Manila Standard - 2023 January 18 - Wednesday

PBBM: Shun Cold War outlook

Calls on Asia-Pacific nations to be free from the clutches of geopolitics

By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that countries in the Asia Pacific region should chart their own destiny away from the clutches of intense geopolitical rivalry, noting that there is unanimity among those nations not to embrace the Cold War mentality.

Speaking during a luncheon hosted for him and the Philippine Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) by the economic team in Davos, Switzerland, President Marcos said countries in the Asia Pacific are facing pressure to take sides as a result of intense geopolitical tension in the region.

The President said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies are very well committed to the idea that they cannot return to the Cold War formula, in which they have to choose whether to be under the Soviet Union or the United States spheres of influence.

“No country grew wealthy without a very strong trade relationship, not only with one or two other countries but with the rest of the world.... We all desire, especially let us say around the South China Sea, we all desire a more multi-polar [geopolitics],” Mr. Marcos said.

“However, the forces of us going back to that Cold War type of scenario where you have to choose one side or

Mr. Marcos joins other world leaders at WEF opening

By Othel V. Campos and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday attended the formal opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023 at the Davos Congress Center in Switzerland.

Mr. Marcos is scheduled to address

the WEF today (Wednesday, Jan. 18, Manila time).

Ahead of the formal opening, Mr. Marcos made an investment pitch for the Philippines that gained “a very positive response” from some of the world’s top business leaders, Speaker Martin Romualdez said.“This is an auspicious start and bodes well for the success of

the President’s mission here at the WEF and that is to position the Philippines as an investment hub and gateway to the Asia-Pacific region,” Romualdez said.

“Everyone was excited about the Philippine recovery story and agreed that it is the future investor haven for Western capital,” he added.

THE government expects a strong full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2022, most likely much faster than its growth target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Monday.

Galvez admits ‘rumblings’ in the military, vows to fix things within 3 months

In

DOJ files kidnapping raps vs. six in sabungeros case

KIDNAPPING and serious illegal detention charges were filed Tuesday against six persons allegedly involved in the disappearance of six cockfighting enthusiasts or “sabungeros” in January last year, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano said.

The information was filed with the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) against farm manager Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion, and Roberto Matillano Jr.

Clavano said the prosecutors also recommended that no bail be set for the respondents.

“All remain at large. The Department of Justice, therefore, encourages law enforcement agencies to keep a look

In a speech during a luncheon hosted for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Philippine chief executive officers (CEOs) in Davos, Switzerland, Diokno said because of the expected slowdown of the global economy, the Philippine

By Joel E. Zurbano

ANOTHER policeman was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation Monday night in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday.

This was as PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said only 18 police generals and full colonels have yet to heed Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos’ call for them to submit their courtesy resignations in the government’s bid to purge the force of “ninja cops” or those involved in the illegal drug trade.

In a radio interview, Fajardo said 98% or 935 out of 953 senior PNP officers have already tendered their courtesy resignations as of Monday.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) announced the arrest of Police Staff Sergeant

By Othel V. Campos

PRICES of cake and other pastries are seen to go up soon as egg prices remain high due to tight supply, a group of bakers said Tuesday, about three days after they also

-

warned of bread prices rising by P2 to P4 due to costlier eggs trig

gered in turn by recent cases of bird flu.

Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino president Chito Chavez told ABSCBN that pandesal and bread loaves

Cakes, pastries to be costlier as eggs prices spike

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

NEWLY appointed Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday admitted “rumblings” within the military due to Republic Act 11709, which grants a

three-year fixed term for the AFP Chief of Staff and other key officials, but said this situation would be resolved within the first quarter of 2023.

the hearing to amend the law conducted by the Senate Committee on

National Defense chaired by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Galvez revealed the unrest among some AFP members as they have not been promoted, and that the law has gravely affected their morale. The delayed appointments, he said,

will mostly affect those officers who belong to the Philippine Military Academy Classes of 1990 and 1994.

“But if we can fix it now, this will be a huge help. It will (remove) apprehensions

INVESTMENT PITCH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his economic team are joined by seven Filipino business tycoons -- Sabin Aboitiz, president and CEO of the Aboitiz Group and strategic convenor of the Private Sector Advisory Council; Kevin Andrew Tan of Alliance Global, Jaime Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Group; Lance Gokongwei of JG Summit Holdings; Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp.; Teresita Sy-Coson of SM Investments; and Enrique Razon of International Container Terminal -- in Davos, Switzerland during the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Inset photo shows Mr. Marcos attending the opening of the WEF 2023. The President also had a bilateral meeting with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Presidential Communications Office

DINAGYANG COLORS.

Ilonggo Artists work on Dinagyang murals along Lapuz district in Iloilo City. Arnold Almacen

LEAP OF LUCK. As the Year of the Water Rabbit forecasts hope this 2023, SM Supermalls roll out Chinese New Yearthemed activities like this art installation at SM Davao.

Diokno sees faster growth in 2022 than GDP target of 6.5% to 7.5%

the other are strong. So the multilateralism that ASEAN --- what we call the ASEAN Centrality, has become a very important concept. I think we are determined as a group in ASEAN and in the Indo-Pacific, those around the Indo-Pacific, despite all of this conflict we are determined to stay away from that.”

And that puts the Philippines in a very precarious position, being on the front line of this conflict, Mr. Marcos said, adding “this is the very fine line”

that the Philippines has to walk. Faced with pressure to choose sides, the President said, “we choose our friends, we choose our neighbors, that’s the choice that we will make.”

At the same time, President Marcos also highlighted the tendency for nations to move toward nationalism and protectionism as a result of the present crises such as the coronavirus pandemic and the RussiaUkraine conflict.

Pointing to the Philippines as an example, the President said the pandemic brought the country back to the basics, in which it could no longer depend on

importation to survive.

“We have to strengthen our own local economy to be able to withstand shocks such as the pandemic, such as Ukraine in the future and there is an element, there is a tendency of protectionism in that because we take care first of our own businesses, we take care first of our own industries, we take care first of our own economy,” President Marcos said.

Although there are some disruptions he described as “a very big bump on the road,” the President predicted that the world will find itself on the path toward globalization, which he

described as “inevitable.”

Earlier, President Marcos commented on the query on what will be the stand of the Philippines on the 10-point peace formula presentation of both Russia and Ukraine for a peace in the warring region.

“That’s not for us to decide. Of course, we are on the side of peace… Any expressions of support that we might feel are needed, we are happy to provide,” Marcos said.

“Should there be talks... between Ukraine and Russia, they must be the ones who must talk about it. We support any effort towards peace,” he said.

economy is forecast to grow by around 6.5 percent this year.

“And that’s still one of the highest if not the highest growth projections in the Asia-Pacific Region,” Diokno said.

The Philippines’ bustling manufacturing sector, record-low unemployment, and stable and resilient banking system can act as buffers against external headwinds, all indicating a resilient economy, the Finance chief said.

At the same time, Diokno said the Marcos government has created a more competitive and enabling environment through public-private partnership (PPP) to further expand the Build, Better, More infrastructure agenda of the administration.

Grab chairman and CEO Anthony Tan hosted a dinner for Mr. Marcos that was also attended by Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating minister of maritime and investment affairs, Republic of Indonesia; Andy Jassy, CEO, Amazon; Jared Kushner, founder, Affinity Partners; Patrick Foulis, editorin-chief, The Economist; Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever; Bill Ford, CEO, General Atlantic; Bahlil Lahadalia, minister of investment, Republic of Indonesia; Bambang Susantono, chairman of ID New Capital City Authority; Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, minister of Thailand; Arsjad Rasjid, chairman, KADIN; Tony Blair, executive chairman, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change; Dolf van den Brink, CEO, Heineken; and Rachel Lord, head of Asia, BlackRock, one of the largest investment firms in the world.

Trade Secretary Fred Pascual also pitched the Philippines as the perfect investment destination to foreign companies.

“We have met with several business executives and presented our country as an ideal investment destination in Asia,” said Pascual, who said the WEF was an opportunity to obtain more foreign direct investments to complement the country’s economic recovery initiatives.

Pascual said they also told the business executives about the improved business climate, fueled by economic policy reforms that make it easier to do business in the Philippines.

On the first day of the forum, Pascual held a series of bilateral meetings with senior executives of companies with business interests in the Philippines, such as Coursera, Chevron, Astranis, and She Loves Tech.

He also met with Sean Doherty, WEF’s executive committee member and head of international trade and investment to discuss potential partnerships with the Philippines.

With other of the country’s economic managers, Pascual will be joining the CEO Dialogue on the Philippines with President Marcos as the keynote speaker.

The dialogue will highlight the administration’s initiatives on energy, food security, and digitalization to add resilience and growth momentum to the country’s economy through public-private collaboration.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Monday expressed optimism that the President’s participation in the WEF will open doors for “more intensive” partnerships that will help revitalize the economy.

A composite team from the NCRPO Drug Enforcement Unit, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-NCR, and Manila Police District-Sta. Cruz Police Station arrested Banaag at the corner of Rizal Avenue and Lope De Vega Street in Barangay 312 around 8:45 p.m.

Banaag was caught selling to a police poseur buyer one plastic sachet containing 25 grams of shabu worth P47,000.

He tried to escape on board a motorcycle but was cornered after he lost control and fell to the ground.

Also seized from the policeman was P170,000 worth of shabu, a Glock 17 9mm pistol loaded with 15 bullets, his PNP Identification card, a Yamaha NMaX motorcycle, a mobile phone, and the money used in the entrapment operation.

The authorities also arrested two other policemen, identified as PSSg Raymund Portes and PSSg Jerry Saratobias Jr., for obstruction of justice.

PNP-Public Information Office chief, Col. Redrico Maranan, said Banaag was assigned to PDEG on Jan. 4, 2023, from the CIDG and had yet to report in its office.

He said Banaag’s assignment to PDEG is currently undergoing investigation.

“The duo was found to be former colleagues of PSSg Banaag in CIDG in Camp Crame, who intervened dur-

ing the process of inventory and investigation carried out by the operating unit,” said NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo.

Banaag and his colleagues are now detained and will be charged with violation of Section 5, Article II, of Republic Act 9165, and Obstruction of Justice, respectively before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.

“That’s what we want to see (screening of police officers assigned to PDEG) because when the police go to the special unit, there is a vetting process. There is even a complete background investigation to ensure that the person is clean and that you are eligible for the special unit,” Maranan told reporters.

Banaag is not the first operative of PDEG -- the PNP’s main unit in charge of anti-illegal drug operations -- arrested for illegal drugs.

Last year, Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., a member of the PDEG Special Operations Unit in the NCR, yielded P13.6 million worth of shabu inside his lending company office in Quiapo, Manila.

Mayo’s arrest prompted an investigation which, according to Abalos, revealed that about 10 high-ranking police officials were involved in the illegal drugs trade.

This prompted the Interior secretary, with the approval of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., to call for the courtesy resignation of all police colonels and generals to weed out scalawags from the police force.

Abalos made the call amid reports of the return of so-called “ninja cops” -- police officers involved in a money-

making scheme through the resale of confiscated illegal drugs -- in the police force.

Estomo assured the public that his men are committed to NCRPO’s thrust to continue the fight against illegal drugs.

“We have begun cleaning the ranks of the police by responding to the call of the DILG and PNP by resigning from the service of senior officers in the PNP and subjecting our police to NCRPO to mandatory drug testing,” he said.

“Now the leadership of NCRPO is serious about the relentless cleaning of our ranks from termites that are destroying it,” said Estomo.

“We will carry on and get rid of these drug personalities, especially if they are from the police service. We will never allow those bad eggs to tarnish our badges and the PNP organization.”

“This also serves as a warning to our personnel that we will never tolerate illegal acts or wrongdoings committed by anyone within our ranks,” he added.

A five-man committee, including Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong – a former No. 3 official of the PNP -will screen the resignations.

Fajardo said the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management is the one collating the documents of those who submitted their courtesy resignations.

She said these are set to be transmitted to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) once the five-man committee convenes.

Fajardo reiterated that PNP Chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. will wait until January 31, 2023 for other senior officers to submit their courtesy resignations.

This will further boost investments on top of the government’s goal to spend at least 5-6 percent of GDP on infrastructure, Diokno noted, stressing all these form the backbone for the rapid and sustained growth for the Philippines.

But because of the current challenges, Diokno said the Philippines is taking the first steps toward launching the Maharlika Investment Fund, the country’s first ever sovereign wealth fund that will support the goals set by the administration in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

“The fund, which will be established in keeping with the highest standards of accountability and sound fiscal management, aims to diversify the country’s financial portfolio,” the DOF chief said, adding, he looks forward to discussing the fund during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

“May the next few days bring forth more intensive collaboration and cooperation towards genuine economic transformation,” the DOF secretary said.

The President was joined by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, former President and current Deputy Speaker Gloria MacapagalArroyo, Senator Mark Villar, Rep. Ferdinand Marcos III, Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

will not be affected as much by the higher egg and sugar prices compared to other pastries such as sponge cakes.

“What’s directly affected here are the (makers of) mamon, cakes, egg pie, brazo de mercedes, (pastries) that are really dependent on eggs,” he said.

“There is no alternative to eggs when baking a cake... If eggs aren’t fresh, bakers won’t be able to produce fluffy mamon,” Chavez added.

He noted that egg prices have increased from P155 per tray last year to P215 this year, forcing bakers to adjust prices to still make a profit.

Chavez said many small bakeries, especially in the provinces, have closed shop owing to low sales and high prices of raw materials.

He urged the government to help small bakeries in pushing for “agribread” products such as malunggay pandesal.

He said bakeries cannot ignore the price hike in eggs nor can they reduce the variety of breads and pastries they sell since many have already slashed their product portfolio due to inflation.

out for these people,” he said in a message to reporters.

This developed as the Philippine National Police (PNP) asked the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to take down several e-sabong (electronic cockfighting) websites, its spokesperson said Tuesday.

“We have submitted websites… account sites to the DICT and the NTC because they have the authority to take down the websites that we monitored,” PNP spokesman Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said in the public briefing.

Clavano asked the public or those who know or come to know of the six persons’ whereabouts to inform the proper authorities “so they may be tried for the crimes charged.”

In December 2022, the DOJ found that the six conspired in the kidnapping of John Claude Inonog, James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, and Rowel Gomez.

The sabungeros left Tanay, Rizal at 1 p.m. on January 13, 2022 to go to the Manila Arena but were forced to board a gray van at around 7:30 p.m. that day.

that the ensuing class especially those in Class ‘90, ‘91, ‘92 that they will be affected and there will be some sort of arbitrary disqualification from the competition,” the AFP’s 50th Chief of Staff said.

Due to this, Galvez cited the urgency to amend RA 11709, which was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte toward the end of his term, adding he personally asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to help rectify the issue.

The Defense chief disclosed that he requested Mr. Marcos Jr. to make the new military appointments before going to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.

“I told him, Sir, there is a major issue that we need to tackle—the lives of our officers. Thirty years labored for their ranks, only to find they will be in default because of one delayed promotion and also delay in designation,” he added.

Galvez attributed the delay in the

military appointments to the election ban and the transition from the Duterte to the Marcos administration.

The President recently defended his decision to reappoint Gen. Andres Centino as AFP chief of staff, saying he had to “rationalize” the senior military leadership to prevent “chaos” in the lower ranks.

The “unintended consequences” of the retirement law affected 14 key positions, Galvez said, and not resolving it “will greatly affect the dynamism of the organization.”

He noted that some officers “were very much qualified” to be promoted, but due to their age, they were deprived of a higher rank and retired.

Galvez, who was AFP chief from April to December 2018 under President Duterte, said the military organization “had also been deprived to have qualified officers” as a result.

Under the prevailing law, an AFP officer should retire at the age of 56.

Galvez said the Department of Defense will propose a “maximum term” for the tenure of AFP officials, which means that their rank

“can be changed anytime.”

Under their proposal. the AFP Chief will have a maximum term of 3 years, while the Commanding Generals of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Navy will have 2-year terms and the Superintendent of the PMA would have 4 years at most.

The AFP Vice Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Unified Command Commanders, and Inspector General can be appointed to a higher post if they still have one year in service, Galvez added.

Another part of the recommendation is that no official can be promoted to brigadier general or commodore if his remaining service time before retirement is less than 6 months.

“Though we acknowledge the beauty of RA11709, the intention of preventing the revolving policy but the intended consequences of prohibiting the junior classes to compete equally, that seems to be the effect,” Galvez pointed out, adding that the law affects 135,000 enlisted personnel.

Responding to a query from Estrada on the gravity of their grievances, Gal-

vez said the military officers were only after fairness.

“What we want is we have to equalize the playing fields. At the same time, we will not arbitrarily remove the best among the qualified from holding the key positions of three stars and one four-star,” Galvez said.

According to Estrada, instead of adopting the suggestions of the House of Representatives, they would follow the recommendations of the DND.

Estrada pointed out that Senate measures proposing amendments to the law were filed last month, long before reports on the rumblings within the AFP came out due to the supposed leadership shake-up.

Estrada said he would like to disabuse the mind of the public that this is being taken up to quell any destabilization plot or address supposed discord within the military.

Last December 6, Estrada filed Senate Bill No. 1601 which seeks to amend RA 11709. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri filed a similar measure the next day.

(PSSg) Ed Dyson Banaag, 34, assigned to the PNP Drug Enforcement Group in Camp Crame.

AUSPICIOUS. Thirty-three year old dragon maker Therry Sicat puts final touches to a rabbit head he personally made inside his shop in Gandara Street along Binondo, Manila, on January 17, 2023. Norman Cruz

Rizal lawmaker anticipates ILO mission to help craft labor laws

By Maricel V. Cruz

A CONGRESSMAN looks forward to the forthcoming visit of an International Labor Organization (ILO) delegation, saying the group could help Philippine legislators craft laws beneficial to the workers.

“We are optimistic that the ILO high-level tripartite mission on January 24-27 would greatly aid us in coming up with legislation that would strengthen the rights of union and labor groups,” Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles said.

Nograles, chair of the House Committee on Labor, said they extend all the help they could give to the ILO mission.

“The government is very much open to address the concerns of labor groups and of course, we want to empower them and their members as part of our obligation under the ILO Convention No. 87,” he added.

The Philippines ratified the ILO Convention 87, or the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, in December 1953. In doing so, the government voluntarily committed to respecting and protecting the freedom of workers to form associations and to organize themselves.

Nograles said once the Philippine government receives the result of the mission, his committee would mobilize to craft bills meant to help strengthen union rights of the workers.

“We recognize the fundamental rights of trade union leaders and members and we want to work handin-hand with them to help improve working conditions of those in the labor sector,” Nograles said.

The ILO Committee on the Application of Standards had previously called on the Philippine government to accept the mission during the 108th Session of the International Labor Conference in June 2019 after noting “with concern the numerous allegations of murders of trade unionists and anti-union violence as well as the allegation regarding the lack of investigation in relation to these allegations.”

The ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations also urged the Philippine government to investigate and prosecute those behind the attacks on unionists in its latest annual report released in February last year, citing cases presented by the International Trade Union Confederation on the alleged extrajudicial killing of 10 trade unionists.

Makati overshoots ‘22 revenue target by 16%; up 9% over ‘21

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Makati City government on Tuesday announced it has exceeded its 2022 tax collection target by 16 percent, mustering a total revenue of P20.9 billion.

Mayor Abigail Binay said revenue collections from local taxpayers increased by nine percent compared to 2021.

“Things are definitely looking up for the city. The significant increase in our locally-sourced revenue collection from business and real property taxes in 2022 is a clear sign of the strong trust and confidence of Makati residents and the business community in

the city government,” Binay said.

“We thank our taxpayers and investors for their unstinting support and cooperation as we gradually recover from the pandemic. We can confidently look forward to a more robust and sustainable local economy this year,” she added.

The mayor said Makati’s continuing financial stability will ensure the continuous delivery of quality services to residents, and the effective implementation of major programs aimed to accelerate Makati’s transformation into a smart city.

City treasurer Jesusa Cuneta reported that the bulk of collections came from businesses who paid a total of P9.13 billion, up by 10 percent over 2021.

She said real property taxes came in second with P8.14 billion, representing a seven-percent growth over the previous year.

Cuneta said revenues generated from realty taxes

surpassed the target by 70 percent, attributing the improvement to an intensive information drive among villages and condominiums.

The campaign tapped the assistance of barangay officials, as well as building and condominium management, Cuneta said.

“We are thankful to our barangay officials who even took charge of the delivery of notices to concerned taxpayers,” she said.

Meanwhile, revenue from other local sources also increased, including fees and charges hit P744.2 million, and economic enterprises contributing P340.7 million.

Records of the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) showed that there have been 4,439 new business registrants and 34,590 business permit renewals during the year. New enterprises chalked up a total of P29.02 billion in capital investments.

IN BRIEF

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has expanded its ISO certification to cover airport and tourist visa extension services, according to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco.

Tansingco said the BI passed the surveillance audit conducted by experts from Societe Generale Surveillance (SGS).

“The certification was awarded in a ceremony held at the BI’s main office last Monday,” he said.

The certification affirmed the BI’s continued observance of internationallyrecognized organizational practices and its efforts to provide its clients with quality performance and services that are globally competitive.

DOJ urges Palace to hasten clemency for 1,000 prisoners

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended to Malacanang the grant of executive clemency to over 1,000 inmates in various prison facilities under the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

DOJ spokesman Jose Dominic Clavano said the DOJ urged the Office of the Executive Secretary to hasten the approval of the clemency that already has the imprimatur of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Clavano said the number of prisoners recommended for presidential pardon included the more than 300 names of those submitted to Malacañang last September.

“We already followed it up with Executive Secretary Bersamin and we told him

that since it had the support of President Bongbong Marcos to expedite the release of the executive clemency, including the one we recommended last September,” Clavano added.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said he would work for the immediate release of inmates qualified for parole or clemency as part of the government’s program to decongest the country’s prison facilities, particularly the New Bil bid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

The NBP, the country’s main penitentiary originally built for 6,345 prisoners when it was constructed in 1940, had a total inmate population of 29,204 as of October 2022.

Other prison facilities under the BuCor’s control include the Davao Prison

and Penal Farm, Iwahig Pri on and Penal Farm in Palawan, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, Leyte Regional Prison, and the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City were also experiencing similar congestion problems.

Remulla has committed to releasing up to 5, 000 elderly and sickly inmates, as well as those who have completed their maximum sentence by June 2023.

BuCor office3r-in-charge Gregorio Catapang earlier said they were mulling the possibility of asking the President to extend executive clemency to inmates 70 years old and above to help decongest the country’s prison facilities.

Envoy denies report Germany, UK ‘pirating’ Filipino nursing students

GERMAN Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel on Tuesday denied reports that the European countries were pirating Filipino nursing students to address the region’s huge demand for health care workers.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Reiffenstuel clarified that United Kingdom (UK) and Germany were actively recruiting and offering “attractive packages” to Filipino nursing students, even those in their second year of college.

“Germany is not pirating PH students! (Germany) works closely with (Philippine) schools, colleges & agencies in our recruitment efforts,” Reiffenstuel said.

“(Germany) offers good salaries, social services & upskilling for (Filipino) HCWs (health care workers). The – (GermanyPhilippine) Triple Win Program is a big suc-

cess! #germanyinphl @GIZ_Philippines,” the envoy added.

Her tweets came after Vilma Garcia, De La Salle University Medical Center employees’ union president, said that the UK and Germany have been offering second year nursing students a chance to continue their studies in Europe by providing for their tuition and lodging.

After completing their course, the Filipino nursing students will be employed by hospitals in the UK and Germany, and given an opportunity to bring their families there.

Garcia claimed that about one-fourth of their nursing students have accepted the offer, which would potentially worsen the shortage of qualified personnel in Philippine hospitals. Rey E. Requejo

QC mayor cites QCU for accreditation feat

By Rio N. Araja

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday commended the local government-run Quezon City University for its four programs that received Level 1 Accreditation from the Association of Local Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (ALCUCOA), following a rigorous accreditation process.

“We congratulate QCU for its latest achievement. This is a proof of our steadfast desire to provide QCitizens with an excellent educational program that is at par or even exceeds the standards set by private learning institutions,” Belmonte said.

The four programs included Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Bachelor of

Science in Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Theresita Atienza, QCU president, received the certificates on behalf of the university from ALCUCOA president and executive director Dr. Raymundo Arcega during the Faculty and Staff Convocation 2022.

The certification showed that QCU was in accordance with the ALCUCOA standards, following a meticulous three-day evaluation process, which was verified by the Technical Review Board Committee, approved by the board of directors and confirmed by the National Network of Quality Assurance Agencies.

The assessment tackled governance and administration, faculty, curriculum and instruction, student development and services, entrepreneurship and employability, community extension services, research, library, laboratories and physical plant/facilities.

The BI has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 for the entry and exit formalities for primary inspection of foreign nationals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA). Also included in the certification is the extension of stay of temporary visitors at the BI Main Office.

“The certification is a testament of our continued goal of providing the best immigration service,” said Tansingco.

Vito Barcelo

THE Cebu Pacific (CEB) has started offering P188 seat-sale to air travelers going to and from Iloilo in time for the celebration of Dinagyang Festival.

The one-way base fare, exclusive of fees and surcharges, allowed passengers to book their trips and fly across the airline’s widest domestic network. The travel period for this promo is from Jan. 16 up until May 31, 2023.

“We are committed to providing everyone with safe and affor able trips, particularly now that we are celebrating the comeback of the Dinagyang festival. We want our passengers to experience and enjoy the traditions of Dinagyang. We are happy to provide this special seat sale for everyJuan,” said Carmina Romero, Cebu Pacific corporate communications director.

“Celebrate the Dinagyang Festival with Cebu Pacific and get ready to dance to the beat of the drum and enjoy budgetfriendly activities, like visiting the Spanish-colonial churches, houses, museums, cultural heritage sites, and popular local cuisines,” she added.

Romero said passengers with existing travel funds may use these to pay for flights and add-ons during CEB’s seat sales. Apart from Travel Fund, other payment options may also be used, such as payment centers, credit or debit cards, and e-wallets.

Joel E. Zurbano

AIR Asia Philippines welcomes the Lunar New Year with January Festival deals offering P1,812 base fare to Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Air Asia chief executive officer Ricky Isla said the airline successfully reopened its Kaohsiung route in time for the festivities. He added the inaugural flight took off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 3 on Jan. 7.

“Our return to Kaohsiung signals an auspicious and positive welcome to the year of the Rabbit. Before the pandemic, this route and Manila-Taipei had immensely contributed to our growth with its consistently high traffic demand, especially among leisure travelers and overseas Filipino workers who are always searching for the best value deals,” said Isla.

“We look forward to reopening more international routes and air travel in the Eastern Region of Asia,” he added.

Kaohsiung, known as The Harbour City, is famous for its river parks, cultural activities, and culinary scene. It is also a shopping and food paradise, offering lively night markets and large malls selling a variety of goods and quirky souvenirs, as well as some of the best local dishes like mud volcano chicken, beef noodles, and pan-fried dumplings. Joel E. Zurbano

BI gains one more feather for its cap

CEB offers Iloilo Dinagyang promo

Air Asia resumes PH-Kaohsiung route

NIAN GAO. A Filipino-Chinese vendor arranges his display of various avors of tikoy (nian gao) in his store along Ongpin St., in Binondo, Manila Tikoy along Ongpin street in Binondo, Manila ahead of the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year on Sunday, Jan. 22. Although eaten the whole year round, tikoy which comes in a variety of rice cakes, has become a conspicuous symbol of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Norman Cruz

ANTI-PIRACY DRIVE. Various organizations join the launch of the REX education’s anti piracy campaign in collaboration with the Department Education, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines at the Manila Hotel, meant to further strengthen intellectual property rights. Danny Pata

CELEBRITY VISITOR. Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval obliges to have her picture taken with multi-talented actor Ian Veneration after they attended Mass at the San Bartolome Church. Norman Cruz

DFA told: Hire high-caliber lawyers for OFW cases

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Raffy Tulfo urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to hire highcaliber lawyers, noting that there have been zero acquittals over several years of cases involving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In the Senate hearing of the Committee on Migrant Workers on bills to strengthen financial and legal assistance to OFWs, Tulfo said this move will boost the DFA’s free legal services for distressed OFWs.

He noted that the effective way to improve the low acquittal rate of cases involving OFWs is by ensuring that they have good representation.

Usec. Eduardo De Vega said he cannot remember if there was an acquittal of cases in the period January to June 2022.

“I cannot recall the last six months if there was an acquittal...We don’t get a lot of acquittals, that’s the fact. We don’t get a lot of acquittals,” De Vega said.

When Tulfo inquired if it was due to poor lawyers, and Majority Leader Joel Villanueva asked if it was due to weak gathering of evidence, De Vega replied it’s better to have a legal counsel than none at all.

Tulfo and Villanueva however did not

buy the reason given by De Vega. Tulfo told the DFA official that it’s their mandate to help OFWs in distress.

Earlier, Villanueva also told De Manalo that if there are no acquittals, then what is the purpose of the DFA and that the agency needs to “evaluate the things.”

De Vega also said that oftentimes, complaints were settled so charges were no longer pursued.

Other senators also questioned why the DFA is not doing something to help OFWs in their legal battles. The DFA, however claimed that cases might be pending or the report was wrong.

Tulfo also asked De Vega to ensure that offices abroad would operate on the expected 8 working hours per day, or more, to cater to OFWs in need of assistance.

He said some OFWs he met during a trip abroad complained that DFA employees only work “half day” and entertain them at certain hours supposedly due to some “paper works.”

According to the senator, there should still be employees to assist OFW the whole day even if there are a lot of papers that need to be processed, especially during emergency circumstances.

In response, De Vega promised to look into the issue and call all necessary embassies abroad.

DOH: PH ready once pandemic state is lifted

THE Department of Health (DOH) said the Philippines is ready should the World Health Organization (WHO) declare the end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the WHO Emergency Committee is set to meet on January 27 to consider whether COVID-19 still represents a global emergency, three years after the pandemic was declared, GMA News reported.

Vergeire, quoted by GMA News, said that if the state of public health emergency will be lifted, the country will remain “cautious and vigilant” against the coronavirus, and will still be imposing the same restrictions.

“If and when the public health emergency will be lifted, we know that the virus will be here to stay. The Philippines will continue to be cautious and vigilant and we will still be imposing these same restrictions we have right now which is not so much strict, but nandiyan ‘yung safeguard natin [the safeguards are there] that any time the cases will increase, we have our safeguards that we can rely on and we can impose para mas protektado ang Pilipino [so Filipinos will be more protected],” the DOH official said.

She added that “in the event that the public health emergency is lifted, the Philippines, through the national government, is ready and continues to prepare so that we can better protect our countrymen.”

PBBM names new appointees for CFO, GSIS

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has named new appointees to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), the Intramuros Administration (IA) and the Government Service Insurance System’s (GSIS) Board of Trustees, Malacañang announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil confirmed the appointment of Romulo Arugay as CFO chairperson, Joan Padilla as IA administration and Mario Molina as acting member of the GSIS’ Board of Trustees.

Garafil did not mention when Marcos signed the appointment papers of Arugay, Padilla and Molina. Malacañang has yet to release a copy of the appointment papers of the three new officials.

The CFO was created in June 1980 by virtue of Batas Pambansa 79 to strengthen the government’s policy on the promotion of migrant welfare and interest.

The commission is tasked to provide assistance to the President and Philippine Congress in the formulation of policies and measures concerning Filipinos overseas.

The CFO is also in charge of developing and implementing programs to promote the Filipino overseas’ interest and wellbeing. VInce Lopez

The WHO in December expressed hope that COVID-19 would no longer be a global health emergency at some point in 2023. The WHO also urged China to share information that could pinpoint how the pandemic started.

The DOH meanwhile said eight Filipino travelers from China who tested positive for COVID-19 have already completed their isolation period.

Vergeire said most of the patients were asymptomatic, while some had shown mild symptoms of COVID-19.

Based on the country’s current COVID-19 protocols, patients are discharged from isolation if they are not exhibiting symptoms of the disease after 7 days.

The DOH has identified 89 passengers as close contacts of the 8 Filipino travelers.

“As to those close contacts of these 8 individuals, wala ng nag-develop further pa ng symptoms. Wala na rin tayong nakuhang positibong individual (As to those close contacts of these 8 individuals, no one developed further symptoms. No one else tested positive.),” she said.

Four of the 8 Filipino travelers were found to have been infected with omicron subvariants BF.7 and BA.5.2. China has experienced a new wave of coronavirus infections after it ditched its zero-COVID-19 policy in December. Willie Casas

PNP releases Sandra Cam after case dismissal

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has released former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Sandra Cam from the PNP Custodial Center.

PNP PIO chief Police Colonel Red Maranan, quoted by GMA News, said “Ms. Sandra Cam was released on January 16 after her case was dismissed. She was escorted by our police officers to her home.”

Maranan said Cam was released around 10:50 p.m. on Monday, hours after the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 42 acquitted her and her son, Marco Martin Cam, and five others of murder over the killing of a vice mayor in Masbate in 2019.

Cam and the others were released after the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt, GMA

News reported. The said case stemmed from the attack that killed vice mayor Charlie Yuson III and wounded his companion Alberto Alforte IV while they were having breakfast in Sampaloc, Manila on October 9, 2019.

In a radio interview, PNP chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said he directed for Cam and her son to be escorted to ensure their safety.

“Para nang sa ganoon ay wala hong masamang mangyari sa kanila. Mahirap ho ‘yan. Baka biglang sa harap ng bahay nila ay may mangyaring masama ay kasalanan na naman po ng pulis (So that nothing bad will happen to them. It is difficult. Something could have happened to them in front of their home and it would have been the police’s fault),” Azurin said.

‘Pupper master’ responsible for onion shortage

SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III yesterday said a country with a huge production of onions is the “Puppet Master” directing the Philippine government on onion importation.

He believes there’s foreign intervention in the current decisions and policies of the government on the importation of onions and other agricultural products.

Pimentel said these decisions and policies are burdening local farmers while favoring importers of onions and big traders. He particularly cited the government’s plan to import onions, which according to local onion farmers will “kill” them.

Local onion farmers lamented that they cannot compete with imported onions which are being sold at P60 per kilo while they sell them at P100 per kilo to keep their sector alive.

The imported onions, Pimentel said, are set to arrive in the country in time for the harvest season of our locally-grown onions. He also noted that even cold storage facilities have been reserved for the imported onions and those from traders.

“This is also being done with our other agricultural products such that the industry no longer become productive,” he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday said the government had no choice but to import thousands of tons of onions to bring down local prices, given the gap between local production and demand. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Senators eyeing amendments to agri-smuggling law

on Agriculture

A. Villar said she and Sen. JV Ejercito have discussed making amendments to the AntiAgricultural Smuggling Act which was enacted into law in 2016.

Based on the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) crafted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Villar said the said agency will decide if the smuggling of agricultural products is sabotage or not.

She noted that this is the reason why nobody from the BOC, which mandate is to prevent smuggling, has been punished despite the involvement of some of its unscrupulous personnel.

“It’s a conflict of interest that the BOC linked to the case drafted the IRR,” Villar said.

However, Villar wants to maintain the amount of smuggled goods that can be declared “economic sabotage” and non-bailable if proven true as provided in the prevailing law.

Ejercito proposed an amendment in the law wherein aside from the Bureau of Customs, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police should be tasked to punish those implicated in the smuggling of agricultural products.

Also to be included in the law that should be held liable are those involved in profiteering, cartel, and hoarding of agricultural products to protect Filipino farmers.

Meanwhile, Villar also told the Department of Agri-

Mechanical issues halt Go’s airplane

A KING Air plane with nine people, including Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, on board aborted its flight to Northern Samar after it encountered a mechanical problem while about to leave Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday.

Rescue, security and medical personnel from the Manila International Airport Authority, and a team from the Airport Grounds Operation and Safety Division immediately responded to assist Go and his companions, along with the flight crew of the aircraft that stalled at NAIA Runway 13/31 around 10 a.m.

“At 10 a.m. today, our plane had to abort the flight at NAIA after developing a mechanical issue in one of its engines. My team and I were supposed to be on our way to distribute assistance to our fellow Filipinos affected by heavy rains and floods in Mapanas, Catarman and

Lavezares, all in Northern Samar,” said Go in a statement.

“I was also scheduled to inspect the Super Health Center and a newly constructed covered court in Lavezares, as well as the renovated public market in Catarman today,” he added.

Go said despite best efforts to secure alternative flights, “with much regret, we cannot push through with my personal visit. The safety of everyone on board is also paramount.”

The senator, however, said he made sure that the scheduled activities, particularly the distribution of much-needed assistance to the affected families, was conducted without delay.

“My staff had been on the ground in Northern Samar for several days already, assisting local authorities to address the needs of the victims.” Joel E. Zurbano

culture (DA) to build cold storage facilities and watch over local traders to ensure that local onion farmers will benefit from them.

This was also the call made by Sen. Imee Marcos to the DA, saying they are being given the necessary budget.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros noted that onion farmers will need these cold storage facilities during the harvest season this coming February until April. She said this will be our onion supply until the next harvest in 2024.

Bureau of Plant Industry OIC Gerald Panganiban said there is P240 million budget for cold storage facilities for this year. He related that this will be constructed in Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4B. Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATE Committee

and Food Sen. Cynthia

PRAYER RITUAL. Buddhist monks led by Men Ching from the Sen Guan Temple in Divisoria, Tondo, Manila hold a year-end prayer ritual marking the Year of the Rabbit in Chinese astrology. The rabbit symbolizes lechery and fertility in traditional Chinese culture. Danny Pata

IMPORTED RICE. Workers rest on top of sacks of imported rice from Thailand which will be delivered to a warehouse in Dagupan in Tondo Manila. The farmer’s group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) said the retail prices of rice could further go up by next week due to the increase in prices of fertilizers. Danny Pata

SINULOG FESTIVAL. A historical reenactment is held during the Sinulog Festival. Members of the La Liga Cebu Reenactors Group role-play the gifting of Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan of the image of the Sto. Nino to Hara Humamay, queen of Cebu and wife of King Rajah Humabon. The royal couple was baptized into the Roman Catholic faith and were presented a small statue which would later be the iconic image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu. Julian Dashmari

PWD ID snafu shows system inadequacies

I suppose she was looking for the exact words “psychosocial disability” on the certificate.

Beng asked for consideration based on the old ID as autism is a form of psychosocial disability.

Nope, she was told. She asked if she could send a revised certificate via email. No, she was told she has to present herself physically at the Bacoor PDAO again.

THE other night, a friend of mine, “Beng,” a fellow writer who works in government, posted an appeal on her Facebook wall: Can anyone put me in touch with the National Council for Disability Affairs (NCDA)?

This was after she had attempted to renew her son’s PWD ID (person with disability identification) card on Jan. 16 at the Bacoor Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) office and was refused because of an alleged new NCDA guideline on obtaining PWD IDs.

Her story: Her son is diagnosed with autism and is undergoing therapy and other necessary interventions.

He has had a PWD ID for some years now. Beng brought along a medical certificate from her son’s developmental pediatrician. She had to wait several months to get an appointment to consult with the doctor and request for the document.

All in all she paid P3,500 to obtain the certificate.

The certificate declares that Beng’s son is diagnosed with “autism level 2” and that he needs speech and occupational therapy, and to participate in a special education class.

It is confusing, annoying, and maddening when officious employees devoid of reading comprehension and critical thinking skills make things even harder for their kababayan

The word “disability” is not mentioned anywhere in the document, for which there is no need because the child’s condition is clearly stated.

However, an employee (we have her first name but not her surname) at the Bacoor PDAO told her the certificate could not be accepted for the renewal because the NCDA allegedly has a new rule that the type of disability should be stated on the medical certificate.

The employee showed Beng a tiny piece of paper (“maliit na maliit na papel”) the list of disabilities from the NCDA. Autism was not among them.

Beng showed the people at the Bacoor PWD office her son’s old PWD ID that she was renewing.

It was stated on that old ID that her son has a “psychosocial disability.”

The people at the Bacoor office themselves were the ones who wrote that on the card when Beng first went there to get a card. She explained to them that autism is a form of psychosocial disability.

The employee hardened her stance (“ipinagmatigasan niya”) that the word “disability” should be stated on the certificate, and the type.

In other words, according to that employee, “autism level 2” on a medical certificate issued by a physician is not enough.

Beng is a working mom. She took a leave from work the day she went to the Bacoor PDAO office to get her son’s PWD ID renewal.

Now she has to take another day off to get this all done again?

What’s even more terrible about the entire thing is that before she went to the Bacoor PDAO, Beng did research online to find out if there were any changes she needed to be aware of regarding paperwork. She even consulted with the PWD head of their barangay. This is why, she said, she was confident that she had all the right papers with her when she went to the PDAO.

Upon consulting with other friends, one told her that she was able to renew her child’s ID in Cainta swiftly and without any problem, even if their medical certificate did not state the type of disability.

This means the NCDA rule on this (if there is such a rule in the first place) is not being implemented the same way in different LGUs.

It is confusing, annoying, and maddening when officious employees devoid of reading comprehension and critical thinking skills make things even harder for their kababayan.

Instead of helping carry the load, they add to the burden.

What if, Beng said, PWDs themselves went to the Bacoor PDAO for help – people who can’t walk, or see, or hear, or suffer some other disability?

Would they be turned back too, just because they didn’t have the exact words “something or other disability” on their medical certificates, when the diagnoses are clearly stated?

PDAOs are under the mayor’s office – in this case, that of Bacoor Mayor Strike B. Revilla.

I suggest that he look into this and see how PWDs and their families may better be served and assisted, and not treated with disdain –“Huwag nang pabalik-balikin ang mga tao,” as Beng said.

“Dahop na dahop sa pagiging makatao ang ganitong uri ng rules at ganitong uri ng pakikitungo. Walang konsiderasyon sa kapwa. Lalo na sa PWD, mga magulang at guardian ng PWD,” Beng wrote in a letter to NCDA.

[These rules and this sort of interaction exhibit a severe lack of humanity. There is no consideration for others. Particularly for PWDs, their parents, and guardians.]

The NCDA as well should look into how their rules are being implemented.

They should also implement a better communication plan and make PWDs and their families about their rules on PWD IDs and other matters.

In this digital day and age, the NCDA website is a piece of carp.

If there is such a rule as stated by that unhelpful person from Bacoor PDAO, I can’t find it there.

Lack of consideration on the part of some government employees is a perennial problem.

Their lack of understanding of rules or guidelines causes problems for the people they serve, instead of assisting them and trying to make things better.

We’ve all been treated this way, but it’s worse somehow for PWDs.

I hope the NCDA and the Bacoor City government can probe this incident, retrain their employees, and implement a better system that is truly of service to the people.

* * *

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

FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

Inequality

LIFE is unfair, you might say. Or unequal.

In the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a total $42 trillion in new wealth was created in the entire planet.

Of that $42 trillion, $26 trillion or 62 percent was taken by just the richest one percent of the world’s 7.888 billion people.

The world’s richest –those with $1 million in cash or assets-- number just 62 million.

So 7.888 billion people minus 62 million leaves you with 7.866 billion sharing the remaining $16 trillion ($42 trillion minus $26 trillion) in new wealth not grabbed by the 62 million ultra rich in the past two years.

The super rich 62 million took in 1.62 times as much as the $16 trillion shared by 7.866 billion ordinary mortals.

In the Philippines, the country’s 10 richest billionaires had combined wealth of $45.329 billion (P249.35 billion) as of Jan. 16, 2023, an increase of $4.233 billion over their combined wealth of $41.096 billion as of Dec. 12, 2022.

The January 2023 wealth of the Richest Ten Filipinos is equal to 11 percent of the estimated GDP of $423 billion as of end-2022, meaning each of the ten makes, on average, the equivalent of 1.1 percent of total economic production of the country.

All the top 10 Filipino billionaires chalked up wealth increases.

The Top Ten and their wealth (increase in one year, in parenthesis):

Henry Sy family, $9.087 billion ($205 million);

Manuel Villar Jr, $8.182 billion ($808 million);

Enrique Razon Jr., $5.78 billion ($400 million);

Lance Gokongwei Jr., $4.549 billion ($499 million);

Iñigo Zobel and sister, $$3.902 billion ($245 million);

Aboitiz family, $3.626 billion ($325 million);

Tony Tan Caktiong, $2.992 billion ($149 million);

Ramon S. Ang, $2.714 billion ($1.304 billion);

Lucio Tan, $2.397 billion ($198 million); and

Roberto V. Ongpin, ($100 million).

These 10 have these businesses: Food, property, banking, power, utilities, and casinos.

It also helps that your next-door multimillionaire pays on average only 1.8 percent of tax on his income, while the Makati wage earner, whose income is subject to withholding, pays on average, about 20 percent.

The country’s industrialists, and they include

EDITORIAL

Uncomfortably near

THREE days ago, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida rang warning bells before Western powers that East Asia could be the next Ukraine, referring to the second largest eastern European country invaded by Russia 11 months ago.

The 65-year-old Kishida was in Washington, DC last Sunday where he led off Japan’s year as head of the Group of Seven, the elite informal group of the world’s advanced economies.

The G7 is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union.

While closing his trip to Washington, the Japanese head of government said he shared with G7 leaders his “strong sense of crisis regarding the security environment in Asia.”

He told a news conference a day after meeting US president Joe Biden, that East Asia might

Kishida’s eye range had reference to China’s growing assertiveness in surrounding waters where Beijing has a clump of island disputes, including with Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam

become the Ukraine of tomorrow, calling security concerns in the two regions “inseparable.”

His thoughts: “The situation around Japan is becoming increasingly severe with attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the East China Sea and South China Sea and the activation of North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities.”

East Asia includes China, the two Chinese dependencies of Hong Kong and Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

Manila, only a little over 1,000 kilometers from Taiwan, is 2,990 kilometers away from Japan. Two months ago, nine months from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a most senior US general said the war had left more than 100,000 of Moscow’s troops dead or wounded, and Ukraine had probably suffered a similar number of casualties.

General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in remarks at the Economic Club of New York, said Russia’s invasion had also killed about 40,000 Ukrainian civilians and displaced 15 million to 30 million.

Kishida’s eye range had reference to China’s growing assertiveness in surrounding waters where Beijing has a clump of island disputes, including with Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Kishida had gone to the United States after his government announced that Japan would double defense spending over the next five years, a metamorphosis for a country that has been officially pacifist since its defeat in World War II.

He has underscore that Japan still sees itself as a “peace loving” nation and will use the G7 to push for the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons.

Providential that the G7 leaders will hold their summit in May in Hiroshima, the site of the world’s first nuclear attack and Kishida’s parliamentary constituency, where an estimated 80,000 people instantly died in the first deployed atomic bomb in August 1945.

Joint development in SCS dead in the water?

HAS our Supreme Court practically sealed the doom of the very idea of joint development with China of oil and gas in the South China Sea? That scenario looms as 12 out of 15 justices of the High Tribunal recently voided the 2005 Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking agreement by state-owned companies in China, Vietnam and the Philippines: China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company.

The court ruled the 2005 agreement violated the 1987 Constitution by allowing the state-owned oil companies of China and Vietnam to undertake joint oil exploration in Philippine waters.

The charter specifies “the exploration, development and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the state.”

The court said oil exploration in Philippine waters should be undertaken only by Filipino citizens or corporations and groups that are at least 60 per cent owned by Filipinos.

The Supreme Court justices also said the intent of the agreement was “to discover petroleum which is tantamount to ‘exploration,’” contrary to the claim that the agreement only involved preexploration activities which were not covered by the constitutional prohibition.

Former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, in a recent commentary, said these constitutional “safeguards are sacred and must be complied with strictly and faithfully.”

The agreement led to a joint oil search in 142,886 square km (55,168 square miles) of sea, including waters claimed by the Philippines as part of its territory and other areas it contests with China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Under the Duterte administration, the Philippines signed a 2018 agreement with China aimed at achieving consensus on terms for a possible joint oil and gas exploration in the disputed waters.

But years of negotiations failed, mainly due to disagreement over which side has sovereign rights over the stretch of sea to be covered by the joint search.

Duterte terminated the agreement shortly before his six-year term ended on June 30, 2022.

The recent Supreme Court ruling effectively also brings other proposed agreements under a cloud of doubt.

President Marcos Jr. had expressed willingness to revive failed negotiations for joint oil exploration with China in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing recently.

What is clear at this point is that joint exploration of oil and gas with China in the South China Sea is an idea whose time has come—and gone—and there’s little we can do about it unless we change our Constitution

The Chinese government will still push for joint oil exploration in the disputed South China Sea with the Philippines despite the recent Supreme Court decision.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called the 2005 tripartite deal “an important step by the three countries” and “a useful experiment for maritime cooperation between parties to the South China Sea” as it “played an important role in promoting stability, cooperation and development in the region.”

“China remains committed to properly handle maritime disputes in the South China Sea with

wealth during the past decade.

The damning report is published as the world’s elites gather in the Swiss ski resort of Davos for four days (Jan. 16-20) of the World Economic Forum, the annual winter debating club of big business, media, government, and professionals trying to solve the world’s problems – in the last half century.

Instead of improving, life for 99 percent of the world’s peoples has become harsher and less safe.

countries directly concerned, including the Philippines, through dialogue and consultation, and to actively explore ways for practical maritime cooperation including joint exploration,” Wang pointed out.

The Chinese official said in Marcos’ recent state visit to China, “the two sides agreed to bear in mind the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Oil and Gas Development signed in 2018 and resume discussions on oil and gas development at an early date.”

We agree with Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who headed the Senate energy committee in the previous Congress, that the recent Supreme Court may have dimmed the prospect of a similar deal just between Manila and Beijing.

“It’s good that we are talking. It’s good that we are open to it, but when you go to the nitty-gritty of things, especially the governing law that should prevail, we hit a snag,” he said.

For his part, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the government should “very carefully” study the Supreme Court decision in relation to any resumption of oil exploration talks with China.

The Senate leader said the government could now be prohibited from allowing other countries with maritime claims in the South China Sea to join the Philippines in searching for oil and gas in any part of the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

What is clear at this point is that joint exploration of oil and gas with China in the South China Sea is an idea whose time has come – and gone – and there’s little we can do about it unless we change our Constitution.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

one in 10 people on Earth -- are hungry. Oxfam is calling for a systemic and dramatic increases in taxation of the super-rich to claw back pandemic gains fueled by public money and private greed.

Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam GB chief executive said “The current economic reality is an affront to basic human values.

Extreme poverty is increasing for the first time in 25 years and close to a billion people are going hungry but for billionaires, every day is a bonanza.”

foreigners, inside government-assisted industrial estates, receive annually P240 billion in tax incentives – money that the average wage earner makes.

In the last 60 years, the country’s nine presidents came from just five families – two Macapagals, two Marcoses plus a cousin (FVR), two Aquinos, one actor, and one long-time Mindanao mayor.

We have 24 million families, by the way. Our politics and our economy are run by just 100 families.

Meanwhile, the Oxfam report released Jan. 16, 2023, Survival of the Richest, highlights how extreme wealth and extreme poverty have increased simultaneously for the first time in a quarter century.

Oxfam says the one percent are getting an ever-greater share of the world’s resources, despite already capturing around half of all new

For the first time in 76 years, the world faces the grim prospect of a Third World War, one which will be a fight to the finish, with no ground rules of human behavior, from conventional armies facing each other on barren and bloodied battlefields, to tactical and strategic nuclear war, and even perhaps, a battle of satellites up in outer space.

“The global progress in reducing extreme poverty has come to a halt amid what is expected to be the largest increase in global inequality since World War II,” warns Oxfam.

Oxfam’s report shows that the super-rich have also seen extraordinary gains in the last two years 0- for every $1 of new global wealth earned by a person in the bottom 90 percent, each billionaire gained roughly $1.7 million.

The combined fortune of billionaires has increased by a staggering $2.7 billion (£2 billion) a day.

This comes on top of a decade of historic gains – both the number and wealth of billionaires having doubled over the last ten years.

At the same time, at least 1.7 billion workers now live in countries where inflation is outpacing wages, and over 820 million people -- roughly

Oxfam is calling on governments to:

Introduce one-off solidarity wealth taxes and windfall taxes to end crisis profiteering.

Permanently increase taxes on the richest 1 percent, for example to at least 60 per cent of their income from labor and capital, with higher rates for multi-millionaires and billionaires.

Governments must especially raise taxes on capital gains, which are subject to lower tax rates than other forms of income.

Tax the wealth of the richest 1 percent at rates high enough to significantly reduce the numbers and wealth of the richest people, and redistribute these resources. This includes implementing inheritance, property and land taxes, as well as net wealth taxes.

Empower public and tax administrations to track the wealth of the richest people and corporations. Taxing the wealthiest is impossible unless public and tax administrations are supported to identify and track the true wealth of the richest people and governments take action to dismantle tax secrecy and tax offshore wealth and assets.

Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors

Oxfam says the one percent are getting an ever-greater share of the world’s resources, despite already capturing around half of all new wealth during the past decade

Russia defense minister visits troops involved in Ukraine war

RUSSIA’S Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has inspected a military headquarters overseeing troops fighting in Ukraine, the ministry said Tuesday.

At the headquarters of Russia’s Vostok (East) group in an unnamed location, Shoigu was briefed by its commander and heard from commanders of other formations “on the progress of combat mission,” the ministry said in a statement.

It did not specify the location of the headquarters visited.

A video released by the ministry with the statement showed Shoigu holding a meeting with military commanders in person and via video-link.

Among those taking part in the video call was Russia’s chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov, who was recently put in charge of Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.

The video also showed Shoigu handing out awards to servicemen.

“You serve with dignity, protect our Fatherland, help those who need help, do everything to bring closer the day called Victory Day,” Shoigu said.

Shoigu in December made two visits to the area of the “special military operation,” including to inspect troops on the frontline, according to the ministry. AFP

Biden to visit flood-hit California on Thursday

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden will travel to flood-hit areas of California on Thursday, the White House said, as the country’s most populous state cleans up from a devastating and lethal series of storms.

Biden will tour storm-hit communities, “survey recovery efforts, and assess what additional federal support is needed,” the White House said in a statement.

Nine successive storms have rolled in from the Pacific Ocean, slamming California and other western regions in three weeks of extreme weather that has cost 20 lives.

Biden declared a major disaster in California over the weekend, allowing the federal government to expedite aid, including help with temporary housing and repairs.

The storms have forced tens of thou-

sands of people to evacuate their homes, according to an executive order signed on Monday by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Damage estimates from the series of storms already top $1 billion.

Even as scattered sunny skies were predicted for Tuesday, there would not be much of a respite for relief workers in California hustling to clear landslides, shovel mud from roads and remove fallen trees.

About 15,300 homes in the state remained without power early Tuesday,

according to PowerOutage.us.

Sodden cities in northern California reported staggering accumulated quantities of rain.

A report from the National Weather Service (NWS) for the Bay Area said more than 18 inches (45 cm) of rain have fallen on San Francisco since December 26.

“It’s the wettest 22-day period since January 14, 1862,” the NWS office said in a tweet.

In the Central Valley, the fertile region that produces 40 percent of US fruits, Modesto reported more than an inch of rain Monday, beating an old record set in 1950, and Stockton had 1.2 inches of rain, surpassing a record set there in 1973, the NWS office in Sacramento tweeted. AFP

IN BRIEF

Guatemala to charge Colombia minister

THE Guatemalan prosecutor’s office said Monday it aims to file charges against Colombia’s current defense minister for alleged illegal actions when he served as head of a UN anti-mafia mission in the Central American country.

Guatemala accuses Ivan Velasquez of illegally endorsing “effective collaboration” agreements of three former Brazilian executives in a bribery case linked to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht in Guatemala, said Rafael Curruchiche, head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI), in a video posted on social media.

From 2013 until its closure in 2019, Velasquez led the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), a UN-backed entity that together with the prosecutor’s office unearthed several corruption scandals.

The most impactful involved former president Otto Perez (20122015) who was accused of leading a customs fraud scheme and was sentenced to 16 years in prison last December. AFP

Peru braces for new protests in Lima

LIMA was bracing for a new rally against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Monday as thousands of demonstrators began mobilizing in the capital following weeks of deadly unrest.

Protesters from all over the country began heading to Lima over the weekend in a bid to maintain the pressure on authorities, even as a state of emergency war was declared in a bid to maintain order.

At least 42 people have died in five weeks of clashes between protesters and security forces, according to Peru’s human rights ombudsman.

Supporters of ousted president Pedro Castillo – who was arrested and charged with rebellion amongst other offenses after trying last month to dissolve parliament and rule by decree – have set up burning roadblocks, attempted to storm airports and staged mass rallies.

They are demanding Boluarte’s resignation, the closure of Congress and fresh elections. AFP

Vietnam prexy resigns amid anti-graft purge

VIETNAM President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned, state

Phuc has “submitted his resignation

his assigned positions, quit his job, and retired,” state news agency VNA said.

Phuc’s sudden departure is a highly unusual move in communist Vietnam, where political changes are normally carefully orchestrated with an emphasis on cautious stability.

Nepali hospitals return bodies from air crash to grieving families

NEPALI hospital staff began the grim task of handing over bodies to grieving families on Tuesday after a plane with 72 people on board crashed, the country’s worst aviation disaster in three decades.

The Yeti Airlines flight with 68 passengers and four crew plummeted into a steep gorge, smashed into pieces and

burst into flames as it approached the central city of Pokhara on Sunday.

All those on board, who included six children as well as 15 foreigners, are believed to have died.

Rescuers have been working almost around the clock extracting human remains from the 300-meter (1,000-foot) deep gorge strewn with twisted plane

seats and chunks of fuselage and wing.

Seventy bodies had been retrieved by early Tuesday, police official AK Chhetri told AFP. Another senior official told AFP on Monday the hope of finding anyone alive was “nil.”

“We retrieved one body last night. But it was three pieces. We are not sure whether it’s three bodies or one body.

Iran releases celebrity chef—activists

IRAN has released a prominent chef and Instagram influencer who was detained earlier this month in its crackdown on nationwide protests, human rights groups and supporters said.

Navab Ebrahimi, known for his videos promoting Persian cooking, was arrested in Tehran on January 4 and taken to the city’s Evin prison.

Nik Yousefi, an Iranian filmmaker and photographer who was himself arrested in October as part of the crackdown and then freed, wrote on Twitter that Ebrahimi had been released on bail on Wednesday.

He posted a picture of Ebrahimi smiling with his partner.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) also said Ebrahimi had been released on bail, adding there was still no word on the charges leveled against him.

Iran has arrested at least 14,000 people in the

wave of protests sparked by the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who had been arrested for allegedly breaching the strict dress code for women, according to the UN.

Prominent journalists, filmmakers, lawyers and activists have been arrested. Some have been released on bail, including star actor Taraneh Alidoosti, but others remain in prison.

No reason has been given for the arrest of Ebrahimi, who had some 2.7 million followers on Instagram enjoying his slickly produced videos showing how to produce classic Persian dishes without pain.

But social media users said the arrest coincided with him posting a recipe to make Persian cutlets on the day the Iranian authorities marked the third anniversary of the killing by the United States of Revolutionary Guards General Qassem Soleimani. AFP

It will be confirmed only after a DNA test,” he said.

“The search (for) the missing two other bodies has now resumed,” Chhetri said.

Drones were being used and the search had been expanded to a radius of two to three kilometers (one to two miles), he said. AFP

His resignation follows the dismissal of two deputy prime ministers this month in an anti-corruption purge that has led to the arrest of dozens of officials.

He was prime minister between 2016 and 2021, before assuming his role as president.

Phuc “took political responsibility as leader when several officials, including two deputy prime ministers and three ministers committed violations and shortcomings, causing very serious consequences,” VNA said. AFP

media said Tuesday, after days of rumours he was about to be sacked amid a major anticorruption drive that has seen several ministers fired.

from

FOR GOOD LUCK. Figurines to mark the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Rabbit are displayed inside the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall in Singapore on January 17, 2023. AFP

GRIM TASK. Nepal’s army and volunteers carry the body of a victim who died in a Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara on January 17, 2023. The Yeti Airlines ATR 72 plummeted into a steep gorge, smashed into pieces and burst into flames as it approached the central city of Pokhara on January 15, in Nepal’s worst aviation disaster since 1992. AFP

ON ALERT. Members of the police stand guard on the street in Humay, Peru after detaining a convoy of members of the Chancas ethnic group, originally from the central Andes region, on their way to Lima to participate in a major demonstration against Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on January 16, 2023. AFP

Stock market retreats on profit-taking

TOP GAINERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 PBC 15.74 1.74 12.43%

2 CHP 0.81 0.06 8.00%

3 NRCP 0.66 0.04 6.45%

4 KPPI 1.8 0.1 5.88%

5 DWC 1.49 0.08 5.67%

6 WEB 2.79 0.14 5.28%

7 SFI 0.084 0.004 5.00%

8 ORE 0.78 0.03 4.00%

9 SLF 2600 100 4.00%

10 X 0.265 0.01 3.92%

TOP LOSERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 PBB 9.91 -1.29 -11.52%

2 BKR 1.34 -0.14 -9.46%

3 BALAI 0.58 -0.05 -7.94%

4 T 0.54 -0.04 -6.90%

5 CA 31.9 -2.1 -6.18%

6 VUL 1.01 -0.06 -5.61%

7 DFNN 3.4 -0.2 -5.56%

8 SOC 0.435 -0.025 -5.43%

9 AXLM 3.07 -0.14 -4.36%

10 BCB 4.72 -0.21 -4.26%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME VALUE (PHP)

1 SM 712,370 663,468,070

2 BDO 5,306,460 656,663,133

3 SMPH 17,180,500 650,030,730

4 ICT 1,904,130 397,593,388

5 ACEN 49,699,300 335,700,209

6 ALI 9,779,300 312,789,415

7 JFC 1,194,170 298,083,038

8 TEL 188,995 270,578,175

9 EMI 12,337,200 251,325,905

10 BPI 2,140,890 232,197,837

Dubai’s real estate transactions hit over $143b in 2022

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— Dubai recorded real estate transactions worth more than $143 billion in 2022, the official Dubai Media Office said Monday, calling it a “milestone” for the United Arab Emirate’s main business hub.

The property boom comes amid an influx of Russians who have purchased properties in some of Dubai’s most popular areas after Moscow faced a tightening of Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

“Dubai’s annual real estate transactions have crossed the milestone of half a trillion dirhams for the first time,” the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

“The sector witnessed transactions worth a record 528 billion dirhams in 2022, a 76.5 percent increase from 2021.”

The real estate sector accounts for about a third of the economy in Dubai.

It has steadily grown since an easing of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions saw Dubai open up much earlier than the rest of the world.

Russians were the biggest international buyers of Dubai real estate last year, Bloomberg reported, citing brokerage Betterhomes.

It said that the emirate registered more than 86,000 residential sales transactions in 2022, beating the previous record of 80,000 in 2009.

Dubai’s “real estate sector has demonstrated its ability to sustain its rapid growth and enhance its attractiveness as an investment magnet,” said Sultan Butti bin Mejren, director general of the government’s Dubai Land Department.

“The sector is set to achieve even greater growth in the future,” the Dubai Media Office quoted him as saying. AFP

STOCKS retreated Tuesday to end a three-day rally on profit-taking and following reports China’s economy, the second largest in the world, grew at its slowest pace in four decades last year.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, lost 31 points, or 0.45 percent, to close at 7,014.04, as four of the six subsectors declined.

The broader all-share index also fell 17 points, or 0.47 percent, to settle at 3,657.92, on a value turnover of P10.14 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 111 to 77, while 38 issues were unchanged.

Five of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Jollibee Foods Corp. which gained 1.61 percent to P252.00 and SM Prime Holdings Inc. which rose 1.46 percent to P38.30.

Most Asian markets also traded lower Tuesday. China’s economy grew 3 percent in 2022, the worst since 1976 -- excluding pandemic-hit 2020— and sharply down from the previous year, as widespread lockdowns and other containment policies hammered business activity.

However, it beat the 2.7 percent forecast and the fourth-quarter reading also topped estimates, while a healthy reading on retail sales provided extra cheer.

There is now growing optimism that the reopening that started last month will fuel a strong rebound this year and help support the global economy as central banks try to avert a recession caused by soaring inflation and interest rate hikes.

“Looking forward, we expect to see a sustained economic recovery in 2023 as a result of reopening and policy stimulus,” said Chaoping Zhu, of JP Morgan Asset Management.

“Service sectors should be the early beneficiary when pent-up demand is released.”

Regional markets, however, struggled to maintain the strong momentum that has characterized trading at the start of the year, which has been powered by China hopes and signs that the battle against inflation appears to be turning in central banks’ favor.

Hong Kong, which had piled on more than nine percent so far this year, reversed, while Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore and Bangkok were also in negative territory.

There were gains though in Tokyo, Wellington, Taipei, Mumbai and Jakarta. Still, analysts remain upbeat.

“We are in the early phase of recovery in terms of asset prices,” said Paras Anand, at Artemis Investment Management.

“A recovery or normalization of the Chinese economy will be positive for global growth at the margin.”

Traders are now awaiting a key policy decision by the Bank of Japan on Wednesday, which comes after it last month surprised markets by announcing a shift away from its ultra-loose monetary policy, sending the yen soaring.With AFP

British retailer to hire 3,400 for expansion

LONDON, United Kingdom— British food-to-clothing retailer Marks and Spencer on Monday announced plans for more than 3,400 new jobs thanks to store openings following sizeable shop closures and job losses during the pandemic.

M&S said in a statement that it would open 20 new large stores across the UK. It comes after the group axed 7,000 jobs as Britain suffered Covid lockdowns.

The group on Monday said it would invest £480 million ($585 million) in the latest project.

The changes would result in more than “3,400 new jobs” by next year, the statement added.

“It comes after M&S reported a bumper Christmas period,” noted Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor.

“However, cost pressures and macroeconomic headwinds continue to be key challenges.”

Scholar said shares in M&S had lost about one-third of their value since a year ago.

Like a number of Western companies, M&S last year exited from Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

In 2021, M&S decided to shut more than half of its shops in France, as Britain’s departure from the European Union affected post-Brexit supplies of fresh and chilled food products.

Shares in the group were up 2.7 percent at almost 150 pence in London trading Monday.

“Whether it can maintain the momentum as the headwinds provided by rising costs and increased pressures on household budgets continue to bear down on the business is the key test facing management,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. AFP

China’s population shrank in 2022 after over 60 years

By Ludovic Ehret

BEIJING—China’s population shrank last year for the first time in more than six decades, official data showed Tuesday, as the world’s most populous country faces a looming demographic crisis.

The nation of 1.4 billion has seen birth rates plunge to record lows as its workforce ages, in a rapid decline that analysts warn could stymie economic growth and pile pressure on strained public coffers.

The mainland Chinese population stood at around 1,411,750,000 at the end of 2022, Beijing’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a decrease of 850,000 from the end of the previous year.

The number of births was 9.56 million, the NBS said, while the number of deaths stood at 10.41 million.

The last time China’s population declined was in the early 1960s, as the country battled the worst famine in its modern history, a result of the disastrous Mao Zedong agricultural policy known as the Great Leap Forward.

China ended its strict one-child policy -- imposed in the 1980s owing

to fears of overpopulation -- in 2016 and began allowing couples to have three children in 2021.

But that has failed to reverse the demographic decline for a country that has long relied on its vast workforce as a driver of economic growth.

“The population will likely trend down from here in coming years,” Zhiwei Zhang of Pinpoint Asset Management said.

“China cannot rely on the demographic dividend as a structural driver for economic growth,” he added.

“Economic growth will have to depend more on productivity growth, which is driven by government policies.”

‘I will not be a mother’

News of the population decline quickly trended on China’s heavily censored internet, with some expressing fears for the country’s future.

“Without children, the state and the nation have no future,” one comment on the Twitter-like Weibo service read.

“Having children is also a social responsibility,” another comment from a well-known “patriotic” influencer read.

But others pointed to the soaring

cost of living and the difficulties of raising children in modern China.

“I love my mother, I will not be a mother,” said one.

“No one reflects on why we do not want to have (children) and do not want to get married,” another said.

Many local authorities have already launched measures to encourage couples to have children.

The southern megacity of Shenzhen, for example, now offers a birth bonus and pays allowances until the child is three years old.

A couple who has their first baby automatically receives 3,000 yuan ($444), an amount that rises to 10,000 yuan for their third.

In the country’s east, the city of Jinan has since January 1 paid a monthly stipend of 600 yuan for couples that have a second child.

Chinese people are “getting used to the small family because of the decades-long one-child policy”, Xiujian Peng, a researcher at Australia’s University of Victoria, told AFP.

“The Chinese government has to find effective policies to encourage birth; otherwise, fertility will slip even lower,” she added. AFP

ORDER OF SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

In a verified Petition for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage filed on December 10, 2019, petitioner prays that after due hearing her marriage to the respondent which was solemnized on February 15, 2006, by Hon. Evelyn Arcaya-Chua, Presiding Judge, Makati City be declared NULL AND VOID AB INITIO, on the ground of being a bigamous marriage and lack of valid marriage license.

Summons was issued on October 15, 2020. The Process Server’s Return dated December 1, 2020 states that respondent is now living somewhere in Bulacan for almost six (6) years.

On July 14, 2021, petitioner filed a Motion for Leave of Court to Serve Summons by Publication praying that the service of summons be effected upon the respondent by publication which was granted, per Order dated July 19, 2021 of the court.

NOW THEREFORE respondent LOUIE B. VICENTE A.K.A. LOVIE B. VICENTE, whose last known address is at Blk. 6, Lot 5, Clove St., Treelane III, Bayanluma, Imus, Cavite, is hereby summoned and required to file with the Regional Trial Court, Branch 106, Quezon City, National Capital Judicial Region, Bulwagan ng Katarungan, Quezon City, his answer to the petition in the instant case within THIRTY (30) DAYS from the last date of publication of this summons. In the event of failure to do so, this court shall direct the Public Prosecutor to conduct an investigation to determine whether or not collusion exists between the parties in the filing of the instant petition; and if it is determined that there is no such collusion, the petitioner shall be allowed to present her evidence in support of the petition.

Let this Order be published once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in the “The Standard”, a newspaper of national circulation, pursuant to P.D. No. 1079, at the expense of the petitioner.

Likewise, let a copy of the summons as well as a copy of the petition be deposited in the Post Office, postage pre-paid and sent by registered mail to the respondent at his last known address also at the expense of the petitioner, and for petitioner to submit to this court proof of compliance herewith.

SO ORDERED.

Quezon City, February 21, 2022.

(Sgd.) NOEL L. PAREL Judge NLP/trc

WEF OPENING. A photograph shows a sign of the World Economic Forum at the Congress center on the opening day of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 16, 2023. The world’s political and business elites gather for the annual Davos summit to promote “cooperation in a fragmented world,” with war in Ukraine, the climate crisis and global trade tensions high on the agenda. AFP

7,014.04

UK car distributor buying controlling stake in CATS Group

INCHCAPE Plc., a British automotive distributor, announced on Tuesday an agreement to sign a joint venture with CATS Group of Companies, the leading distributor of luxury vehicles in the Philippines.

The agreement includes the acquisition by Inchcape of a controlling stake in CATS for an undisclosed amount. CATS Group said it would announce further details on Wednesday.

CATS Group, founded by businessman Felix Ang in 1989 as a car accessories, tires and service center business, has grown to become the leader in premium vehicle distribution and the biggest one-stop shop luxury passenger vehicle center in the Philippines.

“After over 30 successful years of operating independently, we believe the time is now right for CATS to take the next step in our growth journey and in Inchcape we have found the right partner to drive us forward. The Philippines is a fast-growing market with an increasing demand for the luxury vehicles we provide, and we look forward to leveraging Inchcape’s leadership in digital and data to further build our distinctive market position through the provision of best in class customer service,” said Ang.

Since 2004, CATS has been a distributor for Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram. In 2017, it became the Jaguar and Land Rover distributor for the Philippines and set up a supporting dealership network.

It also has dealerships for Mazda and Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Inchcape said it would power CATS to the next step in its journey, bringing global scale across more than 40 markets, leadership in digital and data and EV expertise to the fast-growing and dynamic Philippine market where automotive sales are forecast to grow to 500,000 by 2026, with the luxury market expected to grow at an even stronger rate.

NLEX Connector set to open España Blvd. section in 1st quarter

By Darwin G. Amojelar

NLEX Corp. said Tuesday the first five kilometers of the North Luzon Expressway’s Connector Road project will open within the first quarter of 2023.

NLEX president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista said the company made sure that construction activities are within schedule so the road could be opened soon.

He said the España Blvd. section, now 94-percent completed, would enhance the accessibility between airports and seaports and boost the supply chain and logistics sector as it traverses C3 Road, Blumentritt, Dimasalang and España Blvd.

Expressing his support to the project which started during his stint as Public Works secretary, Senator Mark Villar said that project would provide great convenience to Filipino commuters.

A public-private partnership project between Metro Pacific Tollways led-NLEX Corp. and the Department of Public Works and Highways, the NLEX Connector is seen to alleviate traffic in Metro Manila by diverting trucks from heavily congested roads of the capital and providing easier access to several areas including the University Belt.

Stone mastic asphalt and pavement markings have already been applied and light posts have been installed on the said expressway segment. Installation of other safety features and integration of traffic management devices with the existing system of NLEX are also underway.

The eight-kilometer NLEX Connector is divided into two sections: the España and Sta Mesa sections. The fivekilometer España section runs from Caloocan Interchange on C3 Road to España Blvd.

The three-kilometer Sta. Mesa section runs from España Blvd. to R. Magsaysay Blvd. and to Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Designed to cater to all vehicle classes including trucks, NLEX Connector intends to spur economic progress by improving the travel of motorists especially those in the logistics sector as the new road will shorten the travel time of cargoes.

PH economy likely expanded by 7.3% last year, says AMRO

By Julito G. Rada

THE Asean+3 Macroeconomic

Research Office said Tuesday the Philippine economy likely grew 7.3 percent in 2022, faster than its earlier forecast of 6.9 percent.

It noted that the gross domestic product expanded by 7.7 percent in the first three quarters last year, above the government’s target range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent.

“[The] Philippine economy was very strong last year...The third-quarter [GDP] was strong, that is why we revised [up],”

AMRO chief economist Hoe Ee Khor said in an online briefing on the Asean+3 Regional Economic Outlook.

The economy grew 7.6 percent in the third quarter, faster than 7 percent a year ago, bucking the domestic and external headwinds such as the rising interest rates, elevated inflation and geopolitical tensions in Ukraine.

It gained strength from the agriculture, industry and services sectors in the third quarter. Agriculture and forestry grew by 2.2 percent, industry by 5.8 percent and services by 9.1 percent.

The third-quarter growth was faster than 7.5 percent in the second quarter. This resulted in an average GDP expansion of 7.7 percent in the first three quarters. The last time the economy grew at such pace was in the first three quarters was in 2010.

AMRO’s estimates showed that

the Philippines was the third fastest growing economy in the region, behind Malaysia’s 8.4-percent growth and Vietnam’s 8 percent.

AMRO, however, reduced the 2023 GDP forecast for the Philippines to 6.2 percent from 6.3 percent, taking into account the impact of the global economic slowdown.

Khor said the 6.2-percent growth projection for the Philippines this year is “still a very strong growth.” This could be the second fastest in the region, next to Vietnam’s 6.8 percent.

AMRO also revised downwards its short-term growth forecast for the ASEAN+3 region for 2022 to 3.3 percent from the 3.7 percent growth forecast in October on continuing weakness in Plus-3 economies, especially China where growth turned out to be much weaker.

Hong

Switzerland

BPI sees revenues rising 7% after merger with Robinsons Bank

BANK of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, expects its merger with Robinsons Bank Corp. of the Gokongwei Group to contribute significantly to its bottomline and expand its customer base, a top executive said Tuesday.

BPI president Jose Teodoro Limcaoco said in an online media briefing the merger would also improve the bank’s core businesses.

“We think [the merger with] Robinsons Bank can add about 7 percent to BPI revenues and 5 percent to 6 percent to our net income,” Limcaoco said.

BPI said in a disclosure to the stock

exchange the proposed merger would unlock various synergies across products and service platforms, expand the customer and deposit base of both banks through the merged entity and enhance the overall banking experience of Robinsons Bank customers.

Robinsons Bank’s products and services cater to corporate, commercial and retail clients through its 189 branches and branch-lite units, including 14 branches and 14 branch-lite units of subsidiary Legazpi Savings Bank, 354 ATMs and online and mobile banking channels.

Robinsons Bank had total assets of P175.9 billion as of June 30, 2022, in-

cluding net loans and receivables of P102.4 billion and total liabilities of P156.0 billion. It had total deposits of P139.0 billion.

The proposed merger is a statutory merger pursuant to Title IX of the Revised Corporation Code and Section 40(C)(2) of the National Internal Revenue Code, with the issuance of primary shares. Upon the effectivity of the proposed merger after receipt of corporate and regulatory approvals, the shareholders of Robinsons Bank will collectively hold about 6 percent of the resulting outstanding capital stock of BPI. Julito G. Rada

Government officials and AP Renewables Inc. executives lead the ground breaking ceremony for the 17-megawatt Tiwi binary geothermal power plant project in Tiwi, Albay. Leading the event are (from left) Tiwi Mayor Jamie Villanueva, APRI president and chief operating officer Jeffrey Estrella, Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan and Aboitiz Power Corp. chief operating officer for renewable energy generation Alex Coo.

1.219500 66.6469

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Bahrain Dinar 2.653224 145.0013

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Brunei Dollar 0.754148 41.2149

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New Zealand Dollar 0.637900 34.8619

Taiwan Dollar 0.032946 1.8005 Source: BSP

Century Peak enters cement industry

CENTURY Peak Holdings Corp. said Tuesday its construction-related business, Century Peak Cement Manufacturing Corp. received quality standard certification from the Department of Trade and Industry for its Pro (blended hydraulic) and Prime (Portland) cement products.

Century Peak said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the certification of quality, which means that its cement’s variants meet or exceed the requirements set by the Bureau of Philippine Standards, is the final hurdle before the brand enters the market this month.

It said the industry’s newest player would be primarily engaged in the business of manufacturing, production and merchandising of cement, cement products and by-products, including derivatives and all kinds of minerals and building materials.

Located in Pinamungajan, Cebu, the manufacturing plant sits some 2 kilometers from the initial quarry site of another Century Peak subsidiary, Century Peak Mineral Development Corp., which is the source of the limestone raw material used for producing cement.

“Evolving to include cement manufacturing proved to be natural for the business as a sister firm operates a mining site that yields a lot of limestone which we can now translate to another revenuegenerating endeavor. With our own pier located near the plant, we can easily transport our cement products throughout the country in a more cost-efficient manner,” said Century Peak vice president for finance Katrina Keng.

Century Properties plans to issue P3-b fixed-rate bonds

CENTURY Properties Group Inc. of the Antonio family said Tuesday it plans to issue P3 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds. CPG said in a stock exchange filing its board of directors approved the issuance of P2 billion fixed-rate bonds, with an oversubscription option for another P1 billion.

The bonds will have three tenors consisting of Series A three-year bonds due 2026, Series B five-year bonds due 2028 and Series C seven-year bonds due 2030. This will be the second and final tranche to be issued from the company’s P6-billion bond shelf registration program approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The bonds, which will be listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp., is subject to regulatory approval.

Jenniffer B. Austria

CAB cuts fuel surcharge on passenger airfare

THE Civil Aeronautics Board said Tuesday it will reduce the fuel surcharge imposed on domestic and international flights next month.

CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the fuel surcharge level for Feb. 1 to 28 would be at Level 6 as the price of jet fuel averaged P38.92 per liter from Dec. 10 to Jan. 9, 2023.

The CAB imposed a fuel surcharge of Level 7 last month, as jet fuel averaged P41.50 per liter. Under Level 6 of the new passenger fuel surcharge matrix, airlines are allowed to collect a fuel surcharge of P185 to P665 for domestic flights and P610.37 to P4,538.40 for international flights.

The CAB said for cargo fuel surcharge, airlines are allowed to charge P0.95 to P2.78 per kilogram for domestic flights under Level 6 and P3.14 to P23.33 per kg. for international flights.

Darwin G. Amojelar

AP Renewables breaks ground on 17-MW Tiwi binary geothermal power project

By Alena Mae S. Flores

facility designed to extract the recoverable heat from the geothermal brine that is processed in a closed-loop system, where no harmful gas or liquid is being emitted nor any waste products are discharged to the atmosphere,” APRI president and chief operating officer Jeffrey Estrella said.

The

of 2023.

“The Tiwi Binary Power Plant is a

“The design will produce an additional 17 MW gross generated electricity—an additional source of clean energy to the Luzon grid,” Estrella said.

He said geothermal energy, a form of renewable energy, comes from the earth’s heat and is produced by drilling

production wells into the ground to tap high-temperature fluids from geothermal reservoirs.

Residual heat from the hot brine side of the geothermal production process, otherwise unutilized before reinjecting back to the earth, is harvested to produce electricity through the binary geothermal power plant.

APRI said the concept of recovering heat from the geothermal brine and converting it into electricity is a novel solution that improves its overall thermal efficiency.

The binary plant has no emission to

the environment as its binary fluid operates in a closed-loop system.

Aboitiz Power said the Tiwi binary project is a testament to its ambition to grow its renewable energy-attributable capacity under the Cleanenergy brand which includes run-of-river, large hydro, solar, geothermal and soon, wind to provide clean, zero-emissions energy to businesses and communities.

APRI delivers 290 MW of baseload geothermal power from its two facilities in Tiwi, Albay and the areas of Bay and Calauan in Laguna and Sto. Tomas in Batangas.

TIWI, ALBAY—AP Renewables Inc. on Tuesday broke ground on the 17-megawatt Tiwi binary geothermal project within the 1.5-hectare site of the first and oldest geothermal power plant in the Philippines.

event paves the way for the construction of Aboitiz Power Corp. subsidiary APRI’s binary power plant—an entirely new binary plant system. Project completion is expected by the end

MWC-CEMEX TIEUP. Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. and Manila Water Company Inc. sign a memorandum of understanding to pursue partnerships on initiatives that accelerate sustainable objectives in the areas of biosolids, decarbonization, future energy and innovation on sustainable products and services, protection and rehabilitation of biodiversity and clean energy and efficient water consumption. Signing the MOA are (from left) MWC chief operating officer for international business Roberto Jose Locsin, MWC president and chief executive Jose Victor Emmanuel De Dios, CHP president and chief executive Luis Guillermo Franco Carrillo and CHP vice president for planning Jesus Ortiz Dela Fuente.

Malixi fades  with 73 as  Zhao grabs  solo control

RIANNE Malixi failed to gain in moving day as she settled for a twobirdie, two-bogey card and a 73, virtually bowing out of the title chase in the Annika Invitational in Orlando, Florida Monday.

But while the Filipina ace struggled on Eagle Creek’s tricky surface, Chinese Alice Zhao flashed superb touch on the par-73’s layout’s undulating greens all day, dominating the backside with a solid six-under feat, highlighted by a brilliant five birdiebinge from No. 13.

With a 66, Zhao, with a world amateur ranking of No. 387, seized the solo lead at 134, one stroke ahead of Texan Ashleen Kaur, who matched Zhao’s flawless seven-under output which she highlighted with an eagle on the par-5 13th for a 135.

Malixi stood just four shots off Zhao and Sophie Stevens of the US with a 72 start Sunday but missed three birdie chances inside 9 feet in the first seven holes marred by a birdie putt that lipped out on No. 2 and a near- chip-in feat on the sixth.

She missed the par-3 No. 8 and failed to save par from eight feet, regained the stroke with a 10-foot birdie on the par-5 ninth and rued another missed chip-in bid on No. 10.

The ICTSI-backed shotmaker, out to improve on her 12th place finish in Orlando International Amateur two weeks ago, then muffed five birdie putts inside 10 feet in the last eight holes that also saw her drop another stroke on another missed green stint on No. 14 and recover the stroke on the par-5 16th from five feet.

With 145 aggregate, the 15-yearold world No. 151 slipped from joint 13th to a share of 26th, now 11 shots adrift of Zhao, who earned co-medalist honors in last year’s US Womens’ Amateur.

Katie Li, meanwhile, shot a 67 for a 135 and gained the last spot in the championship flight at 10:20 a.m. on No. 1.

Vanessa Borovilos kept herself in the title hunt in the second leg of this year’s American Junior Golf Association circuit with a 137 after a 68 while Kiara Romero and Trinity Beth, both of the US, tied at fifth at 140 after matching 67s.

The other fancied bets likewise floundered in the 54-hole championship, including AJGA top ranked player Gianna Clemente, who carded a 72 for a 143, and defending champion Yana Wilson, who fumbled with a 75 for a 146.

Kingad plans to use Saputra as springboard to ONE title

DANNY “The King” Kingad is oozing with confidence ahead of his return to action next month at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II.

Kingad will look to derail the redhot Eko Roni Saputra when they tangle in a crucial flyweight MMA bout at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 25, and he’ll be extra-motivated to do so, especially after his December return was postponed.

The third-ranked contender was initially scheduled for a Manila comeback against Gurdashan Mangat at ONE 164, but the Indian-Canadian had to pull out, forcing “The King” to further wait for his return to the ONE Championship Circle.

Now he’s eager for an impressive comeback, especially since he hasn’t stopped preparing - even after the cancellation of his previous bout.

“My training pretty much continued even after Mangat dropped out. I never stopped and I stayed in shape, so training and preparation is not an issue for me,” Kingad said.

Kingad won’t be facing a pushover against the Indonesian wrestling machine, but he believes that aside from Saputra’s wrestling, nothing will really threaten him.

“Eko Roni Saputra has been impressive. He’s on a seven-fight winning streak. What I see from him, though, is that he always favors his ground game and wrestling. That’s where he’s at his best, and that’s what I’ve observed from his previous fights,” he said.

“I’ve watched his every fight, and it’s the ground game that I have to worry about. Sure he had a knockout win, but his opponent wasn’t a good striker.“

Catantan to lead PH fencing squad in Cambodia SEAG

By Peter Atencio

Catantan has been assured of her spot in the national squad after she ruled a women’s individual foil event the last time around in Vietnam.

Also sure of making it to the national fencing team are Nathaniel Perez and Noelito Jose Jr. after both earned silver medlas in their respective events in the men’s individual foil and epee.

The 20-year-old Catantan is currently preparing for the coming US NCAA season at the Pennsylvania

State University, where she is one of its top fencers. She is now ranked no. 89 in the world.

Perez has made his mark and returned to the national squad following his participation in the recent Southeast Asian Fencing Federation Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

While in Malaysia, the Philippines scooped up eight golds, seven silvers and 11 bronze medals to finish behind Vietnam in the medal standings.

Jose went home with a gold medal in the men’s individual epee and a bronze for the Philippines in the team epee of the Malaysian tourney.

The full roster of the national squad in still under review, according to new national coach Ramil Endriano.

Endriano came aboard as head coach of the national team in August last year following the resignation of Amatov Canlas.

Endriano’s his elder brother Rufel-

Spikers’ Turf all primed for big serving

MEN’S volleyball takes the spotlight again this weekend as the Spikers’ Turf unveils its new season with 11 teams ready and eager to dispute the Open Conference crown at the Paco Arena in Manila.

A youth-laden National U-Sta. Elena swept Sta. Elena in last year’s finals of the country’s first and only men’s volley league, which marked its return from a three-year hiatus due to pandemic in explosive fashion, drawing huge crowds, particularly during the semis and championship series.

With four more squads joining the title chase beginning Sunday (Jan. 22), it only underscores the continued growth of the league, which aims to produce talents who could be tapped, developed and trained to become members of future national teams.

“It’s really a blessing that we’re getting more teams interested in joining the Spikers’ Turf. We’re growing and this is a good sign. It just shows every-

body that there really is interest not only in women’s volley but also in the men’s side. “ said Ricky Palou, president of the organizing Sports Vision, during the PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Forum at the ground floor of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex yesterday.

“Our aim is to really look for new talents for the sport to hopefully come up with a really good national team. So far, it’s slowly happening and we’re happy with the results and we hope it’s going to get bigger and we’re hoping to bring the Spikers’ Turf to greater heights,” he added.

While the Bulldogs, now supported by the Archipelago Builders, are back for another shot at the crown, they will have their hands full this time with star players Joshua Retamar and Nico Almendras begging off to anchor NU’s campaign in the UAAP Season 85 in February.

rino will be an assistant coach, joining the coaching staff composed of Arman Bernal and Almario Viscayno (epee), Eric Brando and Edward Daliva (sabre) and Veena Nuestro (foil).

In Vietnam, the Philippines finished with one gold, three silver and four bronze medals.

The Philippine women’s foil team (Wilhelmina Lozada, Justine Gail Tinio and Catantan), which bagged a silver medal, is also a shoo-in.

Also expected to make it to men’s foil team are (Sammuel Tranquilan, Michael Nicanor, Prince John Francis Felipe Santos and Perez), women’s team epee (Justine Gail Tinio, Anna Gabriella Guinto, Ivy Claire Dinoy and Lozada), men’s team sabre (Sandro Antonio Sia, Eunice Daniel Villanueva, John Paul Dayro and Christian Jhester Concepcion) and women’s team sabre (Queen Denise Dalmacio, Allaine Nicole Cortey and Kemberly Camahalan).

Suzara reelected PNVF president, Sen Cayetano named chairman emeritus

Gomez was also named deputy secretary-general in charge of international competitions.

“I would like to thank the PNVF board

their trust and confidence

me leading the federation. Rest

I will work toward making volleyball better and our national athletes stronger in the next two years,” said Suzara, who also thanked the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission for supporting the PNVF.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was elevated as the PNVF’s chairman emeritus, while Dr. Arnel Hajan of Isabela City (Basilan) was named chairman.

“Thank you for the small part that I have been given in the PNVF,” Cayetano said in a brief speech after the elections. “Let’s look forward againt to 2023 and further.”

Cayetano was also named head of delegation of the national volleyball team to the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games in May and Senator Pia Cayetano of the squad to the Hangzhou Asian Games in

Suzara was elected president in February 2021 after the FIVB ordered for the creation of a new national sports association for volleyball under the supervision of the POC headed by President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

Tuesday’s elections were supervised by Atty. Alfedo Villamor Jr. and witnessed by POC representative Karen Tanchanco Caballero.

In 2021-22, the PNVF established concrete policies specially in the creation of the national teams for indoor and beach volleyball. Last year, the federation hosted four international competitions―a men and women leg of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), Asian Volleyball Confederation Women’s Cup and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures.

Suzara also worked for the FIVB assigning Brazilian coaches Jorge Edson Souza de Brito (women indoor) and Joao Luciano Kioday (beach volleyball) to handle the national teams. A third Brazilian, Sergio Veloso, is due this month to coach the men’s indoor squad.

SAMANTHA Kyle Catantan will once again lead the country’s fencing campaign in the coming 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.

RAMON “TATS” SUZARA was elected to a fresh two-year term as president of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation during the national sports association’s board meeting at The Vault at the Bonifacio Global City.

for

on

assured,

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (seated, center) is named chairman emeritus along with president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara (seated, left). Also in photo are Philippine Olympic Committee observer Karen Tanchanco Caballero (seated, right) and (standing from left) Karl Chan, Carmela Arcolas Gamboa, Yul Benosa, Dr. Arnel Hajan, Donaldo Caringal, Maria Rosario ‘Charo’ Soriano, Atty. Alfedo Villamor Jr. and Richard ‘Ricky’ Palou.

BROWNLEE NOW A FILIPINO. Basketball star Justin Donta Brownlee (right) is congratulated by Sen. Francis “Tol” N. Tolentino (left) after taking his oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines in a special ceremony at the Senate of the Philippines on Monday. Thanking all those who supported him on his journey for full Filipino citizenship, Brownlee said that his experience has been “unbelievable” as he has received strong support from many Filipinos, especially from lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. “As a citizen, I will try my best to make the Filipino people and everybody proud. I want to keep making you guys proud and do whatever I can to help the national team,” Brownlee said. Tolentino was the primary sponsor of House Bill No. 6224 that was unanimously adopted by the Senate on December 12, 2022. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act 11937 into law on January 12, 2023, effectively granting Brownlee Filipino citizenship. A copy of RA was presented to Brownlee by Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito and Christopher Lawrence T. Go. Brownlee is expected to immediately join Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippines men’s national basketball team, and help them in their FIBA and Southeast Asian Games campaigns this year.

Samantha Catantan

Kai Sotto

Sports Vision president Ricky Palou, Spikers’ Turf tournament director Mozzy Ravena, league president Alyssa Valdez and coaches of 10 competing teams.

Cignal, PGJC-Navy, Philippine Army, VNS Volleyball Club and Santa Rosa City are also back in the fold with Air Force, one of the winningest teams in the league with three titles along with the HD Spikers, likewise making its keenly-awaited return after missing the action last year.

September.

Also reelected were Richard “Ricky” Palou as Vice President, Donaldo Caringal as Secretary-General, Tuguegarao City Councilor Maria Rosario “Charo” Soriano of as Treasurer and Yul Benosa as Auditor.

Making up the board are Anthony “Tonyboy” Liao, Carmela Arcolas Gamboa, Rodrigo Roque, Fr. Victor “Vic” Calvo Jr., Sisinio Ariel Paredes, Karl Jeffrey Chan and Michael Angelo “Miko” Vargas.

Leyte Fourth District Rep. Richard

SIBULAN SUPER SWIMMER.

“Caloy” B. Fernandez recently took home three gold medals and one bronze medal won at the 2022 Batang Pinoy National Championships held in Vigan, Ilocos Sur from December 17 to 21, 2022. On top of winning the bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle event, the 12 year-old swimmer from Sibulan, Negros Oriental beat swimmers from around the country and swept all the breaststroke events, the 50-meter breaststroke, the 100-meter breaststroke, and the 200-meter breaststroke.

Kings, Lions sustain runs

BOOSTED by the hot hands of guard Orlan Wamar, San Juan added to the woes of 1Munti, pulling off an 80-71 victory last Monday night to remain unbeaten in five starts in the Manila Bankers Life-Pilipinas Super League Pro Division Second Conference Dumper Cup at the Central Recreational Facility in New Era, Quezon City.

Wamar sizzled with 15 points—all from deep, on top of two rebounds and four assists for the Kings, while Nikko Panganiban provided ample help with 14 markers, seven boards, and three dimes.

Marwin Taywan and Rence Nocum had 10 points each for San Juan, which rose to 5-0 for solo third in the tourney presented by Winzir and co-presented by SCD Cosmetics and Dumper partylist, 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.

The Kings were propped up by a 103100 decision over Bicol last week.

The Emeralds absorbed their sixth straight loss, counting a 72-84 defeat to Sta. Rosa Laguna also last week, for a

Garcia, Rublev beat heat ahead of Djokovic return

Women’s fourth seed Garcia and men’s fifth seed Rublev both banked straight-sets wins before play was halted on outside courts and the roofs were closed on the main stadiums due to extreme heat.

Their victories came on a day when Tennis Australia banned Russian and Belarusian flags after a complaint from the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia.

The red, white and blue stripes of Russia were seen Monday during at least two matches, with Ukrainian fans reportedly calling security and police to the stands.

“The ban is effective immediately,” said Tennis Australia.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian players have normally competed under a neutral flag as inde-

pendents, as is the case at the Australian Open.

Russia’s Rublev ended the tournament of 2020 finalist Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in 36 Celsius (96.8 Fahrenheit) temperatures.

Rublev held a clear advantage in terms of current ranking, but Thiem had a far greater Grand Slam pedigree as the US Open champion in 2020. He is also a two-time finalist at Roland Garros.

But the Austrian, ranked 98, was outplayed as he continued his return from a wrist injury which kept him off court for nine months across the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

“We are really good friends and I know he is going through not easy times, so I just want to wish him all

the best to come back at the same level that he belongs as fast as possible,” said Rublev.

Garcia took just 65 minutes to overwhelm Canadian qualifier

6-0

Brady, Bucs outclassed as Cowboys advance

LOS

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady—whose future remains shrouded in uncertainty—cut a miserable figure as his 23rd season came to an abrupt end.

The 45-year-old quarterback, who announced his retirement from the sport last year only to reverse the decision 40 days later, was never able to generate momentum for a lackluster Buccaneers offense.

Instead, it was the Cowboys, led by quarterback Dak Prescott, who dominated throughout to set up a divisionalround playoff clash with the San Francisco 49ers in California next Sunday.

Brady had never lost to the Cowboys in seven previous meetings, but the chances of that record being extended on Monday always looked slim.

Afterwards, Brady brushed off questions about his future and whether he could yet return for another season next year.

“I’m going to go home and get a good night’s sleep, as good as I can tonight,” Brady said.

“There’s been a lot of focus on this game, so it’s just going to be one day at a time, truly.”

Brady also declined to offer an assessment of his own form during the season.

“We lost tonight, and it’s a team sport,” he said. “I’ve never considered individual things like that. We came up

short as a team and that’s all that matters and all I’ve cared about.

“Obviously, tonight wasn’t one of our best nights.”

Cowboys kicking woes

The only negative for the Cowboys was the form of kicker Brett Maher, who claimed an unwanted piece of NFL history by missing four straight extra point attempts.

The 33-year-old is the first player in league history to miss four extra points in a single game.

Maher made 50 of 53 extra points during the regular season, but his form collapsed bizarrely at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

Fortunately for the Cowboys, Maher’s problems in front of the posts were moot, as Prescott and the Dallas offense set about dismantling the Buccaneers’ defense.

Prescott threw four touchdowns and finished with 305 passing yards on 25 of 33 completions.

The 29-year-old connected with tight end Dalton Schultz for a 22-yard completion for the opening touchdown in the first quarter to cap a seven-play 80-yard drive.AFP

Sharma, Mighty Warriors win in United Basketball League

WITH his father former PBA player Carlo Sharma and family in attendance, Ram Sharma made his presence felt in the limited minutes given to him, helping the Mighty Warriors outplay MBC, 74-52, in the United Basketball League’s fifth season at the Systems Plus Computer College gym in Caloocan.

In just 13 minutes of action, the second generation Sharma produced eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, while grabbing three rebounds and

completed a block.

Sharma played a key role, but it was Shaun Haw, Luigi Almanza and Kris Lagat.

Haw led the way with 18 points, followed by Almanza with 12 points to go along with nine assists and Lagat tallied 11.

Also winning were host school SPCC, which nipped PCAF, 56-54, in the under-19 division, Blue Panthers walloping Pheno Ballers, 72-38, in the

under-17 division, Manila Braves outlasting MBC, 50-42, in the under-13 category, MBC striking back with a 5747 win over Kinetic in 16-under class, Manila Braves’ 14-under team dumping MBC, 62-53, and Legends’ 15-under defeating Manila Braves, 67-56.

SPCC was paced by Joshua Russel, who came away with 15 points and five rebounds.

1-6 slate.

In the other game, the Lions edged the Spicy Oragons 69-66 for their fourth win in a row.

Enzo Joson uncorked 13 points, grabbed five caroms, and issued two feeds for Sta. Rosa, while Nat Cosejo added 12 and nine.

Jeramer Cabanag also had 10 markers and six rebounds as the charges of coach Britt Reroma raised their mark to 6-1 for fourth.

Bicol fell to its fourth straight setback for a 2-5 record.

RJ Ramirez’s 18-point game went down the drain for 1Munti, while John Cantimbuhan scored 12 points.

Acoy Alves and Marlon Basco combined for 20 for the Emeralds.

Jerie Pingoy paced Bicol with 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Mark Yu had 12 markers.

Alwin Alday contributed 11 points for the Oragons.

PSL action goes to the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga today, with San Pedro Laguna-ARS facing Bagong CabuyaoHomelab Nation at 4 p.m.

Joint volley referees refresher course up

COMING off a banner Premier Volleyball League season, the organizing Sports Vision is pulling out all the stops to make the league bigger and better with emphasis on mechanics and developing the refereeing skills, and keeping it in line with the current trends in the sport.

In fact, the PVL, in cooperation and under the guidance of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, will be conducting the PNVF Referees Refresher Course on Jan. 19-20 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

“After rolling out the video challenge system last year, we’re kickstarting the new season with this Referees Refresher Course, which will now be a regular fare preparatory to the PVL having its own group of referees culled from the PNVF Licensed Referees,” said Sports Vision and PVL president Ricky Palou.

No less than Songsak Chareonpong, chairman of the Asian Volleyball Confederation Committee, will grace the two-day event, which aims to improve and update the knowledge and competence of the participants as per international standards and at the same time encourage the development of refereeing skills not just in the league but also in the Spikers’ Turf.

“The Referees Refresher Course aims to fuse in the interpretation of rules, correct adoption of system with emphasis on mechanics and continue to promote the sport and develop and produce a new breed of volley referees,” said PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

Registration starts at 8 a.m. with Palou, Suzara, and PNVF sec-gen Jose Donaldo Caringal to deliver welcome remarks, along with resource speakers PNVF R&RG chairman Yul Benosa and Chareonpong.

To be discussed on the first day are the rules of the game, new rule modifications, and highlight on volleyball matches. Day 2 will be about practical application of participants, including demonstration teams and the modern volleyball use of technology, including the AVC Video Challenge regulations and the Video Challenge System with PVL VC operators.

ANGELES—Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were sent crashing out of the NFL playoffs on Monday as the Dallas Cowboys ran rampant in a comprehensive 31-14 victory.

Action in the UBL’s fifth season resumes this weekend at the SPCC gym.

MELBOURNE—Caroline Garcia and Andrey

Rublev swept into the Australian Open second round on a blisteringly hot day Tuesday ahead of Novak Djokovic making his eagerly anticipated return to the season-opening Grand Slam.

France’s Caroline Garcia hits a return against Canada’s Katherine Sebov during their women’s singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. AFP

Ram Sharma blocks a shot.

Katherine Sebov 6-3,

and cement her status as a contender for the first Grand Slam of the year.

Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka also breezed through, beating the Czech Republic’s Tereza Martincova 6-1, 6-4.

“I have to work on my mindset and stay calm and not get too upset when I make mistakes,” she said. “I really believe this is the only thing missing in my game.” AFP

Karl Emmanuel

By Patricia Taculao

In 2022, Filipino singer-songwriter Jace Roque made waves in the music industry with his timely comeback. He released four singles, which became the tracks for his mini album Inferno. Yet Inferno represents more than Jace’s return—it has also served as his platform to express his feelings about a traumatic relationship and highlight an underrated genre in Philippine pop music.

E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2023 C3

Sarah G’s ‘Dati-Dati’ dance challenge blows up on TikTok

SARAH Geronimo is cool on TikTok.

At least that’s how it looks as one of her new songs is starting to go viral on the popular app.

The pop superstar’s electro-imbued dance track “Dati-Dati,” released back in October, has amassed millions of streams and music video views. While the official video for the song is just hovering over 1.5 million views as of this writing, fan uploaded videos re-

lated to the track are picking up steam.

To date, there are 77 million hashtag views on TikTok for “Dati-Dati” with “hundreds of thousands of videos” related to the ‘#DatiDatiDanceChallenge’ hashtag according to Sarah’s label Viva Records, who’s been tracking the song’s progress on the platform.

Sarah herself was teaching the song to several fellow stars, to Anne Curtis in particular, when the former per-

formed “Dati-Dati” on the popular noontime show It’s Showtime

A video upload of Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda dancing to the song on the same episode has already garnered more than 1.5 million views.

While “Dati-Dati” is trending on social media, Sarah G has been busy with releasing music in the past few weeks. There was the release of a new single in “Salamat, Sansinukob” and the subse-

quent first performance of the song in ASAP Natin ‘To on January 8. Previous to that, she also released new original songs “Cuore” and “Dati-Dati” leading fans to believe that the multi-hyphenate artist is building up to release a fulllength album this 2023.

Sarah Geronimo’s music is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and on the Viva Records official channel on YouTube. https://bfan.link/datidati

Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is a popular genre across the globe, and Jace added his spin by combining meaningful lyricism with upbeat melodies. As Jace released his singles for Inferno, he found the experience cathartic, contributing to his growth and healing as a private individual.

Before 2023 ended, Jace released Inferno wholly, the four singles completing the lineup.

‘Yung four singles na ni-release ko this year is the four tracks na included sa Inferno. Nauna ko na rin naman i-announce yung Inferno nung April pa,” he said during an exclusive interview with Manila Standard Entertainment

However, he followed the strategy of releasing every track as a single. Yet his audiences have more to expect from his recently released mini album.

“It’s a more updated version with minor adjustments, like volume discrepancies and mga mixing improvements. It is something to look forward to because it’s slightly different from the single mixed version,” the local artist said.

While there’s nothing wrong with the initial version of his singles, Jace saw the need to add these changes because it re-

flects his growth as an artist, especially with his mixing skills.

According to Jace, he loves the mini album and its compositions, but as the months progressed in 2022, he saw his mixing skills improving. He considers his talent different as the year ended than when he entered 2022. Upon discovering a new side to himself as an artist, Jace tried to incorporate it to keep his music up to date and show off his technical skills.

“I do produce my music. I mix and master my own tracks na makikita rin nila yung creative part, yung technical part. Inferno is my totality as an artist. It’s like whenever we post selfies; Minsan nakakailang takes tayo because gusto natin i-improve, minsan nai-post mo na pero ide-delete mo, mag uupload ka uli ng mas maganda,” Jace said.

He added that it’s like a similar experience, where after the record label published his initial work, he still wanted to show something different. Releasing the mini album late allowed him to accomplish such a task.

This 2023, Jace’s fans and local music enthusiasts will see a different side to the artist. During another exclusive interview with Manila Standard Entertainment, Jace shared his plans to release the sequel to his musical journey, Paradiso after the literary genius of Italian poet and scholar Dante Alighieri

Unlike Inferno, Jace teased that his new project would show the healing process of his previous traumatic experience. Moreover, he’ll also exhibit a different facet of his personality. Lastly, audiences can expect a more adult-themed side to the local artist.

“I’m exploring different sounds pa sa dance na hindi ko pa nai-introduce. These are things na makikita rin nila next year and I wanna learn from other artist rin kaya very open ako next year to collaborate with other artists,” he as-

promotes body positivity in sultry calendar layouts

ACTRESS Ria

Atayde is the newest calendar girl for liquor brand White Castle Whisky continuing the tradition of using the platform to advocate inclusivity and body positivity.

The 30-year-old actress now joins the prestigious roster of White Castle girls which includes Evangeline Pascual, Lorna Tolentino, Techie Agbayani, Carmi Martin, Maria Isabel Lopez, Cristina Gonzales, Glydel Mercado, and Roxanne Guinoo, to name a few.

“I never thought that I’d see myself as a calendar girl, but here I am. I did a birthday shoot before but that was for personal consumption type of thing. But for something like this, that’s been blasted out so publicly, kaya pala. I feel that it reinstill confidence in myself also,” the 30-year-old television star shared during an event held yesterday.

“The layouts that we released are not edited, if there’s something that they adjusted, it’s just the color. That’s the point of the campaign, to begin with – embrace your body including your flaws. I do have a lot of flaws and there are so many things that I should be working on. But this is me, and that’s the whole point,” Ria went on.

In 2021, the brand shocked netizens when it unveiled YouTube chef and content creator Ninong Ry as its firstever White Castle Boy.

“We weren’t looking to take ourselves too seriously at the time. Coming

from the pandemic and working with our tagline Dapat Light Lang, we decided that we should feature someone that had also persevered and created a following during the pandemic,” shared Aaron James Limpe Aw, Executive Vice President of Destileria Limtuaco. “Ninong Ry created some content for us during the year and we thought why not support those who supported us.”

In the same year, the brand decided to give the reigns to the people as they opened the calendar model title to the public. During this public online search, it was TikTok sensation Sassa Gurl who came out on top and her 2022 White Castle Calendar was lauded for being truly inclusive and a win for the LGBT community.

“It wasn’t our intention initially and it was definitely a gamble. We knew there were those who would have negative reactions to our move,” said Brandon Jon Limpe Aw, VP for Administration of Destileria Limtuaco.

The move created a media firestorm and the brand soon realized that it could do so much more with its annual calendar release.

As Destileria Limtuaco President and CEO Olivia Limpe-Aw put it: “We had released past calendars that launched the careers of actresses and models. With that kind of clout, we decided that we could use this platform to launch different causes and advocacies.”

“Sexy calendars have become a contentious concept. The featured beauty

standards have been deemed unrealistic and not representative of the everyday female,” said Limpe-Aw.

Ria, who is a champion of body positivity, through this calendar, wanted to show the public that a person is at their sexiest when they’re comfortable with and confident in their own skin.

“Beauty comes in countless forms, shapes, and sizes. In this day and age, beauty cannot and should not be confined in a singular mold,” said Ria. “I am honored to be chosen as a White Castle Whisky Girl as the brand allows and supports me in my advocacy to empower each and every woman to embrace her femininity and celebrate her body.”

Together, White Castle Whisky and Ria aim to join hand-in-hand in sending out a positive and affirming message on the vast diversity of beauty and the multiple variations of what it truly means to be confident and sexy

It’s Showtime gave host Vhong Navarro a rousing welcome upon his return to the popular noontime show on Monday. The actor-host was moved to tears as his fellow hosts performed Moffats’ “I’ll Be There For You.”

The television host and actor was in detention from September to December last year due to a non-bailable warrant of arrest issued by a Taguig court after model Deniece Cornejo filed a rape case against him.

In a decision on December 5, the court granted Vhong’s petition for bail in the amount of P1 million, and was released from detention the next day. He returned to It’s Showtime four days after the Taguig court dismissed the appeal of Deniece, who sought to cancel his bail and put him back in jail.

“Ang sarap ng pagtanggap niyo sa akin. Hindi ko alam paano kayo pasasalamatan sa mga taong nagdasal, nagtiwala, at hindi ako iniwan,” said Vhong. “Pagpasok ko dito sa ABS, sinabi ko ayaw ko umiyak. Ayoko ko umiyak kasi ito yung pangalawang bahay ko. Dito kung ano man ang pinagdaanan ko sa buhay ko, tanggap ka rito. Nandito ung mga kapatid at kapamilya ko pati na ang madlang pipol, extension kayo ng pamilya ko.”

Vhong revealed that it took him some

time to return to the show as he had to attend to important matters.

Paglabas ko hindi ko pala kaya magbalik agad kasi may mga proseso pang kailangan gawin. Pero mabait yung Panginoon hindi niya ako pinabayaan kaya andito na ako. Maraming salamat sa ABS-CBN kasi may trabaho ako ulit. Nandito rin yung pamilya ko,” he added.

Meanwhile, Vice Ganda shared that Vhong was unsure as to whether he would receive the same enthusiastic reception from the madlang people.

Paulit-ulit ko na lang na pinaalala sa kanya na kung makakagaan sa dibdib niya na mas nararamdaman namin kung gaano ka nila kamahal. I don’t usually read comments pero kung tungkol sa iyo binabasa ko. More than 95 percent ng comments tungkol sa pagmamahal at suporta sa iyo. Kaya hindi magiging mahirap ang pagbabalik mo kasi inaantay lang nila ang pagbabalik mo para mayakap, mahalin, at suportahan ka,” the Unkabogable star said.

Their fellow hosts Anne Curtis, Ogie Alcasid, Kim Chiu, Karylle, Amy Perez, Ryan Bang, Teddy Corpuz, Jugs Jugueta, Ion Perez, Cianne Dominguez, and MC Muah also expressed their happiness at Vhong’s comeback.

THE Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) through its Memorandum dated January 10, 2023 reminded all television networks to strictly comply with Republic Act No. 10905 (RA 10905) otherwise known as the Closed Caption Law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

Closed captions, also known as subtitles, are designed to help the deaf and hard of hearing understand and enjoy television shows and movies.

RA 10905 requires all franchise holders and/or operators of television stations and producers of television programs are required to air programs with

of all non-exempt programs is now required. All previous exemptions except for those excluded/granted pursuant to Section 2, Rule II of the IRR have been revoked.

The law is consistent with the Philippines’ commitment to provide equal opportunities to the deaf and hard-of-hearing to participate in nationbuilding. It is also consistent with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, which was ratified by the Philippines and provides that there should be full accessibility and recognition of the linguistic and cultural identity of persons with disabilities.

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant

closed captions option. Pursuant to Section 2, Rule V of the IRR, full compliance with the closed captioning service

in the hopes of enabling millions of women to embrace the power that they wield as they all stand united in making the world a better place.

Through her appointment as White Castle Whisky’s calendar girl, Ria wants to show the public that sexiness comes when a person is comfortable and confident in their own skin Actress

Ria Atayde (center) with White Castle Whisky executives during the annual calendar launch

Pop superstar Sarah Geronimo

Acclaimed

BOOK lovers, members of the literary community, the diplomatic corps and Norwegian-Filipino community recently had the rare opportunity to meet acclaimed Norwegian children’s authors Kristin Roskifte and Håkon Øvreås at SM Aura Premier’s Book Nook.

The welcome reception and storytelling sessions at the SM mall’s community library were organized by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila and NORLA (Norwegian Literature Abroad). Norwegian literature for children and young adults is rich and diverse, characterized by imagination, independence, and uniqueness. A number of Norway’s acclaimed novelists also write for children, leading to a high literary quality and ensuring young readers have access to many forms of expression.

Norwegian children’s authors in Manila for storytelling sessions

up for one’s self.

The storytelling sessions by Kristin Roskifte and Håkon Øvreås are some of the exciting literary events to look forward to at the Book Nook located on the third level of SM Aura Premier. SM’s Book Nook is a free library encouraging book lovers of all ages to celebrate the joy of reading and learning, and the spirit of sharing and community.

Hop on the bunny

The Water Rabbit would be hopping on in a couple of days. The Chinese New Year will kick off on January 22 and will last until February 9 the following year.

What can we expect in the Year of the Rabbit?

The year 2023 has been predicted as a year of hope. The fourth animal sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, the Rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. So, we can expect more opportunities for relaxation and contemplation.

If 2022 seemed quite chaotic and hectic, 2023 would be more quiet and more serene. According to Chinese astrology, those who were born in the years of the Rabbit are often gentle creatures who think things through before taking action. They have a peaceful and patient energy, which they use to approach any challenges or opportunities calmly and rationally.

The luckiest signs this year based on Chinese astrology are Ox, Tiger, and Snake. Zodiac Signs Dog, Horse, Goat, and Pig will not be so lucky. Roosters and Monkeys have to work double hard to make headway. Rabbit and Rat will be influenced by the opposition of Tai Sui (also known as the Grand Duke), which is actually the mysterious force that dominates or influences people’s destinies.

In Chinese folklore, there are about 60 Tai Sui Gods. This year, the Tai Sui who is in charge of human fortune is General Pi Shi, and the signs who allegedly would offend this particular Tai Sui are Rabbit, Rooster, Horse, Rat, and Dragon.

General Pi Shi was known for his strong mental abilities, hard work, and industriousness. Born from a famous general, this year’s Tai Sui

was able to command large armies and resolve political problems.

While 2023 seems challenging for those who are in opposition, having General Pi Shi as presiding Tai Sui indicated there would be skillful and experienced leaders who have the knowledge and wisdom and can strategize in the direst situations.

Based on Chinese folklore, you’d know you might be in conflict or have been confronting the Grand Duke when your bright ideas fail, when you engage in unnecessary arguments in the workplace, you feel unwell just before an important event or appointment.

An offended Tai Sui can bring misfortunes in varying degrees, from mild such as plan failure to severe like loss of career and wealth, suffering from illnesses and accidents, to death. As Lilian Too said: “The Grand Duke can cause havoc and you will feel the impact when offended.”

Consider the location of the ruling animal sign of the year, because this is where Tai Sui usually resides.

Rabbit’s home sector is in the East; therefore, Tai Sui will occupy this in 2023.

To avoid this misfortune, Chinese people follow the adage “a happy event can counteract three disasters.”

To weaken the bad luck, a person can choose to get married, start a business, have a baby, or simply hold a birthday party.

Or perhaps, you can find lucky charms which could counter the bad luck.

I’m particularly interested in the

“There are many things that bring good luck. I like things that are lucky. We all need luck. I believe when you focus on things that are positive, they will bring out the positive in you. When you look at a symbol of success, you meditate on success. You are going to strive for success. If you look at negative things, they will affect you. It is like when you look at something sour or dark, your five senses capture that and it affects you. See positive things and bring good luck, it also affects your being and it manifests,” said Uychaco.

Her pieces carry a recurring symbol of an abstract oriental coin, once the currency of Asian countries, which evolved into a charm for luck, wealth, harmony, prosperity, and protection. Its round shape with a void square represents heaven and earth, yin and yang which was the basis of the I-Ching, the circle of life, and the Zen of meditation.

Uychaco grew up wearing this coin and developed a curious attachment to it.

“Are inspired by things that bring good luck. I grew up wearing the coin from when I was five. I was too sick and had to drop kindergarten. The monk gave me a coin and told me it was a magic coin. He said I would be well, very lucky, very rich, very prosperous, and successful. Not sure about being rich, but I’ve been very lucky, happy, and blessed,” said Uychaco.

A Filipino-Chinese visual artist, Uychaco was launched by the Ayala Museum in 1993 through a discovery series. Most of her works are largely rendered in mixed media, owing

GLAZING LIFE

BY GLAIZA LEE

bares deep manhood issues in provocative stage play

IN THIS modern, emboldened era of free expression, how do we really measure manhood?

This 2023, it’s time to be bold and normalize conversations on topics that were deemed taboo and vulgar by society. DickTalk a theatrical production of V-Roll Media Ventures, in cooperation with sister company Trifecta Brand Lab, breaks the barriers on masculinity and manhood as it bravely tackles the various issues surrounding and involving the ubiquitous yet shamed male genitalia— the penis.

Staging on a limited run at the RCBC Theater on April 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 23, DickTalk opens its ticket sales starting today via Ticketworld.

to her lifelong training in sculpture, pottery, jewelry-making, silver craft, gold gilding, calligraphy, and painting in watercolor, oils, and acrylics.

Her art pieces have been widely exhibited in the Philippines and overseas and have been collected by museums and published in art books. Uychaco is among the artists managed by Art Elements Asian Gallery in SM Aura.

Apart from her orientation in art, Uychaco holds two master’s degrees in business administration and economics from Ateneo and UA&P. Currently a senior vice president of SM Investments Corporation, she is also a trustee and president of Sunshine Place, a foundation dedicated to senior recreation, enabling people to paint, fulfill bucket lists, and develop their minds, bodies, and souls.

“We are delighted to usher in 2023 and the Year of the Rabbit with Lizanne’s vibrant Filipino-Chinese art pieces that echoes tradition, family, and positivity. Our commitment to sharing the light and warmth of hospitality through curated touches of luxury that are empowering and bold are echoed by Lizanne’s solo exhibit,” said Conrad Manila general manager, Fabio Berto

Leading the art exhibit opening are Elizabeth Sy, President, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC); Peggy Angeles, Executive Vice President, SMHCC; Fabio Berto, General Manager, Conrad Manila; Jose Roberto Delgado, Chairman, Transnational Diversified Group; and Lizanne Uychaco. The evening’s guests were treated to well-curated cocktails by Conrad Manila’s Executive Chef Warren Brown complemented by a selection of premium wines.

Of Art and Wine: Colors of Prosperity by Lizanne Uychaco is open to the public from January 10 to March 18. For inquiries on the artworks, please call Conrad Manila at +63 2 8833 9999 or Art Elements Asian Gallery at +63 917 957 7005 or email conradmanila@ conradhotels.com

Directed by Phil Noble, DickTalk boasts a powerhouse ensemble cast in their bravest performances yet. The stage play revolves around the stories of five individual characters who represent five different yet relatable stories of men – a teenager, a trans man, a sex worker, a metrosexual, and an old man.

Leading the cast are multi-talented actor Jake Cuenca, promising stars Gold Aceron and Mikoy Morales, respected stage actor Archi Adamos, and trans man Nil Nodalo, who will represent the LBTQA+ community in this timely and relevant stage masterpiece.

DickTalk’s colorful characters are born from the creative genius of the production’s concept creator, Edwin Vinarao, along with writers Ara Vicencio and Benj Cruz Garcia

The creative team made sure each character’s story highlights relatable experiences without being preachy, with some laugh-out-loud moments to boot.

Inspired by the groundbreaking The Vagina Monologues of 1996, DickTalk embraces manhood through an honest, open, and intellectual discourse from those who identify as male - either by birth or choice. The play delves into men’s innermost thoughts, aiming to normalize social discussions about dicks, penises, weiners, or the “titi.”

Nickie Wang Editor Patricia Taculao Editorial Assistant

Young book lovers enjoyed listening to Roskifte read from her latest work, Everybody Counts, an award-winning book about humanity for kids and youth. The book presents a playful view of the many connections and coincidences in our lives, and how every single one of us has a unique story, but we are all part of the same group.

Children were delighted to hear poet and writer Håkon Øvreås’ book reading of Brown (My Alter Ego is a Superhero), his first book in a trilogy for young readers.

The book is a charming and powerful tale about friendship, courage, and standing

From left: Conrad Manila General Manager Fabio Berto, guest of honor Jose Roberto Delgado, featured artist Lizanne Uychaco, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) President Elizabeth T. Sy, and SMHCC Vice President Peggy Angeles

The pieces have a recurring symbol of an abstract oriental coin artworks of esteemed visual artist Lizanne Uychaco, who recently opened her second solo exhibit in Conrad Manila’s Gallery C. Her first solo exhibit with the hotel, “Heaven and Earth,” displayed 24 paintings, in 2019.

The 22nd installment of “Of Art and Wine,” the exhibit titled “Colors of Prosperity” features mixed media works inspired by Filipino-Chinese traditions. Her art pieces are known for their minimalist style yet rich textures, with a focus on subjects that bring good luck, harmony, prosperity, wealth, and success.

Conrad Manila’s ‘Colors of Prosperity’ features mixed media works inspired by Filipino-Chinese traditions

Other pieces on display by Lizanne Uychaco

Norwegian Embassy’s Geir Michaelsen and SM’s Millie Dizon welcome acclaimed Norwegian children’s book authors Kristin Roskifte and Håkon Øvreås to the Book Nook at SM Aura Premier

From left: Jovan de Ocampo and Danielle Florendo of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (INK) with JR Felipe of Tahanan Books

The Danish Embassy’s Reza Goyneche (leftmost) and family

Embassy of Finland Deputy Head of Mission (from left) Laura Hassiman, Penni, and Janne Heinonen

These young book lovers occupying front row

seats at the live book reading of Norwegian author Kristin Roskifte at SM Aura’s Book Nook

‘DickTalk’

‘DickTalk’ cast (from left) Gold Aceron, Nil Nodalo, Jake Cuenca, and Mikoy Morales