyari. It’s unfortunate – I think the right word is it’s really unfortunate.

Pero si John mabait na tao. Mabait na bata,” said Gonzales.

Gonzales said Amores may have been removed from the JRU roster for now, but he is still attending classes at the school.

Details on Amores’ return are still under discussion, and as JRU rebuilds its lineup for next season.

The Heavy Bombers roster will re main intact for two more seasons, and members of the team are expected to keep on maturity, and the rookies to be able to adjust to the system.

One of their key players, Agem Mi randa and Ry de la Rosa, is expected to provide leadership.

For now, playing basketball for JRU has not been discussed with Amores yet.

“The focus right now is paramdam ko lang kay John na nandito kami, na nakasuporta sa kanya. Pero again, we spoke to him na may mali talaga. Merong mali and hindi naman lahat ng tao perpekto, pero alam namin na matututo siya dito sa sitwasyon,” added Gonzales.

The Heavy Bombers went on to have a finish better than last year, in a four-way tie from sixth to ninth places with their 7-11 win-loss record with the Arellano Chiefs, University of Perpet ual Help Altas, and the Mapua Cardi nals.

Cool Smashers pull off red-hot win vs Angels

chase them.”

CREAMLINE came through in a duel of spurts in the opening frame, dominated the next then rallied to snatch the third and complete a straight-set 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 victory over Petro Gazz at the start of the semifinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena on Thursday.

By pulling it off in varying fashions, the Cool Smashers’ further underscored their superb all-round game anchored on their explosive hitting, burying the An gels with 53 attack points with import Yeliz Basa and Jema Galanza combining for 28 before winding up with 17 and 14 points, respectively.

Creamline likewise put up a solid recep tion all game, yielding not even one ace while scoring six of their own. And though the Angels lived up to their billing as the league’s top blocking team, 9-5, and barely edged the Cool Smashers in overall recep tion, 35-33, the grand slam-seeking crowd favorites lorded it over the rest in stats.

They finished with 47 excellent digs against their rivals’ 43 and Jia de Guzman put up another sterling 19-excellent set performance, seven more than her coun terpart Djanel Cheng.

“Wala naman problema kahit ilang set, basta manalo,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses, whose wards stared at defeat in the third after trailing 14-18 on a

Lindsey Vander Weide’s off-the-block hit. But the Angels surprisingly settled for drop shots, enabling the Cool Smashers to counter with Tots Carlos and Galanza scoring on back-to-back hits with another pair of Basa and Galanza blasts capping a 4-0 run that forced a tie.

Still, Petro Gazz refused to crack and fought back to surge ahead again at 2322 on a Vander Weide power tip. But a costly MJ Phillips net miscue stymied their charge while virtually helping set the stage for the Cool Smashers’ decisive closing 3-0 run.

And Ced Domingo stepped up again the way she did in their past matches, scoring on a quick hit off a broken play then completing another brilliant de Guz man feed that bounced off Shiela Pineda’s arms and which Vander Weide had failed to save.

“Everyone really went back to the ba sics when we were trailing. The team stayed composed,” said de Guzman. “Un til they score 25, we knew we can still

They did.

“Malaking bagay sa amin ito (win), lalo na three sets kasi siempre, yung mga points napakahalaga kung mag-tie before the fi nals. So just like sa elims, maraming nag katalo sa points. So it’s an advantage for us to score 3 points here,” said Meneses.

“Hopefully, next game, maglaro pa kami ng maganda at ma-improve ung team kasi malayo pa, dalawang games pa,” he added.

The Cool Smashers take on the Cignal HD Spikers on Sunday before facing the Chery Tiggo Crossovers on Tuesday.

Vander Weide finished with 16 points while Phillips and Aiza Pontillas added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the An gels, who beat the Cool Smashers in the finals of this conference last 2019 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

But coach Rald Ricafort only drew three points each from Myla Pablo and Remy Palma as the Angels finished with just 37 attack points.

The Lady Bulldogs now have 14pts, two full points ahead of second-run ning Far Eastern University, going into their last match in the first half of the season against cellar-dwelling Univer sity of the Philippines.

Reigning MVP Woman Fide Master Allaney Jia Doroy took her 4th point (Board 1) after Laila Camel Nadera’s 41st move blunder while Woman In ternational Master Kylen Joy Mordido (Board 2) played superbly with the black pieces, conquering Ateneo’s Gle sit Marie Tatoy in just 33 moves of the Sicilian Defense.

Jesca Docena (Board 3) then stopped

Meanwhile, Far Eastern University bounced back from back-to-back losses with a dominant 4-0 sweep of Univer sity of Sto. Tomas, who was the league

heading into the round.

Me Ann Joy Baclayon and Riza lyn Jasmine Tejada made up for their Round 4 mishaps by taking the win in Board 1 and 4, respectively.

Woman National Master Bea Men doza (Board 2) then scored her first season back-to-back wins while Candidate Master Divine Grace re-entered the lineup with a win in Board 3.

De La Salle University then secured its second win with a 3-1 conquest of Adamson University to tie UST in the third spot.

Lyceum, Letran arrange CCE Mobile Legends title tiff

TOP seeds Lyceum of the Philip pines University and Colegio de San Juan de Letran took contrast ing paths in the playoffs but still ar ranged a fitting final dance for all the marbles of the Collegiate Center for Esports (CCE) Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Season 2.

The Pirates and the Knights end ed the single-round eliminations at joint No. 1 with identical 8-1 cards before figuring in an early encoun ter in the upper bracket finals with the latter getting the better of the back-and-forth duel, 2-1.

As Letran, which also bested third-seeded Arellano in the first phase of the upper bracket with a 2-1 win, made the first crack at the

grand finals, defending champion Lyceum needed to work its way up from the lower bracket.

And the Pirates stamped their poise and championship pedigree there with Mark Kenneth “Mark” Delos Reyes time and again proving his worth as the reigning MVP of CCE presented by Galaxy Racer and Smart, with SM Mall of Asia, Cy berzone, Legion by Lenovo, Moun tain Dew, Hawk Bags, Fantech, Huawei AppGallery as sponsors, and MPL-Philippines serving as an official partner.

Pitted against the capable Jose Rizal University that romped past every hurdle in the lower bracket, Delos Reyes spearheaded the Pi

rates’ onslaught with a potent Martis (6/3/10 KDA) for the MVP citation in the clincher as they completed a 2-0 sweep.

Letran and Lyceum will slug it out in the best-of-five titular showdown for the crown of CCE, led by presi dent Stanley Lao and commissioner Waiyip Chong, on Saturday at the SM MOA Music Hall after the AllStar match featuring the best Es ports athletes from all schools.

Backstopping him was Remarch “Lust” Eusebio in a perfect Brodie outing (3/0/2), for the MVP plum in Game 1 with skipper Paul Adrienne “Fae” Huang, Ralph Joshua “Alas” Araz, Merlin “Merl1n” Lintan, Ja nouel Louie “Lheizy” Lomerio and

Marc Joseph “Marc” Balcita chip ping in help in Lyceum’s repeat tri umph over JRU after a similar 2-0 sweep in the first stage of the upper bracket.

The Heavy Bombers, led by Jan sen “R1d” Dullon and Justin Clark “Infamous” Posadas with multiple MVP awards, crashed out of con tention with pride after reaching the LB finals with easy 2-0 wins over College of St. Benilde and Arellano U.

But the biggest feat – and the most impressive one – was unleashed by the Knights, who marched their way early to the finale after exacting sweet vengeance on the Pirates in a stellar fashion.

This was learned by Philippine Sports Commission

Noli Eala after he closely into the situation involving the nine-year-old Operiano during the tour nament, which was held from Nov. 4 to 13.

Eala found out there was a lot of inaccurate information forwarded to authorities in the kid’s home province in Albay, concerning funding support when the boy returned home to Manila at the end of the chessfest with the rest of the delegation.

This will be sorted out once the govern ment sports agency summons the young Bince and his parents for some talks.

“The overwhelming victory of Bince Rafael Operiano in the 6th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand is remarkable. We recognize Bince’s potential and are grateful for all his sacrifices to achieve what he has. It has, however, come to our attention that Bince encountered logisti cal problems during his participation in the said event. Given this, we are invit ing Bince and his parents to the PSC to discuss how we can assist in nurturing his talent and help him achieve more,” said Eala in a statement. Peter Atencio

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala said he will invite Bince Rafael Operiano and his parents for discussion

DEFENDING champion National University scored a resounding 3.50.5 beatdown of Ateneo de Manila University to reclaim the top spot after Round 6 of the UAAP Season 85 Women’s Chess Championships, Wednesday at the FEU Tech Gym in Manila.

Arena Grandmaster Alexis Anne Os eña, who was on a four-game winning streak, using a bishop sacrifice to un

veil a lethal kingside attack that forced the latter to resign after just 36 moves of

the French Defense.

Kristine Marie Flores continued her impressive run for Ateneo as she re mained undefeated in five appearances, salvaging a draw on Board 4 to avoid a full shutout.

leader

YOUNG chess champion Bince Rafael Operiano never slept at the airport for three days before he competed at the 6th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Champion ship in Bangkok, Thailand.

chairman

Creamline’s Fille Saint

Merced Cayetano attacks the

National University’s Woman International Master Kylen Joy Mordido waits for her turn in this chess match

Business

PREIT prices IPO at P1.50/share to raise P2.42b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PREMIERE Island Power REIT Corp. of the Villar Group priced its initial public offering at P1.50 per share.

The company said in a filing with the stock exchange Thursday the final offer price would be 25 percent lower than the initial guidance and was set following the completion of a book-building process.

PREIT will raise P2.42 billion in pro ceeds from the sale of 1.4 billion secondary shares and another 210 million over-allot ment shares based on the final price offer.

The public offering will run from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, with listing on the main board of the local bourse scheduled on Dec 15.

PREIT will have a public float of 48.96 percent post-IPO, assuming the over-allot ment shares will be fully exercised.

China Bank Capital Corp. is the sole issue manager, underwriter and book runner for the IPO while RCBC Capital Corp. is a participating underwriter.

PREIT is the power and infrastructure plat form of Prime Asset Ventures Inc., the holding company of Manuel Paolo Villar, the eldest son of real estate tycoon Manuel Villar.

The company’s initial property portfo lio consists of land and power plant assets utilized in the power generation projects of major shareholders Siquijor Island Power Corp. and Camotes Island Power Generation Corp.

These projects, located in Cebu and Siquijor, have a combined installed capac ity of 21.2 megawatts.

It aims to be among the leading diversi fied power and infrastructure REITs in the Philippines in terms of portfolio, profitability, growth, sustainability and dividend yield.

PREIT will be the 9th company to con duct a maiden share offering this year—a record number of IPOs for the local bourse.

Among the firms that joined the PSE this year were Haus Talk Inc., Figaro Coffee Group Inc., Citicore Energy REIT Corp., Bank of Commerce, CTS Global Equity Group, Inc., Raslag Corp., VistaREIT Inc. and Balai ni Fruitas Inc.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022 B1

NEDA board endorses zero tariff rate on electric vehicles

By Julito G. Rada

The National Economic and Development Authority board chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved on Thursday the executive order that will modify tariff on imported electric vehicles, parts and components.

The NEDA board, in its first meeting under the administration of President Marcos, endorsed the EO modifying tariff rates on EVs such aspassenger cars, buses, mini-buses, vans, trucks, motorcycles, tricycles, scooters and bicycles, including EV parts and components.

The EO will temporarily reduce the most favored nation tariff rates to zero percent for five years on completely builtup units of certain EVs, except for hybridtype EVs. It will also implement tariff modification on parts and components of EVs from 5 percent to 1 percent for five years.

The NEDA board said the tariff modi fication would be reviewed after a year of implementation with a view to assessing its impact on the development of the EV industry ecosystem.

“The EO aims to expand market sourc es and encourage consumers to consider acquiring EVs, improve energy security by reducing dependence on imported fuel, and promote the growth of the domestic EV industry ecosystem,” NEDA said.

The NEDA board also approved the guidelines on processing PPP proposals. The new procedures aim to harmonize the review and approval of the NEDA board

and the ICC, including the preparation and submission of government agencies of PPP projects with the joint evaluation of the NEDA Secretariat, the PPP Center and the Department of Finance.

The guidelines also include the updated list of documentary requirements for so licited and unsolicited PPP proposals.

The issuance of the guidelines is pur suant to Section 2.10 of the revised 2022 implementing rules and regulations of the Build-Operate-Transfer law.

It also approved one new project funded through official development assistance and the changes on five ongoing projects.

The Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency project of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, costing P11.42 billion, aims to improve the management of fishery resources and enhance the value of production of fisheries in select Fisheries Management Areas.

BayaniPay gains $4.5-m funding from investors

BAYANIPAY, a Los Angeles-based financial tech nology company, raised $4.5 million in

from investors as it teamed up with BDO Unibank Inc. to deliver financial solutions to Filipinos in the US.

The fresh capital from East West Bank, the larg est independent bank based in Southern California, Wavemaker Partners and Talino Ventures Labs, will allow BayaniPay to expand the technology team as the company scales its product lineup and expands into more geographies.

“We are excited about how quickly BayaniPay has grown since we first launched,” BayaniPay chief execu tive Winston Damarillo said.

“Our ongoing efforts are driven by the desire to eliminate the financial hardships of new immigrants and minority communities,” he said.

BayaniPay has gained more than 7,000 users, and its work is disrupting the global banking landscape since announcing its expansion. BayaniPay plans to expand to more US states from the current roster of California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Alaska. “We expect exponential growth in 2023. Our goal is 150,000 customers by year three [of our operations], and we think it’s easily achievable,” Damarillo said. Darwin G. Amojelar

CIMB Bank, SeaMoney to double customer loans

CIMB Bank Philippines, a leading digital bank ing services provider, said Thursday it teamed up with Southeast Asia’s leading digital payments firm SeaMoney to double the 1.3 million SPayLater users in the country to 2.5 million loan customers next year.

CIMB chief executive Vijay Manoharan said the buy-now-pay-later transaction volume in the Philip pine e-commerce ecosystem was projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2026 as the bank aimed to further de mocratize access to BNPL financing options.

Manoharan said the partnership would power SeaMoney’s buy-now-pay-later product SPayLater as a credit solution to Shopee users in the Philippines.

“As one of the country’s biggest digital bank ing services providers, we are thrilled to work with SeaMoney to power SPayLater on Shopee, the biggest e-commerce platform in the country,” he said.

SPayLater enables eligible Shopee users to pur chase items today and pay for the same in tranches at a later date. Users can easily do so by selecting SPayLater as their mode of payment on the Shopee platform and can use the same for multiple items in one basket.

CIMB Bank will also subsequently offer exclusive savings rates to the SPayLater customers.

Julito G. Rada

Feed-in tariff suspension to shield consumers—ERC

THE Energy Regulatory Commission is studying the suspension of the feed-in tariff allowance to help ease the burden of consumers once Manila Electric Co. completes its refund totaling P1.80 per kilowatt-hour for residential consumers by May next year.

ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said the commission was looking at how Meralco rates could be mitigated, including the planned three-month sus pension of the FIT-All.

“We have deliberated, and we are crafting the reso lution to suspend [the FIT-All] but to make sure that we are still able to pay RE developers in full,” Dima lanta said at the sidelines of The Future of Renewable Energy in the Philippines forum.

FIT-All is a uniform charge billed to all on-grid electricity users. Power customers are paying a FITAll rate of P0.0364 per kWh.

The ERC ordered Meralco to implement four different refunds to consumers that translated into lower bills. It directed Meralco to refund P13.89 billion, equivalent to P0.2761 per kWh effective March 21 to December 2022.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Ray S. Eñano (on leave), Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

seed funding

PHOENIX-POLLUX TIEUP. Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. through car care business Autoworx Plus, signs a five-year

contract with GS Battery distributor Pollux Marketing. Under the agreement, GS Battery products will be made available in all seven

Autoworx Plus branches in Luzon. Signing the agreement are (from left) Pollux sales and marketing head Mac Brian Kaw, Pollux

owner and operator Leonard Ho, Phoenix senior vice president Raymond Zorrilla and Phoenix assistant vice president for consumer business partnerships Jay Mujar.

The

Pichel Award; Rein Entertainment for the Rising Producers’ Circle; and Viva Films as Producer of the Year.

The EDDYS is considered a game changer in the history of movie awards in the Philippines. Since its inception in 2017, it has easily positioned itself as a significant element of the film industry. Relatively new in recognizing deserving craftsmen, actors, writers, and directors, it instantly became one of the most distinguished film awards due to its large diversity among the chosen titles.

The SPEEd is made up of entertainment editors of newspapers and top tabloids circulated daily nationwide.

The non-profit organization established in 2015 is led by People’s Journal’s Eugene

Asis, as president.

The 5th EDDYS is presented by SPEED and Fire and Ice Media and Productions in partnership with Globe and in collaboration with Beautederm, Unilab, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and Metropolitan Theater. Nathan Studios, Rep. Arjo Atayde, Unilab, and Tanduay are sponsors. The event is supported by Live Stream Manila, Carl Balita Foundation, Rep. Geraldine Roman, and JFV Rice Mill. The auditing firm of Juancho Robles, Chan Robles & Company, CPAs, serves as vote auditor.

The 5th EDDYS kicks off with a red carpet program at 5:00 p.m., main show commences at 7:00.

SOCIAL media has become a medium for some celebrities to show to the public that they are as regular and down-toearth as everyday people. In the same way, as it’s become easier to connect with their fans with the tap of an app, celebrities are able to share their personal lives, projects, and other activities in a way that the public can relate.

For TV host and talent manager Ogie Diaz, social media and video-sharing platforms like YouTube have become potent avenues for celebrities and showbiz personalities like him to be more relatable and authentic to their audience.

“What we mostly do in our vlogs are not scripted, and I think that’s what the audiences now prefer, they like unscripted material because that’s how they can feel that celebrities are, just like them, are normal people, too,” Ogie said in vernacular during an interview with Manila Standard Entertainment.

Ogie is the host of Showbiz Updates, a Youtube showbiz-oriented talk show co-hosted by Mama Loi Villarama, and Dyosa Pockoh. In the online program, the trio tackles updates on celebrities, popular personalities online, pressing issues (albeit in a showbiz manner), and everything under the sun that they feel relevant to everyday “Marites.”

“This show is better off on Youtube. We might not be able to say what we wanted to say if we’re on TV,” Ogie added saying that there’s no competition between online shows and traditional programs because “both television and the internet have a captured audience.”

The idea of their showbiz-oriented talk show started when Ogie shared a video of TV personality Ion Perez in a very candid manner. But prior to that, on his channel, people have been enjoying prank videos and other content that focus on his life behind the scenes.

“I’ve been uploading so many videos already and I felt that I could no longer offer something new, then I uploaded a video of Ion and it went viral. Then the idea of featuring other celebrities came to mind,” Ogie recalled. Their YouTube talk show started off as a one-camera setup (using a mobile phone).

“It was in November 2020 when Mama Loi and I thought of setting up a camera while we were relaxing in the pool and talking about everything under the sun, including that trending topic about celebrities. Then the livestream became a hit. I think it’s because of the showbiz aspect,” Ogie relayed.

Since then, their audience grew

Is

exponentially, the Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update YouTube channel now has 769,000 subscribers and has amassed more than 175 million views and counting.

“As long as your content is engaging you will succeed. But not every day is Christmas, not every day people will watch your content. I guess the key there is consistency. You have to deliver the same kind of energy in every episode that you produce,” the showbiz columnist added.

“There are people who are simply lucky on Youtube and there are those who are hardworking like us who do everything but the views still haven’t reached a million. If you don’t have luck, you have to work hard to encourage your audience to watch,” Mama Loi said in turn.

For Dyosa Pockoh, a content creator who found his success on Tiktok, doing a show online, despite people not seeing what goes behind the camera is definitely a product of “tears, sweat, and blood.”

“For example on Tiktok, I imitated Heart Evangelista and changed clothes. I think I used about 10 outfits to come up with a one-minute video, but in reality, it took me hours to shoot,” Dyosa Pockoh shared.

At the moment, their goal for Showbiz Update is to produce 15 videos in a month.

“We decide on the subject before the cameras start rolling and we really wanted to have a spontaneous, not scripted, conversation,” Ogie stated.

Being online, Ogie, Mama Loi, Dyosa Pockoh are also subject to bashing, and despite learning how to brush them off, they still get offended.

Tao pa rin kame, but we deal with our bashers in a manner that they will realize their mistake. If their comments are very offensive, we screenshot their messages or comments and get back to them through DMs (direct message),” Ogie said.

The trio believes that, in a way, Showbiz Update as an entertainment show has served its purpose. They have just finished a successful road show in Australia and will soon embark on a US tour. In fact, the program was recognized as 2022 Most Influential Online Program in Entertainment by the 21st Gawad Amerika, which took place on November

Empyreal Glamour on EmpireTV YouTube channel will feature exciting new shows, including #The Beautiful Kitchen, with Cortesi, Rabiya Mateo, and Beatrice Luigi Gomez Empire.PH’s digital media launch coincided with the unveiling of its E Magazine’s maiden issue with Cortesi on the cover. A video clip was shown of Cortesi’s recent visit to their place in Italy, with a heartwarming scene of her reuniting with her mother and lovable pet dog. Cortesi visited recently Marantao and Marawi City to support the ‘Save the Children’s Life Changer Program’ which aims to uplift the lives of about 3,000 children and their families in Mindanao.

• • •

Bicolandia pretty boy vies at Man Hot Star International 2022

Misters of Filipinas’ Jovy Bequillo is in Thailand to compete in Man Hot Star International 2022. Billed to become the first business-class male pageant that promises luxury in pageantry, the top winner will receive a whopping cash prize of 13,600 USD.

Bequillo will surely give the other candidates a run for their money, half of whom are from Thailand and the rest are from Vietnam, South Korea, and winners of worldwide auditions. They will compete in Thai Fashion, Formal Wear, and Swimwear events.

Bequillo, 27, was born in Naga City, Camarines Sur, and presently works at the Department of Agrarian Reform. The 6-foot tall commercial model and Viva artist was the former Bicolandia Pretty Boy 2012. He loves to play basketball and chess and has a passion for sketching. Bequillo’s advocacy focuses on the promotion of equal rights and opportunities and protection for local farmers.

The World Finals of Man Hot Star International 2022 is set at Icon, Siam on Friday, November 25.

•

For

Charo Santos-Concio became a household name as she brought these stories and more to Filipino viewers across the globe. Seeing her bid farewell from the screen is like a sign of the times as an old era closes. Hopefully, tomorrow brings brighter days ahead.

•

• A beauty queen’s Disco diva party, birthday outreach Mrs. Universe Philippines 2019 Charo Calalo-Laude, with friends and her Mrs. Universe Philippines family, painted the town red during her birthday celebration held at Revel at the Island in Uptown BGC on November 15.

Laude’s disco diva birthday party happened a day after a successful gift-giving activity, under the outreach program of the Mrs. Universe Philippines FDN, headed by Laude, national director. The “Pamaskong Handog Para Sa Mga Aetas” benefited a total of 1850 Aeta families in Sitio Mawacat, Camachile, Nabuclod, and Sapang Uwak in Pampanga.

Nickie

THE Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) is rolling out the red carpet for the 5th edition of the annual EDDYS or Entertainment Editors’ Choice happening this Sunday, November 27, at The historic Metropolitan Theater (MET) in Manila.

Hosted by the King of Talk Boy Abunda and directed by OPM icon and singersongwriter Ice Seguerra, the 5th EDDYS will honor Filipino movies released on various platforms in 2021. It will also train the spotlight on luminaries, actors, craftsmen, writers, directors, workers, and producers in the Philippine film industry.

The awards show will be powered by the performance of artists such Seguerra, Jonalyn Viray, Zephanie, and Regine Tolentino with Dance Royalties

Among the nominees in the Best Picture category are Arisaka, Big Night, Dito at Doon, Kun Maupay Man It Panahon, and On The Job: The Missing 8

Vying for the Best Actress plum are Janine Gutierrez (Dito at Doon), Kim Molina (Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam), Maja Salvador (Arisaka), Charo Santos (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon), and Alessandra de Rosi (My Amanda). Competing in the Best Actor race

are John Arcilla (On The Job: The Missing 8), Christian Bables (Big Night), Dingdong Dantes (A Hard Day), Daniel Padilla (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon), and Piolo Pascual (My Amanda).

On the other hand, nominees for the Best Director category include Erik Matti (On the Job: The Missing 8), Mikhail Red (Arisaka), Jun Lana (Big Night), Carlo Francis Manatad (Kun Maupay Man it Panahon), and

JP Habac (Dito at Doon).

Carrying on the tradition of paying tribute to movie stars who have made an indelible mark in the industry through their significant bodies of work, EDDYS will pay tribute to the illustrious career of EDDYS Icon awardees namely Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, Phillip Salvador, Roi Vinzon, Helen Gamboa, Divina Valencia, Elizabeth Oropesa, Sharon Cuneta, and Alma Moreno.

Meanwhile, Gretchen Barretto, Kris Aquino, Alfred Vargas, GMA Kapuso Foundation, and ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya are the recipients of this year’s Isah V. Red Award.

award is presented in honor and memory of SPEEd’s founding president, Isah V. Red. It is given to personalities and organizations to honor their humanitarian efforts toward alleviating the condition of people adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s special awardees have been named as the following: entertainment reporter Mario Dumaual for the Joe Quirino Award; former entertainment editor Eric Ramos for the Manny

EMPIRE Philippines’s Digital Media, ‘Empyreal Glamour,’ was launched recently with Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi, Miss Universe Philippines National Director Shamcey Supsup, and Creative Director Jonas Antonio Gaffud gracing the event held at Estancia Mall, Pasig City.

Maricel Soriano

there nothing the Diamond Star can’t do? She has captured the hearts of many showbiz enthusiasts with her acting skills, and now, she turned heads with her drag transformation as Kinang Inay. Although she did it for a parody on her vlog, it feels refreshing to see established stars recognize the efforts of performers like drag queens to make them feel seen in what’s usually a prejudiced society.

‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’

three decades, Filipinos knew that Saturday nights were when they could catch a glimpse of inspiring stories through Maalaala Mo Kaya.

Paolo Contis  After going to Baguio with Yen Santos as “friends,” their relationship may have become more intimate. Paolo was proud of Yen for winning the Best Actress Award for A Faraway Land at the recent Gawad Urian Awards, but do friends call each other with possessive pronouns? Netizens know Paolo for his sweet-talking tendencies on social media because he used to flex his former partner LJ Reyes. The “friend” excuse just isn’t convincing anyone anymore.

Vicki Belo and Alex Gonzaga

Everyone knows Heart Evangelista steals the scene with her love for couture and known brands during international fashion shows. A mere mention from her is a privilege many would love to have. Yet a joke from Alex and Belo about how Heart snubbed them during Milan Fashion Week went over everyone’s heads because it wasn’t near the truth.

just getting

discern fact from opinion nowadays.

(From left) Loi Villarama, Manila Standard Entertainment editor Nickie Wang, Ogie Diaz, and Dyosa Pockoh

Zephanie

Jona Regine Tolentino

SM MOA transforms into a magical gingerbread village for the holidays

THE aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies welcomes mallgoers as they step into a Christmas wonderland filled with largerthan-life gingerbread houses, peppermint candy canes, and giant sugar cookies of MOA’s Magical Friends.

Taking center stage is a dazzling 65-foot Christmas tree featuring 1,600 colorchanging LED lights, shiny red balls, and berries, topped with a spectacular multipointed Bethlehem star. The tree sits atop a giant two-tiered cake adorned with gingerbread men and gingerbread cookie Christmas

trees, bells, and reindeer.

The Christmas tree lighting ceremony was led by Pasay City Mayor Imelda CalixtoRubiano and Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Hans Sy. They were joined by Carol Sy , SM Supermalls president Steven Tan, and SM Mall of Asia senior assistant vice president Perkin So

The Mandaluyong Children’s Choir and the UST Singers, the Gingerbread Ladies, and a surprise appearance by Santa brought Christmas closer to mallgoers. The occasion was also a wonderful way to celebrate the

On productive fangirling and uncovering life secrets

HOW things naturally fall into place and connect to one another when your life gets overwhelming never fails to amaze me. The past few weeks and months meant juggling work and graduate school requirements. I felt the need to breathe that after submitting a theory paper, I indulged in a Netflix-and-chill treat.

My binge-watching subject of choice? The hit 2020 Thai series My Husband-in-Law. The romantic comedy series got me hooked and I found myself squeezing an episode or two into my daily to-do list.

Have you ever been so attached to fictional characters that you find yourself researching the actors behind them? Well, that was the case for me with the Thai lead stars. Soon enough, I was checking out well-loved actor Mark Prin or Prin Suparat’s vlog Landmark on Youtube. There, as recommended by my good friend Ate Rose, I was led to an episode of “Bookmark” where the Thai heartthrob let us into his recommended books, with one standing out – The 5 Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die

Published in 2008, the book is not new on the shelf but anyone into psychology, interested in self-improvement, or looking for something meaningful would find the piece intriguing. In the name of productive fangirling, I purchased the e-book online and it immediately found a spot in my pursuit of finding peace in the midst of chaos.

“I mostly read psychology books and this book changed me. It taught me the art of letting go,” Mark raved about the book he used to tell his fans was his favorite. How different things led me to this title involved the right timing and perhaps, divine intervention. I am happy to report that my celebrity crush’s book recommendation did not disappoint.

The 5 Secrets You Must Discover Before You

Die is easy to read and conveniently divided into different sections for easy referencing. Written by award-winning author Dr. John Izzo, Ph.D., the book was based on his five-part television series of the same title which aired on The Biography Channel in Canada and PBS in the United States. After a number of preinterviews, Dr. Izzo interviewed over 200 people who are in their senior years to observe patterns and secrets of living happy lives.

In Chapter 2, the book mentioned, “Some people appear very happy and fulfilled at 30 but end up bitterly unhappy, so we felt it wise to talk to people toward the end of their lives.” As planned, when the author and his team of researchers were done with their conversations, the five secrets that cut across culture, religion, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status emerged. As an overview, the book has rich and meaningful conversations on love, regrets, being present, giving and taking, conquering fears, and authenticity. Dr. Izzo was so thoughtful in his writing that he added interactive activities and exercises going beyond just theory.

Are the secrets really a secret? If you are anticipating jaw-dropping moments when you find out what they are, let me manage your expectations. While each is special, the secrets revealed are plans that only a few people instill in their lives. It is not so much about the secrets being new information but they are all a common part of the lives of the diverse group of people others said had found happiness and purpose.

I should not have judged The 5 Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die as just a typical self-help book when I first saw it. It turned out to be a well-researched foundational piece I will not forget. For what it is worth, Dr. Izzo said in his words, a year lived purposefully can have the power to wipe out many years of regret.

For your random thoughts, e-mail the author at randomrepublika@gmail.com.

season of giving and sharing with the launch of the SM Bears of Joy. Purchase a pair of these cute and cuddly collectibles for P250, with one bear to keep, and the other to be donated to MOA’s selected beneficiary, Virlanie Foundation. Mallgoers can look forward to more holiday treats like the MOA Augmented Reality experiences. Four festive filters are available including Santa Claus, Reindeer, Snowman, and Sparkle. Simply scan the QR code and watch

Kael’s Squad

Autistic young man publishes activity book for children

KAEL Leander Aseron Pineda grew up loving cartoons and doodling. He also relished the trips to aquariums and theme parks he made with his family when they were still living in the United States. Now 21 and back in Manila, he is launching Seafood Squad, his own activity book for children, with characters he himself has created.

Kael is leading a more challenging life than his peers: at age seven, he was diagnosed with autism, with receptive and expressive language difficulty. This is why his parents, Braderick and Leirian, say the book’s publication celebrates more than the product per se. It is a testament to the wild and difficult, but also enlightening, journey of raising a son on the autism spectrum.

Trial and error

In earlier days, many things acted as triggers for Kael and caused him to feel overwhelmed – sounds, sights, anything unfamiliar. It was difficult for him to process, and most often, he simply walked away. That was on a good day. On not-so-good ones, he cried while in the middle of something, banged his head against the wall, or had a meltdown. The family could also not easily go out even for a restaurant meal; his parents always had to watch out for potential triggers – loud conversations, too many people, a crying child. School also proved to be a problem, his parents took him out of a regular Montessori school after only two weeks, and even a school that catered to kids on the spectrum proved difficult.

Leirian says there were many times when their family contemplated sim ply isolating themselves because of Kael’s condi tion. Their initial response was far too human. They, too, were frustrated, ir ritated, and doubtful they could ever get through one day after the next.

It was only later they understood the depth of Kael’s frustration about not being able to understand what others are saying, and not being able to express what he wanted to say. “Imagine going to another country where you don’t know the language,” Leirian said.

Brad once asked Kael what he felt like; Kael likened his experience to gasping when desperate to take a deep breath – but not finding any air. “It was a revelation. That was the moment I fully understood what my son was going through.”

But the parents knew Kael was capable of something unique, something special. He had always liked drawing, doodling the cartoon characters that he liked. More than that, Kael made detailed, complex drawings of entire theme parks, making sure that there was no mistake on each one. “His fine motor skills made erasing difficult for him, so every time he made a mistake, rather than erase, he simply threw the paper away and started a new drawing,” Leirian shares.

Kael made so many drawings of the same thing, aiming for perfection, that putting them side by side was almost akin to a “spot the difference” exercise.

“Imagine how much paper trash we had. The standard gift for Kael by friends and family were reams and reams of paper,” she adds. Today, Kael draws with a gel pen but displays the same bent for perfection.

Revelations

Brad and Leirian tried numerous ways to learn to help Kael better – and found that some approaches worked better than others. “In our case, parents’ involvement and the support we got from family

the Christmas centerpiece and magical spots around the mall come to life.

MOA’s holiday highlights also include Meet and Greet Sessions with Santa Claus every Saturday and Sunday at the MOA Central Atrium ongoing until December 25; the spectacular MOA Holiday Fireworks Show at SM By the Bay every Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. until December 30; and the MOA Holiday Market until January 6.

members, friends, and our community were the deciding factor.”

The Pinedas credit the community for simply being there to listen to them. “They may not have the medical background or scientific knowledge, but the fact that they make time to listen to our heartaches and pains, as well as our joys and simple successes, is a big help.”

What works, Brad says, is an approach borne out of the fact that it is the parents who know their child more than anybody else. “You take one look at them and you can tell if they are happy, or sad, or confused.”

It is the child who has occasioned realizations by the parents. “Raising a son like Kael who is funny, creative, smart showed me a lot about who I am not,” says Brad.

“I am a person who is not patient. I am easily angered and frustrated. There were times when I said ‘ayoko na nito!’ But giving up on Kael is not an option. Loving him is not the question, because I love him forever. Thus, he gave me the wonderful gift of realizing who I could be.”

Leirian has always believed that Kael is a blessing and a precious gift from God, even though there were times it was hard to see. But over the years she realized that more than raising Kael, and helping him prepare for his future, he is truly a blessing. “It is he who is helping us to be better people, to become more compassionate and understanding.”

They also realized that parents, even though they are preoccupied with caring for their autistic child, should not neglect their responsibilities to their other children. “Just because they understand the special needs of their sibling, or that they seem OK with it, does not mean you should be less of a parent to them,” Brad says. The couple has two older daughters, in their mid-20s, who are now working but still living with them.

“We are making use of this time to simply enjoy being with them, perhaps make up for the time we were not there for them, because we know that eventually they are going to have plans of their own.”

The Pinedas acknowledge that Kael has matured and they can now be forthright when they tell him they will soon grow old, and that he has to be prepared to be self-reliant as he enters adulthood.

“We are hopeful for Kael,” they say. “We won’t let worry dominate our days. We teach him life skills, even as our own learning is never ending.” Read full story on manilastandard.net

Nickie

Kael had always liked drawing, doodling the cartoon characters that interest him

Thai actor Mark Prin

The author checks out Mark Prin’s book recommendation copy

The Gingerbread Ladies welcome Santa at the launch of a Very Merry MOA Gingerbread Christmas

Gingerbread ladies come to life at the launch of a Very Merry MOA Gingerbread Christmas

From left: Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Hans Sy, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, and SM Mall of Asia Senior Assistant Vice President Perkin So