Manila Standard - 2022 December 7 - Wednesday

Nov. inflation surges to 14-year high at 8%

Mr. Marcos: Inflation out of control, but main drivers mainly imported

By Julito G. Rada and Maricel V. Cruz

INFLATION shot to a 14-year high of 8 percent in November, up from 7.7 percent a month ago, due to faster increases in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Tuesday.

The rate was significantly higher than the 3.7 percent in the same month a year ago and brought the average in flation from January to November this

PBBM: Our aim is to lessen PH import reliance

to invest in key areas and reinforce do mestic industries.

Speaking during the 11th Arangkada Philippines Forum 2022 at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City, Mr. Marcos asked foreign businessmen to help the coun try lessen its dependence on imported

year to 5.6 percent.

Even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., speaking at an event hosted by the Joint Foreign Chambers, said the country’s inflation is “running ram pant and out of control.”

“We just received the poor news from the Philippine Statistics that in November we hit 8%. And we are

FORECAST TO 7.2%

DTI sees increase in SRP in Q1; Meralco rates may go up in Dec.

By Othel V. Campos and Alena Mae Flores

MAKERS of bread, instant noodles, milk, sardines, and even non-essentials like candles are bound to raise their prices in the first quarter of 2023, based on a gentle reminder issued by the Trade Department Tuesday.

Power retailer Manila Electric Co. also said Tuesday its rates might go in

December with the completion of its P0.47 per kilowatt-hour refund.

Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said, however, the lower spot mar ket prices might pull down generation charges this month thus softening the impact of the refund.

The firm said earlier that its cus tomers may see an increase in their electricity bills in January 2023 due to

Labor groups seek daily pay hike of P100

By Vito Barcelo

TWO big labor groups have filed pe titions to increase the daily minimum wage by P100, reiterating that the sal ary hike is warranted amid the un tamed inflation affecting millions of ordinary Filipino workers.

The Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa (Kapatiran) and Partido Manggagawa (PM) filed separate petitions for wage recovery before the National Capital Region Wage Board on Tuesday.

With November inflation escalating to 8 percent (see related story on A1 – Editors), Partido Manggagawa said their demand for an immediate wage hike will at least restore the lost pur chasing power of workers.

goods, noting the main driver of PH inflation is still imported products such as oil.

“So again, import substitution is still a good idea not only for foreign ex change reserve but also, so that we can keep our inflation rate down,” the Presi

GSIS chief pushes wealth fund bill for ‘national dev’t’

(MIF),

“The Maharlika (fund) is a long-term investment,” said Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President

OFW deployment to India halted

In

DOH admits P22b lost in vax wastage

By Willie Casas

THE Philippines has lost P22 bil lion from the 44 million COVID-19 vaccines that went to waste, on the assumption that each vaccine is priced at P500, Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Ro sario Vergeire said.

She told a press briefing the authori ties could not give the exact figures because of what she called “the nondisclosure agreements.”

“But what we do... for planning purposes, we assume (that) P500 across the board is the price per jab,” Vergeire said.

Last week, the health agency dis closed the number of wasted COV ID-19 vaccines in the country had reached 44 million, majority of which expired due to short shelf life.

dent said. “It is the aim of this government to transform the Philippine economy to take advantage of the new realities pre sent in the new normal. Gone are the old ways of conducting businesses and

The regional wage boards earlier this year approved an increase in the mini mum wage in several regions, with the lowest in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at P305, and the highest in Metro Manila or NCR

In

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez led what he described as a “festive and meaningful” lighting of the giant Christmas tree at the flagpole area to mark the start of the Christmas celebra tion at the House of Representatives on Monday evening.

his message to House members, officials, secretariat, and congression al staff prior to the tree lighting and fireworks show, Romualdez said the event should remind everyone about the real reason for celebrating Christ mas, which is the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior who was born

THE Philippines is halting the deploy ment of Filipino migrant workers to India, which was assessed as non-com pliant under the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.

an advisory issued Dec. 2, the Phil

ippine Overseas Employment Admin istration (POEA) said the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi advised that the deployment of Filipino workers to India “cannot be allowed” owing to the law.

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ex pects the country’s economy to exceed levels before 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, as he invited members of the Joint Foreign Chambers on Tuesday

By Vince Lopez, Othel V. Campos, and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE head of the state pension agency on Tuesday defended the much-crit icized Maharlika Investment Fund

and General Manager Arnulfo Veloso, speaking to Radyo Pilipinas in Filipino. “Its goal is not only to have investments but also to help in national develop ment.”

HOUSE CHRISTMAS KICKOFF. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and his wife Tingog Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez lead officials in lighting the giant Christmas tree and the fireworks show at the flagpole area (inset) to mark the start of the Christmas celebration at the House of Representatives on Monday night. Ver Noveno

COME INVEST IN PH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. invites businessmen and members of the Joint Foreign Chambers to invest in the country during the 11th Arangkada Philippines Forum 2022 at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City on Tuesday. Presidential Photo

KEEPING IT FRESH. A vendor in Quiapo, Manila waters the vegetables she sells to keep them fresh on Tuesday. Inflation surged to 8.0% in November, the fastest since November 2009’s 9.1% and surpassing the 14-year high of 7.7% recorded in October, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported. Danny Pata

PBBM to DOH: Fight HIV, TB spread

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday tasked the Department of Health (DOH) to prioritize the campaign against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis infections.

Mr. Marcos asked DOH officer-incharge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire about the Health Department’s TB-DOTS program, which aims to eradicate tuberculosis in the country.

“Let’s start refocusing again on the general public health concerns, of course COVID has not come away. [We] still have to deal with it but let’s not deal with COVID at the expense of all these other public health concerns,”

the President said in a meeting with DOH officials in Malacañang Palace.

Vergeire told Mr. Marcos that the Health Department had become “more innovative” in the fight against tuber culosis, noting that the agency would launch the primary care program that includes TB-DOTS.

According to the DOH OIC, tubercu losis had reemerged because of its high transmissibility, adding that the illness

usually affects people from the lower income brackets of society.

Vergeire said there were a lot of mul ti-drug resistant cases of tuberculosis because the public could still buy medi cines for this disease over the counter.

“So, for example, they have prescrip tions that will be given by doctors who just need them, medicines for just one, two months, they will not finish their medicines and they become resistant,” Vergeire said.

Meanwhile, Vergeire admitted the DOH needed to intensify its surveillance and monitoring as the agency loses TB patients due to internal migration.

She also said the DOH already part nered with the United States Agency for International Development (US

AID) after it donated a tool using arti ficial intelligence.

“So, you had an X-ray here, for ex ample, the province A, will just be sent to an app on the phone; in minutes you get your chest x-ray reading to artificial intelligence and right away you subject the patient to sputum examination, and in three to four hours they start your medication,” Vergeire said.

“We’re trying to go around the dif ferent provinces to do this.

Hopefully, we get to reduce the num ber of cases,” she added.

When it comes to HIV, Vergeire said the DOH had “gained headway prior to COVID-19 but encountered hurdles during the pandemic because of stateimposed curbs.”

Funds vs. Red threats justified, say lawmakers

procedures, especially with the emer gence of innovations in ICT (informa tion and communication technology) and in other areas,” he said.

“And that’s why when I speak about the economy, I do not talk about re covery because I do not want to recov er the Philippine economy to what it was in 2019. That is not going to work anymore,” Mr. Marcos added.

“Whatever economy is going to be formed in the next few months, the next few years, it will be very different from what we were doing. So when they say, ‘We are trying to catch up.’ I reply, ‘Catch up to what?” To what we were before? That’s no good at all. We don’t want to be doing the same things that we used to do.”

“To aid the transition that we are talking about, I invite you to invest in key areas such as education and skills training; digitalization of processes; and research and development,” Mr. Marcos pointed out.

The government, for its part, is committed to further boosting eco nomic growth, with overall goals of poverty reduction and reinvigorating job creation, the President noted.

Notably, the government is exerting efforts to accelerate economic growth by further easing travel and mobility restrictions, implementing economic reforms, and improving economic co operation with trade and investment partners, he said.

The President also underscored the government’s work to enhance the ease of doing business and public-pri vate partnerships and improve bureau cratic efficiency through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development and digitalization.

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE chairman of the House committee on appropriations on Tuesday used the com munist threat to justify restoring P10 bil lion in the budget of the controversial Na tional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), as well as the confidential intelligence funds (CIF) of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Ako-Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co said the deci sion of the House to restore DepEd’s CIF— which the Senate had removed—aims to

“secure the future” of Filipino children. “That’s the decision of the House be cause it would be more difficult if our children are recruited and led to the wrong path. So we want the DepEd to spearhead (the effort) to secure the fu ture of our children,” he said.

Co, who is also the representative of Ako Bicol Party-list, said school children — es pecially in the provinces — are being tar geted for recruitment by rebel groups.

“Our young students should be taught early in life about the perils of joining illegal organizations whose aim is to

deputy national statistician, said in an online briefing. She said the highest inflation in history based on the series was in January 1999 at 10.7 percent.

overthrow the duly-constituted govern ment,” he said.

The House has similar reasons for re storing the budget of the anti-insurgen cy group NTF-ELCAC.

“Many of those in cities and urban areas do not appreciate efforts to end the insurgency. But those in the coun tryside are sick and tired of oppressive revolutionary taxes, destruction of in frastructure, power lines and cell tow ers. Often, poor farmers and fishers are even forced to give the food on their ta ble to the rebels,” Co said.

Management released P5.2 billion last week to cover the third tranche of the Targeted Cash Transfer program of the Department of Social Welfare and De velopment.

Blackpink takes TIME Entertainer of the Year plum

GLOBAL pop sensation Blackpink have been chosen as TIME Maga zine’s 2022 Entertainer of the Year, making the four-woman band the sec ond K-pop artists to earn the title after all-male BTS in 2020.

Selected by YG Entertainment, a big South Korean record label that screens performers for star quality and trains them intensively, the quartet – Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé – found international star dom quickly after their 2016 debut. Their first LP, “The Album,” sold more than one million copies in less than a month after its 2020 release.

In a TIME feature marking the En tertainer of the Year award, the group revisited their journey, from playing at Coachella in 2019 to performing “Pink Venom” at the VMAs earlier this year.

“We put in a lot of work so we could look like superwomen,” rapper Jennie told Time. “We’re very normal girls, at the end of the day.”

Talking about their success – and the pressures that come with it – Jennie said the band perform from the heart.

“If we consider this in the business way, we wouldn’t be able to do this,” she said.

Part of the group’s global success comes from their cosmopolitan back grounds. Singer Rosé, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Austral ia, called it “a plus” in the studio that they’re all from “different cultures.”

Jennie was born in South Korea but grew up in New Zealand, while dancer Lisa is from Thailand. Singer Jisoo is the only one of the group born and raised in South Korea.

now trying to identify the areas of the economy that are – that are the main drivers of that inflation. The main drivers of that inflation, unfortunate ly, are still imported – is still import ed inflation,” he said.

However, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said last week it ex pected the price of goods to rise further before gradually declining in the suc ceeding months, projecting November inflation to go from a range of 7.4 per cent to 8.2 percent.

The BSP’s Department of Economic Research said inflation is expected to gradually decelerate in the succeeding months as the effects of weather dis turbances and transport fare hikes dis sipate.

It said the “timely implementation of non-monetary measures” will also help ease price pressures in the months ahead.

The President also said the govern ment is working to slow down the rise in fuel and power costs at least heading into Christmas, saying Filipinos have already suffered much from the spiral ing prices of goods amid worldwide in flation.

The inter-agency Development Budg et Coordination Committee on Monday slightly increased the average inflation rate assumption for 2022 to 5.8 percent from the previous estimate of 4.5 to 5.5 percent, given the persistently high prices of food and transportation.

Del Prado said the latest full-year 5.8 percent assumption of DBCC could be attained even if inflation hits 8.5 per cent in December.

The November rate was within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas forecast range of 7.4 to 8.2 percent for the month.

The central bank said inflation is expected to slow down in subsequent months due to the easing of global oil and non-oil prices, and as its interest rate hikes work their way into the econ omy.

Economic Planning Secretary Ar senio Balisacan said the government is committed to providing timely as sistance to those hit hardest by infla tion and is implementing measures that boost agricultural productivity to en sure the country’s food security.

This covers a total of 9.8 million iden tified beneficiaries who are most affect ed by the continuous rise in commodity prices.

“To ease price pressures, we continue to implement measures to boost food production and reduce the cost of bring ing farm produce to the market,” Bal isacan said.

The Department of Agriculture has expanded the Kadiwa Program, which aims to connect producers to consum ers, allowing a higher profit share for local farmers and more affordable pric es for consumers.

Additionally, the government is sup porting the agriculture sector by imple menting programs to lower the costs of inputs, provide financial assistance in the form of fuel discounts to farmers and fishers, develop innovations, and strengthen the agricultural value chain.

Blackpink currently are performing across Europe until the end of the year as part of their “Born Pink” world tour, which kicked off in October.

the thinning supply in the country’s power grids.

Trade Undersecretary for consumer protection Ruth Castelo said the DTI was preparing consumers to brace for a new set of price increases on ba sic necessities and prime commodi ties (BNPCs) as the Department was poised to issue a new Suggested Retail Price (SRP) bulletin next year.

in a humble manger over thousands of years ago.

“He brought love and hope into the world with the simple message of peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind,” the Leyte first district law maker said.

Romualdez also urged everyone to give thanks after three years of having to deal with restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We now can celebrate and expe rience the joy of the Yuletide season with a little more freedom and open ness. Of course, let us remain vigilant and cautious to ensure that we will not go back to the dark age of the past, so you should have to wear your masks,” the Speaker said.

“The November 2022 inflation was the fastest since the 9.1 percent in No vember 2008 during the global finan cial crisis,” Divina Gracia del Prado,

at P570 as of October 2022.

The salary hike, together with re forms in the country’s wage rationaliza tion law, was part of the Five-Point La bor Agenda being pushed by Nagkaisa, a coalition to which PM is affiliated.

Other agendas under Nagkaisa’s plat form include a public employment pro

make sure the public is going to be made aware (of these),” the GSIS chief added.

“The government is continuously im plementing targeted subsidies and dis counts to allay the impact of the higher prices of essential goods, especially for the vulnerable sectors and low-income earners of our society,” Balisacan said.

The Department of Budget and

gram, an end to “endo” (end-of-contract work or contractualization), trade union repression both in the private and public sectors, and mechanisms for continu ing dialogue to discuss the industry and structural reforms.

“Without an immediate pay hike, workers are left to shoulder the impacts of the rising cost of living while Con gress and economic managers spend their time pooling funds, including pen sion funds of workers, to invest in the

Michael Ricafort, the chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said inflation could still peak around the fourth quarter of 2022 at about 8 percent levels and could mathematically ease thereafter “especially in 1Q 2023 due to higher base/inflation effects as global crude oil prices reach the imme diate high in March 2022.”

“Thus, further local policy rate hikes could still be possible for the coming

Maharlika Investment Fund,” said PM Chair Renato Magtubo.

“Without reforms in the wage fixing mechanisms, poverty wages shall be confined to where they are during the last three decades – at starvation lev els,” he said.

PM supported the Kapatiran petition for a wage hike and argued that even without runaway inflation, workers de serve a fair share of economic growth and rising productivity.

ing country for the protection and the rights of overseas Filipino workers:

“We’re being candid on the new SRP. We know that consumers are still reel ing from Christmas expenses that’s why we are timing the release on the new bulletin accordingly,” she said.

Of the 218 stock keeping units (SKUs) covered by SRP, only 30 percent or about 70 to 80 SKUs are allowed to ad just prices, to render some semblance of affordability among consumers.

The DTI suggests looking for bun dled products when buying goods, es pecially for the Noche Buena feast.

Spending P1,000 for Noche Buena may afford a good enough meal for a family of five, Castelo said.

She noted that while there are prod ucts that are yet to be given opportuni ty to raise their retail prices, petitions for price adjustment keep on piling as manufacturers raise concerns on the price spikes of raw materials and lo gistics expenses.

“They have justifications, and these are all evident in the current state of affairs,” she said.

The increasing inflation rate is also expected to take its toll on BP NCs and services.

(d) It is taking positive, concrete measures to protect the rights of mi grant workers.

The MIF has come under heavy fire from business groups, the academe, and a former Supreme Court justice for drawing funds from the GSIS and the Social Security System (SSS), possibly to the disadvantage of its members.

But Veloso said the fund would not only allow the GSIS to get returns but also to contribute to nation-building.

The GSIS chief also allayed fears over the lack of transparency on the way the fund would be used, “Whatever invest ments we make here are going to accrue to the members of the Government Ser vice Insurance System and we are there at the Maharlika Board to make sure the in vestments are protected while at the same time help in nation building,” Veloso said.

“There are various layers of transparency to make sure that the funds are protected and invested properly, and we are going to

As part of the safeguards, Veloso said there would be representation for the private sector through the participation of independent directors, congressional oversight, and an internationally ac credited auditing firm.

On a separate TV program, Veloso said only excess funds would be invest ed in the proposed MIF.

The GSIS is supposed to provide P125 billion in seed money for the sov ereign wealth fund.

“Our assets under management are P1.5 trillion and we collect P26 billion a month,” Veloso told ANC’s “Headstart”.

“After we fulfill our obligations to our members, we need to invest (funds) and we have a rigorous policy of invest ment,” he said.

Being part of the governing board of the sovereign wealth fund will allow GSIS to ensure the same credit stand ards are applied, he added.

Section 4 of the act states that the Philippines will deploy migrant work ers only in countries where the rights of Filipino migrant workers are protected.

The law notes that the government recognizes any of the following as a guarantee on the part of the receiv

(a) It has existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of migrant workers;

(b) It is a signatory to multilateral con ventions, declaration or resolutions relat ing to the protection of migrant workers;

(c) It has concluded a bilateral agree ment or arrangement with the govern ment protecting the rights of overseas Filipino workers; and

ID-19 bio-surveillance report indicated.

The BQ.1, a sublineage of omicron BA.5, is considered a variant of interest by the Eu ropean Center for Disease Control.

The POEA cited the law stating that the Department of Foreign Af fairs (DFA) issues certification to the POEA, specifying the receiving coun try’s labor laws, conventions, decla rations, resolutions, or any bilateral agreement would protect the rights of Filipino workers.

Of the figure, 64 were BA.2.3.20, 42 were XBB, 2 were BA.5, and 6 tagged as other omicron sublineages.

Meanwhile, latest data from the De partment of Health showed an addition al case of BQ.1, bringing its total of the highly transmissible Omicron subvari ant to 17.

The local BQ.1 case was found in Western Visayas, the DOH’s latest COV

Known to be more contagious and immune-evasive, the BQ.1 is driving up coronavirus infections in the US, UK, and parts of Europe.

The Philippines also detected 115 new cases of omicron subvariants, which include the BQ.1 case.

Health authorities also found two new cases of XBC, a recombinant of delta and omicron.

These are results of the latest se quencing run conducted by University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, the DOH said.

Farm-to-market roads masterplan ready via admin order, says PBBM

A

JOINT administrative order establishing farm-tomarket roads (FMRs) will be signed this month, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday.

Mr. Marcos, quoted by a GMA News report said there is already an approved FMR master plan.

“We already have a national timetable and all agencies involved will be signing by December, before the end of the year in order to approve the plan for the construction of the

IN BRIEF

Court grants P1M bail for Vhong Navarro

THE Taguig court trying beleaguered actor Ferdinand “Vhong” H. Navarro on rape charges has granted a P1 million bail for his provisional liberty.

In its 21-page order dated December 5, Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 69 Judge Loralie Cruz Datahan granted Navarro’s petition for bail.

“It must be emphasized, however, that a grant of bail does not prevent the court, as trier of facts, from making a final assessment of the evidence after full trial on the merits,” it added.

Last November, the Taguig court ordered the transfer of the actor/television host to the Taguig City Jail from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

In September, an arrest warrant against the actor was issued on non-bailable rape charges filed by model Deniece Cornejo. Cornejo sued Navarro for acts of lasciviousness and rape, which allegedly happened separately in January 2014.

Earlier, Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 116 Judge Angela Francesca Din found probable cause that led to the indictment of Navarro for acts of lasciviousness case and set a bail of PHP36,000.

Navarro surrendered to the NBI for the bailable case but was surprised when another arrest warrant was issued against him for rape.

The Court of Appeals ordered the filing of rape and acts of lasciviousness cases after Cornejo’s complaints were dismissed by the Taguig City prosecutor’s office and the Department of Justice.

Ex-Batangas vice gov Recto passes away

FORMER Batangas vice governor Ricky Recto has died, his brother and House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto of Batangas said.

“With sadness, we share the news that our brother Ricky has passed away,” the lawmaker said in a statement, quoted by GMA News. “Words are hard to come by to express the sorrow of losing him, but we take comfort in our fond memories of him to overcome the pain we feel.”

The Batangas lawmaker did not discuss his brother’s cause of death. Instead, he thanked those who extended condolences to the family.

“We are touched by your kind words and prayers, but in the meantime, we ask for the time and space to grieve in private,” he said.

“But we do recognize that Ricky had served as a national athlete and as an elected official, so a simple memorial is being discussed, the details of which may be announced soon,” he added.

The late Ricky was arrested by authorities last July after his ex-girlfriend filed a Violence Against Women and Children complaint against him.

SC tells Comelec:

Act on

FMRs,” he added.

The President said the joint administrative order will establish the guidelines that will make all FMRs “interconnected” with other infrastructure projects, which he said, will ensure efficiency in the delivery of services and enhance agricultural programs.

The joint administrative order will be among the Departments of Agriculture, Public Works and Highways, Interior and Local Government, Trade and Industry and Tourism, GMA News reported.

The Palace said as of October this year, a total of 43,223.17 kilometers is proposed for FMR projects. There is a requirement of 131,410.66 km (110ha/ km) of the country to cater to the 14 million hectares of production areas for agriculture and fisheries.

As of October 2022, a total of 67,255.46 FMR were completed, leaving a backlog of 64,155.20 kilometers, the Palace added.

Mr. Marcos earlier said the FMR masterplan would serve as a guide for the government in promoting food security and empowering rural communities. He said the masterplan should include regional maps which will indicate the exact locations of the farm-to-market roads that will be constructed.

3-star generals hit by plan to edit fixed terms in AFP—spox

COL. Medel Aguilar, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spoke person disclosed that the proposal to do away with the three-year fixed term for some of the key officers of the AFP will also affect 3-star generals

Aguilar said House Bill 6482 authored by House Speaker Martin Romualdez with Representatives Raul Tupas, Mercedes Alvarez, Divina Grace Yu and Jorge Bustos was crafted after consultation with military officials, ABS-CBN News reported.

Romualdez and allies want to remove three-year fixed term for some AFP officials President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11709 last April 13, setting a fixed three year tour of duty for the AFP chief of staff, vice chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, major service commanders (Army, Air Force, and Navy), unified command commanders, and inspector general “unless sooner terminated by the President.”

Aguilar said the 3-year tour of duty from the chief of staff is “not too long.”

“The term of the chief of staff is not being changed. The prerogative on the part of the President to terminate the designation of one officer is already incorporated in the law so I think there is no change,” he said, quoted by the ABSCBN News report.

“But there are some minor changes that are being proposed especially among the 3-star generals so that there will be movement, that the organization will be more flexible and dynamic as it addresses the security threat and at the same time as we aspire for professionalism in our ranks.

The official said the change in fixed terms for some military officers will depend on the situation and the needs of the organization.

Then Senator Panfilo Lacson, principal sponsor and a co author of the bill, earlier said the fixed terms for military officers would end the “revolving door” policy in the AFP and ensure the implementation of merit-based promotion and attrition systems.

No HFMD outbreak yet, but cases are still rising, DOH says

By Willie Casas

THE Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday that cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) are increasing in the Philippines.

However, there is no declaration of an HFMD outbreak yet, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

During a press conference, DOH offi cer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire made the clarifi cation after concerns were raised regarding the rising number of HFMD cases in certain areas.

Vergeire said there were 155 HFMD cases recorded in the National Capital Region (NCR) from October to December 6, and most of them are children aged 11 and below.

Vergeire pointed out that there were no deaths reported during the period.

“We are seeing an increase of HFMD cases when we look at it in these past weeks, but we don’t have a trigger yet or we don’t have enough basis for our local governments to declare outbreaks in their areas,” Vergeire said.

“These are all manageable and preventable,” she added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HFMD is a common infectious disease that most often affects children. Its common symptoms include fever, painful sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters on hands, feet and buttocks.

Aviation authority places 42 airports on holiday high alert

By Joel E. Zurbano

Rosal

petition

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday required the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to file its comment on the petition filed by Albay Gov. Noel Rosal seeking to enjoin the Comelec from implementing its resolution disqualifying him from his post.

The order, which was approved yesterday, gave the Comelec and private respondent Joseph San Juan Armogila 10 days within which to comment on Rosal’s petition for certiorari and application for the issuance of a status quo ante order (SQAO)/ temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or writ of preliminary injunction.

In his petition filed on November 21, 2022, Rosal sought for the issuance of an SQAO or a TRO to stop the enforcement of the Comelec’s resolution issued on November 18, 2022.

It can be recalled that the Comelec’s first division ruled last September 19 that Rosal violated Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) on the 45-day spending ban in the May 9, 2022 elections.

The complaint against Rosal was filed by Armogila.

Rosal appealed the Comelec’s first division resolution before the Comelec en banc but the latter denied the same in a resolution issued on November 18. Rey E. Requejo

He

carryon baggage for faster processing at the screening checkpoints.

“Added security measures and deployment of service and security personnel are being observed in the airports with commercial flights to ensure safe, reliable, and convenient airport

operations as returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), civilians, and tourists travel for the holiday season,” Apolonio said.

Due to travel bans imposed in the last two years brought by COVID-19, the CAAP operated airports reported that it has seen trends of pent-up demand for tourism this year.

In 2019, CAAP airports recorded a total 29,258,258 passengers from January to December 2019, with 2,537,774 passengers who traveled during the month of December.

The next year, a significant decrease was seen, as only 6,659,113 passengers traveled the whole year, with only 245,141 passengers traveling in December.

In 2021, passenger volume reached 1,007,842 in December, while 5,136,075 passengers were recorded from January to December.

So far this year, around 16 million passengers traveled in CAAP airports from January to October alone, and more are expected to travel during the holiday rush.

Cebu Pac restores 92% pre-COVID capacity

CEBU Pacific Air (CEB) on Tuesday announced

it has restored 92% of its pre-pandemic systemwide capacity following the continuous increase of its domestic and international routes.

The airline now flies an average of 355 commercial flights daily, covering 34 domestic and 19 international destinations. This is equivalent to about 64,000 seats offered in a day.

To date, CEB has restored over 100% of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity, surpassing the airline’s December 2019 level.

CEB flew 13.3 million passengers from January to November 2022, up 493 percent from the same period in 2021, as people rushed back to travel following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

“Our system-wide capacity is now approaching pre-pandemic levels. We’ve basically grown,

in fact, much more than what we were doing pre-COVID in the domestic level. We are seeing green shoots of recovery. It is very encouraging to see more people confidently flying again, not just within the Philippines but even abroad,” said Xander Lao, CEB chief commercial officer.

For December, CEB widened its international footprint as it added more flights in Manila to and from Brunei, Jakarta, Seoul, Taipei, and Hong Kong.

CEB also boosted its Cebu hub with additional flights starting December 1. These include services to going to and from Iloilo, Dumaguete, Legazpi, Surigao, Pagadian, and Tacloban.

To address growing capacity and travel demand, CEB is planning to use 11 brand new Airbus NEO aircraft in 2023: three A320neo, four A321neo, and four A330neo. Joel Zurbano

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has placed 42 commercial airports in the country under high alert in anticipation of the increasing numbers of air travelers this holiday season.

CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the agency has coordinated with airline operators and concerned government offices operating at the airports, including the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) and the Police Aviation Security

Group to augment additional personnel in anticipation of a surge in passenger traffic this Christmas break.

said travelers are reminded not to bring prohibited items to the airport and to stow all belongings in one’s

NLEX CALOOCAN CONNECTOR. North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) assistant vice president for corporate communication Kit Ventura (left) and NLEX project management manager Ryan Mallari show local media the NLEX Connector in Caloocan City during a tour. NLEX said it is ready to open the rst ve kilometer-section of the connector this month. Manny Palmero

RIZAL MASTERPIECE.

Angelicarose Ranile from Cebu Paci c shows a customized chessboard with chess pieces bearing the likeness of the characters in Jose Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere and GMA’s Maria Clara at Ibarra. Danny Pata

OATH-TAKING. Speaker Martin G. Romualdez administers the oath of o ce to Terrence C. Calatrava of Mandaue City, Cebu as newlyappointed Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (Undersecretary). Inset shows Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark Ambassador Franz Michael Skjold Melbin engaging in a cordial discussion with Romualdez during a courtesy call. Ver Noveno

House tackles bills favoring return of mandatory ROTC

THE mandatory Reserved Officers Train ing Corps (ROTC) may be enforced anew among college and university students.

This as two House committees con cerned with education agreed to consoli date 27 bills seeking the repeal of the Na tional Service Training Program (NSTP) in favor of the Citizens’ Training Service Program (CSTP) which calls for the reimplementation of the ROTC.

The two panels on Tuesday approved a motion to reconcile House Bill 6486, which seeks mandatory CSTP and repeal of the NSTP, with 26 other bills calling for the mandatory ROTC.

The ROTC was abolished in 2001 fol lowing the death of cadet Mark Welson Chua of the University of Santo Tomas.

The motion by Bukidnon Rep. Laar ni Roque also sought to make House Bill 6486, authored by Speaker Martin Romualdez, as the mother bill.

House Bill 6486 provides that the gov ernment could boost the capacity of the people to mobilize and perform their con stitutional duty to render personal military or civil service in times of calamities and disasters, national or local emergencies, rebellion, invasion, or war by the estab lishment of a unified, comprehensive and holistic national citizens service training and mobilization system.

The training and mobilization setup in cludes a “mandatory national citizens ser vice training program to equip and organ ize the youth, with necessary, essential, practical and pragmatic knowledge and skills for civic duty, emergency and disas ter response and preparedness, in the cur rent framework of law enforcement, peace and order, territorial defense and national disaster risk reduction and management, for mobilization for military and civil ser vices that produces reservists for the Na tional Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) and AFP Citizen Armed Force (AFP Reserve Force), an optional Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Program for higher educa tion students designed to produce officers for the Citizen Armed Force and Regular Force of the Armed Forces of the Philip pines; and a feasible, realistic and opera tional National Service Reservist and Citi zen Soldier mobilization program through the National Service Reserve Corps and the AFP Reserve Force.”

“In the implementation of the national citizens service training and mobilization system, strict monitoring, evaluation and accountability will be observed to prevent all forms of abuses, corruption, hazing, torture, data privacy rights violation, and all forms of violation of human rights,” Bill 6486 stated.

Marcos directs speedy printing of national IDs

By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT

“Let us print out as much as we can, and then we could follow up the physical ID as soon as we can,” the President said in a meeting with National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and PSA officials.

The meeting, with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also in attendance, discussed the BSP’s printing capacity and the backlog in the data needed for the IDs.

The Chief Executive was informed that the data flow from the PSA to the BSP had been rectified.

PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said the PSA will continue to collaborate with the BSP to fasttrack and raise the volume of Phil ID production and printing.

The national ID system law institutionalizes a single official identification for all citizens and foreign residents in the country. It incorporates the PhilSys number of

every Filipino in all identification systems of government agencies.

Registered persons can immediately use the benefits of PhilSys through the printed Phil ID, such as faster and seamless transactions in accessing financial and social protection services requiring proof of identity, subject to authentication.

The law allows registered individuals to use the ID in renewing passports, licenses, and state clearances, among other stateauthorized requirements that need to be presented to avail of certain public and private services.

The government has said the centralized system would improve the delivery of public services.

The PSA earlier pointed to the influx of registrants in the PhilSys for the delay in the printing of the cards.

Through this ID, registered persons can immediately utilize the benefits of PhilSys.

CA bypasses appointments of Pascual, Lotilla

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Commission on Appointments (CA) on Tuesday suspended considerations of the interim appointment of Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual and Department of Energy Sec. Raphael Lotilla.

Their confirmation hearings were suspended “:due to lack of time.”

Prior to the suspension, the CA mem bers grilled Pascual over his qualifica tions as DTI secretary.

The panel scrutinized Pascual based on complaints by employees of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel was the first to question Pascual about the complaints sent to the CA by PEZA employees against the new PEZA depu

ty director general Tereso Panga.

Panga terminated contractual em ployees, placed on floating permanent employees and demoted long-time PEZA employees.

Pimentel said the first action of Pan ga was to padlock the office of direc tor. Charito Planas which trigged chaos within the facility.

Pimentel asked Pascual what he was doing with the issue.

But Pascual said he learned of the problem only at the CA hearing, adding he was not the one who assigned Panga as officer-in-charge

“These matter of employees having complaints is coming to my attention only now. I have not had any reports from the employees directly when these things were happening. Now that I am aware of this, we will investigate and see how we can address the problem. I

understand the case is already with civil service commission,” Pascual said.

If Panga has accountability for his actions, Pascual said the official should be held accountable.

However, Pimentel said he believed Panga would not have done it without Pascual’s orders.

Since the complaints of the employ ees have been there for four months al ready, Pimentel said it was unbelievable that the DTI secretary did not know about it.

“Is he God at PEZA? Is he God to do that? I think the secretary has within his power and authority to correct, remedy the situation. You are oppressing already the employees,” Pimentel asserted.

Meanwhile, the hearing on Lotilla’s interim appointment will resume on Wednesday.

PBBM appoints former envoy as CITEM head

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has feared “the worst” over the fate of 34 missing cockfight aficionados.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., at a press briefing on Monday, could not say if they have proof of life about the disappearances.

“For now, we cannot confirm if there is proof of life because so far what we have unearthed little by little were just cellphones and pieces of evidence. We expect the worst,” he said.

Azurin vowed to serve justice to the families of the missing “sabungeros.”

Earlier, the PNP said there was still no credible lead on the whereabouts of the 34 “sabungeros” who have been missing since last year.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has released composite sketches of two suspects in the disappearance of Michael Bautista, one of the 34 missing, in Sta, Cruz, Laguna.

One of the suspects was identified as “Dondon,” who was also being linked to the disappearance of some cockfight enthusiasts in Manila.

Initially, complaints were filed against eight identified suspects and several John Does involved in the Manila Arena case, and against five police personnel and their cohorts in the Ricardo Lasco kidnapping case early this year, the CIDG said.

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has stressed it is high time to criminalize the spread of fake news or false information.

PNP deputy director for administration

Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor said fake news has a negative impact on politics, the economy, culture and public safety.

He pointed out that since fake news maligns the reputation of a person on entity, the violator can be held liable for libel, adding that intriguing against honor is punishable under the Revised Penal Code.

Villaflor also cited the importance of proving fake news.

The Senate Committees on Justice and Human Rights and Public Information and Mass Media on Tuesday conducted a

hearing on Senate Bill 1296 which aims to criminalize fake news.

The PNP Anti-cybercrime Group said it is crucial to define what is fake news and what is included in this term.

The proposed measure also mentioned who should be held accountable to include social media and other online platforms.

For his part, Sen. Raffy Tulfo asked if there was a way to immediately take down fake news from the websites and social media platforms.

The senator said he has been victimized by a fake news, and it took one week before it was taken down from You Tube.

He noted the process is difficult since it needs hundreds and even thousands to

report the content of a fake report before it can be deleted.

NBI Cybercrime Division chief Christopher Paz responded that there is no law on this matter.

“What we have is the Anti-OSAEC law for sexual and abuse of children.

He said if there will be a law on this, it is important to preserve digital evidence to investigate those who posted the fake news. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada who filed the proposed measure inquired if were arrested over fake news.

Responding to the query, the NBI said there were arrests on such matter made at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Fereira replaced outgoing officerin-charge Lourdes Mediran.

Fereira brings to CITEM “three decades of experience in the fields of science, business management, mar keting, diplomacy, and now govern ment service.”

CITEM is the export trade pro motion arm of the DTI, mandated to promote the Philippines as a reliable source of quality export products and services in the global market.

In 2018, Fereira was appointed as Ambassador of the Philippines to the Republic of Kazakhstan. He also served as the First Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Philippines from 2004 to 2011.

Fereira was also a former president of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), the country’s biggest business and management or ganization composed of top business luminaries. His stint in MAP became his springboard to the diplomatic com munity as he led and chaired private and government trade missions to dif ferent countries.

Fereira’s government career in cluded leadership roles at the National Development Corporation (NDC), Philippine International Trading Cor poration (PITC), First Cavite Indus trial Estate (FCIE), Manila Gas, and Land Bank Realty Development Cor poration (LBRDC) among others.

By Rio N. Araja

THE Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) on Tuesday said it expects at least 2,000 urban poor representatives to attend today’s closing of its first biggest event, the Urban Poor Solidarity Week (UPSW), at the City College of Mandaluyong in Mandaluyong City.

With the theme “Ika-36 na Taon ng Pinag-ibayong Serbisyo Tungo sa Pagbangon ng Maralitang Pilipino: Pusong PBBM, Pusong Pilipino,” the UPSW celebration is in line with the mandate of the PCUP in reaching out to the country’s marginalized and underprivileged sector, and bring them closer to the care of government.

The agency’s chairman and chief executive officer, Undersecretary Elpidio Jordan Jr. said the week-long

celebration marks its unwavering support to the Marcos administration’s poverty alleviation program aimed to uplift the lives of the urban poor.

“This is our way of showing how government under the leadership of our beloved President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. is dedicated to serving the public through selfless efforts of bringing the people closer and accessible to much-needed services that would pave the way for improvements in their lives and making them feel they are not being abandoned by their leaders,” he said.

The Mandaluyong City government is hosting the UPSW celebration through the initiative of Mayor Benjamin Abalos Sr., who vowed to support the PCUP in its programs and projects for the welfare and benefit of the urban poor and informal settler families.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to speed up the printing of the digital version of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed a former diplomat as head of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). Dr. Edward Fereira took his oath as CITEM executive director before Trade and Industry Secretary Alfre do Pascual at the DTI main office in Makati City.

DRIVE THRU CHRISTMAS TUNNEL. Christmas lights and varicolored decors entice people to a Jollibee drive-thru at the Bonifacio Global City. The Christmas-themed attraction of the fast-food chain begins at a welcome arch manned by the company mascot (inset) and complemented by lanterns and stained glasslike panels that show moments of genuine Filipino-style Christmas celebrations Manny Palmero

SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEERS. Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna (left) leads the distribution of gift packs under the city government’s ‘Pamaskong Manileño’ for the residents of Barangay 775 along Estrada Street and adjacent neighborhoods. Norman Cruz

NO TO ROTC. Students hold a protest rally at the gate of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa Manila against the looming re-imposition of the mandatory Reserved Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) now under deliberations in Congress. The students reiterate their call for a 100-percent ‘safe, accessible, and quality resumption of face-to-face classes’ instead of the ROTC revival.

Danny Pata

AS I write this, cultural maven and journalist Pablo Tariman is sharing, as it unfolds, the ar rangements for the wake of slain poet, writer, and revolutionary Ericson Acosta, his son-in-law.

Acosta’s wife was the late Kerima TarimanAcosta.

The couple were killed on separate occasions about a year apart in Negros by military forces.

By now you will have read or watched news items about both slayings. You will have heard accusations that both Ericson and Kerima were communists, members of this or that left-wing group, engaged in battle against the government. But hopefully you will have heard both sides. Otherwise, you will not be able to make a fair and accurate judgment about this. “Audi alteram partem,” meaning “listen to the other side” is all about justice, about not judging without know ing both sides of the story, about letting each side have the opportunity to respond to what is said about them.

On the part of Pablo Tariman, Ericson and Kerima’s son Emman, and their other relatives and friends, they are grieving the painful loss of a son-in-law, father, friend. Many without a close personal connection to Ericson, but who are ad mirers of his political stance, his poetry and other writings, his music, and his courage and dedica tion to what he believed, in feel bereft.

Or rancor.

They have chosen Another way to live And reach their ideal Fighting

For the hungry And the oppressed And constantly coping With well-funded Lackeys of war.

A day before his death

EDITORIAL

Reinforcing ‘Bakunahan’ boosters

The arts and literature community feel the loss of Ericson and Kerima keenly.

Both were awarded poets; Ericson won the 35th National Book Award for Poetry in Filipino for his book Ang Mula Tarima Hanggang.

The book was written while he was detained for two years as a political prisoner.

He was arrested without a warrant, while not doing anything illegal or committing a crime; he was not informed of the reason for his arrest at the time he was taken; he was not only denied the right to counsel, he was also denied his phone call and of any other means to contact his family or lawyer; he was tortured.

A complaint was filed against him only 72 hours after his arrest. His death is again an injustice.

As part of his job as consultant for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Er icson was interviewing farmers in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, about their working condi tions when early in the morning of Bonifacio Day, he and peasant organizer Joseph Jimenez were captured and killed by elements said to be from the 94th and 47thI Infantry Battalions of the Phil ippine Army.

The military alleges they were armed, but eye witnesses say there was no firefight or encounter.

Ericson and Joseph were unarmed.

A source claims that they were shot “parang si Heneral Luna” -- a reference to the movie of the same title that portrayed the Philippine Revolu tion hero as having been riddled to death with bul lets by soldiers in an ambush.

As when Kerima died last year, her father Pablo is expressing his sorrow and anguish and trying to make sense of all this tragedy through writing poetry.

His poem “Death in the Morning” has been shared online over a million times as of Dec. 4:

DEATH IN THE MORNING

By Pablo Tariman (with permission)

One more time

You rewind another life

Gone at fifty With just his poems

For his only son to peruse As last mementoes.

No more time to grieve

The container of sadness is dry From previous year’s constant grief You have rehearsed this before Going to a roomful of dead people And identifying your loved one And then you bring him To nearest crematorium To later settle in an urn Of memories.

There is no time

For bitterness

By Jan Hennop

WHILE Ukraine and the West dream of a tri bunal that could put Vladimir Putin in the dock for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, experts warn such a court would face formidable challenges.

The EU on Wednesday proposed a “spe cialized court” backed by the UN to prosecute Russia’s “crime of aggression”, in one of the most concrete steps so far.

The plan would get round the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) can inves tigate war crimes in Ukraine, but cannot try the “leadership” crime of aggression in Russia’s case.

Yet serious questions remain about a special court’s feasibility and legitimacy -- let alone about whether the Kremlin or Russian military leaders would ever end up on trial.

“On both legal and practical levels there are considerable obstacles,” Cecily Rose, assistant professor of public international law at Leiden University, told AFP.

‘Political will’

The first hurdles involve setting up such a tribunal, which would require global support to

He was talking about Seeing a doctor For his recurring ailment. Alas He didn’t make it

To his doctor’s appointment.

From what I heard

He was arrested alive And later riddled with bullets Typical of dogs of war.

His son expected To see his father In detention

WE HOLD hope the three-day nationwide vaccination campaign against COVID-19 which ends today will be successful and help the target public – the students – go back safely to school for in-person classes.

parties left and right – must have themselves vaccinated.

They must also continue to adhere o the minimum public health standards to enable them and their families to enjoy a happy and safe Yuletide celebration.

Good thing, if timely, that the DOH earlier said that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines would be offered house-to-house to reach the elderly, those with comorbidities and the immunecompromised.

As of November 23, or two weeks ago, a total 168,893,220 vaccine doses have been administered in the Philippines, according to the World Health Organization.

For a last hug and embrace.

But early morning

Of a fateful Thursday He is gone.

Like the way he saw His mother for the last time Lifeless on a cold stretcher

In a morgue In the shadow of Mt. Silay.

I can only rewind Fifty years of his life And forty two years Of my daughter’s life.

Am figuring out his grave:

Should I bury him Beside my daughter’s crypt Or beside his father’s tomb In another town?

I am airport-bound Once more For last appointment With the departed. I have come to terms With this life As I have lived it.

Happy my loved ones Have come to terms

With dying The brave way.

Ericson will be laid to rest beside Kerima in a cemetery in Pasig City.

Many organizations have denounced the brutal slaying of Ericson Acosta and are calling for an honest and impartial investigation into the cir cumstances.

Ericson was an activist, and while many have cast aspersions on him as well as Kerima and questioned their life choices, the more pressing question to ask is why intellectuals such as they were inspired to help the poor and marginalized sectors of society.

The reason lies in the systemic oppression and injustice that permeates Philippine society.

The poor become poorer while the rich become richer and more powerful.

There will always be revolutionaries while there is inequality in the land.

Among the groups that issued statements on Er icson’s slaying are the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) and PEN Philippines (as well as PEN International).

The MCC wrote that it “strongly denounces the brutal slaying of poet and National Book Awardee Ericson Acosta. We condemn such an act of military violence with impunity that assumes the disguise of authority and justice in resolving perceived sociopolitical conflicts in our land. We decry the use of terror to silence the intellectuals of this sad republic.

“Acosta’s art activism and research work on peasant conditions and rural development were the work of a man of honor, in service of the poor and the oppressed of this nation.

“We call upon the government and the Philip pine military to be accountable for the systemic perpetuation of violence against innocent and unarmed civilians. We demand the cessation of baseless allegations of ‘terrorism’ and ‘subver sion’ against our writers, artists, and academics. We clamor for truth and reject any form of false information that misleads the Filipino people.”

PEN Philippines wrote that it “condemns the killing of poet, songwriter, and activist Ericson Acosta. […] In defense of our constitutionally enshrined human rights, PEN Philippines opposes all manner of injustice against writers…We call on the Philippine government to perform a full and fair investigation and serve justice.”

Last night, artists gathered to pay tribute to the fallen. There will be more days and nights of hom age. Ericson and Kerima will never be forgotten while pens have ink and minds have memory.

* * *

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

The Department of Health (DOH) set in motion the latest three-day drive aimed at providing first booster shots to 50 percent of the eligible pediatric population.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire herself joined local government officials the other day in Davao City during the launch of the “Bakunahang Bayan” and stressed in her message the importance of vaccination especially among students, the learners who started trooping back to their classes for physical attendance in October.

Loosely taken in context, for purposes of professional obligations of pediatricians to the society at large, the concept of pediatrics begins with the fetus and continues through newborn, infancy, preschool and school age including adolescence up to and including 18 years of age.

This population would cover learners up to junior high school, senior high school and

even first year college.

Vergeire was on the right track in thanking all health care workers and vaccinators for their untiring service and resolve to help protect the population against this health emergency which has infected more than four million and killed at least 64,725 since March 2020.

The target population and their families must listen to her, particularly when she said that with the upcoming Christmas holiday season, the students – with many

Latest data from the DOH showed that less than half of the nearly 11 million target population of children aged 5 to 11 years old have been fully vaccinated – after starting the vaccination for this age group last February.

At the moment, children aged 5 to 11 are only eligible for the two primary doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with booster shots enjoying thus far no approval from health experts.

As regards the 12-17 age bracket, the DOH said there are now more than 10 million fully vaccinated adolescents –which is 112 percent of the original target population of 8.9 million adolescents.

Under the same age group, 1,082,475 adolescents have received their booster shot, which makes up 12 percent of the total eligible population of fully vaccinated adolescents.

Let’s get the boosters on the roll.

Nemenzo is best bet for UP President

HE HAS the right numbers.

He has the right qualifications.

And he has the right vision for the future of the premier State University.

Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, Professor of Mathematics and Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), is hands down, in my humble opinion, the best bet among those nominated for the top UP post.

He studied in UP Diliman and Sophia University in Tokyo, where he obtained his Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees. His areas of research are number theory, elliptic curves and coding theory.

Among the awards he has received are the Achievement Award in Mathematics from the National Research Council of the Philippines and the UP Diliman Gawad Chancellor Para sa Pinakamahusay na Guro.

He was President of both the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Society of the Philippines, and has held research and teaching posts in Singapore, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Munich and Phnom Penh.

If elected UP President by the 11-member Board of Regents on Friday, December 9, Nemenzo has vowed to lead the university in constructive engagement with government, as UP’s partner in nation- building. Nemenzo has chalked up an impressive list of achievements.

First, he initiated/pushed for the creation of programs on areas crucial for S&T and innovation, which are necessary for industrialization and nation-building, such as PhD in Data Science; PhD in Artificial Intelligence; Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence; UP Data Commons (high performance computational facility for R&D); and UP Center for Intelligent Systems (research and policy center in data science and AI), which will help find solutions to the nation’s most urgent problems.

Second, he played a key role in academegovernment-industry partnerships, which have produced projects such as the development of our own space micro-satellites which generate data useful for weather prediction, disaster risk reduction, planning for the sustainable use of our national resources and other applications.

UPD’s DOST-funded 1 micro-satellite program led to the development of a space engineering track within the MS engineering program, and the

establishment of the Philippine Space Agency.

Third, as UPD Chancellor, he created the UPD Task Force Blueprint for Building the Nation, which led a multidisciplinary, research-based agenda-building and policy formulation process on national issues (public transportation, higher education, industrial policy, economic recovery and transformation, social protection, electoral and political reforms, local governance and foreign relations).

And fourth, as UP Diliman’s ‘pandemic chancellor,’ he led the university’s pivot to crisis mode since the sheer size, scale and complexity of UP Diliman (27 colleges, more than 3,500 faculty and staff, 27,000 students, and 55,000 residents) created great challenges during the public health crisis.

The University will bring to bear some of its newest academic research programs in bioinformatics, data science, artificial intelligence, and others in order to anticipate and adapt to change

Dr. Nemenzo has extensive teaching experience.

He has taught over different 25 courses (in the B.S., M.S. and PhD levels), which include graduate level courses in UP Baguio, the Department of Computer Science of the UPD College of Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University, Sophia University and the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

As UP President, he has pledged to strategically position UP as a premier public service institution, working in partnership with government, industry, civil society, social movements, and other institutions of higher learning.

Russia tribunal faces major hurdles, experts say

prosecute a war fought in Europe.

Support was growing globally for Ukraine, as seen when 143 states voted in the UN General As sembly (UNGA) in October to condemn Russia’s annexation of parts of Ukraine, she said.

The UNGA would likely be the only avenue to back the court proposed by the EU, since Russia would use its permanent seat to veto any UN Se curity Council involvement.

But support could be limited for a tribunal that only involved European states or a regional organization like the EU “as it sends the wrong message about the crime of aggression”, said Hathaway.

‘Regime change’

The next problem would involve arresting sus pects when the crime of aggression is limited to top political leaders.

ManilaStandard ONLINE

Russia has said any Ukraine tribunal would lack legitimacy.

Rose said such a court would “have trouble se curing custody over accused persons who are cur rent or former high-level leaders, such as Putin”.

“Unless there is a regime change in Russia, Pu tin and other very high-level leaders would have to leave Russia in order be subject to arrest in an other stat.e.

Immunity for Putin?

Putin and top-level officials would likely be immune from prosecution, at least while they are in office and maybe later too.

“If they were to leave Russia, other states would arguably be obliged to respect the immu nity of these individuals,” said Rose, although the issue remained “highly debated.”

Although the UN Security Council has pre viously ordered states to cooperate with arrest warrants, such as in the ICC case against former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, Moscow would again veto such a move.

“There could very well be a court with no ac

cused persons in custody,” Rose told AFP.

Trying them in absentia would be possible but create a “whole range of... problems.”

Money pit?

Funding too would be an issue, as it has been for many international courts.

“There will be significant costs involved in set ting up such a court,” said Victoria Kerr, an as sociate fellow at the Hague-based Asser Institute for European law.

The Netherlands has already volunteered to host a Russia tribunal.

But there is a cautionary financial tale in an other Dutch-based court, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Set up in 2009 to prosecute those responsible for killing Lebanese former premier Rafic Hariri in 2005, it cost up to $1 billion and convicted just three people, none of whom ever appeared in court.

Undermining the ICC?

Creating a special court for aggression has raised concerns that the Hague-based ICC could

He has offered a vision of an agile, smart and high-impact UP for a resilient, sustainable, and equitable Philippines.

An agile UP will allow it to pivot and respond quickly to disruptions.

The University will bring to bear some of its newest academic research programs in bioinformatics, data science, artificial intelligence, and others in order to anticipate and adapt to change.

At the same time, an agile mind is also fostered in an environment of critical thinking and democratic culture.

A smart UP means pushing through with its digital transformation while addressing existing inequalities in access to technologies.

In pursuit of connectivity across the System, the use of blended or hybrid modes of learning and digitization of learning resources will facilitate collaboration in research, sharing of resources, mobility of faculty and students across the different constituent universities.

Digitization of its administrative processes and services will mean greater efficiency and enhanced operationalization of our three-fold mandate of teaching, research and public service while upgrading personnel capabilities.

And a high-impact UP entails advancing the University’s role as a premier R&D, policy and innovation hub.

The university will develop academic programs and promote research that will contribute to the country’s pursuit of resilient, sustainable and equitable development.

This can only be done in a nurturing and enabling environment and an atmosphere of academic freedom for students, staff and faculty.

To achieve impact, there must also be regular dialogue with government, industry, communities, civil society and other stakeholders of development to inform curriculum development, policy formulation, or product innovation.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

The next problem would involve arresting suspects when the crime of aggression is limited to top political leaders.

be undermined.

The ICC is probing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine even though Russia is not a member, as Kyiv has accepted its jurisdiction.

A special rule says the ICC does not have jurisdiction over aggression in the case of nonmembers.

“The importance of any future convictions for these crimes (war crimes and crimes against hu manity) should not be undervalued or overshad owed by the emphasis on the crime of aggres sion,” said Rose. AFP

S. Eñano Associate Editors

News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City

and MEMBER Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers PPI can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Baldwin R. Felipe Head—Ad Solutions Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

“Whether those can be overcome depends on the political will of those involved. They are not insurmountable, but it will take effort,” said Oona Hathaway, international law professor at Yale University.

Ukraine races to restore stricken power grid

KYIV—Ukraine worked to restore power on Tuesday after Russia’s latest wave of missile strikes caused power disruptions across the country, right as winter frost builds and temperatures plunge.

Out of the 70 missiles launched by Moscow, “most” were shot down, Presi dent Volodymyr Zelensky said, but the barrage still hit Ukraine’s already bat

tered infrastructure.

Fresh power cuts were announced in all regions “due to the consequences of shelling,” national electricity provider Ukrenergo said on Telegram.

The head of Ukrenergo said he had “no doubt that Russian military consulted with Russian power engineers during this at tack”, judging by where the mis siles landed.

“The time that Russians chose for this attack was connected with their desire to inflict as much damage as possible,” Volodymyr Kudrytskyi told a Ukrainian news programme, explaining the attacks were launched as the country en ters a “peak frost” period.

“Our repairmen will be working on the energy system restoration.”

Nearly half of Ukraine’s en ergy system has already been damaged after months of strikes on power infrastructure, leaving people in the cold and dark for hours at a time as outdoor tem

peratures drop below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).

As missiles rained down on Kyiv, UN rights chief Volker Turk -- who ar rived over the weekend on a four-day visit -- had to move his meetings with activists into an underground shelter.

Zelensky announced in his nightly address that four were killed in Rus sia’s strikes.

But “our people never give up,” the president said in a video statement. Across the border in Russia’s Kursk region on Tuesday, an airfield saw a “drone attack”, said local governor Roman Starovoyt, without specifying where the drone originated.

“As a result of a drone attack in the area of the Kursk airfield, an oil storage tank caught fire,” he said on social me dia, adding that there were no casualties.

Tuesday’s incident comes a day after Moscow accused its neighbour of car rying out deadly drone strikes on two other airfields.

Russia also confirmed a “massive at tack on Ukrainian military command systems and related defence, communi cations, energy and military facilities”.

The latest violence comes just af ter Russia shrugged off a Westernimposed price cap on its oil exports, warning the move would not impact its military campaign in Ukraine. AFP

instructed to on the year 2015 to secure papers in Manila proving the fact that respondent is single;

9. That thereafter, since petitioner is of marrying age and ready for any responsibility, she decided to return to the Philippines on the year 2015 and be with respondent to be his bride on December 2015;

10. That after the wedding, petitioner return to work abroad on January 2016 to resume her employment contract;

11. That petitioner was surprised that respondent cannot be contacted anymore at his previous number and petitioner was able to installed an IMO App in the Internet under respondent number and was again surprised that somebody a female responded

12. That petitioner used the respondent number, it is as if he is the one communicating to the woman at Saudi Arabia, and the latter responded that the respondent had pending account with her;

13. That she even told the woman that she is a single person;

14. That the said other unidentified female was demanding payment of respondent account since he was working at Saudi Arabia and that female person was the other woman of the respondent;

15. That the woman of respondent and petitioner began to communicate regarding to his account obligation amounting to 2,500 Saudi Riyal and after knowing this, petitioner confronted the respondent and he twisted the facts and everything and we got quarreled; 16. That despite of the infirmities of the respondent, love and forgiveness of petitioner prevails and all the patience has been shown by the petitioner in order to maintain their relationship despite the odds; 17. That thru their promise, the petitioner and respondent decided to tie the knot on December 8, 2015 at Ermita, Manila, and copy of their Marriage Contract is hereto attached and marked as ANNEX “A” and made integral part hereof;

18. That at the time of her marriage, petitioner was not aware that respondent is already married to a certain Anecita Talomiya Tinggas on March 7, 1992 as this fact was revealed only after their marriage and he even told me lies that the said Anecita was his sister and she maligned me because of what I discovered; 19. That the petitioner and respondent have no biological child of their own during their marriage; 20. They have even no real properties established during their marital union; 21. That sometime on August 30, 2019, petitioner was able to secure a CENOMAR at the Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) and discovered that indeed respondent have Two (2) existing marriages, one from Anecita Talomiya on March 7, 1992 and the other subsequent marriage is with petitioner on December 8, 2015, copy of the said NSO SECPA CENOMAR is attached and marked as ANNEX “B” and made integral part hereof; 22. That subsequent marriage was contracted by respondent while his first valid marriage is still subsisting-hence, the second is a bigamous marriage; 23. That the petitioner discovered the said first existing marriage on the year 1992; 24. That thereafter, the petitioner confronted the respondent about his first existing marriage and respondent just ignored the petitioner as if nothing happens and frequent quarrels ensued;

China at standstill for late Jiang’s memorial

BEIJING—Sirens will wail across China as the country comes to a standstill Tuesday morning during a public memorial service for former leader Jiang Zemin, who died last week at the age of 96.

Jiang oversaw a transformational era from the late 1980s into the new millennium, taking power in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and leading China towards its emergence as a powerhouse on the global stage.

He died last Wednesday in Shanghai of leukaemia and multiple organ failure after medical treatments failed, according to state media.

His body was cremated Monday in Beijing at a cer emony attended by President Xi Jinping and other top leaders, Xinhua said.

A public memorial service will be held at 10:00 am

(0200 GMT) on Tuesday in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People and broadcast live, state broadcaster CCTV said.

“All regions and departments must organise the ma jority of party members, cadres, and the masses to listen and watch,” CCTV added.

Flags across the country will be flown at half-mast as well as at Chinese government buildings overseas. A nationwide three-minute silence will be held with sirens sounding.

Stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen will sus pend trading for the duration of the silence, as will the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s bourse will suspend the display of data on external screens at its offices for three minutes while senior executives observe the silence. AFP

or contingent, all claims for funeral expenses, and expenses of the last sickness of the aforenamed decedentspouse, and judgment for money against them to file them in this Court not more than twelve (12) nor less than six (6) months after the date of the first publication of this notice.

The appointed regular administrator is ordered to cause the publication of this notice for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation chosen by raffle, and its posting for the same period in four (4) public places in the province where the properties of the decedent-spouse lie as well as in two (2) public places in the city where the decedent-spouse last resided.

Within ten (10) days after the notice has been published and posted, the appointed regular administrator is directed to file before this Court a printed copy of the notice accomplished with an affidavit setting forth the dates of the first and last publication thereof and the name of the newspaper in which the same is printed.

Let herein notice be posted for the same period at the Bulletin Boards of this court, the Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC, Quezon City, and City Assessor’s Office, main entrance of the Quezon City Hall Building and at the Barangay Hall of the the barangay where the decedent-spouse resided immediately prior to their demise.

The appointed regular administrator is required to render a true and just account to the Court within one (1) year from the appointment, and at any time when so required by the Court pursuant to Section 8 Rule 85 of the Rules of Court.

SO ORDERED.

August 30, 2022, Quezon City, Metro Manila

(Sgd.) MARIA LUISA LESLE G. GONZALES-BETIC

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late HERMINIO R. POBLETE was extrajudicially settled by heirs as per Doc. No. 10; Page 3; Book No. 2; Series of 2022 Before Notary Public Hazel Delos Santos Reyes of the Province of Cavite. MS-(NOV. 30, 2022 - DEC. 7 & 14, 2022)

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late REYNALDO MANLAPIG was extrajudicially settled by heirs as per Doc. No. 12; Page 3; Book No. 2; Series of 2022 Before Notary Public Hazel Delos Santos Reyes of the Province of Cavite. MS-(NOV. 30, 2022 DEC. 7 & 14, 2022)

IN BRIEF

Australian lawmakers group lands in Taiwan, defying Beijing warning

TAIPEI—A group of Australian lawmakers has landed in Taiwan, Taipei’s foreign ministry confirmed Tuesday, defy ing warnings from Beijing over the visit at a time of rising tensions over the self-ruled island.

“There is a group of bipartisan members of the parliament from Australia currently visiting Taiwan. They are already here,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters.

The delegation will “discuss a wide array of issues of mu tual interests”, she said without providing further details.

“We appreciate that the Australian parliament is very friendly to Taiwan,” Ou said, calling Taipei’s relationship with Canberra “robust, diverse and mutually beneficial”.

The group left Sunday for a five-day visit to Taiwan, accord ing to a spokesman for one delegation member, risking China’s ire just as Beijing-Canberra relations appeared to be thawing.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Monday expressed op position to the trip, calling on Australia to adhere to its “oneChina principle” and “stop sending the wrong signal to ‘Tai wan independence’ forces.”

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunited one day -- by force if necessary -- and has become more bel licose towards the island under President Xi Jinping. AFP

(MStandard Dec. 7, 14 & 21, 2022)

name and surname in the community, to avoid confusion, and to conform with all the records, she prays that her middle name and surname be changed from Bulig Pulido to Pulido Okawabata.

WHEREFORE, finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, let this petition be set for hearing before this Court located at Room 703, Seventh Floor, Hall of Justice –Annex, Diliman, Quezon City on January 25, 2023, at 1:30 in the afternoon at which place and on which date and time, all interested persons must appear and file their opposition/s to the petition.

Court fight in NZ as parents nix ‘vaccinated blood’ for sick baby

WELLINGTON—New Zealand authorities on Tuesday launched a battle for custody of an infant whose parents are blocking life-saving surgery because blood donors may have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

The New Zealand health authority took the bid for emer gency custody to the High Court in Auckland in a case that has sparked local protest and underscored the potency of vaccine misinformation.

The four-month-old -- whose name has been suppressed by court order -- needs an “urgent operation” to correct a heart disorder known as pulmonary valve stenosis, the child’s mother has said.

The surgical procedure has been delayed because the baby’s parents do not want any blood transfused that could have come from a donor vaccinated using mRNA vaccines.

Health authorities rejected the parents’ request for unvac cinated blood.

New Zealand’s blood service does not make a distinction be tween donations from those vaccinated or unvaccinated against Covid, as there is no extra risk from using vaccinated blood. AFP

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

Please be informed that BOURBON MARINE SERVICES MANILA, INC. located at 7th Floor, Sage House Bldg. 110 V.A. Rufino Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City has transferred to 5th Floor, Sage House Bldg. 110 V.A. Rufino Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City effective 01 December 2022.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

SANTA ALIGHT. A passer-by takes photos of an illuminated Santa Claus and Christmas decorations at Berlin’s Kurfürstendamm boulevard in Germany on December 5. AFP

TOP GAINERS

LAST

1 MFIN 2.4 0.6 33.33%

2 ZHI 0.154 0.027 21.26%

3 OPM 0.012 0.002 20.00%

4 DIZ 4.78 0.78 19.50%

5 PRIM 2.27 0.32 16.41%

6 LC 0.115 0.009 8.49%

7 JGS 47 3.25 7.43%

8 TECH 2.69 0.18 7.17%

9 SMPH 36.4 2.4 7.06%

10 NOW 1.6 0.1 6.67%

TOP LOSERS

1 I 0.76 -0.13 -14.61%

2 ALHI 5.1 -0.86 -14.43%

3 CA 34 -4 -10.53%

4 OPMB 0.01 -0.001 -9.09%

5 BCB 4.3 -0.39 -8.32%

6 2GO 6.72 -0.52 -7.18%

7 MG 0.111 -0.008 -6.72%

8 WEB 2.87 -0.19 -6.21%

9 CEI 0.076 -0.004 -5.00%

10 EEI 2.94 -0.15 -4.85%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME VALUE (PHP)

1 BDO 3,098,020 404,526,820

2 ICT 2,089,490 402,079,390

3 SM 387,480 359,131,415

4 URC 2,428,730 331,803,891

5 ALI 10,944,600 322,373,360

6 JFC 1,212,010 295,503,888

7 GTCAP 637,930 288,028,100

8 TEL 168,885 274,683,635

9 AC 391,960 273,528,145

10 ACEN 31,903,800 242,729,113

EU reaches deal to ban imported coffee, items from deforested lands

BRUSSELS—The European Union reached an agreement Tuesday to ban the import of products including cof fee, cocoa and soy in cases where they are deemed to contribute to deforesta tion.

The draft law, which aims to ensure “deforestation-free supply chains” for the 27-nation EU, was hailed by en vironmental groups as “groundbreak ing”.

It requires companies importing into the EU to guarantee products are not produced on land that suffered defor estation after December 31, 2020, and that they comply with all laws of the source country.

The scope encompasses palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber, and rubber, as well as derived products such as beef, furniture, and chocolate.

Illegal production has spurred mas sive deforestation in countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mexico and Guatemala.

The United Nations’ Food and Agri culture Organization estimates that an aggregate area of land bigger than the European Union, or some 420 million hectares (more than one billion acres), has been deforested around the world over the past three decades.

The European Union is the secondbiggest market for consumption of the targeted products after China.

Pascal Canfin, chairman of the Eu ropean Parliament’s environment committee, hailed the agreement and how its impact would feed through to everyday items Europeans consume.

“It’s the coffee we have for break fast, the chocolate we eat, the coal in our barbecues, the paper in our books. This is radical,” he said.

The environmental lobby group Greenpeace called the draft law, agreed between the European Parlia ment and EU member states, “a major breakthrough.” AFP

Stock market rebounds; SMIC, Ayala top gainers

STOCKS surged Tuesday to end a threeday slump as investors engaged in bargain hunting and after inflation hit a 14year high of 8 percent that ramped up expectations for a hike in interest rates.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Ex change, jumped 232 points, or 3.6 per cent to close at 6,674.38 as all six sub sectors advanced.

The broader all-share index also picked up 73 points, or 2.2 percent, to settle at 3,477.72 on a value turnover of P6 billion. Gainers outmatched los ers, 100 to 81, while 46 shares were un changed.

Nine of the ten most active stocks ended in the green, led by SM Invest ments Corp. which went up 5.5 percent to P943.00 and Ayala Corp. which add

ed 5.3 percent to finish at P712.00. The World Bank on Tuesday raised its gross domestic product growth forecast for the Philippines to 7.2 percent from a previous estimate of 5.7 on higher con sumer demand amid the reopening of the economy.

Meanwhile, most Asian and European markets fell Tuesday and the dollar rose as fresh fears that the US Federal Re serve will push interest rates higher than hoped overshadowed growing optimism over China’s economic reopening.

The Philippine economy could ex pand 7.2 percent in 2022 before slowing down next year, driven by the pent-up demand and the strong performance in the first 3 quarters, according to the Philippines Economic Update (PEU) re leased by the World Bank on Tuesday.

The economy’s strong performance in the first three quarters was attributed to the easing mobility restrictions that fueled businesses, and government spending.

Meanwhile, the slower growth in 2023 is attributed to reduced consumer

demand, high inflation and higher inter est rates that are seen to temper house hold spending and investments.

After a strong start to the week in Asia, traders tracked a big drop on Wall Street that came on the back of data showing a forecast-busting jump in activity in the US services sector last month.

The news—combined with Friday’s bigger-than-expected print on Novem ber jobs and wage increases—dented optimism that the Fed’s monetary tight ening campaign was finally paying off, which would give it room to take a less hawkish approach into the new year. Markets had been running higher ahead of the jobs figures after a surprise drop in inflation and comments from Fed boss Jerome Powell that the bank would likely raise rates at a slower pace.

“Outstanding news from the vast services-based US economy is devastat ing for market participants keen to see evidence of the US economic disinte gration,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes. With AFP

Fitch cuts 2023 global growth forecast to 1.4% on high inflation

LONDON—World GDP forecasts for 2023 have been revised down again as central banks intensify their fight against inflation and the outlook for China’s property market deterio rates, says Fitch Ratings in its latest Global Economic Outlook report.

Fitch now expects world GDP to grow by 1.4 percent in 2023, revised down from 1.7 percent in the Sep tember 2022 GEO.

Fitch has lowered its forecast for US 2023 growth to 0.2 percent, from 0.5 percent, as the pace of monetary policy tightening increases.

Fitch also cut its China 2023 growth forecast to 4.1 percent, from 4.5 percent, as prospects for a recov ery in housebuilding fade. China’s 2022 growth forecast remains at 2.8 percent as the surge in Covid-19 cases weighs on activity in the near term.

It revised up eurozone 2023 growth slightly to 0.2 percent, from -0.1 percent, as the European gas cri sis has eased a little, but sharper ECB rate rises will weigh on demand.

“Taming inflation is proving to be harder than expected as price pres sures broaden and become more en trenched. Central bankers are having to take the gloves off. That won’t be good for growth,” said Brian Coul ton, chief economist of Fitch Rat ings.

The risk of European natural gas shortages and rationing this winter has receded as LNG imports have surged and gas consumption has fall en. But the crisis is far from over and high wholesale gas prices continue to weigh heavily on firms’ costs and household budgets.

Inflation has exceeded forecasts –recently hitting 11% in the eurozone and UK – and core inflation is rising. Increasing services inflation is off setting the benefits of easing supplychain pressures.

Labor market imbalances are not improving as unemployment re mains low and vacancies elevated. With tight labor market conditions, wages are chasing prices and are growing at 7% in the US, 6% in the UK and, on some measures, at above 5% in the eurozone.

Tweet sparks call for Musk to visit Bulgarian region

BELOGRADCHIK, Bulgaria—An off-the-cuff tweet by Elon Musk has left Bulgarians over the moon, hoping the world’s richest man may be plan ning to visit the EU’s poorest region.

The Tesla, SpaceX, and now Twitter boss—who is not immune to bouts of online whimsy—recently commented on an image of the towering Belograd chik Rocks in northwestern Bulgaria under menacing clouds.

UN says more than 20% of employees suffer violence, harassment

By Christophe VOGT

GENEVA, Switzerland—More than one in five people in employment worldwide have experienced some form of workplace harassment or violence, according to a survey re leased by the United Nations on Monday.

“Violence and harassment at work is a widespread phenomenon around the world,” the UN’s International Labour Organization said following the ILO’s joint study with the safety charity Lloyd’s Register Foundation and pollsters Gallup.

The survey was a first attempt to produce a global overview of the magnitude and frequency of the problem and the barriers that pre vent people from talking about it.

It found that 22.8 percent—which would amount to 743 million people in employment—have experienced “at least one form of violence and harassment at work during their working life”, according to data col lected last year.

Nearly a third of victims said they had been subjected to more than one form of violence and harassment, and 6.3 percent had experienced it in all three forms—physical, psy chological and sexual—during their working life.

The survey found that fewer than

55 percent of people who experi enced it in the past five years had disclosed it to someone else.

There were several barriers prevent ing people from coming forward, with “waste of time” and “fear for their reputation” being the most common.

“Violence and harassment at work is a taboo issue,” said Manuela To mei, the ILO’s assistant directorgeneral for governance, rights, dia logue, told a press conference.

“In many instances, there are no adequate policies and preventive systems in place, and when they are in place they are distrusted,” she concluded.

Perceptions of violence

The survey results were based on interviews with 74,364 workers across 121 countries.

It was mainly conducted by tele phone and the questions were for mulated so they could be understood by as many people as possible.

In China, where government per mission was needed, some ques tions could not be asked; elsewhere, authorities had asked that they be adapted.

The study found that the percep tion of what constitutes violence or harassment is not the same around the world: in some places, pushing someone could be seen as rude be havior and nothing more.

Psychological violence and ha rassment at work were found to be the most common, with 17.9 per cent, or 583 million people experi encing it in their working life.

The survey found that 8.5 percent —which would amount to 277 mil lion people—had experienced phys ical violence and harassment.

While women are more likely to have suffered psychological violence, men are more often the victims of physical violence, the study found.

Sexual violence Violence and harassment of a sexual nature have affected 6.3 per cent—approximately one person in every 15 in employment—with women “particularly exposed”, the ILO said.

Of the three forms of violence and harassment, it has the biggest gen der gap: more than eight percent of women are victims, compared to five percent among men.

The relatively low figures may re flect that respondents might “feel shame and guilt because they may somehow believe that their behavior or conduct may have led another per son to disrespect them,” said Tomei.

The survey found that violence and harassment at work could be recurrent and persistent: more than three in five victims said it had hap pened to them multiple times. AFP

“Pretty sure that was in Elden Ring,” Musk tweeted, referring to one of his favorite video games.

Bulgarians were quick to educate him.

“Dear Elon, this is from Bulgaria! I invite you to see this place,” Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov responded.

Hundreds of other Twitter users did likewise, delighted by the attention for a country rarely in the spotlight of the rich and famous.

An official invite was promptly dispatched, accompanied by a silver rhyton drinking horn, a symbol of the ancient Thracian civilization that Bul garia prides itself on.

Mystery deepens

The plot thickened when the chef of a high-end restaurant about 20 kilo meters (12 miles) from Belogradchik published an email purportedly from SpaceX hinting at a visit by Musk in April 2023.

The whole episode ignited a so cial media buzz, with memes aplenty showing the billionaire drinking the local rakia alcohol or dressed in tradi tional Bulgarian attire.

Not everyone was star-struck. “He will come and buy our land,” one woman worried.

But the online frenzy has delighted Vladislav Terziiski, who took the picture of the spectacular Belogradchik rocks and its fortress some five years ago.

“It is so rare that good news from Bulgaria sparks such interest,” he told AFP, welcoming “the wave of reac tions, jokes, anecdotes and expressions of national pride.” AFP

The UN Secretariat building in New York City, where staff carry out the day-to-day work of the United Nations. UN Photo/Manuel Elías

ECONOMIC COUNCIL. Czech Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura (right) listens to German federal minister for finance Christian Lindner before an Economic and Financial Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels on Dec. 6, 2022. AFP

IN BRIEF

ADB approves $100-m loan for PH technical education

THE Asian Development Bank said Tues day it approved a $100-million (P5.6 bil lion) loan to upgrade and modernize the Philippines’ technical and vocational educa tion and training ecosystem to make it more responsive to new labor demands from in dustries and equip Filipinos with skills for the future.

It said in a statement the Supporting Inno vation in the Philippine Technical and Voca tional Education and Training System Proj ect would help improve training facilities and equipment in 17 selected technology institutions across the country to transform them into industry-responsive innovation centers.

It will also assist in designing new train ing courses, reskilling and upskilling of trainers and strengthening the institutional capacity of the government’s Technical Ed ucation and Skills Development Authority.

“Industries have become increasingly globalized and are now driven by techno logical innovations and the rising knowl edge economy amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which in turn is creating a skills mismatch in the Philippines,” said ADB se nior public management economist Sameer Khatiwada. Julito G. Rada

Ovialand secures P600-m loan from Security Bank

PROPERTY developer Ovialand Inc. said Tuesday it obtained a P600-million loan fa cility from Security Bank Corp.

Ovialand said in a statement it would use the proceeds from the fund raising activity to pursue expansion plans which include developing new horizontal resi dential projects and increasing the size of its land bank.

SB Capital Investment Corp., the whollyowned investment banking unit of Security Bank, arranged the loan facility that was fully taken up by Security Bank.

“We are pleased to partner with SB Capital and Security Bank as we attempt to achieve new milestones in our history. Ovi aland is enjoying a stellar performance in 2022 despite current economic headwinds, and this financing package from Security Bank will enable the company to be more aggressive in realizing its growth potential,” said Ovialand president and chief executive Pammy Olivares-Vital.

Ovialand, one of the leading residential developers in the premium affordable hous ing market in South Luzon, earlier planned to raise P1.5 billion from an initial public offering this year. Jenniffer B. Austria

DMCI spends P745m in Masbate power plants

OFF-GRID energy player DMCI Power Corp. said Tuesday it spent P745 million to install an additional 11 megawatts of gen eration capacity in Masbate, boosting its total installed capacity in the province by 21 percent.

“One plant is already operational, while the other is set to run within the month. These investments are in line with our com mitment to provide adequate, reliable and dependable power supply in missionary ar eas,” said DPC president Antonino Gatdula Jr.

Energy sales in Masbate increased 11 percent from 100 gigawatt-hours to 111 GWh on robust demand in the nine months ending September.

DPC deployed and operated a 3-MW die sel plant in Pio V. Corpuz on Nov. 4. Final testing and commissioning of an 8-MW die sel power plant in Cataingan is underway. The plant is targeted to go online by midDecember.

DPC now has a consolidated installed ca pacity of 148 MW across Masbate, Palawan and Oriental Mindoro. Its energy portfolio includes diesel, bunker and thermal.

SMC terminates 670-MW power supply agreement with Meralco

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SMC Global Power Corp., the power arm of San Miguel Corp. said Tuesday it notified Manila Electric Co. that it is ceasing the supply of 670 megawatts to the power retailer effective Dec. 7.

SMCGP said the right to unilaterally terminate was allowed under the power supply agreement with Meralco as part of necessary mitigation measures under the long-term, fixed rate supply deal, particularly in the event of a “change in circumstances”.

SMCGP said this came seven months after it filed a joint petition with Meralco

for a temporary rate hike which was re jected by the Energy Regulatory Com mission despite proving to be the least costly for power consumers.

The Court of Appeals issued a notice of resolution and a temporary restraining order enjoining the ERC and Meralco from implementing the ERC order which denied the joint petition filed by SMGP’s subsidiary South Premiere Power Corp and Meralco for a temporary 60-day relief.

SMCGP said the cessation of supply, covered by the resolution and the TRO, is immediately executory.

SMC president Ramon Ang said that from the beginning, the power firm did not want to terminate the power sup ply agreement and that was why it was seeking just a temporary, six-month re lief. He said SPPC was forced to source capacity from the Wholesale Electric ity Spot Market, which triggered even

higher price spikes, further affecting the company’s costs to supply Meralco.

“From the very start, we were very transparent and clear with the ERC: We were not asking for a permanent in crease, we did not want to be relieved of our contractual commitments, we were just asking for temporary, equitable re lief, given the undeniable and unfore seen circumstances that affect not just us, but all Filipinos and many econo mies worldwide,” Ang said.

“Unfortunately, despite being shown that granting our petition would have been the cheapest option for consumers, the ERC still denied our petition, fullyaware that this would force us to either continue absorbing significant losses— which no company can sustain—or terminate the PSAs, which would ulti mately lead to higher electricity costs for consumers: much, much higher than what we were asking for,” he said.

6,674.38

United States Dollar 1.00000055.8220

Japan Yen 0.0073130.4082 UKPound1.21920068.0582 Hong KongDollar0.1287477.1869 SwitzerlandFranc1.06123359.2401 CanadaDollar0.73594341.0818 SingaporeDollar0.73637741.1060 AustraliaDollar0.66960037.3784 BahrainDinar2.652731148.0807 Saudi Arabia Rial 0.26606414.8522 BruneiDollar0.73367640.9553 IndonesiaRupiah0.0000650.0036 Thailand Baht 0.0287811.6066 UAE Dirham0.27227915.1992 EuroEuro 1.04930058.5740 Korea Won 0.0007660.0428 ChinaYuan0.1436688.0198 IndiaRupee0.0122120.6817 MalaysiaRinggit0.22904312.7856 New Zealand Dollar 0.63150035.2516 TaiwanDollar0.0326931.8250 Source: BSP

World Bank hikes 2022 PH growth forecast to 7.2%

By Julito G. Rada

THE World Bank on Tuesday upgraded its 2022 gross domestic product growth forecast for the Philippines to 7.2 per cent from the 6.5-percent estimate it made in September on expected higher consumer demand amid the reopening of the economy.

The bank said, however, growth would likely taper off to an average of 5.7 percent in 2023 because of the elevated inflation and higher interest rates. This was contained in the latest Philippine Economic Update released to the media.

It said this year’s forecast rides on the momentum of a 7.7-percent growth in the first three quarters, buoyed by the removal of remaining restrictions on people’s mobility and business opera tions and the recovery of incomes and jobs.

The reopening has benefitted the ser vices sector, and government spending on infrastructure fueled the growth of construction and industry, it said.

The growth forecast for 2023 was premised on reduced consumer de mand, alongside high inflation and high interest rates that are expected to temper household spending and invest ments.

Cebu Pacific expects delivery of 11 new Airbus aircraft worth nearly $2b

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CEBU Air Inc. said Tuesday it expects the delivery of 11 brand-new Airbus NEO air craft worth nearly $2 billion as it hopes to return to profitability next year.

“We are expecting delivery of about 10 or 11 brand new aircraft next year. These include the 330 NEOs, 321 NEOs as well and 320 NEOs. They have delivery schedules associated with them, and we are pretty much expecting delivery every month in 2023,” Cebu Pacific chief strat egy officer Alex Reyes said.

Reyes said he was expecting the deliv ery of three A320 NEOs, four A321 NEOs and four A330 NEOs next year.

Cebu Pacific earlier placed orders for 16 A330 NEOs, 16 A320 NEOs and 22

A321 NEOs with Airbus. It took delivery of its fourth Airbus A330 NEO aircraft in November.

Cebu Pacific vice president for mar keting and customer experience Candice Iyog said the airline now reached 92 per cent of its system-wide capacity.

“If domestic only, we are already fully re stored. We have been putting a lot of focus for non-Manila flights. For non-Manila, we are 50-percent already,” Iyog said.

The airline flies an average of 355 flights a day, covering 34 domestic and 19 international destinations. This is equiva lent to about 64,000 seats offered in a day.

CEB has restored over 100 percent of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity, sur passing the airline’s December 2019 level.

“On average we are operating above

350 flights daily. We are not just on track but also close to fully recovering our net work pre-pandemic,” ’she said.

Cebu Pacific is hopeful to break even in the fourth quarter of the year, Reyes said. “We think we will break even in the fourth quarter and we are confident on profitabil ity next year,” he said.

Cebu Pacific posted a net loss of P12.04 billion in the first nine months, lower by 45.2 percent than the P21.99-billion loss it incurred in the same period last year.

The company’s net loss narrowed to P2.5 billion in the third quarter from P8.2 billion a year earlier.

CEB recorded revenues amounting to P37.53 billion in the nine-month period, up by 310.2 percent from P9.15 billion it generated in the same period last year.

PXP

PXP

PXP chairman Manuel Pangilinan

Ndiamé Diop, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, the Phil ippines and Thailand, said higher inter est rates would likely constrain growth of private lending and investments at a time when public spending would likely slow as the country undertakes “fiscal consolidation” or implements measures to rein in government deficits and reduce debt.

Diop said as global growth was ex pected to decelerate next year, external demand from advanced economies, which are key buyers of Philippines merchandise exports, would be sub dued.

He also said shocks from the CO VID-19 pandemic had worsened child malnutrition and stunting and hampered student learning especially among the poor and most vulnerable families.

“If unmitigated, these shocks can have persistent impacts on people’s wellbe ing and damage their future productivity, earnings and capacities for innovation.

For this reason, sustained investments in agriculture, nutrition and education are imperative despite pressure for fiscal consolidation,” Diop said.

Japanese electronics firm investing P4b to expand PH operations

By Othel V. Campos

MINEBEAMITSUMI Philippines Inc., a unit of a major Japanese electronics com pany, is embarking on a P4-billion capacity expansion project in Naga City, Cebu for the production of optical image stabilizer com ponents for smartphones.

MinebeaMitsumi manufactures the world’s smallest miniature ball bearing, class stepping motors and cluster tactile switch. It also produces the thinnest guide plate for LED and backlight for LCD.

The expansion project will require addi

tional manpower of 30 percent of the cur rent aggregate workers in the company’s three factories in Santo Tomas in Batangas, Mariveles in Bataan and Danao City in Cebu.

“As a manufacturer of ultra-precision components, MinebeaMitsumi strives to construct a system for stable supply by tak ing advantage of the worldwide manufac turing bases while constructing the safe and secure system for production management,” said company chairman and president Yo shihisa Kainuma.

The Japanese firm’s expansion will ad

vance its compliance with sustainable de velopment goals.

Kainuma said the company contributes to “MMI Beyond Zero”, an advocacy to reduce global carbon dioxide emission volume with products equipped with outstanding environmental performance worldwide.

The company intends to help the Philip pine government reduce its carbon footprint by building a solar facility that will gener ate 12.82 gigawatt-hours per year to meet its carbon neutrality goals and address the recent rising cost of energy, he said.

PXP and subsidiary Forum Energy Plc coordinated with the government on the resumption of oil and gas exploration activities in Service Contract 75 and SC 72 (Recto Block).

Both SCs are located in the disputed West Philippine Sea and are under force majeure since April.

“Can you escape G2G [government to government]? We don’t have the authority to talk about sovereignty issues. It’s only the state,” he said.

“Why are we walking on eggshells because when we talk about sovereignty, it’s them and we need to respect that,” he said.

Pangilinan said the Philippines could learn lessons from the dispute between Lebanon and Israel.

“What they did was cut the disputed

territory by half. They were driven by the mutual interest of supplying gas to Europe, since they are one of the closest sources of gas,” he said.

“Instead of quarreling forever who owns which, they said cut the baby into half and develop it quickly so they could sell to Europe. That’s a pragmatic approach,” he said.

PXP earlier said they would continue to pursue exploration works on other projects in the Philippines, including SC 40 and SC 74.

PXP is an upstream oil and gas company incorporated in the Philippines with shares listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Energy in talks with another China company for joint oil exploration in WPS

Energy Corp. is in talks with another Chinese state-owned company for a possible joint cooperation in the West Philippine Sea, a top executive said Monday night.

said the meeting was held two months ago at an undisclosed location. He said the talks were not with China National Offshore Oil Corp., with which the company was previously negotiating with for a possible partnership.

DIGITAL PAYMENTS. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla (left) and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. executive vice president and chief innovation and inclusion officer Lito Villanueva (second from left), test the QR code payment feature in the Converge ICT bill, while chief executive and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy and chief information officer Ulysses Naguit look on. Converge ICT Solutions Inc. joined ‘Bills Pay PH’ as the first participating telecom services biller and adopted the national Quick Response code standard - QR Ph - to make bill payments possible through any participating financial institution’s mobile application.

PXP chairman Manuel Pangilinan

Angels stifle HD Spikers, crowned PVL queens

PETRO Gazz swept its way back to the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference throne in a more imposing fashion, dispatching Cignal for the second straight time, 25-17, 22-25, 25-12, 25-22 before a big Tuesday crowd at the Philsports Area in Pasig last night.

Coach Rald Ricafort sued for time as the HD Spikers charged back from seven points down in the fourth to pull within, 22-24, not so much to devise a play but more so of reminding his wards to keep their composure in the face of their rivals’ fiery charge.

They did as Myla Pablo fired a crosscourt hit on the Angels’ second crack on attack to finish off the HD Spikers and crown themselves as back-to-back champions of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Red and white confetti rained down the court as the Angels whooped it out to celebrate their return to the PVL throne after losing to the Creamline Cool Smashers in this year’s Open Conference and limping to sixth in the recent Invitational.

“Sobrang saya, given the sacrifices by the players. Sulit na sulit,” said Ricafort, who also credited the coaching staff for their successful title-retention drive, including Arnold Laniog, who steered the Angels to their first championship here in 2019.

Notwithstanding their second set foldup, the Angels took command majority of the way, showcasing their firepower which the HD Spikers couldn’t match and banking on their resiliency and cohesion harnessed by their victory here and a couple of runner-up finishes, both in the Open Conference, also in 2019.

Lindsey Vander Weide spiked her conference-long brilliance with a 19-point performance, fewer than her 34-point explosion in their tough 25-21, 27-25, 37-35 Game One win last Thursday but more than enough to steer the Angels to a repeat of their feat over the Creamline Cool Smashers.

The heavy-hitting import went on to clinch the Best Import award.

Remy Palma also stepped up big, backing Vander Weide with 18 points while Pablo wound up with 17 and MJ Phillips chipped in 12 markers with Djanel Cheng anchoring their victory with 26 excellent sets.

Ces Molina fired 14 points while import Tai Bierria came alive late in the fourth to rally the HD Spikers but her 12-point effort went down the drain. Roselyn Doria added 11 points while Rachel Anne Daquis ended up with six points.

Canlas fencers bring home 5 gold medals

FILIPINO fencers from Canlas Fencing took home five of nine gold medals the Philippine delegation won in the 1st Malaysian Fencing Federation Minime International Tournament at the Arena Tan Sri Hamzah center inside the Olympic Council Malaysia indoor complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Antonio Manuel, a 14-year-old Grade 9 student at PAREF Northfield, ended his campaign as a double gold medalist with Sophie Catantan, after he won the U-14 men’s foil individual title by beating CF teammate and UE’s Brynt Gale 15-13 in the finals.

Manuel then spearheaded the U14 CF Team A with Gale, James Lim and Derek Perez to a 45-39 win against Blade KL Team A in the finals of the U14 men’s team foil event.

Cantantan, the third of four Catantan fencing sisters, led by Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Samantha Catantan, delivered a dramatic comefrom-behind 15-14 win against Fan Bo Yee of Hong Kong to rule the Under-16 women’s individual foil.

The young Catantan, a13-year-old Grade 7 student at University of the East, got back at Yee following a painful 15-10 loss to Fan during the U14 finals.

Also shining for Canlas Fencing was Zoe Atilano, who took home the gold in the under-14 women’s sabre for CF, which joined a strong 55-man team in the 10-nation tournament.

Catantan earned her second gold medal when she anchored CF Team A with fellow Red Warriors Aubrey Pauline Fernandez and Meg Gervacio, as well as Kaijinsei dela Serna to a thrilling 44-43 win against Hong Kong.

Manuel, a 14-year-old Grade 9 student at PAREF Northfield, also finished the tournament a double gold medalist as he won the U-14 men’s foil individual title by beating CF teammate and UE’s Brynt Gale 15-13 in the finals. Manuel also powered the U14 CF Team A with Gale, James Lim and Derek Perez to a 45-39 win against Blade KL Team A in the finals of the U14 men’s team foil event. Peter Atencio

Sports

Tough road ahead for Gilas women’s 3-peat SEAG bid

THE road to the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s Team’s fi rst-ever three-peat bid in the Southeast Asian Games will be tougher than ever.

Coach Pat Aquino said all eyes will definitely be on the Filipina cagebelles in Cambodia for the 31st edition of the biennial meet next year as the rest of the field tries to foil the defending champion from completing its date with history.

Aquino knows for a fact the Philippines is under the radar of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand as they bid to end the country’s four-year reign as basketball power in the region.

“‘Yung ibang teams nakikita ko like Indonesia has been recruiting so much, ang Vietnam meron silang twin sisters na galing sa States (Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong), and Malaysia now has an Australian coach,” said Aquino in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the ground floor of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Tuesday. “So we have to be prepared and try to retain that gold for us.”

The Philippines and Indonesia ended up with similar 4-1 records during the Hanoi SEA Games last summer, but its 93-77 shellacking of the Indonesians

in the first game of the tournament allowed it to retain the gold via the winner-over-the other rule.

It’s as close as the Filipinas could get in winning back-to-back championships and Aquino believes the team will have to do an even better job if it is going to bring the title back home.

So far, only Malaysia owns the most number of consecutive women’s championship won in SEA Games history with six in a row from 1977 to 1987.

The Malaysians are also the last team to score a three-peat from 2001 to 2007, a feat the Filipinas are trying to duplicate this time.

A longer and thorough preparation obviously are needed for Gilas women’s team if it is to realize the historic feat.

“In preparation for the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, we’re really trying to do our best of preparing the team now, that’s why we started (training) early,” said Aquino, also the Gilas Pilipinas women’s project director, in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation (SMC), MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

“We’ve already been practicing three times a week for the past month already, with the addition of Jack Animam coming back from her injury.”

The 24-year-old Animam was part of the Gilas

“She’s been out of basketball for more than a year and a half, so it’s a boost for the team (her return),” said Aquino of the five-time UAAP champion from National University. “So we’re letting her to feel again how to play. But I’m happy that Jack is back. She will be a big help for us in our campaign.”

Likewise, Aquino will be leaving for the US next week to scout for possible naturalized players and other Filipina talent eligible to play for the country.

Falcons face another do-or-die game

By Peter Atencio

EVERY game in their last five outings has been a do-or-die situation for the Adamson University Falcons.

The fourth-seeded Falcons will be in the same framework again when they clash with the top-seeded Ateneo Blue Eagles at 4 p.m. today in their first Final Four appearance since 2018 in the 85th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Earlier, the second-seeded University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons meet the National University Bulldogs at 2 p.m.

“Every game is a do-or-die game. That’s the mentality we had going into every game (last five matches).

Kailangang manalo, manalo, manalo, and to stay alive,” said Falcons’ coach Nash Racela on their unexpected entry into the Final Four.

Their 80-78 triumph over the La Salle

BAGUIO—Time

Green Archers in their fourth seed playoff, has set the Falcons up into another must-win showdown, this time with the Blue Eagles.

But it will be a different scenario this time around against Ateneo, which holds a twice-to-beat edge. Adamson had the same advantage back in 2018 after finishing at no. 2 spot behind the Blue Eagles.

Back then, the third-seeded Falcons lost twice to the UP Fighting Maroons, 71-73, and then 87-89, in overtime.

Racela said he challenged his players to step up and help their key player Jerom Lastimosa in their quest to make it past the Blue Eagles.

“It’s something we have to change. Kasi basketball is team game. We want to put emphasis not just on Jerom, but on the whole team,” remarked Racela.

So far, Lastimosa is one of the leading individual scorers in the league, behind top notcher Nic Cabanero of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers

with his average of 15.38 points.

Teammate Lenda Lounga backs him with 10.73 points and eight rebounds per game, along with Cedrick Manzano, who norms 7.73 points and 7.53 rebounds.

The Blue Eagles, who seized the no. 1 seeding with their 75-67 beating of the UP Maroons last week, are in their eighth Final Four appearance since 2014. Coach Tab Baldwin said the Blue Eagles should not rely too much on their shooting, which he believes is a weak point this season.

Control of the boards by Angelo Kouame and Dave Ildefonso could make a difference in their effort to come back to the finals.

“When you do the job on the boards, and you dig down and play defense when it counts, good things will happen,” said Baldwin.

Ildefonso will spearhead the Blue Eagles’ cause with 12.07 points and 8.29 rebounds, while Kouame averages 11.79 points and 11.43 boards per game.

Time Cargo, E-Sparta share lead in Am-A

Moto came through with an 82for a three-point lead in Am-C.

Baguio Country Club Team-2 amassed 79.

Green Jacket Golf Club checked in with 77 followed by Summit Point Team-2 66 and Januarius Team-2 65.

Rookie David Guangko top scored with a sevenover-par 68 and 29 points for Time Cargo, while Chris John Remata carded a six-over-par 67 worth 30 points for E-Sparta.

Forest Hills Team-2 came up with an 84 for solo third.

TGIS Davao pooled in an 82 and X1R-TipsyPigMizuno assembled a 77.

Greenwater Golfers took the lead in Fil-A after it assembled 119 points at Camp John Hay.

Two points down with 117 is Camp John Hay Golf Club and five adrift is Uragun 1 with 114.

In Am-E, Bibak NY/NJ/iGolfers Team-2 raced to a seven-point lead after producing 64 points against Team Surigao Siargao 57.

Over at Camp John Hay, Kumpadres scored 103 points to lead the way in Fil-C.

Fil-Am League of Golfers Chicago turned in a 90 while Ultra Flite Golf Club had an 85.

JJ Atencio of Januarius Golf Team 2 chips in at the ninth hole of the Baguio Country Club

Cargo Logistics Team-2 and ESparta each submitted 90 points as they finished tied for the lead in Am-A at the start of the regular tournament of the 72nd Fil-Am Men’s Invitational at Baguio Country Club.

Riera

Mallari,

Randy M. Caluag, Assistant

The Petro Gazz Angels celebrate their PVL title triumph.

women’s team that won the breakthrough gold in Manila three years ago, but skipped the Hanoi Games after suffering an ACL injury.

Pat Aquino

Adamson’s Jerom Lastimosa

Chairman’s Charity Cup returns to Southwoods

THE Chairman’s Charity Cup, Manila Southwoods’ premier Members and Sponsors tournament, braces for a grand return from a long hiatus due to the pandemic with the host club expecting a maximum number of participants when it is staged on Dec.16 and 17.

It will feature 200 players with a shotgun starts both at Legends and Masters courses. Scoring will be individual net Stableford points for members while sponsors will play the System 36 format.

With the lifting of health restrictions, face-to-face awarding and a raffle program will be held at the Southwoods Veranda over a gala luncheon.

Meanwhile, registration is ongoing with fees retained at P5,000 + VAT, inclusive of giveaways, breakfast, awards lunch and raffle prizes. Other sponsors may contact Manila Southwoods at (046) 419-8190 or (02) 8779-5590.

The annual event’s year-round sponsors include Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., Alpine Motors Corp. and Royal Caribbean and Baron Travel, while the Platinum sponsor’s list is made up of The Turf Company, Inc., Agrexplore Corp., Malveda Properties & Development Corp., Starlux Airlines Co. Ltd., Newport World Resorts, Mit-Air, Inc., Klio International Marketing Corp. and HBW Enterprises Sales Corp.

Abomar Equipment Sales Corp. heads the Gold sponsors while Hydrotech Irrigation & General Services, Le Chef, Inc., MRT Development Corp. and Suzuki, Clubfitter make up the Silver backer roster.

Hole-in-one sponsors are Gran Sportivo and Newport World Resort, while Mitsubishi is offering a Strada plus an Xpander with the latter to be raffled off if no one scores an ace.

Junjun Plana and Lora Roberto shared overall gross honors when the event was last held in 2019 with the duo tipped to return for a repeat along with the other winners in various divisions of the event backed by Bronze sponsors BDO, Camp John Hay Golf Club, Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose Law Firm, Club Leisure Management Corp., Escala Tagaytay Hotel, Federal Management & Maintenance, Inc., Forest Hills Golf & Country Club, GG&A Clubshares, G&W Clubshares, Mega Manila Pest Management Specialists, Inc..

McLaughlin-Levrone, Duplantis win World Athlete of Year titles

record heights of 6.20 and 6.21 metres respectively and he also sealed European gold in Munich.

He won 18 of his 19 competitions, and vaulted six metres or higher 23 times.

better,” she added.

‘Sky’s the limit’

The 23-year-old is billed as a once-in-a-lifetime talent and has hinted she could change discipline to the 400m flat.

McLaughlin-Levrone broke the world women’s 400m hurdles record twice while Duplantis set three new world highs this year.

US-born Swede Duplantis claimed the award for the second time in three years with three world records in 2022 plus the men’s world indoor title in March and the world outdoor gold in July.

“Going into the year, I had really high expectations of myself and I had some really big goals,” 23-year-old Duplantis said.

“I wanted to win the world indoors, the world outdoors, the Europeans, the Diamond League final, and I wanted to break the world record a few times,” he added.

Both titles were claimed in world

It was a first World Athlete of the year award for McLaughlin who clocked an astonishing 50.68 seconds in July oblite rating her own world record by more than half a second.

“All of my goals were accomplished this year,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.

“We were able to accomplish everything we set out to do.

“It couldn’t have been any

She will be one of the most closely watched performers at the world athletics championships in Budapest in August.

“My coach thinks there’s a lot more to be done,” she said.

“The sky’s the limit for sure,” she said in July.

McLaughlin also won Olympic gold last year in Tokyo in a thenworld record time. AFP

Committee to review swim body’s constitution

By Peter Atencio

FOR now, a review of the constitution and bylaws of the Philippine Swimming Inc. will have to do.

Philippine Olympic Committee legal counsel Wharton Chan said this after the FINA, the world governing body for swimming, withdrew its recognition of the PSI.

“We have to review the bylaws of PSI and check whether it is in harmony with FINA rules. Further, we will determine whether there is transparency in the acceptance of members and clubs, provided the said members comply with the rules stated in their bylaws,” said Chan.

The board of trustees of the PSI have appealed the decision of FINA and sought clarification.

They were informed last Dec. 3 of the FINA’s move and its actions to establish a Stabilization Committee to run the PSI’s day-to-day operations.

A new body which will take over the PSI as an accredited governing body for swimming in the Philippines is not yet in the minds of the POC Stabilization Committee, though.

But once done, the Stabilization Committee will create an electoral reforms committee, which will discuss possible election scenarios.

Seeking electoral reforms is among the things that their committee has been mandated to by FINA, according to Chan, who added he was not aware of any group or body that will replace the present leadership of the PSI, under its current president Lani Velasco.

Smart Omega team pumped up for CODM world tourney

THE Smart Omega Call of Duty:

Mobile team finally got its visa application approved last Monday, in time for the CODM World Championships in North Carolina, USA slated December 15 to 18.

The team got a massive boost last month after getting the endorsement and support of House of Representatives Majority Leader Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., Camarines Sur 5th District representative Miguel Luis Villafuerte and Camarines Sur 1st District representative Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata.

The Smart Omega CODM team did a courtesy call with the two representatives last November 8 to discuss the team’s upcoming stint in the world stage and the further promotion of professional esports in the Philippines.

“It is both humbling and overwhelming when you get support from government officials who understand

the potential in the growing esports scene in the Philippines,” shared Smart Omega Chief Executive Officer Christopher John Quimpo.

“With the recent success of Smart Omega in various professional esports leagues, we continue to strive and somehow be able to be an example for those striving to venture into the esports scene in the country. We are thankful for the continued trust of Smart and now for the recognition we received from the house through Rep. Villafuerte and Rep. Horibata.”

Rep. Villafuerte and Rep. Horibata also sponsored the team’s gaming equipment, an Asus ROG 6 mobile phone, required by the tournament organizers of the CODM World Championship.

The Smart Omega CODM team has been using the phone during training in the lead up to the world championship.

“On behalf of the team, I would

like to thank Cong. Migz & Cong. Hori, the ‘CamSur Young Gunz’, for supporting and believing in Esports Young Gunz ‘Smart Omega CODM’. It is a great honor to represent your country and compete internationally but the greatest feeling is to know that your own government has two bright young minds who understand our industry, throw support and believe that esports has a bright future in the Philippines,” said Smart Omega Chief Operating Officer Phatrick Cruz.

The team was also recognized during a session at the Batasang Pambansa.

“We are excited to represent the Philippines in the worlds and we are grateful to everyone who made this stint possible, especially from government officials who helped our team secure our visas. We will do our best to prove that Filipinos are one of the best CODM players in the world,” said skipper Jerrold “Woopiiee” Regay.

Subic Bay Sand Court ready for world beach volley meet

THE finishing touches at the Subic Bay Sand Court were put in place two days before the start of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures on Tuesday at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority in Zambales.

International Volleyball Federation technical delegate Barry “Baz” Wedmaier of Australia scrutinized preparations for the event—particularly specifications in the competition, training and administrative venues—that starts Thursday (December 8) with the men and women qualifiers.

“TD Baz is very specific about the venue that it adheres to FIVB standards,” said Ramon “Tats” Suzara, president of the organizing Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF). “And it’s all systems go.”

Thursday’s schedule for the qualifiers of the event supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, PLDT Home and Rebisco and also backed by Akari, F2 Logistics, Asics, SBMA, Philippine Olympic Committee, Smart Giga Play, Cignal Play, OneSports, OneSports+, Senoh and Mikasa will be determined after the preliminary inquiry on Wednesday (December 7).

Four teams from both genders will ad-

vance to the main draw that starts Friday

(December 11).

Eleven teams from Thailand, Czech Republic, Australia, Japan, USA, Israel and Austria will vie in the men’s qualifiers with the top four teams joining 11 squads from host Philippines (three), Latvia, Thailand, Gambia, Japan, Israel and Lithuania in the main draw.

The women qualifiers have 14 teams— Japan, Norway, Singapore, Czech Republic, Netherlands, USA, Canada, South Korea and France—with the top four joining 12 teams from the Philippines (three), Japan, Thailand, Lithuania, Singapore, Israel, Italy and Austria

PARIS—World champion American hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis won the World Athlete of the year awards on Monday.

Wedmaier was accompanied in the final inspection on Tuesday by tournament director Mayi Molit-Prochina, competition director Adrian Tabanag, venue manager Cherry Rose Macatangay, venue director Engineer Joseph Remollena and administrative director Antonio Carlos.

and ends with the finals on Sunday

US-born Swede Mondo Duplantis claimed the award for the second time in three years with three world records in 2022 plus the men’s world indoor title in March and the world outdoor gold in July.

The Smart Omega Call of Duty: Mobile team at the Batasang Pambansa.

Technical delegate Barry “Baz” Wedmaier (2nd from right) of Australia scrutinizes the Subic Bay Sand Court with (from left) competition director Adrian Tabanag, tournament director Mayi Molit-Prochina, administrative director Antonio Carlos, venue director Engineer Joseph Remollena and venue manager Cherry Rose Macatangay.

Pre-Christmas family movie ‘Puss In Boots’ unspools nationwide

A HERO to some, an outlaw to others…everyone agrees that this swashbuckling cat has style to spare. Known for his iconic (and beautifully cobbled) boots, Puss is a skilled swordsman, charming, fearless, determined, and a crazy-good dancer.

Puss is a legend who has lived all these lives. He goes from town to town and party to party. He’s the life and soul of everywhere he goes. But just like the rock star who plays the concert every night and is in top form, he goes back to his hotel by himself every night—lies in bed and doesn’t have anyone around. That’s the story of Puss. He’s never let anyone in. Along the journey, he’s starting to question that choice.

The long-awaited follow-up to the 2011 Academy Award-nominated blockbuster, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish stars Academy Award nominee Antonio Banderas

who returns as the voice of the notorious PiB as he embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives.

The last time we saw Puss in Boots, in his 2011 solo outing as a movie star, he was purring about his cunning ability to save the world and be adulated for it. Now with only one life left, the devil-may-care feline is wondering if he’s forever lost his mojo…and with it, the very essence of what makes him Puss in Boots.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish features an all-star voice cast that includes Oscar nominee Salma Hayek Pinault as Kitty Softpaws, Harvey Guillen as Perrito the mutt, Oscar nominee Florence Pugh as Goldi, Oscar winner Olivia Colman as Momma Bear, Ray Winstone as Papa Bear, Samson Kayo as Baby Bear, Emmy winner John Mulaney as Jack Horner, and Wagner Moura as Wolf.

The character of Puss in Boots first appeared in 2004’s Oscar-nominated Shrek 2 and instantly became a global,

scene-stealing sensation. Puss then co-starred in two other Shrek sequels and his solo film, as well as in multiple DreamWorks Animation videos and a TV series. The Shrek and Puss in Boots films have collectively earned more than $3.5 billion worldwide.

Antonio Banderas has lived with (and brought life to) Puss in Boots for almost two decades, and he has seen the impact of the character first-hand in every area of the globe.

“Coming back to voice this memorable hero has been a remarkable experience,” Banderas says. “I felt like I was visiting a very dear, clever friend that I hadn’t heard from for a few years. We both have greyer whiskers and are no longer the brash, young players we used to be.”

A DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures feature, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish breaks into local cinemas starting today.

GMA Public Affairs ventures into filmmaking,

unveils expansive 2023 catalog

GMA Public Affairs has been aggressive in content creation even going beyond the usual format and genre just to serve and entertain its public. Thus, it’s easy enough to say that it’s going to be another fruitful and even more exciting year for GMA’s news division.

This 2023, impactful storytelling will remain at the heart of its programming as it expands message-making to a wider audience through a diverse lineup of formats and titles.

Let’s have a quick rundown of GMA Public Affairs’ fresh slate of shows and programs: Primetime drama Lolong and his crocodile friend Dakila are set to make a big return. Lolong: Ang Luha ng Unang Atubaw follows the journey of Lolong (Ruru Madrid) after realizing his full potential as a hero who can save people from the hands of corrupt men. After freeing the people of Del Rio and Tumahan from the wicked Armando Banson (Christopher de Leon), Lolong chooses to live a peaceful life with the surviving Atubaws and Elsie (Shaira Diaz), the woman he loves. But fate plays a cruel joke when they discover that the most important treasure of their tribe—the crystallized tear of the first Atubaw, is missing.

Ruru Madrid’s busy year will see him team up with real-life sweetheart Bianca Umali in The Write One, a romantic drama with a touch of fantasy to be produced in partnership with a

major online platform. It tells the story of Liam (Ruru), a frustrated man who is given a chance to rewrite his love and life story with the help of a mysterious typewriter. With the love between Liam and Joyce (Bianca) dimmed by the years that have passed, both wonder what could have been had they not given up their individual dreams. Until one night, Liam stumbles upon an antique typewriter and finds himself writing—and magically making real—the revised story of his life.

Action series Black Rider and fantasy tale Sireno are also set to begin production in 2023.

Digital series In addition to televised dramas, GMA Public Affairs is set to launch exclusive digital series to be headlined by Sparkle’s young love teams. In Zero Kilometers Away, Kyline Alcantara and Mavy Legaspi play Gwen and Ardi, BFFs who initially meet on a dating app and decide to keep it platonic. But as Ardi and Gwen navigate their different “matches” side by side, will either of them realize that “the one” might already be there—just zero kilometers away?

In My Dreams follows Sophia Pablo) who starts to have lucid dreams about dating the perfect guy, only to find out that he exists in real life as Jecoy (Allen Ansay) who has no idea who she is—or so she thinks.

Films

On the subject of dreams, perhaps GMA Public Affairs’ most

ambitious venture in 2023 is its entry into filmmaking. At least four feature films are currently in the works for Public Affairs’ newly formed film division.

Firefly follows a young boy’s search for the mythical island of fireflies described in his mother’s bedtime stories. Using the “clues” he believes his mother left behind in an old notebook, the boy makes the long journey to the magical island to wish her back to life. The film is helmed by the acclaimed Zig Dulay, director of GMA classics Sahaya and Maria Clara at Ibarra Penthouse 77 is a psychological thriller that confronts the horrors of homelessness in a city filled with both skyscrapers and shanties. The film will be directed by Derick Cabrido The Cheating Game, headlined by Julie

overnight, creating instant millionaires among its cockfighters. But things took a shocking turn when more than thirty men disappeared without a trace. In nine months, groups of cockfighters disappeared in three major arenas, while others were abducted in their homes or on the road. Months after the serial disappearances, not one has been found—dead or alive.

Lost Sabungeros, produced and directed by award-winning documentary filmmakers Bryan Brazil and Alyx Arumpac follows the families of the missing in their agonizing search for answers.

MATAKOT Ka Sa…, a one-act play on the Philippine political landscape through the lenses of Filipino mythical creatures, will be available on view this month in-person and online.

The one hour and 20 minutes show, transports the audience into the iconic Puno ng Balete in Baler, Aurora, where a Tikbalang, Nuno sa Punso, and Numputul gather in an unusual supernatural support group.

In this safe space, the three mystical beings find themselves in a confession of their deepest fears and struggles which reflect human lives. They likewise unravel the main reasons for their recent silence as they discover the evil

that goes beyond their own strength.

A metaphor for the Philippine political climate, it invites the spectators to distinguish good from evil. It presents how the generational gap affects one’s morals and beliefs in the contemporary world.

The production also sheds light on the persisting issue of red-tagging and tackles how power play shapes the way people perceive and uphold justice.

Matakot Ka Sa… is written by young artists Virginia Reign Juego Charlyn Ann De Leon, and Camille Sicam. It is directed by Virgin Labfest Writing Fellow Mikaella Yoj Sanchez The show was created by

by:THEATER, a production house founded by the students from the Theater Arts and Production Design Programs of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

The play is open to the public. It will be staged live today and on December 13, 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the 6/F Blackbox Theater of Benilde Design and Arts Campus.

The pre-recorded performances will be available online from December 14 to December 21 via Ticket2Me.

Tickets are available for P350 at https://forms.gle/b19VHhy5qzgdanyk9 for the live stage and P250 at https:// ticket2me.net/e/36064 for the online show.

Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz, will be a feverish, deep dive into the psyche of two individuals who were cheated on … and how differently they react to betrayal. Best-selling author Rod Marmol, director of Cuddle Weather, helms the film.

Version Two is a sci-fi romance-drama that explores both the uplifting and heartbreaking nature of memories and will pave the way for a surprise pairing between two stars from different home networks. The film will be directed by the hit-making Irene Emma Villamor writer-director of memorable love stories like Sid & Aya. All films are set to be released in cinemas and on major streaming platforms.

and public service

Documentary

While Public Affairs expands into different genres, its core offerings in documentary and public service remain at the fore. 2023 will be a year of documentary specials shot in 4k with Lost Sabungeros as the banner title.

When the pandemic shut down all cockfighting arenas in the Philippines, the century-old gambling blood sport moved online and grew into a money-making machine

Bataan beauty tops Mutya ng Pilipinas 2022 pageant

By Eton Concepcion

Planting White Seeds which tells the story of one man with an unorthodox offer to distribute his seed to Filipinas via artificial insemination, and AFAM Hunters which explores the unique connections between Pinays and their foreigner lovers, complete the 4k docu lineup.

Flagship documentary program I-Witness, celebrating 23 years as Philippine television’s finest hour, will introduce fresh faces to its lineup of formidable hosts with the entry of Mav Gonzales and John Consulta. Public Affairs’ growing list of legacy concepts include a follow-up to the much talked about Jessica Soho Interviews and a series of Investigative Specials to tackle issues and controversies of national concern.

GMA Public Affairs wraps up its 2023 content slate with Resibo: Walang Lusot Ang May Atraso, a public service program aimed at giving a voice to the public’s grievances and complaints, exposing wrongdoing, and providing concrete resolutions. GMA’s veteran journalist and “Mr. Exclusive” Emil Sumangil will host Resibo as its resident action man.

With its expansive lineup of documentaries, dramas, and films, GMA Public Affairs will continue to tell stories that resonate with the audience’s hopes and dreams in 2023 and beyond.

while Cruz, a student at California State University-Long Beach - College of Business, won Best in Swimsuit.

Other winners were Mutya ng Pilipinas Luzon

Shannon Robinson of Makati City, Mutya ng Pilipinas Visayas Megan Deen Campbell of LapuLapu City, Cebu, and Mutya ng Pilipinas Mindanao Marcelyn Bautista of Tarlac City.

Rounding out the Top 21 semi-finalists were Charisse Anthea Abanico (Batangas City), Shindell Atibula (Biliran), Angelli Mae Garcia (Bohol). Margaret Anne Rodrigo (Canada), Joycee Lavida (Iloilo City), Ilyssa Mendoza (Melbourne, Australia), Bea Margarett Madea (Muntinlupa City), Abiah Dicdican (Ormoc), Kyle Celine Dorado Laughead (Pampanga), Ma. Flordeliz Mabao (Rizal), Priya Mundi (Southern California), Michele Angela Okol (Surigao del Norte), Jirah Bantas (Tantangan, South Cotabato) and Zeah Nestle Pala (Tarlac Province).

Nickie

Antonio Banderas returns to voice the notorious Puss in Boots

Ruru Madrid foresees a busy 2023 due to several projects

Bianca Umali will star in ‘The Write One,’ a romantic drama with a touch of fantasy

Kyline Alcantara (right) and Mavy Legaspi will star in ‘Zero Kilometers Away’

The fantasy tale ‘Sireno’ will begin production in 2023

‘The Black Rider’ is an action series from GMA Public A airs

‘Penthouse 77’ is a psychological thriller that confronts the horrors of homelessness in a city lled with both skyscrapers and shanties

Rayver Cruz (left) and Julie Anne San Jose will headline the upcoming film ‘The Cheating Game’

Cory Quirino, national director of Mutya ng Pilipinas organization, congratulated the new Mutya 2022 crowned winners after an absence of two years due to the pandemic.

The Mutya ng Pilipinas 2022 Iona GIbbs and her court

Mangkukulam

Syokoy

Manananggal

Holiday Christmas cheer

SM CITY Manila spreads Holiday

Christmas Cheer with creative center pieces, festive performances, fun with Santa, and sharing with cute and cuddly Bears of Joy.

No less than Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna graced the Christmas Tree Lighting launch with Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto They were joined Manila City District 5 officials led by Brgy. Chairwoman Carol Malabag, as well as Councilors Jaybee Hizon, Laris Borromeo, Charry Ortega, Raymun do “Mon” Yupangco, Ricardo “Boy” Isip Jr., and Roberto “Bobby” Espir itu II

Manila City Hall officials also came in full force: Engineer Armand An dres, Richard Zacarias of Business Permits and License, City Health Offi cer Arnold Pangan, Communications Head Atty. Pricilla Marie AbanteBarquia, Levi Facundo of Bureau of Permits and SM Supermalls AVP for Mall Operations John Brian Tarnate AVP for Marketing Jay Aranas, and SM City Manila Assistant Mall Manag er Kimberly N. Razal welcomed them. They all admired the mall’s atrium centerpiece: a larger-than-life 51-foot

red and gold Christmas tree adorned with twinkling lights, gold rings, red and gold Christmas balls, and Atomic stars. The tree also showcases four Instagram and photo-op-ready platforms for your Christmas picture taking

During the event, mallgoers were treated to a festive perfor mance by National University Chorale with their singing of all-time favorite Christmas carols.

SM City Manila also invites mallgoers spread cheer with their Christmas activities on December 11: the Santa Meet and Greet from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the event center; the KidsMas Costume contest at 3:00 p.m.; and caroling by the Sonshine Philippines Movement Caroling at 1:00 p.m.

Everyone can also share the happiness of Christmas with SM’s Bears of Joy by greeting family and friends with special messages – World’s Best Dad, the Greatest Mom, the Sweetest Sister, and the Coolest Brother. Share the holiday cheer! Buy a bear and donate another to a child in need for only P250.00.

For more information, visit www.smdeals.com/deals/holiday-deals and check more items off your shopping list with deals for a #HappyChristmasAtSM for all your loved ones.

Hop into the SM mall-tiverse and score P3 million worth of vouchers and prizes this Christmas. Register at https:// smmetaverse.world.

Season of splendors

YOU know it’s already the holiday season when colorful Christmas decorations are all up basically everywhere. Apart from the parol, the traditional Pinoy decor, the centerpiece would always be the Christmas tree, decked with all things good.

I’ve always been fascinated with the aweinspiring tree, especially every time I attended tree lighting events in different hotels and other establishments because they really do put a lot of effort and time into putting together a Christmas tree and holiday decors that embody their brands. Take, for instance, the sustainable 16-foot tall Christmas tree of Conrad Manila and the Filipiniana-themed Christmas Tree of Hilton Manila.

But did you know that the Christmas tree has a really interesting history? In fact, there are several myths surrounding this infamous tree.

A legend about Martin Luther, the historical figure who catalyzed the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, said that he believed that pine trees symbolized the goodness of God.

There was also the story of St. Boniface, an English Benedictine monk. It even has several versions. One version that persisted in the 15th century tells that St. Boniface thwarted the pagan ritual of sacrificing a human by cutting down the oak tree. A fir tree grew where the oak tree used to be; it eventually became a symbol of eternal truth.

In another version, the story went that St. Boniface cut down the new fir tree and hung it upside down, with an apple wedged on the “top”; believed to represent the Holy Trinity. History has it that the modern Christmas tree that we know today started in Germany. It started with a theater guild in 1419. The group performed Paradise Plays, a medieval play to celebrate the religious feast day of Adam and Eve, which fell on Christmas Eve (December 24).

One of their main props was the paradise tree, made from fir tree with apples hanging on its branches, symbolizing the tree of knowledge in the bible story of Adam and Eve.

It was so prominent and eye-catching that the German people who have seen it started setting up paradise trees in their homes on Adam and Eve’s feast day. They are decorated with wafers and candles, symbolizing the Eucharistic host and Christ being the light of the world, respectively. Later, wafers were replaced by cookies.

Back then, they would put up the tree alongside the Christmas pyramid, triangular wooden shelves where they put figurines and often decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century, this tradition evolved. The people started to merge the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree, and so the Christmas tree was born.

While the modern Christmas tree seems

In ancient Egypt, China and Israel, evergreen means eternal life. It was also used to scare away bad spirits; hence, it was often placed at the entrance of the house or barns.

German-born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, introduced the Christmas tree in Egland in the early 19th century. Soon, the London tons started putting up the tree in their halls, salon and parlor, decorated with toys, small gifts, candles, candies, and fancy cakes tied on ribbons and paper chains and hung on the branches.

Due to migration, explorations, and trades, the Christmas tree tradition was introduced to different parts of the world. German settlers moved to North American, and eventually to the rest of Europe. Western missionaries brought it to China and Japan in 19th century.

Tales of two trees

Tree lighting events have filled up my calendars in recent weeks. Invitations to these holiday events have been dropping to my email year after year. It has become a tradition, really.

There was that fun and hip tree-lighting

event at Hilton Manila, located at Newport World Resorts. Sampling Christmas feasts, dancing to the ‘80s and ‘90s songs played by a wonderful band, drinking good wines, and chatting with media friends was my perfect idea of ushering the holiday spirit.

“Our team has prepared an array of culinary surprises, bespoke staycation packages, and wondrous revelries best shared with the whole family including your furry friends. We are committed to sharing the light and warmth of heartfelt hospitality as we look forward to what’s to come in the New Year, together as

one,”

Christmas Staycations at Hilton Manila include a luxurious stay at pet-friendly guest rooms, buffet breakfast for two, special savings at Kusina Sea Kitchens, and early check-in or late check-out (subject to availability).

Splendid Spreads, delicately created by executive chef Ryan Hong and his culinary team, presents sumptuous Bundles - Holiday, Chinese, Western, or Filipino – until December 31. You can also try holiday dining options at Kusina Sea Kitchens and Hua Yuan Brasserie Chinoise.

Bring home some holiday goodies with their Christmas Hampers: Pag-asa, Pangarap, and Paggunita that celebrate local artisans and authentic Filipino flavors. Each handwoven abaca and/or water lily basket or handmade Capiz box is filled to the brim with mouthwatering goodies such as traditional fruit cake, assorted pralines, halo-halo stollen bread, among others.

Meanwhile, Conrad Manila ushers the “Season of Splendor’ with a much more solemn tree lighting, with Conrad general manager Fabio Berto, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) president Elizabeth T. Sy, SMHCC executive vice president Peggy Angeles, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Chairman Hans T. Sy, Pasay City mayor Imelda ‘Emi’ Calixto-Rubiano, and Rep. Antonino Calixto Young Voices of the Philippines serenaded the guests, with an inspiring musical

“This year, we hope to celebrate a deeper meaning of the

and observance of

faith and how joyously blessed we are through worry-free moments that you can enjoy with the whole family at Conrad Manila,” shares Berto.

At Brasserie on 3, begin your unforgettable Christmas feast with a warm Tsokolate de Batirol and followed by sustainably-sourced Filipino and Western holiday favorites such as turkey and ham, yule log and fruit cakes, Stollen bread, among others.

China Blue by Jereme Leung offers an indulgent nine-course set menu, dubbed Treasures of the Orient, well-curated by executive Chinese chef Eng Yew Khor, featuring premium roasted duck, catch-of-theday seafood, and succulent lobsters, among others.

Bru Coffee Bar transforms into a life-size gingerbread house brimming with homemade goodies and well-crafted Christmas Hampers, filled with goodies such as pralines, ube langka Stollen bread, Christmas cookies, and Gingerbread man.

***

Truly, nothing is better than the feeling when the Christmas tree is up and so lit. Well, that is until the bored cats get in the way and knock it over.

Showcasing Manila’s contemporary art in upcoming fair

By Patricia Taculao

AFTER shifting online for the past two years, the local art scene has returned with various events staged throughout the country. Art enthusiasts eagerly flocked to different locations to support estab lished and upcoming artists and to bask in the culture.

Before the year ends, art lovers can ap preciate Manila-inspired contemporary art at the Manila’Bang Show in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Compared to its previous show last year, the 2022 Manila’Bang Show hopes to fill over 2,500 square meters of space with curated pieces, exhibitions, and part nerships with over 20 galleries. Alain Zed rick Camiling leads the show as its artistic director, with Contemporary ArtFairs Ma nilaPH as the organizer.

It follows the theme “Contemporary Art: The Manila Way.”

Besides eye-catching pieces from known local artists and galleries, the Manila’Bang Show 2022 will also feature seminars on is sues and opportunities surrounding the lo cal art scene. Among them is the Art Talks, which hopes to dissect cases, perspectives, concerns, and frameworks on contempo rary art, collecting, and management.

Other talks will begin from December 9

until December 11.

By December 9, guests can attend “Art Handling and Collections Management for Collectors,” from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with Aprille P. Tijam (Ayala Museum) and Gari Apolonio (Gateway Gallery), and “Authentication and Provenance of Artworks,” from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with Peter John Natividad and Gravity Art Space.

The following day, Izealist (Malaysia), Rafi Abdullah (Singapore), and Jopet Arias (Philippines) will lead the “NFTs and the Digital Sphere” talk from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Afterward, Raymond Ty (Founder of

Art Toys PH) and Jed Estanislao (Art Toy Collector) will discuss “Art Toys in the Philippines” from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Lastly, Load Na Dito, Linangan Art Residency, and Green Papaya Art Projects will discuss “Art of Now: Contemporary Art and Art Collectives” from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

On the last day, December 11, there’s “What did I just see?: Contem porary Art and Visual Culture” from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. with Con Cabrera (Visual Artist and Independent Curator) and Mark Louie Lugue (UP Diliman De partment of Art Studies). It will end with the “Who Reads Art and Cul ture Policy?” from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with Attorney Marc Jonnel Ching and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

Moreover, the Manila’Bang Show has a special solo show by Mark Salvatus, curated by Ca miling, and a group show by Jan Balquin Joseph Gabriel Christina Lopez, Ev Yu, and Vik Lau go, curated by Carlos Quijon Jr.

Several local galleries will also participate in the art fair, including Arte Bettina, Secret Fresh, Altro

Mondo, Art For Space, Big and Small, and R Gallery, among other establishments.

Art enthusiasts will also have the op portunity to see emerging Filipino artists through the New Wave exhibit as they es tablish a foothold in the local industry.

The Manila’Bang Show launches on December 8 and will be open to the pub lic from December 9 to 11 at Festival Mall. Admission is free.

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao Editorial Assistant

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna (fourth from left) and Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto(fifth from left) celebrate Holiday Christmas Cheer with Santa at SM City Manila/ Joining them are (from left) Brgy. Chairwoman Carol Malabag, SM Supermalls AVP for Mall Operations John Brian Tarnate, SM City Manila AMM Kimberly Razal, Manila City Engineer Armand Andres, Richard Zacarias of Business Permits and License, and AVP for Marketing Jay Aranas

Grab a must-have photo op with Santa at the Meet and Greet at SM City Manila

The classy Christmas tree at Conrad Manila

(From left) Conrad Manila General Manager Fabio Berto, Pasay City Congressman Antonino Calixto, Pasay City Mayor Imelda ‘Emi’ Calixto-Rubiano, Chairman of Young Musicians Development Organization Irene Marcos-Araneta, President of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation Elizabeth Sy, Executive Vice President of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation Peggy Angeles and Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Hans Sy quite secular and replete with capitalism, the original Christmas has always been associated with religious symbolism.

Young Voices of the PH serenading the guests at Conrad Manila

said Hilton Manila general manager John Lucas.

performance by the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band. After the musical feast, executive chef Warren Brown delighted our palate with festive cocktails at the C Lounge.

holidays in remembrance

family,

Filipino-Asian modern contemporary artist Fitz Herrera

Filipino artist Bullet Dematera draws inspiration from nature

Hilton Manila General Manager John Lucas delivering his speech