Manila Standard - 2023 January 19 - Thursday

Wealth fund gets nod at WEF

PBBM previews PH investment pool before forum delegates in Davos

By Maricel V. Cruz and Vince Lopez

President touts country's big potential

By Vince Lopez and Vito Barcelo

PRESIDENT

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. showcased the state of the Philippine economy and the opportunities awaiting to be unlocked by future investors, telling

them about moves to make sure the country continues to recover and becomes more conducive for business.

In opening remarks during the Country Strategy Dialogue at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, President Marcos cited an International Monetary Fund (IMF) projection that

global economic growth for 2023 would only be at 2.7 percent, slower than the 3.2percent posted in 2022, and significantly lower than the 6.0 percent recorded in 2021.

“But for the Philippines, we project our economy to grow by around 7 percent

17 cops cleared in slay rap on ‘Bloody Sunday’

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice has dismissed for lack of evidence the murder complaint against 17 policemen implicated in the death of labor leader Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion in 2021. Asuncion, the DOJ said, was killed

during a legitimate police operation after he exchanged shots with operatives who took part in the so-called “Bloody Sunday” raids in Calabarzon provinces on March 7, 2021.In a 23-page resolution, the DOJ panel led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rodan Parrocha dis-

missed for lack of probable cause the complaint against the policemen who were accused of summarily executing Asuncion, a criminal offense punishable under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code.

The panel stressed that the evidence

Probe of CAAP technical glitch done in two weeks

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano

The investigation of the technical glitch that led to the total shut-off of the Communication, Navigation and

Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system last January 1, 2023 by an independent body will be completed in two weeks, the Department of Transportation said.

Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation Roberto Lim said the investigating body is comprised of repre-

underway.

“Such a fund is one tool among many in our efforts to diversify our financial portfolio, which includes

SRA pushes sugar import, Senate takes issue on salt

By Othel Campos and Macon Ramos-Araneta

DESPITE efforts to achieve food security, the government is resorting to importation of sugar and salt to address a supply gap.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said Wednesday it has drafted its recommendation to import about 450,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar.

In a radio interview, SRA board member Pablo Luiz Azcona said they are continuously collaborating with stakeholders to discuss the suggested import plan.

“We already drafted our recommendations to Malacañang, and then we are just awaiting instruction [to see] if our suggestions or

recommendations are okay,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He said this would include the higher buffer stock that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants.

Azcona said the imported sugar would be open for domestic or retail use.

“Our President is really pro-farmer. Its okay to import sugar for retail so consumers will benefit. If the imports are scheduled right, the farmers won’t feel it,” he said.

He said the timing of imports is relevant to farmers, because their milling season lasts from October to May.

“What the farmers often ask for is that if sugar must be imported, that it arrives after the milling, and after the harvest,” he said.

As of now, the SRA said local farmers

Court acquits Ressa, Rappler of tax evasion, decision hailed

By Rey E. Requejo

beyond reasonable doubt.”

“No civil liability may be adjudged against the accused as the alleged unpaid tax obligations have not been factu

In

sentatives from the DOTr, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

THE Court of Tax Appeals has cleared Nobel Laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC) of liability in connection with the four tax evasion charges that were filed against her during the Duterte administra tion.

a decision released Wednesday, the CTA First Division acquitted Ressa and RHC “for failure of the pros ecution to prove their guilt

PHILIPPINE officials on Wednesday said participants at the World Economic Forum (WEF) reacted positively to the proposed sovereign wealth fund that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presented in Davos, Switzerland.

During the Philippines' Country Strategy Dialogue at WEF in Davos, Mr. Marcos said the process for the establishment of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) was already

BUSINESS TALKS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his delegation banner the potential of the Philippines as an investment destination and driver of growth in the Asian region during the Country Strategy Dialogue hosted by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Inset photo shows Mr. Marcos in a discussion with Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), after their bilateral meeting.

VICTORY. Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa looks on after she was acquitted of the tax evasion cases against her at the Court of Tax Appeals in Quezon City on January 18, 2023. AFP

OUTRAGE. Members of the militant group Defend Southern Tagalog troop in front of the Department of Justice in Manila on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 to condemn the decision of a DOJ panel junking the murder case against 17 police officers involved in the killing of labor leader Manny Asuncion during the so-called 'Bloody Sunday' raids in Calabarzon on March 7, 2021. Danny Pata

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in 2023. Our strong macroeconomic fundamentals, fiscal discipline, structural reforms and liberalization of key sectors instituted over the years have enabled us to withstand the negative shocks caused by the pandemic and succeeding economic downturns and map a route toward a strong recovery,” the President said.

“We have seen inflation accelerating globally in recent months… We are mindful that while protectionist policies may be appealing, even necessary in the short term, there will ultimately be no long-term winners… We join the call for all governments to unwind any trade restrictions and reinforce our commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO) reform," President Marcos said.

The President said countries also need to ensure that sufficient welfare measures are in place to cushion the impact of elevated inflationary pressures, especially towards the most affected and vulnerable sectors.

The Philippines continues to focus on sustaining recovery, promoting a local environment that will nurture businesses by helping them maximize their competitiveness and facilitate their entry into the global market, he said.

Also, Marcos stressed the importance of economic and technical cooperation to assist the development of smaller economies and enable their participation, especially of small businesses and economic segments with untapped potential in the global economy.

To address the current energy and food crises, the country’s development plan puts together coherent strategic measures to hasten economic and social recovery toward inclusive and resilient development, underscoring the need for heightened collaboration to realize economic and social transformation.

“The government also recognizes the importance of digitalization as a key driver for long-term economic growth and as a tool for economic transformation,” the President said, promising to empower and enable micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME's) to participate in the digital economy.

“We have begun large-scale deployment of digital connectivity across the Philippines to ensure universal connectivity, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas,” Marcos said. He also underscored the importance of education, skills development and lifelong learning to enhance the employability of workers.

Government interventions and public-private partnerships (PPP's) must be strengthened to improve access to employment opportunities, President Marcos said, adding that health systems and social protection must also be enhanced to abate and mitigate present and future risks.

Also present during the country dialogue were House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

Joo-Ok Lee, the head of the Regional Agenda - Asia-Pacific, and memberof the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum, acted as the moderator for the dialogue event.

On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commended President Marcos for his leadership amid the numerous complex challenges faced by the Philippines.

Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF managing director, made the remark during a bilateral meeting with the Chief Executive in Davos, Switzerland.

"We found the Philippines to be an exceptionally well-performing country…what you have done in the last year of turbulence to sustain growth… is quite commendable," Georgieva told President Marcos.

The IMF, Georgieva said, was ready to help its member countries, including the Philippines, in achieving sustainable growth and pushing for economic policies that would benefit more Filipinos.

"We have been really interested to engage more deeply with our members to recognize the traditional challenges… they are still there," Georgieva said.

In the meeting, Marcos raised the need to "go back to the basics," noting the number of challenges faced by the country, especially in food supply.

"We also have to go back to the basics because there are weaknesses in different systems like in food supply, like in energy, infrastructure, climate change… these are the basic problems that we need to be addressing," President Marcos said.

Mr. Marcos also affirmed his administration's push to ramp up its digitization initiatives, which are vital in making the bureaucracy more efficient and effective.

The IMF, a special agency of the United Nations, focuses on promoting global monetary cooperation, ensuring financial stability and facilitating international trade, among others.

Ex-PMS chief nominated as ambassador to France

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has nominated former Presidential Management Staff head Zenaida Angping as the country's ambassador to France, with concurrent jurisdiction over Monaco.

Mr. Marcos also promoted 17 senior officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, led by Brig. Generals Antonio Nafarrete (Army), Joseph Cuison (Navy,

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our existing institutions pursuing investment that will generate stable returns, but also welfare effects spanning employment creation, improvement of public service, and a decrease in costs of economic activities,” Mr. Marcos said.

The bill proposing the establishment of the MIF has already been passed by the House of Representatives and heads to the Senate for debates.

Under the proposed measure, the MIF will draw funds from various government financial institutions, contributions from the national government, declared dividends of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and other sources.

The fund, its proponents say, will be used to invest in key areas that will contribute to economic development.

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the keen interest shown by global leaders in the MIF strengthened the argument to speed the passage of the bill to create the sovereign wealth fund.

“The swift passage of House Bill No. 6608, creating the Maharlika

SRA...

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The SRA also mentioned that the previous importation of 150,000 MT of sugar has been completed.

Asked if imports would lower market prices, Azcona said the SRA has no control over businessmen.

“Even if the farm gate price is P60 a kilogram then the retail price is in P90, P100, the SRA can do nothing,” he said.

However, he noted that a P60 farmgate price gives an allowance to farmers who have suffered from the high input costs.

Farmers faced doubled costs of fuel and tripled prices of fertilizers following the Ukraine and Russia conflict.

Farmers earn P28,000 to P56,000 a year per family, he said.

To date, the prevailing market price of refined sugar in Metro Manila ranges from P90 to P110 a kilo. Washed sugar goes for P85 to P95 a kilo while brown sugar costs P80 to P95 a kilo.

Meanwhile, Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, rebuked the Department of Agriculture (DA) for taking responsibility over the salt industry.

In insisting that salt is considered an agricultural product, Villar said the DA should be responsible for the industry.

"I'm just concerned, the DA is not interested on salt no matter how I look at it as part of the food industry," said Villar.

"We eat salt. Why is the DA not

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Lim added that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) inhibited from participating in the investigation.

The CAAP on Wednesday appealed to legislators to help the agency realize its plans to upgrade the country’s CNS/ATM System, including procurement of the Ultimate Fallback System.

The agency also asked the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to designate a third party contractor to provide oversight on the operation and maintenance of the system.

The CAAP made these recommendations to improve its system and prevent a recurrence of the technical glitch that affected 300 flights and more than 60,000 passengers in Manila airport.

“We want to advise that there is an external investigating body or committee that has been organised and will lead the investigation of this incident. It is external because it is comprised of the DOTr, DICT, Cyber Investigation Crime Commission, NBI, NICA. You will note that CAAP is not part of this investigating committee,” Usec. Lim told members of

Marines), and Edgar Cardinoza who now have the rank of Maj. General and Commodore Jose Ambrosio Espeleta Navy) who now has the rank of Rear Admiral.

Investment Fund, enabled the President and the Philippine delegation to take advantage of the enormous opportunity to showcase the positive developments in our country and creative strategies to gain growth momentum,” Romualdez said.

Senator Mark Villar, who is part of the official Philippine delegation in Switzerland, said many of WEF attendees expressed interest in the Philippines and its proposed MIF.

"They were very interested in the Philippines and in the sovereign wealth fund as they see it as a way to help the country hasten development," Villar said.

The Senate leadership said the MIF is among the priority bills the chamber will work on when Congress resumes session this month.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, said the proposed MIF would help fund the Philippines’ infrastructure projects.

“We have many infrastructure projects that need funding,” Diokno said in Filipino. “We borrow from Japan, China, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to fund these. Now if we have the MIF, we can use it to fund

concerned?” she said.

"The finding is that nobody is interested in the salt industry. I would think they said it's the DENR (Department of the Environment and Natural Resources), but the DENR will just give permits to use the shoreline or the land for the salt industry."

At the hearing, the senators learned that it is not the DA, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that issues import permits for salt.

FDA Regulation Officer Givina Tuason said the FDA issues permits for salt importers.

"So you are in charge of the salt?" Villar asked.

Tuason said if the salt is iodized and for human consumption, then it is in charge. If it is not iodized, she said, it is not under the FDA.

Villar shot back: "Why do you import? Do you know the situation of supply and demand? Who's youur boss who told you to issue import permits? She also questioned the basis for their importation.

Gerard Khonghun of the Philippine Association of Salt Industry Networks told the Senate panel that they get import permits from the Bureau of Customs in importing iodized salt from China and Australia.

Their certification for iodized salt comes from the FDA.

Villar said the country produced 240,000 MT of salt during the 1960s and 1970s.

But today, Villar said we only produce 42,000 MT which is 7 percent of the demand.

She noted that 42,000 MT is only 15 percent of what the country produced before.

When Senator Nancy Binay asked

the House Committee on Transportation. Representatives of agencies have already visited the CNS/ATM site and have gathered relevant testimonies from personnel manning the critical system, Usec. Lim said.

“So far, [they] have visited the site. They inspected the relevant parts of the facility, they have interviewed people, testimonies from people directly involved in operating, manning and supervising the CNS/ATM,” he said, adding that a vulnerability test is being conducted on both the air traffic system and its equipment.

Lim said the investigation could take weeks before submitting the body’s findings and recommendations to the DoTr committee.

Meanwhile, CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo said the agency already recommended the following enhancements: procurement of a multimode fallback system (system upgrade); construct an independent back-up CNS/ ATM; and tap a third party contractor to provide oversight on the operation and maintenance of the system.

“To avoid this kind of circumstance recurring, we recommend the following plans for the CNS/ATM: restore and

The President also appointed Rita Espina Riddle, a career official of the Department of Education, as acting member of the Board of Trustees of the Government Service Insurance System.

Angping went on leave in December "to take some personal time for herself and her family," the Presidential Communications Office said.

She was a former representative of the third district of Manila.

these projects.”

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said chief executive officers (CEOs) of big companies from Asia and Europe were impressed by the country’s growth rate.

“They were especially impressed when we told them our economy is growing at a rate of 6.5 percent to 7 percent,” Bautista said.

“They said that’s a very good performance,” he said.

Grab Chairman and CEO Anthony Tan hosted a dinner for President Marcos on Monday.

The President’s investment pitch for the Philippines received "a very positive response" from some of the world's top CEOs and investment experts, officials at the function said.

The Marcos administration 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, according to the Finance chief.

For this year, President Marcos said the government projects the country’s economy to grow by around 7 percent.

“Our actual projection is 6.5 but there are signs that we might be able to surpass that,” Marcos said.

who was in charge of the salt industry, Villar said it seemed nobody in the government was in charge.

It was also learned during the hearing that farmers stopped their salt production as they were not capable of making iodized salt as mandated under Republic Act 8172.

Also on Wednesday, Trade officials said they have no control over the prices of breads and pastries because these do not fall under the suggested retail prices (SRP) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Trade Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group (CPG) Ruth Castelo said the DTI only regulates basic breads under the category of Pinoy Pandesal and Pinoy Tasty.

She added that recent increases in the price of eggs in the local market will not affect the price of budget breads like Pinoy Pandesal and Pinoy Tasty since these breads are made without eggs.

Only premium breads like, ensaymada and cheese rolls, among others, use eggs as a binding ingredient and to soften the texture of breads.

In other developments:

• Former Agriculture secretary William Dar said poor planning at the DA was the main reason for the onion shortage in the country. He said President Marcos, who concurrently heads the DA, should appoint a full-time secretary at the department.

• Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged the adoption of an agriculture information system that would give the DA regular stock balance and price monitoring of all agricultural products. It would also prevent artificial shortages that hoarders use to generate huge profits.

enhance to its original design before the incident, and procurement of the multimode fallback system which is considered a systems upgrade,” Tamayo said.

“[We are also looking at] the construction of an independent backup for CNS/ ATM, and hiring of a third party contractor to provide oversight,” he added.

“It is true that any man made equipment can’t be 100% perfect all the time but we want the public to know that we shall do the best we can in order to provide an efficient service to our country and to the aviation sector,” he explained.

“Nevertheless, we will be needing the help and assistance of this honorable (House) committee in making these plans come into reality. This is of course to provide better service to our fellow Filipinos and our country, which may further boost our tourism industry,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tamayo also apologized for the confusion caused by several statements the CAAP has issued to explain the airport system breakdown.

“Please take note that it was never our intention to do so. The differences in the reports are due to our bid to be transparent to the public, that we provide updates to the media and other government agencies as they happen,” he said.

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and circumstances presented during the preliminary investigation contradicted the claim of complainant Liezel Asuncion, the labor leader’s wife, that the officers intentionally killed her husband in the guise of a police operation.

“To reiterate, the service of the search warrant was a legitimate operation that turned sour when Emmanuel Asuncion resisted the authorities. Granting arguendo that some or any of the respondents shot Emmanuel Asuncion, however, it would appear that such incident occurred pursuant to the lawful fulfillment of their duty,” the DOJ resolution stated.

“We lament the demise of Emmanuel Asuncion. However, the complainantand the evidence she submitted failed to discharge the obligation to prove the existence of a crime and identify the perpetrators thereof,” it said.

Liezel alleged that on March 7, 2021, around 5:30 a.m. at least 15 police operatives arrived at the Worker’s Assistance Center Satellite Office at Salitran I, Dasmariñas Cty, Cavite.

She claimed the operatives, who were wearing masks and bonnets, forced their way inside the office and proceeded to their room on the second floor.

The complainant said she and her husband were pulled out of the room and were separated.

While she was being dragged away from her husband towards the ground floor, Liezel said she saw her husband lying on his stomach on the floor near the stairs.

Shortly after they were separated, Liezel said he heard a gunshot that came from the second floor.

Liezel said the operatives did not respond to her plea to check on her husband.

Thirty minutes later, Liezel said she saw her husband’s body soaked in blood being pulled out from the second floor.

But the DOJ panel pointed out that Liezel failed to establish the identities of her husband’s alleged assailants.

“Based on the foregoing circumstances, it is clear that there was no eyewitness to the purported killing of Emmanuel Asuncion. Likewise, there was also nothing that directly incriminates the respondents in killing him,” the resolution said.

According to the prosecutors, it considered the evidence presented by the complainant against the policemen as mere “circumstantial evidence.”

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ally and legally established and proven,” ruled the CTA composed of Associate Justices Catherine Manahan, Jean Marie Bacorro-Villena, and Marian Ivy ReyesFajardo.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines welcomed the decision and showed support to Rappler, an online news organization, after the legal victory.

“While colleagues similarly face legal challenges–from libel to made-up terrorism charges—in relation to their work, we take inspiration from this acquittal that if we stand up and hold the line, we can win,” NUJP said in a statement.

The tax appeals court also ordered the respective cash bail bonds of Ressa and RHC for the cases be canceled and released to them upon presentation of proper documents, in accordance with the usual accounting rules and regulations.

Ressa was charged with three counts of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) for incorrect and inaccurate information on her income tax return for 2015, and value-added tax returns for the third and fourth quarters of 2015.

The Rappler executive also faced one count of violation of Section 254 of the NIRC, also known as tax evasion.

Ressa denied the allegation, arguing that the CTA has no jurisdiction over her and RHC because of a pending motion for reconsideration on indictments filed by the Department of Justice. With AFP

Tamayo said CAAP’s first assessment was a problem with the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) since it was not providing power to the equipment despite being active and receiving power from the source.

“[But] It was not until the engineers were able to determine that the probable cause of the disruption was the circuit breaker after a series of remedial measures, and evaluation,” he said.

“There were intervals in our official reports as our controllers, engineers, and technical staff were all working together to ensure the safety of all aircraft queued for landing and to quickly restore power without further damaging our vital equipment,” Tamayo added.

He explained that "the assessment, evaluation, and theories as to the probable cause of the disruption only came clear after the situation had normalized.”

“And as of this moment, we have identified that the probable causes of this ordeal are the damaged circuit breaker, and one of the equipment which was damaged – the Power Transfer Switch (PTS). Both items were turned-over to the CICC last January 09, 2023 for forensic investigation and examination to ensure impartiality,” he said.

IN BRIEF

BARMM launches essay writing tilt

COTABATO City—he autonomous government of Muslim Mindanao has launched its “Bangsamoro Learner, a Face of Resilience and Excellence,” meant to encourage high school and college students to participate in the First Salah Jubair essay writing contest.

Officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) education department said the competition will form part of an on-going weeklong celebration of the Bangsamoro Foundation, from late January to early February when residents voted in two plebiscites.

One of the political exercises was on Republic Act 11054 creating the BARMM, and the second on expanding the autonomous territory to cover 63 barangays in Cotabato province.

“As part of the celebration of the upcoming Bangsamoro Foundation Day, the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education will be holding the First Salah Jubair Essay Writing Contest with the theme, Bangsamoro Learner, a Face of Resilience and Excellence’,” said Deputy Minister Haron Meling of the region’s Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE).

The MBHTE statement said the essay competition for senior secondary students as well as tertiary students “will give Junior High, Senior High, and Tertiary students in the autonomous region a platform “to share personal stories and examine the impact of the Bangsamoro transition period on the lives of young people and how it shapes their vision and plan for the future.”

Nash B. Maulana

PCAARRD rolls out nutrition plan

THE Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) and its partner agencies have launched an online program meant to address mass malnutrition in the country.

Dubbed “FLExPHD Competition: Mobile Application (App) Development.” the project seeks to promote a “healthy and sustainable” dietary habits among the people.

PCAARRD’S partners were the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

PHD, as a form of “sustainable diet” that is healthy for both the people and the planet, can be modified to be culturally acceptable; accessible; economically fair and affordable; and nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy, while at the same time optimizing natural and human resources, FLExPHD, stands for “Food is Life Exemplified promoting Planetary Health Diet.” Butch Guni

Phil. Navy to host 2nd ASEAN naval exercise set in mid-2022

THE Philippine Navy (PN) will host the 2nd ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX), scheduled during the second quarter of the year, to promote “interoperability” among the region’s naval forces.

PN spokesman Cmdr. Benjo Negranza said in a press statement that plans were finalized for the forthcoming naval exercise during a command conference attended by representatives of the ASEAN navies.

“A basic training plan that will direct the staging of this naval exercise aimed at advancing interoperability and seamless execution among ASEAN naval forces was developed at the conference by Navy representatives from ASEAN member countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam,” Negranza said.

The first AMNEX was held in 2017 in Thailand, anchored on three main objectives – interoperability, responsiveness, and readiness – to address common regional maritime concerns.

The Royal Thai Navy initially broached the idea of an ASEAN naval exercise during the 8th ASEAN Naval Chiefs Meeting (ANCM) in 2014.

“This endeavor represents the PN’s resolve to forge closer ties, deepen understanding, and foster cooperation in the direction of a peaceful and stable ASEAN region,” Negranza said.

Meanwhile, Philippine Navy

Fleet Marine Ready Force (FMRF) chief, Brig. Gen. Edwin Amadar, acting as office-incharge of the 2nd AMNEX, cited the the “strong attendance and dedication of international delegations, which demonstrated their ongoing support and cooperation toward a productive collaboration.”

“It is a great privilege to the PN to be given the opportunity to host the 2nd AMNEX. I assure you that (the) Philippines will never run out of things to do, from culture, traditions, and scenery. Also, my sincerest gratitude to the people who have worked so hard for these activities to be possible. I am also grateful for the support and participation of our ASEAN counterparts towards our mutual efforts in securing our seas and maritime domain,” Amadar said.

Apart from the second AMNEX edition, the PN will also host the 17th ANCM set in April this year.

Two BI o icers axed for alleged involvement in illegal activities

By Vito Barcelo

TWO Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel have been relieved from their posts following reports of their alleged involvement in illegal activities.

Meanwhile, BI operatives arrested three Chinese nationals, two of them women, who were wanted by authorities in China for involvement in economic crimes.

BI chief Norman Tangsingco axed the two immigration officers amid intelligence reports that they have been involved in trafficking activities at the Clark International Airport (CIA) and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The names of the two relieved BI officers were not immediately disclosed.

“We have received information that the two have links to trafficking syndicates. We are initiating an investigation to verify this information, and if there is indeed probable cause, we shall file the appropriate cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ),” Tansingco said.

He added that as a preventive measure, the two officers would be temporarily assigned to “back-end office duties” pending completion of the investigation.

“While imposing penalties would be subject to the resolution of possible cases against them, we are relieving them from frontline duty to ensure unbiased investigation,” Tansingco explained.

He warned his constituents against engaging in illegal activities, under pain of administrative cases, suspension, or dismissal.

“The elimination of corruption is really one of my main targets in the bureau. Any attempt to engage with corrupt practices shall be met with the harshest penalties possible,” he stressed.

Those arrested were identified as Cheung Wa, Chau Mut Hing and Zhang Yi. They were rounded up in Paranaque City.

MMDA steps up road clearing; asks public to help in the drive

By Joel E. Zurbano

By Orlan L. Mauricio

House Bill 04226 or the ‘Guiguinto Halamanan Festival Act’ aims to promote the annual parade of garden plants, flowers and trees as a national tourist attraction akin to the Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City.

During the latest Halaman parade in 2019 before the pandemic swept the country, participants dressed as bees, cate pillars and butterflies captured the a pre-

local government units in the National Capital Region have resumed the clearing operations on the streets and sidewalks to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular traffic.

The intensified operations began in the cities of Pasay and Parañaque the MMDA field men removed traffic obstructions, including ambulant and sidewalk vendors along the Baclaran service road Roxas Boulevard, Taft Avenue Extension, and the streets of Opeña, Mactan, Lt. Garcia, G.G. Cruz, and Bayanihan, Makeshift stores, garbage, sidewalk encroachments, and other impediments that contribute to traffic congestion were taken out.

Local government officials inspected the shops that extended to the road in the occupied area and placed merchandise.

LGU’s and policemen also served as security and watchmen to maintain peace and order while the clearing operation was underway.

The MMDA said they will revisit the cleared areas to ensure that the violators will not come back

“We are closely coordinating with the LGUs and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure that these roads will be remain obstruction-free,” MMDA chairman Romando Artes said.

The people can also take pictures of violators, who will be slapped with 1,000 pesos fine for the first violation, 1,500 pesos (second violation) and 2,000 pesos (third violation) or a jail term up to 20 days, the MMDA said.

The agency earlier towed away illegally parked vehicles along the Mabuhay Lanes, the alternate routes used by private motorists avoiding the traffic mess at Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

The Mabuhay Lanes covered the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City. It also include secondary roads going to shopping destinations in Metro Manila such as Baclaran in Parañaque,

Cheung was arrested in Brgy. Tambo in Paranaque while the two women were collared in an establishment in New Seaside Drive, Parañaque.

MARIE D. VILLARICA Secretary (MS-JAN. 19, 2023)

ciation of foreign and local visitors who trooped to Guiguinto, dubbed as garden capital of Bulacan.

Cruz, who launched the first ever Halaman parade in 1999 during his first term as mayor of Guiguinto, said the festival pays tribute and homage to St. Ildephonsus, the town’s patron saint.

Aside from its religious backdrop that promotes close-knit family ties among Bulakenyos, the Halaman Festival has become a trademark of Guiguinto,

The colorful event also aims to drum up awareness on the value of ornamental plants and backyard garden vegetables to cushion day-to-day family expenses especially these days when the prices of basic commodities have skyrocketed.

MALOLOS City—Bulacan Rep. Ambrosio Cruz, Jr. has filed a bill declaring every 22nd of January a special non-working holiday in the town of Guiguinto, Bulacan to give the locals ample time to celebrate their ‘Halaman Festival’.

PROSPERITY FRUITS. A vendor tends to her store of round shaped fruits notably oranges, tangerines, and pineapples which are deemed “prosperity fruits” and are supposed to bring in good luck over the coming Year of the Rabbit by the Chinese who will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Sunday. Norman Cruz

MYRA

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has urged the public

to cooperate and report illegally parked vehicles, vendors and other modes of road obstruction. The MMDA, its partner agencies, and

A WALKING, TALKING GARDEN. The townsfolk of Guiguinto, Bulacan look forward to the permanent installation of their Halaman Festival featuring participants dressed as garden plants and trees—even insects like bees, butter ies, and caterpillars—in a bid to drum up further support to the environment.

DOH: COVID-19 booster jab uptake still low at 27%

By Willie Casas

THE number of Filipinos who received their COVID-19 booster shots remains low at 27 percent of the eligible population, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

Based on the DOH’s national COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, 21.2 million Filipinos have already received the booster shot as of January 15 — a far cry from the 73.8 million who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

However, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire pointed out that the increase of the booster uptake to 27 percent was already an improvement from last year’s data wherein 23 percent of the eligible population was boosted.

“It’s still a bit slow, but at least we’re improving and I hope we can encourage more of our citizens to get vaccinated,” she said in a radio interview.

Vergeire said Filipinos may still get their primary vaccine series and booster shots at primary care facilities, hospitals, and designated vaccination sites of local government units.

Pending the arrival of the bivalent COVID-19 jabs in the country, Vergeire

stressed the benefits that these secondgeneration vaccines may bring to the recipients, particularly against the more transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

A health expert on Wednesday meanwhile said the wearing of face masks is still necessary even if the World Health Organization (WHO) declares an end to the global health emergency due to COVID-19.

Citing the updated guidelines of WHO on COVID-19, infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante underscored the importance of wearing masks in community settings given the prevalence of the coronavirus around the world.

“We are still not saying that COVID-19 is already gone. Even if the public health emergency is lifted, it is only because the cases are now manageable, the hospitals are no longer getting full, and many have been vaccinated already. But, COVID is still here in the community,” Solante said.

At present, wearing of face masks both in indoor and outdoor settings in the country is voluntary, based on the executive order released by Malacañang in October last year.

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

on Tuesday said that his administration has beefed up efforts to establish a reliable and secured cybersecurity system, which is a crucial part of his administration’s push to digitalize the bureaucracy.

The President made this remark in an open forum at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland, where he touted the government’s digitalization initiative and improvements in bureaucratic efficiency.

“Security has become a huge issue… that’s what we are trying to design now, a cybersecurity system for sensitive information,” the President said.

Noting the country’s slow internet connectivity, the President said the government needs to do better in terms of connecting millions of Filipinos and revving up initiatives to advance the digital economy.

“The connectivity in the Philippines is still pretty low. And it’s unfortunate because some of the studies we’ve made, the general consumer, if you want to call them that, talks to every facet of their lives through the internet, except for government,” the President pointed out.

Because of this, local governments have stepped in to ensure internet connectivity infrastructures are in place to reach Filipinos in the regions, Mr. Marcos said.

“So, local governments, and some agencies within the national government, would really take on the initiative and started their own systems so as to be able to communicate… So this has now got to be consolidated and put together,” he pointed out.

‘Preliminary probe of cases vs. Bantag resumes Jan. 24’

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) will resume on January 24 the preliminary investigation of the two murder complaints filed against suspended Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag after its panel of prosecutors junked his motion seeking the inhibition of the DOJ panel of prosecutors hearings his cases.

Bantag was charged as “principal by inducement” in the killings of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” C. Mabasa last Oct. 3 in Las Pinas City and inmate Cristito Villamor Palana last Oct. 8 at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

Palana had been pinpointed by Mabasa’s self-confessed gunman Joel S. Escorial as his “middleman” in the

slaying of the radio broadcaster. Escorial and his alleged accomplices have also been charged with murder and their case has been consolidated with those of Bantag’s and the other suspects.

Bantag had sought the inhibition of the panel as he pointed out that the murder complaints against him are under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombuds-

man (OMB), among other allegations.

PBBM: Gov’t is beefing up cybersecurity programs IN BRIEF

“There is no violation of respondent Bantag’s rights to due process to be heard by an independent and impartial tribunal, as the Panel remains, and will continue to remain, independent and impartial in hearing these cases, more importantly in their resolution,” the DOJ panel resolution stated.

The DOJ further ruled that it has jurisdiction to conduct the preliminary investigation on the murder charges against Bantag and several others.

In a 17-page resolution issued by the panel of prosecutors, the DOJ held that the OMB has no exclusive jurisdiction over investigation and prosecution of cases involving public officers and employees before the regular courts, contrary to the arguments raised by Bantag in his motion for inhibition filed against the panel.

Solon supports plan on SIM reg centers

CAMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Wednesday backed a government plan to put up Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) registration areas in places with limited Internet access.

At the same time, Villafuerte also called on local governments to help facilitate the establishment of these off-sites in their respective localities, in support of public-private efforts to beat the deadline on the signup of an estimated 168 million SIM numbers of cellular phone owners in the country.

“We are glad that following the initial hitches that marred the Dec. 27 kick-off by the PTEs (public telecommunications entities) of the SIM registration process as set by law, the signup has lately been proceeding rather smoothly, with the number of registrants exceeding 21 million as of last count,” Villafuerte said.

‘KABABAYAN BREAD.’

A person deprived of liberty (PDL) at the Manila City Jail in Sta. Cruz Manila prepares sweetened bread or “kababayan bread.” Bakers had to reduce the daily production of bread due the increase in the prices of ingredients. Danny Pata

“However, this number of registrants is just over 12 percrnt of the projected 168 million SIM cards in the country, so unless the registration process is switched to overdrive from hereon, the PTEs along with the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) might not have enough time to complete the registration process on or before the deadline set by the SIM Registration Act,” Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte was referring to Republic Act (RA) 11394, of which he was among its lead authors, that set beginning last Dec. 27, 2022 the mandatory registration of the SIM numbers or cards of all celfone Maricel V. Cruz

DHSUD backs gov’t in-city settlement plan

WITH in-city settlements as a priority under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said the program as “advantageous” to both real estate owners and informal settler families currently inhabiting private properties.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said the Pambansang Pabahay primarily focuses on developing lands for human settlements near the sources of livelihood of target beneficiaries. Most of these lands are found in the metropolis or in the center of urban areas – some owned by private citizens – where ISFs persistently thrive.

Marcos: Strong OFW presence in Middle East gives PH leverage

THE strong presence of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East gives the Philippines more leverage to attract Arab investors looking for a new investment hub, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday (Zurich time).

Mr. Marcos issued the statement in an open forum at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland when asked about his views on the possible engagement with Gulf countries that now consider Southeast Asia as a new investment destination.

Southeast Asia should regain its pre-pandemic status, he said, noting that the region was a “fast-growing” economy before it grappled with the spread of COVID-19.

The Philippines, Mr. Marcos said, welcomes any major capital-intensive investment, adding that his administration is exhausting all efforts to immediately pay off the debt the country has incurred.

“The workforce is still workforce, still exists. It is up to us as leaders, I think, to be very careful how we direct now the development of the economy because it’s not business as usual. The pandemic changed everything,” the President said during the question-and-answer session. “So specific to the Middle Eastern countries, we have very strong relations actually with the Middle Eastern countries.”

“For a long time, we are not able to provide proper shelters to ISFs living in private properties, especially in urban areas. At the same time, the owners of these lands do not have the opportunity to develop their properties for optimum advantage. With the ‘Pambansang Pabahay’, we can offer to achieve both with appropriate planning,” he said.

“It’s a win-win situation,” he added. The project aims to build one million housing units per year until 2028 as the government’s flagship program in addressing the country’s housing needs.

As one of its initial strategies, DHSUD has been exploring available lands for housing development all over the country, including government idle lands with local government units.

“I am calling on all private owners of lands in the cities that can be used for government housing development to coordinate with DHSUD so that we can make use of these properties for human settlements and urban development. Allow us to explore prospects which can be mutually beneficial to all parties involved,” Acuzar cited. Rio N. Araja

SC assures Muslims of Court’s support in judicial issues

SUPREME Court (SC) Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and the members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) assured all Muslim Filipinos of the judiciary’s “utmost assistance in their legal and judicial concerns.”

Gesmundo and the JBC made the statement after meeting with representatives of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos last Monday, January 17, at the SC in Manila.

In a statement, the SC said the NCMP raised issues on the creation of Shari’ah courts outside of Mindanao, appointment of Shari’ah court judges, creation of an Integrated Shari’ah Bar of the Philippines and the inclusion of Shari’ah as a course in law school, Manda-

tory Continuing Legal Education compliance among Shari’ah counselors in the practice of Shari’ah law, and changes to improve the conduct of the Shari’ah Bar examinations.

The Chief Justice said the creation of Shari’ah courts is a legislative matter as he stressed that the Constitution is explicit in stating that the courts “shall be composed of the Supreme Court and all other lower courts as may be provided by law.”

He added that Congress also apportions the jurisdiction of courts through law.

The top magistrate then assured that all other concerns raised by the NCMF will be looked into and acted expeditiously by the SC. Rey E. Requejo

DRAGON DANCE. Dragon and lion dancers perform at SM North EDSA in Quezon City on Wednesday, ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year--the Year of the Water Rabbit--on Sunday, January 22. Manny Palmero

LET us be quite candid about our food supply situation.

We are a country of 115.6 million, growing at about 1.4 percent per annum, which means roughly 1.5 million additional mouths to feed each year, and counting.

Unless we lower our population growth, the demand for food will increase through the years. Supplying food demand will always be difficult. When I was at the NFA, pundits would keep asking why we import from Thailand and Vietnam whose students learned from our UP Los Banos, and then ask, how come we now import rice from them?

Ferdinand II in his campaign echoed these misplaced sentiments, because the public knew little of the realities of the rice market.

In 1978 when Ferdinand I was in power, there were roughly 43 million Filipinos and as much Thais. Now we have grown to 115, and they are at 72, because of serious population management.

After Ferdinand I, the Aquino I presidency forsook population management, in deference to the dictum of Cardinal Sin.

And while Aquino II thought differently from his mother, and got Congress to pass the Reproductive Health Law, strident objection from the conservative pro-life bloc of the numerous church froze the ball on implementation at the Supreme Court.

So rice prices in the country is, firstly, a demand problem.

On the supply side, we produce just a tad lower than the per-hectare average production of Thailand.

But Vietnam produces more than our farms produce, largely because of the huge Mekong River, the delta of which supplies not only water but topsoil from its Tibetan origins down to Ho Chi Minh.

Maybe the DA secretary should now give way to men with more time and the energy required to steer the department into achieving two simple rules: balance and timing

So, whether we like it or not, deconstructing the supply-demand ratios, we are at best 90 percent self-sufficient in rice.

With bad weather, such as typhoons and floods coming at the wrong time, we need to import 15 percent of our rice requirements, maybe more these days with climate change problems.

Since 2019, after passage of the Rice Tariffication Law, the government monopoly on rice importation was lifted, with the private sector importing what ought to be our rice demand shortfall, and NFA left to just being a public warehouse for rice reserves bought from local farmers to be used largely for emergencies, which we always have plenty of. Increasing production by our largely small farm plots is not an easy goal to achieve.

Rice requires a lot of water, which means irrigation, which government ought to provide.

It means fertilizers, which have become exorbitant.

It means better seeds, but hybrid seeds are too expensive to buy and nurture, its produce catering only to the rich, while inbred seeds need to be improved.

Balance is, therefore, difficult to achieve if we insist on food self-sufficiency. Food security thus requires, for years to come, importing the staple from neighboring countries.

Timing, however, requires that we do not flood the market with imports when our farmers are harvesting, because that would depress farm-gate prices.

So the Department of Agriculture, or government for that matter, must be guided by balance and timing.

Still, government is not helpless. It issues import permits through the Bureau of Plant Industry. It should be able to monitor both balance

and timing.

Moreover, it should know exactly who imported and who could be hoarding the staple whenever prices go unreasonably high in our public markets.

Of course the Bureau of Customs can change matters when it allows importers to smuggle and/ or undervalue.

That is another matter.

The same issues of balance and timing are at the heart of our sugar and onion crises of high prices.

In April 2022, I was with candidate Isko Moreno in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, a province which produces both rice and onions in huge quantities.

The mayor, my friend Romulo Festin, was complaining about onion farm gate prices, which had gone down to as low as 5 or 6 pesos per kilo, much too low to recover cost of production.

Onion farmers would rather burn their produce or allow these to rot, because prices were abnormally low.

The DA should know the problem well, as harvest time is a given.

If there would be supply shortages, then they should allow imports on time, which means long before the farmers harvest the crop, and while domestic supply cannot cope up with the demand.

The privates have access to cold storage facilities, so obviously they can control the market situation better than government can, as we have neglected to provide cold chain and better storage facilities for all our crops.

It took government quite a while to decide to import onions to augment supply, because “importation” has become a dirty word at the DA, especially after the sugar fiasco at the beginning of the Ferdinand II government. Again, balance and timing.

Belatedly, DA has green-lighted an import for 21,000 metric tons of onions, to arrive no later than January 27, which is the end of next week.

Meanwhile, farmers have started harvesting onions. And the January 27 deadline makes little sense either.

Better to import no longer, as domestic production is just around the corner. It is a case of too little, too late.

Prescience and simple common sense would have gotten the DA to allow imports in October, to arrive in November, or even a month earlier.

But because their OIC-undersecretary was sacked and reviled due to the August sugar import directive, there has been a big chill on appropriate decision making at the department.

“Baka ma-Sebastian tayo.” So onion prices shot to the roof in November and December, and way past the new year.

That PAL crew would “smuggle” onions in their luggage shows the ridiculousness of the situation.

Have sugar prices gone down considerably? Aun no.

Eggs have also gone up by some 2 to 3 pesos per piece, depending on size. But one cannot import eggs as the solution.

Kadiwa cannot be a real solution. What sense is there for DA to buy onions at 540 pesos per kilo and then sell it for 170 pesos at their few outlets? Even our Ombudsman is bewildered.

NFA is made to sell rice at 25 pesos per kilo in the Kadiwa, when it’s actual cost is 36 pesos per kilo. How sustainable is this policy direction of giving optics prime time?

Career DA officials know the problems and the solutions.

Local executives also know the situation in their areas. It is a matter of proper coordination. But who should be the orchestra conductor?

The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, a humongous bureaucracy which is a 24-hour day-in, day-out concern.

For 2023, largely because Ferdinand II is also the agriculture secretary, DA got ample budgetary support. That done, proper implementation is required.

Maybe the secretary should now give way to men with more time and the energy required to steer the department into achieving two simple rules: balance and timing.

THERE’S no such thing as a free lunch, we’re constantly reminded by economists, telling us in no uncertain terms that its is impossible to get something for nothing.

But the ‘Libreng Sakay’ or free bus rides program of the Marcos administration being implemented along the EDSA Busway is probably the closest thing we can get to a free lunch in this part of the Pacific.

After all, it’s the Department of Budget and Management that is releasing the money to the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board to resume the project that the commuting public will most certainly welcome with open arms but unopened wallets.

The Libreng Sakay program has been allocated P1.285 billion that will be released once the necessary documents are completed by the DBM.

Said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman: “We understand the plight of our commuting public, so President Bongbong Marcos gave us the directive to do our part, and to exert our best to help ease their burden.”

Free rides

We are well aware that given the number of commuters at EDSA during weekdays, the P1.285 billion subsidy for the EDSA Busway will probably be depleted in a few months, unless replenished by taxes

“Whatever amount they [commuters] can save daily, they can allocate to more important needs such as food, electricity, tuition, among others,” she added.

We agree completely.

In this period of runaway inflation where prices of basic commodities have gone through the roof and the peso can buy only a small

fraction of what it used to buy, say, one to two years ago, savings of P50 to P100 for every round trip across the length of EDSA everyday can be heaven-sent.

We are well aware that given the number of commuters at EDSA during weekdays, the P1.285 billion subsidy for the EDSA Busway will probably be depleted in a few months, unless replenished by taxes.

But we do hope the administration can raise more funds to keep the Libreng Sakay for as long as possible, or within the limits of government capacity to come up with additional funds.

Keeping the EDSA Busway going at no cost to commuters because it is funded by taxpayers’ money shows that the government recognizes the woeful state of our public transportation system and thinks of the welfare and convenience of those who have to eke out a living on a daily basis. Let’s keep it going that way.

After all, the public welfare must override private privilege.

Governments are established for the welfare of the people, and to accomplish this purpose properly, they have to follow the suggestions of the citizens who are the ones qualified to understand their own needs.

That was Jose Rizal speaking, and it’s something worth bearing in mind as we navigate tight shoals and rocky roads.

Seeds of destabilization

If we study the two instances wherein two of our Presidents had to end their terms prematurely, the political atmosphere prevailing at the moment is nowhere near the 1986 and 2001 situations.

The Philippine model in this case needs two to tango, unlike in other countries like for instance, Thailand or Myanmar wherein the military establishments of those two countries can take political control as they have done many times.

In this country, that is not the case.

In 1986, the initial move was initiated by the military establishment and then the civilian opposition decided to support the military in ousting the existing government.

The first from the military to throw in their support were the Brigade and Battalion Commanders then followed by some Division Commanders.

Only then did the higher ups of the AFP saw the writing on the wall and joined, egged on by wives and other family members.

Currently, however, many of the elements present in the years before 1986 and 2001 are not there today.

In fact, this administration is in an enviable position because there is no opposition to speak of that can threaten its dominant position.

Everyone seems to be singing the same tune. There is wide support for the government and the political capital of PBBM remains sky high.

However,

As it turned out, only the DND Officer-inCharge, Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., was the only one who resigned.

But did something happen when General Bacarro was abruptly relieved after just about five months of a supposedly three year tour?

From what I have been able to gather, apparently there was although the AFP is keeping mum.

On that day, communications using Viber lit up and was quite busy all the day long. And why was that significant?

Because there are Viber groups among active and retired military and police personnel.

These groups use Viber to coordinate, disseminate and exchange information.

This must have alerted some people in Camp Crame which caused the raising of the alert level which was subsequently lowered immediately.

I agree, however, that there is currently no danger of an overt destabilization move from the military or police.

But I would caution our leaders not to take things for granted.

The position of AFP Chief of Staff is a consequential position that must not be treated like a Company Commander position wherein one can be replaced anytime – because the stakes are high especially with the current geopolitical tensions in the region.

The country needs a stable AFP for it to be able meet the various security challenges.

The country needs a stable AFP for it to be able meet the various security challenges

The alliance of the two were simply tactical and temporary and only for the purpose of achieving a common goal: ousting the then existing government.

It was something akin to a marriage of convenience.

What this showed was that it was possible for the two sides to coalesce even if the ideologies of the two were poles apart. In the 2001 case, it was the civilian opponents of the existing government that initiated the destabilization move and then the military and police came in to throw their support in ousting the government.

In fact, it could be said that three groups with diverging political ideologies came together for a fleeting moment to oust a government because, in this instance, the progressive left came in and joined.

Furthermore, the civilian opposition is in such a disarray that there is no threat at all. Former VP Leni Robredo, who was supposed to carry the torch for the opposition going forward, appears to have completely vanished from the political scene in the past several months.

And thanks to what former President Rodrigo Duterte did to the AFP and Police –both uniformed services remain contented as of this time.

It does not mean, however, that this prevailing rosy situation will last forever.

In fact, it can turn sour pretty fast in no time at all.

It will just take a spark here or a misstep there to trigger a crusade.

This happened during the time of former President Joseph Estrada.

From a very promising start, everything went downhill in just a matter of two-and-ahalf years.

But right now, we can say that PBBM is in a political sweet spot.

He can go ahead with his travels to market the country as an investment haven, confident that the political situation in the home front is stable. It seems that all the stars have converge to give him all the chances to succeed.

There have not been many of his predecessors given that opportunity.

A politically stable situation and a wide latitude to maneuver.

To borrow a sporting term, it is therefore, all his to lose the ballgame.

Security risks of EDCA under Marcos Jr. administration (Part 1)

Philippine Sea.

By Rommel C. Banlaoi

announced the construction of five additional American military facilities in Philippine bases across Luzon to boost the implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Locations of these new facilities have been identified in two sites in Cagayan and one site each in Isabela, Palawan and Zambales.

Original five facilities have been built and being further developed in Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Airpot in Cagayan de Oro and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu.

US Ambassador to the Philippines, Mary Kay Carlson, also announced the plan of Washington, DC to provide Manila $70 million worth of military assistance to the Philippines in the next two years to implement EDCA under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

To formally launch the construction of new EDCA sites, US Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in the Philippines last November from her trip to Thailand after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

Harris visited Puerto Princesa, Palawan where an EDCA facility is built facing the West

Though Faustino has strongly stressed that EDCA sites are primarily earmarked for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response facilities, training facilities, warehouses and operation centers, these areas are some of the country’s top strategic locations that can effectively facilitate US military activities in major flash points of armed conflicts in Asia, particularly in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Straits and the Korean Peninsula.

Building American military facilities in Philippine territories amidst worsening geopolitical rivalry between the US and China also raises the risks of the Philippines getting inevitably involved in the event of military conflicts between these two competing major powers.

Signed on April 28, 2014, EDCA aims to complement the Visiting Forces Agreement that came into force on May 27, 1999.

Both EDCA and the VFA are supplementary military agreements aimed to implement the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the legal foundation of Philippine-American security alliance described as one the longest-lived military alliances in the world.

The MDT makes the US the only military ally of the Philippines. The US, on the other hand, acknowledges the Philippines as its oldest security ally in Asia.

Operationalizing the MDT, EDCA’s lofty

There are high expectations in Manila that EDCA can also contribute to the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines

goal is to support American strategic mission of maintaining peace and security in the IndoPacific region by assisting the Philippines in building national military capacities and interoperability with American troops in the area of maritime security, maritime domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, search and rescue operations, as well as counter terrorism.

Thus, there are also high expectations in Manila that EDCA can also contribute to the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Tactically, EDCA provides the US military strong operational access to Philippine territories to pre-position, store and maintain American defense technologies, security supplies, military equipment, and other logistical materiel needed to reinforce various types of American military activities not only in the Philippines and also in the wider Indo-Pacific region.

With EDCA, the US can station on rotational basis some American troops, warships and fighter planes in AFP bases.

In fact, EDCA is a creative measure of the US armed forces to maintain its presence in the Philippines without a permanent military basing arrangement being prohibited by the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

In 2016, the Philippine Supreme Court declared EDCA as constitutional.

As such, EDCA has become an integral part of the American network of military access arrangements in Asia aiming to assert American global military leadership in the 21st century.

EDCA also contributes to the strengthening of the Pentagon’s web of military treaty alliances in Asia involving Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Thailand, not to mention Taiwan.

Beijing, however, expresses tremendous security anxieties that EDCA sites hosting US military facilities in the Philippines are discreetly targeting China meant to deter this growing Asian power from its persistent asser-

tion of sovereignty in Taiwan and in the South China Sea.

There is also a prevailing view in the Chinese government that EDCA and US alliances in Asia intend to strategically contain China.

As early as 2014 at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia coinciding with the year of EDCA signing, President Xi Jinping lambasted the American-centered “hub-and-spokes” alliance system in Asia.

He described it as the emblem of “anachronistic “Cold War security structure” where “some big powers pursue security as a zerosum game and keep strengthening military alliances in the region while excluding the common interests of other countries.”

Xi also criticized US alliance system where EDCA is situated as the “Achilles heel” of “constructive efforts towards building a more sustainable, inclusive and win-win regional security order; the primary obstacle to a peaceful Asia.” (The second part will be continued in the January 21 issue of Manila Standard)

(Rommel C. Banlaoi, PhD, is the President of the Philippine Society for Intelligence and Security Studies, Chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research and member of the Board of Directors of the China Southeast Asian Research Center on the South China Sea).

DEFENSE Department Officer-in-Charge Jose Faustino Jr.

THE abrupt relief of the AFP Chief of Staff Lt General Bartolome Bacarro apparently generated rumors of destabilization the PNP had to raise its alert level especially for units operating in the National Capital Region.

these were denied by both the AFP and the PNP. Specifically, the rumor was about mass resignations of senior officers.

Chin

Ukraine interior chief among 16 dead in helicopter crash

7.0-magnitude quake hits east Indonesia island

AN OFFSHORE earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit near eastern Indonesia’s Maluku islands on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted.

The epicentre of the tremor was located 150 kilometers (93 miles) northwest of the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera, at a depth of 48 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

The quake occurred around 13:06 pm local time (0606 GMT) off the coast of Sulawesi island, shaking nearby islands and forcing residents to flee in panic.

“The quake was felt for around 1520 seconds. The shakings were quite long,” an AFP journalist on Morotai island in the Maluku archipelago said.

“Some people went outside because they were afraid of buildings collapsing.”

The NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said in its updated warning after the quake that the tsunami threat had passed.

It said earlier tsunami waves could hit coastal areas around 300 kilometers from the epicenter.

The quake was also revised down from an initial magnitude of 7.2 reported by the USGS.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), which gave the magnitude at 7.1, warned of possible aftershocks.

Daryono, the head of the agency’s earthquake and tsunami centre who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said the tremor was followed by five aftershocks, the largest with a magnitude of 5.3.

A powerful quake hit deep under the ocean in eastern Indonesia earlier this month, rattling nearby islands and damaging homes and schools.

The 7.6-magnitude quake caused roofs and walls to collapse in homes on the worst-hit island of Tanimbar Islands in the Maluku archipelago.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates collide.

On November 21, a 5.6-magnitude quake hit West Java province on Indonesia’s main island of Java, killing 602 people.

Most of the victims were killed when buildings collapsed or in landslides triggered by the quake.

A 2018 quake and resulting tsunami on Sulawesi island killed more than 4,000 people.AFP

Australia to scrap Taipan chopper deal

AUSTRALIA on Wednesday announced it would scrap its fleet of European-made Taipan military helicopters, despite last-ditch lobbying by France to save the contract.

Trust between the two countries plummeted in 2021 when Australia’s former conservative government abruptly tore up a Aus$90 billion agreement (US$62 billion) to bolster the navy with Frenchbuilt submarines.

At the height of the spat, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Australia’s then-prime minister Scott Morrison of lying about the deal, and Paris recalled its ambassador from Canberra.

Defence Minister Richard Marles, part of a centre-left government elected last year, said Wednesday the Taipans would be replaced with US-made Black Hawks.

Marles said he was confident this

would not damage Australia’s relationship with France, which has been somewhat repaired since the submarine row.

“The most important thing here is dealing with the French in an honest way,” he told national broadcaster ABC.

“We are confident that this won’t interrupt the renewed relationship with France.”

The French government has a significant stake in Airbus—the European aerospace company that manufactures the Taipans—and has been urging Australia to keep its 40-strong fleet.

But Marles said the helicopters had been plagued by costly repairs.

“We have been struggling with the Taipans for many years, in terms of maintenance issues, getting spare parts,” he said.

“We just haven’t got the flying hours out of the Taipan that we need. We are

confident we can get that from the Black Hawks.”

In a statement, Airbus said it “acknowledges” the decision and that Australia remained a key market for the company.

“We are committed to building on our significant presence in the country, together with our customers, partners and government stakeholders,” an Airbus spokesman said.

Former prime minister Morrison reneged on a lucrative submarine contract with France’s Naval Group in September 2021—instead choosing to buy nuclear-powered subs from Britain or the United States.

Relations remained sour until May last year, when Australia elected new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese— who has moved to patch things up with Paris. AFP

UKRAINE’S interior minister was among 16 people, including two children, who were killed when a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten outside the capital Kyiv, officials said Wednesday.

In a video that circulated online from the aftermath of the incident, cries could be heard at the scene which was consumed by a fire.

There were no immediate details on the cause of the crash.

“In total, 16 people are currently known to have died,” the head of national police, Igor Klymenko, said.

Among the dead are several top officials of the interior ministry including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and his first deputy minister, Yevgeniy Yenin, he said.

Monastyrsky, a 42-year-old father of two, was appointed interior minister in 2021.

Twenty two people were hospitalized including 10 children.

Officials said that at the time of the crash children and employees were in the kindergarten.

Medics and police were working at the scene.

The scene of the crash in the town of Brovary is located some 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Kyiv. Russian and Ukrainian forces fought for control of Brovary in the early stages of Moscow’s invasion until Russia’s troops withdrew in early April.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to pro-Western Ukraine on February 24 last year.

The crash came on the heels of a tragedy that saw 45 people including six children die when a Russian missile struck a residential building in the eastern city of Dnipro at the weekend. AFP

IN BRIEF

El Chapo sends ‘SOS’ to Mexico president

NOTORIOUS drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has appealed to Mexico’s president for help due to alleged “psychological torment” he is suffering in a US prison, his lawyer said Tuesday.

“In the six years that Joaquin has been in the United States, he has not seen the sun,” said Jose Refugio Rodriguez, a Mexico-based legal representative of the Sinaloa cartel founder.

The message, described as “an SOS,” was transmitted via one of Guzman’s lawyers in the United States as well as his family, Rodriguez said.

Guzman is only allowed outside three times a week to a small area where he “doesn’t get the sun,” and has fewer visits or phone calls than other inmates, the lawyer said in an interview with Radio Formula.

“He is suffering psychological torment,” he said, adding that the lack of sunshine was also bad for the convicted drug trafficker’s physical health. Guzman wants President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to address alleged procedural violations during his extradition in 2017 under the former government, Rodriguez added.

The Mexican embassy in Washington confirmed on Twitter on Tuesday that it received an email from Rodríguez on January 10.

Without referring to the content of the email, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard downplayed the chance of any government intercession in favor of the notorious drug trafficker. AFP

Acquittal of Fukushima nuke plant operator ex-bosses upheld

a major disaster can get away without being held criminally liable.”

A massive tsunami swamped the Fukushima Daiichi plant on Japan’s northeastern coast in March 2011 after a 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake, the strongest in the country’s recorded history.

Tiger killed after attacks in S. Africa

A TIGER who escaped from a farm and roamed the countryside outside of Johannesburg for four days, attacking a man and killing several animals, was euthanized on Wednesday, a local community leader said.

Activists supporting the prosecution of the men, including Etsuko Kudo, a former resident of the Fukushima region, gathered outside the court to express their anger.

“How should I explain this ruling to kids in Fukushima who have been through so much pain?” Kudo, 68, told AFP.

“It’s unbelievable that people who are re-

The tsunami left 18,500 people dead or missing, but no one was recorded as having been directly killed by the nuclear accident, which forced evacuations and left parts of the surrounding area uninhabitable.

Wednesday’s verdict affirmed a non-guilty ruling in September 2019 for the ex-bosses from the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

The men – former TEPCO chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata, and former vice-presidents Sakae Muto and Ichiro Takekuro – had faced up to five years in prison if convicted. AFP

Macau jails former ‘junket king’ Alvin Chau for 18 years

MACAU’S former “junket king” Alvin Chau was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 years in jail for running an illegal gambling empire, ending a criminal trial that shocked the casino hub and toppled one of its highest-profile gaming tycoons.

The 48-year-old founder of Suncity Group pioneered the junket industry that brought high rollers from mainland China to Macau, the only place in the country where casinos operate legally.

At its peak during the 2010s, junkets contributed the bulk of gaming revenue for the former Portuguese colony, which boasted a pre-pandemic casino industry

bigger than Las Vegas.

Chau’s downfall coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s years-long anti-corruption drive, which has included much closer scrutiny of corrupt officials who might travel to Macau to place bets and launder money.

Prosecutors charged Chau with 289 counts of fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling.

Judge Lou Ieng Ha on Wednesday found Chau guilty of fraud, running a criminal syndicate and operating illegal bets, but acquitted him on the money laundering charge. AFP

The eight-year-old female Bengal tiger was put down just before dawn after it killed a dog, the latest in a series of attacks that followed its escape from an enclosure at a private farm on Saturday, Gresham Mandy, a member of a local safety volunteer group in Walkerville, 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Johannesburg, told AFP.

Tigers are not native to South Africa, but in recent years their breeding has become common in the country.

Following its escape, the tiger named Sheba, attacked a 39-year-old man, who survived the assault and was hospitalised with injuries to his legs.

It also killed a dog and a deer and mauled another dog so badly that it had to be put down, Mandy said.

Dozens of people, including animal experts and members of the community group tracked the big cat using drones and helicopters.

The decision to put her down was made after her latest kill.

“She killed the dog in a private farm with dwellings where six families reside, it was becoming too much of a risk,” Mandy said. AFP

TOKYO’S High Court upheld on Wednesday the acquittal of three former executives from the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, again clearing them of professional negligence over the 2011 disaster.

A court official told AFP the trio’s appeal had been dismissed in the only criminal trial to arise from the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

sponsible for such

YELLOW BLACK

CRASH SITE. A military stands at the site where a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten outside the capital Kyiv, killing sixteen people, including two children and Ukrainian interior minister Denys Monastyrsky on January 18, 2023 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP UNDERWATER LION DANCE.

Stock index climbs to nine-month high

STOCKS climbed to a nine-month high Wednesday, on hopes for China’s recovery and reports of easing inflation in major economies that may encourage central banks to temper their interest rate hikes.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Exchange, gained 80 points, or 1.15 percent, to close at 7,094.86, as all six subsectors advanced, led by services.

Staff shortages dent Hong Kong’s bid to recapture travel hub status

HONG KONG, China—Regional airlines are struggling to ramp up flights to Hong Kong because of staff shortages at the airport, slowing the city’s plan to recapture its travel hub status, industry insiders have told AFP.

Hong Kong, which calls itself Asia’s World City, once had one of the globe’s busiest -- and best-connected -- airports.

That evaporated during the coronavirus pandemic as authorities imposed more than two years of travel curbs and quarantine rules.

The business hub has begun reopening with leader John Lee proclaiming in November that “Hong Kong is back.”

But around 20 regional Asian airlines have been unable to restart or increase services to the city despite months of negotiations with ground handling services, five airline executives told AFP, asking not to be named.

The executives complained that ground handling companies were upping fees by 30 to 100 percent and prioritizing parent companies or mostly Chinese airlines that they have close or direct, business ties to.

Some warned it was becoming difficult to convince their headquarters to keep a presence in Hong Kong.

“What an irony to say ‘Hong Kong is back’,” one of those interviewed told AFP.

“How can Hong Kong continue to be ‘Asia’s World City’ if everyone other than the few big companies can never come back?”

In 2019, Hong Kong had 46,000 support staff handling nearly 420,000 flights and more than 71 million passengers. AFP

It was also up by more than 8 percent since the start of the year.

The broader all-share index also went up by 34 points, or 0.95 percent, to settle at 3,692.51 on a value turnover of nearly P8 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 124 to 82, while 47 shares were unchanged.

Seven of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Converge ICT Inc. which jumped 9.07 percent to P19.00 and International Container Terminal Services Inc. which rose 4.92 percent to P221.60.

Other Asian markets also rose Wednesday to maintain their strong start to the year, with Tokyo soaring and the

yen tumbling after the Bank of Japan decided against further tweaking monetary policy.

Weak earnings from banking titan Goldman Sachs, a jobs warning by Microsoft, and a plunge in manufacturing data highlighted the bumpy road ahead for the United States, the world’s top economy, despite optimism over inflation and the improving interest rate outlook.

Still, hopes for China’s recovery continued to provide much-needed support, with Vice Premier Liu He telling the Davos forum that growth will likely rebound this year as the country reopens after zero-Covid while adding that Co-

vid infections had peaked.

His comments came after data showed the Chinese economy expanded last year at its slowest pace since 1976—excluding pandemic-hit 2020—but beat forecasts.

The news added to hopes for a global recovery after last year’s pain caused by rising prices, rate hikes, China’s economic woes, a spike in energy costs and the war in Ukraine.

“Last fall, there was broad consensus that China was in the wrong place, Europe was slipping into a recession, and the Fed was ultimately caught ‘wrong-footed’ by very sticky inflation,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes. With AFP

TOP GAINERS

LAST

1 PHA 0.39 0.09 30.00%

2 DWC 1.74 0.25 16.78% 3 ECP 4.37 0.57 15.00%

4 ELI 0.214 0.024 12.63%

5 ACR 0.92 0.1 12.20%

6 ATN 0.415 0.045 12.16% 7 PBB 11 1.09 11.00% 8 CNVRG 19 1.58 9.07% 9 ATNB 0.41 0.03 7.89%

10 T 0.58 0.04 7.41%

TOP LOSERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 ALHI 5.22 -0.67 -11.38%

2 DIZ 3.61 -0.39 -9.75%

3 VMC 3.26 -0.29 -8.17%

4 TFHI 95 -7 -6.86%

5 ALCO 0.55 -0.04 -6.78%

6 IDC 0.91 -0.05 -5.21%

7 SLF 2500 -100 -3.85%

8 EVER 0.26 -0.01 -3.70%

9 NOW 2.36 -0.09 -3.67%

International tourist arrivals doubled in 2022, UN says

MADRID, Spain—International tourist arrivals doubled in 2022 over the previous year and should reach near prepandemic levels in 2023 thanks to the lifting of travel restrictions, especially in China, the UN’s tourism body said Tuesday.

There were 917 million global tourist arrivals last year, up from 455 million in 2021, the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization said in a report, calling it “stronger than expected results”.

While the number of international arrivals last year was still just 63 percent of the level posted in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the UN body predicts it could reach 80 percent to 95 percent in 2023.

“A new year brings more reason for optimism for global tourism,” the body’s secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, said in a statement.

The report said international tourism

is set to consolidate its recovery in 2023, backed by pent-up demand, particularly from Asia and the Pacific as destinations and markets open up.

“In the short term, the resumption of travel from China is likely to benefit Asian destinations in particular,” it added.

“At the same time, robust demand from the United States, backed by a strong US dollar, will continue to benefit destinations in the region and beyond. Europe, in particular, will benefit.”

Travel in and out of China dropped dramatically from 2019 levels under Beijing’s strict Covid curbs which allbut shut China’s borders for three years before they were reopened earlier this month.

The restrictions had left a gaping hole in the Asian travel market, where countries from Thailand to Japan had de-

Cap on credit card rates against consumers’ welfare

LIKE water seeking the lowest level to move on, interest rates on credit cards should go down when exposed to competing market forces.

Putting a cap on interest rates will not necessarily bring down the cost of borrowing and protect consumers from high prices. Rather, the cap gives consumers limited options on their money.

They will be subjected to price control, which we all know leads to production inefficiency and offers no leeway for costs to go down.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) seems to be ignoring the gravity force with its plan to adjust the cap on monthly interest rates on credit card debt to 3 percent from 2 percent.

The plan goes against the principle of allowing market forces to dictate the pricing of products--in this case the interest rate on credit cards.

Politicians, naturally eager to score “pogi” points to their constituents, offered their two cents’ worth to get the attention of consumers and voters in the next elections.

Rep. Joey Salceda, for one, said lifting the interest rate cap as favored by many banks would only result in lenders increasing their profits at the expense of consumers, who would pay the higher cost of borrowing.

Rep. Luis Campos Jr.,.on the other hand, called on the cap to be retained to provide financial relief to consumers reeling from the impact of more expensive basic goods.

Having the cap in reality is an anticonsumer initiative. To promote the welfare of consumers, the best route is to lift the cap and let the private sector determine interest rates on credit cards.

It goes without saying that the BSP’s plan is not the ideal course of action for consumers.

The primary reason why the cap is anti-consumer is because it makes the approval of getting a credit card harder for many Filipinos.

To determine who should get a credit card, banks rely on several factors, such as the track record of paying debt and annual income. When a bank accepts a person’s credit card application, it sees that person as responsible enough to pay the debt, along with the applicable interest payments, on time.

Lower interest rates are usually reserved for people of good financial standing, or those who have a stable source of income and have proven they can back their debt on time. Higher interest rates, meanwhile, are reserved for first-time borrowers or those who cannot pay their debt on time.

The cap inadvertently forces banks to give credit cards to people of good financial standing and eschew firsttime borrowers and other subprime borrowers as banks could think they are taking too many risks in giving credit cards to them.

From the point of view of the banking industry, the cap hurts its business as lenders are being forced to limit their products to good financial standing. The cap, thus, restricts the potential of credit card products to deeply penetrate the market.

This hurts consumers, too. While there may be alternatives to credit cards such as GCredit or Atome, there are not too many options for consumers in the market for now.

Lending products in the market currently have a low penetration rate given that most Filipinos borrow from

their families and relatives. There are those who even borrow from gray market lenders, such as the so-calles “5-6.”

The cap makes it harder for credit card products to realize their full potential in the Filipino market. That, in turn, has an effect on the progress of financial inclusion in the Philippines.

Should the cap be lifted, some banks could initially offer higher interest rates than others. But due to competition, they cannot charge too high because it will drive consumers to choose other banks that offer lower interest rates.

It is even possible to never pay any interest on credit card debt at all. A consumer can do this by paying his debt before the due date comes.

Fortunately, banks in general offer interest-free periods lasting a few weeks—which can make settling payments easier for consumers.

Any cap set by the BSP brings more risks than benefits to consumers. It must be lifted completely.

However, one should note that the benefits will not be felt immediately. The market would need time to adjust to the new operating environment created by the policy of lifting the cap.

In public policy, it is important to implement measures that benefit the consumers in the long run.

Lifting the cap falls under that, and that’s all that matters despite the expected backlash from politicians.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com

pended on China as their largest source of foreign visitors.

Analysts expect Chinese airlines are likely to make significant increases to capacity from the end of March, with the start of the summer scheduling season.

China was the world’s largest outbound tourist market in 2019 and the removal of its virus travel restrictions “is a significant and much-welcomed step to the recovery of the tourism sector,” the report said.

But the UN body warned that high inflation and interest rates, fears of a global recession and the “uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine” could hamper the recovery of the sector in 2023.

“Tourists are expected to increasingly seek value for money and travel close to home in response to the challenging economic environment,” it added. AFP

10 UPM 0.0053 -0.0002 -3.64%

1 BDO 5,099,850 632,283,746

2 SM 658,560 613,304,040 3 ICT 2,456,560 532,418,412 4 ALI 13,946,300 450,904,320 5 TEL 223,415 327,328,880

6 BPI 2,614,940 292,401,369 7 EMI 11,961,500 243,388,865 8 CNVRG 12,815,900 235,301,736

SMPH 5,925,500 226,927,335

JFC 868,660 217,496,124

ence, the researchers said.

“Low participation rates of 12 to 43 percent are needed to provide short-term grid storage demand globally,” study co-author Chengjian Xu, of Leiden University in The Netherlands, told AFP.

Renewable energy is essential for the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below two degrees Celsius, but the need to scale up quickly and the intermittency of wind and solar have raised concerns about meeting electricity demand.

One way to help solve this problem is boosting the storage capacity of electricity grids, so that even when there is no sun or wind energy supply won’t be interrupted.

New research published Tuesday found that electric car batteries could help boost short-term grid storage in times of increased demand or lower supply, either by setting up “vehicle-togrid” or “second use” schemes.

“Harnessing this potential will have critical implications for the energy transition,” said the study published in Nature Communications.

A “vehicle-to-grid” approach would allow drivers to connect car batteries to the grid for short term-storage when needed, the authors said.

For example, commercial fleets could inject power into the grid when at a depot.

“Second-use” schemes would allow drivers to sell or donate car batteries once they can no longer be used to power vehicles, which is generally when their capacity falls below 70 to 80 percent.

Micro-payments

Even a low level of participation from drivers could make a big differ-

“Short-term grid storage demand could be met as early as 2030 across most regions”, he added, saying this was a conservative estimate.

By 2050, it would exceed the storage capacity required to help limit global warming to well below 2C, as outlined by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The work examined global data -including from the main electric car battery markets in China, India, the European Union, and the United States —taking into consideration average driving distances, driver behavior, and temperature, all of which can affect car battery health.

The authors said governments should introduce incentives and regulations to ensure vehicle-to-grid and second use schemes can take off.

“This can include market-based efforts such as micro-payments for services to the grid,” Chengjian said, adding that vehicle-to-grid use would have little harm on battery life.

Some car firms such as Hyundai and Renault are already testing vehicles equipped with vehicle-to-grid technology, while some Teslas are already compatible.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that there will be some 200 million electric vehicles sold in 2030—about 20 percent of all cars sold—an 11-fold increase from today’s numbers. AFP

PARIS, France—Electric car batteries could be used to boost power storage in the future, injecting electricity into the grid during times of scarcity or storing electricity during periods of excess, a new study found Tuesday.

TRANSATLANTIC TRADE. European Union trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis (center) and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai (left) address the press on recent developments in transatlantic trade at the Berlaymont Building, headquarters of the European Commission, in Brussels, on Jan. 17, 2023. AFP

IN BRIEF

US semiconductor group explores PH opportunities

THE US-based Semiconductor Industry Association paid a visit to the Board of Investments to share investment prospects and business opportunities in the Philippines, following the passage of the CHIPS Act of the United States.

SIA chief executive officer John Neuffer and vice president for global policy Jimmy Goodrich discussed with BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo the possible collaboration in the electronics and semiconductor industries.

“While the CHIPS Act aims to increase the capacity of the US semiconductor industry, we recognize that we cannot do it all in the US. And that’s where countries like the Philippines have an opportunity.

The CHIPS Act encourages manufacturing in the US, but rather than reshoring all manufacturing activities, it is more of rebalancing the supply chain,” Neuffer said.

SIA officials recognized the Philippines as a critical player in the global semiconductor industry and a major hub for semiconductor assembly and test manufacturing.

The pandemic has forced global businesses to rethink their supply chain strategies and consider diversification of suppliers to mitigate disruptions in their business operations, the two executives said. Othel V. Campos

NPC seeks to tap funds from universal charges

THE Energy Regulatory Commission said it would expedite the review of National Power Corp.’s petition to avail of the universal charge for missionary electrification.

The UC-ME funds the programs and projects of the NPC, which is mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 to perform the missionary electrification through the Small Power Utilities Group.

“In view of the various correspondences received by the ERC from several new power providers and qualified third parties informing the commission of the circumstances surrounding the delay of the NPC in the payment of UC-ME subsidy billing, please be advised that the commission is already in the process of evaluating all pending petitions of NPC for the approval of its availment from the UC-ME and all other similar applications involving the UC-ME,” the ERC said in an advisory.

The NPC said the continuous increase in the average price of diesel led to the depletion of the state-owned power firm’s allotted funds for fuel. Alena Mae S. Flores

Bayad, Eplayment sign partnership deal

BAYAD, the largest multi-channel payment platform in the Philippines, teamed up with Eplayment, a creator and esports platform aggregator which offers a one-stop shop payment service through its flagship product, the Eplayment wallet.

Marrying the experience of fintech and entertainment, Eplayment launched Epaygames in 2020, with the goal of extending its e-wallet service to customers, businesses and content creators in the e-gaming and entertainment space. Apart from enabling fund transfer, it also offers prepaid loading and digital purchase of game and entertainment credits.

Bayad powers the bill payment capability of Eplayment covering services for electric and water utility, cable and internet, government contributions, loan payments, school tuition fees, online shopping, insurance and others.

The partnership will soon enable game publishers, content creators and other entertainment merchants to monetize their content and accept payouts through Bayad’s physical and digital payment touchpoints.

KEPCO divesting interests in SPC and Cebu coal project

By Alena Mae S. Flores

KOREA Electric Power Corp., a South Korean stateowned energy generation group, said Wednesday it is in the second round of the sale process for its interest in a coal-fired power plant in Cebu and stake in local firm SPC Power Corp.

KEPCO Philippines Holdings Inc. owns a 60-percent stake in KEPCO SPC Power Corp., the project company that owns and operates a 200-megawatt circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power plant in Naga, Cebu. KPHI also has a

37.96-interest in SPC Power Corp., based on the latter’s latest regulatory filings.

KEPCO said the move aimed to strengthen its commitment to carbon neutrality and its plan for a complete coal phase-out by 2050.

The Cebu coal plant has been supplying stable and efficient power to the Visayas region since its operation in 2011.

KPHI said it would continue to operate in the Philippines as the company has an existing investment in Solar Phils. Calatagan Corp. and is looking to invest more in renewable energy.

“Since the distribution of a teaser in October, several domestic and foreign bidders expressed high interest in the assets and subsequently submitted preliminary bids,” KEPCO said in a statement. It said among the interested bid-

ders is SPC.

“Despite the worldwide ESG movement, the country’s rising electricity demands and reliance on coal as power source, allowed for competitive bids,” the company said.

KEPCO appointed Samil PwC as its financial advisor for the sale of its 60-percent stake in the Cebu coal plant and its stake in SPC in June 2022.

It said the Cebu plant’s circulating fluidized bed combustion technology, regarded as the environmentally-optimized combustion process among coalfired power plants, was the critical factor for the interest from the investors’ perspective.

KEPCO said shortlisted bidders invited to the second round were expected to submit final offers by the first quarter. The bidders are undergoing due diligence and site visits.

0.266276 14.5893

0.754660 41.3478

0.000066 0.0036

0.030321 1.6613

0.272301 14.9194

1.078900 59.1129

Won 0.000808 0.0443

Yuan 0.147734 8.0943

Rupee 0.012250 0.6712

Ringgit 0.231214 12.6682

Zealand Dollar 0.642700 35.2135

Dollar 0.033055 1.8111 Source: BSP

AREIT gets SEC nod on property-for-share swap with Ayala Land

By Jenniffer B. Austria

AREIT Inc., the pioneer real estate investment trust company in the Philippines, said Wednesday it obtained the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval on its planned P11.25-billion property-for-share swap deal with parent Ayala Land Inc.

The deal will enable AREIT to acquire six Cebu-based office buildings from ALI, boosting its gross leasable area by 22.6 percent to 673,000 square meters from 549,000 sq. m.

The six buildings are eBloc Towers 1 to 4 located at Cebu IT Park, ACC Tower and Tech Tower at Ayala Center Cebu. The office buildings have GLA of 124,299 sq. m., with an overall occupancy rate of 97 percent, leased by major business process outsourcing firms.

AREIT said that in exchange for the six office buildings, ALI would subscribe to 52.136 million AREIT shares. This will increase ALI’s stake in AREIT to 66 percent from 60.32 percent.

The new assets are expected to contribute to earnings of the company in the succeeding periods, it said.

“As the first Philippine REIT which successfully listed amidst the pandemic, AREIT aspires to further grow its leasing portfolio with prime and stable assets,” AREIT said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

BSP sees local banks posting double-digit growth in loans, deposits

By Julito G. Rada

THE domestic banking industry is expected to remain stable in the next two years as the economy’s sustained resilience amid the domestic and external headwinds will translate into more loans and deposits, a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas official said Wednesday.

BSP director for supervisory research and policy department Maria Cynthia Sison said during the 4th Regional Macroeconomic Conference Series online briefing that the strength of Philippine banks in 2022 would likely continue in the succeeding years.

She said banks could post a “doubledigit growth in assets, deposits and net

income” in the next two years as the gross domestic product is expected to grow above 6 percent in the same period.

Sison said the non-performing loan ratio could also improve to a manageable 2 percent to 3 percent in the next two years. NPLs or soured loans pose risks to the asset quality of banks as borrowers are likely to default on their debts.

The government earlier projected a 6-percent to 7-percent economic expansion this year, slower than what was expected for 2022, on continued risks emanating from the external front such as higher interest rates, slowdown in major economies and continuing Ukraine-

Russia war.

Annual growth is expected to pick up in 2024 to 2028 at 6.5 percent to 8 percent, as the government pushes for strategies and interventions under the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028.

Sison said the banking system’s performance would continue to be supportive of economic growth going forward.

She said latest data showed the industry’s assets expanded by 8.9 percent year-on-year to P22.2 trillion of as end-November 2022. Total deposits increased 7.4 percent to P17 trillion.

“Banks’ assets are funded mostly by deposits. This means that banks continue to maintain the trust and confidence of the public,” Sison said.

AREIT said the share swap would be accretive and potentially increase the overall yield to 5 percent once the new assets are infused, from 4 percent in 2022.

AREIT said that after receiving the SEC approval, it would apply for the Bureau of Internal Revenue certificate authorizing registration for the new assets and the listing of the shares in favor of ALI within the first quarter.

AREIT earlier reported plans to grow its asset portfolio at an average of 100,000 sq. m. of GLA in 2023 and 2024 and achieve total shareholder return range of 10 percent to 12 percent.

The share price of AREIT fell 0.28 percent Wednesday to close at P35.60.

CATS

had signed an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in CATS. The agreement is expected to be completed in the second half of the year.

CATS

He did not provide the timetable for the introduction of EVs in the market, as the first one-and-a-half years of the partnership would focus on integration of businesses. “It is part of the plan, and all of the brands have plans to do so,” Ang said.

Pag-IBIG released P118-b loans for 105,212 housing units in 2022

line with the objective of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program,” said Acuzar.

It

Pag-IBIG

and construction of 105,212 homes for its members, up by 11 percent from the 94,533 homes financed in 2021.

“We are happy to report that Pag-IBIG

“Pag-IBIG Fund’s performance is a testament to our united and unwavering efforts to resolve the country’s housing backlog, in

Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive Marilene Acosta said the number of housing units financed last year was a new record and marked the first time the agency financed more than 100,000 housing units in a year.

She said that of the total housing units financed by the agency, 18,657 or 18 percent were socialized housing units which are now owned by members from the minimum-wage and low-income sectors.

“In certain segments, the market is ripe [for EVs]. Over the past year, we have been hearing a lot of demand from our customers, and we will react to that demand,” Ang said.

Ang said affordability, environmental conservation and infrastructure would be the major factors that would drive demand for EVs in the country.

Ruslan Kinebas, Inchcape’s chief executive for Asia-Pacific, said the joint venture would be able to effectively compete in the EV market in the Philippines, given its portfolio of OEMs (original equipment manufacturer).

Inchcape on Tuesday announced that

CATS Group, founded by businessman Felix Ang in 1989 as 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.

Since 2003, 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.

Ang said CATS Group has for 35-percent market share of the domestic luxury vehicle market.

Ang said, however, the group’s sales remained affected by the global supply chain problems.

“By far, the demand has so far outstripped the supply, We’ve had difficulty in supplying sales to a lot of our customers, and we have a very long waiting list,” he said.

Ang said that despite the supply problems, the group planned to introduce new models that are competitive and would provide growth opportunities.

Pag-IBIG Fund released a record P117.85 billion in home loans to finance the construction of over 100,000 housing units of members in 2022, top executives said Wednesday.

said the amount represented an increase of 21 percent or P20.57 billion from P97.28 billion it released in 2021.

financed the acquisition

Fund has once again set a new record-high in home loan releases in 2022. This is very good news because as the amount of home loans we release increases, so does the number of Filipinos who now have homes of their own,” said Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, who heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Joint venture of CATS and Inchcape to launch electric vehicle models in PH

Group of Companies, the leading distributor of luxury vehicles in the Philippines, plans to introduce electronic vehicles across brands following its partnership with British automotive distributor Inchcape Plc., top executives said Wednesday.

Group chief operating officer Frankie Ang said in a news briefing that bringing electric vehicles to the local market “is part of the plan.”

CALAX INSPECTION. Officials of the Toll Regulatory Board, together with executives of MPCALA Holdings Inc. conduct a regular inspection on the 14-kilometer operational segment of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway. The regulator’s inspectorate team, led by TRB officer-in-charge Josephine Turbolencia, looked into the expressway’s technological, safety and security features, toll plaza operations, including the Automatic License Plate Recognition cameras and RFID system. TRB also checked the progress of the upcoming Silang (Aguinaldo) segment of CALAX, which remained unfinished due to right-of-way issues critical to its construction completion. Roy Tomandao

Malixi ties for 6th at Annika golf in Florida Sports

RIANNE Malixi bucked an early mishap with a barrage of birdies as she came through with a tournament-best eight-under 65 to rally from way back and tie for sixth in the Annika Invitational topped by American Ashleen Kaur in come-from-behind fashion in Orlando, Florida Tuesday.

Birdies, which proved elusive in the first two days, came like rain in the final round for the rising Filipina star, who rattled off nine, highlighted by a couple of three-birdie binges on Nos. 7 and 12, leading to a 33-32 round and besting the previous tournament-best of 66s posted by Kaur and erstwhile leader Alice Zhao at the par-73 Eagle Creek course Monday.

From tied 26th, the ICTSI-backed ace, who shot seven birdies against four bogeys and a double bogey in the first two rounds (72-73), bogeyed No. 3 but birdied four of the next six holes then dominated the backside with five more birdies as she salvaged a share of sixth place with Nika Ito (67) and Kiara Romero (70) at nine-under 210.

She wound up six strokes behind Kaur but her strong finish underscored the promise that the 15-year-old prodigy packs heading to her next campaign –the Queen Sirikit Invitational back home at Manila Southwoods next month.

But Kaur took the spotlight in a day of changing fortunes, snatching the crown with a stirring closing eagle feat for a 69 and edging Zhao by one on a 204 total.

The Chinese, who seized the solo control with a second round 66, firmed up her lead with a solid frontside 33 but bogeys on Nos. 10 and 14, which Kaur birdied, enabled the latter to snatch the lead.

Zhao, however, proved far from being finished, birdying the par-5 16th to tie. After the pair traded bogeys under tremendous pressure on the par-3 17th, Kaur came through with a pair of solid shots to set up an eagle bid which she made, frustrating the former, who lost despite a closing birdie for a 71.

Filipino-British TikToker Papi earning raves for boxing skills

By Randy Caluag

he tweeted: “Man, Salt Papi needs to just turn professional.”

World International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Sunny Edwards of the UK said Salt Papi can go professional and go down in weight.

“Nah, I hope you realize Salt Papi can actually fight. It’s not fair him fighting these man,” he said in a Twitter post, accompanied by smile emoji.

transformation from a chubby comedian into a hard-striking pugilist.

Salt Papi, who was born in the Philippines and moved to the United Kingdom as a teenager, rose to fame on TikTok mimicking Salt Bae’s patented style of seasoning his food with salt.

His first boxing match happened in March last year, when he won convincingly against another Youtube influencer Hamad Khan.

The 27-year-old “TikToker” scored yet another sensational victory atop the boxing ring by knocking out Mixed Martial Arts athlete-turned-boxer Josh Brueckner before a huge crowd at the OVO Arena Wembley in London.

Salt Papi’s third straight win via a one-punch win in the second round of their crossover boxing has prompted noted pugilists to call for him to turn professional.

World-rated Ryan Garcia looked so impressed,

Noted boxing website Bad Left Hook praised Salt Papi for a good display “a level of footwork, ability to control distance, hand speed, and timing that has simply set him apart.”

Salt Papi, whose reported real name is Busta Breezy, inflicted Bruckner’s first boxing loss in four matches. The latter also had six fights in his MMA career.

What makes Salt Papi special is that he has been beating taller, brawny opponents. Salt Papi, though, still looked a bit overweight despite his

In August, he knocked out Andy Warski in 29 seconds.

He was noticed by DAZN PPV, the same outfit that promotes crossover boxing events, featuring Jake Logan, Anderson Silva, Floyd Mayweather, and Mike Tyson, putting him against Brueckner.

Turning professional though is not yet on Salt Papi’s immediate goals as he looks forward to facing American socmed star-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

Mocaibat crowned kingpin of Sharks 10-Ball

BASETH “Kingpin” Mocaibat demolished Chang ‘Fire Dragon’ Jung-Lin of Chinese Taipei to reign supreme in the Sharks Oneon-One Race to 63 10-Ball Championship that concluded Monday night at the stateof-the-art Sharks Billiards and Pool Arena in Diliman,Quezon City.

Miranda new FEU coach; Santiago stays on with UE

By Peter Atencio

FORMER collegiate standout Denok Miranda has a new role with the Far Eastern University Tamaraws men’s basketball team—as head coach of the squad in the coming 86th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

The school announced on Wednesday their acquisition of Miranda, who was a member of FEU’s champion team that won back-to-back crowns in Seasons 66 and 67.

Miranda replaces Olsen Racela, who coached FEU from 2016 to 2022.

“Far Eastern University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dennis ‘Denok’ Miranda as the new head coach of the FEU Tamaraws Men’s Basketball Team. Denok brings with him over 12 years of playing experience in the PBA and is a two-time UAAP champion,” said the University in a statement.

Miranda coached a squad in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and was an assistant coach for the Tamaraws since 2018.

Mark Isip will be his assistant, while cage great Johnny Abarrientos accepted the role of team consultant.

Meanwhile, the University of the East Red Warriors will have head coach Jack Santiago staying on after he signed a new two-year contract.

Santiago will be back to help lead the Red Warriors in shape and into their best finish since 2015.

Santiago’s contract was renewed after it expired last Sunday.

The

The Kingpin from Dasmariñas City in Cavite and a ranking pool artist in the country took control of the game in the early goings of the gruelling three-stage, Raceto-63 duel to extinguish any attempt and hot pursuit by the Taiwanese Fire Dragon in their January 14 opening tussle. Mocaibat went on to post a 21-6 lead.

Chang again failed to catch fire in the ensuing January 15 penultimate stage, enabling Mocaibat to widen his lead, 42-24, and zero in on in his coronation in the tournament organized by Sharks Billiards League of tournament director Hadley Mariano and supported by Bugsy Promotion, Hardtimes Sports Bar, Andy Billiards Cloth and Billiards

Managers and Players Association of the Philippines.

Mocaibat foiled every attack by Chang and masterfully kept his rival at bay in the third and final stage en route to a 63-39 annihilation as he was crowned king of the 10ball tourney sanctioned by the Games and Amusement Board.

“Heavy pa rin ang mga pambato nating bilyarista. Malaking tulong ang mga ganitong uri ng kumpetisyon na may mahuhusay na dayuhang kalaban. Kaya tuluy-tuloy ang Sharks sa pagtuklas ng mga potential at international caliber pool players,” said Hadley, son of prominent businessman/ billiards patron Perry Mariano of Quezon City. “Itong bagong format ng Sharks na safety after the break ay kakaiba na sa SBL lang implemented kung saan ay pinapahalagahan ang dunong at safety play ng isang player tulad ni Baseth”.

Aside from the cash prize, Mocaibat gained points that moved him ahead in the local billiards ranking by the BMPAP.

PATAFA, Philtra join forces to develop trail running

The training camp is made possible through the

efforts of the Philippine trail running community, led by Philtra.

Capistrano shared the tremendous pride of bearing the Philippine flag on one’s uniforms brings and how it boosts an athlete’s motivation to train for competitions.

Philtra vice-president Tin Ferrara announced that the Philtra Championship Finals, to be held in Bontoc on February 25 and 26, 2023 shall serve as the final selection ranking points race for the participants. A team of runners will be chosen to represent in the World Mountain Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck, Austria and other selected overseas competitions where they can represent the flag.

While not all the running camp participants will be chosen, Philtra vice-president for Legal Francis Baclay emphasized that the activity paves the way for a formal athlete discovery, development, and

Onifa

FILIPINO-BRITISH social media star Salt Papi is taking the boxing world by storm.

Salt Papi proudly displays the Philippine ag after his knockout win over Josh Brueckner.

PHILIPPINE Athletics Track and Field Association president Agapito “Terry” Capistrano and secretary general Edward Kho formally welcomed the participants of the Philtra Trail Running Camp, the future talents of the sport in a dinner hosted by Heroes Hotel last January 16.

Philtra Trail Running Camp is a week-long intensive development program for the Philippines’ elite trail running athletes and candidates for the Philtra National Development Team.

concerted

Riera U. Mallari, Editor;

Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

Baseth ‘Kingpin Mocaibat

PATAFA president Terry Capistrano and his secretary general Edward Kho, with Philtra officials and athletes training program. After welcoming the participants, Philtra recognized several Philippine trail running athletes for their exceptional performance in 2022 international races, despite having to compete in their personal capacities.

They are Ces Wael, Angeli Cabalo and Majo Liao, Larry Apolonario, Koi Grey, and Arnie Macaneras, who topped the race in Malaysia; Ces Wael, who ranked third in her category in UTMB World Series

Race in Thailand; and Arnie Macaneras, who won the Asia Trail Master Championships.

A special recognition was likewise given to John Ray Onifa, who has consistently ranked among the world’s best trail running athletes.

represented the Philippines at the 2022 WMTRC as endorsed by PATAFA and facilitated by Philtra.

John Ray Onifa is also participating as trainer/ mentor in such running camp.

Rianne Malixi (right) holds her trophy (Top 10) with golf legend and Swede Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, under whose honor the event is held.

Brownlee: I will try my best to make Filipinos proud

IN front of more than 54,000 fans at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan last Sunday, Justin Brownlee wrapped up his mission for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Now he sets off to accomplish another task, this time for millions of Filipinos as a key member of Gilas Pilipinas for the sixth and final window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers next month.

Hours after leading the Kings to the championship against Hong Kong’s Bay Area Dragons in Game 7 of the conference Finals, Brownlee completed the first of three remaining tasks leading to his naturalization Monday, taking his oath of allegiance as a Filipino citizen at the Philippine Senate in Pasay City.

Two more steps remain for Brownlee for him to be able to exercise all the rights and privileges of a Filipino citizen, and be eligible to play as one for Gilas Pilipinas: secure a certification of naturalization from the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation and acquire a Philippine passport from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Both documents are expected to be secured in the next few days.

After hurdling the mandatory process of naturalization in the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the President signing into law the legislative measure known as Republic Act No. 11937, Brownlee was sworn in by Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, in the presence of fellow Senators Christopher ‘Bong’ Go and JV Ejercito, and Rep. Juliet Marie de Leon Ferrer, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Justice.

Accompanying Brownlee, who is slated to banner Gilas Pilipinas against Lebanon on February 24 and Jordan on February 27, both at the Philippine Arena, were Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Sonny Barrios, Deputy Executive Director Butch Antonio, and legal counsel Edgar Francisco.

“As a citizen, I will try my best to make the Filipino people proud. I want to keep making you guys proud and to do whatever I can to help the national team,” Brownlee said during the oathtaking ceremony, which was packed by TV station crew and media lasted nearly two hours.

“I feel great and I’m pretty excited to be representing the country,” Brownlee, in a traditional Barong Tagalog and dark pants and shoes, said just before the swearing-in. “Representing Ginebra, of course, is a huge thing; it’s a big deal as far as basketball is concerned over here in the Philippines. But representing the country is an even bigger deal. That’s why in that series (against Bay Area), it felt like we were representing the whole country.”

Plans to visit his family in the United States are on hold for Brownlee, with the PBA season-ending Govenors’ Cup kicking off on January 22 at the Philsports Arena and national coach Chot Reyes about to start Gilas Pilipinas’ once-a-week practice on Monday.

“I don’t think I have any time,” he said. “Maybe if we have time, I would have.”

Sen. Tolentino, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said he is honored to have played an instrumental part in the naturalization effort.

“I join the millions of Filipino basketball fans in having the great honor of embracing Justin Brownlee as a Filipino citizen,” he said. “Not only does his character exemplify the need for hard work, dedication and discipline and are being highlighted to the youth today, what’s more important is that Justin Brownlee’s place in Philippine sports will be further fortified and solidified with his Filipino citizenship.

“It was an honor to be part of the journey, as chairman of the Committee on Justice, in having him become a Filipino citizen. Karangalan ko po na tulungan at suportahan ang aspirasyon ni Justin Brownlee na maging Pilipino, na kanyang minithi nang apat na taon na ang nakalilipas. Sa hangad po natin nang maayos na basketball team, natulungan din po natin ang ating mga kabataan dahil magsisilbi siyang halimbawa ng disiplina, sipag at dedikasyon sa isang gawain. Mabuhay po ang Pilipinas, mabuhay po si Justin Brownlee, mabuhay po ang SBP.”

Rep. Ferrer, who shepherded the bill in Congress and pinned the Philippine flag on Brownlee’s collar, said she held no reservations in throwing her support behind the legislative measure when it was raised in the House

Nadal ‘destroyed mentally’ as injury curse strikes again

rollercoaster year.

After winning the Australian Open, he suffered a stress fracture of the ribs in March before requiring daily painkilling injections in his left foot to see him through to a 14th French Open title in June.

FEU-Diliman unbeaten in UAAP high school caging

FAR Eastern University-Diliman made it two in a row, while Adamson University barged into the win column Wednesday in the UAAP Season 85 high school boys basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

But the 36-year-old defending champion said he loved tennis and hopes to keep going, despite his latest injury disappointment.

The Spanish great hurt himself stretching for a shot in the second set against American Mackenzie McDonald, and while he battled on, his movement was hampered and he lost 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

Crashing out in the second round was his earliest defeat at a Grand Slam since 2016.

Top seed Nadal said he wasn’t sure if it was a muscle or joint problem with his hip but it had been with him for “a couple of days”.

“Sometimes it’s frustrating, sometimes it’s difficult to accept, sometimes you feel super-tired about all this stuff in terms of injuries,” said the 22-time Grand Slam winner.

“Now it’s a tough moment. It’s a tough day and you need to accept that and keep going. You know, in the end, I can’t complain about my life at all.

“(I) just can’t say that I am not de-

stroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying. It’s hard for me. But let’s see, hopefully it’s nothing too bad.”

The Spaniard’s legendary career has frequently been haunted by physical frailties, with 2022 another

Then his bid for a third Wimbledon crown was shattered by an abdominal injury.

Asked why he kept going, Nadal replied: “It’s a very simple thing: I like what I do. I like playing tennis. I know it’s not forever.

“I like to feel myself competitive. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more. And that’s it. It’s not that complicated to understand.”

But he also acknowledged that at his age it was getting harder to deal not only with injuries, but the recovery process then regaining fitness to compete at the level he expects.

“The last seven months have been, again, another tough period of time,” he said.

“I don’t know what can happen in the future. But I need to avoid again a long period of time outside (of the sport).

“Because if not, it’s tough.”

He added: “Let’s see how the injury is and then let’s see how I can manage to follow the calendar.” AFP

PH’s top table netters take on foreign teams at Flexible Cup

THE

27 and 29 at the Robinsons Novaliches.

Kheith Rhynne, currently the Philippines’ no.1-ranked female player at 16, teams up with younger brother and multi-titled junior campaigner Khevine for Team Joola as they battle it out against top local and foreign squads in the three-day event organized by the Table Tennis Association for National Development.

“Expect high-caliber table tennis action as our homegrown players trade skills with their foreign rivals. This is our own little way to help our young players get the right avenue to

develop their talents. Hats off also to our sponsors, led by Flexible Packaging product for helping us in our quest to strengthen table tennis in the grassroots level,” said organizing head Philip Uy.

Events to be played are team open, men’s single open, women’s single open, men’s single veteran 45-above, and men’s executive.

Kheith Rhynne is currently the face of local table tennis, dominating tournaments one after the other and becoming the youngest Pinay to play for the Philippine Team in the Southeast Asian Games in Manila in 2019, while his younger brother bagged a silver medal in the ITTF World Youth Contender ( U-11) in Bangkok, Thailand in September, 2022.

“As part of its objective to assist in

the development of table tennis in the country, TATAND hopes to develop and support more athletes like Kheith and Khevine,” sad Uy, also an active competitor in the Executive Class.

Foreign teams are the Chennai Lions of India, Gold Medal of Malaysia, Sunsports (Red) of Singapore, Sunsports (Blue) of Singapore, Xiom of Indonesia and PRG Bali TTC onf Indonesia.

Aside from Joola, the Philippines will be represented by Golden Star, UST- 1, Phil. Army-Tough Dog, ADMU – 1, ADMU-2, Ateneo, All Star Legend, ALTTEC, Bulakenyong Pingpongeros, DLSU, EC Jack, Semicon, Triple Charles, Toto Pol Fish Broker-Chawi Fishing, Trudel-Baptist Student Center, ILOILO; UP–Diliman, UST-2, UST3, UST-JR, UST-Sens Mieux, UST–Women and USTTC – CSB.

With newly-appointed FEU men’s basketball coach Denok Miranda temporarily taking over in the sidelines in lieu of Allan Albano, the Baby Tamaraws overpowered University of the East, 116-80, to remain unbeaten in the young season.

The Baby Falcons rebounded from last Sunday’s season-opening loss to Nazareth School of National University with a 78-60 romp of De La Salle-Zobel.

FEU-Diliman led by as much as 43 points to prevail even without its head coach Albano.

“Dine-dedicate itong game na ito sa father ni coach Allan (Albano), who passed away yesterday (Tuesday),” said Miranda.

Despite the convincing victory, Miranda was not satisfied the way the Baby Tamaraws allowed the Junior Warriors to put up a lot of points.

“Medyo mataas ang score, naka80 ang UE. Ang goal talaga namin is defense, iyon ang pina-prioritize namin,” said Miranda.

Strong Group is slowly picking up, says coach Tiu

EVEN with only a few practices, Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu is already pleased with what he’s been seeing so far from his team as it gears up for the Dubai 2023 International Championship.

With only a week left before the tournament starts on Jan. 27, Tiu and his crew, a perfect blend of veterans and young explosive players, are racing against time in their bid to keep the country’s dominance in the cagefest.

Strong Group, owned by Jacob Lao and backed by Mighty Sports and Acrocity Guiguinto, has been drawn in Group A of the tournament joining the United Arab Emirates national team, Al-Wahda from Syria, Dynamo from Lebanon and Al Nasr from Libya.

The youthful mentor was elated to see the team slowly take its form with the players shaking off cobwebs and the veterans also readily taking the leadership role.

“Team chemistry is slowly picking up. (Renaldo) Balkman has been our clear cut leader as always. They’re slowly getting in shape too. So that’s a good sign,” said Tiu, who happily

revealed that even the 22-year-old team owner has been joining the team’s practice.

Some of the players have already given quite an impression for Tiu, particularly, Jerom Lastimosa and BJ Andrade who both immediately strutted their wares in practice along with fellow young guns Ange Kouame, Will Gozum, Justine Baltazar, Francis Lopez, Inand Fornillos, JD Cagulangan and Fil-Am guard Sedrick Barefield.

Even former NBA star Nick Young, who is housed at the Discovery Primea, is enjoying his first trip in Manila and looking comfortable with the team’s young guns.

“Nick was also impressed,” added Tiu.

“Man, Jerom Lastimosa is really good. Best point guard in college for sure. He’s so much better than I thought,” Tiu said of the King Falcon.

“Bj Andrade also has impressed me, great teammate, does a lot of the little things apart from being a great shooter. It’s no wonder Ateneo won all those championships,” he added.

MELBOURNE—Rafael Nadal said he was “destroyed mentally” after slumping out of the Australian Open with a second-round defeat Wednesday in which he struggled badly with a hip injury.

Coach Charles Tiu (right) conducts the team’s practice sessions

Shown here are (from left) SBP Deputy Executive Director Butch Antonio, Sen. Francis Tolentino, Justin Brownlee, Rep. Juliet Marie de Leon Ferrer, Sen. JV Ejercito and SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal waves as he leaves after his men’s singles against Mackenzie McDonald of the US. AFP

Philip Uy

country’s top table netters, headed by siblings Kheith Rhynne and Khevine Khieth Cruz, will vie for pride and honor in the 10th Flexible Cup International Table Tennis Championships slated January

Can Toni Gonzaga fill the Big Dome?

AROUND 15 percent of tickets to I Am Toni Gonzaga’s anniversary concert at the Araneta Coliseum—still remain unsold. That’s according to Joed Serrano, one of the producers of the music event happening tomorrow, January 20.

In a statement sent to Manila Standard Entertainment, Serrano said that as of January 13, the I Am Toni has sold 55 percent of the tickets, “Twenty percent goes to the sponsors who pledged their support for their endorser. Mommy Pinti paid 350 tickets for her friends, relatives and church mates who ordered from her.”

By Patricia Taculao

PILIPINO pop, or P-Pop, has been making significant waves recently. New and upcoming artists have made their name in the music industry thanks to their unique sound and masterful lyricism. And in these modern times, local artists often go above and beyond to explore new avenues to their music, creating new sub-genres that cater to a specific audience.

So when Manila Standard Entertainment asked the 15-year-old Esang de Torres who jumpstarted her career with an appearance in The Voice Kids Season 2, she hopes to be known for combining two genres: pop and Broadway.

“Before, noong bata ako, palagi kong sinasabi na if magkakaroon ako ng title, sana parang ‘Broadway Pop Star,’” Esang said.

Most people know that after her outstanding performance in The Voice Kids Season 2, Esang went on to showcase herself in the world of theater, where she played the role of Little Cosette in the 2016 Manila run of the musical Les Misérables. She also took on the role of Matilda, marking her first lead role in the 2017 Manila run of Matilda the Musical Esang also earned the title of Lea Salonga’s “mini me” because of her passion for the performing arts. Under Lea’s tutelage, Esang learned one significant pointer from the renowned singer, how to sing with her whole heart.

“Forever kong mache-cherish ‘yung tip or advice [niya] na ‘yon kasi it’s essential that when you deliver a song, secure the

Serrano has reserved some 300 tickets for his friends who ordered from him instead of going to TicketNet.

“These tickets are paid. Wala ng libre sa panahon ngayon except pag kapamilya mo ang manonood. Iba ang concert sa pulitika at pelikula,” the concert producer said.

“As of this date, we still have 15 percent tickets unsold. You can still buy your tickets and get a chance to watch this very controversial concert,” he went on.

I Am Toni, which is also happening on the TV TV host and singer’s 39th birthday, marks her 20 years in show business.

“As we join in the celebration, let us all give

ourselves a chance to be good in this world. Smile, wag nega sa buhay. Kung wala kang sasabihing di maganda sa kapwa mo, then might as well be quiet kesa magkasala ka pa at mastress,” Serrano ended his statement.

Meanwhile, Toni took to Instagram to invite her fans to watch her concert happening at 8 p.m. tomorrow.

"I am grateful to be able to do this on my birthday. I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary at the Araneta Coliseum. What a journey!! Thankful for the past, excited for the present, and looking forward to the future! Hope to see you there!" Gonzaga wrote in her caption.

Is Esang de Torres PH’s first Broadway pop star?

recently signed, she finds

The young singer-songwriter first exhibited her passion for music with her family. According to Esang, they bond through a well-loved Filipino activity: karaoke. One time, she showcased her talent, which surprised her father and prompted him to nurture Esang’s gift.

It’s fortunate that her father also had a musical inclination, with Esang saying he was part of a band during his youth.

“‘Yung hilig din niya sa music [is] very evident. Siya ‘yung tumulong sa akin sa matututunan ko noong bata ako,” Esang shared, also noting that her father played other musical instruments.

Throughout her career, she found inspiration from other artists—modern and timeless—like Elvis Presley, Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, and more. Esang shared that their influence is sometimes present in the songs she wrote and sang. Within the year, Esang hopes to release her EP. Although the details have yet to become available, she promises that her music will further highlight her identity as an artist.

Hit songs you might not know are Oscar winners

winners couldn’t stick in the ears of many. Winning the Oscar is not a guarantee for a song to become a certified hit.

NOMINATIONS

Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna are all vying for nominations through the respective songs they sing in critically acclaimed movies. Swift penned “Carolina” ( Where the Crawdads Sing )” while Lady Gaga (“Hold My Hand” - Top Gun: Maverick ) and Rihanna (“Lift Me Up” - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ) co-wrote theirs.

Other marquee names on the shortlist are Drake, Selena Gomez, and The Weeknd.

While it’s already a major achievement to get nominated in this category, arguably, many of the previous Best Original Song

Interestingly, the theme songs on the last three James Bond films, all featuring Daniel Craig as the famed secret service agent, all won: “Skyfall” (Adele), “Writing’s On The Wall” (Sam Smith), and “No Time To Die” (Billie Eilish). Likewise, four recent winners are all from films significantly dealing with music: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” (Rocketman), “Shallow” (A Star Is Born), “Remember Me” (Coco), and “City of Stars” (La La Land).

These sorts of winning patterns are likely mere coincidences. However, while there seem to be formulas to strengthen a song’s chance to win on Oscar awards night, predicting which records will eventually become truly popular is subject to debate. Nevertheless, it’s fun to look back at songs we have almost forgotten to be Oscar winners, too.

The 80s had a lot to offer for such labeling. Almost every winner that came out in that era

LUV IS: Caught In His Arms, GMA-7’s primetime opening salvo, has begun filling televiewwrs’ nights with love and inspiration.

The series is topbilled by new-gen leading lady Sofia Pablo as Florence and the new-gen leading man Allen Ansay as Nero, together with the Sparkada boys Michael Sager as Owen, Vince Maristela as Tristan, Raheel Bhyria as Aldus, Sean Lucas as Troy.

Sofia and Allen, otherwise known as Team Jolly, equally shared how grateful they are to headline their first-ever primetime series.

According to Sofia, “I’m really thankful na pinagkatiwalaan kami ni Allen for this project. Ang saya-saya namin and I hope makapagpakilig kami. Bilang paghahanda naman personally, nag-aral akong magluto online kasi si Florence magaling magluto. Gusto kong ibigay ang best ko kaya ‘yung cooking scenes dito, ako talaga ‘yun.

Nagpapasalamat kami sa GMA Network and Sparkle sa ibinigay nilang tiwala. Talagang binigay ko ang 100 percent ko rito kasi si Nero napakalayo sa totoong Allen, the way na magsalita at gumalaw. Sobrang nagulat ako na gaganap akong mayaman pero nagiging madali ‘yung trabaho kapag nandiyan si Sofia, teamwork talaga kami,” Allen added.

The Sparkada boys also admitted that they

felt the pressure of doing this show, but it made them more motivated to improve their acting skills.

“We want to prove our spot in this industry and this is a big break for us. I prepared by

really creating a good relationship with Sofia and Allen kasi it’s my first time to work with them,” Michael shared. Naniniwala ako na every project is an opportunity to grow. I’m sure sa mga susunod na projects, mas mahahasa na kami dahil sa experiences namin,” Vince said.

“I can’t deny na na-pressure ako pero ‘yun ang way para mag-grow ako. During our locked-in taping, marami kaming natutunan na puwede naming dalhin sa next shows,” Raheel reiterated.

“We didn’t expect to be given such an opportunity at such an early stage of our career. There are moments that we wanted to crumble under the pressure, but since we are all together, they helped us to not give up,” Sean mentioned.

Playing equally important roles in the series are Sparkada girls, Caitlyn Stave, Tanya Ramos, Cheska Fausto, and Kirsten Gonzales.

Completing the cast are Ariel Ureta, Audie Gemora, Debraliz Valasote, Bobby Andrews, Gio Alvarez, Denise Joaquin, Rain Matienzo, and Boom Labrusca

This drama is a production of GMA Network in collaboration with Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. Based on the breakthrough web novel of Ventre Canard, it follows the story of Florence, a beautiful and bubbly teenager who loves to cook.

She was awarded a scholarship from the

prestigious Gyronella University. However, she had to set her dreams aside after her father was diagnosed with a heart ailment. Florence looks for a job to make ends meet and fortunately, she gets an opportunity to cook for the Ferells, one of the richest clans in town.

In the Ferell mansion, Florence meets the amiable Lolo Garpidio and his five grandsons, Owen, Tristan, Aldus, Troy, and Nero—the most mysterious of them all. Every day seems like a struggle for Florence as the five guys pester and annoy her. But in return, Florence uses her culinary skills to slowly win their hearts, especially Nero who will soon develop feelings for her.

As a reward for her great performance, Lolo Garp permits Florence to study at Gyronella University with the Ferell boys. While navigating college life, she gains a friend in Lina, but she also has to endure the bullying of mean girls, Antonia, Aira, and Camilla.

Little does Florence know that as she juggles romantic, academic, work, and family issues, she is bound to discover the truth about her identity. How will it affect her blossoming relationship with the Ferells? Is there really a

and Nero?

IS: Caught In His Arms premiere on January 16 and airs weeknights at 8:50 p.m.

that took

by four

Oscar trophy: “Beauty and the Beast,” “A Whole New World,” “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” and “Colors of the Wind.” Two divas captured the hearts of voters and the listening public: Madonna (“You Must Love Me”) and Celine Dion (“My Heart Will Go On”). In 2002, Eminem was a surprise winner with “Lose Yourself” (8 Mile). A decade later, “Let It Go” (Frozen) became a favorite karaoke and contest piece.

Classics that triumphed at Oscars include “Moon River” (Breakfast At Tiffany’s), “The Windmills of Your Mind” (The Thomas Crown Affair), “Que Sera, Sera” (The Man Who Knew Too Much), and many more.

Will the next Oscar for Best Original Song become a true hit? That’s something we need to be able to recall.

for the 95th Academy Awards will be known in a few days’ time, and the Best Original Song category has drawn attention for having three of pop’s biggest female voices in its shortlist.

chance of love between Florence

LUV

message of the song itself and you’re going to portray the song as if ‘yun ‘yung character mo. Para ma-feel ng audience ‘yung depth or core ng song,” Esang said.

Yet despite having a clear goal of what she wants to be known for, Esang shared that she also hopes to learn more genres as an artist because it will help her grow in

her craft. She cites soft rock, punk, or jazz as some of the musical inclinations she hopes to explore someday in her career. With PolyEast Records, where Esang

the support she needs to broaden her horizons and share her music with the Filipino audience.

joined the hit parade.

Taylor Swift

Rihanna Lady Gaga

Esang is open to exploring other genres besides those she’s comfortable with

Esang plans to release an EP which highlights her creative artistry

Toni will celebrate her birthday with an anniversary concert

Joed Serrano, one of the producers of ‘I Am Toni’

From left: Michael Sager, Vince Maristela, So a Pablo, Allen Ansay, Sean Lucas, and Raheel Bhyria

Allen Ansay (right) and So a Pablo

Keep your family safe amid spike in COVID-19 cases

IN THE waning months of the pandemic, with mobility being gradually restored, Filipino families are raring to see the world again. With multitudes having been “vaxxed” and “boostered”, not even the oil price hikes can rein in the footloose ones. They’re hanging out at restos and malls, and driving to resorts and other weekend destinations with nary a care.

Still, there is increasing concern about the current uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country, indicating that the Philippines – as are its Southeast Asian neighbors – is not out of the woods yet. Moreover, regular reports about the virus’s more transmissible newer variants are stoking fear and anxiety about a possible covid resurge and its potential impact on our newly recovering economy.

Fortunately, lessons culled from the pandemic are spurring families to proactively seek ways to bolster their immunity and protection while ensuring their mental and emotional health. With

prevention as the best safeguard, there is renewed focus on alternative options for keeping COVID-19 away.

One effective solution is Covidone TS, an antiseptic throat spray that contains povidoneiodine. While povidone-iodine is known as a topical preparation for disinfecting wounds, multiple studies have shown its viability as a substance for oral prophylaxis. Povidone iodine has been shown to kill 99.9 percent of fungi, bacteria, and viruses that may lead to common throat ailments, including the SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19.

For this reason, Covidone TS, which contains 0.5 percent of povidone-iodine as an active ingredient, presents itself as a simple and convenient safety measure for all families looking for that extra layer of protection from illness.

As an FDA-approved product, Covidone TS is safe for all adults and even children aged 6 years and up. This means that Covidone TS helps protect most members of the family while they are out there – and will help ensure school children’s safety now that onsite learning is mandatory.

“We understand the health concerns of Filipino families,” says Nutrana Health and Wellness Co. CEO Ernesto Abad II. “That’s why we want to

Quality service for sustainable healthcare

By Tet Defensor

DIAGNOSTIC

centers are now as important as any leisure establishment. The first step in determining the root cause of sickness and discomfort, with the pandemic still lurking in the midst, people have learned to prioritize their physical health, hence the demand for quality lab test providers.

Nowadays one can avoid heading to the hospital for the required medical tests. Lab centers like Singapore Diagnostics (SGD) have outlets in Makati, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Dagupan, and Angeles City where consumers can drop in for the test, wait for the result, and immediately proceed to proper treatment.

SGD also serves the lab requirements of health institutions. Since 2013, SGD has been processing laboratory works for over 500 hospitals, clinics, and labs

in the country, serving up to 50,000 patients every month and running up to 2.5 million laboratory examinations a year. Quality healthcare services is no longer limited to select private institutions. SGD even plans to build more facilities in the coming months to reach more consumers.

Alongside quality service is the commitment to help uplift medical service and contribute to sustainable healthcare in the Philippines. Ritche Evidente, president and CEO of Singapore Diagnostics (SGD) believes that establishing more facilities with quality and accessible service, and giving world-class skills training to medical professionals will directly support healthcare sustainability.

The exceptional talent and skills of Filipino medical workers are in demand across the globe, and according to Evidente, it is but natural for them to seek greener pastures.

“As a healthcare company, we can continue to provide excellent training so we have a steady stream of professionals who can serve both local and international demands. SGD employs over 200 medical technologists across its various laboratories. We can help them in their professional training so that when they leave, they can make our country proud with their

skills,” Evidente points out.

SGD is a subsidiary of Pathology Asia, one of the largest independent clinical diagnostic service providers in Southeast Asia. The company is known for its laboratory, genomic, and digital health operations in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. By working with SGD, medical technologists can acquire world-class training from their global experts, which can also prepare them for overseas work, should they decide to work abroad.

The roster of highly skilled Filipino medical technologists was a key factor in helping the company achieve the prestigious reaccreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the leading organization of board-certified pathologists, located in Northfield Illinois.

“We have stringent and rigorous procedures in place to ensure that we deliver the most accurate laboratory results. Our staff continues to be trained by international experts and even at that highest level of quality, we also strongly believe in monitoring and continuous skills improvements so that Filipinos will consistently receive quality healthcare,” Evidente says.

Singapore Diagnostics is fully committed to supporting medical

provide them with that indispensable layer of protection through Covidone TS.”

Abad believes that Covidone TS can ease the anxiety of Filipinos who need to leave their homes for work but are afraid to get sick. “Taking care of Filipino families, the building blocks of our communities,” he asserts, “is why we came up with Covidone in the first place.”

To cap its benefits, Covidone TS is very handy to keep or take anywhere. The throat spray is readily available at the nearest drug store, grocery store, or supermarket. No need for a prescription— adults can simply grab a bottle and stash it in their medicine cabinet, their totes, or family kikay kits.

Covidone’s glass bottle can also withstand heat up to 30 degrees Celsius; prevents spillage or leaking; and is durable enough to adapt to any storage situation, which means you can bring it with you wherever you go without worry.

Application is easy, too–just spray Covidone 2-3 times into the throat, making an “aah” sound to avoid inhaling or ingesting the substance. Then spit out any excess liquid after 15 seconds.

Aside from physical stores, interested customers can purchase Covidone at Lazada or Shopee from the comfort of their own homes.

technologists in the Philippines. Not only does it envision being a center of excellence for technical skills but it also strives to maintain its healthy work culture for 400+ employees nationwide.

Collaboration among healthcare institutions is important to sustainable healthcare. SGD works with partner hospitals and laboratories for both lab

work and training of lab personnel. These partnerships help provide lab services to patients in far-flung areas

This year SGD will build a new world-class facility in the Metro with a state-of-the-art laboratory that will employ more medical technologists and serve more patients. SGD plans to build more laboratories in major cities.

meaning

2. Say thank you to someone. You can make a positive impact on someone’s day with a simple thank you. You will feel a sense of purpose and even develop a greater feeling of connectedness.

3. Change your scenery.

A productivity-enhancing workstation is important. However, don’t underestimate the value of varying your locale every now and then. New environments can stimulate your brain by catalyzing new ideas and aiding problem-solving.

4. Create meaning by talking about experiences. Talk to others about your experiences. Hear how they have found purpose in their work. This can feed you ideas about how to do the same.

5. Level-up.

WHILE some people feel rejuvenated to kickstart 2023 with fresh plans in mind, others find themselves dejected to let go of the holiday high and return to the daily grind.

“In a perfect world, each workday is filled with meaning, purpose, and variety. You find it easy to stay engaged with your work, face challenges head-on, collaborate seamlessly with your colleagues and consistently make progress towards your goals,” stated Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D., the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology and former Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College.

“The problem? It’s not a perfect world,” he added. “If you sometimes feel like you’re in a rut, uninspired, or disengaged, you’ve got plenty of company.”

Riggio, who has authored over 150 books, book chapters, and research articles on leadership, assessment centers, and organizational and social psychology, understands that it can be challenging to find a sense of fulfillment and stay motivated.

Echoing Riggio, the Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde imparted simple yet effective points to boost the mood and clear the mind to keep moving forward.

Here are several tips, which Riggio shared on PsychologyToday.com, one of the largest publishing enterprises exclusively dedicated to mental

Find creative ways to improve your skills. Test your abilities. The key is to constantly learn new things. Leveling up will help you feel accomplished.

6. Work-life integration.

Do not allow work integration to overpower and consume your life. Take the time you need to be alone and with your loved ones. Maintain a healthy perspective on both aspects.

Covidone

Covidone helps reassure families that their schoolage children are safe and protected whenever they go out

Singapore Diagnostics

Ritchie Evidente