Manila Standard - 2023 January 13 - Friday

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Soft launch of wealth fund set

PBBM picks World Economic Forum in Switzerland to pitch for it

By Vince Lopez

CEOs,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Carlos Sorreta said in a press briefing Thursday.

"At the briefing this morning, the President said that we are developing all these excellent fundamentals, and there’s

much that we can offer investors, and he said 'You know, let’s talk about the sovereign wealth fund that’s being set up,'" Sorreta added.

The DFA official said that the President's plan to introduce the

Philippine's sovereign wealth fund is just a "soft launch."

“It’s really more of a soft launch, it’s to introduce it. I understand it is evolving, we have the fullest respect for the congressional

Galvez admits ‘valid issues’ at AFP but ‘no unrest’

Department

“There is no truth to the unrest. Maybe

In

No more onions at Kadiwa, needs new FTI supply deal

By Joel E. Zurbano

KADIWA stores run by the Department of Agriculture will stop selling cheaper onions beginning today, Friday, as its agreement with Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), the supplier of the precious commodity, ended last December 31, 2022.

Meanwhile, Customs agents have seized shipments of smuggled red and white onions worth more than P153 million from China.

Also, Albay 1st District Rep. Joey Salceda blamed a cartel for the rising prices of onions and other goods in the country, saying onion prices in the Philippines are the highest in the whole world.

In an interview Thursday, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said the department needs to ensure it has a supplemental memorandum of agreement with the FTI before Kadiwa stores sell onions again.

“Starting tomorrow, there will be none for the meantime. We have to make sure if we have to have supplemental MOA, then everything has to be in order to start the second cycle,” Evangelista said.

“The first cycle (of onion stocks) is already sold out,” she added.

“We’re in the second week of January… We also took into consideration that the price will go down,” Evangelista said.

Airport mess trigger: Faulty circuit breaker

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Joel Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A DEFECTIVE circuit breaker worth P10,000 caused the New Year’s Day air traffic mess that grounded more than 300 flights that affected about 65,000 passengers and cost airlines more than P100 million, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) told the Senate Thursday.

At a hearing before the Senate public services committee, CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo said the air traffic control system went down after a circuit breaker failed due to over-

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

SOME 43 Metro Manila cops were summoned by National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo over their inclusion in a watchlist of police personnel with possible links to illegal drugs.

In an exclusive report, ABS-CBN showed a video clip of the meeting with Estomo at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig where the cops also underwent a surprise drug test.

"This is painful. I never imagined this even in my wildest dreams," one policeman said.

CHINA on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to joint maritime exploration with the Philippines in the South China Sea despite a decision by the Supreme Court striking down as unconstitutional a 2005 deal among the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), for its part, said it is setting the parameters to guide negotiations on oil and gas following the Supreme Court ruling.

“China remains committed to properly handle maritime disputes in the South China Sea with countries directly concerned, including the Philippines, through dialogue and consultation, and to actively explore ways for practical maritime cooperation including joint exploration,” China’s spokesman for its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin, said in a press conference in Beijing.

Wang also recalled President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent state visit to China, where he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed joint exploration.

Heavy rains in South to ease as La Niña ends

THE La Niña phenomenon is expected to end by February, a specialist with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Thursday.

However, the municipality of Basey in Samar was placed under a state of calamity on Thursday amid the massive flooding triggered by the heavy rains dumped by the low-pressure area (LPA) and the shear line.

A resolution for the declaration was passed by the Office of the Sangguniang Bayan following the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

LAST BATCH FOR THE MEANTIME. People line up at the Department of Agriculture's Kadiwa Center for red onions that fetch only for P170 per kilo or about a third of the prevailing price in public markets. The DA, however, said it willl temporarily halt selling cheaper onions starting today, Friday, until it renews its agreement with its supplier, the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI). Manny Palmero

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will present the country's economic performance and its plans to establish a sovereign wealth fund before global leaders and chief executive officers (CEOs) of the world’s biggest companies at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

NEWLY appointed Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday admitted that some "valid issues" such as delays in the promotion of some officers are being resolved even as he denied reports of unrest in the military.

Galvez made the statement shortly after his joint command conference with the officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the first this year, at the AFP General Headquarters in Quezon City.

a press conference, Galvez said the

of National Defense (DND) is working on fast-tracking the process of promotion and the deployment of concerned commanders.

SORRY FOR THE AIRPORT FIASCO. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines director-general Manuel Tamayo (right) apologizes for the New Year’s Day air traffic mess that grounded more than 300 flights and affected about 65,000 passengers. Tamayo was joined by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista during yesterday's Senate hearing on the airport mess. Lino Santos

will present the country’s economic performance, which tops growth in the region, before an audience of international

ONE DEFENSE TEAM. Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino hold a joint command conference at Tejeros Hall in Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

Next page Next page Next page Next page Next page

DICT sees 1m registered SIM daily

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Information and Technology (DICT) said it is on track to register one million SIM cards every day as telecommunications operators are continuously improving the registration process.

The agency said that SIM registration has been completed for 10.13 percent of the 169 million subscribers nationwide, with 17,115,910 registered as of January 10.

Also, the Department of Justice has urged the public to comply with the mandated SIM registration because the

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process, and the open hearings that they’re having, and how to work out the details. But in broad strokes, the President has very, very good grasp of what he wants to achieve, whatever form the sovereign wealth fund finally takes," Sorreta said.

The WEF, Sorreta said, is the premier forum for world and business leaders to get together, interact and come up with ideas and plans to address the many challenges and opportunities facing the global economy.

“The President goes to Davos at a time when our country and our region is recovering well from past challenges,

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Operatives of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIISMICP) led by its chief Alvin Enciso discovered the onions during a spotcheck examination of several containers in North Harbor Manila last Tuesday.

The impounded shipments were all consigned to Seaster Consumer Goods Trading and were originally declared to contain fishballs.

Two containers were found to contain undeclared fresh white onions, while five had fresh red onions.

Enciso’s team recommended for the issuance of Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) as the consignee, Seaster, is expected to face criminal charges.

Aside from supply issues, smuggling could be behind the price spikes, Salceda said

"Smuggling, it's obvious. Because if we follow economics, once supply has increased, the price should go down but why is it rising when it should be decreasing?" he said in a TeleRadyo interview.

A cartel intent on controlling onion prices first flooded the local market with cheap onions, thereby discouraging local

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voltage. He said this was detected by two uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems that automatically shut down to avoid major damages to the system.

Tamayo said this was contrary to initial reports that there were problems with the UPS.

At the same time, he told the panel headed by Senator Grace Poe that it was “farfetched and unlikely” that the failure of the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Systems for the Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) was caused by a cyberattack.

Earlier, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Paul Daza said aviation authorities had told the House hearing the same thing.

"The problem that caused the glitch, January 1st, at this point they're saying, it was a simple circuit breaker," he told ANC's Headstart.

He said he was shocked that a P10,000 circuit breaker could cause hundreds of millions of losses and so much human misery. “That’s unquantifiable,” he said.

During the House panel briefing, lawmakers were told that the manufacturer's warranty of the circuit breaker expired two years ago, Daza said. But transportation officials said it should

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Another said he already went through an adjudication process in 2018 and was surprised that his name was still on the watch list.

Yet another said he underwent a lie detector test but was not appraised of the decision on his case.

"We are just simple workers who went against some big fish," another cop lamented.

Estomo, for his part, said the inclusion of the cops in the watchlist of the Philippine National Police does

law has penal provisions for violations.

The DOJ, through its Office of Cybercrime, warned that prohibited acts under Republic Act 11934 have penalties including imprisonment and fines.

Smart Communications Inc. reported a total of 8,037,862 SIMs registered, while there are 7,556,037 SIMs registered for

where projections remain high for economic growth in our country and our region,” Sorreta said.

President Marcos will also participate in a high-level dialogue with other leaders, including the president of South Africa, the prime minister of Belgium, and the president of the European Commission, among others during his trip to Switzerland from Jan. 16 to 20.

In addition, Mr. Marcos is also set to discuss the issue of global nutrition during a stakeholders' dialogue.

During his trip to Switzerland, the President is expected to hold business meetings and a session with the Filipino community.

This year’s WEF Annual Meeting carries the theme, “Cooperation in a Fragmented World."

farmers from planting the vegetable, the congressman said.

The cartel then raised the prices after the local supply of onions dwindled, the Albay solon added.

Kadiwa stores sell red and white onions at only P170 per kilo, compared to P600 to P700 per kilo at several Metro Manila markets.

Evangelista said the DA is monitoring the farm-gate price of onions, saying it receives reports that farmgate prices of the commodity go as low as P210 to P250 per kilo.

She said it is possible that the onions to be sold at Kadiwa stores for the second cycle would be cheaper.

“But, if we're going to partner with FTI, this is something we have to discuss with them… We are exploring all options, where we can get onions the soonest, and the most prudent way,” she added.

Salceda said he has the names of several people allegedly running the smuggling ring of vegetables as well as meat. He did not reveal their identities but said they are mainly Chinese nationals.

The House of Representatives is set to conduct hearings on the issue starting Jan. 23.

"We're focused on the prices of onions because we are number 1 in the whole world. I asked for all [the prices] and we are really number 1. There is a cartel," he added.

last 20 years, he said.

"There was a voltage surge. The system shut down and then the UPS functioned, but the circuit breaker did not allow the power to go to the system," Daza said.

"When they were investigating, they opened the circuit breaker and saw that the circuit breaker itself was, in their words, defective," he added.

At the Senate hearing, Tamayo took responsibility for the New Year’s Day fiasco and apologized to all the passengers who were inconvenienced by the grounded flights.

In the same hearing, former Transportation secretary Art Tugade repudiated media reports that P13 billion of funds supposedly for CNS-ATM were diverted to other projects at the airport.

“Nothing was diverted because the CNS/ATM is what we call a loan-funded project,” he said.

He said loans from other countries undergo tedious processing before being released to contractors, not the executive agency.

“There’s a process when the payment will be release. Were the funds released to the DOTr? No, the funds were released to contractors,” he said.

But Poe questioned the credibility of the DOTr and CAAP probe of the technical glitch since their people were the ones involved in this case. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

not automatically make them guilty of being involved in illegal drugs.

"There is perhaps doubt [on your record] so please help yourselves and undergo the adjudication process," he said.

"I cannot say they are involved. That has to be proven. Some of them were just doing their job, and sometimes when you do your job, you step on people's toes and they get mad."

"These have to be resolved by the adjudication board. If they are guilty, file a case. If they are not guilty, then clear them. It is that simple," Estomo added.

Based on the documents gathered by

Globe Telecom Inc. and 1,522,011 for DITO Telecommunity Corp.

DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo said that the public telecommunications entities (PTEs) are continuously improving the process to ensure a smooth registration experience for end-users.

The DICT also encouraged the public to register early and avoid last-minute registrations. Filipinos are also reminded to be vigilant as they complete the registration process.

“Our aim is to register at least one million SIMs every day. Currently, we are on track, but there could be a lull, and

Malacañang press briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez said the President will seize the opportunity to highlight the Philippine government's readiness to put a premium on key areas, such as food and energy security, digitalization and climate action. Marcos, Oseña-Paez said, is also bullish on attracting more investments, promoting beneficial trade, addressing inequality and providing accessible social services.

Marcos is the only Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leader and one of the two Asian leaders to attend this year's WEF, Sorreta said.

Sorreta said Marcos will be in a "wonderful position" to prove that the Philippines, as well as the ASEAN and the East Asia region, can be the "engine of growth for the world economy."

Onions, along with other vegetables pushed inflation upwards to 8.1 percent in December 2022. Vegetables alone posted a 32.4 percent inflation for the month, the highest since February 1999.

Aside from onions, Salceda also warned about the increase in smuggled pork and other meat products in the country.

He noted that pork imports rose from 17,000 metric tons to 741,000 MT recently, with similar increases in beef and chicken leg quarters imports.

"We could be talking about P53 billion in overall smuggling traffic here," he said.

Salceda warned that meat importers used to pay P800,000 per container when shipped through the Manila International Container Port. This has decreased to P100,000 per container when shipped via Subic.

"That’s how it goes now, everything is there (in Subic). It is the center of the universe, the center of gravity, it is not the haven but the ‘heaven’ of smuggling right now in the Philippines," he said.

Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said the ongoing intensified operation against agricultural smuggling is part of their efforts to answer the direction set by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as well as an assurance to the public that the bureau is on top of the situation.

“We are fully aware of the woes of our kababayans because of the prices of goods,

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(MDRRMC) after an assessment of the “extent of damages caused by heavy rains that resulted in flooding in several barangays of the municipality.”

The La Niña phenomenon is characterized by unusually cool ocean surface temperatures in the Central and Eastern Equatorial Pacific (CEEP), explained senior weather specialist Chris Perez at a televised public briefing

It increases the likelihood of having above-normal rainfall conditions that could lead to potential adverse impacts such as heavy rainfall, floods, flashfloods, and landslides over highly vulnerable areas, the PAGASA expert added.

Since January 2, the Office of Civil Defense said 10 people were reported dead while two were reported missing due to the inclement weather caused by the LPAs, shear line, and northeast monsoon.

A total of 438,622 people or 106,961 families have been affected by the inclement weather in different parts of the country since Jan. 2, the OCD said in a morning bulletin, with 8,153 individuals or 2,144 families displaced.

The recent weather effects have brought heavy rains to Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao, Davao, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in

ABS-CBN, of the 43 cops, eight were from the Northern Police District, four from Eastern, 12 from the Manila Police District, eight from Southern, four from the Quezon City Police District, two from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, four from the Regional Headquarters and one from CIDG-NCR.

"We have no other objective here but to clear your names. So please be truthful in telling your story," said Col. Roman Cardino, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division of NCRPO.

Meanwhile, the Department of Interior and Local Government said at least 88 percent or 841 out of 954 senior PNP officers have tendered their

then a surge again once we are near the deadline," Lamentillo said.

"That is why we seek the help of the media in our information campaign, let us continuously encourage the public to register their SIMs already as soon as they can,” she added.

Under the SIM Registration Law, all mobile subscribers are required to register their SIM until April 26, 2023.

In its advisory, the DOJ-OOC said that existing subscribers “must register with their respective Public Telecommunication Entity (PTE) within 180 days of the law’s effectivity.” (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

WEF, established in 1971, serves as an international organization for publicprivate cooperation.

The annual WEF convenes leaders from government, business and civil society to address the state of the world and discuss priorities for the year ahead.

At the press briefing, Sorreta brushed aside suggestions that the President would take up the issue of the Swiss accounts of his family.

In January 2009, Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court ruled that assets amounting to more than $8 million deposited by an associate of Marcos’ father, the former president of the Philippines, should be returned to the Philippines, the government of which at the time claimed that the funds were illgotten.

particularly fresh onions. We are taking extra steps to make sure these perpetrators are brought to justice and free our markets from illegally sourced and imported products that could further impact the agricultural sector,” Ruiz added.

Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy stressed how important it is for the Marcos administration, the bureau, and the public to catch these unscrupulous groups.

“We are not blind to what the people want. They want justice to be served, and that’s what we are doing here. We have a unique perspective of seeing what and how these groups operate, so we want to assure the public that we are investing in the right tools and with the right partners to bring that goal to fruition,” Uy said.

CIIS Director Jeoffrey Tacio shared that the spot exam of the containers become possible because of the information they received.

“Again, it is only through the proper collaboration and coordination with different government agencies that our team was able to operate successfully. This is what partnership can do—catch multimillions worth of smuggled items these players are bringing into our markets,” he said.

All the shipments arrived on Nov. 16, 2022. A request for the verification of all containers was made on Nov. 18, 2022. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Muslim Mindanao.

At least 492 houses were reported damaged so far, according to the OCD.

But Perez said that by February onwards, the country would experience normal weather conditions.

“Right now, La Niña is affecting the country's weather condition, that is why some parts of the country are experiencing near to above normal rainfall during the previous and the current month,” he said.

“We expect that this La Niña will end by February, and onwards, we will experience a neutral or normal climate condition,” Perez added.

PAGASA has not seen signs of El Niño, but the agency will keep monitoring, he added.

This January, Perez said up to one cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

PAGASA is not ruling out the possibility of more low-pressure areas developing in the country this month, he added.

OCD Joint Information Center head Diego Agustin Mariano said damage to infrastructure worth P165,745,496 and P142,327,192 to agriculture were reported due to the impact of the bad weather.

At least 167 areas were still flooded, mostly in Eastern Visayas, Mariano said.

He said a state of calamity was declared in four areas: Tubod, Lanao del Norte; San Miguel, Leyte; Dolores, Eastern Samar; and Gandara, Samar. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

courtesy resignations as part of efforts to weed out so-called ninja cops.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said as of Thursday, the PNP has received resignations from 714 colonels and 126 generals, including the Inspector General of the Internal Affairs Service (IAS).

"You can say this is an ‘act of honor’ on their part,” Abalos said.

Abalos said that he expected the remaining 113 senior officers to turn in their courtesy resignations before the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and a 5-man advisory body convene to review and assess their profiles.

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we have some valid issues, but we are resolving them now. One of them is delays in promotions,” said the former presidential adviser on peace and reconciliation, before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tapped him for the DND.

Galvez also underscored the need to limit the fixed terms for highranking military officers to exclude area commanders.

“If an area commander gets a fixed term of three years, there will be stagnation. The organization of the Armed Forces is very dynamic," he said.

"If the promotion cycle stagnates, there is demoralization," he added.

Co-chaired by returning AFP Chief of Staff General Andres Centino, it was the biggest command conference of the military in five years, in an apparent show of support for Galvez, who had served as AFP Chief of Staff from April to December 2018 under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Around 186 service commanders attended the meeting from the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Navy (PN), and Philippine Air Force (PAF) as well as area commanders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Galvez also clarified there are no mass resignations in the DND and concerned officials will be retained. “The DND is intact,” said the vaccine czar under the Duterte administration.

The rumors of an alleged destabilization plot in the AFP floated after the supposed resignations of senior DND officials and the reappointment of Centino, replacing Lt. Gen. Bartolome Bacarro, who served for just five months.

Resigned DND officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr., whom Galvez replaced, on Tuesday said he quit his post last week after learning "only from news and social media" that a new AFP chief has taken oath in Malacañang.

Galvez, the Army’s former commanding general, then ordered ranking DND officials, who offered to resign following the abrupt departure of his predecessor, to stay put, as he called on officials of his department to remain united.

At least nine top DND officials submitted their courtesy resignations after Faustino – the AFP chief from July to November 2021 also under Duterte— quit his post.

DND Undersecretary for Capability Assessment and Development Angelito de Leon said Thursday all senior officials have decided to stay on.

“We all agreed that we stay, the senior leaders and assistant secretaries,” De Leon said in a press briefing shortly after the traditional New Year’s Call at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

A day earlier, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate aims to pass the bill limiting the coverage of the three-year fixed terms in the AFP within the first quarter of this year.

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Wang said the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the Agreement Area in the South China Sea in 2005 among the three Asian countries, which the high court declared unconstitutional, “was an important step by the three countries to implement” the Declaration of Conduct in the disputed waters.

Wang added the pact is “a useful experiment for maritime cooperation between parties to the South China Sea.”

“It played an important role in promoting stability, cooperation and development in the region,” he said.

In a message to reporters, the DFA said it is carefully studying the Supreme Court decision striking down the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking of the three countries to look for oil in the West Philippine Sea under the country’s jurisdiction.

“The department’s actions and policy recommendations are, at all times, anchored on the Philippine Constitution and laws,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said.

“Cases decided by the Supreme Court form part of the legal system, and the department is duty-bound to take applicable cases into consideration in any future discussion with China on oil and gas,” she added.

Daza noted that it was premature to discuss the case’s legal implications on any future agreement with China because substantive discussions have yet to begin.

During President Marcos' meeting with Xi, both leaders agreed to resume discussions on joint oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea.

In a joint statement, both countries agreed to "bear in mind the spirit" of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Oil and Gas Development between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines which was signed in 2018.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has recommended to the Executive Department to thoroughly study the Supreme Court's decision.

On Jan. 9, 12 of the 15 Supreme Court justices voided the agreement of the national oil companies of the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

NSC foresees insurgency to weaken in ‘23

By Rio N. Araja

THE National Security Commission (NSC) has predicted that the communist insurgency movement in the country would significantly weaken during the first quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) denounced the alleged abduction of two pregnant members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Butuan City.

In a statement, the NSC quoted national security adviser Clarita Carlos as saying the remaining five guerilla fronts would be “decimated” in the next four months.

Carlos made her prediction in a presentation of the year-end accomplishment reports by the National Task Force to End Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in Malacañang.

“She said despite various logistical challenges, only five guerrilla fronts remain and are expected to be decimated by the first quarter of 2023,” the NSC said.

Carlos cited the importance of sustaining the momentum of the NTF-ELCAC to ultimately end the insurgency.

According to the NSC, Carlos ordered the NTF-ELCAC to complement its peace agenda with an implementation plan to dismantle all guerilla fronts within 2023.

The three-day conference was designed to determine the status of the projects and initiatives of the task force at the regional, provincial, municipal, and barangay levels.

Reports identified the two abduction victims as Aurily Havana and Jennifer Binungkasan, and were said to have been missing since their alleged abduction in Barangay Libertad, Butuan City on Nov. 3 by members of the Philippine Army.

“Noting the reported condition of the allegedly abducted women, CHR CARAGA has proceeded in conducting an independent motu proprio investigation of the case,” the CHR said.

Liquor ban in Manila for Sto. Nino feast

THE Manila city government on Thursday announced the implementation of a liquor ban in key areas in deference to the Feast of the Sto. Niño over the weekend.

Mayor Honey Lacuna signed Executive Order 3 imposing the liquor ban on Jan. 14 to 15 in areas “within the territorial jurisdiction of the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish and Sto. Niño de Pandacan.”

Lacuna said the ban was meant to ensure peace and order during the annual religious celebration.

It will also implement City Ordinance No. 5555 which prohibits the drinking of liquor and other alcoholic beverages in public places such as streets and alleys.

Lacuna has directed the Manila Police District and all law enforcement officers to strictly implement the ordinance.

Devotees are expected to flock to these parishes to celebrate the Feast of the Child Jesus Christ on Sunday.

The Sto. Niño De Tondo Parish is located at Lorenzo Chacon St., Tondo district, while Sto. Niño Parish Pandacan is at Jesus St., Barangay 833 in Pandacan.

For the schedule of Masses and other activities related to the celebration, the public may visit the social media accounts of these parishes.

G-men seize P89-m shabu in Las Pinas

By Joel E. Zurbano

claimant

The operation, conducted on Wednesday afternoon along Lotus Street, TS

from Nigeria, declared as “snacks,” actually contained 13,175 grams of shabu.

The controlled delivery scheme is used when a consignment of illicit drugs is detected and allowed to proceed under the control and surveillance of law enforcement officers in order to secure evidence against the perpetrators of illicit drug trafficking.

This operation has been proved effective in identifying and prosecuting drug traffickers.

The seized parcel, based on import documents, was shipped by one Micheal Olanrewaju of 33 Wale Alomo Street, Ogba Yaya

Abatan, Lagos State, Ogba, Nigeria.

“The subject parcel arrived in Port of NAIA declared as snacks from Nigeria. However, upon physical Customs examination, the parcel was discovered to contain 13,175 grams of white crystalline substance. Further PDEA laboratory testing revealed that the substance was methamphetamine hydrochloride,” a Customs NAIA agent said.

The claimant is now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Anti-illegal Drugs Law) and RA 10863 (Customs Modernization Act).

NCR COVID positivity rate drops to 5%

By Willie Casas

THE COVID-19 positivity rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) has dropped to five percent, an independent monitoring group said on Thursday.

This developed as he Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) expressed support to the Department of Health’s (DOH) call for an extension of the declaration of state of calamity due to COVID-19 in the country.

In a tweet, OCTA Research Group leader Dr. Guido David said the seven-day positivity rate in Metro Manila decreased to five percent on January 10 from 7.9 percent on January 3.

Maynilad to give rebate to Muntinlupa customers

“We have accepted the result of MWSS RO’s investigation and volunteered to pay a rebate to our customers in the south who were recently affected by water service interruptions,” Maynilad said in a statement.

Earlier, MWSS chief regulator Patrick Ty said that based on an inquiry by the MWSS RO, Maynilad “was found to have violated its obligation of ensuring the availability of uninterrupted 24hour supply of water” to customers in its franchise zone.

“Said interruptions were due to the reduced production of our treatment plant in Putatan, Muntinlupa, resulting from a damaged sludge removal equip -

ment, coupled with a rise in turbidity levels of the raw water from Laguna Lake,” Maynilad said.

“We wish to inform the public that repairs on the sludge removal equipment is now 75% complete. This has enabled us to increase water production to 91%, and gradually reduce the number of affected customers or lengthen the supply availability duration,” the firm added.

Positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

“The last time the positivity rate was below five percent was on June 22, 2022 at the outset of three COVID-19 waves in NCR,” David said.

Earlier, OCTA reported that the positivity rates in Luzon provinces such Batangas, Bulacan, Ilocos Norte, and Pangasinan decreased to “low” levels, meaning they went below the five percent threshold.

Lotto makes Nueva Ecija trader P114-m richer

THE

indigent beneficiaries nationwide from Jan. 3 to 6.

The PCSO said the new multimillionaire claimed his prize jackpot prize last Jan. 3 at its main office in Mandaluyong City.

eligible

The bettor wagered on winning combination 11-21-01-12-17-03 during the Dec. 23, 2022 Mega Lotto draw.

He said he had been a regular lotto player for 15 years and that his winning combination consisted of his favorite numbers.

He added that his previous winnings were only came only from four digits and ‘balik-taya’ (return of bet).

“I am very thankful to the PCSO and the Lord for winning the lottery.

BI arrests female Japanese fugitive, 25, in Pasay

By Vito Barcelo

BUREAU

Immigration

fugitive

Tansingco

prosecuted for her alleged crimes.

“She

ACOMPOSITE team from the Bureau of Customs, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Interagency Drug Interdiction Task Group, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has seized a smuggled shipment of shabu worth over P89 million in a controlled delivery operation in Las Pinas City.

Cruz Subdivision in Almanza Dos also resulted in the arrest of the shipment’s

identified as Jolle Ann Cuer, 25. The law enforcers staged the raid after Customs Port of NAIA examiners and personnel discovered that the shipment

country’s newest multimillionaire hails from Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija who won the Dec. 23, 2022 6/45 Mega Lotto jackpot of P114 million. Meanwhile, the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) disclosed that it has released more than P22.6 million in medical assistance to 2,766

of Immigration (BI) agents have arrested a Japanese national wanted by authorities in Tokyo for alleged theft and financial fraud.

Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the Japanese

as Risa Yamada, 26, who was apprehended in Pasay City by operatives from the BI’s fugitive search unit (FSU).

said he issued the order for Yamada’s arrest at the request of Japanese authorities in Manila which sought her deportation to Japan so she could be

will be deported after our board of commissioners issued the order for her summary deportation. She will then be deported and perpetually banned from re-entering the country for being an undesirable alien,” the BI chief said.

THE Maynilad Water Services Inc. has said it would abide by the order of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to give rebates to its customers in Muntinlupa City.

FEAST OF STO. NINO SECURITY. Manila Police District Director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon has dispatched bike patrols and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) operatives on a security check at the Sto Nino de Tondo parish church in Tondo, Manila to ensure peace and order during the weekend observance of the Feast of Sto. Nino in the district. Norman Cruz

WINDFALL FOR THE ELDERLIES. The Office of the Senior Citizen Affair Office (OSCA) goes to barangays Tugatog and Baritan in Malabon City to personally deliver social pension payouts for close to 2,000 elderlies in the two communities. Andrew Rabulan

35TH PHOTO WORLD ASIA 2023. Sony Philippines has obliged to be a major sponsor of this year’s Photo World Asia being organized by the Federation of Philippin Photographers Foundation Inc. (FPPFI), designed to be the “biggest conventi on and tradeshow for photographers and cameramen in the region. Photo taken after the sponsorship signing ceremony shows Sony executive Hideyuki Wada shaking hands with FPPFI chair Edi Huang. Also in photo are Pearl Avone of Sony and Amir Alba, head of the tradeshow. Revoli Cortez

‘Ukraine must set schedule for phone calls’

UKRAINE must schedule an appointment with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. before a phone conversation with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky could push through, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

DFA Undersecretary Carlos Sorreta made this remark after Denys Mykhailiuk, the chargé d’affaires of the Ukraine Embassy in Malaysia bared that Ukraine has yet to receive a response from the Philippines despite having made a formal request since June last year.

“If he wants this to happen, we have to discuss it. These things are arranged, talking points are discussed… It’s not good diplomatic practice to be doing it the way he did,” Sorreta said in a Palace press briefing.

Sorreta also maintained that the Philippines continues to have a “good relationship” with Ukraine, but the envoy’s decision to air his grievances publicly does not sit well with him.

Sorreta deplored as “not good diplomatic practice” for the Ukrainian diplomat for telling members of the Philippine press that the government is not responding to Ukraine’s request for the said phone talk between the two leaders.

“Ukraine is a country we have a good relationship with but when matters like these are vented by representatives of another government…it’s not something we appreciate,” he added.

Mykhailiuk earlier bared that it has contacted Malacañang “twice a month” since June last year, but it has not responded to Ukraine’s request for a dialogue between Marcos and Zelensky to discuss the war against Russia.

Rey E. Requejo and Vince Lopez

SEASON’S

END.

A worker uses a telescopic boom lift to take down a Christmas lantern from a lampost along Elliptical Road in Quezon City on Thursday.

The Philippines’ long Christmas celebration officially ends on the first Sunday after New Year’s Day (Jan. 8), known as the Feast of the Three Kings. Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Cotabato City still part of BARMM

THE inclusion of Cotabato City in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has been upheld by the Supreme Court (SC).

The SC announced that it voted unanimously to dismiss a 2019 petition questioning the conduct of the plebiscite, the inclusion of Cotabato City in the region, and the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

“The vote was unanimous. Two Justices took no part and one Justice was on leave. There were no dissents,” an SC statement, quoted by a GMA News report, said.

In January 2019, residents moved for the inclusion of Cotabato City with

38,682 votes, while 24,994 individuals voted against it.

Earlier, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared the ratification of the BOL and the incorporation of Cotabato City in the Bangsamoro Region.

According to the SC, the poll body complied with the requirements of the law in conducting a plebiscite.

“The decision emphasized the constitutional mandate of the commission to guarantee the proper exercise of the right

[to vote], which the Supreme Court will not interfere with if there is no grave abuse of discretion,” the SC said.

Further, the court said that petitioners Amil Sula, Gaspar Asi, and Hussein Malik Sr. failed to substantiate with the necessary evidence their allegations of fraud in the conduct of the plebiscite, GMA News further reported.

“The mere allegation that the inclusion of Cotabato City in the newlyformed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was not the true intention of the voters of Cotabato City will not persuade this Court to overturn the actions of the Commission on Elections,” the decision read.

The creation of the Bangsamoro region was the key component of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed in 2014 after 17 years of peace negotiations.

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the interim parliament that governs the Bangsamoro region, is led by the MILF, with 41 of the 80 seats.MILF chair Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim has been designated the Interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro parliament.

Minister of the Interior and Local Government Naguib Sinarimbo, also the BARMM spokesperson, said they welcome the High Tribunal’s ruling.

With funding, DBM says free ride along EDSA carousel continues

By Vince Lopez

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday assured commuters that they can continue to avail of free rides along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) Busway system following the approval of the P5.268trillion national budget for this year.

In a press release, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman announced that P1.285 billion has been provided to the government’s Service Contracting program under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) budget this year pursuant to Republic Act 11936, or the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 General Appropriations Act.

“The Service Contracting Program

PH, Hong Kong reps to hold talks on deployment of caregivers

A N EXPLORATORY talk on the possible deployment of caregivers and assisted care workers to Hong Kong is set to be held between the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and its counterparts in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HK-SAR).

Undersecretary for Policy and International Cooperation Patricia Yvonne

Caunan will lead the DMW team that will leave for Hong Kong next month.

In a press release on Thursday, DMW Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said a bilateral meeting was held on Monday (Jan. 9), with Hong Kong Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun.

“This would provide additional job opportunities for our caregivers, under

Gatchalian supports creation of Negros region

By Maricel V. Cruz

VALENZUELA City Rep. Rex Gatchalian expressed his full support for the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR). Gatchalian said the measure is expected to hasten the economic and social growth and development of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental as a single administrative region.

“The establishment of the Negros Island Region has undergone numerous consultative meetings, and an exhaustive and thorough examination and discussion on the various position papers submitted to the committee on the various issues. We thus fully support the legislation of this important measure, which Negrenses have long aspired for,” the chair of the House Committee on Local Government said.

Gatchalian’s panel approved the substitute bill establishing the NIR Tuesday, it’s first hearing of the year.

The bill is a consolidation of House Bills 119 of Rep. Juliet Marie de Leon Ferrer (4th Dist. Negros Occidental); 330 by Rep. Alfredo Maranon III (2nd Dist. Negros Occidental); and 1446 by Reps. Jose Francisco Benitez (3rd Dist. Negros Occidental), Joseph Stephen Paduano (Party-list, ABANG LINGKOD), Gerardo Valmayor, Jr. (1st Dist. Negros Occidental), Emilio Bernardino Yulo (5th Dist., Negros Occidental), Mercedes Alvarez (6th Dist. Negros Occidental), and Greg Gasataya (Bacolod City).

conditions that value their skills and are cognizant of their rights and welfare,” Ople said.

She said that the Hong Kong government expressed willingness to fasttrack the hiring of as many as 7,000 foreign workers.

Sun said that due to Hong Kong’s aging population, there is a growing

need for workers in both private and government-subsidized care homes and assisted care facilities.

In Dec. 13 last year, the Hong Kong Executive Council passed a resolution approving the direct hiring of foreign caregivers and reducing the processing period of a regular application from three to four months to only two months.

now has funding in our FY 2023 GAA. The government has allocated P1.285 billion to continue this program this year),” Pangandaman said.

The Service Contracting program, which gives way to the continuation of the “Libreng Sakay,” provides free bus rides for the public, including the bus commuters along EDSA.

Pangandaman likewise acknowledged the value of free rides to Filipino commuters.

“We understand the plight of our commuting public. And so President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave us a directive to do our part, and to exert our best to help ease their burden. The Service Contracting Program, which funds Libreng Sakay is a big help,” she said.

Legarda backs bigger roles for LGU in culture

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Legarda, the chairperson of the Committee on Culture and the Arts, stressed the significance of preserving Philippine culture and giving meaning to what being a Filipino means as she presided over a committee hearing on various cultural measures.

“I believe that culture is the narrative that binds us as a nation, and it is something we owe to our ancestors and heroes who built the Philippines as it is today. It is also important to protect our way of living and our heritage that we will also pass on to our children and our children’s children,” she said.

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is looking forward to co-hosting with the Department of National Defense the 10th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) from Jan.19 to 20.

“Both sides view the forthcoming meeting as an important opportunity to progress discussions on concrete initiatives to achieve the objectives outlined in the Joint Vision for a 21st century

Senate Bill No. 622, An Act Amending Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, filed by Legarda on July 14, 2022, seeks to mandate the LGUs to conduct a comprehensive cultural mapping of their areas of jurisdiction.

United States-Philippines Partnership adopted by both sides during the 9th BSD,” the DFA said in a statement released on Thursday. The BSD is an annual event which serves as the main platform for the two countries to affirm the longstanding alliance and friendship, discuss current challenges, and identify new areas for cooperation at the working group and senior officials’ levels.

SENATE President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda has pushed for local government units (LGUs) to increase participation and involvement in preserving Filipino heritage through cultural mapping.

FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR. A man carries a decoration at a shop in Manila’s Chinatown on January 12, ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit on January 22. AFP

GROUNDBREAKING.

Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro and other officials lead the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction/ rehabilitation/ improvement of facilities for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens including genderresponsive facilities in Tayhi, Tabaco City.

Writings and signatures

mark that is placed upon an instrument for the purpose of authenticating it and giving it legal effect (Barron’s Law Dictionary).

Developing a certain signature or mark is a necessary consequence of human civilization, akin to learning to write.

Without written records history becomes a set of memories, inevitably fragmented and inaccurate, and learning is restricted to the amount of knowledge that can be passed on orally from one generation to the next (Reader’s Digest Library of Modern Knowledge [RDLMK], The written word p. 880).

The earliest example of writing is a form of picture writing, found in a stone tablet in Mesopotamia, dating from around 3500 BC. It was made by the Sumerians, and may have been part of a tax account (RDLMK).

“The central role of the religious and legal issues in early cultures meant that the ability to write and read was the province of priests and scribes; this early link between writing and religion is still reflected in connection with the words ‘script’ and ‘scripture’” (RDLMK).

The importance of accurate and truthful contentions in court is made even more evident by the requirement of a verification of a party for certain pleadings

“Writing has also been considered by many people to be [the] authoritative form of expression over speech…” (RDLMK). However, as civilization progressed, the need for competent evidence to establish the existence of contracts and deeds of conveyance had to be addressed.

In common law, “the Statute of Wills, 1540, merely required that a will of land should be in ‘writing,’ the Statute of Frauds, 1677, required as an essential form [that] a devise of lands be in writing, signed, and witnessed… but the requirement of signing and witnessing of wills generally dates from 1837” (A Concise History of the Common Law).

In the Civil Code of the Philippines, “an agreement… shall be unenforceable by action unless the same… be in writing and subscribed; evidence… of the agreement cannot be received without the writing, or secondary evidence of its contents” (Article 1403).

Wills or testament “must be in writing and executed in a language or dialect known to the testator.” Notarial wills “must be subscribed… by the testator himself… and attested and subscribed by three or more credible witnesses in the presence of the testator and of one another” (Articles 804 and 805).

The requirements of writing have over time extended to police evidence.

Under the Philippine Constitution, “[A]ny person under investigation for the commission of an offense shall…be informed of his right to remain silent and to have competent and independent counsel… of his own choice… [T]hese rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of counsel” (Article III, Section 12[1]).

Pleadings and other written submissions “must be signed by the party or counsel representing him or her” (Section 3, Rule 7, 2019 Rules of Civil Procedure), the reason being that the courts must be protected from misleading and baseless allegations of the party or counsel.

The signature of a lawyer constitutes a certificate that he or she has read the pleading and document filed in court and served upon the other parties.

The certificate attests that to the best of the lawyer’s knowledge, information and belief, formed after reasonable inquiry that the pleading is not for an improper purpose (Section 3, Rule 7).

It also means that the lawyer does not intend to “harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation;” and that the claims or defenses made in the pleadings are supported

by law or jurisprudence and not frivolous arguments (Section 3, Rule 7).

By signing the pleading or written submission, the lawyer certifies that the “factual contentions [therein] have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified will likely have evidentiary support after availment of the modes of discovery…” (Section 3, Rule 7).

The importance of accurate and truthful contentions in court is made even more evident by the requirement of a verification of a party for certain pleadings.

A pleading is verified by an affidavit of a party or by an affiant duly authorized to sign the said verification (Section 4, Rule 7).

The party attests that “the allegations [therein] are true and correct based on his or her personal knowledge, or based on authentic documents.”

The party also attests that the pleading is not filed for an improper purpose, is supported by evidence, and is likely to have evidentiary support after reasonable opportunity for discovery (Section 4, Rule 7).

In the case of Intestate Estate of Jose Uy v. Atty. Pacifico Maghari, the latter had just recently passed the bar examination.

However, Wilson Uy discovered that Maghari had been affixing different professional details in the pleadings he had signed, using the professional details of Atty. Natu-El (A.C. NO. 10525, September 01, 2015).

“The errors are manifest and respondent [Maghari] admit their existence. This court would perhaps be well counseled to absolve respondent of liability or let him get away with a proverbial slap on the wrist if all that was involved were a typographical error, or otherwise, an error or a handful of errors made in an isolated instance or a few isolated instances” (A.C. NO. 10525, September 01, 2015).

“None of these can be said of this case. Respondent [Maghari] did not merely commit errors in good faith. The truth is far from it. First, respondent violated clear legal requirements, and indicated patently false information. Second, the way he did so demonstrates that he did so knowingly. Third, he did so repeatedly…” (A.C. NO. 10525, September 01, 2015).

“[H]is act not only of usurping another lawyer’s details but also of his repeatedly changing information from one pleading to another demonstrates the intent to mock and ridicule courts and legal processes. Respondent toyed with the standards of legal practice” (A.C. NO. 10525, September 01, 2015).

“A counsel’s signature on a pleading is neither an empty formality nor even a mere means for identification. Through his or her signature, a party’s counsel makes a positive declaration. In certifying… that he or she has read the pleading, that there is ground to support it, and that it is not interposed for delay, a lawyer asserts his or her competence, credibility, and ethics” (A.C. NO. 10525, September 01, 2015).

In another case, a certain Atty. Bayaua’s act of signing the Petition and other pleadings is essentially a certification coming from him that he has read it, that he knew it to be meritorious, and it was not for the purpose of delaying the case.

More importantly, it was his signature that gave legal effect and elevated its status to that of a court document (Spouses Mariano, et al. v. Abrajano and Bayaua, A.C. No. 12690, April 26, 2021).

“In this case, Atty. Bayaua himself insists that somebody else, i.e., Atty. Abrajano, prepared the pleadings in connection with Civil Case No. 4595-MN and that he did not anymore verify its contents before signing them… [B]y his own admission, Atty. Bayaua violated Section 3, Rule 7 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure…” (A.C. No. 12690, April 26, 2021).

The Supreme Court has “demonstrated that what can otherwise be dismissed as empty formalities are, in fact, necessary solemnities. They are not ends… but crucial means to enhance the integrity, competence and credibility of the legal profession. They are vital to the dispensation of justice” (A.C. NO. 10525, September 01, 2015).

Gross mismanagement of the CCP

line as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the CCP; and the Rustan Group of Companies head is Zenaida Rustia Tantoco. His Excellency Marco Clemente is the current Ambassador of Italy to the Philippines.

With that lineup announced in the news, the affair was expected to be fabulous, indeed, one fit to be the culminating cultural event in the Philippines for 2022.

LAST month, Giacomo Puccini’s renowned opera Turandot was staged at the main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City.

The opera is noted for Nessun Dorma, its aria, which culminates the third and final act. This particular segment is very difficult to perform, even for the world’s most seasoned tenors.

Turandot was a project of the CCP, the Philippine Opera Society Foundation, Inc., and the Rustan Group of Companies. Its major sponsor was the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines.

The CCP President is 1973 Miss Universe Margarita Moran Floirendo; the Philippine Opera Society Foundation, Inc.

President is former Marcos-era Secretary of Education Jaime Laya, who is listed on-

Turandot was favorably received, and the gala night was well attended.

Many of my friends were pleased to learn about the Turandot performance at the CCP, and purchased their tickets in advance.

Some of them bought tickets for parterre boxes, while others got the less expensive balcony tickets.

The latter tickets cost about P2000 for the gala performance, but discounts were available to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and students.

While the performance itself was outstanding, the basic facilities of the CCP failed to live up to expectations.

First, the showcase escalators prominently located at the south side of the main lobby were not functioning.

EDITORIAL

Conflicting statistics

at the time of the killing or when body was found;

4)reported to be associated with someone involved in the drug trade;

The Philippine National Police has reported that 61 people have been killed by law enforcers since the onset of the Marcos administration on July 1 until December 31.

The figure includes operations conducted by the PNP alone and joint operations with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the PNP spokesperson clarified.

But wait. There’s more, if we’re to believe the figures compiled by Dahas, a monitoring project run by the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Third World Studies Center.

Dahas says there were 175 drug-related killings during the same period. This brings the total drugrelated death toll to 324 in 2022 – a year that covered the last six months of the Duterte administration and the start of the Marcos administration.

“State agents still top the assailants, and pushers the top targets but hot spots have shifted from the National Capital Region and Negros Occiden-

The law enforcers should show the concrete evidence to back up their claim because the ‘nanlaban’ narrative was much overused during the Duterte years

tal to Davao City and Cebu,” the group said.

Dahas said it considers a killing as drug-related “if the victim was killed through violent means” and if it falls under one of the following criteria:

1)killed in drug-related operation, activity or encounter;

2)reported to be involved in drug trade or in the war on drugs in whatever capacity; 3 reported to be in possession of illegal drugs

5)killed by someone reported to be involved in the drug trade, assumed to be for drug-related reasons or while under the influence of drugs.

We can readily see the big difference in the statistics gathered by the PNP and the independent study group.

The PNP said only 61 were killed, while Dahas says it’s 175. That’s a difference of 114 deaths.

Or, PNP statistics say only 10 deaths per month while Dahas says law enforcers killed 30 every month.

Compare that with the previous administration’s official death count of more than 6,000 in six years, or 1,000 per year or 166 every month.

But human rights groups believe that between 20,000 and 30,000 have been killed in the six years of the Duterte regime, a claim that cannot be validated by an independent group.

Note that the PNP/PDEA did not say that the 61 who died in the past six months all fought back, or ‘nanlaban,’ and therefore deserved their fate.

Do they have the evidence to back up their claim—firearm recovered, autopsy result, etc.

The law enforcers should show the concrete evidence to back up their claim because the “nanlaban” narrative was much overused during the Duterte years.

An ideal foreign policy, according to UP

WE’VE tackled in this space some of the recommendations on various aspects of governance made by a Task Force on a Blueprint for Building the Nation organized by the University of the Philippines Diliman last year.

Now that the Marcos Jr. administration has declared it will pursue an independent foreign policy as provided by the 1987 Constitution and adopt a “friends to all, enemy to none” approach in dealing with the international community, how does the academic community see our current foreign relations?

Right off the bat, the Task Force asserts “the Philippines has failed to establish stable and consistent foreign relations with long-term national goals.”

That observation is based on its belief the country’s foreign relations are “mainly reactive to developments influenced by its strategic environment” particularly its ties with the big powers in the region —US and China—as well as with the multilateral and regional arrangements of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Our foreign policy operates amid ongoing great power rivalry in the region, territorial and maritime disputes with neighboring countries, especially China, and our Mutual Defense Treaty with the US signed back in the 1950s.

“More than at any other time, the Philippines needs to clearly define its strategic interests” so it can “navigate this period of shifting power balance.”

The academics believe China remains the country’s “greatest foreign policy challenge since it presents major opportunities for economic development, but at the same time remains a potential threat to national and territorial integrity.”

Another basic flaw of our existing relations with the rest of the world is the absence of continuity as it is largely influenced by the Chief Executive’s role as the main architect of foreign policy.

Leaving foreign policy purely in the hands of the President, the Task Force is saying, has “led to contradicting narratives and different construction of identities resulting in fragmentation and self-contradiction in the pursuit of national interests.”

This, it said, is “further exacerbated by the absence of a clear, consistent, pro-active, nonpartisan geopolitical strategy.

If “foreign policy is shaped only by the leader’s own perceptions, core values, state-society relations, domestic institutions and resources,

culture, and political climate”, then the “public is relegated to the backseat” and unable to take an active part in discourse on foreign affairs.

The UP Task Force also sees the government’s “over-reliance” on remittances from overseas Filipinos workers to ensure economic stability as a “key vulnerability due to its perceived influence on domestic political stability.”

With COVID-19 restrictions in place since March 2020 that disrupted OFW deployment, having an economy that relies in large measure on OFW remittances to keep the domestic economy on even keel cannot be sustained.

Our foreign policy operates amid ongoing great power rivalry in the region, territorial and maritime disputes with neighboring countries, especially China, and our Mutual Defense Treaty with the US signed back in the 1950s

Instead, the study suggests, the country must “strengthen agriculture and build its domestic industries in order to ensure economic resilience in the face of disruptions caused by regional and global crises.” So what is to be done?

One, the Task Force suggests the Philippines must come up with “a concrete plan of action guided by its strategic interests of safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

To better navigate the changing regional and global power structure, the Philippines must have a clear vision of its role and place in the global community.”

Two, Philippine foreign policymakers and in-

this made the wait more stressful.

Left with no choice, many elderly and disabled sat down on the available spaces on the grand staircase.

While the performance itself was outstanding, the basic facilities of the CCP failed to live up to expectations

Patrons had to line up for the few available elevators on the north side of the theater, or make their way through the grand staircase.

Only those who had orchestra tickets did not notice the embarrassing problem as they didn’t need to use the escalators or elevators.

Second, the rest rooms on the higher floors did not have running water. Those using the rest rooms had to settle for alcohol sprayed on their hands by janitorial employees.

Third, there were no lounge seats for the elderly and the disabled to use while waiting for the theater doors to open, or while they waited for their ride home.

It was raining when the opera ended, and

Were CCP’s Floirendo and Laya aware of the problem?

Undoubtedly, the state of neglect at the CCP left a bad impression on many patrons.

The CCP today is a far cry from the CCP during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., when then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos was its guiding light.

Since the CCP first opened its doors to the public in 1969, and during the entirety of the Marcos administration, it was undoubtedly the premiere center for the perfoming arts in the country.

Among its famous shows during that time were the zarzuela Walang Sugat and the musicale Man of La Mancha.

Prior to the martial law years, then Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. vehemently opposed the creation of the CCP.

For Ninoy, the CCP was a cultural venue for the elite. He also insinuated that the construction of the CCP was a waste of public money, it being a mere “monument” in honor of Mrs. Marcos

History, however, has proven Ninoy Aquino wrong.

Although the CCP is known as a venue for

The

The Council could provide long-term direction, cohesion, and institutionalization of national security policies and ensure a more objective approach to national security over the long-term.

Three, Philippine foreign policy should sustain strong and secure regional alliances to manage the new realities in the West Philippine Sea by using diplomacy to shape the environment to the country’s best advantage.

The WPS is an arena of serious geostrategic competition between regional and external powers, and the Philippines must take an active role in influencing and shaping the outcome of that competition.

Four, the government must shift its perspective on the WPS.

It is more than an arena for confrontation between major powers.

The WPS is a wellspring of natural resources and nexus of ecological services that is key to the development of the country’s largely untapped Blue Economy. Research on the WPS should be funded, and exploration, exploitation, and management activities should be promoted and maintained, the Task Force said.

And, finally, the government should strive to increase the public’s understanding of and participation in international issues.

The establishment of multiple platforms where the public can engage in foreign policy discussions that highlight the nation’s interests, articulate national policies and strategies, organize constituencies for the pursuit of these interests, policies and strategies, will lay the ground for stable and long-lasting principles for the country’s independent foreign policy.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

renowned performances by local and foreign artists, it had a section called “Balcony II” tickets to which were sold at affordable general admission prices.

This section was far up in the back, but the acoustics of the main theater made clear listening possible even in the far-flung balconies.

At any rate, audiences seated in the balconies were allowed to bring binoculars to allow them glimpses from an orchestra seat perspective every so often.

The big irony is that months after Ninoy was assassinated in August 1983, artists paid tribute to him in a program at the CCP main theater, with no objections heard from the Marcos administration.

Anyway, it appears that somewhere through the decades, the Balcony II section was phased out, leaving patrons on a budget to either pay for more expensive seats, or do away with theater patronage completely altogether.

During the Marcos era, the CCP was meant to be a cultural center for the Filipino people because of the affordability of tickets to its Balcony II section.

Today, the CCP has become a cultural venue for the elite, as Ninoy predicted, but with broken escalators and waterless rest rooms, and without lounge seats for the elderly and the disabled.

fluencers need to be guided by clear principles and long-range vision that go beyond the terms of administrations, or of appointed leaders in the Executive branch.

Task Force suggests a review of the functions and mandates of the National Security Council as the lead agency in national security governance.

A SIGNATURE is a writing or other

WHO’S got the accurate— and therefore correct—figures in the national government’s campaign vs. illegal drugs?

Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors

Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle City

Rolando

US aviation authorities probing system outage

AVIATION authorities were racing Wednesday to figure out what caused the outage of a crucial alert system that forced the temporary halt on all US domestic takeoffs, triggering thousands of delays and cancellations.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said normal operations were being restored but the early morning halt created knock-on effects that snarled travel throughout the day.

The grounding order was issued after the FAA identified an issue with the Notice to Air Missions system (NOTAM), which provides information to pilots about hazards, changes to airport facilities and information that can affect flights.

“Our preliminary work has traced the outage to a damaged database file,” the FAA said in a tweet Wednesday evening, adding that “at this time, there is no evidence of a cyberattack.”

The temporary outage spelled yet another hellish day for US travelers –less than a month after a bad winter storm roiled the system.

“I just learned that my flight was delayed again,” said Vince Hamilton, who was at Reagan National Airport near Washington seeking to travel to Chicago, and then on to St. Louis –where, he said, “I have to catch a bus that I’m probably going to miss.”

Wednesday’s nationwide order was believed to be the first time since the attacks of 9/11 that such a broad command had been issued, according to aviation experts cited in US media. The FAA did not respond to queries seeking confirmation.

Near 8:00 pm eastern time (0100 GMT Thursday), more than 1,300 flights within, into or out of the United States had been canceled, with more than 9,800 suffering delays, according

WASHINGTON TO DEPLOY MOBILE MARINES AS CHINA WORRIES GROW

US vows to defend space with Japan

THE

mutual defense treaty, which considers an attack on one an attack on both.

Weeks after unveiling plans to ramp up security spending, Japan sent its defense and foreign ministers to Washington where the two countries issued a statement vowing to “modernize the alliance in order to address the increasingly severe security environment.”

The talks come two days before a visit by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is touring Group of Seven nations

to kick off Japan’s leadership year of the elite club and earlier Wednesday in London also boosted defense ties with Britain.

As China makes rapid advances in satellites, the United States and Japan warned in their statement that “attacks to, from or within space present a clear challenge to the security of the alliance” that could invoke Article Five of their

Benedict’s confidant spills beans on two-popes tension with Francis

JUST one week after the funeral of Benedict XVI, his closest aide released a much-trailed memoir Thursday, revealing details of tensions between the late pope emeritus and his more liberal successor Pope Francis.

Georg Gaenswein’s book reveals private conversations with both popes in charting the German ex-pontiff’s rise to power and the decade spent in retirement following his shock resignation in 2013.

The Vatican has not officially responded but Pope Francis called Gaenswein in to a private meeting on Monday, following days of pre-publication interviews in which the 66-year-old German aired years of grievances.

head for the conservative wing of the Catholic Church, which views Pope Francis as too liberal.

As his secretary since 2003, Gaenswein was a constant presence at Benedict’s side, and during his final years living in a monastery in the Vatican grounds, his gatekeeper.

After Benedict’s death, Gaenswein led the mourners, greeting visitors to his mentor’s lyingin-state and kissing the coffin in front of tens of thousands at St Peter’s Square during the funeral led by Pope Francis.

The talks finalized a plan by the United States to send a so-called Marine Littoral Regiment, a more agile unit that can operate defenses both by sea and air, to Okinawa, the southern Japanese island strategically close to Taiwan.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the unit would be in place by 2025 from a reorganization of an existing artillery regiment.

“I think this is going to contribute in a major way in our effort to help defend Japan and also promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Austin said, using the US

turn of phrase for an Asia without Chinese dominance.

He reiterated the US commitment to defend Japan including over islets, known as the Senkaku by Tokyo and the Diaoyu by Beijing, contested by China.

Japan has been officially pacifist since its defeat in World War II but has increasingly shed past sensitivities as China under President Xi Jinping exerts itself and as North Korea keeps firing missiles, some of them over Japanese territory.

China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy with strong links to Japan, and in August carried out major

George Pell denied public memorial in home state

AN AUSTRALIAN state leader on Thursday emphatically ruled out a taxpayer-funded memorial for Cardinal George Pell, saying it would be “deeply distressing” for sexual abuse survivors.

Pell, who died in Rome aged 81, was a towering figure in the Catholic Church but deeply divisive at home in Australia, where he had been accused of molesting two teenage choir boys while archbishop of Melbourne.

Born in Victoria and once celebrated within the state, he was the highestranking Catholic to be imprisoned for child sexual abuse, before his convictions were quashed on appeal.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday said Pell’s legacy had been permanently tainted.

“We will never ever forget victimsurvivors of institutional child sexual abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church,” Andrews told reporters.

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late SPS RAYMUNDO and LEONOR RIGONAN was extrajudicially settled by heirs as per DOC. No. 307 Page 62; Book No. 5; Series of 2022 before Notary Public Glennaries M. Yamsuan of Quezon City. MS-(JAN. 6, 13 & 20, 2023)

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late SPS RAYMUNDO and LEONOR RIGONAN was extrajudicially settled by heirs as per DOC. No. 307 Page 62; Book No. 5; Series of 2022 before Notary Public Glennaries M. Yamsuan of Quezon City. MS-(JAN. 6, 13 & 20, 2023)

In one, he claimed it had “pained Benedict’s heart” when Francis effectively reversed his predecessor’s decision to relax restrictions on the use of the traditional Latin mass.

Up until his death on December 31 at the age of 95, Benedict had remained a figure-

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that the following Stock Certificates issued by Capitol Medical Center, Inc., under the name of Dr. Manuel Rivera was declared lost as per Doc. No. 301; Page No. 62; Book No. III; Series of 2022, before Notary Public Atty. Roe Anne R. Cadiz of Makati City:

Certificate No.Date IssuedNo. of Shares

61430 June 1979 33 101915 December 198236 161831 May 1991 65 186702 October 1995 126

1995 126 Total 260

Total 260

In “Nothing But the Truth: My Life Beside Pope Benedict XVI”, Gaenswein describes Benedict’s perplexity at some of Francis’s decisions, and the latter’s apparent attempts to keep his predecessor in check. AFP

Peru protesters mourn their dead as clashes continue

DEMONSTRATORS in Peru blocked roads and held mass funerals on Wednesday for those killed in violent anti-government protests that have gripped the country for weeks, as the United States called for “restraint” on both sides.

The deadly clashes have spread to the tourist city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, where one protester was killed and more than 20 people, including six police officers, were wounded.

In total, at least 40 people have died in more than a month of demonstrations demanding the resigna-

tion of President Dina Boluarte, who took over after the ouster and arrest of her predecessor Pedro Castillo on December 7.

The violence has drawn a rebuke from the United Nations, and a delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) arrived in the country Wednesday to investigate the protests and accusations of political repression.

On Tuesday, Peru’s prosecutor’s office said it was opening a genocide investigation against Boluarte and other top officials as a result of the deaths.

The epicenter of the protests has been in the Aymara region of Puno, on the border with Bolivia, where thousands of residents walked the streets of Juliaca with the coffins of 17 civilians who were killed earlier this week.

Each coffin bore a photograph and was draped in a Peruvian flag.

“Dina killed me with bullets,” read the white coffin of Edgar Huaranca, carried on the shoulders of six family members.

The government has imposed a three-day curfew on the Andean region in a bid to calm the tensions. AFP

“There will be no memorial service or state funeral because I think that would be a deeply, deeply distressing thing for every victim-survivor of Catholic Church child sexual abuse.”

State funerals are reserved for highprofile figures who have made significant contributions to Australian public life.

Pell died of heart complications related to a hip surgery he underwent in a Rome hospital on Tuesday, according to the Vatican’s official news website.

His body will be returned to Australia and buried in the crypt of St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, church officials said.

In a telegram, Pope Francis paid tribute to Pell’s “dedication to the gospel and to the Church”, saying he “followed his Lord with determination even in a time of trial.”

Former conservative Australian prime minister Tony Abbott said his friend’s name had been tainted by a “monstrous allegation.”

Pell voluntarily returned to Australia in 2016 to face accusations that he molested two 13-year-old choirboys in the 1990s. AFP

Any person(s) who has/have any claim in respect of these stock certificates should write to the Company’s Corporate Secretary at the following address Scout Magbanua corner Panay Avenue Quezon City within one (1) year from the date of publication of this Notice. In case where no objection is received within the said period, the Company will no longer entertain any claim with respect to the aforementioned Stock Certificates.

Any person(s) who has/have any claim in respect of these stock certificates should write to the Company’s Corporate Secretary at the following address Scout Magbanua corner Panay Avenue Quezon City within one (1) year from the date of publication of this Notice. In case where no objection is received within the said period, the Company will no longer entertain any claim with respect to the aforementioned Stock Certificates.

Russian critic Navalny says prison denying hospital care

JAILED Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said that he was being refused access to hospital treatment by prison officials after falling sick, in what his team called an underhanded attempt to kill him.

quoted by his team as saying during the hearing, adding that prison officials had also refused to provide basic drugs.

Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, told AFP that judges had granted the postponement.

After the lapse of one (1) year from the date of this publication, the original stock certificates shall stand cancelled and any person dealing with the original stock certificate(s) shall be doing so at his/ her own risk as to costs and consequences and the company will not be responsible for it in any way.

After the lapse of one (1) year from the date of this publication, the original stock certificates shall stand cancelled and any person dealing with the original stock certificate(s) shall be doing so at his/ her own risk as to costs and consequences and the company will not be responsible for it in any way.

Navalny, the most prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he had flu symptoms including a fever but was being kept in a punishment cell at his maximum-security prison outside Moscow.

For the past two years, the 46-yearold has been held outside Vladimir, a town around 230 kilometers (145 miles) east of Moscow, after an embezzlement conviction, one of several rulings Navalny has denounced as an attempt to silence him.

He also requested during a court hearing on Wednesday that it be postponed because of his illness.

The public is hereby warned against purchasing or dealing in anyway with the above Stock Certificates.

The public is hereby warned against purchasing or dealing in anyway with the above Stock Certificates.

MS-(JAN. 13, 20 & 27, 2023)

MS-(JAN. 13, 20 & 27, 2023)

“I am not being hospitalised even though I requested this,” Navalny was

A lawyer by training, Navalny has filed several lawsuits against penitentiary officials, claiming they have infringed his constitutional rights. AFP

United States said Wednesday that attacks in space would invoke its defense treaty with Japan and announced the deployment of a more agile Marine unit on its ally’s soil as alarm grows over China.

PLACID WATERS. Photo shows fishing boats moored at a beach in Sanur on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on January 12, 2023. AFP

PROTEST ACTION. South Korean opposition lawmakers and supporters of the victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor hold placards reading ‘We oppose the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s humiliating solution to the forced labor issue! during a protest against a public hearing on the issue at the National Assembly in Seoul on January 12, 2023. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

SWEARING IN. Brazilian new Minister of Indigenous People, Sonia Guajajara (left), hugs deputy Celia Xakuiaba (right) during her swearing-in ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia. AFP

1 CHP 0.78 0.15 23.81%

2 CA 34.95 4.85 16.11%

3 NOW 2.6 0.27 11.59%

4 VMC 3.26 0.3 10.14%

5 OPM 0.011 0.001 10.00%

6 EURO 0.93 0.08 9.41%

7 WIN 0.255 0.02 8.51%

8 HOME 2.17 0.15 7.43%

9 RCI 0.49 0.03 6.52% 10 C 1.2 0.07 6.19%

1 MVC 5.13 -0.35 -6.39%

2 BALAI 0.62 -0.04 -6.06%

3 HTI 0.91 -0.04 -4.21%

4 PNX4 383 -16.8 -4.20%

5 FOOD 0.53 -0.02 -3.64%

6 LAND 0.81 -0.03 -3.57%

7 TCB2A 0.95 -0.03 -3.06%

8 CDC 0.66 -0.02 -2.94%

9 APL 0.033 -0.001 -2.94%

10 VUL 0.99 -0.03 -2.94%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME VALUE (PHP)

1 BDO 5,098,900 577,439,912

2 SM 459,290 415,111,160

3 ICT 1,947,150 391,012,872

4 JFC 1,389,440 336,044,758

5 URC 2,307,860 321,528,410

6 EMI 15,552,500 311,732,845

7 ACEN 42,430,900 294,766,949

8 TEL 183,105 259,342,595

9 AC 339,780 246,237,345 10 WLCON 7,616,300 236,381,500

UAE oil company chief to lead talks on climate change

DUBAI—The head of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company was named Thursday as president of this year’s COP28 climate talks, prompting fierce criticism from environmental activists.

Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, who heads up the UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), will be the first CEO to take the role at the UN summit, said a statement carried by the official WAM news agency.

“We will bring a pragmatic, realistic and solutions-oriented approach that delivers transformative progress for climate and for low carbon economic growth,” Jaber said in the statement.

“I sincerely believe that climate action today is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth,” he added.

Environmental activists were quick to react, warning that the involvement of a major figure from the oil industry could slow progress in the fight against global warming.

Jaber’s appointment “poses an outrageous conflict of interest,” said Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International.

“The ongoing menace of fossil fuel lobbyists at the UN climate talks has consistently weakened outcomes of the climate conference but this takes it to another dangerous and unprecedented level.”

COP27, held in Egypt in November, concluded with the adoption of a hotly contested text on aid to poor countries affected by climate change but failed to set new ambitions for lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

The UAE’s hosting of this year’s edition in Dubai in November and December, has provoked concern from activists urging a shift away from oil, which produces greenhouse gases.

The UAE, one of the world’s biggest crude producers, argues that oil remains indispensable to the global economy and is pushing the merits of carbon capture -- removing carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, as fuel is burned or from the air. AFP

Stock market rebounds; Wilcon, BDO top gainers

STOCKS rebounded Thursday from a twoday slump, ahead of release of US data that is expected to show another softening of inflation, giving the Federal Reserve room to slow its interest rate hikes.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 124 points, or 1.85 percent, to close at 6,833.53, as five of the six subsectors advanced, led by financial stocks.

The broader all-share index also went up 48 points, or 1.37 percent, to settle at 3,588.04, on a value turnover of P7.68 billion. Gainers led losers, 115 to 67, while 48 issues were unchanged.

Seven of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Wilcon De-

pot Inc. which climbed 4.23 percent to P32.00 and BDO Unibank Inc. which rose 3.73 percent to P114.00.

Meanwhile, the peso closed at 55.29 against the dollar Thursday, weaker than Wednesday’s finish at 54.80.

With optimism over China’s reopening already fueling a rally across Asia, signs that the Fed’s long-running monetary tightening campaign is finally paying off have provided investors with more reason to be happy.

The consumer price index reading on Thursday is the key event for investors this week, though analysts warned that an above-forecast reading would deal a hefty blow to confidence on trading floors.

“An in-line or softer-than-expected CPI will likely result in a rally, whereas a hotter number could easily tip over the applecart,” said Arthur Hogan at B. Riley Wealth.

“Good news for the economy can become good news for markets.”

Asian traders started the day on a

strong note but selling took over as the day wore on owing to profit-taking.

Hong Kong, which had piled on around eight percent since the start of the year, dipped, while there were also losses in Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok.

Tokyo was flat but Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta rose.

Gains were also helped by comments from Fed official Susan Collins backing a quarter-point rate hike at the bank’s next policy decision on February 1.

Collins, who is head of the Boston Fed, told The New York Times that slowing the pace of increases would give policymakers a chance to see how their efforts to rein in decades-high inflation were working.

CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: “In a way it’s not hard to understand why the markets believe a pivot might be coming given how headline CPI has consistently fallen back from the peaks of 9.1 percent seen in June. With AFP

Cost-of-living crisis biggest global risk in next two years

LONDRES, United Kingdom—The cost-of-living crisis is the biggest global risk over the next two years, the World Economic Forum warned Wednesday in a survey preceding its annual Davos meetings of global elites.

The WEF report described the cost-of-living crisis as the “biggest short-term risk” between now and 2025, followed by natural disasters, extreme weather events and “geoeconomic confrontation”.

Global inflation remains at skyhigh levels after energy and food costs rocketed last year, largely owing to the invasion of agricultural powerhouse Ukraine by major oil and gas producer Russia.

Supply constraints caused by the Covid pandemic have also contributed to decades-high prices for consumers.

“Conflict and geo-economic tensions have triggered a series of deeply interconnected global risks,” said the annual study ahead of next week’s gathering in the Swiss Alpine village of Davos.

“These include energy and food supply crunches, which are likely to persist for the next two years, and strong increases in the cost-of-living and debt servicing,” it added.

The report said such “crises risk undermining efforts to tackle longerterm risks, notably those related to climate change, biodiversity and investment in human capital”.

The survey, produced with the consulting firm Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, took into account the views of more than 1,200 global risk experts, policymakers and industry leaders.

“The short-term risk landscape is dominated by energy, food, debt and disasters,” said Saadia Zahidi, a managing director at WEF.

“Those that are already the most vulnerable are suffering—and in the face of multiple crises, those who qualify as vulnerable are rapidly expanding, in rich and poor countries,” she wrote in the report. AFP

Global fashion firms exploiting Bangladesh workers—study

LONDON, United Kingdom—Major international fashion brands are operating unfairly toward Bangladesh clothing suppliers, with some allegedly paying for items below the cost of production, according to a study published Wednesday.

The study’s compilers, Aberdeen University and the advocacy group Transform Trade, surveyed 1,000 Bangladeshi factories making garments for global brands and retailers during the Covid pandemic.

More than half of the factories experienced at least one of the following: order cancellations, refusal to pay, price reductions or delayed payment for

goods.

“This research highlights reports of unfair trading practices encountered by manufacturers during Covid-19,” the report found.

Such practices resulted in lower wages for the factories’ workers, job losses and high staff turnover, it said.

One in five factories revealed they had struggled to pay the Bangladeshi legal minimum wage as a result.

The report also uncovered incidents where some companies demanded reductions for clothing ordered before the pandemic erupted in March 2020.

And some fashion firms refused to budge on price, despite soaring costs

and rampant inflation.

The study called for the creating of a fashion industry regulator in importing nations to improve purchasing practices.

Respondents told researchers that the “highest proportion” of unfair business practices included major brands such as H&M, Next, Primark and Zara owner Inditex.

The responses of some companies to the claims were included in the report.

Inditex said it has “guaranteed payment for all orders already placed and in process of production and worked with financial institutions to facilitate the provision of loans to suppliers on favorable terms.”

German supermarket chain Lidl said it took the “accusations very seriously.”

It added that it “takes its responsibility towards workers in Bangladesh and other countries where our suppliers produce very seriously and is committed to ensuring that core social standards are complied with throughout the supply chain”.

Primark said that owing to the pandemic, it had taken “the incredibly difficult decision in March 2020 to cancel all orders which had not yet been handed over.”

Companies named in the report did not immediately return AFP requests for comment. AFP

UN: Trapped sediment in dams endangers water supplies

By Rochelle Gluzman

PARIS, France—Thousands of the world’s large dams are so clogged with sediment that they risk losing more than a quarter of their storage capacity by 2050, UN researchers said Wednesday, warning of the threat to water security.

A new study from the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health found that by mid-century, dams and reservoirs will lose about 1.65 trillion cubic meters of water storage capacity to sediment.

The figure is close to the combined annual water use of India, China, Indonesia, France and Canada.

That is important, the researchers say, because these big dams are a key source of hydroelectricity, flood control, irrigation, and drinking water throughout the world.

“Global water storage is going to diminish—it is diminishing now— and that needs to be seriously taken into account,” the study’s co-author and Institute director Vladimir Smakhtin told AFP.

Researchers looked at nearly 50,000 large dams in 150 countries and found that they have already lost about 16 percent of water storage capacity.

They estimated that if build-up rates continue at the same pace, that will increase to about 26 percent by mid-century.

Rivers naturally wash sediment downstream to wetlands and coasts, but dams disrupt this flow, and over time the build-up of these muddy deposits gradually reduces the space for water.

Smakhtin said this “endangers the sustainability of future water supplies for many” as well as posing risks to irrigation and power generation.

Part of a larger issue

Accumulation of sediment can also cause flooding upstream and impact wildlife habitats and coastal populations downstream.

Sedimentation is a part of a larger is-

sue: by 2050, tens of thousands of large dams will be near or past their intended lifespan.

Most of the world’s 60,000 big dams —constructed between 1930 and 1970 —were designed to last 50 to 100 years, after which they risk failure, affecting more than half the global population who will live downstream.

Large dams and reservoirs are defined as higher than 15 meters (49 feet), or at least five meters high, while holding back no less than three million cubic meters of water.

Global warming compounds the risk

in ways that have yet to be fully measured.

“Climate change extremes like floods and droughts will increase, and higher intensity showers are more erosive,” Smakhtin said.

This not only increases the risk of reservoirs overflowing but also accelerates the build-up of sediment, which affects dam safety, reduces water storage capacity, and lowers energy production in hydroelectric dams.

Alternatives

To address looming challenges of ageing dams and reservoir sedimentation, the study authors list several measures.

Bypass, or sediment diversion, can divert water flow downstream through a separate river channel.

Another strategy is the removal, or “decommissioning”, of a dam to reestablish the natural flow of sediment in a river.

But addressing water storage issues is especially complex because there is no one-size-fits-all solution, Smakhtin said.

“The loss of water storage is inevitable for different reasons,” Smakhtin said. “So the question we should be asking is what are the alternatives?”

A March 22-24 UN 2023 Water Conference in New York will provide the possibility for countries to voice concerns and make commitments for the future of water management, he said. AFP

FINANCIAL DISTRICT. Office workers walk out during lunch time at the Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore on January 12, 2023. AFP

The United Nations headquarters in New York City as seen on Jan. 5, 2023. AFP

Electronics group expects exports to reach $50b in 2023

By Othel V. Campos

EXPORTS of electronics and semiconductors are expected to reach $50 billion in 2023, an industry group said Thursday.

Semiconductor and Electronics Industry of the Philippines Inc. president Dan Lachica said during the Indo-Pacific Business Forum livestreamed from Japan this year’s exports would rise from $45.92 billion in 2022.

“So that’s a testimony to the hard work of Filipino workers, and of course working with government in promoting the industry during the months of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Industry data showed the electronics exports went up by 12.9 percent in 2022 from $40.67 billion in 2020 on higher demand for electronics components, particularly for cellphones and other consumer electronics.

SEIPI participated in one of the panel discussions at the IPBF and shared the Philippines blueprint to promoting resilient supply chains for semiconductors and critical minerals in the Indo-Pacific.

Minerals like nickel, copper and cobalt are crucial in achieving technologies that would support the economy, said Lachica.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual underscored the importance of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in the Manila leg of the IPBF held at the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City.

The Indo-Pacific Business Forum is a premier public-private US government event to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation between the United States of America and its partners throughout the Indo-Pacific Region.

Business

BSP eyes cutting banks’ 12% reserve requirement

By Julito G. Rada

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla

said Thursday the reserve requirement of banks may be reduced from 12 percent in the first semester this year especially if there is no longer a pressure to increase the interest rates.

Medalla said, however, the BSP would not want to confuse the financial markets.

“It is hard to be raising [the] policy rates and cutting reserve requirements. Although we should be able to do that, because we can offset the cut in RRR by increasing our borrowing [rate]. But given the situation, the last thing we want to do is confuse the signals,” Medalla said in an interview over ANC’s Market Edge.

“So when we are no longer under pressure to raise policy rates, then we will cut RRR because we don’t think it is healthy to have a 12-percent RRR,” he said.

Reserve requirements are the minimum reserves required for depository institutions. They are set by the central bank within limits specified by law. A change in the minimum reserve ratio affects the amount of its deposit base a financial institution can lend out.

“Not only that, we also had a temporary relief measure for SMEs. [And banks] making loans to SMEs [small and medium enterprises] qualify as a fulfillment of reserve requirements. That is going to end, so we have to replace that with a permanent measure which is a cut in the RRR,” Medalla said.

“I think the likelihood it will happen in the first semester is quite high,” Medalla said.

The BSP cut the reserve requirement ratios of universal and commercial banks by 200 basis points to 12 percent on March 24, 2020 to boost domestic liquidity amid the onslaught of COV-

ID-19 that threatened economic growth.

Medalla also said the worst was over for inflation, and he expected it to be within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent by the third quarter of 2023 after accelerating to a more than 14-year high of 8.1 percent in December 2022.

“I think the worst is over… Because we got hit by high oil prices. Finally the oil price shocks are fading. Then we got hit by high sugar prices…We got hit by [higher prices of] food and vegetables, name it. And then the fertilizer shortage, that resulted in higher food prices,” he said.

“We thought that the last bad months would be October and November, but we had another shock. But finally the December print, although the year on year is quite high, the month on month is back to normal,” he said.

The Monetary Board on Dec. 15, 2022 raised the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to a more than 14-year high of 5.5 percent to prevent the second-round effects of inflation and defend the peso against the US dollar.

MBC lauds ERC’s efforts to ensure affordable power THE Makati Business Club on Thursday expressed support for the Energy Regulatory Commission’s efforts to secure adequate and affordable electricity supply by pursuing transparent, accountable and investmentfriendly policies.

“The ERC under Atty. Dimalanta appears focused, determined and on the right track,” MBC chairman Edgar Chua said after leading MBC’s meeting with ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta at the ERC head office in Pasig on Jan. 10.

“Amid all the challenges in the sector, it is a confidence booster that our energy officials are all knowledgeable and professional with a high sense of urgency,” Chua said. The efforts include reviews of the secondary price cap mechanism (which is designed to moderate spikes but may be curtailing new investment), the rules on open access (which is meant to allow consumers to choose their supplier but has not gained much ground), and rules on renewable energy and storage (batteries).

MBC also expressed support for the constant collaboration between ERC, the Department of Energy, National Transmission Co. and industry players to find solutions to the many challenges in the sector.

Alena Mae S. Flores

SEC revokes registration of

Silverlion Livestock

THE Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday it revoked the corporate registration of Zamboanga-based Silverlion Livestock Trading Corp. for allegedy engaging in illegal investment solicitation activities.

It said in a statement the Enforcement and Investor Protection Department revoked the certificate of incorporation of Silverlion after investigation showed that it had been offering and selling investment packages to the public with guaranteed returns of 35 percent within just 15 days.

This means that investments ranging from P1,000 to P100,000 could yield returns worth P1,300 to P130,000, respectively.

The SEC’s EIPD said this was a violation of Section 44 of Republic Act No. 11232, or the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines as Silverlion does not have the required secondary license from the commission to offer or sell securities to the public.

EIPD said Silverlion’s activities also constituted serious misrepresentation as to what it could do to the prejudice of or damage to the general public, which is a ground for the revocation of a corporation’s certificate of registration under Presidential Decree No. 902-A. Jenniffer B. Austria

GCash announces rollout of Paleng-QR Ph in Bohol

GCASH, the mobile wallet of Globe, announced the rollout Paleng-QR Ph program in Bohol to promote cashless payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles.

The Paleng-QR Ph program, jointly developed by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Department of the Interior and Local Government, aims to build the digital payments ecosystem in the country by promoting cashless QR payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles. GCash chief executive Martha Sazon said with the program’s entry to Bohol, GCash had so far onboarded a total of five public markets, 133 market vendors in Dao and 155 TODAs to allow payment through GCash. There are about 138 active GCash Pera outlets where GCash users can cash in and cash out. GCash QR codes deployed as of Jan. 10, 2023 are all operational and widely used by locals and tourists. GCash to GCash transactions remain free of charge, ensuring convenience to users. Darwin G. Amojelar

Megaworld plans to open first hotel in Palawan in 2028

By Jenniffer B. Austria

BPOs given until Jan. 31 to complete registration transfer to BOI

THE Fiscal Incentives Review Board chaired by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno is extending the deadline for the transfer of registered information technology and business process management firms to the Board of Investments until Jan. 31, 2023 from Dec. 31, 2022.

The inter-agency board cited in FIRB Resolution No. 033-22 the need to extend the initial Dec. 31, 2022 deadline, as only about 40 percent of the affected IT-BPM firms had successfully submitted the requirements on time. Around 640 RBEs have yet to submit their requirements for the transfer.

Diokno reaffirmed the FIRB’s continued support for IT-BPM enterprises by recognizing the need to adopt flexible work arrangements without adverse effects on the tax incentives they receive.

“We fully support our stakeholders in the IT-BPM sector and grant their request for more time to complete their transfer to the BOI,” Diokno said in a statement Thursday.

“The FIRB is committed to providing any form of assistance to effectively and expeditiously carry out the transfer of the concerned IT-BPM enterprises,” he said.

The FIRB on Sept. 14, 2022 resolved the long-standing work-fromhome issue of the IT-BPM sector by accepting the WFH arrangement as the new business model of most registered business enterprises.

Its resolution allows registered business enterprises that already completed their registration transfer with the BOI to adopt 100-percent WFH arrangement without losing incentives or violating Section 309 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended by the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act.

Julito G. Rada

Mindanao electricity spot market to open Jan. 26

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, which runs the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, said Thursday it is ensuring market participants’ readiness for the launch of the Mindanao electricity spot market on Jan. 26, 2023.

IEMOP said it is conducting focus group discussions with Mindanao participants and the energy stakeholders to discuss the provisions of the Department of Energy Circular 2022-12-0039 and the activities leading to the commercial operations of WESM in the region.

It said this is a part of the preparations for the commercial launch of WESM Mindanao.

The first FGD with grid-connected generators was conducted on Jan. 6 and Jan. 12, 2023. Other batches of the FGDs for the other trading participants would be held until Jan. 13.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla signed DC 2022-12-0039 requiring Mindanao electric power industry participants

and entities to register as WESM members not later than Jan. 15, 2023.

“The commercial operation of WESM Mindanao and the MVIP [Mindanao Visayas Interconnection Project] is expected to improve the reliability of electric power supply not only in the Mindanao grid, but also in the Luzon and Visayas grids,” the circular said.

It said the MVIP was expected to be completed by March 2023, and its commercial operation would necessitate the implementation of WESM Mindanao to allow the efficient transfer of electricity exchanges.

The circular requires the market operator to facilitate registration in the WESM and authorize the disconnection of WESM participants and entities mandated to register, but are unable to comply with the rules.

The circular spells out the responsibilities of IEMOP, National Electrification Administration, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., Philippine Electricity Market Corp., and National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

PROPERTY developer Megaworld Corp. said Thursday it is developing its first hotel within the 462-hectare Paragua Coastown in San Vicente, Palawan.

Megaworld said in a stock exchange filing the 10-story Savoy Palawan would have 306 guest rooms and suites in varied layouts that are perfect for travelers in the island.

“This will be our first hotel in Palawan, which will be the fourth Savoy Hotel in our portfolio. As we continue to tap on the rising opportunities in Philippine tourism, we also hope to meet the demand for accommodations in San Vicente, which is known to have the longest beach line in the entire country,” said Megaworld Hotels and Resorts managing director Cleofe Albiso.

Savoy Palawan, which is scheduled for opening in 2028, will have several amenities including swimming pool with a separate kiddie pool and a pool deck at the third level. It will also have its own fitness center, spa with wet and dry sauna and a kid’s club.

The hotel will have four food and beverage outlets including an all-day dining restaurant with al fresco area, Zabana Bar & Lounge, Grill Bar with outdoor dining and a specialty restaurant. It will also have its own ballroom and smaller function rooms with prefunction areas, a business center and meeting rooms.

“Savoy Palawan will highlight some sustainability features that will make it as a luxury green hotel. The hotel’s equipment and machines will be certified ‘energy-efficient’ and we will also be using recycled water for washing from our rain harvesting facility. Since Paragua Coastown will also be a bike-friendly community, we will provide facilities for bikes in our hotel,” said Albiso.

PALENG-QR IN BOHOL. Leading mobile wallet GCash teams up with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Interior and Local Government and the local government of Tagbilaran City for the rollout of the Paleng-QR Ph program in Bohol’s capital. Joining the event at the GCash booth are (from left) GCash chief compliance officer Cef Sison, Tagbilaran City administrator Cathelyn Torrecmocha, BSP Deputy Governor Berna Romulo-Puyat, GCash president and chief executive Martha Sazon, vice president for commercial sales and operations Luigi Reyes and Tagbilaran Vice Mayor Adam Jala.

BULACAN WATER SUPPLY. San Miguel Corp., through Luzon Clean Water Development Corp., will make available potable and affordable water from the Angat reservoir to more than 350,000 households in Bulacan by early 2025 as it starts implementation of Stage 3A of the Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project covering the water districts of Baliwag, Norzagaray, Hagonoy, Pandi, San Ildefonso, San Miguel and San Rafael. LCWDC supplies treated bulk water to 13 water districts of Bulacan that, in turn, distribute to 220,000 households in cities and municipalities that include Balagtas, Bocaue, Marilao, City of Meycauayan, Obando, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulakan, Calumpit, Guiginto, City of Malolos, Paombong, Plaridel and Sta. Maria.

Cone: We didn’t knock down shots

By Peter Atencio

IT should have ended last Wednesday and the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings should have been crowned the 2022-2023 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioners’ Cup champions.

But the last five seconds of Game 6 denied the Gin Kings their moment of glory.

Justine Brownlee and Stanley Pringle missed their triples, and Scottie Thompson turned the ball over on a bad pass in the final 29 seconds, allowing the Bay Area Dragons to an 87-84 triumph over the Gin Kings at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Now that the best-of-seven series tied at 3-all, the Kings and Dragons shoot for the title on Sunday at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

“We did what we wanted to do defensively, we just didn’t knock down shots on the offensive side,” said Kings’ coach Tim Cone.

The returning Myles Powell provided answers to the Dragons’ offensive needs when he drilled two of four free throw attempts he shot in the last 5.4 seconds for the win.

He was never expected to be back because of an ankle injury that he was trying to recover from.

But coach Brian Goorjian said he got a surprise when their team’s physical therapist told him the Powell was ready to go.

“Myles was done. He wasn’t ready for anything under his legs. We thought Nicholson was close to coming back. Then, the doctors told me he can play. And we did not know he was gonna make those shots. And then I knew that was something special,” said Goorjian.

Meanwhile, the PBA will be providing free rides for Sunday’s deciding Game 7.

The shuttle service is exclusive for media personnel and ticket holders and will be on a first-come, firstserved basis.

FMR buses will be waiting for passengers at its terminal along Roosevelt Ave. in Quezon City.

First trip going to the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan will start at 1 p.m.

Only passengers who availed the trip to the Philippine Arena will be allowed to make the free shuttle back to Manila.

By Randy Caluag

Sports

POC on SEA Games’ campaign: We must join all events possible

THE Philippine Olympic Committee has stamped as urgent the need to meet with the Philippine Sports Commission as the clock winds down to the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, where Filipino athletes are being planned to take part in all events possible.

“Hopefully, we’ll be officially meeting with the PSC not later than Wednesday next week to get the task rolling,” said baseball association head Chito Loyzaga, Team Philippines’ chef de mission to the May 5 to 17 SEA Games.

POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino assigned deputy secretary general Bones Floro to make arrangements with the PSC, specifically with the office of chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann.

Loyzaga’s staff is in the process of finalizing Team Philippines’ entry by numbers to the Cambodia SEA Games organizers, which set a deadline this

Saturday.

But on top of complying with the deadline, Loyzaga echoed Tolentino’s goal of Team Philippines participating in “all events possible” in the Cambodia program.

“The POC objective is to participate in all events possible, there’s no issue there,” said Loyzaga, a Philippine Basketball Association Legend, after the POC Executive Board meeting at the Knights Templar Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City on Thursday. “That’s our mindset, the CDM staff and the entire organization.”

Cambodia programmed 608 events in 49 sports, far bigger than the 530

events in 56 sports in the 2019 edition the Philippines hosted and the 526 events in 40 sports in Vietnam last year.

“With that goal, we’re looking at a more than 800-athlete delegation and a total delegation of 1,200—counting the coaches, medical and administrative staff,” Loyzaga said.

Based on national budget appropriations for this year, P250 million was allocated for the SEA Games preparation and participation.

“That’s one of our main concerns with the PSC. After we have finalized the en-

More OPBF boxing fights lined up

WITH new leadership in the Games and Amusement Board, professional boxing in the Philippines is set for a big bounce-back year after the COVID-19 pandemic rendered the sport paralyzed for almost three years.

Leading the way is the Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation, one of the country’s oldest boxing organizations.

“OPBF Philippines is targeting an output of 15 championship belts (mixed of red, silver, and youth) to try to break its own record in total fights and hopefully re-capture the WBC Regional Federation of the Year for 2023 for OPBF again,” said OPBF Philippines supervisor Arnie Najera.

That’s great news for Filipino fighters aiming for big-ticket fights abroad.

The

Former

lindo

Melindo,

He last fought in March last year, beating Crison Omayao in a non-title bout.

Against the more formidable Thai, Melindo proved worthy of his “El Metodico” tag with his systematic boxing to gain a score of 98-92 from two judges and 97-93 in their 10-round bout at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Newly appointed GAB chairman Richard Clarin graced the event and liked what he saw.

“We should have more fights like these to bring back the sports of boxing to the limelight again,” he said in a speech after the bout.

MVPSF, Smart support badminton’s best in PH, aim for global wins

STAUNCH advocates of badminton and inspired by PLDT and Philippine Badminton Association chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan’s love for the sport, the MVP Sports Foundation and Smart have been supporting PBAD for many years now.

Aside from building the MVP Center for Sports Excellence in Antipolo in 2021 –which houses eight courts where the national athletes can train, the MVPSF will also back PBAD in the mounting of the Philippine Badminton Open in Makati City on February 20 to 26, 2023.

This will be part of the national team’s preparation for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in May this year.

“Aside from contributing to the training of our national team, we are also maximizing opportunities to support the development of badminton in our country – from grassroots to our national team. Our love for badminton stems from the belief that sports promote

values like discipline, mental resilience, and sportsmanship, which could help us all become better people,” said Christopher Quimpo, AVP at Smart and Secretary-General of PBAD.

Expected to bring in 500 to 600 players in five divisions – men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles – the Super 500 tournament will have a total of P1,000,000 prize pot. PBAD will also introduce the country’s first official ranking system for badminton this year.

Interested athletes can register through the tournament’s official portal: (https://tinyurl. com/PHIBadmintonOpen) on or before Feb. 5, 2023.

PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has also lauded the performance of Filipino smashers in their campaign for 2022. The national team has risen in global rankings because of these consecutive podium finishes in the past couple of months.

try by numbers, we’ll be ready for some pencil-pushing and calculation and come up with an actual cost,” he said. Loyzaga said that with the PSC board already constituted with a quorum of a chairman and three commissioners, he is confident that discussions on the Cambodia SEA Games could be done swiftly.

POC officials have yet to sit down with their PSC counterparts with Tolentino and the newly-appointed Bachmann meeting in a courtesy dinner over the weekend.

Jarin named new Phoenix Super LPG coach in PBA

JAMIKE Jarin took over as the new head coach of the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters on Thursday.

Jarin left his job as assistant coach of the University of East Red Warriors in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines to tackle his new role with Fuel Masters in the PBA.

He replaced Topex Robinson.

“(This is a) New challenge for me and there is pressure, but I’m blessed because it’s another opportunity given to me by the sport that we all love,” said Jarin in a statement.

He organized his first official practice as interim head coach of the Fuel Masters on Thursday at The Upper Deck in Pasig City.

Jarin’s credentials for steering the Ateneo Blue Eaglets to multiple titles in the UAAP junior division and the San Beda Red Lions to one crown in the National Collegiate Athletic Association have sparked the interest of team management.

The Fuel Masters recently finished the 2022-2023 PBA Commissioner’s Cup with a 10-15 slate.

The 48-year-old Robinson was with the Fuel Masters for the last five years and handled the squad as head coach in his last two years.

Robinson is reportedly being considered as one of the candidates to become the next coach of the La Salle Green Archers.

Peter Atencio

Myles Powell powers Bay Area to an 87-84 win over Ginebra to send the PBA Commissioner’s Cup best-of-seven title series into a deciding seventh game on Sunday.

PH national badminton team members are shown after their podium finish at the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge 2022.

“We are very proud

of our Philippine national badminton team.

We’ve always seen their

potential and

we

are glad

to see them

reaping the fruits of their labor.

We

still have a long

way to go, but with the right

support and right team to back our players,

we know that they can succeed,”

said Jude Turcuato, Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart.

The POC Executive Board, led by president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, meets for the first time this year at the Knights Templar Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City on Thursday.

Milan Melindo (center) raises his hands after his unanimous win over Chaiwat Buatkrathok of Thailand for the OPBF silver featherweight title (Photo courtesy of Arnie Najera)

OPBF has also opened new opportunities for come-backing Filipino boxers.

world champion Milan Me-

fought for the OPBF silver featherweight championship on Wednesday night in Cebu, winning the belt via a unanimous decision against WBC Asia

champion Chaiwat Buatkrathok of Thailand.

who used to be with the fabled ALA Boxing Promotion before it folded, held the International Boxing Federation and the International Boxing Organization light-flyweight titles.

Yu carries Kings past Oragons for 4-0 card

WITH former Letran star Fran Yu promptly making an impact, San Juan nipped Bicol 103-100 last Wednesday night to extend its unbeaten run to four and gain solo third in the Manila Bankers Life-Pilipinas Super League Pro Division Second Conference Dumper Cup at the Rizal Technological University Gym in Mandaluyong.

The 5’10” Yu scattered 18 points, on

of five rebounds and six assists in a

for the Kings, while Mar-

Taywan chipped in 14 markers, two boards, and two dimes.

Rence Nocum, AC Soberano, and Paolo Javillonar also had 13, 12, and 11 points, respectively for the Randy Alcantara-mentored Kings, who went into the match on a high after they thumped San Pedro Laguna-ARS last week and raised their mark to 4-0.

Playing for the first time since absorbing a numbing 90-95 loss to Manila last Dec. 8, the Oragons fell to their third straight defeat and a 2-4 slate in the tourney presented by Winzir and co-presented by SCD Cosmetics and

Pregnant Osaka vows return to tennis in 2024

MIAMI—Former world number one Naomi Osaka announced on Wednesday that she is pregnant and will be taking a break from tennis until 2024.

“I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch my matches and tell someone, ‘That’s my mom’ haha,” she wrote on

Twitter, accompanied by an ultrasound picture of a pregnancy scan.

“2023 will be a year full of lessons for me, and I hope I’ll see you guys at the start of the next one cause I will be back at the Australian Open 2024. Love you all infinitely,” she added.

The 25-year-old Osaka has not played a tennis match since September and her withdrawal from the Australian Open, which starts next week, had puzzled many observers.

Her social media posts in recent months had shown her travelling in Europe with her boyfriend, American rapper Cordae.

The two have been together since 2019.

Osaka had not explained her absence until Wednesday, when she posted what she called “a little life update for 2023.”

Osaka’s last tournament appearance was at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September, where the home favourite withdrew before her second-round match, complaining of abdominal pain.

The top ranked player in the world in 2019, the Japanese star -- who grew up in the United States -- is now ranked 47th in the world.

Osaka has won four Grand Slam singles titles with triumphs in the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and the US Open in 2018 and 2020.

She had been open about her strug-

Stamp fires back at Meksen: I’ll feed her with elbows

Champion?’ That means I will never let her bully me without a fight,” she said.

Stamp takes on Anissa Meksen in

“Her words seems to ruin my reputation as Muay Thai World Champion. I can’t tell you which round, but I will definitely finish her by way of knockout or submission.”

trate on MMA compared to [Meksen], who just started training in MMA after hearing the news about the super-fight,” she continued.

gles with mental health and depression in the past and took a break from the sport after the French Open in 2021 before returning to compete at the Tokyo Olympics later that year.

With a string of lucrative endorsement deals across the globe, including with several top Japanese brands, she was named the world’s top-earning female athlete for 2022 by Forbes, with reported earnings of $51.1 million.

Her commercial success was not reflected on the court last year however as she suffered first-round defeats at both the French and US Opens and withdrew from Wimbledon with an Achilles injury. AFP

Dumper party-list, and supported by NET 25, Adcon, Wcube Solutions Inc., MDC, Unisol, Don Benitos, and Finn Cotton, with PBA and Gilas Pilipinas great Marc Pingris serving as Commissioner.

In the other tiff, Sta. Rosa Laguna repulsed 1Munti 84-72 for its third triumph in a row.

Don Reverente shone for the Lions with a double-double of 27 points and 11 caroms, while Nat Cosejo and JBoy Solis added eight markers each.

The win came on the heels of Sta. Rosa’s 73-64 victory over Quezon City last Dec. 22 and hiked its card to 5-1 in a tie with Batang Kankaloo-Caloocan for fifth.

Reeling from a 67-82 whipping at the hands of the Pampanga G Lanterns last week, their fifth straight that sank the Emeralds to 1-5.

John Olegario paced Bicol with 21 points and four rebounds, while James Martinez had 11 and five.

Lester Reyes and Paulo Castro got 10 markers apiece for the Oragons.

PH grouped with HK, Tajikistan, Pakistan

By Peter Atencio

NEW challenges await the Philippine national women’s football team after learning of their opponents in the qualifying matches for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The world no. 53 ranked Filipinas have been bracketed with Hong Kong, Tajikistan and Pakistan following an official draw held Thursday at the Asian Football Confederation House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Olympic qualifiers have presented itself to the Filipinas after they spent a year getting ready for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 later this year in Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s been a great year, we put it in our back pocket and be proud of our efforts and give ourselves a pat in the back because we really have achieved a great deal. But the reality is we know how much we have to work harder to climb up that mountain,” said Filipinas coach Allen Stajcic.

The first round of the Olympic qualifiers will involve two of groups of three that will be in a single-round league format, to be done in a centralized venue from April 3 to 11 for the Asian Football Confederation.

in ONE’s women’s division this Saturday at ONE Fight Night 6: Superbon vs. Allazov inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

first-ever mixed rules

The usually calm and bubbly Thai has a different demeanor coming into the match, as she took to heart the French striker calling her just a “dancer.”

Being a former Muay Thai and kickboxing champion, Stamp was naturally not happy with the comments of her counterpart heading into their fourround bout, which will alternate between Muay Thai and MMA rounds.

“I can finish her in the MMA round because I’m better than her in MMA. She said her striking skill is better than mine. I want to ask her back, ‘Did you forget that I used to be Muay Thai World

Stamp, who has a 9-2 record in MMA, believes that her experience in the all-encompassing sport will be her main advantage in this bout.

While Meksen is a dangerous striker who has access to top-notch MMA training, the 25-year-old believes that it won’t be enough to surpass her in MMA, especially since she’s experienced hanging with some of the best atomweights in the division, like divisional queen Angela Lee, Jihin Radzuan, and Ritu Phogat, among others.

“I believe I have practiced more than her and have more experience on the ground because I have only been focusing on MMA during the past two years. I definitely had more time to concen-

“I don’t think she is good enough. And even though she had trained in MMA before, it was a long time ago. The fact that she doesn’t train it regularly, she should forget everything when it comes to a real fight.”

If Meksen looks at her as just a “dancer,” then Stamp plans to go along with it and let her talk.

In fact, she plans to show Meksen a little bit of her dance moves during their encounter.

“I’ve prepared to feed her with my elbows so that she can’t trash talk for good. It is okay to provoke your opponent with juicy trash talk, but I think she crossed the line too much this time,” she said. “She said I’m a dancer. So, my plan is that after I submit or knock her out, I’m going to dance right in front of her to show that she was just defeated by a dancer.”

WITH the second half of the current season of the Philippines Football League set to resume next week, the Azkals Development Team will hold a four-day tryout to fill a significant number of spots in the squad.

At least 15 players will either go back to play for their respective schools in the collegiate ranks or set to move out of the country to play for foreign clubs. These developments will directly impact the ADT which, as early as now, will prepare for the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games this May.

“There are many players leaving and will not be available for the squad and that leaves a big hole in the team,” recently retired Azkals’ great Stephan Schrock said.

Schrock says the tryouts will start from January 19 until the 23rd for those who are interested in joining the squad. ADT will play its first game on the 25th. Schrock will now help run the team full time on the sidelines.

“The plan is now to fully focus on coaching.

Only the top teams from the seven groups will advance to the next round.

The advancing squad will join the five highest-seeded teams composed North Korea, Japan, Australia, China PR, and Korea Republic.

From the 12 teams in the second round, only the three group winners and the best second placer will move on to the home-and-away playoff matches for the two spots to the Olympics.

The seeds for the first round draw are based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on December 9, 2022.

The last time around, the Philippines made it to the second round of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Tryouts open for future Azkals

Let’s see how it turns out if the new players need more guidance on the pitch,” Schrock said.

Schrock says he is quite happy with the inquiries from interested players hoping to play for the ADT and eventually for the men’s national football team.

Incidentally, Schrock revealed that the Azkals Development Academy will start in the first week of February with players coming to form the initial core of the 11 years old and under, 12 under and the 19 under age brackets. Schrock says the 19 under players will be given a shot to join the ADT if they perform well in the academy.

“Basically the 19-under will be directed towards the ADT and hopefully later this year, we will be able to open more age brackets in the academy. It is quite a lot already but we have to build it simultaneously with having enough licensed coaches on board. We can’t also sacrifice time for ADT because the squad is the priority,” he explained.

Schrock assures that the ADT will always be his priority and as early as now, he wants to prepare the squad for the SEA Games four months from now.

“We are very happy with the signings with people that we want to see and work with us. We

couldn’t be happier,” Schrock added.

Speaking of working it out, ADT goalkeeper Julian Schwarzer has been formally introduced as the latest signing of Kuching City FC. The recently promoted side will now see action in the Malaysia Super League with the young Filipino boosting its stock.

Schwarzer made a good account of himself in the Azkals’ campaign in the AFF Mitsubishi Cup when he started for the team in the home game against Brunei. With Schwarzer manning the posts, the team won 5-1 against the visitors. It was the lone win in four games for the Azkals.

Another ADT mainstay, Jacob Maniti, is also on the move. According to team manager Josef Malinay, the midfielder is moving to Europe in search of a team.

“While we will surely miss the presence of Julian and Jacob in the team, we are happy that they are pursuing their dreams, that they are doing the necessary steps for them to get better, get more exposure and more experience competing in other leagues. We wish them well and hopefully, they will come back and play for the country again,” Malinay said.

Malinay added they expect some foreign based players to join the ADT in the second half. He said at least two or three players are set to suit

up for the team.

Similarly, Sandro Reyes, another standout in the last tournament, is also going back to Europe to try his best to find a club to further his growth. Reyes, however, made it sure that playing for flag and country will always be his priority whenever he is called up.

On a personal note, The Designated Kit Man is in talks with the peeps running positivefutbol.ph in featuring possible players, both home grown and based outside the country, that hopefully will find their way to play for the Philippine Azkals. This long-term project will help the Azkals management in identifying as early as now, players that have the potential and the desire to suit up for the country. More on this next week.

As early as now, the team has identified several players, some as young as 15-years-old, who are seeing action for their respective national youth teams in the countries that they are based at. The team is also currently compiling a list of players based in the Philippines that also have similar potentials and skills that may come in handy when they join the national youth teams.

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

FORMER two-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex is set for a historic return to Thailand this weekend, and she’s aiming to prove her brash opponent wrong.

the

super-fight

top

gutsy debut

win

Naomi Osaka of Japan announced that she is pregnant and will be taking a break from tennis until 2024. “One thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom’,” the former world number one wrote on Twitter, adding that she intended to return for the Australian Open in 2024. AFP

Stamp Fairtex

Entertainment

E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2023 C3

GMA Pinoy TV starts 2023 with exciting lineup of world-class shows

GMA Network’s international flagship channel GMA Pinoy TV welcomes the New Year with a superb line-up of shows for viewers abroad.

On January 10, the hit Kapuso sitcom Happy ToGetHer, starring multi-awarded TV idol John Lloyd Cruz, returned for a new season. Since its airing, John Lloyd has won the hearts of the Kapuso viewers through the show’s relatable and endearing storyline and the cast’s effortless performance and funny dialogues, which appeal to people of all ages.

On January 16, follow the story of the Serrano sisters Celine (Lexi Gonzales), Chynna (Hailey Mendes), and Carrie (Elijah Alejo) as they go through the many challenges of youth. The remake of the 1980 classic film of the same title features the journey of the three sisters fighting to clear their names after being accused of murder while juggling the

pressures of youth and searching for their real fathers.

Airing also on January 16 is the highlyanticipated collaboration project between GMA Network and Wattpad Webtoon Studios Luv Is: Caught In His Arms. The story is topbilled by Sparkle sweethearts Sofia Pablo and Allen Ansay, together with Sparkada costars Michael Sager Vince Maristela, Sean Lucas, Tanya Ramos, and Cheska Fausto

This January 22, join Atom Araullo as he tastes and discovers Filipino history through food. In The Atom Araullo Specials: I Only Eat in Barong, the documentarist embarks on a sumptuous and flavorful journey in the whole country as culinary stalwarts and food historians recreate and interpret various local cuisines.

GMA Network’s musical competition

The Clash is also back on GMA Pinoy TV beginning January 22. Together with Clash Masters Julie Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz, and The Clash Panel Christian Bautista, Lani Misalucha, and Aiai delas Alas, GMA is once again ready to discover Filipino music aspirants and showcase their talent to the world.

Finally, on January 23, the King of Talk Boy Abunda is back home to give the hottest and latest showbiz updates via Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.

As the world welcomes the New Year, GMA Pinoy TV is committed to inspire, entertain, and remain #StrongerTogether with the Kapuso abroad via world-class Filipino shows. To subscribe and see GMA Pinoy TV’s program guide, visit www.gmapinoytv.com/ subscribe.

…are talking about

THE 71st edition of Miss Universe is live from New Orleans, USA on Sunday morning (Manila time)

with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray serving as co-backstage host-commentator. The country is pinning its hope on Celeste Cortesi to capture the Philippines’ 5th Miss Universe crown.

We continue with our annual tradition of predicting the delegates who have strong shot at winning the world’s most coveted pageant crown. The major contenders are the following:

1. Philippines – Celeste Cortesi

Hands down to Celeste who many pageant fans regard as the face of Miss Universe 2022. As the one to beat, the 25-year-old Fil-Italian is described as very elegant, posh, and classy yet very sensual. Her transformational journey as a beauty queen and as a person inspires a lot of pageant dreamers.

2. Venezuela – Amanda Dudamel

A total package, this Venezuelan beauty trained very well. As one of the stronger Latinas this year, Amanda sits very high on the list of most pageant sites and pageant experts’ forecast.

3. USA - R’ Bonney Gabriel

This Filipino-American beauty is known for her great style and communication skills. Notwithstanding the controversy of her win as Miss USA, she can go all the way to the top with her advocacy towards sustainable fashion.

4. Colombia – María Fernanda Aristizábal

This statuesque Latina came to win. She is sweet and gorgeous, and consistently presents herself in a very stylish manner.

5. Curacao – Gabriëla Dos Santos

After recovering from a fiveday isolation and medication due to COVID-19, Gabriela returns as a dark horse. This striking beauty might pull off a big surprise come finals night.

6. Thailand - Anna Sueangam-iam

This Asian doll is tall and endears the fans with her warm personality. Anna’s great stage presence reminds people of Catriona Gray *

Aura Event’s A Night of Celebration & Recognition

“One Night - A Night of Celebration & Recognition,” held at Okada Manila’s La Piazza Ristorante Italiano recently, was both a joyous and tearful occasion for

And the new Miss Universe is…?

Dave Bautista FilipinoAmerican actor and former wrestler Dave Bautista, popularly known as Batista, has been the talk of social media lately because of his confession. According to Dave, he covered an initial tattoo that represented a friend because he exhibited homophobia. To those who don’t know, Dave’s mother is a lesbian, and he’s a staunch supporter of her lifestyle. It doesn’t take much to show encouragement for one’s sexuality, and Dave went above and beyond to show his love and support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Sofia Andres

The year has just begun, and break-ups have already begun in the entertainment industry. While rumors are circulating among the public, Sofia Andres and Daniel Miranda quashed theirs by showing how happy they are in each other’s company. Their daughter, Zoe, seems content as well. Hopefully, their happy family will continue to inspire others that happy endings do exist, even in celebrities who are always under the pressure of the spotlight.

“Year 2022 has brought so many blessings for us. We were able to produce five quality awards events despite the pandemic. I’d say that the only thing that gave me the strength to do this, is to be able to do the higher purpose in life,” said an emotional Amigo-Molina, who has been known in her field for her positive and giving attitude.

A woman of power, influence, and integrity, Amigo-Molina, an Accountancy graduate, worked for years with Viva Entertainment as administrative assistant before taking a leap of faith to start up her own business venture.

One Night’s awards ceremony included the latest Celebrity CEOs Anne Barretto

Aqua Queen of the Universe 2023, first-ever underwater pageant

Fifteen diving enthusiasts from Iloilo, Laguna, Bohol, and other regions are vying to become the first-ever Aqua Queen of the Universe 2023.

The first-ever underwater pageant in the country, with a mission to be authentic, caring, and kind to our natural resources, particularly, in conserving and preserving ocean wealth, culminates in an under the ocean Crowning Ceremony, to be held at The Whitehouse by the Sea, Panglao Island, Bohol on January 20.

Aqua Queen of the Universe pageant, headed by founder Eren Noche and International and National Director Patricia Javier, will have three titles at stake, Aqua Queen of the Universe 2023, Aqua Queen of the Ocean 2023, and

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Queen Clau vies at Mrs. International Global 2023 in Malaysia

Marjorie “Queen Clau” Orito is competing at Mrs. International Global 2023 World Final, happening today (January 13) at HGH Convention Hall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Orito, a 34-year-old mother of two and former Mrs. Philippines Asia Pacific Tourism 2019, was appointed as Philippine representative by Mrs. International Global Philippines national director Lovely Gervacio Tajan

Orito, a native of Olongapo City, helps support indigent children’s education through her project called H.E.L.P. (Helping and Encouraging Indigent Learning through a Pantry).

Golden Globes slump to new ratings low on return from scandal

The audience on Tuesday night fell from 6.9 million in 2021 – itself a massive drop suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when award shows were held remotely –and was down from more than 18 million in 2020.

The Globes were not televised at all last year, when NBC pulled the plug due to outrage over the lack of diversity and alleged ethical shortcomings of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the awards.

Tuesday’s ratings – the lowest ever for a full Golden Globes gala on NBC, and marginally higher than the audience for a stripped-down press conference held to announce winners during the Hollywood writers’ strike in 2008 – will add to uncertainty over the Globes’ future.

The event has no television deal currently in place for next year. NBC tore up its longstanding multi-year Globes broadcast deal, and only agreed to bring back this year’s

show on a one-off basis.

Still, the 80th Golden Globes on Tuesday night saw many A-list stars return to the event’s Beverly Hills gala, with Steven Spielberg winning best director, Colin Farrell collecting best actor in a comedy, and Eddie Murphy receiving a lifetime achievement award.

While the presence of so many stars suggested many in Hollywood are happy with the reforms the HFPA has recently enacted – including the admission of Black members, after a Los Angeles Times expose revealed the group had none – questions remain.

A plan by US billionaire Todd Boehly to spin off the awards show into a forprofit entity and pay salaries to members has raised eyebrows.

And several prominent winners did not attend on Tuesday, citing scheduling difficulties, including Cate Blanchett, who was best actress in a drama for Tar In an email to AFP, an NBC spokesman

pointed out that the “Globes historically airs on Sunday nights,” when ratings are usually higher, and in previous years benefited from following an NFL game on the channel.

The awards were moved to a Tuesday evening slot this year to avoid clashing with the wildly popular American football league.

Updated final figures including ratings from streaming platform Peacock, which also showed the Globes live on Tuesday, will be issued at a later date.

Live television ratings have slumped generally for awards show in recent years, as younger audiences in particular change the way they consume entertainment, gravitating more toward social media and streaming.

But the Oscars last March bounced back significantly from their pandemic slump, recording over 16 million US viewers, up from around 10 million a year earlier.

At Tuesday night’s Globes, Spielberg’s The Fabelmans was named best drama and The Banshees of Inisherin, starring Farrell, won best comedy. AFP

…are not talking about

McCoy De Leon After coming clean about his separation from Elise Joson McCoy has been the butt of jokes on social media. Despite his apology to their daughter, people believe McCoy didn’t live up to his responsibilities as a father. On the other hand, people speculate Elise’s highstandard family drove McCoy away. Nonetheless, the public remains divided between the two as they continue to navigate through this controversy, which disturbed a quiet start to a new year.

Bartolome If there’s one person who became the recipient of everyone’s ire, it’s Donnalyn. She became the top recipient of the new saying, “amaccana accla,” which circulated on social media as memes. The influencer even became the topic of a scathing article from Esquire Although people have called her out for her toxic positivity, Donnalyn refuses to stop defending her belief. The question remains, when will she get the message that not everyone shares the same (privileged) circumstances as her?

Nickie Wang Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant

Donnalyn

GOLDEN Globes television ratings slumped to a new low of just 6.3 million viewers, even as the troubled award show tried to bounce back from its recent

Aura Beauty & Wellness CEO/founder Bennilyn Amigo-Molina. “One Night” was a way for her to thank all those believers who have made Aura Event Management’s big success in the last year possible.

of Hey Pretty Skin and Jonah SisonRamos of Your Face.

Aqua Queen Pearl 2023. The criteria for judging are Advocacy/Story of Freediving Journey, Audio Video Presentation, and Knowledge and Techniques in Freediving.

Amanda Dudamel

Celeste Cortesi

Gabriëla Dos Santos

Maria Fernanda Aristizábal

R’ Bonney Gabriel

Anna Sueangam-iam

The King of Talk returns to GMA for ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’

Steven Spielberg clutching his awards for best director and best drama for ‘The Fabelmans’ at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards

By Patricia Taculao

IT’S time again for one of the most highly-anticipated global events, the Miss Universe pageant.

Celeste Cortesi dazzles in Oliver Tolentino, pays tribute to Darna in Miss Universe prelims

The Philippines’ bet, Celeste Cortesi, is in New Orleans, Louisiana, competing with other beauties from across the globe to try and bring home the coveted crown.

Yet before the main event, Celeste competed in the preliminaries with the other participants.

Celeste, who is half Filipino and half Italian,

stepped on the pageant’s stage wearing a stunning silver halter dress. The glittering ensemble added to her oozing confidence as Filipinos across the globe cheered her on.

It marked the beginning of Celeste’s stunning performance in the 71st Miss Universe pageant.

From the opening walk, the pageant progressed to the evening gown segment. Celeste made another good impression with her dazzling, sky blue dress complete with a sweetheart neckline that compliments her physique.

The gems added an ethereal vibe as Celeste sashayed on the pageant stage. Her surprises don’t stop there.

Her gown, designed by LA-based Filipino fashion designer Oliver Tolentino, also features art

deco embellishments and a skirt with sheer panels. Moreover, its color represents Celeste’s homage to her father who gave her her name, which means heavenly and sky blue in Italian.

During the swimsuit portion, the Miss Universe committee had the candidates pair their swimsuits with capes they themselves designed, or in collaboration with an artist from their country, to help tell their stories to the audience.

Celeste emphasized her toned body with a bright pink two-piece set. While that was already an eye-catcher, Celeste’s cape brought another level of complexity to her character. Despite the plain white fabric, her cape had colorful handprints adorning it.

Those handprints came from Marawi children. According to Celeste, she chose her cape’s design because it “highlights her experience in visiting the youth and their families during the Save the Children Philippines outreach in Marawi.”

“In amplifying the voices of the children who need our help, I wanted to bring them with me on the Miss Universe stage. The imprints all over the cape remind me that having a title means to have a purpose beyond myself,” Celeste said in a

statement, shared by Miss Universe Philippines through an Instagram post.

Meanwhile, Celeste added in a voice over that the imprints around the cape remind her “having a title means to have a purpose beyond myself.”

Her advocacy has deep roots within the struggles of children. She hopes that her work would encourage others to do their part in helping children live better lives in the future.

“There are millions of children who live in poverty, amidst crisis. I hope that it inspires people to donate to Save the Children Philippines. There’s much work to be done and every single person’s help matters,” she said in the voiceover.

For the national costume segment, Celeste embodied a strong, independent woman with her Darna-inspired ensemble. The red and gold element’s highlighted Celeste’s natural beauty as she took control of the runway.

Although Celeste is still in the preliminaries, she’s already showing what she has to offer if she ever takes home the Miss Universe crown and receives a globally-renowned platform.

Last year’s winner, India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, will crown her successor by the end of the event.

IN 2022, Mike Agassi lost 40 pounds in a month while in hotel quarantine. The actor-entrepreneur, also known as Michael, exemplifies the adage “What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.”

Once living in the shadow of his brother, actorrapper Carlos Agassi, Mike took time to carve out a name for himself.

“In 2000, ABS-CBN reached out to me. I was launched as a part of Star Circle Batch 9,” Mike recalled. Fast forward to 2022, his latest TV appearance was in Widows’ Web, a crime drama series on GMA Network.

These days, Mike expresses interest in doing long-term shows. He said, “What’s difficult about guestings is that they are usually on short notice and that’s hard because I love traveling and free diving.” Planning his schedule ahead of time is crucial as the actor explores the world and teaches water sport. Mike is now a certified freediving instructor.

Handling the family businesses is also keeping Mike busy. “Our family has properties so I manage the leasing, selling, buying, and developing buildings.” For his side hustle, Mike also fixes and modifies cars.

While taking up an entrepreneurship course in college helped Mike in getting his business knowhow, the constant need to connect with people has been key to his success.

The deep dive

“When I travel, every time I get on a small boat when I’m island-hopping and I see the floor, I would ask the boatman to stop and I jump off the boat. I’ve always loved diving. In our [family-owned] resorts, I’ve already done breath-hold swims in the past. I had no idea that breath-hold swimming is part of freediving.”

“When I started freediving in July 2021, I excelled and trained overseas. It took me 11 months

Mike Agassi dives into a new adventure

from introduction freediving to instructor level,” Mike’s eyes lit up as he shared this milestone. There is a chance that he is holding the fastest record for transition from introductory to instructor level in freediving in the Philippines or the world.

”I always tell people that freediving is natural for humans and that it’s a lot safer than scuba diving. We’re born to dive,” he introduced. There is no gear, no breathing apparatus in freediving as explained by Mike. Participants are on their own. “It’s breath-hold. Once we’re doing that and our faces get wet with water, our bodies adjust,” Mike explained.

Mike emphasized, “Aside from breathing, you also have to train the mind. The battle is there. My contemporaries usually take two to four years to become an instructor.” Apart from

his rigorous 14-day training in Bali, Mike also stayed in Camotes Island in Cebu where the head of the World Class Athlete organization was based, in Batangas, and Panglao. The training equipped him to teach professionally.

Born out of passion, Mike’s teaching stint is still very personal. In 2022, he set up a Facebook page called “Freedive with AquaMike Michael Agassi” where clients can schedule bookings. Partner hotels in Anilao also tap him to teach at times. “It’s really by schedule,” Mike explained. “Every weekend, I’m in Batangas.”

Asked what got him hooked on the sport, Mike had a quick answer. “For me, one of the benefits of freediving is getting to know yourself. The main challenge is that it’s a mental game. You discover things about yourself,” he said.

Passing on the passion

The passion for freediving rubs off on others. “When they train, they easily excel. Their progress is accelerated. I find satisfaction in that,” Mike spoke about his friends, students, and own children.

Mike’s three sons - Miks (14), Kel (7), and Youseky (5) - also know how to freedive.

“We started with a swimming pool. [Training took place] in our resorts in Pansol, Laguna. My kids were eventually doing breath-hold,” shared Mike. He proudly added, “My eldest son, at 14, he dove last week into around 35 feet [deep water] with one breath. Their progress is quite fast.”

“I can dive up to 145 feet with one breath. [That’s] breath-hold of four minutes and ten seconds,” Mike said. To date, he is thankful he has not encountered any problems underwater. “For me, as long as you’re calm and with a safety freedive buddy, nothing can go wrong. Usually, accidents occur when you’re overpushing, when you have surpassed your mental capacity

“Even if one doesn’t know how to swim, I can teach freediving. It’s a natural thing,” Mike shared. “Plus, we have safety equipment like floaters. It’s more of a mental game. You see, I have students who had trauma with water. After a couple of sessions, they conquered and overcame the trauma and are now freediving.

Mike seems to be aversive to failure driven by giving up. He expounded, “I want to show that when I’m dedicated to something, I could do it. When I became a father, it changed my life. From there, being dedicated became easier. This is my fifth time developing abs from being out of shape. Every three years, I was doing it for certain projects.” Mike expressed hope to maintain his physique this time.

Given he’s now in tip-top shape which the cameras love, is Mike open to doing sexy projects?

After all, his recent primetime TV stint entailed a love scene and one that made him appear in just underwear. Mike simply responded with a smile and said, “It depends on Nay Rams.” He was referring to his manager Rams David, head and founder of the talent management agency Artist Circle.

The passion for traveling and freediving comes out effortlessly. In terms of wandering, he wishes to see Greece and Maldives and aims to revisit the Czech Republic and Croatia. For diving, Mike is scheduled to go to Deep Dive Dubai, the home to the world’s deepest indoor swimming pool With passion, discipline, and grit combined like his, there is no doubt that he will continue to go places.

Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi during the evening gown portion of the pageant preliminaries

Celeste in her national costume which pays homage to the well-loved local heroine Darna

Mike shares that he’s always had an affinity for diving

Actor-entrepreneur Mike Agassi is now a certified freediving instructor

Mike (second from right) with his kids

Mike’s teaching stint stems from his personal interest and passion