Manila Standard - 2022 December 9 - Friday

By Rey E. Requejo

and Sexual Exploitation of Children, who paid him a courtesy call.

Quimbo: We take the heat on MIF

Marikina

By Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo

CONGRESSMEN on Thursday admitted taking the heat and getting off the wrong foot on the country’s proposed sovereign wealth fund, even as they broached a smaller starting amount for the fund with seed money coming from government banks and other sources.

Lawmakers on Wednesday decided to drop the planned contri butions from the Govern

ment Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Social Security System (SSS), the state-run repository of pension of em ployees in the country, as mandatory con tributors to the MIF in the face of strong opposition to their inclusion and to allay the people's concerns.

"The concept is good, but admittedly, we started on the wrong foot. And that's fine. We took the heat. There is no perfect

bill. This (MIF bill) was prepared by the economic managers, and of course, we assumed that there were sufficient consultations. But lo and behold, when we started hearing the bill, we realized that the consultations were not enough, and obviously, at this time, it is not right to include GSIS and SSS as mandatory fund contributors," Quimbo said.

By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo

Meralco bill up P80 next year—ERC

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Regulatory Commission said Thursday that electricity prices in the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) franchise area would go up by about P0.30 to P0.40 per kilowatt-hour, or an average increase of P80 per bill for those consuming 200 kilowatt-hours per month, by January next year.

ERC chairperson Agnes Dimalanta said the computation is based on the reports for October and November submitted by Meralco to the regulator's Regulatory Operations Service and monitoring of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market by its Market Operations Service.

"Average impact is about P80 for 200 kWh consumption bill," Dimalanta said.

By Willie Casas

THERE will be a declaration of an outbreak of the hand, foot, and mouth

HIDILYN ADDS 3 WORLD CHAMP TITLES TO HAUL

disease (HFMD) if more regions in the country see an increase in cases, an infectious diseases expert said on Thursday.

GOLDEN TREBLE. Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo shows the form that helped her win three gold medals in the women’s 55-kg category of the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota, Colombia (see full story in Sports, page B1).

By Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he sees bright prospects for the country’s economy after the unemployment rate dipped in October, expressing confidence the nation would not slide into recession.

In his video message, the President said he would ease people’s burden in the face of current challenges, particularly the

global rise in the prices of basic goods.

“The report is that the inflation rate increased up to 8 percent last November. However, there is good news that the unemployment rate was reduced to 4.5 percent from 5 percent,” the President said.

“It makes us stronger and I feel confident that there would be no recession in the Philippines because the unemployment rate is low. Let us work together. We can do it,” he added.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Admits starting on wrong foot on wealth fund, eyes smaller seed money Expert warns of hand-foot-mouth disease outbreak

This

Envoy pushes stronger AFP to protect country's territory

PBBM confident PH faces no recession with low jobless rate

was seen as a subliminal advisory to parents to take precautions against HFMD, and that they should make sure

President calls on Catholics to believe in God

BOOSTING military forces is the best way to advance and assert the country’s sovereign rights, newly appointed Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime Florcruz said.

In his confirmation hearing with the Commission on Appointments

(CA) late Wednesday, Florcruz was grilled by Senator Francis Tolentino on the reported harassment of Filipino fishermen as well as artificial islands reportedly being developed by China.

"Our foreign policy should be based on strength which means we should ensure our armed forces, our

THE Philippines is the leading country in online child sexual exploitation, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla admitted Thursday.

“We’re No. 1 in the world,” Remulla

said when asked about the status of online sexual exploitation in the country.

“This should be gone. The Marcos administration is making efforts to stop the Philippines’ status on being the leading country in child sexual exploitation,” the Justice chief added.

Remulla made the admission after meeting with Mama Fatima Singhateh, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale

MARIAN DEVOTION. Catholic devotees line up in front of the Manila Cathedral during the celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Intramuros on Thursday, with December 8 observed as a national holiday. Norman Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. encouraged Filipino Catholics to put their faith in God and in each other as the country celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Rep. Stella Quimbo, a coauthor of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill being deliberated on in the House of Representatives, said initial funding for it should be about P150 billion, down from the P275 billion first proposed last week.

PROTECTING THE KIDS. United Nations Special Rapporteur Mama Fatima Singhateh (right) meets Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assess efforts to prevent the sale and sexual exploitation of children in the country on Thursday. Danny Pata

Annual, 2x year jabs eyed vs. virus

By Willie Casas

AHEALTH expert said Thursday that an annual or biannual vaccination is a possible option to maintain protection against more severe COVID-19 variants.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante said during a public briefing that the immunity from COVID-19 vaccines wane after six to eight months.

This means, a person vaccinated against COVID-19 will have less protection after that period.

Solante said as long as there is a COVID-19 case in the country, there is always a possibility for the cases to rise. Thus, there is a need for continuous

Quimbo:...

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"We have a Speaker (Martin Romualdez) who listens, and we are proactive. We had a meeting with economic managers yesterday and we decided that it is not right to include GSIS and SSS right now. In the future, they can do that if their board sees that they can grow their funds by pitching in MIF because it is clear in their charters that investing is within their mandate. Their earnings from investments are part of what is financing the pension," she added.

Quimbo then said that aside from GSIS and SSS, the General Appropriations Act and the National Treasury have been removed from the list of mandatory contributors.

Originally, the bill envisioned contributions of P125 billion from the GSIS and P50 billion from the SSS.

"I don't want to preempt how much it is going to be [without GSIS and SSS as mandatory contributors], but for me, P150 billion is enough to jumpstart this,” Quimbo said in a mix of English and Filipino on the ANC news channel.

"Again, let us start small. Let us grow the initial amount first, let us see how much we can contribute [from that initial fund] to support the national budget, and we'll see how it goes," she added.

With the two pension agencies out of the picture, the MIF will be funded by stateowned banks Land Bank of the Philippines (P50 billion), the Development Bank of the Philippines (P25 billion), and dividends or profits of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Quimbo did not say where the government would get the balance of her proposed P150 billion seed fund for the MIF.

Remulla:...

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Remulla said he gave Singhateh "an official letter" to tell her what the Philippines was doing to combat child sexual exploitation.

"Actually, we've declared war on this. It's the first thing we did since the inception of the Marcos regime," Remulla said, referring to the government's drive against child sexual exploitation.

Singhateh on Thursday revealed that the Philippines remained a source and place for child trafficking, sale, sexual abuse, and forced marriage and labor, among others.

Meralco...

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This developed after Meralco said consumers were facing higher electricity prices in December after it was forced to get supply from the electricity spot market, where prices reached P7 to P9 per kWh.

SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. stopped supplying 670 megawatts to Meralco under its power supply agreement with South Premiere Power Corp.

The PSA was the subject of the recent 60-day temporary restraining order issued by the Court of Appeals.

SPPC supplies 670 MW from the 1,200-MW Ilijan power plant in Batangas.

"This particular SPPC PSA accounts for 12 to 13 percent of the total Meralco supply for October-November. Since it's priced at P4.30 per kWh, if Meralco replaces that with WESM average of P8 to P8.50, then the impact would be about P0.30 to P0.40 per kWh to consumers," Dimalanta said.

She said ERC will continue closely monitoring the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market rates because unless Meralco gets a replacement contract soon that is lower than the WESM, "exposure for

Expert...

From A1

their children regularly wash their hands as a preventive measure since there are no medical treatments or vaccines against HFMD.

During a televised public briefing, Dr. Rontgene Solante, who heads the Vaccine Expert Panel on Infectious Diseases at the

protection against the respiratory disease to prevent the mutation of a more severe case.

At least 73.7 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 21 million have received their booster shots, based on the Department of Health’s (DOH) national COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.

Based on DOH’s latest data, at least 6,662 beds were occupied, while 21,640

GSIS and SSS members, economists, and business groups had opposed the inclusion of the two state-run pension funds.

Quimbo said the change of heart shows Congress is committed to addressing the public’s concerns.

The lawmaker said the MIF authors also increased the number of independent MIF Board Members from two to four.

The MWF Board will still be composed of 15 individuals and chaired by the President.

"The four independent members will come from the academe and the private sector," she said.

Quimbo appealed to the public to give MIF a chance, given that the earnings from its investments would provide the necessary boost to the annual national budget which is currently insufficient to fund social services, including salary and pension hikes.

"We cannot just remain dejected every time we don't have enough funds for teachers, for schools, hospitals, so this is where the MIF initiative is coming from," she said.

"It is the first time that we are seriously considering this, so there are trust issues. Birthing pains. But that is a part of our job, it is not for the fainthearted. But we should [also] keep an open mind because we deserve more. We deserve better," Quimbo added.

Rep. Paul Daza of Northern Samar on Thursday commended Romualdez and the House leadership on its decision to amend the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund bill and remove the GSIS and SSS as sources for its funding.

“This is indeed a step in the right direction,” Daza said. “As I’ve previously mentioned, I’m not entirely against having a State Wealth Fund like the [MIF].

Daza also suggested and appealed to

In a news conference, Singhateh presented the preliminary findings of her 11-day visit to the Philippines.

According to her, there was a lack of explicit legal provisions in the Constitution to penalize the exploitation of children for travel and tourism.

“The Philippines remains a source and destination country for child trafficking, sale, sexual abuse, and forced marriage… and forced labor," Singhateh said.

"There’s a lack of all limited information on the scale of incidents of child trafficking victims and how victims are exploited," she added.

Singhateh said there might be an under-reporting of child victims of sale and sexual exploitation in the country

consumers is at WESM prices which we cannot fix at this point."

In its decision last Sept. 29, the CA ruled in favor of SPPC and issued a TRO stopping the Energy Regulatory Commission from implementing its decision which denied the temporary rate hike petition of SPPC and Meralco under their 2019 PSA.

SMCGP asked the ERC for a temporary rate increase, citing gas constraints for the Ilijan plant and an unprecedented rise in coal prices for the 1,200-MW Sual coal plant in Pangasinan under San Miguel Energy Corp.

The ERC also awaits action by the agency’s statutory counsel, the Office of the Solicitor General, after the matter was referred for undertaking the appropriate legal remedy, Dimalanta said.

Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said they are exhausting all efforts to mitigate any impact of the SMC cessation of supply to the electricity bills.

He said Meralco was negotiating with other generation companies to secure the 670-MW supply and shield the more than 7.5 million customers from volatile and potentially higher WESM prices.

WESM is the trading floor of electricity, where prices are more volatile, especially if supply is tight. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Department of Health (DOH), said HFMD infections started in October in San Pascual, Batangas where there were 105 cases detected mostly among children aged one to 16.

He said that last November, around 540 HFMD cases were detected in Albay, affecting kids one to 10 years old. In the same month, 145 cases were also recorded in the Ilocos Region, mostly among kids aged four to nine.

were vacant as the bed occupancy in the country stood at 23.5% as of Sunday, Dec. 4.

The Philippines also recorded 883 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, while the tally of active cases went down to 17,481.

The Philippines on Wednesday joined the international community in its initiative to provide free and universal access to quality jabs against COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

During the 2nd Vaccine Cooperation Forum in the Indo-Pacific Region, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega said the COVID-19 pandemic taught countries a lot of lessons and gave the Philippines the opportune time to

his fellow legislators to also exclude the annual national budget as a source of funding.

“It is clear that the process of dialogue, stakeholder discussions, and expert consultations are leading to improvements to the bill, Daza said.

But the leftist Makabayan bloc continued to oppose the legislation, saying the MIF will gamble public funds just the same.

“No matter how they try to deodorize it, the fact remains that this bill is rotten and should be junked. We don’t have surplus, we don’t have wealth. We are even running on a deficit budget and the Treasury said our current debt is P13.52 trillion,” House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said in a news conference.

She added that the removal of the GSIS and SSS as sources of the MIF “is an initial and partial victory of the people against endangering their pensions.”

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, vice chair of the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries, said state pension companies would have limited gains from investing in the MIF.

Salceda, who led the technical working group that drafted the latest versions of the bill creating the MIF, said "the (Social Security System) and (Government Service Insurance System) have more limited gains from being invested in the fund compared to the potential gains for state banks with funds they could leverage to maximum advantage."

He made the statement shortly after Quimbo announced the House leadership’s decision to drop the GSIS and SSS and the annual national budget as funding sources for the controversial sovereign wealth fund proposal.

In other developments:

as the definition and distinction between these terms are “inadequate.”

The UN rapporteur recommended a distinction in the law between the sale of children and child trafficking.

Singhateh also pointed out that child marriages still happened in some indigenous and ethnic communities due to their culture and social exclusion, and other reasons.

“I look forward to more information on how the new Act will be implemented and enforced, and what measures will be put in place by the government to address the many reasons why child marriage is prevalent,” Singhateh said.

She was referring to the Republic Act 11596 or An Act Prohibiting the Practice

Envoy...

From A1

coastguards our Navy are well-funded, well trained because I believe that's the best way to assert our sovereign rights, our territorial rights," Florcruz said.

He noted that this is “easier said than done,” but "national unity should be the predicate of our foreign policy."

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the position of Florcruz is one of the most sensitive positions because of the daily intrusions of China, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.

He also asked Florcruz if his 48 years of stay in China should in any way be disadvantageous to the Philippines.

"You can be assured that in my vein, in my mind, in my heart I’m a Filipino through and through and I never thought anything else except being Filipino. And I'll proudly wave the Philippine flag in China," Florcruz said.

Florcruz added that his goal is to serve as a bridge between China and the Philippines by relaying messages accurately and promptly.

He also defended the use of notes verbale in sending protests to China.

Florcruz said they are important because whenever the government makes

The National Capital Region (NCR) also logged 155 HFMD cases recorded from October to December 6, and most of them are children aged 11 and below.

“This means that this hand, foot, and mouth disease is quite widespread now and we don’t want to say it, but we might declare an outbreak anytime especially if many regions are affected by it,” he said.

The Department of Health said Tuesday that cases of HFMD were

engage with its partners in the region and worldwide.

"And these are on the best practices for health management, data-driven governance and smart governance, for our health system and hopefully, we could take away some inputs, which we can use, which we can modify, depending on the needs of our public citizens in the Philippines," she said.

The forum gathered 20 health experts and top officials from South Korea, the United States, Australia, and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in a bid to strengthen the resilience and preparedness of countries for future pandemics. (See full story online at manilastandard. net)

* Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III on Thursday said the proposed MIF being pushed by several ranking House leaders will have a difficult time in the Senate. In a text message, Pimentel said the MIF bill was not "thought out well" and "rushed" after proponents made changes in the proposed capital sources amid public outcry. "An idea which keeps on changing because it hasn’t been thought out well and was rushed, will always have a more difficult time in the Senate," Pimentel said when asked if the proposal will have better chances in the Senate.

* Senator JV Ejercito said the decision of the House members to drop GSIS and SSS as fund sources is a "very welcome development" as its provisions would now be similar to a sovereign wealth fund bill that he filed in the 17th Congress. Ejercito said his proposal had pushed for a creation of a welfare fund that would derive its capital fromreserves and surplus. "I will not support any measure that will gamble on SSS and GSIS pensions," he said.

* The labor group Partido Manggagawa welcomed the government’s decision to exclude the SSS and GSIS from Maharlika’s sources of funds. However, PM Secretary general Judy Miranda said that the decision does not absolve Congress as well as the executives of the two pension funds from accountability. The PM said strong opposition was key for this reversal, and should be sustained to prevent future attempts at misappropriating workers’ funds. “The mere fact that Congress toyed with the idea of creating a wealth fund out of our pension funds is already a red flag. But more reprehensible was the reckless approval of the SSS and GSIS executives to divert funds into the MIF without consulting the fund owners – the Filipino working class,” Miranda said.

of Child Marriage and Imposing Penalties for Violations Thereof, signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021.

Recalling her visits to several child homes and shelters and crisis intervention centers in the country, Singhateh emphasized the need for more support on financial and human resource aspects to address the needs of the children in these institutions.

“I’ll be recommending the establishment of a children’s home exclusively dedicated to providing an accommodating and caring for all child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, where all the services are provided for the children in the same place under one roof,” she said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

diplomatic protests, a note verbale makes sure that these protests are on the record so that when the country must make a claim or case against a country, there will be a legal basis.

At this juncture, Zubiri told Florcruz to be “a friend to all, but firm with our territorial waters.”

As Ambassador to China, Florcruz said he will focus on people-to-people relationships.

He said he will encourage Filipinos to learn Chinese and Chinese to learn about the Philippines because this will facilitate a better relationship between the two countries.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Florcruz about the emergence of China as a superpower.

"How do we traverse the emergence of China as a global superpower and a nearpeer threat to the US and the rest of the West?" she asked.

The ambassador said he will pursue an independent foreign policy. "We make this delicate balance, the two superpowers, China the rising power, and the US the status quo power. I know it's not easy, it's a delicate balance," she said. "I believe we are already beginning to do that and at the same time promoting or strengthening relations with the US," she added. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

increasing in Metro Manila, but there is no declaration of an outbreak yet for such.

Currently, Solante said the 155 HFMD cases in the NCR was not yet a reason to declare an outbreak. He said this could be declared if the cases spread in nearby regions and if the reported cases increase to more than 100 percent as compared to last year’s HFMD data. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Bar exam dates set on Sept. 17, 20, 24 in 2023

THE Supreme Court on Thursday announced that Bar examinations will be held on an earlier date next year, particularly on September 17, 20, and 24.

In a Bar Bulletin No. 1, the SC said the Bar exams will be conducted in September next year in order expedite “the admission of successful examinees to the legal profession.”

“The rationale is both practical and societal; an earlier conduct of examinations means an earlier release of examination results; successful Bar examinees can commence their practice of law as early as December 2023; and new lawyers may begin contributing to their families and to the society as members of the Bar in the same year they graduated from law school,” the SC said, in a bulletin signed by Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando.

The 2023 Bar exams will be divided into six core subjects, distributed over the three non-consecutive days of examination.

On the first day, subjects covered by the Bar exams include Political and Public International Law, and Commercial and Taxation Laws; on the second day, covered by the exams are subjects on Civil Law, and Labor Law and Social Legislation; while Criminal Law, and Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises are scheduled on the third day. Rey E. Requejo (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

PBBM...

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Mr. Marcos said his administration is working to find ways to mitigate the impact of high commodity prices on ordinary Filipinos.

Preliminary data from the latest labor force survey showed that the country’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent in October, down from 7.4 percent in October 2021 and 5 percent in September.

The number of unemployed Filipinos fell to 2.24 million in October, down from 3.5 million a year earlier, with 1.26 million finding workthis year, while the employment rate increased to 95.5 percent in October, up from 95 percent the previous month, the highest rate since January 2020.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Wednesday It was the lowest jobless rate recorded for all October rounds since 2019. It also eased from 5 percent in September.

The labor force participation rate accelerated to 64.2 percent in October from 62.6 percent a year earlier, translating into an additional 2 million individuals entering the workforce.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said an upbeat labor market was sustained, leading toward a strong economic recovery from the impact of the pandemic.

President...

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At the same time, the President reminded the people to turn away from "individualistic tendencies" and instead generously give "without expecting anything in return."

In his message, he asked the Catholic faithful – they make up 86 percent of the 114 million population—to take inspiration from the Blessed Mother’s charitable and selfless love for others.

“Like Mary, may we also strive to resign from our individualistic tendencies and aspire to generously give ourselves without expecting anything in return,” he said.

“In the end, what we can bring into our everlasting home are those we cherish deep in our hearts, not the possessions we can only hold in our hands.”

The President also reminded devout Filipino Catholics to revisit their “reason for being” and search for their vocation “in the spirit of unconditional obedience and abiding love.”

“I trust that no matter how uncertain the days ahead remain, we will soon understand the will of God and the purpose behind the journeys that we have only walked in faith,” he said.

“During periods of both adversity and triumph, we humbly implore divine providence, especially as we overcome our limitations, weakness, and flaws.”

He also urged the Filipino faithful to have confidence and faith in God and each other as the nation moves toward progress.

The President said: “As we allow our shared experiences to shape our history and lead us in achieving our nation’s aspirations, let us place our confidence in the Almighty and put our trust in one another.

In the intersection of these things, we will certainly learn where to hold on and gain greater courage.

“I trust that no matter how uncertain the days ahead remain, we will soon understand the will of God and the purpose behind the journeys that we have only walked in faith.” (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Empowering communities through healthcare

SM Foundation, UNIQLO upgrade 3 health centers in Rizal

By Patricia Taculao

HEALTH centers in the Philippines became stalwart establishments that provided primary medical care to Filipinos in need, especially during the height of the pandemic. And as Filipinos began to see the value of health, the operations and traffic in health centers intensified.

The local health facilities stepped up and tended to various needs when hospitals became crowded from the surge of patients.

Seeing the need for well-prepared health centers throughout the country, SM Foundation and Japanese apparel designer and retailer UNIQLO collaborated to upgrade barangay health centers (BHCs) to help in catering to the medical needs of communities.

Through this collaboration, they were able to turn over three refurbished BHCs to the local governments of Taytay and Angono, Rizal, last November 29.

The BHCs inaugurated were the ABNAI Barangay Health Station in Sta. Ana, Taytay, Rizal, the San Roque Barangay Health Station, and the Angono RHU. It marks the 11th, 12th, and 13th renovated health facilities under the partnership.

SPREADING SOCIAL GOOD

“At SM, we believe that it is also our duty to empower grassroots communities through our various social good programs – aside from the socioeconomic benefits that we bring to communities where we operate,” said Connie Angeles, the executive director for Health and Medical Programs of the SM Foundation.

“For us, social good moves beyond charity but rather a commitment to supporting our communities in order to achieve sustainable growth and development. It means giving them the opportunity to take hold of their own destiny, allowing them to move towards progress, and empowering them to have safe, healthy, and productive lives.”

She further stressed the relevance of BHCs, especially for areas located some miles away from the nearest hospital or medical centers. It can immediately respond to preventive and primary care services with its equipment and facilities, providing patients in barangays with prompt care while keeping local hospitals from overcrowding.

The community-based health facilities will provide primary health services, maternal and child health care, immunization, vaccination for senior citizens, family planning, first-aid, and follow-up treatment for infectious diseases. The BHCs will also be the venue for COVID-19 vaccination to the targeted population.

BHCs can participate in a coordinated response during health emergencies and disasters to save lives and prevent unfavorable outcomes through its Emergency Go Kit+ provided by SM Foundation and UNIQLO.

Other facilities in the newly refurbished BHCs include a patients’ waiting lounge, reception area, consultation and treatment room, firstaid station, dental room, recovery room, conference room, Mobile Play Cabinet for children, breastfeeding room, and medicine storage cabinets.

Leaders of the local government units expressed their gratitude to SM Foundation and UNIQLO, sharing their aim to preserve the quality of the facilities as they operate to serve the community.

SM Foundation and UNIQLO’s continuous partnership empowers Filipinos from grassroots communities to become self-sufficient in times of need.

The BHCs promote health and wellness in local grassroots communities while keeping regional hospitals from overcrowding.

Residents from Barangay San Roque enjoy basic medical procedures at the newly-refurbished BHC.

The Go Kit+ boosts local communities’ preparedness during medical emergencies and disasters.

Dental services are now available at the Angono RHU II in Mahabang Parang.

SM Foundation and UNIQLO equip the BHCs with medicine and facilities to cater to the residents’ basic medical needs.

The health center features a Mobile Play Cabinet, encouraging children to have fun and learn while awaiting their check-ups.

SM Foundation and UNIQLO’s social good collaboration empowers local communities to have safe, healthy, and productive lives.

Members of the community, young and old, can expect quality treatment from the refurbished health centers.

Residents with communicable diseases can also receive treatment and medicine from the health centers.

The new BHCs promote accessible primary care for all members of the community, including children.

Income inequality

FIRST, the good news.

According to the World Bank, the Philippines was able to bring down poverty incidence from 49.2 percent in 1985 to 16.7 percent in 2018.

That’s definitely a big reduction in poverty incidence in this country from half of the population living in squalor in 1985 to less than one-fifth of Filipinos having been lifted out of misery within more than three decades.

We recall that the previous administration targeted a poverty incidence rate of 16 percent by the end of its term on June 30 this year. But the COVID-19 pandemic set back anti-poverty efforts for more than two years.

Now, the Marcos administration wants to cut the poverty rate to just 9 percent by the end of its term in 2028.

That will be possible with its economic targets set at 6.5 to 8 percent real gross domestic product growth annually between 2023 to 2028.

The bad news, however, is that the problem of inequality still persists.

Last month, the World Bank reported that the Philippines ranked 15th out of 63 countries in terms of income inequality.

The report said the top 1 percent of Philippine earners captured 17 percent of the total national income, with 14 percent of the income being shared by the bottom 50 percent.

That’s not just a big gap but a yawning abyss between the rich and the poor in Philippine society

All this is well and good, but beyond budgetary support for social services, what the poor really need is sustained assistance from the government to really make them stand on their own two feet

“With an income Gini coefficient of 42.3 percent in 2018, the Philippines ranks 15th of 63 countries for which data on income inequality is available. Of [East Asia and the Pacific] countries for which data are available for 2014-19, only in Thailand is income inequality greater than in the Philippines,” the World Bank observed.

And what accounts for this gross inequality?

The international finance institution attributes the inequality to, among others, “unequal opportunities, slow access to tertiary education among low-income households, inequality in returns to college education, and social norms putting the heavier burden of childcare on women”.

Ndiamé Diop, the World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, believes that “inequality of opportunity and low mobility across generations wastes human potential and slows down innovation, which is crucial for building a competitive and prosperous economy that will, in turn, improve the well-

being and quality of life of all Filipinos.”

We fully agree with these observations and hope that the new administration will be able to follow through on its pledge to reduce poverty in the country to single-digit level by the time it leaves office in 2028.

We believe that for this administration to deliver on its promise to reduce poverty, then it must adopt a whole-of-society approach, by involving government, the private sector, and civil society groups in a common effort to help the poor in identified priority areas through job and livelihood generation.

The national government should accelerate its infrastructure program to include the building of more roads and bridges and an extensive railway system to connect the regions and islands.

This will give ample employment opportunities to the poor.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps implemented by the Department of Social Work and Development should be continued to help the poorest of the poor and indigent families to cope with high process of good and services.

But the program should be assessed to plug loopholes in implementation at the local level.

We’ve heard of too many horror stories of 4Ps funds not reaching their intended beneficiaries and ending up instead in the pockets of the corrupt and unscrupulous.

At the same time, the administration should adopt a zero-tolerance for corruption at all levels of government, from the national down to the local levels.

We’re glad that as part of the overall economic development program for next year, the proposed national budget for next year contains P77 billion in additional appropriations for education, health, transportation and other vital social services.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development will get an additional P12.5 billion for assistance to individuals in crisis situations and 5 billion for increasing the pensions of senior citizens.

The Department of Transportation will get P2.5-billion for its fuel subsidy program for drivers and operators of public transportation and P2 billion for its Libreng Sakay for daily commuters.

The Department of Labor and Employment will have at its disposal P5 billion for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program as well as for livelihood generation.

The Department of Health will also get P20.25 billion more for various programs, such as medical assistance for indigent patients (P13B), and benefits for healthcare and non-healthcare workers and frontliners (P5B).

Meanwhile, the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority will be given an additional P5 billion for its training and scholarship programs.

All this is well and good, but beyond budgetary support for social services, what the poor really need is sustained assistance from the government to really make them stand on their own two feet.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Grasping contempt of court

In general, the character of the contempt… is determined by the nature of the contempt involved, regardless of the cause… and… the relief sought… The proceedings are to be regarded as criminal when the purpose is primarily punishment, and civil when the purpose is primarily compensatory or remedial” (G.R. 155849, August 31, 2011).

The power to punish for contempt is inherent in all courts and need not be

granted by statute (Lorenzo Shipping v. Distribution Association Management of the Philippines, G.R. 155849, August 31, 2011).

The exercise of the power to punish contempt has twofold aspects, namely: (1) the proper punishment of the guilty party for his disrespect towards the court or its orders; and (2) the compulsion of the performance of some act or duty required of him by the court which he refuses to perform (The Philippine Railways v. Paredes, et al., G.R. L-44983, March 31, 1936).

Recapitulating the twofold aspects of the exercise of the power of contempt, contempt is classified as civil or criminal.

Criminal contempt is conduct that is directed against the dignity and authority of the court and may occur in either criminal or civil actions and special proceedings (G.R. L-44983, March 31, 1936).

On the other hand, civil contempt consists of failing to do something ordered to be done by a court for the benefit of the opposing party in a civil action, and is, therefore, not an offense against the dignity of the court, but against the party in whose behalf the violated order is made (G.R. L-44983, March 31, 1936).

“It is at times difficult to determine whether the proceedings are civil or criminal.

Under the provisions of the Rules of Civil Procedure, “[C]ontempt of court is of two kinds, namely: direct contempt, which is committed in the presence of or so near the judge as to obstruct him in the administration of justice; and constructive or indirect contempt, which consists of willful disobedience of the lawful process or order of the court” (G.R. 155849, August 31, 2011).

The punishment for the first (direct contempt) is generally summary and immediate, and no process or evidence is necessary because the act is committed in facie curiae.

“The inherent power of courts to punish contempt of court committed in the presence of the courts without further proof of facts and without aid of a trial is not open to question…” (G.R. 155849, August 31, 2011).

Examples of direct contempt are using scurrilous language in the presence of the judge, offensive behaviors towards the opposing counsel or party in court, refusal to be sworn in or to answer as a witness, or to subscribe an affidavit or deposition when lawfully required to do so (see Rule 71, Section 1, Rules of Civil Procedure).

In the case of Cruz v. Gingoyon, a Motion for Reconsideration was filed by Ferdinand Cruz (Cruz) alleging that Judge Gingoyon has been communicating with the defendant off the record. When asked to adduce proof of the allegation, Cruz was not able to give any, but repeatedly argued that it is his “fair observation or conclusion” (G.R. 170404, September 28, 2011).

EDITORIAL

Priority economic bills

HOW do you accelerate economic turnaround?

One way, as pointed out by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, is for the legislature to pass the nine priority bills of Malacañang to enhance the investment and business environment in the country.

The priority legislative measures of the Palace are the GUIDE Act (Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery);

Valuation Reform Bill; Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act or PIFITA; E-Government Act; Internet Transaction Act or E-Commerce Law; National Land Use Act; Enactment of an Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry; Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act and Amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer Law.

These bills cover various sectors of the economy, from financial institutions to E-Governance to land use and the power and natural gas industries, among others. If passed into law, these would certainly boost the Marcos administration’s “Agenda of Prosperity,” whose key objective is to hasten

the country’s “economic transformation towards inclusivity and sustainability.”

The passage of these bills before yearend, according to the House leader, would in fact be a significant development as these would set the first stage to full economic recovery in 2023 and beyond.

Romualdez is bullish about the country’s

The optimism is well-founded, as the economy improved by an average of 7.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2022

economic prospects, judging from the keen interest shown by foreign businessmen in Philippine efforts to boost two-way trade and encourage investments in a broad range of domestic industries.

Next UP president elected today

TODAY, the University of the Philippines, through its Board of Regents, decides its fate by electing a new UP president.

Two candidates for UP president have been the subject of my commentaries the past few weeks. They are incumbent UP Diliman Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo, and former UP BOR member Angelo “Jijil” Jimenez.

It is common knowledge in UP that Nemenzo is sympathetic to the reds. Under his term as UP Diliman Chancellor, the campus was a haven for anti-administration activities. Pro-government rallies were not encouraged.

If elected UP President, Nemenzo is expected to make UP a center of activities against the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

It was evident to me that during the campaign leading to the May 2022 presidential and vice presidential elections, UP Diliman under Nemenzo was virtually in favor of the de facto Liberal Party ticket of Leni Robredo and Francis Pangilinan.

This was manifested in the public statements of certain UP administrators, faculty and students.

Whether the noisy administrators, faculty and students represent the majority of the UP Diliman community has not been ascertained.

What was obvious was the noisy sector of UP was staunchly anti-Bongbong Marcos and anti-Sara Duterte during the campaign.

For president, they preferred Robredo, a lackluster one-time congressman whose only claim to fame was that she is the widow of a President Noynoy Aquino era underling who once took a bus on the way home to the Bicol region.

Their choice for vice president was Pangilinan, a traditional politician who claimed on television that if he is elected vice president, the cost of food will drastically go down.

It was a patently false campaign claim, considering that the price of food products depends on market forces.

Besides, the vice president does not have either executive or legislative power that can affect the price of prime commodities, food included.

Examples of direct contempt are using scurrilous language in the presence of the judge, offensive behaviors towards the opposing counsel or party in court, refusal to be sworn in or to answer as a witness, or to subscribe an affidavit or deposition when lawfully required to do so

“The act of [Cruz] in openly accusing Judge Gingoyon of communicating with the defendant off the record, without factual basis, brings the court into disrepute. The accusation… is derogatory, offensive, and malicious. The accusation taints the credibility and the dignity of the court and questions its impartiality” (G.R. 170404, September 28, 2011).

“[C]ontemptuous statements made in

Nemenzo’s father was once UP president, and the son wants to be like the father.

The problem is that Nemenzo has barely finished his first term as UP Diliman Chancellor. His term, mostly covered by the COVID-19 pandemic, was passive and hardly noticeable.

How some 58 opinionated artists, scientists and UP faculty members were able to endorse Nemenzo for UP president despite his brief, inconsequential tenure as UP Diliman Chancellor is baffling.

I trust that the UP president the UP BOR will elect will have no partisan connections, and has enough experience as a competent UP administrator

Just like Nemenzo, Jimenez is also staunchly anti-Marcos. Unlike Nemenzo, however, Jimenez is a pinklawan and another rabid Noynoy Aquino minion like Robredo.

When Noynoy was President of the country, Jimenez managed to get himself appointed by Noynoy to the UP BOR.

Everybody knows that Noynoy Aquino extremely dislikes the Marcos family.

Aquino’s incompetent administration is best remembered by the blatant abuses of the congressional pork barrel system, and the questionable impeachment and ouster of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Jimenez was a member of the UP BOR when UP allowed the use of more than a hectare of prime land in UP Diliman for the site of the controversial “martial law museum” which will glorify the role of President Corazon Aquino in the downfall of the administration of President Ferdinand

pleadings… constitute direct contempt. [A] pleading… containing derogatory, offensive, or malicious statements submitted to the court or judge in which the proceedings are pending… has been held to be equivalent to misbehavior committed in the presence of or so near a court or judge…” (G.R. 170404, September 28, 2011).

“In contrast, the second [indirect contempt] usually requires proceedings less summary than the first. The proceedings for the punishment of the contumacious act committed outside the personal knowledge of the judge generally need the observance of all the elements of due process of law, that is, notice, written charges, and an opportunity to deny and to defend such charges before guilt is adjudged and sentence imposed” (G.R. 155849, August 31, 2011).

In the case of Britania v. Gepty, et al., the judgment obligor failed to appear in a motion hearing pursuant to Rule 39, Section 36 that allows the examination of the judgment obligor when the judgment remains unsatisfied. For this reason, Britania moved to hold Panganiban (judgment obligor) in indirect contempt of court (G.R. No. 246995, January 22, 2020).

“[I]ndirect contempt is only punished after a written petition is filed and an opportunity to be heard is given to the party charged. Verily, the trial court here should have dismissed [outright] petitioner’s [Britania] oral charge of indirect contempt for not being compliant with Section 3, Rule 71 of the Rules of Court” (G.R. 246995, January 22, 2020).

In another case, Hansel M. Marantan

The President’s recent visits to Indonesia, Singapore and the APEC Summit in Thailand highlighted the gains made by the Philippines in economic recovery even as the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be fully contained.

Romualdez has given assurances that “the best is yet to come” for the country as the administration’s economic development goals are adequately spelled out in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework and its eight-point socioeconomic plan.

The House adopted this through Concurrent Resolution No. 2 shortly after the 19th Congress convened in July.

“For the first time, the country has a clear six-year agenda with clearly defined goals,” he pointed out.

The optimism is well-founded, as the economy improved by an average of 7.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2022.

The country’s economic managers expect the economy to grow by 6.9 percent in the last quarter to meet the growth target of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent this year.

Congress and the Executive branch of government must closely collaborate in getting the Agenda for Prosperity up and running on all cylinders. Economic recovery should be the central task in the years ahead to fulfill our people’s hopes of a better future.

Marcos Sr. back in 1986.

At the very least, the martial law museum is partisan in character because it will showcase the alleged evils of the Marcos Sr. administration; laud communists who tried to overthrow the duly-constituted government of the Philippines and replacing it with one subservient to Red China; and praise the administrations of the mother and son Aquinos.

UP real estate cannot be used for partisan purposes.

Even if the martial law museum were not partisan in character, UP real estate should not be used to host a museum the objectivity of which is highly disputable.

UP land should not be used for political propaganda.

In my opinion, the martial law museum is a testament to the alliance of local communists and pro-Aquino elements.

Ultimately, a UP President manages not just UP Diliman but the entire UP System, which is made up of different campuses.

The job requires sufficient executive experience in university management, enforcement of university policies and rules, and dealing with university personnel and students.

Jimenez does not have that requisite experience.

Outside his non-executive tenure as a UP regent, Jimenez has never held any ranking office in UP which requires actual administrative know-how.

If Nemenzo, who has hardly been an effective UP executive, is not fit to be UP President, with all the more reason should the inexperienced Jimenez be unsuited to be one.

In a recent global study, UP lost its status as the premier university of the country. Based on their credentials, I doubt if Nemenzo or Jimenez can restore UP’s academic prestige.

I trust that the UP president the UP BOR will elect will have no partisan connections, and has enough experience as a competent UP administrator.

and other co-accuseds were charged with homicide, with the case being under the jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City.

It involved the alleged killing of Anton Cu-Unjieng, Francis Xavier Manzano, and Brian Anthony Dulay by the accused police officers in front of the AIC Gold Tower at Ortigas Center which was captured by a television crew from UNTV 37 (Marantan v. Diokno, et al., G.R. 205956, February 12, 2014).

Marantan claims that during an interview on TV Patrol with the victims’ relatives together with their lawyer, they allegedly made comments and disclosures pertaining to the judicial proceedings which tended to prejudge the guilt of the accused, to influence the court or to obstruct the administration of justice (G.R. 205956, February 12, 2014).

To Marantan the public comments violate the sub judice rule which may render one liable for indirect contempt under Sec. 3(d), Rule 71 of the Rules of Court. However, the Supreme Court held that “the comments seem to be… an expression of their [relatives] opinion that their loved ones were murdered by Marantan” (G.R. No. 205956, February 12, 2014).

“This is merely a reiteration of their position in [the criminal case] which precisely calls the Court to upgrade the charges from homicide to murder. The Court detects no malice on the face of the said statements. The mere restatement of their argument in their petition cannot actually, or does not even tend to, influence the Court” (G.R. 205956, February 12, 2014).

Chin

Rolando G. Estabillo

CONTEMPT is an act or omission tending to obstruct or interfere with the orderly administration of justice, or to impair the dignity of the court or respect for its authority (Barron’s Legal Dictionary).

specifically

Imee Marcos cites drop in unemployment rate in Oct.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE country’s unemployment rate went down to 4.5 percent in October from 5.0 percent in September, according to Senator Imee Marcos.

The lawmaker also cited the Octo ber 2022 Labor Force Survey which showed that the 7.6 percent growth of the economy recorded for the 3rd quarter of the year has translated to jobs, as indicated by the reduction in unemployment rate.

She said this marks a return of the unemployment rate to pre-pandemic levels.

However, she stressed that there is much work that needs to be done to address inflation-related responses, as the decrease in the unemployment rate has been due to less people looking for

DOJ urges Congress to hasten crafting of SIM Card Law rules

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday urged both the Senate and the House of Representatives to speed up the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the implementation of the SIM Card Registration law.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Re mulla stressed the need for the early implementation of the SIM Card Regis tration law because the new law would be a vital measure against child online exploitation in the country.

“We’re asking Congress, Senate

and House to speed up the IRR for the SIM Card Registration Act for it to be executory and help us identify all the perpetrators because we know that they are using prepaid and data services in online sexual case and in trafficking children,” Remulla said.

Makabayan bloc eyes P33k minimum monthly pay for government workers

THREE party-list representatives have called on Congress to ratify their bill seeking P33,000 minimum month ly pay for all government employees.

They are House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teach ers, House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, and Raoul Manuel of the Kabataan party-list.

The three legislators, who form the socalled Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives. filed House Bill 6560, which mandates the P33,000 minimum monthly pay for state workers.

“We filed this because we want to peg the Salary Grade 1 to P33,000 which is based on a family living wage. Even a number of government employees are hard pressed to make do with a P13,000 a month under the existing Salary Grade 1. That is even behind the minimum wage for the Na tional Capital Region at P570 (a day),” Castro said at a news conference.

”Kaya napapanahon, nararapat at rea

Manila Water bares water service cut-off

SOME parts of Cainta, Rizal and Mandaluyong City will experi ence water service interruption Dec. 8 to 9 and Dec. 13 to 14 due to maintenance works, the Manila Water Co. announced on Thursday.

Manila Water identified the af fected areas as parts of Barangay Sto. Domingo in Cainta from 10 p.m. of Dec. 8 until 4 a.m. of Dec. 9, specifically at Ortigas Pawn shop near Junction for line me ter replacement; and portions of Barangay Hulo (Purok 32-38 and Purok 48-60) in Mandaluyong from 10 p.m. of Dec. 13 until 4 a.m. of Dec. 14 on F. Blumentritt for leak repair.

The water company advised residents in the affected areas to store enough water for their needs during the supply interrup tion.

Once water service is restored, affected customers were advised to flush their toilets or let water run in their faucets for a few min utes until it becomes clear.

For updates or concerns, the Manila Water can be reached through its Customer Care Hot line 1627.

sonable na talagang ito ang asikasuhin ng ating Kongreso, itong pagtataas ng sweldo ng ating government employ ees Isinusulong ito ng Makabayan para magbigay talaga ng malaking alwan sa ating mga government employees. Tu loy ang laban ng mga government em ployees para sa nakabubuhay at disen teng sweldo para sa kanila at sa kanilang pamilya,” she added.

The bill’s proponents noted that un der the existing Salary Standardiza tion law, the lowest-paid employee in the civil service will only be given a meager salary increase of P1,932 increase (from P11,068 to P13,000 per month) to be delivered in four tranches of P483 per month.

“This translates to a measly P21.95 per day increase which is much lower compared to the P25 increase in minimum wage in the NCR in 2018. This is, historically, the lowest pay hike for government employees,” the authors said.

Remulla lamented that telecommuni cation companies have been instrumen tal in increasing child online exploita tion cases in the country as perpetrators can do their business without fear of being discovered since they use prepaid SIM cards, which can easily be bought and discarded.

“Telecom companies are skirting blame because they are profiting from this. I hope they will have a conscience and let’s speed up the crafting of the IRR,” Remulla said, in interview with reporters.

Remulla made the call after a meeting with United Nations Special Rapporteur Mama Fatima Singhateh, where they talked about child online sexual exploi

tation in the Philippines.

During their meeting, he also brought up several problems that hinder the fight against child exploitation, includ ing “very restrictive” money laundering mechanisms.

The DOJ Secretary said that payment solutions play a significant role in combating child exploitation, but payments for such illicit content usually do not breach money laundering limitations.

“They do not fall under the limitations of money laundering. That’s why they are hard to catch. The crime has already been done before you know it, but we should be working on the preventive as pect of it,” Remulla stressed.

work.

As an #IMEEsolusyon, there is a need to prioritize projects that have a high labor multiplier, such as con struction for infrastructure and ag riculture. There is also a need to address the employment gap in the tourism industry by providing alter native livelihood in the short run and a comprehensive tourism plan in the long run. The digital and the crea tive economy represent low-lying fruit and can be tapped to increase employment as well.

Food prices mainly drove up the country’s annual inflation rate to 8 percent this November, from 7.7 per cent in October. Although within the Bangko Sentral’s target of 7.4 percent to 8.2 percent, this represents a 14year high since the global financial crisis of 2008.

Rep. Villar pushes 13th month pay for all state employees

By Maricel V. Cruz

DEPUTY Speaker and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar on Thursday pushed for the approval of a bill granting a mandatory 13th pay for government workers, regardless of their employ ment status, including job order per sonnel and contractual employees.

In filing House Bill 6541 or the proposed 13th Month Pay Law for Contractual and Job Order Person nel,” Villar said the measure will benefit thousands of job order and contractual personnel working in the government, enabling them to cope with prices” as inflation siz zled to a 14-year high of eight per cent in November.

“These temporary hires had been languishing in government agen cies and state-owned corporations for several years, some even dec ades, and their work and compe tency could be akin with permanent hires,” Villar said. She added such workers perform the functions of regular employees.

“Despite their commitment and service to the public, they are not given full entitlements and are not entitled to legally mandated bonuses as prescribed by law especially ac corded to regular state workers, such as those given during the middle and end of the year,” Villar noted.

Under the measure, entitled to re ceive the 13th month pay are those who have rendered a minimum of three months service with the gov ernment before July 1 of the current fiscal year, prior to the granting of the 13th month pay.

Also, the minimum amount of 13th month pay shall not be less than half of the monthly salary received by the employee.

Villar underscored the importance of these workers in the delivery of government services to the public, and giving them the much-needed boost will help them cope with the increasing prices.

Development Goals,” Salceda added.

Salceda,

“PPPs

GROWTH Circle International (GCI), reputedly the country’s growing business community, in collaboration with RDR Business Solutions, will hold its first ever yearend party at The Circle Events Place on Timog Ave. corner Quezon Ave. in Qu ezon City at 3 p.m. Dec. 10.

This was announced by GCI chair man Reymond “RDR” delos Reyes said the gathering will have for its theme “The Great Gatsby.”

The event’s highlight is the awarding of its members for their hard work and active participation in the community.

Guests include Chad Kinis, Rjaybuls and many others.

Apart from GCI members, the event is also open to all business owners in the Philippines who are willing to learn more about GCI, Delos Reyes said.

The event is sponsored by Parak Clothing, Max Mango, Kenta Kogaku,

fiscal room forces us to be more creative in looking for funding sources for the coun try’s infrastructure investment gap.

Kangen Independent Distributor (Cheche), Tipid Sulit Laundry & AquaSkin. Special prizes from Bazfam Studio, 3A’s Fuel, Northpoint Marketing, CL Perfume, Irish Eye CCTV, Camp Laiya Beach Resort, Ciudad Villa Private Ven ue, LYB IT Solutions, B&L Multi-Di rect Sales Corporation, Digital Invaders PH, Keibyuti Skin Essentials, Barameda Purified Water Refilling Station, JY Vi sion, Hermosa Soundscapes and Everly Heels.

Trip to Japan with pocket money, cash prizes, appliances, CCTV, E-Commerce training slots, beauty products are only some of the raffle prizes to be given away in the said event.

Growth Circle International (GCI) is the first business organization in the Philippines. It is a working business referral network that is focused on its members.

“According to the G20 Global Infrastructure Outlook, the Philippines needs $559 billion in investments in key infrastructure sectors until 2040 to meet the Sustainable Development Goals,” the Bicol lawmaker said. “Optimistic trends bring us to $429 billion, with an investment gap of $131 billion, even considering national government investments in infrastructure. In other words, we need to search for funding for around P7.3 trillion in infrastructure projects in order to meet the Sustainable

“The national government cannot re alistically raise P1.047 trillion in taxes every year to meet this gap. As Ways and Means Chair, I can already tell you that we cannot raise this much. However, the government can leverage the resources of the private sector to ensure that these projects are undertaken in some form and under some arrangement,” he explained.

Salceda emphasized that the country’s private sector can close the infrastructure investment gap.

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said the proposed public-private partnership (PPP) law under the Marcos administra tion will help close the infrastructure in vestment gap of P7.3 trillion.

chairman of the House Com mittee on Ways and Means, made the statement as the House passed the PPP bill on second reading Wednesday. Salceda was the principal sponsor and head of the technical work ing group of the PPP measure.

matter now more than ever. Our

national government debt stands at 62.1 percent of GDP, and is expected to remain elevated to around 52 percent at the end of President Marcos’s term,” Salceda said.

He added that implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling has also reduced the national government’s fiscal space. Borrowing costs are also expected to re main elevated as central banks continue to fight global inflation. Limited

Maricel V. Cruz

COURTESY CALL. Iloilo City Rep. Julienne ‘Jam’ Baronda (6t, left), and Uswag Ilongo party-list Rep. James ‘Jojo’ Ang (5th, right) pay a courtesy call on Speaker Martin Romualdez (center) and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander ‘Sandro’ Marcos (4th left) at the House of Representatives, accompanied by a group of Iloilo vice mayors, namely, (not in order) Arvin Losaria of Lambunao, Arnold Betita Il of Carles, Mark Cordero of Estancia, Manuel Ganzon of Balasan, Lyle Bartolome of Leganes, Lowel Arban of Lemery, Geofrey Alonsabe of Alimodian, and Ronaldo Golez of Dumangas. [Inset] shows Romualdez delivering his opening message during the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) 1st Regular Meeting of the Board of Governors and Officers for 2022 at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City Thursday morning. Ver Noveno

CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS. With 17 days before Christmas, shoppers already fill the streets of M.D. Santos and Sta. Elena Streets in bargain hub Divisoria, Manila. Norman Cruz

YEAREND BASH. Reymond ‘RDR’ delos Reyes, the chairman of Growth Circle International (GCI), addresses members of the Philippines’ fast-growing business community in a recent meeting.

CHR starts investigation on Acosta death

following documentary exhibits, to wit: EXHIBIT DOCUMENT A…………TCT No. 004-2012-005665; B…………Deed of

WHEREAS, on July 13, 2022, the plaintiff, through counsel, filed an Ex-Parte Motion

Leave to Serve Summons by Publication to Defendant Spouses Ralph T. Alenain and Maria Theresa Feldonie Janelle Alenain;

WHEREAS, on August 22, 2022 the Honorable CARIDAD M. WALSE-LUTERO, Presiding Judge of this Court, issued an Order granting the same Ex-Parte Motion for Leave to Serve Summons by Publication to Defendant Spouses Ralph T. Alenain and Maria Theresa Feldonie Janelle Alenain;

NOW THEREFORE, Defendants Spouses Ralph T. Alenain and Maria Theresa Feldonie Janelle Alenain are hereby summoned and required to file with Branch 223, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City, their Answer to the Amended Complaint filed against them, within sixty (60) days after the last publication of this Summons, serving a copy thereof upon the plaintiff’s counsel, Atty. Antonio E. Escober at 3rd Floor, AZPHI Bldg., 2840 Ma. Aurora corner E. Zobel Sts., Poblacion, Makati City. Upon failure on their part to do so, as aforesaid, plaintiff will take judgment against them by default and demand from said Court reliefs prayed for in its Amended Complaint.

Let this Summons together with the Amended Complaint and its annexes be published by the plaintiff, at its expense, once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of daily circulation to be selected by raffle by the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City.

WITNESS, the HON. CARIDAD M. WALSELUTERO, Presiding Judge, Regional Trial Court, this 22nd day of August 2022.

AND ASSOCIATES Counsel for Plaintiff 3RD Flr. AZPHI Bldg., 2840 Ma. Aurora cor. E. Zobel Sts., Poblacion, Makati City Tel. (02) 5532575/Fax No. 846-0017 Email add: panopio_escober@yahoo.com By: (SGD.) ANTONIO E. ESCOBER Roll No. 28161 PTR No. 8543831/01-13/21/Makati City IBP No. 143377/01-08-21/Mla.II

PLAINTIFF, by counsel, to this Honorable Court, respectfully alleges:

1. Plaintiff Ronaldo Littaua is of legal age and with residence at No. 31 Fordham St., St. Ignatius Village, Quezon City;

2. Defendants Ralph T. Alenain and Maria Theresa Feldonie Janelle T. Alenain, are spouses, both of legal age and with residence at 39 F. Calderon St., Novaliches, Quezon City, where they may be served with summons and other processes of this Court.

Defendant Maria Theresa Feldonie Janelle T. Alenain is herein impleaded pursuant to the provisions of the law being the spouse of defendant Ralph T. Alenain.

3. Sometime on November 6, 2013, defendant Ralph T. Alenain, who represented himself as single, and the registered owner of a certain real property covered by Transfer Certificate of Title No. 004-2012-005665 of the Registry of Deeds of Quezon City, obtained a loan from plaintiff in the principal sum of Six Million Five Fifty Hundred Thousand (P6,550,000.00) Pesos to be payable in three (3) months with interest at the rate of five (5%) percent per month and penalty charge of One percent (1%) per month in the event of delay in the payment of the account as provided for in the hereafter mentioned real estate mortgage. As security for this loan, defendant Ralph T. Alenain executed a Deed of Real Estate Mortgage dated November 6, 2013, which was annotated in the said TCT No. 004-2012-0056665 as Entry No. 2013031152. Photocopy of TCT No. 004-2012005665 and the Deed of Real Estate Mortgage are hereto attached and made integral parts hereof as Annexes “A” and “B” respectively, 4. It appears from the entries at the back of said TCT NO. 004-2012-005665 under Entry No. 2012016158 that defendant Ralph T. Alenain, at the time he acquired the aforesaid mortgaged real property sometime on May 21, 2012 as borne by the date of the issuance of said title, and at the time he obtained the said loan from plaintiff, that he was already married to co-defendant Maria Theresa Feldonie Janelle T. Alenain. This is confirmed from the Affidavit executed by defendant Ralph Alenain dated June 7, 2012, copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “C:;

5. Defendant Ralph T. Alenain defaulted in the payment of the aforesaid loan within the period of three (3) months as stipulated in the said mortgage contract, thereby rendering the whole obligation due and payable. Demands were made by plaintiff upon the defendants to pay the aforesaid loan but the latter failed and continue to fail and refuse to pay the obligation. Photocopies of the demand letters dated July 18, 2017 and September 28, 2018 are hereto attached as Annexes “D” and “E” respectively.

6. That, plaintiff is waiving, as he hereby waives the stipulated interest of five (5%) due on the principal amount for the period of three (3) months including the penalty interest of one (1%) per month on the principal from the time of default until plaintiff sent the first demand letter dated July 18, 2017 which defendants received on July 20, 2017. As consequence of this waiver, the obligation of the defendants to plaintiff amounts to Php 6,550,000.00 representing the principal amount of the loan plus the legal interest of one (1%) per month from date of first demand dated July 18, 2017 until fully paid;

7. That, due to the continued failure and refusal of the defendants to pay the above just and valid obligation, the plaintiff was constrained to engage the services of counsel for which reason he agreed to pay the sum equivalent to ten (10%) percent of the amount due as and for attorney’s fees.

8. That, the above allegations and claims of plaintiff are supported by documentary evidence and testimony of witnesses, the plaintiff and the staff of undersigned counsel who served the demand letter.

The plaintiff will testify on the following matters: personal knowledge of defendant Ralph T. Alenain; the transaction between plaintiff and defendant Ralph Alenain involving the loan obtained by the latter from the former in the principal sum of P6,550,000.00, and the stipulated interest; the fact that defendant Ralph Alenain is married to certain Maria Theresa Feldonie Janelle T. Alenain; the execution of the real estate mortgage by defendant Ralph Alenain as security for the loan; the default by defendants of the payment of the loan; the demand, and consequent legal action taken y plaintiff to recover the loan; damages incurred by plaintiff in the form of attorney’s fees and costs of litigation, and such pertinent allegations in the complaint and related matters. The second will testitfy on the service of the demand letter upon the defendant and related matters. Copy of the Judicial Affidavits of the witness plaintiff and Mr. Fiel A. Bulfango, are hereto attached as Annexes “F” and “G”, respectively. 9. The plaintiff will submit and mark the

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

TREPUBLIC OF THEPHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 221, QUEZON CITY

KIMBERLY ANN JERVOSO COROVIC, Petitioner, SPL. PROC. R.-QZN-22-09135-SP For: Recognition of Foreign Divorce Decree (Cancellation or Correction of Entries in the Civil Registry) -VersusTHE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL, Respondent.

HE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has started an independent investigation on the deaths of National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Ericson Acosta and a peasant organizer in Negros Occidental on December 1.

x-------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

to ensure the conduct of a swift and impar tial investigation.

Human rights groups alliance Karapatan earlier called on the commission to look into the incident after the NDF-Negros re ported that Acosta and his companion Jo seph Jimenez were killed in a military op eration.

vestigate the deaths of Acosta and Jimenez, it would still stand by its statement that the two were killed in an encounter. “Yes (we would stand by our statement)...We trust our soldiers. They are risking their lives in the performance of their duties,” he added.

According to Aguilar, the soldiers have no reason to lie about the incident.

In a statement, the CHR said the inves tigation is being conducted by its regional office in Region VII.

“It is expedient to probe the truth and de liver justice in all allegations of arbitrary killing that desecrate the right to life,” the CHR said. “As the State has the prime duty to protect life, CHR expects parallel probe by the concerned authorities.”

A verified Petition was filed before this Court on August 30, 2022, by petitioner, Kimberly Anne Jervoso Corovic, praying for the following; viz: (1) recognizing the divorce of Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic; (2) declaring the marital bond between Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic severed as a result thereof and declaring that the petitioner is capacitated to remarry; (3) directing the Civil Registrar General to annotate the Divorce Judgment on the Report of Marriage of Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic; and (4) directing the Civil Registrar General to register and record this Honorable Court’s Judgment recognizing the divorce of Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic. Finding the verified Petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the Court gives due course thereto.

Citing the initial report of NDF-Negros, Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Pala bay earlier said Acosta and Jimenez were captured alive as of 2 a.m. of November 30 in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi in the city but were later tagged by the AFP as casualties in an encounter.

Residents also said that the bodies of the two bore stab wounds, she said.

AFP spokesperson Medel Aguilar earlier dismissed the NDF’s report as “lies” and said the group was trying to discredit the military. He also said reports that the victim sustained stab wounds were “fabricated.”

Meanwhile, 3rd Infantry Division com mander and acting Visayas Command com mander Major General Benedict Arevalo denied that human rights were violated in the operation. Arevalo also dismissed the claims that Acosta and Jimenez were not armed. He said there were photos coming out showing Acosta carrying firearms as he reiterated that Acosta was an NPA member.

WHEREFORE, let a copy of this Order be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at petitioner’s expense, upon coordination with the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial

The CHR also asked the cooperation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)

On Thursday, Aguilar said that while the AFP welcomes the move of the CHR to in

DBM chief stresses need for budget transparency

The CHR meanwhile said it is support ing the Department of Interior and Local Government for its new “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” or BIDA program that seeks to combat the drug problem through demand reduction and rehabilitation of per sons who use drugs. Rio N. Araja

IN BRIEF

Inday Sara lauds Batangas province

VICE President Sara Duterte lauded on Thursday the efforts of the people behind the remarkable achievements of Batan gas province in the past four centuries.

The vice president made the state ment during the celebration of the 441st founding anniversary of Batangas.

In a Facebook post, Duterte said the work of its people is praise-worthy con sidering how Batangas has been fortified for over four centuries.

“The province has truly gone through a lot and we are praising its leaders and the people in transforming Batangas into strong province),” she said.

“Because of this, their economy, tour ism, human resource, and changes are all geared to the progress of the province,” Duterte added.

She said this character of the people would further bring more successes to the province.

“Four hundred forty-one years of pursuing your own progress, driving Batangueños to face the future with hope and optimism that your individual and collective efforts will bring about social reforms,” she said during her speech.

The vice president, meanwhile, was recognized during the province’s Dangal ng Batangan for public service.

Duterte was honored as “Natatanging Batangueño,” with her husband coming from Ibaan.

Lawmaker launches

‘Lab Bus’ in Aklan

ORDER A verified Petition was filed before this Court on August 30, 2022, by petitioner, Kimberly Anne Jervoso Corovic, praying for the following; viz: (1) recognizing the divorce of Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic; (2) declaring the marital bond between Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic severed as a result thereof and declaring that the petitioner is capacitated to remarry; (3) directing the Civil Registrar General to annotate the Divorce Judgment on the Report of Marriage of Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic; and (4) directing the Civil Registrar General to register and record this Honorable Court’s Judgment recognizing the divorce of Kimberly Anne Corovic and Emil Corovic. Finding the verified Petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the Court gives due course thereto.

WHEREFORE, let a copy of this Order be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at petitioner’s expense, upon coordination with the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City.

Hearing on the verified Petition is hereby set on January 23, 2023 at 9:30 A.M. before this Court at Room 608, 6/F, Hall of Justice-Annex City Hall Complex, Quezon City, at which date and time and place all interested persons are required to appear and show cause why the petition should not be granted.

Let copies of this Order be posted by the Branch Sheriff thirty (3) days before the hearing date at the following places at the expense of the Petitioner:

1. At the main entrance of the City Hall Buildiing, Quezon City;

2. On the bulletin board of the Court, Hall of Justice Bldg., Quezon City; and 3. At the Barangay Hall of barangay where the petitioner resides

Likewise, let a copy of this Order be furnished the Office of the Local Civil of Quezon City; the Office of the Solicitor General, Makati City; the Office of the City Prosecutor, Quezon City; the Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia; the Department of Foreign Affairs; the Civil Registrar General and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Further, petitioner through counsel is ordered to furnish

respondent Emil Corovic a copy of this Order with the Petition and its annexes thereto at his given address, and to show proof of compliance hereof before the hearing date. SO ORDERED.

Quezon City, September 13, 2022.

Republic of the Servia

Office of the Local Civil Registrar, Quezon City

Office of the Solicitor General, Makati City

Office of the City Prosecutor, Quezon City Embassy of the Republic of Serbia Department of Foreign Affairs, Pasay City Philippine Statistics Authority /cyn

“It is vital that

realize that open govern ment

not only benefit the system, rather its advantage cascades to different sectors of society. It creates more stable conditions to incentivize investments from the private sec tor, sets the stage for ensuring public trust, and strengthens the country’s democratic institu tion’s principles,” Pangandaman said during the 2021 Open Budget Survey (OBS) Public Forum held recently , organized by the La Salle Insti tute of Governance, together with the Interna tional Budget Partnership and Stratbase ADR Institute.

Results of the 2021 OBS show that the Philip pines was able to maintain its lead in Southeast Asia despite a decline in its score. The Philip pines scored 68 out of 100 in budget transpar ency, placing the country at the 19th rank out of 120 countries. In the previous round of the OBS in 2019, the Philippines got a score of 76 and ranked 10th.

Pangandaman stressed DBM’s commitment to open and participatory government and its in tent to take OBS recommendations to improve budget processes.

“We are also committed to continuing working towards an open and participatory government as we chair the Philippine Open Government Partnership Stating committee. Furthermore, we will take the recommendations of the OBS to heart and study the feasibility of introducing this in our processes,” she added.

AKLAN Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. has launched the Lab Bus Program, a mo bile laboratory and diagnostic clinic that seeks to bring health and medical servic es more accessible to the people.

“Health and wellness remain a priority agenda for Aklanons especially amid the pandemic. Our goal is to bring health ser vices closer to the people,” Haresco said.

Supported by the Department of Health (DOH) Western Visayas Center for Health Development, the Lab Bus will be a weekly medical mission for Ak lan, beginning at the town of Tangalan, a 5th-class municipality in the province.

“The Lab Bus is our fitting Christmas gift for the people of Aklan – to ensure that all families are safe and healthy as we provide more accessible health and medical services for them,” Haresco added.

According to Haresco, the Lab Bus is inspired by the impactful Love Bus of First Lady Imelda Marcos and operated by what was then the Ministry of Trans portation and Communication which provided first ever comfortable aircon buses in Metro Manila.

“Accessing directly barangays, con venience plays a key role in providing medical and latest in technology servic es. When we bring these life-changing services to the comfort of the people’s homes and barangays, we send them an important message that their government is sincerely working for them,” Haresco said. Maricel V. Cruz

Republic of the Servia Office of the Local Civil Registrar, Quezon City Office of the Solicitor General,

DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman reit erated the importance of budget transparency after the Philippines slipped eight notches in a budget transparency survey for 2021 but still maintained its lead in Southeast Asia.

we

does

ILLUMINATED. The façade of the historic building of the Manila Central Post Office in Lawton, Manila is illuminated with Christmas lights to usher in the holiday season. Danny Pata

CHRISTMAS STAMPS. A stamp collector shows new Christmas stamps released by the Philippine Postal Corporation on Thursday. The Christmas 2022 postage stamps illustrate the loving nature of Filipinos and their strong faith in God in traditional Christmas scenes. Danny Pata

Peru president ousted, arrested after bid to dissolve Congress

LIMA—Peru’s leftist president Pedro Castillo was ousted by lawmakers and arrested Wednesday after trying to dis solve the South American country’s Congress in a move widely condemned as an attempted coup.

The dizzying series of events in a country long prone to political upheav al resulted in even more history, with Vice President Dina Boluarte later be coming Peru’s first woman president.

The day of high drama began with Castillo facing his third impeachment attempt since the former rural school teacher unexpectedly won power from Peru’s traditional political elite 18 months ago.

In a televised address, the 53-yearold announced he was dissolving the opposition-dominated Congress, in stalling a curfew, and would rule by decree for at least nine months.

As criticism poured in over the

speech, lawmakers defiantly gathered earlier than planned to debate the im peachment motion and approved it with 101 votes out of a total of 130 lawmakers.

Castillo left the presidential palace after the vote with the intention of seeking asylum in Mexico’s embassy before he was arrested, according to a police report published by local press.

After his arrest was officially an nounced, a source in the attorney gen eral’s office told AFP that Castillo was being investigated for “rebellion.”

Boluarte took the oath of office with in two hours of the impeachment vote, donning the presidential sash in front of Congress.

During the ceremony, she said “there was an attempted coup by Mr Pedro Castillo that did not receive any sup port in the democratic institutions or out in the streets.” AFP

BUT MOSCOW WON’T DEPLOY FIRST

Putin says nuclear tensions ‘rising’

like a razor while running around the world.”

But he acknowledged the growing tensions, saying “such a threat is rising. Why make a secret out of it here?”

He added, however, that Russia would use a nuclear weapon only in response to an enemy strike.

Speaking more than nine months af ter his forces launched their military op eration, Putin warned the conflict could be “lengthy”.

Russian forces have missed most of their key military goals since February, raising fears that the battlefield stale

mate could see Russia resort to its nu clear arsenal to achieve a breakthrough.

“We have not gone crazy, we are aware of what nuclear weapons are,” Putin said Wednesday at a meeting of his human rights council.

“We are not going to brandish them

Biden leads vigil for US mass shooting victims

WASHINGTON—US President Joe Biden on Wednesday led a moment of si lence at a vigil for victims of gun violence and urged a ban on military style weapons commonly used in mass shootings.

Biden addressed the Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence at a Washington, DC, church, saying that the increasingly frequent mass shootings are tearing the country apart.

It’s “violence that rips at the very soul, at the very soul of this nation,” a somber Biden said.

Reflecting on his own family tragedy, including losing his first wife and infant daughter in a car accident, then one of his sons to cancer, Biden said he could empa thize with survivors of mass murders, like the 2012 massacre in a Newtown, Con necticut, elementary school that left 26 people dead. Twenty of them were chil dren aged six or seven.

Iran carries out first execution over Amini protests

TEHRAN—Iran hanged a man Thurs day convicted of wounding a paramili tary force member, the judiciary said, the first known execution it has carried out over nearly three months of protests.

“Mohsen Shekari, a rioter who blocked Sattar Khan Street in Tehran on Septem ber 25 and wounded one of the security guards with a machete, was executed this morning,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said.

Demonstrations have swept Iran for nearly three months since Amini died after her arrest by the notorious morality police in Tehran for an alleged breach of the country’s strict hijab dress code for women.

The authorities, who have struggled to contain the protests, describe them as “riots” fomented by Iran’s arch foe the United States and its allies, including Britain and Israel.

The revolutionary court in Tehran heard Shekari had been arrested after hitting the member of the Basij paramili tary force in the shoulder, an injury that required 13 stitches, Mizan Online said.

The judiciary said Shekari was found guilty of fighting and drawing a weapon “with the intention of killing, causing terror and disturbing the order and secu rity of society”.

It convicted him of “moharebeh”—or waging “war against God” under Iran’s Islamic sharia law—on November 1, said Mizan, adding that he appealed the ruling but the supreme court upheld it on November 20. AFP

“Everyone’s different but I know that feeling. You know, it’s like a black hole in the middle of your chest. You’re being dragged into it. You never know where there’s a way out,” the visibly moved president said.

Biden noted that in his first two years in office he had managed to get Con gress to pass the “most significant gun law passed in 30 years but it’s still not enough.” The law expands background checks and reinforces measures to get firearms out of the hands of potentially dangerous people.

Biden again called for resurrecting a far stricter law which expired in 2004, banning military style rifles with large ca pacity magazines. This would include the AR-15 rifle, which is a best seller among legitimate gun enthusiasts but regularly crops up as the weapon of choice in mass shootings. AFP

“When we are struck, we strike back,” Putin said, stressing that Moscow’s strat egy was based on a “so-called retaliatory strike” policy.

“But if we aren’t the first to use it un der any circumstances, then we will not

be the second to use them either, because the possibilities of using them in the event of a nuclear strike against our terri tory are very limited,” he said.

His comments drew an immediate re buke from the US.

“We think any loose talk of nuclear weapons is absolutely irresponsible,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

“It is dangerous, and it goes against the spirit of that statement that has been at the core of the nuclear non-proliferation re gime since the Cold War,” he said. AFP

Royals brace as ‘Harry & Meghan’ airs on Netflix

LONDON—The first three episodes of a docuseries on Prince Harry and his wife Meghan air on Thursday, with expectations of more damaging claims about British royal family life. The six-part fly-on-the-wall docu mentary, “Harry and Meghan”, promis es to lift the lid on events that prompted the pair to quit royal life and move to the United States in 2020.

Trailers aired in the run-up to the much-hyped Netflix release suggest it will further deepen the couple’s rift with Harry’s family since their acri monious departure dubbed “Megxit”. One British newspaper said the royal family were viewing the series as a “declaration of war” on the back of the content of promotional clips. In one, Harry, 38, appears to accuse some within the royal household of leaking and planting stories about the couple in the British press, calling it “a dirty game”.

“No one sees what’s going on be hind closed doors,” the prince says. “We know the full truth,” he adds in another clip.

“When the stakes are this high, doesn’t it make sense to hear our sto ry from us?” Meghan chips in.

The first three episodes of what the US streaming giant vows will be “an unprecedented and in-depth documentary series” will be available from 0800 GMT.

The final three parts are released on December 15.

Tributes pour in for whistleblower doctor after China’s zero-Covid U-turn

WASHINGTON—US President Joe Biden on Wednesday led a moment of silence at a vigil for victims of gun violence and urged a ban on military style weapons commonly used in mass shootings.

Biden addressed the Annual Na tional Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence at a Washington, DC, church, saying that the increasingly frequent mass shootings are tearing the country apart.

It’s “violence that rips at the very soul, at the very soul of this nation,” a somber Biden said.

Reflecting on his own family trag

edy, including losing his first wife and infant daughter in a car accident, then one of his sons to cancer, Biden said he could empathize with survivors of mass murders, like the 2012 massacre in a Newtown, Connecticut, elemen tary school that left 26 people dead. Twenty of them were children aged six or seven.

“Everyone’s different but I know that feeling. You know, it’s like a black hole in the middle of your chest. You’re being dragged into it. You never know where there’s a way out,” the visibly moved president said. Biden noted that in his first two

years in office he had managed to get Congress to pass the “most sig nificant gun law passed in 30 years but it’s still not enough.” The law expands background checks and re inforces measures to get firearms out of the hands of potentially dangerous people.

Biden again called for resurrecting a far stricter law which expired in 2004, banning military style rifles with large capacity magazines. This would in clude the AR-15 rifle, which is a best seller among legitimate gun enthusiasts but regularly crops up as the weapon of choice in mass shootings. AFP

Australians

SYDNEY—A survivor of the 2002 Bali bombings on Thursday said it was “laughable” to see one of the bomb mak ers released from an Indonesian prison after serving half his 20-year sentence.

Umar Patek was a member of an Al Qaeda-linked group that detonated two bombs outside a Bali bar and nightclub in October 2002, killing 202 people—in cluding 88 Australians.

Patek was released on parole Wednes day, Indonesian authorities confirmed, despite repeated pleas from the Austra lian government to keep him behind bars.

Australian attack survivor Peter Hughes, who spoke at Patek’s trial in 2012, said the convicted extremist de served to serve the “harshest sentence”.

“It’s seriously threatening... the royal family,” commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP of the docuse ries, branding it “a form of revenge”.

“It could be explosive,” he said, adding: “It’s very difficult to know what the royal family can do about it.”

Netflix showcased the first trailer last week, just as Harry’s brother Wil liam made his first trip to the US as Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, prompting accusations of sabotage.

The timing could barely have been worse for William after Buckingham Palace sacked one of his godmothers as a courtier for using racially charged language to a black British woman at a reception. AFP

“For him to be let out, it’s laughable,” he told Australian national broadcaster ABC.

Indonesian authorities said they be lieved Patek had rehabilitated himself inside prison after completing a deradi calization program.

Patek has said he wanted to devote himself to deradicalizing other inmates.

Australia’s deputy prime minister Richard Marles urged Indonesia to keep Patek under “constant surveillance”.

“We will continue to make representa tions to make sure that there is constant surveillance of Umar Patek,” he told ABC.

“I think this is going to be a very dif ficult day for many Australians.” AFP

angered by release of Bali bomb maker after 10 years

MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that nuclear tensions were rising, though he insisted “we have not gone crazy” and Moscow would not be the first to deploy atomic weapons in the Ukraine conflict.

PERU’S NEW PRESIDENT. Peruvian Congress leader Jose Williams Zapata (left) swears in Dina Boluarte as the new President hours after former President Pedro Castillo was impeached in Lima on December 7. Boluarte, a 60-year-old lawyer, was sworn in as Peru’s first female president just hours after Castillo tried to wrest control of the legislature in a move criticized as an attempted coup. AFP

VIOLENCE VIGIL. US President Joe Biden hugs Jackie Hagerty, who survived the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, during the 10th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, on December 7. AFP

VIET JETS. Su-30MK2 fighter jets of Vietnam People’s Army Air Force fly during the Vietnam 2022 International Defense Expo in Hanoi on December 8. AFP

IN BRIEF

Ayala Group wins 8 awards in corporate governance

EIGHT companies under the Ayala Group were recognized during the 2021 ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard awards.

The group said in a statement Thursday Ayala Corp., Ayala Land Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Globe Telecom Inc., ACEN Corp., Integrated Micro-electron ics Inc., Ayala Land Logistics Holdings Corp. and Cebu Holdings Inc. were rec ognised for adhering to international best practices on corporate governance.

ALI and Globe also received the addi tional distinction of being part of the top 20 ASEAN publicly-listed companies and the top 3 Philippine PLCs.

“We are grateful to the ACGS awards for acknowledging the efforts that we have put in to improve and align our governance practices with regional and global standards,” Ayala chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said. “Ayala re mains committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and continues to uphold these standards across our busi ness units,” he said.

Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Emilio Aquino said ACGS seeks to recognize the valuable efforts of the top performing publicly-listed compa nies across the ASEAN region in improv ing and raising the standard in corporate governance. Jenniffer B. Austria

Diokno expects robust GDP expansion in fourth quarter

By Julito G. Rada

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Thursday the strong gross domestic product growth will likey be sustained in the fourth quarter based on economic numbers such as the improving employment situation, declining world oil prices and the recovery of the peso against the US dollar.

“The recent economic numbers all point to a sustained, strong fourth-quar ter economic performance,” Diokno said in a message to reporters.

“The jobs market continues to im prove…, manufacturing output is ris ing and capacity utilization rate is im proving. The peso has stabilized and is growing stronger, and oil prices are falling to near pre-Russian invasion of Ukraine levels,” Diokno said.

He said with the strong fourth-quarter growth, the implication is that with the peso stabilizing and oil prices falling, inflation would soon fall.

Diokno said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expected inflation to average 5.8 percent this year, then slow down to the upper bound of the 2 percent to 4 percent target band in 2023, before set tling at the midpoint of the target band by 2024.

“With the recent numbers, the likeli hood that the BSP forecast, which was subsequently adopted by the DBCC [Development Budget Coordination Committee] will be achieved, is getting stronger,” he said.

The country’s labor market in October bounced back to its pre-pandemic level after the unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent from 7.4 percent a year ago.

It was the lowest rate recorded for all Oc tober rounds since 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Wednesday.

The October jobless rate was also lower compared to the 5 percent record ed in September.

The employment rate increased to 95.5 percent, the highest record since the start of the pandemic. This trans lated into an employment level of 47.1 million in October, or 3.3 million higher than a year ago.

6,525.16

United States Dollar 1.00000056.0180 Japan Yen 0.0072970.4088 UKPound1.21400068.0059 Hong KongDollar0.1286027.2040 SwitzerlandFranc1.06202259.4923 CanadaDollar0.73254741.0358 SingaporeDollar0.73616041.2382 AustraliaDollar0.66920037.4872 BahrainDinar2.652661148.5968 Saudi Arabia Rial 0.26602814.9024 BruneiDollar0.73346041.0870 IndonesiaRupiah0.0000640.0036 Thailand Baht 0.0284861.5957

UAE Dirham0.27227915.2525 EuroEuro 1.04710058.6564 Korea Won 0.0007580.0425 ChinaYuan0.1429598.0083 IndiaRupee0.0121240.6792 MalaysiaRinggit0.22773912.7575 New Zealand Dollar 0.63200035.4034 TaiwanDollar0.0326411.8285

NPC, DMCI Power

in

talks to resolve P1.3-b fuel debt

STATE-RUN National Power Corp. and off-grid energy player DMCI Power Corp. are in talks to resolve the P1.2-bil lion to P1.3-billion fuel debt of the gov ernment as of-end November.

DPC chairman Isidro Consunji said Napocor’s fuel debt soared to P1.2 billion due to high diesel costs which trebled this year. DPC said it did not curtail power supply despite the unpaid debt.

“We have not been paid. Around P1.3 billion [was] overdue for three plants” Masbate, Mindoro and Palawan. That’s four and a half months overdue,” Con sunji said.

He said Energy Secretary Raphael Lo tilla received an approval to allow Napo cor to borrow, “but [with] more than bor rowing you have to approve the universal charge.”

“There are a lot of off-grid companies who are complaining,” Consunji said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Panguil Bay Bridge nears completion

THE Department of Public Works and Highways said Thursday the construction of the 3.17-kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge that will connect the City of Tangub in Misamis Occidental to the municipal ity of Tubod in Lanao del Norte is now 61-percent complete.

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the government would not only ensure continuity of major infra structure projects started by the previ ous administration, but also aimed to to fast-track their completion to get the Philippines back on the road to eco nomic recovery.

DPWH senior undersecretary Emil Sa dain said the bridge costing P7.37 billion and financed by a loan agreement with the Korean Export Import Bank is a mile stone highlighting how the design and construction of a modern bridge with sea offshore excavation depth of up to more than 50 meters has evolved.

The construction blitz started follow ing the full completion of all 54 bored pil ing works to allow the start of construc tion of the 36 abutment and pier column.

Darwin G. Amojelar

NAC

ENVIRONMENTALISTS.

Nickel Asia Corp. environmental teams, with representatives from its subsidiaries, get together for the first time as a group in Surigao del Norte province to map their corporate direction for 2023 and to dissect and absorb the new environmental law issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources this year.

Department Administrative Order 2022-04 issued in March mandates all mining companies to incorporate the principles and processes of biodiversity assessment and ecological protection right before the start of actual mining operation and not only during rehabilitation proceedings that continue up to end of mine life.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission said Thursday electricity charges of some electric cooperatives and distribu tion utilities reached as high as P17 per kilowatt-hour.

This prompted the regulator to investi gate the accuracy and reasonableness of the generation rates being passed on by electric co-ops and distribution utilities to consumers.

It said it started holding a power supply agreement caravan around the country to

By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. plans to apply for a grant with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency for a feasibility study on small nuclear reactors, a top ex ecutive said Thursday.

“We are applying for a grant with the USTDA to do a feasibility study for SMR. So, it’s in the process. But we’re looking into nuclear, for feasibility study only,” Meralco president Ray Espinosa said.

The USTDA links U.S. businesses to export projects by funding project prepa rations and creating partnerships.

The USTDA awarded a grant to Roro Power Nuclear S.A., a subsidiary of na tional nuclear energy producer Nuclear electrica SA, for a front-end engineering

and design study to develop Romania’s first SMR nuclear power plant in October.

The International Atomic Energy Agen cy defines SMRs as advanced nuclear re actors with up to 300 megawatts, or about a third of the generating capacity of tradi tional nuclear power reactors. SMRs are smaller in size than conventional power reactors and are easier to install.

Meralco is studying nuclear power as part of its sustainability strategy through 2050 in the wake of the government’s plan to pursue nuclear power in the energy mix.

Espinosa earlier said the diversity of fuel sources is important for both energy security and affordability.

Mealco announced in February that it was looking at spending close to P110

NHMFC SECURITIES.

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar keynotes the first Stakeholders’ Night of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. which recently launched compliance asset-backed securities offering to raise P570 million. The latest securitization offering of the NHMFC is now available for developers.

Acuzar announced that the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the compliance ABS of NHMFC to allow developers to enjoy a convenient, risk-free manner of compliance to the Balanced Housing Development Program— where developers are required to contribute to socialized housing projects under the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.

Meralco seeks US grant to conduct small nuclear reactor feasibility study

billion to implement its long-term sustain ability strategy.

Meralco chief sustainability officer Raymond Ravelo said about P30 billion would be spent on renewable energy proj ects, while “about half of that [P110 bil lion] will be in the non-regulated space.”

The company crafted its long-term sus tainability strategy as it aims to drive deep decarbonization through 2050.

Meralco said core to the strategy is the low-carbon transition plan underpinned by its commitment to source 1,500 mega watts of power requirements in the next five years from clean energy sources and to build 1,500 MW of renewable energy generation capacity by 2027 through Meralco PowerGen Corp. and Global Business Power Corp.

help consumers and the electric coopera tives address the high electricity prices.

“There already exists a global crisis on the rising prices of oil and coal, which caused electricity rates to increase. These problems are the reasons why we are here to find solutions. No one knows every thing, but if we work together, we can survive this extraordinary period,” ERC commissioner Marko Romero Fuentes said.

ERC recently held a caravan with four

distribution

Fuentes led the consultative meeting in exploring feasible immediate measures to ease the burden of electricity consumers who would have to set aside additional funds to pay for higher electric bills.

The ERC earlier suspended the col lection of the feed-in tariff allowance to

It

By Othel V. Campos

CLARK International Airport Corp. will assume oversight functions and monitor the daily operations of the privately-run Clark International Air port, CIAC officer-in-charge Darwin Cunanan said Thursday.

Cunanan said this was based on a directive by Department of Transpor tation Secretary Jaime Bautista dated Nov. 7 ordering CIAC to exercise “regulatory supervision and over sight of activities occurring within the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, including CRK.”

CRK is the code used by the Inter national Air Transport Association for Clark International Airport.

The DOTr exercises policy and operational supervision over CIAC, while private consortium Luzon In ternational Premier Airport Devel opment Corp. acts as operator of the Clark airport.

“The DOTr gave CIAC the author ity to represent the department in the functions of its administrative super vision over LIPAD’s airport opera tions, so we shall be working closely with LIPAD in ensuring that opera tions abide by international standards and other rules and regulations as provided for by the national govern ment,” Cunanan said.

The DOTr also notified state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority about CIAC’s oversight functions. CIAC is a unit of BCDA. Cunanan said Bautista had also directed CIAC to “contribute to the overall efficiency of the Philippine air transportation system and serve its role as an alternate airport.”

“As the national government’s avia tion authority in Clark, we have been ordered to oversee the day-to-day oper ations of the airport simultaneous with our day-to-day management of avia tion-related business activities within the civil aviation complex,” he said.

A part of the function of CIAC is to ensure that the airport facility is operated and maintained safely and securely by LIPAD in accordance with International Civil Aviation Or ganization and the Civil Aviation Au thority of the Philippines standards, and other airport safety and security related policies, rules and regulations.

CIAC to assume oversight functions over Clark airport BSP:

It was also about 6.9 times the coun try’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.2 times based on residual maturity.

“The

The net international reserves, which refer to the difference between the BSP’s reserve assets and reserve li abilities , went down to $93.93 billion as of end-November from $93.99 bil lion a month earlier.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed the country’s total outstanding debt as of end-October ballooned to a new record of P13.64 trillion, up by P123.92 billion or 0.92 percent from the end-September figure of P13.52 trillion, driven by more bor rowings of the government and weaker peso against the US dollar.

The government’s domestic debt amounted to P9.36 trillion, which was P54.58 billion or 0.59 percent higher than the end-September 2022 level.

spare the consumers from paying P0.0364 per kWh for the next three billing months starting December.

ERC chairperson and chief executive Monalisa Dimalanta Dimalanta said that in the course of the agency’s monitor ing of monthly submissions from PUs/ ECs of their generation charges, the ERC identified the need to conduct a more thor ough validation of the passed-on or passthrough charges under certain PSAs.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Domestic debt comprised 68.58 percent of the total debt stock and increased P1.18 trillion or 14.50 per cent since the beginning of the year on government’s continued preference for domestic financing to mitigate foreign currency risk.

The government’s external debt amounted to P4.28 trillion, P69.34 billion or 1.64 percent higher than the end-September level.

Julito G. Rada

utilities in Davao region as they joined forces in finding possible so lutions to address the increasing power rates brought about by the spike in the global prices of coal.

ERC to probe accuracy of power charges, as electric co-ops announce P17-per-kWh rates

THE country’s gross international re serves as declined to a two-month low of $93.95 billion as of end-November from $94.03 billion in October after the gov ernment settled some of its foreign debt, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi nas show.

month-on-month decrease in the GIR level reflected mainly the na tional government’s payments of its for eign currency debt obligations and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ net foreign exchange operations,” the BSP said in a statement.

said the latest GIR level represented a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.5 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of ser vices and primary income.

Hidilyn kicks off Paris journey with 3 golds at world tourney

By Randy Caluag

EVENTHOUGH her category will not be played in the 2024 Olympics, world triple-gold medalist

Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo is pumped up to make an appearance in Paris in a bid to put an exclamation point to Philippine weightlifting icon’s fairy tale.

“It’s official! We’ve kicked off our Paris 2024 Journey with a decent start and ended our year with 3 (three) Gold medals in the Snatch/CJ/Total, going 93/114/207. Not our best showing but a historical one being the First Filipina to win a World Championships,” said his coach-husband Julius Naranjo in a social media post.

“It’s been definitely a journey coming back, Hidilyn and I have accomplished a lot in 2022. From winning the Philippines’ first-ever Olympics to getting married, and to winning our 2nd

4 players added

team bound for Australian camp

FOUR newcomers have been included in the roster of the Philippine national women’s football team, just in time for another training camp this month in Sydney, Australia.

Goalkeeper Kaiya Rose Jota from Elite Clubs National League side LA Breakers FC, defender Reina Bonta from Yale University, midfielder Reinna Gabriel from Cornell University, and midfielder Meryll Serrano of Norwegian club Arna-Bjørnar have been called up to join the roster.

The four will be tested when the Filipinas go into two friendly matches against Papua New Guinea at the Western Sydney Wanderers Park on Dec. 11 and 15. They are among the players allowed to join after Coach Alen Stajcic called up 23 players for the camp.

Papua New Guinea is ranked three places higher than the Filipinas at No. 50 in the FIFA rankings.

The two matches are part of the team’s preparations for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where the Filipinas are in Group A, with co-host New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway.

PFF President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta and PFF Secretary General Edwin Gastanes said they are fully supporting the team in its bid to be in its best form for the World Cup.

“The PFF wants to make sure that the team continues its improvement and the best way to do that is through camps and friendly matches,” said Araneta.

The Filipinas recently had a training camp in South America, where they played Chile twice, drawing the first match, 1-1, in Viña del Mar, before losing, 0-1, in Santiago.

Southeast Asian Games Gold Medal.”

On Thursday, Diaz-Naranjo finally copped not one, but three gold medals that were lacking in her cabinet after dominating the snatch, clean and jerk, and the overall lift of the women’s 55kg category of the ongoing 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota, Colombia.

Diaz first took the snatch gold with a lift of 93 kgs, beating Mexico’s Ana Gabriela Lopez and Colombia’s Rosalba Morales on her second attempt. Then, she ruled the clean and jerk with

114 kgs and a total lift of 207 kgs to complete the three-gold sweep.

As a result, Diaz-Naranjo won at every level, from the Asian Championship in 2015, the Asian Games in 1028, the Southeast Asian Games in 2019 and 2022, the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and now the IWF World Championships of 2022.

“Here we are now, seeing Hidilyn go from DNF to Gold Medal and now our journey will continue to as we look to bring the future weightlifters of the Philippines and the athletes I work with around the world to find success. I know that the #HDWeightliftingAcademy will make a difference.”

Naranjo said the Tokyo Olympics was the most difficult, having to train during the Covid-19 pandemic, with less funding and contact with friends and relatives.

“We’ve been through a lot in the Olympic Journey. Hidilyn in fact,

wasn’t even the favorite to win the medal, because of her age, and the controversy she had gone through leading up to the Olympics. But we kept our chin up, and did whatever was possible to get to where we are today with people who have believed in us and our journey.”

The journey to Paris will be entirely different for Team HD, however.

There are five weightlifting weight classes for weightlifting competitions in Paris, France and the nearest for Diaz-Naranjo, who won in Tokyo and Bogota at 55 kgs, would be the 49-kg or the 59-kg categories.

She will have to choose whether to slide down to 49 kgs or go up to the 59 kgs. How will her body and strength respond to the change in weight?

Diaz-Naranjo will decide when she competes in four Olympics Qualifying tournaments next year and six more in 2024.

POC, PSC congratulate Diaz for golden lift

THE Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission on Thursday congratulated Tokyo Olympic weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz for her three-gold sweep at the 2022 International We ightlifting Federation World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota, Colombia.

Diaz-Naranjo won three golds in the women’s 55kg division on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time), a first for the Philippines in the tournament.

“This recent breakthrough of Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz is proof that Filipinos are strong and talented individuals,” said POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino. “We are truly grateful to Team HD for this is a result of hard work … a combination of determination, continuous training and confidence … and she knows that there are people behind her who truly supports her.”

PSC chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” M. Eala, on the other hand, said: “Hidilyn has proven once again that the fire in her heart to be second to none in her field continues to burn and remains the benchmark by which every weightlifter and Filipino athlete must measure themselves against. The PSC will forever be proud of Hidilyn as the epitome of a great champion and will always provide support in her continuing quest to bring honor to our country. Mabuhay!”

During the competition Diaz, cleared 93 kgs in snatch, 114 kgs in clean and jerk, for a total lift of 207 kg., outlifting Colombia’s Rosalba Morales and Mexico’s Ana Gabriela Lopez.

The win added the elusive world title to Diaz’s trophy case which includes gold medals from the Olympics, Asian Games, and Southeast Asian Games.

Aside from Diaz-Naranjo, other Filipino weightlifters are expected to vie for medals in the world tilt and slots to the 2024 Paris Olympics, including Tokyo Olympian Elreen Ando, Asian champion Vanessa Sarno, Kristel Macrohon, and Dave Lloyd Pacaldo.

The PSC took care of all possible support to Diaz and her team on their participation in this event.

Baldwin expects di erent UP team in finals

By Peter Atencio

THE University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons will be a different team in the finals of the 85th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

Ateneo Blue Eagles’ coach Tab Baldwin expects this after they demolished the Adamson University Falcons, 81-60, in their Final Four showdown on Wedne sday at the Araneta Coliseum to arrange a best-of-three title series with the Fighting Maroons.

“UP came out fighting today. They ran an entirely

new offense. And that means it will be more difficult to prepare (against them),” said Baldwin after the second- seeded Maroons came off with a 69-61 trium ph over the National University Bulldogs. Baldwin is noting the possible tweaks in the Fighting Maroons’ game plan coming into Game 1, which will be at 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. The Blue Eagles arranged a third best-of-three finals meeting with the UP Fighting Maroons in five years This time, the Maroons will be more challenging than they were last year.

“That’s why smart teams have tough teams. They try to give different looks,” added Baldwin, noting that the Maroons now have a deep guard lineup in Joel Cagulangan, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, Cyril Gonzales and James Spencer.

The Blue Eagles have found other means to adjust their roster, after veteran guard SJ Belangel decided to turn pro by joining Daegu KOGAS, instead of returning for this season.

So far, the presence of Forthsky Padrigao, Dave Ildefonso, BJ Andrade, Chris Koon, and Ange Kouame has kept the Blue Eagles a title contender this season.

Manila Southwoods pads lead in Fil-Am

BAGUIO—Manila Southwoods padded its lead in both Fil and Am championship divisions after the second day of action in the 72nd Fil-Am Men’s Invitational at the Camp John Hay Golf Club and Baguio Country Club courses on Thursday.

Korean Jeff Jung mixed four birdies against three bogeys for a oneunder-par 68 worth 37 points to lead the way for the Cavite-based Fil squad. Kristoffer Arevalo backed him up with a 35, while Gabriel Manotoc and Carl Jano Corpus each added 33 for 138 points and 286 total in 36 holes.

Forest Hills also produced an impressive 134 points, almost matching the leader’s day output. It fortified its hold on second spot with a 263 aggregate. Gus Pacheco shot level par worth 36 points, Edison Tabalin contributed 34 and a pair of 32 from Rocky Co and Jose Raymundo.

Januarius Team (124-245) was in third. Raymund Sangil and Ter-

ence Macatangay racked up 35 points apiece and were backed up by the 31 of RJ Rizada and 29 of Kirby Lachica.

The second crew of Southwoods amassed its consecutive 119 points to be at 238. A young Royal Northwoods team composed of junior golfers made 102 for 205 followed by Riviera-Batangas Barakos with 190 after a 95 at BCC.

Josh Jorge and Lanz Uy signed for 35 and 34, respectively, and Japanese Shinichi Suzuki and Masaichi Otake each counted for 25 as Southwoods looked poised to defend its crown in both premier divisions.

Zach Villaroman led all Northwoods scorers with 29, Patrick Gene Tambalque 28, Tristan Jefferson Padilla 26 and Alexander Rajah Crisostomo 19. Santino Pineda’s 18 did not count.

Gerald Katigbak starred for Riviera-Batangas Barakos with 26, Erik Escalona 24, Eric Gozo 23 and Takuya Kawamura 22.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

to PH women’s

Hidilyn Diaz is shown with Team HD and weightlifting president Monico Puentevella.

Carl Jano Corpus of Manila Southwoods chips on the eighth hole of Camp John Hay Golf Club.

Pampanga Gov. Pineda is Converge team manager

CONVERGE team governor Chito Salud on Thursday announced the appointment of two key team officials expected to help the FiberXers carry on with their mission of winning PBA championships in the years to come.

Dennis Pineda, the current Governor of basketball-loving Pampanga and better kno wn to many as “Delta”, was appoin ted as Converge team manager.

“Delta’s abiding love, commitment and passion for the sport of basketball ranks high up among those I have come across in this beloved sports of ours,” said Salud. “At a young age of 48, Delta has already been a team coach, a team manager as well as Founder of the Pineda Basketball Training Camp, a testimony to his deep and long involvement in our country for the development of basketball.”

Salud added: “His is long term association and shared passion for basketball with no less than our CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy, will bring to the team that extra special attention, laser focus and long term strategic thinking championship teams are made of.”

The second appointment is that of new assistant team manager Franzl Jacob Lao.

A basketball player himself, having played in the high school team of La Salle and Ateneo Team A in college, th e 22-year-old Lao brings to the FiberXers’ quest for PBA championships the elements of youth, dynamism and m anagerial skills on top of his equally passionate love for basketball.

Pineda and Lao will assume their respective positions starting this coming Third Conference of the PBA’s 47th season.

Japan’s Maruyama, Habaguchi lead beach volleyball qualifiers

SUBIC—Japan’s Saki Maruyama and Erika Habaguchi flexed their muscles just enough under a blazing sun on Thursday to lead the march of qualifiers to the main draw of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures at the Subic Bay Sand Court here.

Maruyama and Habaguchi, however, had to eliminate Ami Shirahata and Sayaka Yamada, 21-18, 22-20, from a seven-pair Japanese contingent in the tournament organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.

Regardless, Maruyama and Habaguchi were an excited and a happy tandem, who enjoyed the Subic sun and the warm welcome from an enthusiastic crowd that was

treated to a free entry on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at the facility that played venue to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

“It was hot but we enjoyed our match,” said Habaguchi, who at 41 still packs the same solid form she flashed as a member of the Japan national team to the Incheon 2014 Asian Games.

The fans, Habaguchi said, were just too enthusiastic to meet, greet and take selfies with the Japanese pair, who competed in a Challenger event only two weeks ago in Torquay, Australia.

“They’re all very cute,” both Habaguchi and Maruyama, 30, who were sought for selfies by schoolaged kids drawn to the International Volleyball Federation-standard competition as well as local volunteers who they described as “very friendly and hospitable.”

Canada’s Darby Dunn and Olivia Grace Furlan rallied past France’s Manon Rebuffel and Melody Benhamou, 18-21, 21-18, 15-10, to also advance to the women’s main draw,

where three teams from the Philippines as well as 11 more squads from Japan, Norway, Singapore, Czech Republic, Netherlands, USA, Canada, South Korea and France await.

Ryoto Sato and Ryo Shindo also of Japan advanced to the men’s main draw after beating Austria’s Stefan Schosswohl and Matthias Gersin, 21-19, 23-21, along with Israeli’s Tomer Hadar and David Lanciano, who outplayed Czech’s David Lenc and Filif Habr, 2220, 21-18.

The qualifiers went well into late afternoon Thursday with four men and four women teams earning tickets to the main draw for men and women 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.

The main draw matches start at 8:30 a.m. and broadcast live over OneSports and OneSports+ on Friday. The finals are set Sunday.

Nueva Ecija seeks MPBL title sweep vs. Zamboanga

NUEVA Ecija seeks a sweep as Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines fights for life in Game 3 of the OKbet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 4th Season Presented by Xtreme National Finals on Friday night at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.

The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards thwarted the Zamboanguenos, 81-75, in Game 1 and 75-74 in Game 2, both at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum, to move within a win of completing a brilliant run that saw them sweep the elimination round and capture the North division title.

Zamboanga, however, has proven to be no pushover and is sure to pour everything to give joy to the hometown crowd.

The Zamboanguenos have shown their worthiness as South division champions, crumbling only in the last six minutes of Game 1 and simply r unning out of time to reverse the outcome in Game 2.

Nueva Ecija Coach Jerson Cabiltes wants to complete the (championship) task at hand on Friday and prevent a Game 4 or the full Game 5 of the series.

“Sana (Hopefully),” Cabiltes said before his flight to Zamboanga Thursday morning. “Zamboanga is also strong.”

To achieve their goal, Cabiltes said the Rice Vanguards must not allow the Zamboanguenos “to make another scoring run in the first half” and “take care of the ball much better.”

Cabiltes was referring to the spate of turnovers his wards committed in the homestretch that enabled the Zamboanguenos to stage a final assault.

Nueva Ecija will again rely on MPBL Mythical Team members Will McAloney and Hesed Gabo and standouts Michael Mabulac, Michael Juico, John Bryon Villarias, Jay Collado and Chris Bitoon, who’s regaining his deadly form.

Gabo and Villarias are spearheading Nueva Ecija’s offense in the Finals thus far, averaging 14.5 and 14 points, respectively.

Mabulac is norming 12 points plus 6.5 rebounds, while McAloney is contributing 10 points and 7 rebounds each outing.

Scoreless in Game 1, Juico recovered in Game 2 with 12 points and 9 boards to become the series’ leading rebounder with 10 each game.

Falling short of his goal to steal a game on the road, Zamboanga coach Vic Ycasiano is determined not to give Nueva Ecija the luxury of a sweep.

IT used to be the Philippines against the world in billiards, but that was long ago.

Americans, Europeans and Asians are without a doubt great cue players, but could not match the magic of Pinoy pool sharks during the glory days of Philippine billiards in the last two decades.

But the glitter of Pinoy cue masters is slowly fading, affected by a weak economy and politics in the sport. The legends of pool are still playing for the country and their livelihood, but the

dreaded Pinoy sharks are not as sharp as they used to be as other countries have caught up.

Perry Mariano, a sports patron particularly in billiards, is pushing the panic button to revitalize a sport that is close to the heart of gaming Pinoys.

Mariano has urged Putch Puyat, Isaac Belmonte and Jonathan Sy of Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines, along with new member officials Eric Salud, Larry Lim, Jojo Sanchez, Doc Mon Aguirre and Perry’s

“Pool is a sport that Filipinos dominate. Sadly, this is slowly being forgotten as we no longer have future players to continue what legends and champions have started and put an indelible mark in the world,” former collegiate varsity billiards (La Salle Greenhills) player

Batang coach sa batang Azkals team

AFTER several weeks of speculation, Spanish coach Josep Maria Ferre Ybarz is the new coach of the Philippine Azkals that will compete in the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022.

Azkals’ team manager Dan Palami made the confirmation with The Designated Kit Man that the young mentor will lead the team in the tune-up game against Vietnam next week before the squad travels to Cambodia for its first game in the tournament.

Ferre or Coach Coco is from Catalonia, Spain. The 39-year-old is the former head coach of FC Barcelona’s Barca Foundation Genuine from 20212022. He was also the former assistant coach of Quess East Bengal team in India’s I-League in 2019-2020

Coach Coco was also the head coach of FC Bayamon in Puerto Rico’s Liga de PR and Bangkok Glass FC in Thai League 1, Thailand’s top division, in 2018.

He also called the shots for Ratcha-

buri FC in the Thai top division in 2015. Prior to this, Ferre was in Japan as head coach of Nike Japan and as academy director of Buriram United and coach of its team in the Thai Division 2. Ferre also worked with Volkswagen Junior Masters in Spain, Kitchee SC in the Hong Kong Premier League and FCBEscola in Egypt. He was also connected with Futbol Club Asco, which plays in the Tercera Division RFEF - Group 5 in Catalonia.

Ferro speaks English, Spanish, Catalan, French, Arabic and Thai.

Ferro, however, will coach a national team for the first time in his career.

“He is a young coach for the young team. But even if he is young, he has extensive experience with professional teams like in Thailand and in Barcelona, Spain. He will bring his high level of experience, which I feel is suitable for the squad of young and new players,” Pal ami explained.

Palami says Ferre initially started with the basics during his first few days with the squad to gauge the players in the camp

“The local coaches and the team captain have been very helpful in ensuring a quick learning curve for him in terms of st yle and getting to know the players,” he added.

Talks with Ferro called for a short spell with the team, but Palami says they will assess his impact in the next few months.

“Right now, it is a short-term contract. But if we feel that it is a good thing, if the mix is good, then we might renegotiate for a longer term,” Palami.

Palami says the team will leave next week for the friendly against Vietnam on December 14. Ever the optimist, Palami says he is hoping for a good result in the Mitsubishi Electric Cup. But then again, the Philippines will be fielding a rebooted Azkals’ squad helmed by a new coach. Facts that are evident especially to those who have written off the squad as early as now.

“We always go to a tournament or a competition with the intention to get to the championships. But at the same time, we are realistic. We also want this tournament actually for young players to get experience in international competitions. As of now, we want to prepare for the next international tournaments. We want the next generation of players to be ready. So the Mitsubishi Electric Cup is a good tournament to start with the process,” Palami said.

Palami said they have already made several cuts from the initial

list of players invited to the national training pool. He made it clear, however, that the final composition of the squad is not yet final.

“There is a final list, but the thing is, for every game in the tournament, teams can still change their roster. So the list is a bit longer than the 23-man list for every game,” Palami added.

Palami also said that they expect five foreign-based players to arrive soon and reinforce the squad. They include Amani Aguinaldo, the Tabinas brothers, Christian Rontini and Jens Rasmussen.

“We are in the transition phase of the team. We want our fans to welcome the new and young Azkals in the same manner they welcomed the senior players. Most of them are based here and are very eager to show what they are capable of. We will stick to our core and if there is a case of an emergency, then the other players could easily come because they are already with the team,” he said.

The team is mulling the possibility of going to Cambodia earlier than expected. Palami said the team might go straight to Cambodia after the friendly in Vietnam. “Diretso na kami siguro sa Cambodia, but we will finalize soon,” he added.

As always, Palami is asking for support and prayers from all Azkals’ fans, supporters and stakeholders as the squad aims to make good in

To do that, Ycasiano will be relying heavily on MPBL All-Star MVP and Mythical Team member Jaycee Marcelino, who is averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals thus far.

Support will come from Chris Dumapig (11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds per game), Jhapz Bautista (9 points, 3 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game), Jayvee Marcelino, (9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4 steals per game), Jhaymo Eguilos (5.5 points and 6 rebounds per game) and Chito Jaime who scored 12 points in Game 2 after missing the opener.

the AFF tournament and rekindle its glory days once more with new faces and young players.

“Samahan pa rin sana nila ang team, especially during our home games because we need the fans in the stadium. We need them to inspire our players and rally behin d the Azkals in this challenging phase of the team’s history,” he said.

For more updates on the Azkals’ preparations for the Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, please tune in to 3PTS–Pambansang Tambayan ng Sports this coming Sunday, December 11, 2022, from 2 to 3 p.m. at DZME 1530. The Designated Kit Man and partner Rommel Miranda will have another exclusive interview with Dan Palami.

On a personal note. My nephew Jacob Marcus Puno Navarro, Jose Cristiano Bernal and the rest of the Aspire Football Club’s under-9 squad wound up in 14th place out of 28th teams in the recently concluded Winter Edition of the Bangkok Super Cup 2022 in Thailand. The young lads notched four wins out of nine games. Not bad for a team, which was not expected to win a single game. Good job Jacob!

Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!

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

son Hadley Mariano to revive the dying sport of billiards through the newly established SHARKS Billiards League. SHARKS was launched in November of 2022, with a vision of uplifting the sport and create amateur and professional leagues.

Hadley Mariano said. “SHARKS, with the help of BMPAP, wants to bring back the Philippines as the mecca of pool and re-establish our dominance. SHARKS is the future of Philippine billiards.” Tournament Director Hadley is optimistic that SHARKS can produce the likes of Efren ‘Bata Reyes, Francisco ‘Djanggo’ Bustamante, Lee Van Corteza, Dennis Orcullo and Amang Parica, among others, from among the abundance of new and young talents that can harness their skills at the SHARKS’ pen.

Japan’s Saki Maruyama (left) and Erika Habaguchi do the thumbs up after making it past the qualifiers.

Gov. Dennis Pineda

OPM band tugs at listeners’ heartstrings with original single

BY ETON CONCEPCION

Mr. & Ms. Iconic Ramp and Dance charity event held

THE Mr. & Ms. Iconic Ramp and Dance for a Cause – LGBTQ edition, organized by La Fashionista de Macau, headed by Maricel Maglente, was held recently at the Brito Theater, Macau, SAR.

The annual charity event, held in Macau for six years, was intended to support beneficiaries like the students of Sigad Elementary School in Bulan, Sorsogon, and several underprivileged Filipinos suffering from various diseases.

The winners were Ms. Iconic 2022 Tania Stephani, Mr. Iconic 2022 John Michael Lincod, King Iconic 2022 Aprilyn “Blue” Lucaben, and Queen Iconic 2022 Mark “Antonet” Andaya Dance competition winners were TDMC (grand winner), The Heart of Filipino Services (2nd), Orient Premier Tribe (3rd), and Ilongga Bisaya United (4th).

Teen

Princess Mariel Baltazar, a 19-yearold freelance model, was appointed by Miss Global Business Philippines, headed by national director Ovette Ricalde, to compete in the first Miss Business Global 2022, set in Ho Chi Mihn, Vietnam on December 20.

Baltazar, currently taking up a BS degree in International Tourism at Lyceum of the Philippines, was second runner-up and best in talent in Miss Asia Awards Philippines 2022.

“I joined Miss Business Global to share my advocacy on getting women involved in the business industry. I believe the pageant will serve as a significant factor in helping working women around the world to pursue their dream while showcasing their skills and talent,” Baltazar said during her send-off.

We can help Princess Mariel win a place in the Final Top 5 by voting at the pageant’s official Facebook page.

3rd

Bonded together by their passion for music, friendship, and other worthwhile endeavors, 3rd Avenue Band are seasoned performers composed of Muriel dela Paz, Alchris Ramirez, Joy Reyes, Paolo Ledesma on vocals; the rhythm section, headed by the group’s resident arranger and musical director, Miguel Nuñez on keys, co-musical director, Gino Madrid on guitar, Lester Cerda on saxophone, and Beng Gatmaitan on drums.

Versatile as they are, they embrace a wide range of music genres, from ballad, pop, top 40s, to OPM, and many more. Their music has never failed to enchant

He

are dubbed “The Philippines’ Premier Wedding Band.”

In 2019, 3rd Avenue performed in front of a sold-out audience for its firstever major concert entitled 3XV – The Anniversary Concert held at the Music Museum

Now, 3rd Avenue releases its latest musical creation billed “Diskarte,” written by Beng Gatmaitan and arranged by Miguel Nuñez.

“Diskarte is about having mixed emotions on when is the right time to say one’s feelings towards another,” composer Gatmaitan describes the song, which is the initial single release from the album Transverse Explains vocalist Paolo Ledesma “Our songs express different emotions - whether

In

happy, sad, in love, in pain, hopeful, longing, etc. Trans means across, beyond, or through. A Verse is a line. Through the lines in our songs, we articulate various emotions that will resonate and cut across different types of listeners. Inspiration: During the pandemic, especially during the lockdown, we have seen the rise of mental health problems because people are not able to connect and express themselves. Through our songs, we hope to help articulate their feelings and emotions for them.”

3rd Avenue will perform “Diskarte” in its Sofa Sessions, which is a series of videos where the band performs raw and stripped-down versions of its songs and current hits. The session is released every two weeks on the group’s social media pages.

“Diskarte” is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Resso, and Luna. For more information visit the band’s Facebook page, Tiktok account, and Youtube channel.

…are not talking about PEOPLE

…are talking about

Sarah Geronimo

Matet de Leon vs. Nora Aunor

After two years of being away from showbiz, the Pop Princess of the Philippines will return to Natin ‘To. Although she appeared on the show last July, she still hasn’t shared the stage with the other Asap Natin ‘To hosts. Nonetheless, Sarah’s return will add more energy and vibrancy to the show. Besides, she’s not the country’s Pop Princess for nothing.

Asap

Catriona Gray

She’s stunning, she’s eloquent, and she’s talented. There’s little to nothing that Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray can’t do. So when she gets invited to speak at an event, she prepares for it wholeheartedly. Cutting her off in the middle of a speech is not only disappointing, but it’s also rude. Thankfully Catriona chose her words carefully when she expressed her dismay. Hopefully, nothing like that will happen again.

Matet and her mother, Nora, have been at odds lately when the former took to social media to rant about Nora’s recent business venture. The National Artist launched her line of food products, directly rivaling her daughter’s. Matet took it to heart because it took her years to build her brand, despite her fame in the local showbiz industry. Facing a superstar like Nora may make marketing more difficult.

Roderick Paulate

Actor-turned-politician Roderick Paulate now faces several counts of falsification of public documents for hiring “ghost employees” and is guilty of graft. Although Paulate brought laughter with his work in showbiz, this revelation made everyone angry and confused, even if he’s already a former Quezon City councilor. It’s so hard to come by honest politicians nowadays.

Sexuality and fame in focus as Sundance film festival returns to Utah

Documentaries

On

Co-founded by

Stars

Judy

And

Sagip Pelikula celebrates Jaime Fabregas’ cinematic legacy

Alongside

“Film is a work of art… and all works of art should be archived and kept for future generations because they are made

back in 2011.

Co-starring Angelica Panganiban, Eugene Domingo, Tuesday Vargas, and John Lapus, the story recounts a freak accident involving

Viewers

of rock ‘n’ roll via the late, flamboyant singer, who renounced homosexuality and became a born-again Christian in later years.

Another prominent and topical theme in the lineup of films is by and about Iranian women. Documentary Joonam and feature films The Persian Version and Shayda all explore the stories of women in Iran and its diaspora communities, at a time when the country has been rocked by protests over its strict female dress code.

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 19 to 29. AFP

P150 each.

SEASONED OPM band

Avenue is offering more than just music and lyrics with the release of its latest single “Diskarte,” which is part of the album Traverse

ABS-CBN Film Restoration celebrates the legacy of esteemed actor and musical scorer Jaime Fabregas for his countless contributions to Philippine cinema by streaming his digitallyrestored classics in the latest edition of its Sagip Pelikula Spotlight series this December, featuring the screening of Star Cinema’s 2010 comedy film Here Comes the Bride Jaime remains one of the withstanding figures in the industry as an acclaimed actor throughout his almost five-decade career.

was most notable for his acting works in various cinematic masterpieces, including Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon? and Oro, Plata, Mata, also most recently as

General Delfin Borja in ABS-CBN’s longestrunning action series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano Apart from his thespian work, he channeled his love for music onto film as a musical scorer, first working on the 1984 classic Misteryo sa Tuwa

his passion for acting and music, Jaime is also one of Sagip Pelikula’s advocates in their cause of restoring Filipino classics – emphasizing that all works of art, including film, should be taken care of for future generations to appreciate.

specifically for that. These films are not made for the ‘now.’ It is made for people to watch 20 to 25 years from now and learn from them,” Jaime shared in an interview with ABS-CBN Film Restoration head Leo Katigbak

The latest edition of Sagip Pelikula Spotlight kicked off with the online premiere of the digitally-restored version of Here Comes the Bride, where Jaime also starred in and received nominations for it from the Golden Screen Awards and FAMAS Awards

the bride-to-be Stephanie (Angelica) and four other individuals before her wedding. But the situation gets complicated and wackier as their souls interchange. For some, it may be a blessing in disguise, especially for the wedding stylist Toffee (John), who is now the newly-wedded bride. But for Stephanie, who’s switched to her feisty godmother Precy (Eugene), it’s a complete disaster.

today can catch the digitallyrestored Here Comes the Bride, featuring a pre-show interview with Jaime himself, now streaming in the latest Sagip Pelikula Spotlight via KTX. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/ HCTBonKTX, priced at

exploring sexuality and fame via the life stories of supermodel Brooke Shields, singer Little Richard, and author Judy Blume are among the lineup for next month’s Sundance film festival unveiled Wednesday.

Robert Redford and renowned for launching major independent, art houses and documentary films, the festival is set to return in-person to the mountains of Utah from January 19, after two previous editions were forced to take place online due to COVID.

including Anne Hathaway,

Emilia Clarke, Jason Momoa, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have feature films in the lineup, while Emilia Jones returns to the festival that first played her best picture Oscar winner CODA, with two new movies of her own.

the documentary side, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields tells the story of the global supermodel and actress who first achieved fame aged 12, and reflects on the objectification, sexualization, and commodification of women and young girls.

Blume Forever charts how the US

young adult fiction author came under attack for sexual content and offensive language in the 1980s, leading her to take a stand against book banning and censorship.

Similarly, The Disappearance of Shere Hite tracks the pioneering feminist author of The Hite Report, whose bestselling 1976 book on the female orgasm provoked a sexual revolution, but who was forced to vanish from the public eye after drawing vicious criticism.

documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything tackles the Black queer origins

music lovers who come to see and hear them perform.

The group released its first album, 3rd Avenue – In Time, which was produced by Barnyard Music and distributed by Universal Records Philippines in 2007.

2008, the band received an AWIT Award for Best Performance by A New Group for its second single, “Why Can’t It Be” and became the most sought-after group and a trailblazer in the Philippine wedding Industry. Because of this, they

model vies for Miss Global Business 2022 crown in Vietnam

Teen model vies for Miss Global Business 2022 crown in Vietnam

Princess Mariel Baltazar has an advocacy of empowering women to venture into business

The OPM band 3rd Avenue is versatile as they embrace a wide range of music genres

Young Jaime Fabregas in the 1976 film 'Ganito Kame Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon’

‘Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields’ tells the story of the global supermodel and actress

3rd Avenue’s ‘Diskarte’ is about having mixed emotions on when is the right time to say one’s feelings towards another

PAGEANT CONCEPT

Home Buddies founder expands horizons

By Patricia Taculao

IF YOU’RE one of the individuals who invest significantly in their homes, then you’ve probably heard of the Facebook group Home Buddies. It helps users find design inspiration for their humble abodes, solve usual issues, and even divert the pub lic’s attention to must-have items to make the living experience more comfortable.

Conceptualizing such a group may seem like a feat, but it’s all thanks to Frances Cabatuando, a.k.a Mayora Frances.

Now that Home Buddies reached significant heights in popularity, Frances eyes greener pastures in her career in the entertainment industry. Her first step is joining NYMA Talent Management under KROMA Entertainment.

She feels more secure and confident facing people with NYMA on her side. She credits the NYMA team for helping her see her potential and where else she can take her career as a full-time content creator. One of NYMA’s many goals in the local industry

IN THE book The Five Love Languages: The Secret To Love That Lasts , author Gary Chapman outlined five ways people express and experience love –through words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.

I gave this concept much thought after struggling to pick gifts for my godchil dren and a few friends two weeks ago. If you are the sentimental kind who is not fond of buying generic items to give away, this will surely resonate with you: Gift-giving is no easy task. If you take the materialistic aspect out of the equation, the act is a subtle way of making others feel that they matter.

Aside from requiring a budget, giftgiving is a labor of love when you take time to consider what each recipient likes or needs. And if you happen to be an ad vocate of minimalism and decluttering at the same time, you wouldn’t want the things you lovingly purchase and wrap to just gather dust in other homes, right?

To make things easy, I wrote down a few things I took a mental note of that can be gift alternatives this holiday sea son for some special people in our lives. I based these suggestions on the five love languages:

is to empower content creators to achieve milestones using their talent and leveraging technology. NYMA is a TraDigital talent management agency and pro duction house. It focuses on growing key talents’ content and reaches across all digital platforms.

Recently, Frances took on two new responsibili ties to further her career as a content creator. First is by joining the newest interactive entertainment channel in the Philippines, PIE Channel, as one of the hosts of the morning block, Bgy. PIEsilog Mayora also started a YouTube channel and has taken on more speaking engagements, brand engage ments, interviews, and other career opportunities.

Inspiring other communities to begin

Before Home Buddies, Frances worked in the ad vertising industry for eight years as a copy-based As sociate Creative Director. And besides, she also has her own sustainable living page, Nobi Home, where she shares solo living tips and home finds.

Frances ultimately decided to leave her job in ad vertising and take the leap to managing the Home Buddies community full-time in late 2021. By this

time, the demand from brands to partner with the Home Buddies community also grew.

After seeing her success in creating an online community, Frances inspired those who want to start similar groups to cater to Filipinos’ needs. Nonethe less, it’s still a significant leap that people are afraid to take.

For Frances, it takes passion and determination to create such a group.

“One must be passionate about the community they are building, not just passionate to share but also passionate to learn,” she said.

Meanwhile, she advises others with similar intent to create solutions to persistent problems.

“Find a problem in the world that hasn’t been solved and try to solve it. If someone else has al ready answered it, don’t recreate it. The chances of succeeding are higher if you provide more val ue by solving something that hasn’t been solved. It is likely that other people are also experiencing the same problem as you! When figuring this out, you not only solved your own problem but also

helped others in the long run,” she said. Mayora is among the local content creators who continue to prove that content creators can have it all – a fortified community who share the same in terest, a rising career in the entertainment industry, and other opportunities.

Random gifts you can give based on the five love languages

5. Physical touch While hugs are awesome, level things up by offering your person a massage. Whether it be a hand or foot massage or a full body one, the chance for some skin-to-skin moments will surely be satisfying. Watch a movie or walk at the park for some HHWW or cuddle time. Pair this with quality time gift ideas to elevate your options.

2. Quality time

When was the last time you took your loved one out for lunch, dinner, or merienda? It’s time to book a cozy restaurant or a memorable dining place to spend some time together.

Other alternatives would be a trip to the salon, spa, art mu seum, theme park, cinema, or even the supermarket (sponsor the grocery shopping!). Taking art, cooking, dance, language, or coding classes would also be fun alternatives. Make sure you put your phone away to give them your full attention.

3. Receiving gifts

These days, with so many options, it’s hitting a bull’s eye when you get to give a person who puts a premium on receiv ing gifts precisely what he or she wants. To increase your chances, zoom in on the specific interests the person is into and purchase a corresponding gift card that may be useful. That would mean a book store GC for the voracious reader and a loaded café rewards card for the coffee holic friend

Acts of service

4.

Offer to do the dishwash ing for a week, have some one else’s car cleaned or refueled, or drive another person around as gifts of service. Other alternatives would be giving the other person a home manicure or pedicure, helping build a do-it-yourself furniture set, or simply cleaning up the house. The ones who value acts of service must also value the time you allot for them. So, mesh these ideas with quality time gift sug gestions for an added boost!

Creative home furnishing gifts

MAKE the season more meaningful with lifestyle and home gifts from Crate & Barrel to show your loved ones that they are special. Whether you’re looking for something for different interests, at any price point, or curated gift sets; something with a pop of color, chic and timeless, or warm and natural, gift a guaranteed hit.

Gift creatively and with intention, wowing them with beautiful finds they’ll truly love. Gorgeous glassware, trusty kitchen sidekicks, beauti ful serve ware, and more. All these will surely delight anyone on your list.

If you’re undecided and for last-minute gifts, gift cards in different denominations are also available at Crate and Barrel so they can freely choose anything they want or need.

Since time seems to speed up around the holidays, Crate & Barrel has also curated thoughtful online exclusive gift sets in a range of choices for those who need to gift quickly and are always on the go during the busiest time of the year.

This season, bring holiday cheer to family and friends with Crate and Barrel’s gift ideas. Discover these and more when you visit our Crate & Barrel’s stores, order by phone, or shop online.

For online selections, visit www.crateandbarrel.com.ph

Not everyone has the time, mon ey, and energy to spare this holiday season. Just like how we choose what to give, the whole act of giftgiving is voluntary.

Ultimately, in this season of in flation, the best part of giving is if it comes from the heart. And as cliché, as it sounds, it’s still the thought that counts.

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

Nickie

Home Buddies founder Frances Cabatuando, a.k.a Mayora Frances