Manila Standard - 2023 January 23 - Monday

Speaker: MIF to bring in dev’t

Says wealth fund to help solve ‘perennial headaches’ like high prices

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday underscored the urgency of establishing the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), saying it would help solve many of the country’s headaches like the perennial high cost of electricity and fuel.

House to prioritize passage of bills for gov’t digitalization

By Rio N. Araja

"Filipinos cannot wait. We have to bring down the cost of electricity, the cost of power, the cost of oil," he said.

"We have to bring in developmental projects, not just infrastructure.

We have to bring agricultural projects in, we have to make sure there’s food security. We cannot wait," he added.

Romualdez, Leyte’s 1st District representative, spoke to Manila-based re-

porters in Zurich, Switzerland on the tail end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s trip to Davos to attend the 2023 meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), where he introduced the MIF to participants there.

"We passed it in the House. With all due respect it’s been already filed in the Senate,” Romualdez said. “For all those senators who may have their contrary

thoughts, just read the bill and deliberate it in the Senate and let’s take it from there," he said.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri asked Senator Mark Villar to call for a hearing on the MIF and said he expects the bill to pass on final reading after the Holy Week.

"So, the ball is in his (Villar’s) court

President lauds Ilonggos’ resiliency and faith

faith

Lunar NY tragedy: 10 in California dead in shooting

MONTEREY PARK—Ten people have died and at least 10 others have been wounded in a mass shooting in a largely Asian city in southern California, police said Sunday, with the suspect still at large hours later.

The gunman opened fire at a dance venue in Monterey Park, as the local community were celebrating Lunar New Year, with witnesses saying he shot indiscriminately with a semiautomatic weapon.

Captain Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said officers had responded to emergency calls around 10:20pm on Saturday and found people pouring out of the premises.

"The officers made entry to the location and located additional victims," he said.

"The Monterey Park Fire Department responded to the scene

"I

"Through

PBBM: Biz leaders at WEF see PH as ‘VIP Club’ lister

By Vince Lopez and Rio N. Araja

By Vince Lopez

THE

In a statement, the PCG said the increase in patrol vessels would ensure the safety of Filipino fishers.

PCG commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said the Coast Guard will continue to follow rules-based approaches in ensuring the security of the country's exclusive economic zones.

Flights affected as CAAP fixes power supply

AT LEAST 29 flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were affected Sunday morning as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) carried out the maintenance of one of its power equipment that has been identified as a factor in the New Year’s

Day airport mess.

The CAAP said 28 departing flights and one arriving from Jakarta scheduled from 4:20 a.m. to 5:23 a.m. on January 22—accounting for some 3,500 passengers —were affected by the maintenance activity.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said business leaders at the

World Economic Forum (WEF) considered the Philippines as part of the "VIP Club," a list of Southeast Asian countries with the best-performing economies. The President made this remark in an

interview, saying the Philippines' participation in the WEF in Davos, Switzerland served as an excellent platform to showcase the country's strong economic performance.

"Because of our attendance, we've been now considered a part of their socalled VIP Club,” the President said, with Indonesia and Vietnam.

DINAGYANG FESTIVITIES. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos (right, main photo) delivers a short message during the 2023 Iloilo Dinagyang Festival on Sunday at the Freedom Grandstand in Iloilo City, flanked by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas. They witnessed performers in colorful costumes doing their best to claim the grand prize (inset photos). Ver Noveno and Norman Cruz

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said this year's Dinagyang Festival is a testament to the Ilonggo peoples'

resiliency and faith despite the challenges they have faced.

join you in this momentous occasion as you showcase Ilonggos' creativity, vibrancy, resiliency and

amid the challenges that come your way." Mr. Marcos said in a message Sunday.

your city's foremost

Philippine Coast Guard has increased the number of its patrol vessels in the West Philippine Sea after Chinese vessels drove away a Filipino fishing boat in Ayungin Shoal on Jan. 9.

SPEAKER Martin Romualdez on Sunday said the House of Representatives will prioritize digital transformation bills such as the E-Governance or E-Government Act when it resumes its session today.

“We will expedite the passage of these measures to implement the pronouncements of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Davos, Switzerland on his desire for the country to catch up with other nations in digital evolution,” Romualdez said.

POLO CLUB CHAMPIONS. The Gray Team led by Andrew Romualdez (center, upper right photo), Nico Espain (2nd left), Gus Aguirre (3rd left) and Martin Espain (4th left) hold the championship cup after winning the 2023 Manila Polo Club Chairman's Cup High Goal six-chukkers game over the White team (5-4) Sunday at the Enrique Zobel Field in Makati City. Andrew is the eldest son of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (3rd right) and Tingog Partylist Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez (4th right). The Speaker also shares a light moment with Inigo Zobel (upper left photo) Ver Noveno and Manny Palmero

Jones Bridge hosts CNY festivities

By Willie Casas

HUNDREDS of people, including VIPs, flocked near the Jones Bridge early Sunday to celebrate the Chinese New Year and welcome the Year of the Rabbit.

Several spectators were wearing Chinese outfits and costumes inspired by characters from popular culture.

During the short program held before the fireworks display, Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna- Pangan

Speaker:...

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as chairman of the committee on banks and financial institutions," said Zubiri in a radio interview.

He said Villar, who was with the President on his trip to Davos, was well versed on the need for the MIF.

But Senate Minority Leader Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said the latest amendments to the proposed law creating the MIF showed that the administration and the lawmakers pushing for it did not conduct enough research.

He said brainstorming on a very

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The President said he was able to meet with leaders at the global forum, and with several foreign investors intent on exploring business opportunities in the Philippines.

The President met with WEF founder and chairman emeritus, Klaus Schwab, whom he considers "a dear friend of the Philippines."

The two discussed partnerships and collaboration to help the Philippines sustain equitable and inclusive growth and provide a better quality of life for Filipinos.

The Chief Executive also had the opportunity to meet and exchange views with several leaders of countries and organizations, such as World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Bank Managing Director for Operations Axel Van Trotsenburg, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and former British prime minister Tony Blair.

"The process that we undertook really in Davos was not simply to highlight the new situation, the new economic situation, the new policies, and the new concepts that we are promoting in the Philippines today, but also to learn from the world leaders and the world economic

Just before the incident, the Philippines and China signed an agreement to establish direct lines of communication for maritime incidents in the West Philippine Sea.

Last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he has dealt with the problem of discontentment within the military “permanently.”

“In what I refer to as rationalizing the seniority within the officer corps, what we did was the solution to the problem that was the disgruntlement that was going on in the ranks,” the President said.

“This is the way we were told that we could fix it. So that’s what we’ve done,” he said.

On Sunday, Mr. Marcos explained that he was rationalizing the seniority in the military ranks by appointing Gen. Andres Centino, a full-fledged four-star general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to replace his previous appointee, Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, who only had three stars.

The appointment of Centino back as AFP chief prompted then-Defense Department officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr. to resign, saying that he was not formally informed about the matter.

Faustino has since been replaced by Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

Galvez on Tuesday admitted that there were “rumblings” or discontentment within the military due to the "unintended consequences" of Republic Act 11709, which grants a three-year fixed term for key AFP officials, including the chief of staff.

Nonetheless, the new Defense secretary said they are planning to resolve the unrest within the AFP on or before the end of 2023's first quarter.

Last week, President Marcos promoted 17 senior AFP officials led by now Major General Joseph Ferrous Cuison of the Philippine Navy-Marines, Antonio Nafarette of the Philippine Army, and Edgar Cardinoza of the

said the Jones Bridge played a role in paving the way for the world's first and oldest Chinatown located in Binondo.

Lacuna-Pangan also recognized the Filipino-Chinese community's

controversial proposal like a sovereign wealth fund should have been done before the announcement of the plan to the public.

The opposition senator noted that it is now obvious that the country's economic managers and their allies in the House have not done the necessary foundational research and hard work.

"This is not mentioned in the SONA, and not on the list of LEDAC priorities," he added, referring to the President's State of the Nation Address and the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council.

“So, where is this coming from? Who thought about this?" Pimentel said.

leaders what part the Philippines can play in this fragmented world," Marcos said in his arrival speech.

"That was the main theme in this entire forum. [It] is how we bring back cooperation in a fragmented world. And we are seen to play a part in that and especially as a member state of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and as a leading economy in Asia," the President said.

In Davos, the President highlighted the administration's policies, including the Philippine Development Plan, the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda, and various other policies and legislation that highlight the economic reforms that have led to its sustained growth.

At a news conference Saturday, the director general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Aleem Siddiqui Guiapal, said thePresident's successful participation in the WEF is expected to boost foreign direct investments this year.

He also reported that investments approved by the PEZA jumped 103 percent to P140.7 billion for the last quarter of 2022.

After investment pledges are sealed, PEZA arranges for the visits of investors to various locations in the country and ensures a smooth follow-through on commitments made, Guiapal said.

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo noted the "game-changing reforms" pursued by the Marcos admin-

Philippine Air Force.

Commodore Jose Ambrosio Espeleta was also promoted to the rank of rear admiral.

The promotions were done by President Marcos while he was attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

At the same time, the President said he does not believe there are people in the government who had been working to oust former National Security Adviser Clarito Carlos.

He made the statement after Carlos revealed shortly after she resigned that there were people who worked for her ouster since getting the key government post.

“Well, she felt that there were people moving against her in the government. I didn’t, I kept telling her, I don’t really think so,” Marcos Jr. said.

He said mere criticisms are not enough reason for him to terminate the appointment of his officials in government.

Marcos Jr. said he appointed officials in his Cabinet because he believes in their capacity and their love for the country.

On Saturday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the bill limiting the coverage of the fixed three-year term in the AFP will receive strong support from the senators.

He expressed confidence that the bill would be approved by the chamber.

Earlier, Zubiri said the Senate aimed to pass the bill amending Republic Act 11709 by the first quarter of 2023.

RA 11709, which grants threeyear fixed terms for key AFP officials, including the chief of staff, was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte months before he stepped down from office.

President Marcos has already certified House Bill 6517, which seeks to amend RA 11709, as urgent.

Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. admitted last Tuesday that there were rumblings within the military ranks due to the "unintended consequences" of RA 11709.

He said they wanted to resolve the unrest within AFP on or before the end of first quarter of 2023.

contributions to the City of Manila, which she described as a symbol of the strong ties between the Philippines and China.

Envoys from the 2 countries were also present in the event: Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and Philippines Ambassador to China Jaime Florcruz.

A pyromusical and fireworks exhibition lit up the Jones Bridge at midnight Sunday.

Some members of the Filipino-

The MIF bill was approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading last Dec. 15, 2022.

Both houses of Congress are set to resume sessions on Monday and adjourn again on March 24 or before Holy Week. Sessions will then resume on May 8 and run until June 2.

Before they take their break on March 24, Zubiri said he sees the passage of the MIF bill at the committee level.

He also suggested the immediate conduct of hearings on the bill, which was certified as urgent by the President.

Zubiri said Villar already filed a counterpart bill last week, and said it

istration, including the amendment to the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to allow 100 percent foreign capital in renewable energy projects.

"And this is very important… The perennial complaint of investors in the Philippines is the high energy cost… compared with our neighbors," Rodolfo said.

“The word is changing, and we notice that globally, there is now a greater demand for sustainability because of climate change. That’s why the use of renewable energy will become important,” he added.

Mr. Marcos returned home on Saturday afternoon, reporting the “beneficial” outcomes of his attendance to WEF in Switzerland.

During his participation in WEF, the President touted the country’s success story and encouraged foreign investors to consider doing business in the Philippines.

Several multinational companies and investment firms have expressed interest in investing in the country because of Mr. Marcos’ meetings.

On Sunday, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said he supported President Marcos' optimism about the Philippines' growth prospects despite global recession fears.

“Absolutely there will be no recession for the Philippines in 2023,” Salceda said. “We will be in positive-growth territory regardless of what happens for

Flights...

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The agency said its engineering team and maintenance provider replaced the cooling fan of its second UPS or uninterruptible power supply.

“No congestion was reported at the four NAIA terminals,” the CAAP said.

Normal flight operations resumed at 6:09 a.m. Sunday.

“The CAAP is grateful to the affected passengers for their patience,” the agency said.

Senator Francis Tolentino, who was on board a plane going to Iloilo City before dawn on Sunday, lamented that airlines appeared to have not been notified of the supposed scheduled maintenance.

He said the pilot announced to the passengers that there was an “unannounced air traffic control maintenance."

"Everyone was not allowed to take off and to land. So, I was at the airport for more or less two hours since 4:30 a.m. The boarding time was at around 4:25 a.m. The plane took off at almost

Lunar...

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and treated the injured and pronounced 10 of the victims deceased at the scene.

"There are at least 10 additional victims that were transported tonumerous local hospitals and are listed in various conditions from stable to critical.

"The suspect fled the scene and remains outstanding."

Police gave no description of the wanted man, and did not say what kind

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cultural and religious celebration, it is my hope that you will sustain the progressive gains of your locality, reaffirm your identity, strengthen your resolve and work toward growth for your community," the President added.

Mr. Marcos also reminded Ilonggos

Chinese community also enjoyed the Lunar New Year celebration at Lucky Chinatown mall, featuring live performances from Filipino artists.

Couple Benjie Macaraeg and Joyce Calagui, who came dressed as Mighty Steel Leg and Mui from the 2001 movie Shaolin Soccer, ABS-CBN News reported.

According to the Manila Police District, no crimes or any untoward incidents were recorded in the city during the celebrations.

was identical to the version passed by the House, though he did not rule out amendments.

Zubiri said the Senate cannot snub the President's push for a sovereign wealth fund after the chief executive promoted the proposed MIF at the recently concluded WEF in Davos, Switzerland.

However, safeguards must be put in place to prevent corruption, he added.

The President on Friday said he had no hand in the revision of the House-approved version of the MIF bill. He also assured business executives at the WEF that the fund would be run “professionally and properly.”

the rest of the world. We have removed restrictions on so many key sectors –public services, the retail trade sector, the energy sector – that the country will offset global recessionary forces,” he said.

“Pent up demand will also ensure that our economy, which is at least70 percent driven by domestic demand, will have plenty of growth runway,” he added.

Salceda is the House committee on ways and means chairperson.

“We also have so many promising sectors – mining and electronics among them – that will remain resilient through the pandemic. Semiconductor demand will remain strong and above supply regardless of the global growth average. We saw that during the pandemic when everybody thought the sky would fall,” he said.

“And, if the world doesn’t go through a recession, there is definitely room to grow beyond the 6.5 percent project of our economic managers.

We can go for 8 percent,” he said.

He said he sees inflation tapering off in 2023.

“We’re getting a better hold of agricultural smuggling issues. I’m confident that Congress’s efforts to expose how artificial onion and meat prices are will help pop the bubble,” the solon said.

Inflation should hit 4 percent by the middle of the year, and this will boost consumer demand further, Salceda said.

6:30 a.m.," the senator said.

"There was no advice to the airlines because if there was advice, the passengers would not have been allowed to board the plane immediately.

The plane was already running and has already consumed fuel. The plane door was also already closed," Tolentino added.

Meanwhile, 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan wants up to 50 percent of all flights in and out of the congested NAIA transferred to the Clark International Airport by 2025 in time for the projected full recovery of global air travel from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Assuming all flights are divided evenly between NAIA and Clark by2025, only half of all flights would be cancelled, diverted or delayed in the event of a sudden emergency in either gateway,” he said.

“For instance, if NAIA has another air traffic system glitch, or if a large aircraft suddenly has a runway excursion there, only 50 percent of all flights would be disrupted once the other 50 percent is already operating out of Clark,” he added.

Rio N. Araja

of gun he used.

Monterey Park, about eight miles (13 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles, is home to around 60,000 people, the majority of them Asian or Asian American.

Meyer said detectives were also aware of another incident in the neighboring city of Alhambra.

"We have investigators on scene trying to determine if there's a connection between these two incidents," he said.

Media reports said an attempted shooting at a ballroom and dance studio in Alhambra had been thwarted, with the

—residents of Iloilo province andthose who speak the Ilonggo or Hiligaynon language, generally across Panay Island and Western Visayas—to "work hard and contribute to nation-building."

"May the divine providence bless our country and its people as well as keep us away from all the ills and perils that keep us divided," he said.

"With the almighty's guidance, we will have the strength to overcome all

Comelec asking for more funds for BSKE polls

COMMISSION on Elections chairman George Garcia said the poll body will still ask Congress to allocate a supplemental budget to cover the increase in the honoraria for teachers who will serve during the 2023 barangay, and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

"Comelec will really push for the additional honoraria. We will ask from Congress a supplemental budget for the barangay and SK elections," Garcia said in a radio interview.

"That is our call and I hope we will be heard for the sake of our teachers. The work is more difficult during BSKE because it is not automated. Our teachers manually count the ballots," he added.

Based on the computation of Comelec, Electoral Board chairpersons will receive P6,000, while poll board members get P5,000 and precinct workers get P4,000.

Last year, the Comelec was given P8.4 billion for the postponed December 2022 polls.

Since it was rescheduled to 2023, the Comelec asked Congress for an additional budget of P10 billion, on top of the P8.4 billion, for the BSKE.

However, Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said Congress only allocated P2.7 billion under this year's national budget.

Meanwhile, the number of new voters has increased to 1.1 million some nine days before the voter registration for the 2023 BSKE ends, Garcia said.

Since the voter registration for the BSKE started on December 12, 2022, some 1,100,000 new voters have already registered.

Of this number, around 7,000 voter registration applications were processed under Comelec’s Register Anywhere Project (RAP).

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Mr. Marcos, in his meetings during the World Economic Forum 2023 in Davos, vowed to address slow internet connectivity and cybersecurity issues as well as to digitalize the bureaucracy.

"It’s unfortunate because some of the studies we’ve made [show] the general consumer, if you want to call them that, talks to every facet of their lives through the Internet, except for the government,” the President said.

Romualdez said House priorities for this year also include 11 other important bills identified in October during the meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

The proposals are among those enumerated by President Marcos in his first State of the Nation Address in July.

“These measures are components of the President’s Agenda for Prosperity, which we fully support,” the Speaker said.

Romualdez said the House would work with the Senate for the expeditious enactment of various bills the larger chamber had approved on third and final reading before Congress started its Christmas recess last month, including the Internet Transactions/E-Commerce Bill.

Like the proposed E-Governance/EGovernment Act, he said the Internet Transactions Bill would contribute to attaining the President’s digital transformation goal.

Other priority measures are as follows: 1. The Enactment of an Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry; 2. Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA); 3. The Unified System of Separation, Retirement, and Pension; 4. The National Land Use Act; 5. The National Defense Act; 6. The National Government Rightsizing Program; 7. The Budget Modernization Bill; 8. The Department of Water Resources Bill; 9.

Establishing the Negros Island Region; 10. Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers; and 11. The Establishment of Regional Specialty Hospitals.

alleged gunman tackled and disarmed, and no injuries reported.

Firing indiscriminately

Local resident Wong Wei told the Los Angeles Times his friend had been at the Monterey Park dance club, and had been in the bathroom when the shooting erupted.

When she emerged, she saw a man carrying a long gun and firing indiscriminately, as well as the bodies of three people, two of them women and one person who he said was the boss of the club. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

difficulties and move forward," the President added.

The Dinagyang is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, held annually on the 4th Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog in Cebu and the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan.

It is one of the biggest festivals in the Philippines, attracting more than a million domestic and international visitors every year.

IN BRIEF

Lone bettor wins lotto jackpot worth P29.7M

FOR the third consecutive draw, a lone bettor, this time from Batangas province, has become a millionaire overnight after winning the P29.7million jackpot of the Grand Lotto 6/55 on Saturday.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) advisory Sunday said the bettor guessed the winning combination of 03-44-10-13-23-11.

The ticket was bought in Ibaan town. The prize can be claimed at PCSO’s main office in Mandaluyong Cityupon presentation of the winning ticket and two identification cards or other documents.

The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law imposes a 20-percent tax on lotto winnings of more than P10,000.

PNP revokes licenses for firearm violations

THE Philippine National Police-Firearms and Explosives Office (PNPFEO) revoked 41 licenses to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) for various violations and seized the 201 firearms registered under the licenses in 2022.

The grounds for revocation include involvement of the owners in violations like illegal drugs, illegal gambling, commission or pendency of a crime involving firearms and ammunition, prolonged non-renewal of a firearms license, illegal or unlawful transfer of firearms, violation of the election gun ban, revoked by order of the court and misrepresentation or submission of spurious supporting documents.

PCG starts helping victims of PCGA scam

BATAAN —The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) started the process of accommodating victims of a recruitment scam in the province.

PCG Bataan Station Commander

Jonathan Serote said 283 volunteers from different towns of Bataan attended the PCG Auxiliary orientation held at 1Bataan Center, Orani on Saturday.

The attendees were 480 Bataan residents who were allegedly recruited by members of the 101st Balangay Group PCGA Incorporated to the PCG Auxiliary.

However, the recruitment drive was not authorized by the PCG. Butch Gunio

Gatchalian: Report on POGOs will be out soon

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday said that a committee report on issues in the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the Philippines will be released either Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

“We already have a committee report and recommendations. We will route it for the signatures of senators,” Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate committee on ways and means, said. However, he said the group will still conduct a committee hearing today, to address new issues on POGO operations which were identified while they were reviewing the committee report last December.

“We have seen many questions, particularly the third-party auditor and we want to hear the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and other resource persons regarding these issues,” he explained.

He said it would be better to bring the issues in a hearing “in the spirit of fairness and transparency.”

He said there are many issues covered

by RA 11590, the law on POGO when it comes tax payment and governance.

Gatchalian said senators also want to see how foreigners working in POGOs are paying their income tax.

He related that under the law, 25% or minimum of P12,000 should be paid by way of withholding tax. “This was not tackled the previous hearings,” he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier claimed that POGOs might no longer be worth allowing if their conducts bring social costs to the country considering the crimes linked to them.

President Marcos told reporters in Zurich, Switzerland on Friday that his administration is continuously determining whether the POGOs would still be good for the Philippines.

Panel report on overpriced PCs now ready

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Francis Tolentino is confident that senators would agree to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) recommendation over the anomalous Department of Education (DepEd) procurement in 2021 of outdated laptops worth P2.4 billion, which were allegedly overpriced by almost P1 billion.

The committee recommended the filing of criminal, civil, and administrative cases against former and current officials of the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) and DepEd.

According to Tolentino, he remains confident senators will affix their signatures on the 195-page committee report.

However, the committee cleared former DepEd Sec. Leonor Briones, stressing that there is no evidence against her involvement.

While her signature appears in the disputed Memorandum of Agreement (MOS) on the purchase of the laptops, the committee noted she could have been deceived in signing.

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has already subdivided 437,922 hectares of agricultural lands as of Dec. 31, 2022, for distribution to 437,922 qualified farmer-beneficiaries under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project.

DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the SPLIT project seeks to subdivide the previously distributed 146,860 Collective certificates of land ownership award (CCLOAs) and convert them into individual land titles.

The World Bank, along with the Philippine government, has funded the project with P24.62 billion to improve land tenure security and stabilize the property rights of 1.14 million beneficiaries involving 1.36 million hectares of land nationwide.

The project is one of the priority programs of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to free farmers “from the bondage of the soil.”

Tourists

But Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, without mentioning the name of Briones, insisted that all signatures appearing on the MOA should be further investigated.

Tolentino will present the committee findings anytime this week in the plenary when the Senate session resumes today.

After approval, he said the report will immediately be transmitted to the Office of the Ombudsman, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Anti-Money Laundering Council, and the Commission on Audit (COA).

The committee report noted it was

Cayetano: Senate will address connectivity woes in the country

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Cayetano,

be in the dark ages when it comes to the internet and its accessibility to each and every Filipino.”

“This is why I have also personally taken it upon myself to push similar measures that will promote the availability of the internet among our kababayans,” he said.

PAO: Rainwater belongs to gov’t

By Rio N. Araja

RAINWATER that falls inside a private property is owned by the government, according to the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).

PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, during her MAYBATAS#PALA program, stressed that PAO is not only the defender of the aggrieved but also the defender of the environment.

She cited Presidential Decree No. 1067 or the Water Code of the Philippines mandating that “all waters belong to the State,” including “rainwater and falling on such lands.”

“All the while, you think that is just rainwater,” she said.

Under Articles 5 and 6 of PD 1067 dated Dec. 31, 1976, even rainwater that falls within one’s private lot belongs to the government.

She, however, clarified that one may use rainwater for one’s domestic purposes even without securing a government permit but the state has the authority to regulate the rainwater’s use if there is wastage or in times of emergency.

Republic Act No. 6716 of 1989 or the Rainwater Collector and Springs Development Act mandates the Department of Public Works and Highways to construct water wells and rainwater collectors, develop springs and rehabilitate existing water wells in barangays nationwide.

“The purpose of the law is to start rainwater collection at the barangay level to address future water crises and reduce floods,” PAO chief said.

It, however, lamented that rainwater harvesting is not that familiar and well-implemented in the Philippines compared to other countries.

With Vince Lopez

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano has assured foreign business chambers that the Senate will address concerns on boosting internet connectivity in the country.

He said the quality of digital infrastructure is the cornerstone to economic

development and will also improve the general welfare of the Filipino people.

“We understand the importance of this bill and we are assuring the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) and the Filipino people that the Senate is taking it seriously,” Cayetano said in reaction to the groups’ call for

the Senate to take action on the proposed Open Access in Data Transmission Act upon the resumption of session next week.

who chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, said the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that “we can no longer afford to

ONIONS FROM PANGASINAN.

Workers clean newly delivered red onions at a warehouse in the Divisoria Market in Tondo, Manila on Sunday. The onions came from Pangasinan and are being sold for P270 a kilo. Danny Pata

TRADITIONAL COOKING. Aetas cook rice and meat using bamboo in traditional cooking for their guests inside the Pamulaklakin Forest Trail, Binictican Drive in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Joseph Muego

WARTIME SCENES.

watch as members of the Wartime Heritage Guild, clad in Japanese Imperial Army garb, on Sunday at the Luneta Park reenact scenes during the declaration of Manila as an open city in 1941. An open city is not occupied or defended by military forces and is not allowed to be bombed.

Danny Pata

Chief Justice asks lawyers to back reforms

which is the Judiciary’s blueprint for reform.

In his keynote message at the Regional Convention of Lawyers 2023 of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Southern Luzon Region held at The Bellevue Manila, Alabang, Muntinlupa City on Friday, the Chief Justice lauded the long-existing partnership between the Court and the IBP.

“You have cooperated in the continuous improvement of procedural rules and have fully supported our use of information technology. We hope you will remain a strong partner of the Court as we work to revolutionize our legal system through the SPJI,” Gesmundo stressed.

The top magistrate expressed his hopes that the members of the IBP will help the Court achieve its vision.

“I invite you to be the SPJI’s force multipliers, to help get our message across, to be active agents of reform. Share our vision with everyone in your association, with your peers in our profession, and with the clients and communities you serve, that they may identify with it and similarly take a stake in it,” he said.

Gesmundo shared with the Southern Luzon lawyers the key points of SPJI, which he said is a plan powered by an Innovation Agenda to review and assess the organizational structure and operations of the various offices of the Judiciary, and to develop and establish its information and communications technology infrastructure. Rey

Bigger subsidy to protect PUV drivers—solon

CONGRESS has increased to P3 billion this year’s budget for direct fuel subsidies to public transport drivers to protect them from inflation, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo said on Sunday.

“The P500 million increase from P2.5 billion to P3 billion is factored into the 2023 General Appropriations Law,” said Rillo, House appropriations committee member.

“The upward adjustment is meant to cushion a greater number of public transport drivers from elevated fuel prices,” Rillo said.

The Fuel Subsidy to Transport Sector Affected by Rising Fuel Prices Program extends financial assistance to drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs), including those providing full-time ride-hailing and delivery services.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board delivers the aid via cash cards worth P6,500 each issued by the state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines, or via fuel vouchers redeemable at gas stations.

“There’s really no telling where oil prices will be in the months ahead, considering that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing, so the government has to be ready to sustain subsidies to the most vulnerable sectors,” Rillo said. Rio N. Araja

Debates on NCAP legality resume

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court will resume on Tuesday, January 24, its deliberation on the alleged unconstitutionality of the controversial no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) for traffic violations in Metro Manila.

The High Court stopped the implementation of the NCAP temporarily on August 30, 2022, then conducted oral arguments last Dec. 6, pending resolution of the case.

The SC failed to finish the legal debates, with two petitions against the alleged unconstitutionality of the policy.

The first petition was filed by the

Kilusan sa Pagbabago ng Industriya ng Transportasyon, Inc. (KAPIT), Pangkalahatang Saggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association Nationwide (Pasang-Masda), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO).

They told the SC the implementation of NCAP is unconstitutional and thus invalid.

At the time the first petition was filed, the policy was being implemented in Metro Manila by the local governments of Quezon City, Manila, Valenzuela City, Muntinlupa City, and Parañaque City through their ordinances.

They were based on the 2016 resolution of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which ordered the re-implementation of the no-contact apprehension.

In their petition, the transport groups told the SC that the ordinances of the LGUs are violation of the existing stat-

utes, which do not establish, authorize and even mention any no-contact apprehension.

They said that the wordings of the Republic Act No. 4136 (the law that created the Land Transportation Office) is clear, and that any inclusion of the NCAP is void.

They added the NCAP implementation violates due process and that that the policy’s provisions impose unreasonable conditions such as the non-renewal of the vehicle registration “until such time that the fines are settled.”

The NCAP implementation also makes “innocent third persons liable for traffic violations,” they said.

DHSUD says no fee collection for PPBM tack

By Rio N. Araja

NO MEMBERSHIP or registration fees should be collected from individuals under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program (PPBM), the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development clarified on Sunday.

“There are reports reaching us that there is a payment for the registration of the PPBM. We are not asking any payment, and that the local government unit itself shall directly deal with you,” Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said.

“Those who are interested must go directly to their LGUs,” he stressed.

‘4Ps delisting gives room for more beneficiaries’

-

velopment

“In the 2023 GAA, P102.6 billion is the budget for 4Ps. Initially, as a Member of the House committee on social services, I welcome the news about the delisting of hundreds of thousands of

people from the lists of 4Ps beneficiaries because it is hoped that the public funds will go to the qualified beneficiaries,” he said.

-

“Now that the 4Ps database has been purged of disqualified and no longer qualified people, we have some level of assurance that the part of P102.6 billion for 800,000 delisted will benefit 800,000 replacements to be added to the list,” Arrogancia added.

The DSWD earlier said in the budget

hearings that people who would be delisted shall be replaced by people on the waiting list for inclusion into the 4Ps.

“In accordance with the oversight functions of Congress, I ask the DSWD to give Congress the courtesy of a detailed report on the delisting of about 800,000 people from the 4Ps database of beneficiaries. The DSWD report should indicate the reasons for the delisting and the methods used that led to the delisting,” he said. Rio N. Araja

Interested beneficiaries do not need to be members of housing associations or groups in order to be part of PBBM’s housing program, Acuzar clarified, suggesting that they instead become members of the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund.

“I would also like to emphasize that we are not soliciting any donations from the private sector or government officials for the program. For such information, please directly report this to any of our offices nationwide,” Acuzar warned.

The public can also inquire details of the program from the National Housing Authority, Social Housing Finance Corp., and National Home Mortgage Finance Corp.

DOE told: Bring in extra power before summer

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

He noted that a steady power supply is critical for the country to sustain its economic growth “as it is anchored on our capacity to provide electricity supply when and where it is needed.”

Due to this, the senator said the government must ensure that any additional requirement will be met with sufficient supply.

The DOE, in its latest power out-

look for Luzon, disclosed that 1,196 MW of committed power generation capacity for Luzon and Visayas will be introduced into the grid this year.

The chairperson of the Senate Energy committee in the previous Congress, Gatchalian said the additional capacity is expected to help cover the projected peak demand this year, which could occur in the last week of May.

Group: Remote areas get first taste of energy crisis

By

Thursday,

SPUG

The

through small diesel power plants.

Willie Casas

THE Power for People Coalition has warned that the National Power Corporation’s (Napocor) move to cut electricity service to remote areas served by its

Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) is an indicator of what the Philippines can expect in 2023 due to the reliance on fossil fuels by the country’s energy grid.

National Electrification Administration (NEA) announced the cut last

citing the high cost of diesel fuel as the reason.

supplies electricity to remote communities as mandated by Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA),

QUEZON Rep. Reynan Arrogancia on Sunday welcomed the delisting of 800,000 beneficiaries of the Pan

tawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) from the database of the De

partment of Social Welfare and De

(DSWD).

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure that the expected entry of additional 1,196 megawatts (MW) of power supply will be realized during the first half of this year to prevent power interruptions during the summer months.

CHIEF Justice Alexander Gesmundo has urged all members of the legal profession to give their full support to the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI),

E. Requejo

DINAGYANG AT DAWN. Catholic devotees lift their images of the Infant Jesus while performing a ‘Sadsad’ religious devotional dance and prayer after a Mass at the San Jose Parish Church during the Dinagyang Festival 2023 in Iloilo City on Saturday. Norman Cruz

BRIGHT BRIDGE. The Binondo-Intramuros bridge is illuminated with the lights from fireworks display during the countdown in welcoming the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls under the Water Rabbit for 2023. Danny Pata

and enable the ‘rapid, just, and equitable transition’ to renewable energy.

AFP/Jimmy A. Domingo

EDITORIAL Mutations

700 per kilo three weeks ago to 350.

Farmers used to get 200 to 250 per kilo exfarm, and are now getting 150 for their new harvests, still enough to make them smile, after last year’s weeping losses.

But HoR economist Joey Salceda is willing to bet his five fingers that come the harvest peak, onions will go as low as 50 pesos per kilo.

Promise?

***

KIONG Hee Huat Tsai!

It’s the Year of the Water Rabbit, and the usual geomancers tell us it’s not exactly a good year. Of course they will sell “charms” or whatever tacky knick-knacks to “counter the evil spirits” or the “ill wind,” and many will follow them, the usual reason being “wala namang masama na sundin.”

You do not need feng shui to divine the future in 2023.

Just ponder on the onion bulb and wonder if government knows the solutions. ***

The government cavalry charged to Davos, peddling to the world’s economic elite our MWF, and came back saying that it will be further ”customized.”

In short, wait for mutations of a wealth fund from a country pretending to be wealthy.

This time, there were no figures of investment pledges, but wait till the trip to Japan two weeks hence.

Surely there will be pledges, and in fairness to our capable commercial counselors assigned to the land of the rising sun, they have been working hard at that.

Meanwhile, the climate change brings about mutations in weather patterns, whether here or elsewhere.

In Europe, the ski slopes have thin ice, brought about by global warming. Whether at Mont Blanc or Titlis, the skiers could not enjoy the snow.

They should have gone to Niseko in Hokkaido, or even South Korea instead.

In California, the rains have become unceasing, flooding the valleys with unusual volumes of water.

Their meteorologists attribute this to “atmospheric rivers.”

Here at home, the Mindoro provinces have been heavily inundated for weeks on end, destroying their palay and vegetable crops, and so is ever-poor Eastern Samar and parts of also-poor Northern Samar.

Our meteorologists have introduced “shear lines” to their lexicon of weather phenomena and describe the unusual rainfall patterns accordingly.

How will these weather phenomena affect our food inflation in 2023? This is an El Nino year even if the Chinese call it the Year of the Water Rabbit.

Don’t expect the Department of Agriculture to come up with the right answers.

\In Andalucia, whose soil hosts the most number of olive groves, along with tomatoes, oranges and avocadoes that are traded in the Rungis market in the outskirts of Paris for all the world to consume, farmers have been crying as no rainfall through all of summer and autumn have come down from the skies.

“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains”, Professor Higgins and Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady warbled.

Gains from Davos

WHAT did the country gain from the participation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland?

Tons of it, if news reports are to go by.

Among the nine companies interested in investing here is Astranis, a US provider of loworbit satellites used for Internet access. It wants to provide connectivity to areas that are not yet connected through the main telecommunications providers.

Gokul Laroia, chairman for Asia Pacific at Morgan Stanley, a top global investment bank, informed the President that they will set up an office in Manila.

He said the President is on the right track in involving the private sector, especially in developing the country’s infrastructure development, by raising much-needed capital.

Executives of DP World, a Dubai-based multinational logistics company, DP World, is considering setting up an industrial park in Clarkfield, Pampanga.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairperson

All in all, a rich harvest of benefits from Davos that bodes well for the country’s sustained growth in the years ahead

and CEO, said the logistics company has been developing industrial parks in many countries, such as India and Pakistan, and looking at investing in the Philippines.

Officials from Glencore, a multinational mining company, also met with the President and indicated their willingness to invest in the mining industry.

Here’s Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno speaking: “We’ve accomplished much. We had meetings with various top leaders and businessmen. The purpose was really to sell the country.”

For his part, Socio-Eeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan believes potential investors want to be assured that the country can sustain its economic growth before they can do business in the Philippines.

Senator Mark Villar agrees with the optimistic assessment of the country’s economic prospects, as he is convinced the President’s trip to Switzerland will attract more investments in the country.

“If we secure additional investments, there will be more job opportunities in our country which will pave the way for the further development of our economy.”

Then there’s Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez saying the President did an excellent job at the WEF by driving more investments to the Philippines to boost the momentum of growth and improve the lives of the Filipino people.

The President, he said, was able to clearly convey his strategy for sustained growth and the country’s competitive advantage that would boost investor confidence.

The President said before leaving for Davos that he would conduct a “soft launch” of the Maharlika Investment Fund or the Sovereign Wealth Fund there.

He did as promised, describing the MIF “as one tool among many in our efforts to diversify our financial portfolio, which includes 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.”

All in all, a rich harvest of benefits from Davos that bodes well for the country’s sustained growth in the years ahead.

Digital infrastructure EO is critical to nationwide connectivity

In Davos, our president got Morgan Stanley to reiterate their plan to put up an office in the country, another vehicle for “hot money” or portfolio investments that come in and out. And a Middle Eastern logistics company already operating in Clark, assured him it would expand its network here to include seaports.

Our finance secretary who was with the presidential party came back promising a rosy 7.5 percent GDP growth this year, along with the idea of the private sector participating in the wealth fund.

This was simultaneously echoed by the HoR’s resident economist Joey Salceda who came up with yet another mutation of the Maharlika, where government will be a minority, with multilateral banks like the World Bank and ADB and the private sector participating in the capital build-up.

But Cong Joey has another novel idea, which is to “securitize” future net earnings of our GOCCs to be placed into the MWF. In short, borrow more to capitalize the Fund.

If the government financial institutions or the friendly private banks will not be partners in the fund, they could lend money on the back of “securitized” future earnings. Neat.

With all the brouhaha about the Maharlika Wealth Fund tucked into the Davos trip that critics claim to be much ado about little, and uberexpensive at that, expect the Senate under SP Zubiri, who was represented by Sen. Mark Villar, to fast-track the approval of the Fund.

As we wrote last week, the Senate will not likely embarrass the president, who touted his investment vehicle at the top of the world confab. ***

Meanwhile, the January 27 deadline for the arrival of imported onions is fast approaching, and along with the domestic harvest, prices of the aromatic have been going down, from a high of

But in 2022, whether in the plains, in the hills or in the mountains, the rains did not come. So expect olive oil to be more expensive this year.

But that concerns the upper crust.

Lower income Filipinos do not use olive oil, yet they wonder why they suffer from high costs of cooking oil when once upon a time, we were the world’s largest producer of coconut oil. ***

“Mutatis mutandis” may be what the creative minds of the Maharlika Wealth Fund seek to present to the Senate, with many more changes from the original still gestating.

Yet a banker still wonders if the MWF will be a vehicle for European or Singaporean funds to “wash” the hidden wealth of their clients.

If memory serves me right, the former First Lady used to publicly state that Ferdinand I would bequeath his immense wealth to the Filipino nation, to benefit the poor.

Did the testator in his last will and testament indeed stipulate that his wealth should revert to his people?

That is a mutation we would like to see. ***

Still, while the usual critics of Ferdinand II chide him for saying in Davos that he entered politics as a matter of family survival, instead of the hypocritical paeans to “serving the poor,” this writer commends our president for his candor.

“Nagpaka-totoo,” as Tagalogs would remark.

What concrete achievements his father in 21 years had made was tarnished almost completely after his fall from grace.

Coming out from that cocoon of “dark days,” the son has now been given a chance by the electorate for redemption.

We can only hope and pray that behind the candor is a nobility of purpose.

THE recent pronouncements of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. about his administration’s drive to digitize the bureaucracy at World Economic forum in Switzerland is the latest of a series of statements emphasizing the urgency to ensure digital infrastructure are in place to connect every Filipino.

He has also engaged the Private Sector Advisory Council and received recommendations on how to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure.

President Marcos Jr’s approach of harnessing the expertise of the private sector is a stark contrast to the former President Duterte’s irreverent and alienating demeanor towards the leading telecommunications companies and even threatening them with a government take over.

I remember watching the evening news of a consultation meeting in Malacañang where Duterte jokingly said to Globe Telecoms president Ernest Cu that he would hang him from one of his cell towers if Globe’s services will not improve by the end of the year.

Cu wittingly answered, “Mayor, you cannot do that because there is no tower. The local governments are all f*cking it up, that’s why. So where will you hang me? On a coconut tree?”

Cu then explained that telcos have been delayed by about 30 permits for each tower they build so you can imagine the red tape nightmare of building thousands of cell sites that in worst cases can take a year.

Apparently, this problem has been going on for many administrations.

In 2020, the Anti Red Tape Authority, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and all the relevant agencies that are part of the gauntlet of permits, issued two Joint Memorandum Circulars (JMC 1 series 2020 and 2021) to drastically cut down the number and timeline of the permitting for the construction of telecommunications and internet infrastructure.

To further illustrate the bureaucratic craziness that telcos had to go thru, the other agencies that had to be involved in these JMC’s are the Department of the Interior

We fully support and join the PSAC’s call for the permanent enforcement of ARTA’s JMCs on telecoms and digital infrastructure and urge the President to swiftly act on this EO

and Local Government for local government issues, the Department of Public Works and Highways for building permits, Department of Health for health permits, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on tower height issues, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Telecommunications Commission, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

JMC 1 series 2020 resulted in the building and operationalizing of approximately 7,000 towers in only 18 months.

This was achieved by reducing the number of permits for telco towers from 13 to 8, and the number of documentary requirements from 86 to 35.

These reforms cut down the timeline from 8 delay riddled months to only 16 days.

On the other hand, JMC 1 series 2021 which focuses on the issuance of permits and clearances for the other, likewise critical, digital infrastructures such as poles, underground fiber ducts, and the installation of aerial and underground cable facilities necessary for telecommunications and internet services significantly streamlined the process aligned with the JMC for telcos and reduced the timeline from 2 and half years to 2 and a half months.

By the middle of 2022, the rate of tower construction increased by 311 percent with the total now approaching 30 thousand telco towers.

Though still below what the DICT sees as a 50 thousand backlog in telco towers, the Philippine’s internet speed index has improved and has been on an upward trajectory.

According to the November 2022 Ookla Speedtest Global Index for fixed broadband, the Philippines is now ranked 45th, a 21-step improvement from 71st in October 2021 with rating of 81.42 MBPS.

Mobile internet also improved and rated at 24.04 MBPS and gaining 13 notches to 80th from 93rd.

These are encouraging results but just as President Marcos Jr remarked during the telco summit last December, the Philippines’ connectivity rate is “still pretty low” and has to improve.

He said, “That’s not good enough, especially for an archipelagic country such as ours where connectivity is exceedingly important because we have many isolated communities who need some form of contact, some form of communication with the rest of the country, with the rest of the world.”

The digital infrastructure group of PSAC composed of representatives of the leading telecommunications companies and banks will initially be focusing on a nationwide expansion of access to internet connectivity and digitalization initiatives.

Top priority is of course addressing the gaps in telecommunications and digital infrastructure where the telcos are ready to lead with their resources and expertise.

However, the effectivity of the JMCs on telecommunications and digital infrastructure will soon expire in July prompting the PSAC’s first recommendation to be immediately institutionalized into an Executive Order to sustain the compliance of the relevant government agencies and local government units.

As a convenor of consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines, we fully support and join the PSAC’s call for the permanent enforcement of ARTA’s JMCs on telecoms and digital infrastructure and urge the President to swiftly act on this EO.

By Cynthia Addawan

MY PARTICIPATION in the International Conference on Cultures, Languages, and Histories at Kalinga State University in Tabuk City on November 24-25 had led me to thinking through my being a basic education teacher and an iKalinga.

It was my first-ever international conference, one where I was given a chance to share what I have found out in my research on the issues of education, climate change, and sustainability.

I have been a teacher for decades, but I had never been given the chance to rub elbows with academics and other researchers and listen to the presentation of keynote speakers.

There pricked my brain: the colonizer from within.

In his keynote address, Dr. Aurelio Solver Agcaoili of the University of Hawaii tossed the concept of “endogenous colonialization” to make us understand that the perspective the colonizer is always an outsider is factually wrong and that the colonizer could be from within.

I thought the context of his talk, “Endogenous Colonialism and the ‘Postdecolonialization’ Project: The Ethics of More Democracy in Languages, Cultures, and Histories,” offered me clarity.

He said: “The histories of nations and nationstates have given us a picture of power wielded among those that are not deemed part of the center. In victories against the colonizer, the victor has always imposed – and dictated – the “officialized” plot in which a nation’s history has been fixed on the page.”

He added “in this social drama of power, the ‘imperial’ political, economic, and cultural

social structures have decreed as ‘national’ all expressions of collective life from that center, anointing symbols as national.”

The problem, he said, is this: the Philippines is a country of many languages, of many ethnolinguistic groups, and groups that are away from the center of power is not only unjust and unfair, but is a case of homogenization, a one-size-fits-all understanding of our collective and diverse experiences.

The fact is the country speaks more that 180 languages per the Ethnologue account of 2005.

In the fervor to purge the colonizers’ machinations – in the act of decolonializing as the purging of the evils of colonialization – the country chose to render as the Other the other languages of the country and entitled only one as the backbone of its national language.

“The othered Others have been muted, silenced, pushed to the margins, systemically peripheralized,” Agcaoili said.

He added “we have now epistemicide, linguicide, culturicide, lettericide, and historicide. And we have regarded these are natural because these have been effectively naturalized.”

The only way out of this unjust and unfair state-of-affairs is a critically conscious “postdecolonialization,” that act of questioning and criticizing what happened in that act of purging our consciousness from the vestiges of colonization.

He argued that the colonizer, in that uncritical act of building a nation or a nation-state, could be from within and the evil of colonization, that act of subjugating people, could come in a disguised, benevolent form.

I was troubled by that premise, and that trouble comes from my own recognition that, indeed, that iKalinga like myself have

In the fervor to purge the colonizers’ machinations –in the act of decolonializing as the purging of the evils of colonialization – the country chose to render as the Other the other languages of the country and entitled only one as the backbone of its national language

to be persuaded to speak a language from the center of power, Tagalog, that, by the force of institutions, agencies, and structures put together by the state, has been renamed, among others, as Pilipino, the old nomenclature as single-handedly proclaimed by an Education Secretary Jose Romero.

Romero’s reasoning was tactically wrong as it was a case of blanket manipulation.

He said that if Tagalog is renamed Pilipino, the other language groups of the country would no longer cry foul in the continuing and systemic deployment of Tagalog as a language foreign to a Negrense like him. Romero, of course, was wrong. And he was mistaken big time.

The Romero act, through an executive order, misled the people. Agcaoili said this was plain and simple machination.

The imposition, for instance, of the dialect of Paris after the French Revolution to account a fetishistic obsession of a “national language”

had led to the marginalization of the other languages of an otherwise linguistically diverse country like France.

I think of these facts presented by Agcaoili, and I think of his formulation of “endogenous colonialization,” that colonization from within.

I think of those external colonizers that the people have driven away from the shores of the country—the Spaniards, the Americans, and the Japanese—and I think of James Fallows’ sense of a damaged culture, one that is applicable in the country.

But I think, too, of the systemic because it is institutionalized, colonization from within, with our learners in all levels forced to learn concepts and theories and skills in other languages other than their own.

We have gone past the “exogenous colonizers,” Agcaoili said.

“But we continue to be mesmerized by our colonizers from within, with all of us believing that only in having but one and only language

could we begin to talk to each other.

Clearly, we have normalized that idea that countries need by one and only one language to make sense of their nation.

But this is all wrong.

Among the Ilokano people, for instance, they have fought their oppressors using both the languages of their colonizers and their own language, not the Tagalog language.

Isabelo delos Reyes, one of the ladino –proficient and accomplished -- Ilokano writers and revolutionaries, plumbed the language of his people, Ilokano, as well as the language of the colonizers, Spanish.

I think of my fellow iKalinga.

I think of how we have all been deprived of our right to our language.

I think of the many children in our schools, children effectively made to parrot the languages of the school system, languages that are never their own nor their ancestors’.

I think of endogenous colonialization and the purging of our iKalinga mind.

I think of the “postdelonialization” as a strategy to perhaps effect the beginning of our systemic act of reclaiming sense of self. Perhaps this is one of the ways to our redemption as a people.

(Cynthia Addawan is a public-school teacher from Tabuk City, Kalinga. She received her master’s in education and has begun to work for her doctor’s degree in development education. She is interested in her people’s language and culture and on the issue of sustainability and the indigenous peoples.)

Chin

Joyce Pangco Pañares News

Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

We can only hope and pray that behind the candor is a nobility of purpose.

6 more classified docs found in Justice Dept. search of Biden home —lawyer

OFFICIALS from the US Department of Justice found six more classified documents during a search of Joe Biden’s family home in Delaware this week, the president’s personal lawyer said in a statement Saturday.

The new disclosure served up another embarrassing twist for Biden in an affair dogging him just as he gets ready to declare whether he will run for another term in 2024.

Biden insists he has done nothing wrong and has downplayed the affair as a case of an innocent mistake.

Documents from Biden’s time

New Zealand’s next PM slams ‘abhorrent’ way Ardern is treated

as vice president and with classified markings first turned up an office space at a Biden-affiliated think tank in Washington, and then again at his home in Delaware. Altogether they are about a dozen documents.

After the second find, the White House offered to let the Department of Justice search the Delaware home – the search was carried out on Friday and is now concluded, Biden attorney Bob Bauer said.

“DOJ took possession of materials it deemed within the scope of its inquiry, including six items consisting of documents

with classification markings and surrounding materials,” Bauer said.

The search lasted almost 12 hours and covered “all working, living and storage spaces in the home,” Bauer said.

“DOJ had full access to the President’s home, including personally handwritten notes, files, papers, binders, memorabilia, todo lists, schedules, and reminders going back decades,” he said.

Some of the new papers seized were from Biden’s time in the Senate and some of which were from his tenure as vice president, Bauer said. AFP

China reports nearly 13,000 COVID deaths over last week

NEW Zealand’s incoming prime minister Chris Hipkins criticized the “abhorrent” treatment endured by Jacinda Ardern and vowed on Sunday to shield his own family, three days after her shock resignation.

Hours after being unanimously endorsed by Labor Party MPs as the party’s leader and the nation’s next prime minister, Hipkins attacked the personal abuse suffered by Ardern during her more than five years in the top job.

Ardern sparked a national debate about the pressures she faced when she revealed Thursday that she was stepping down, saying she no longer had “enough in the tank.”

Politicians and other public figures have lined up to criticize the “vitriol” Ardern was subjected to as prime minister, notably on social media, although she did not mention it herself.

“The way Jacinda has been treated, particularly by some segments of our society—and they are a small minority —has been utterly abhorrent,” Hipkins said.

“It does not represent who we are as a country,” said the 44-year-old education and police minister.

Men have a responsibility to call out such treatment and say “it’s not ok,” he said.

The future prime minister, best known for leading a national crackdown on COVID-19 for nearly two years, said he understood that putting himself forward as leader meant he was “public property.”

“But my family aren’t,” he told reporters.

Hipkins said he wanted his six-yearold son and four-year-old daughter to grow up with a “typical Kiwi kid life,” adding that his amicable separation from his wife was his own business.

“I have seen the enormous scrutiny and pressure placed on Jacinda and her family and so my response will be to keep my family completely out of the spotlight,” he said. AFP

CHINA reported nearly 13,000 COVIDrelated deaths in hospitals between January 13 and 19, after a top health official said the vast majority of the population has already been infected by the virus.

China a week earlier said nearly 60,000 people had died with COVID in hospitals as of January 12, but there has been widespread skepticism over official data since Beijing abruptly axed

anti-virus controls last month.

China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement on Saturday that 681 hospitalized patients had died of respiratory failure caused by coronavirus infection, and 11,977 had died of other diseases combined with an infection over the period.

The figures do not include those who died from the virus at home.

Airfinity, an independent forecasting firm, has estimated daily COVID deaths in China will peak at around 36,000 over the Lunar New Year holiday.

The firm also estimated that more than 600,000 people have died from the disease since China abandoned the zero-

COVID policy in December.

Tens of millions of people have travelled across the country in recent days for long-awaited reunions with families to mark the biggest holiday in the lunar calendar that fell on Sunday, raising fears of fresh outbreaks.

But a top health official said China will not experience a second wave of covid infections in the next two to three months after millions return to villages to mark the Lunar New Year because nearly 80 percent of the population has already been infected by the virus.

“Although a large number of people travelling during the Spring Festival may promote the spread of the epidemic

to a certain extent... the current wave of epidemic has already infected about 80 percent of the people in the country,” Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in post on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform on Saturday.

“In the short term, for example, in the next two to three months, the possibility of... a second wave of the epidemic across the country is very small.”

China’s transport authorities have predicted that more than two billion trips will be made this month into February in one of the world’s largest mass movements of people. AFP

IN BRIEF

4 killed, 4 critical after Japan fire

A FIRE at an apartment building in Kobe in western Japan killed four men and left four in critical condition on Sunday, an official said.

The fire department was alerted to the blaze in the three-storey building by an emergency call at around 1:30 am (1630 GMT Saturday). Four bodies were found after it was extinguished.

Four other men, aged between their 40s and 70s, “were taken to hospital unconscious,” Masatoshi Sumitani at the Kobe fire department said. Most of the occupants of the building were believed to be elderly men, Japanese media reports said, citing other residents of the building.

Black smoke could be seen coming out of a window on the first floor when the fire broke out, Kyodo News reported. Police will begin investigating the cause of the fire later Sunday, Sumitani said. AFP

Iran protesters still challenging regime

US media rocked by layoffs amid economic gloom

FROM CNN to the Washington Post, US media are facing tough times, as a series of outlets have announced layoffs this winter amid fears of an economic downturn.

Vox Media, owner of the Vox and The Verge websites as well as the landmark New York Magazine and its online platforms, announced Friday it was letting go seven percent of its staff.

The news follows layoffs at CNN, NBC, MSNBC, Buzzfeed and other outlets.

In a memo to staff on Friday, Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff announced “the difficult decision to eliminate roughly seven percent of our staff roles across departments due to the challenging

economic environment impacting our business and industry.”

The memo, which was confirmed to AFP by Vox Media, said the affected employees were going to be notified of being let go within the next 15 minutes. That would mean some 130 out of the group’s 1,900 staff.

Meghan McCarron, an award-winning journalist who spent more than nine years at Eater, a food website owned by Vox Media, tweeted Friday she was among those laid off – while 37 weeks pregnant.

“My partner and I are so excited to become parents,” McCarron posted. “I can’t really process the amount of uncertainty we’re now facing,” she added.

A Vox spokesperson told AFP they could not comment on specific cases, but that employees were offered “competitive severance packages,” including extra severance pay for those with “a near-term upcoming parental leave planned.”

Journalists who were laid off from other organizations in recent weeks have also taken to Twitter to express anger, dismay, or gratitude to their colleagues, while beginning to look for a new job.

“I’ll be figuring out my next move. I’m a data reporter but I also write and produce,” tweeted Emily Siegel, who was let go after five years as an investigative reporter at NBC. “I’d love to keep doing this work. My (direct messages) are open.”

While the media layoffs were not as dramatic as those rocking tech giants such as Microsoft and Google, which announced Friday it was cutting 12,000 more jobs, they were a consequence of falling advertising revenue amid a gloomy economic climate, said Chris Roush, dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

“For a lot of them, they grew and expanded on the expectation that they were going to be able to grow their audience, or either readers or viewers to a certain level,” Roush told AFP. “And that just hasn’t happened and is unlikely to happen given what’s happening in the economy.”

AFP

Peru closes Machu Picchu as protesters nabbed in Lima

Peru

ing to make their lives better.

Authorities announced Saturday yet another protester had died following demonstrations Friday in the town of Ilave in that Andean region in the south.

DESPITE a slackening of street activity in the face of a brutal crackdown, Iranian protesters are still challenging the Islamic theocratic regime four months into their movement, observers say.

There have been fewer daily street protests nationwide since November as the authorities seek to quell the protests with methods including capital punishment, which has already seen four protestrelated executions.

But the anger unleashed by the death in mid-September of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for violating the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules, has not subsided and at a time of economic crisis still poses a potential threat to the Iranian regime.

Meanwhile protests have taken on different forms, notably including strikes. Mass street actions continue in some regions and there have been tentative signs of division within the regime.

“With the number of protests diminishing since mid-November 2022, it appears that a stalemate has set in, with neither the regime nor the protesters’ side being able to overwhelm the other,” said Ali Fathollah-Nejad, Iran expert with the American University of Beirut’s Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs.

Protests demanding the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte have been ongoing since early December, leaving 46 people dead and prompting the government to impose a state of emergency in violence-hit areas.

This crisis triggered by the ouster of leftist Indigenous president Pedro Castillo last month stems largely from a gaping inequity between Peru’s urban elite and poor rural Indigenous people in the Andean region who saw him as one of their own and work-

Video footage from Ilave that went viral on social media shows police shooting right at a crowd of Indigenous demonstrators in the town square. Enraged protesters responded by setting fire to a police station, local media reported.

Clashes between police and the crowd in that town near Lake Titicaca and the border with Bolivia left 10 people injured, hospital officials said.

Prior to the closing of Machu Picchu, rail services to the site had already been suspended due to damage to the track by demonstrators. AFP

“Despite the relative decline in the number of protests ever since, it is worth recalling that revolutionary processes usually entail phases of both relative calm and uproar.

“Now, with a dramatic loss of the value of the Iranian currency since the turn of year, economy-driven protests could be expected, which as past shows could quickly turn political,” he told AFP.

The enqelab.info site, which monitors the extent of protest activity, said while the number of street protests has decreased the number of strikes and other acts of dissent, such as writing slogans or damaging governmental banners, has increased. AFP

closed the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu Saturday amid steady anti-government protests, stranding hundreds of tourists for hours, as authorities expelled protesters from a Lima university where they have been holed up as part of the crisis engulfing this divided country.

LIKE A POSTCARD OF OLD. An old American car with tourists rides along a street in Havana on January 21, 2023. AFP

SUSPENDED TRAIN OPERATIONS. Tourists wait outside the Machu Picchu train station after the railway service was suspended due to damages allegedly caused by protesters in Peru on January 21, 2023. Peru closed the entrance to the Inca citadel Machu Picchu on Saturday indefinitely, alleging security reasons in the face of protests calling for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, which already left 46 dead. AFP

DANGEROUS DANCE. A lion dance performance is seen at a monastery in celebration of the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on January 22, 2023. AFP

Stock index likely to stay above 7,000

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE benchmark index of the Philippine Stock Exchange is expected to stay above 7,000 points as the market attempts to test key resistance levels, analysts said over the weekend.

Utrade Inc., the online brokerage firm of Unicapial Services Inc., said the US Federal Reserve’s developing narrative

Twitter allows users to opt for ad-free service for higher fees

WASHINGTON—Twitter boss Elon Musk announced in a series of tweets Saturday that the company’s subscription service would show less advertising to users, including an adfree tier.

The announcement comes as the social network has faced major economic uncertainty since its takeover by Musk in October.

“Ads are too frequent on Twitter and too big. Taking steps to address both in coming weeks,” Musk posted to his Twitter account Saturday.

And for those who choose it, “there will be a higher priced subscription that allows zero ads,” Musk added.

That would be a radical change in business model from Twitter, which has so far relied on targeted advertising to generate revenue, before launching a paid subscription service in mid-December.

But advertising has been a question mark for Twitter lately after Musk fired about half of the company’s 7,500-strong workforce late last year.

The move sparked concern that the company was insufficiently staffed to carry out content moderation and spooking governments and advertisers.

Musk said his strategy was to massively reduce costs while building up revenue, and that a new subscription service called Twitter Blue, which grants users a sought-after blue verification tick for a fee, would help reach that goal.

The service costs $11 a month in the United States and is available on Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android mobile operating systems, according to a page on the company’s website.

Web subscriptions are also available for $8 per month or, at a discount, $84 per year. AFP

of less hawkish interest rate outlooks amid cooling inflation is driving positivity in the financial market.

Investors said that with the Fed seen becoming less hawkish, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was also expected to move to a slower pace of interest rate hike in the coming months.

The Fed’s policy meeting will be on Jan. 30, while the Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the BSP, is set to meet on Feb 16.

The MB raised the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points in December to a more than 14-year high of 5.5 percent to prevent the second-round effects of inflation and defend the peso against the

strong US dollar.

Aside from the less hawkish stance, Utrade said the Philippine government’s positive outlook on the growth of the domestic economy was lifting investors’ confidence in the market.

The reopening of China is also expected to boost the recovery of the domestic economy in terms of tourism, manufacturing and exports.

“We expect the index to trade sideways, continuing to test the 7,000 key resistance levels,” Utrade said.

The bellwether PSE index closed at 7,056 on Friday, up 1.5 percent weekon-week. The net foreign buying of P3.87 billion last week supported the lo-

cal market’s steady rise.

Most international markets rebounded on Friday after a rocky week dominated by uncertainty over whether the global economy will suffer recession this year as central bankers continue to address inflation.

Major indices in New York, which have been under pressure most of last week, enjoyed a buoyant session, led by tech shares following strong Netflix subscription figures.

The streaming giant reported lower quarterly profits, but Netflix shares surged 8.5 percent after subscriber figures topped analyst estimates, as hits such as “Wednesday” and “Harry & Meghan” drew in new viewers. With AFP

10.00%

Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists visiting Europe were a major source

sales for luxury houses.

The Chinese accounted for “a third of luxury purchases in the world, and twothirds of those purchases were made outside China”, said Joelle de Montgolfier, head of the luxury division at management consulting firm Bain and Company.

Their return has led RBC bank to revise up its growth forecast for the sector this year to 11 percent, from seven percent previously.

“China reopening is one of the key

‘mega-themes’ for the luxury sector in 2023,” RBC Bank said in a recent note to clients.

After a drop in 2020, the luxury sector managed to surpass its pre-pandemic sales in 2021.

“The Chinese consumed, but only in China,” said Bain’s de Montgolfier.

“In 2022, it was much more complicated with unexpected confinements in the country,” she added.

Nevertheless, that didn’t hold the sector back from making an estimated 22 percent jump to 353 billion euros ($384 billion), according to a November forecast by Bain and Company.

That growth was supported by the wave of post-lockdown US tourists visiting Europe armed with a strong dollar, as well as Korean and Southeast Asian

Why is Ethical Marketing important?

ETHICAL marketing methods have many positive outcomes for businesses and the public. The most significant advantages are improved corporate image and trust. People will trust a firm that markets itself in a way that meets public expectations and ethical standards.

Companies that conduct their marketing in line with public expectations and ethical standards gain public trust by increasing customer experience or commitment. They reassure buyers that the goods they receive match the description given in the ad. This makes the consumer happy and encourages brand loyalty, increasing the company’s customer base.

Ethical marketing strategies often provide better longterm results for sales growth. Unethical actions are quickly uncovered and, at most, if they are not quickly revealed, have a temporary impact. It won’t be easy to regain public trust if they find out that the company marketed the product unethically.

People purchase goods on the assumption that they are safe to use. Many consumers lack the technical expertise to adequately evaluate these complex items, making it the marketer’s duty to guarantee their safety. Companies need to test products like toys, drugs, pesticides and other products to ensure they are safe and do not harm the environment. Also, the false idea that accidents caused by misuse of a product release the company from responsibility should be thrown out.

Many buyers assume that a higher price indicates a higher quality product, and many sellers use price hikes to demonstrate that their wares are superior. If the product is excellent, the pricing may reflect that. To further illustrate my point, some businesses engage in price fixing, an unethical marketing method. It’s when two or more companies agree on the price they’ll charge for a product or service or when they compete to provide the lowest bid for a contract. “Predatory pricing” is the practice of selling something for less than it costs to make it to drive out competitors.

The burden of providing complete and correct information by packaging and labeling rests squarely

on the shoulders of the marketer. Many businesses, for instance, use buzzwords like “organic,” “bio-degradable,” “recyclable,” “environmentally safe,” “ayurvedic,” etc. without offering any proof to support them. Another example of deception is that tall and thin cereal boxes provide the illusion of more cereal inside. Because of the deceptive box sizes and misleading terms like “big,” “extra-large” and “economy size,” shoppers would need a calculator to determine the actual cost of various options.

As part of exclusive deals, manufacturers require distributors not to offer any items made by rivals. In tying arrangements, distributors and dealers must buy lowdemand items in exchange for access to more popular brands. For example, cosmetics are usually bundled: several shades of eye shadow, a couple of shades of blush and lipsticks, mascara, eyebrow pencils and several brushes to apply the various items. What if the customer only needs one shade of lipstick, eyeshadow and blush? Because of this packaging, they may be compelled to buy everything available regardless of whether or not they want it, and they usually end up paying more for all these items.

In the long run, trickery won’t work as customers can easily check the marketers’ statements with their own experiences. People have a favorable impression of a firm when it sells decent goods at reasonable rates, backs them up with helpful customer service and contributes to the public good by meeting legal and tax obligations. Many businesses with strong ethical standards have outperformed their competition, meeting the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She can be reached at nicole_fajardo@dlsu.edu.ph.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty and its administrators.

tourists.

Another pleasant surprise was Europeans “who had been ignored for decades... and were more interested in luxury goods than expected”, said Erwan Rambourg, a luxury industry insider turned analyst and author of the book “Future Luxe: What’s Ahead for the Business of Luxury.”

‘More staff’

With the lifting of travel restrictions in China “there will be a considerable return of Chinese tourists, but that will be more likely in the second quarter,” said Arnaud Cadart, a portfolio manager at asset manager Flornoy.

“The pandemic is still very active in China, and it will affect lots of people.”

The Chinese tourists may be needed if the flow of US tourists slows. AFP

Arizona

But after being sued by Washington for putting the containers on federal land in the Coronado National Forest, Ducey—who has since been succeeded by Democrat Katie Hobbs—agreed in December to remove them.

“I couldn’t believe that Governor Ducey thought that it was a good idea,” said Debbie McGuire as a truck barreled down a dusty road carrying an empty container away.

“It’s absolutely ludicrous. To put containers that weren’t going to work ever to keep anybody out,” added McGuire, who until recently owned a home in nearby Tucson.

“I just can’t believe he thought it was a good idea. Ridiculous, and a total waste of taxpayer money.”

Ducey’s container wall effort began in the middle of 2022, and quickly ran into opposition, with critics slamming it as a cynical political move that would damage the environment and make no difference to the number of illegal border crossings.

Opponents said the corrugated containers, which snaked like a huge cargo train for four miles (seven kilometers) through federal lands, divided an important conservation area.

They also pointed out that the terrain is so difficult to traverse that people traffickers have never really used it. AFP

2

5.28%

-4.88%

9.81 -0.47 -4.57%

0.205 -0.009 -4.21%

JGS 55.1 -2.4 -4.17%

0.96 -0.04 -4.00%

1 -0.04 -3.85%

2080 -76 -3.53%

MJC 1.38 -0.05 -3.50%

0.59 -0.02 -3.28%

0.31 -0.01 -3.13%

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME VALUE (PHP)

1 SM 364,610 345,924,840

1,161,200 329,087,496

617,990 304,815,824

JFC 1,032,420 253,199,158

AC 323,500 241,846,090

BDO 1,929,990 238,387,939

SMPH 5,516,600 211,528,980

1,430,730 203,506,038

ICT 918,100 198,919,476

94,000 196,582,610

she gave birth to her second child in the person of Nya Claire “Perez” Perdido. Sensing her mistake in using the surname “Perez” in her Certificate of Marriage, because her parents were not married to each other and that her surname in her Certificate of Live Birth is “Nalcot”, she processed the Wife’s Last Name is hereby corrected to “Nalcot”. On September 22, 2020, she

HEREFORD, United States—A wall of shipping containers installed just a few months ago by the then-governor of Arizona at a $100-million cost to US taxpayers was being dismantled Friday.

Republican Doug Ducey ordered the huge line of shipping containers to be placed at the frontier between the United States and Mexico, during the final months of his administration, in what he said was a bid to stem illegal immigration.

Luxury sector impatient for return of Chinese tourists

PARIS—The European luxury sector is welcoming the end of pandemic lockdowns in China, as the return of bigspending Chinese tourists could sustain further growth.

of

begins to dismantle wall of containers on US-Mexico border

IN BRIEF

Prime

PRIME

Martin O’Neil

Prime Infra chairman Enrique Razon Jr. said O’Neil brings with him “a depth of expertise to help execute Prime Infra’s strategic priorities in expanding the business, focusing on solidifying the company’s capital strength to maximize value for our stakeholders.”

The Prime Infra board has five other members, including Razon, Christian Gonzalez, Guillaume Lucci, Stephen Paradies and independent directors Panfilo Lacson and Danilo Feliciano.

“With over 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles, Martin’s wealth of knowledge and insight will prove invaluable to the company’s finance and business operations. He is a great addition and a strong asset to the team, and we are very pleased to have him on board,” said Lucci, president and chief executive of Prime Infra. Alena Mae S. Flores

2Go Group introduces multi-temperature vans

TRANSPORTATION and logistics service provider 2Go Group Inc. introduced the first multi-temperature reefer vans in the Philippines to further ensure the safe and secure transport of goods across the country.

The company said in a statement each reefer van has multiple temperature settings, which allows it to store and transport both frozen and chilled food items at the same time, freeing up slots in vessels. Frozen foods such as meat and fish are typically preserved at a temperature of -20C, while chilled ones like fruits and vegetables are kept between -2 and -6C.

Each mixed temperature reefer van has a length of 20 feet and will be used for its less than container load reefer service. 2GO’s subsidiary 2GO Special Containers and ValueAdded Services Inc. will manage the multitemperature reefer vans.

“We continue to believe in the long-term growth potential of this sector and have made these strategic investments as we expect consumer growth to drive the economy. With these new assets, we raise our standards in transporting the freshest food possible, especially as customer demand rises in the coming weeks,” said 2GO SCVASI president Gener Lim.

Jenniffer B. Austria

ASIALINK Finance Corp., one of the Philippines’ fastest-growing finance companies, teamed up with e-commerce providers Lazada and Shopee to give its clients an easier way to make loan payments.

Asialink’s partnership with Shopee is powered by ECPay, a leading electronic customer purchase and payment system provider in the country, enabling both offline and online channels with the One-Stop-Shop proposition.

Lazada partnership is powered by Bayad (formerly called Bayad Center), the pioneer outsourced payment collection service in the Philippines, and now a full-service financial technology company, offering a whole suite of financial products and services, available in its physical and digital touchpoints.

Asialink tapped into these all-in-one payment platforms to make it easier for its clients to pay their loans and insurance premiums.

“One of the challenges we want to overcome is payment of loans. We partnered with online and offline payment solutions so that our clients can easily settle their loans,” said Asialink chief executive Robert Jordan Jr.

LINEAR PARK.

The Department of Public Works and Highways opens the new linear park and pedestrian stairs of the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge in Manila.

Leading the ceremonial opening on Jan. 20 are

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan (center), People’s Republic of China Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian (second from right), DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain (second from left) and Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. vice president Cecilio Pedro (right).

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippine automotive industry expects sales to reach 400,000 units in 2023, following a 31.3-percent growth to 352,696 in 2022, a top executive said over the weekend.

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. general manager for sales Louie Soriano said the projected growth is a conservative forecast, considering the many factors affecting supply and vehicle production. The expected output is about 13.1 percent higher than 2022 sales.

Cavite and Samsung C&T set to sign $11-b Sangley contract

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE provincial government of Cavite said over the weekend it is set to sign a deal with Samsung C&T Corp. of South Korea next month for the construction of the $11-billion Sangley Point International Airport project.

“First week of February is the target schedule with Samsung,” Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla said in a Viber message to the Manila Standard.

Samsung C&T, a South Korean multinational, construction and engineering firm known for building the world’s tallest tower, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, will be the lead EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor for SPIA.

Remulla said the consortium agreement for the SPIA project “will

be finalized before that [signing with Samsung].”

The Cavite government in September 2022 awarded the $11-billion Sangley International Airport to SPIA Development Corp., a consortium composed of Cavitex Holdings, Yuchengco Group, MacroAsia Corp. and their foreign partners.

Cavitex Holdings, the Philippine lead, said it would bring its expertise in infrastructure development, while

the Yuchengco Group, through House of Investments, said it would contribute its expertise and financial resources in developing large-scale projects.

MacroAsia said it would lend its expertise with aviation support in logistics and technical services.

Munich Airport International GmbH, the operator of the five-star Munich Airport, will serve as the technical consultant for airport concept of operations and maintenance including route development, while Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited, known for its prized work in airport design and engineering, will be the lead master development planner.

SPIA Development and its foreign partners committed to transforming Sangley Point International Airport into a fully-modernized, world-class and green airport.

2.652872 145.0803

0.000066 0.0036

0.030404 1.6627

Dirham 0.272279 14.8904

Euro 1.083100 59.2326

Won 0.000812 0.0444

Yuan 0.147628 8.0735 India Rupee 0.012309 0.6732 Malaysia Ringgit 0.232234 12.7004

New Zealand Dollar 0.639200 34.9566

Taiwan Dollar 0.033012 1.8054 Source: BSP

Shell expanding PH investments in more sectors

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SHELL Companies in the Philippines, the group of businesses under Shell, is expanding its investments in oil, renewable energy, electric vehicles, business process outsourcing and liquefied natural gas.

SCIP country chair Lorelie Quiambao Osial said the group’s strategy is to power progress, specifically “creating value for our customers, our investors and for the society.”

“Sustainability is a part of the strategy, and in doing so, we are looking at, as an energy company, the needs of our customers today but also looking at the future,” Osial said.

“It really is about looking at, providing different choices for our customers, and as you can see, we are expanding in terms of customer base. We also cater to different types of mobility,” she said.

Osial said SCIP entered the renewable space and signed joint ventures on solar and offshore wind last year.

“We continue to progress that as well. We also have a big SBO, shared services business operations, [with] around 4,400 people,” she said.

Osial said a part of the company’s long-term plans includes LNG, and they began working with different agencies for the project. “We continue to be interested in LNG in the Philippines,” she said.

SCIP is also expanding its oil business under Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

BSP raises ceiling on credit card finance charges to 3%

By Julito G. Rada

THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, raised the ceiling on monthly finance charges imposed on a cardholder’s unpaid outstanding credit card balance by 100 basis points from 2 percent to 3 percent.

It maintained the ceiling on the monthly add-on rate that credit card issuers can charge on installment loans at 1 percent.

The maximum processing fee on the availment of credit card cash advances will remain at P200 per transaction, it said.

“The policy aligns the credit card interest rate ceiling with developments in the macroeconomy and cushions the impact of inflationary pressure on banks’/ credit card issuers’ ability to provide quality credit card services to their clients,” BSP Governor and MB chairman Felipe Medalla said over the weekend.

The BSP imposed the caps on credit card transactions as a temporary relief measure to ease the financial burden of consumers from the COVID-19 pandemic and promote affordable access to credit. In fixing the caps, the BSP considered the

prevailing low interest rate environment during the pandemic.

The adjustment in the interest rate ceiling considers the upward trend in domestic interest rates on account of high inflation and the BSP’s efforts to counter the same through successive policy rate hikes.

Monetary officials said this would help banks/credit card issuers cover higher costs related to the efficient handling of consumer transactions, including prompt and timely dispute resolution and the retention of competent personnel.

PSPC is moving forward with the plan to put up another oil import terminal by 2025, which will bring its network of import terminals to five to serve the growing fuel needs of consumers nationwide.

“We’ve committed to have five medium-range capable import terminals. We broke ground on the fourth one last year, and we are looking at announcing a fifth one as well. By 2025, we will have five [terminals,” Osial said.

PSPC would announce the location and sign contracts for the fifth oil import terminal this year. Osial said the terminals would support the company’s retail station expansion.

“There is no definite forecast yet, and the industry is yet to hit pre-pandemic levels. There’s a lot of catching up to do. It will still be difficult to arrive at pre-pandemic sales this 2023,” he said.

Soriano said supply issues continued to hound the industry. Honda is still fulfilling previous commitments, with backlog dates reaching as long as 9 months to 1 year for the HRV model, he said.

He said the supply crunch on automotive chips was giving car manufacturers a hard time dealing with inventory and de-

mand. The scarcity of chips is estimated to continue until 2024 by Honda’s estimates, he said.

Soriano said while Honda Philippines had no specific sales target yet, it was expecting to surpass the 10-percent growth the brand achieved in 2022.

“For Honda, we are pushing for aggressive sales this 2023. We are expecting better sales for our BRV model,” he said.

Among Honda models, the BRV which is produced in Indonesia, is the single unit not affected by the automotive chip issue.

AHG and Roxaco Land Corp. president and chief executive Santiago Elizalde

more luxury villas to cater to homeowners who value privacy and exclusivity.

“Construction of additional villas will start this year on 1.2 hectares of the property,” Elizalde said.

Anya Residences phase 3 lots are about 400 square meters per villa, initially with two bedrooms which can be expanded into four-bedrooms with innovative modular fittings. This can allow homeowners to rent out the additional rooms to generate income on their investment.

“The lay-out of the villas will be exceptional, with abundant space and their own plunge pool,” he said. Pre-selling will start in April with a target completion of two years, with a starting price of P18 million.

Elizalde said a part of AHG’s 2023 development plan is the construction of the Niyama Wellness Center to offer guests a body, mind and spirit well-being experience using a holistic approach. Plans for the pavilion include building a sprawling spa with water features, treatment rooms aside from massage services, gym and an F&B outlet.

Elizalde banks on his experience in leading the company’s bullish 2023 development and building a strong brand equity. “Ten to 12 years ago, we took a look at the hospitality industry. Tourism was about to heat up then. Since we were exposed to the success of Club Punta Fuego, we were knowledgeable about how things work, what people are looking for and their expectations. So, we decided to move in that direction and invest in hospitality,” Elizalde said.

This led to the development of Anya’s 7.2-hectare property in the Tagaytay corridor.

“We believe that the hospitality side of our business is scalable and that we can sustain and even optimize our profitability and efficiency if we grow AHG,” said Elizalde who co-founded the company with Don Pedro Roxas.

STEEL FACILITY. SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp. signs an agreement with China’s BaoSteel Group to build a P108-billion integrated steel facility that will produce 3 million tons of liquid steel that can be converted into almost any finished steel product. The project will generate about 2,000 jobs, spawn new industries and wean the Philippines from perennial dependence on imports. Attending the signing ceremony during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s three-day state visit to China early in January are (from left) Department of Trade and Industry vice consul Mario Tani, SteelAsia chief operating officer Andre Sy, Zhongnan senior vice president Li Huaidong, DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, Steel Asia chairman and chief executive Benjamin Yao and Steel Asia senior vice president Rafael Hidalgo.

Infra appoints O’Neil as board director

Infrastructure Capital Inc. announced over the weekend the appointment of the former executive vice president and chief financial officer of global port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. to its board.

replaced Rafael Consing Jr., who was recently tapped to join the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs. O’Neil was also named senior financial advisor to the Prime Infra management aside from being a director.

Asialink teams up with Lazada, Shopee to broaden payments

Anya Hospitality unveils expansion plan, describes 2023 as ‘exciting year’ PH automotive industry expects sales to reach 400,000 in 2023

ANYA Hospitality Group describes 2023 as an “exciting year” for both hospitality and luxury property development, as international borders open safely and travel becomes accessible to local and international tourists.

said phase 3 development of exclusive enclave Anya Resort and Residences in Tagaytay City is ongoing, as they develop

Anya Hospitality Group and Roxaco Land Corp. president and CEO Santiago Elizalde

Bolts control boards, Painters in Governors’ Cup opening tiff

By Peter Atencio

THE Meralco Bolts stopped come-backing James Yap from having a bit of fun as they trounced the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 105-87, on Sunday night in the opening match of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

KJ McDaniels showed the way with 27 points and a new career-high 23 rebounds for the Bolts, who will be looking forward to improve their 10th-place finish in the recent Commissioner’s Cup.

McDaniels’ rebounding was one ahead of the 22 he made when he was still with the TNT Tropang Giga when they pulled off a 135-107 win over Blackwater Elite Bossings in the

2019 Governors’ Cup eliminations.

The 29-year-old McDaniels fired 12 points in the last period as the Bolts went on to post their biggest lead at 21, 103-82, with his dunk in the last 1:20.

Chris Banchero added 17 points, while Allein Maliksi drilled in 16 for the Bolts, who moved out of range in the second half following a close 54all halftime deadlock.

“We didn’t finish the way we wanted in the last conference. But now we have a chance to restart, and come out with the right focus,” said McDaniels.

Rey Nambatac banged in 21 points for the Elasto Painters, but he was held to just seven in the final period.

With the Bolts taking control of the boards with 64 rebounds, they lorded it over inside, with Cliff Hodge assisting McDaniel in the rebounding department.

The Elasto Painters tried to take care of business with their outside shots, but they could only hit two of nine three-point attempts in the final canto.

“We were able to get the rebounds and the defensive stops, which were very, very important. We almost couldn’t score. But we were stopping them. And it helped out for us,” said Bolts’ coach Norman Black.

Yap, a two-time season Most Valuable Player and now San Juan city councilor, has returned and made 14 points, after last playing in the 2021 Philippine Cup, ending an almost three-year absence because injuries and politics.

The Elasto Painters also missed one of their key defensive players in Leonardo Santillan due to injury.

The Scores:

MERALCO 105 – McDaniels 27, Banchero 17, Maliksi 16, Quinto 11, Newsome 10, Hodge 8, Almazan 6, Pasaol 5, Johnson 3, Jose 2, Rios 0, Pascual 0

RAIN OR SHINE 87 – Nambatac 21, Qualls 14, Yap 14, Mamuyac 10, Asistio 10, Norwood 5, Nieto 3, Ponferrada 2, Clarito 2, Torres 2, Demusis 2, Belga 2, Caracut 0, Borboran 0

QUARTERS: 22-24, 54-54, 81-68, 105-87

Young riders Oconer, Krog join pro team

Krog, a promising rider, who claimed a gold medal in the girls’ 13-below criterium event of the recent 2022 Batang Pinoy in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Limping Mahomes, Chiefs hold off Jaguars

MIAMI—Quarterback Patrick Mahomes overcame an ankle injury as the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, reaching their fifth straight AFC Championship game with a 27-20 win, while the Philadelphia Eagles enjoyed a comfortable 38-7 win over the New York Giants in the NFC.

Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce delivered a game-winning performance with 14 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns as a hobbling Mahomes saw his team to within one win of a third Super Bowl appearance in four years.

At a cold, wet but rocking Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs took the lead with their first drive of the game in familiar fashion as Mahomes found Kelce with a short pass and the tight-end turned and dashed into the end-zone.

Jacksonville responded immediately, however, with Trevor Lawrence connecting with Christian Kirk on a ten-yard touchdown pass.

But Mahomes was hurt when Jaguars linebacker Arden Key landed on him while he was going down under a tackle.

Mahomes remained in the game for the rest of the drive, which ended in a Chiefs field goal, but then went to the locker-room and did not return for the rest of the half.

Back-up quarterback Chad Henne, a former Jaguar, took over and he led the Chiefs to a 17-7 lead with a oneyard pass to Kelce after a 98 yard drive.

The Jags reduced the deficit before half-time with a field goal, but there was a major boost for Kansas City when Mahomes returned for the second half, albeit with a heavily strapped right ankle. AFP

Bullpups record 3rd straight cage win

NAZARETH School of Nazareth University extended its perfect run to three games with a 79-63 romp of Ateneo in the UAAP Season 85 high school boys basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre Sunday.

a good placing

Oconer and Krog hope to

this five-day, class 2.2 race slated from Jan. 27 to 31, with their 11-member team.

“Sa one year ko pong pagba-bike, sana po ay maging maganda ang performance ko,” said the 19-year-old Oconer as he seeks to emerge from the shadows of his dad, Norberto Oconer and his brother George.

Oconer and Krog talked about their next cycling journey during Saturday’s team presentation at the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City.

The elder Norberto competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics, while George is currently one of the top riders of the Standard Insurance-Philippine Navy team and is also a member of the national squad.

The 22-year-old Krog is the eldest son of former national women’s rider Marita Lucas and brother of Maritanya

TCC Invitational unveils PGT season with record purse

capped by the first-ever Match Play Championship at Villamor.

Guido Van der Valk topped last year’s PGT OOM by winning two of the six tournaments at various championship courses. The Manila-based Dutchman also edged Clyde Mondilla by one to snare the last TCC diadem in 2020.

Featuring an elite cast made up of past winners and/or the Top 30 players in last year’s PGT Order of Merit, the blue-ribbon event firing off Feb. 8 will now stake a whopping P6 million in total prizes, topping the previous high of P5 million in the 2020 edition before it was put on hold due to pandemic the last two years.

But the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., in its continuing commitment to help the pros and the entire golf workforce during the health crisis, still held two tournaments in bubble setup in late 2020 and one in 2021 before staging seven legs last year

That should make him the marked player in the upcoming 72-hole championship although no player holds a distinct advantage over a course long considered as the country’s toughest for its sheer length, unsettling hazards and roughs and sleek putting surface.

Add the wind that come into play in most holes, the TCC indeed serves as a true test of golf for the men of the tour.

One-stroke victories have marked the last four editions of the event, held in honor of the late ICTSI founder Don Pocholo Razon, with Miguel Tabuena

Krog, a silver medalist in the 2018 Asian Cycling Championships Naypyidaw, Myanmar—is ecstatic in his first major international race with an intercontinental team, considering that he would be making his family proud of him as he seek to gain UCI points.

Nineteen professional cycling teams are coming to the UAE tournament, which will have 10 national squads in the Middle East and nine intercontinental teams.

The other Filipino riders of the team are Kelvin Mendoza, Ean Cajucom, Daniel Carino and Jerry Aquino Jr.

They will be led experienced Portuguese riders Jose Mendes, Andre Cardoso, Pedro Paulinho and Pako Ochoa. (see related story on C2).

Philippine Olympic Committee president and Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippine president chief Rep. Abraham Tolentino hailed the formation of the team, saying that this brings hope to their dream of having a Filipino rider or riders see action someday in the Tour de France.

Reinhard Jumamoy had 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while RJ Colonia’s all-around outing of 14 points, 11 boards, eight steals, and seven assists also keyed the Bullpups’ victory.

It was NSNU’s 30th consecutive win since 2018, as coach Kevin de Castro was satisfied with the way his troops performed.

“’Yung game namin kahit papaano, may nakikitang improvement. Positivity nandoon sa bench namin,” said De Castro, as the Bullpups outscored the Blue Eagles’ reserves, 31-12.

Earlier, Mark Llemit produced a double-double outing of 20 points and 15 rebounds, nine on the offensive end, as University of Santo Tomas overpowered UP Integrated School, 90-64.

The Tiger Cubs rose to 2-1 while dealing the Junior Fighting Maroons their second straight defeat.

NSNU is looking forward to playing as one cohesive unit as the season goes by.

“Siguro ‘yung team defense pa. Usually, those little things ‘yung mga help, ganoon. Kasi kailangan naming ma-improve iyon especially kapag makakalaban namin mga malakas na team,” said De Castro.

Ateneo, which missed LeBron Nieto who was sidelined with a right ankle injury, dropped to 1-2 in a tie with UPIS.

Kristian Porter came through with 33 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals to lead the Blue Eagles.

foiling Juvic Pagunsan’s record fourtitle crack in 2017, Micah Shin edging Tabuena in 2019, and Tom Kim thwarting Keanu Jahns in 2019 before going big-time on the PGA Tour. Pagunsan and Angelo Que share the most number of wins with three each.

Van der Valk and fellow winners Frankie Miñoza, Tony Lascuna, Pagunsan and Que are expected to lead the hunt for the top P1.5 million prize,

along with Mondilla, Zanieboy Gialon, Michael Bibat, Reymon Jaraula, Jhonnel Ababa, Lloyd Go, Ira Alido, Joenard Rates, Ruperto Zaragosa III, Sean Ramos, Rico Depilo, Orlan Sumcad and Jerson Balasabas.

Also in the Top 30 are Gerald Rosales, Jay Bayron, Dino Villanueva, Marvin Dumandan, Fidel Concepcion, Albin Engino, Enrico Gallardo, Richard Sinfuego and Art Arbole.

The Tiger Cubs were focused to bounce back from last Wednesday’s 58-84 loss to the Bullpups.

“Ang sabi ko sa kanila, one game at a time. ‘Yung UP hindi natin puwedeng biruin,” said UST coach Jinino Manansala, using the win as a good springboard heading to the team’s next assignment against Ateneo.

Kobe Demisana tallied 21 points, 12 boards, five steals, and four blocks for the Junior Fighting Maroons.

THE Country Club Invitational braces for a grand return after a two-year hiatus with the best and the brightest eager and ready to fuel their respective title drive in the richest-ever edition of the flagship tournament of each Philippine Golf Tour season.

Riera

Mallari,

Randy M. Caluag, Assistant

Meralco’s KJ McDaniels screams after dunking the ball during the Bolts’ game against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the PBA Governors’ Cup’s opening game on Sunday. The Bolts won, 105-87.

YOUNG riders Jhay Oconer and Luis Krog will be following the footsteps of their parents when they suit up for the Victoria Sports Cycling Team in one of its first international outings—the Tour of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

earn points and

in

Luis Krog

Guido Van der Valk

Pokemon Go creator back in ‘real world’ for NBA game

PARIS Seven years ago the mobile game “Pokemon Go” took the world by storm, and now its creators are aiming to infuse the same “realworld” appeal into their new basketball game.

While players of “Pokemon Go” were guided by their mobile phones to real-world locations to collect magical creatures, “NBA AllWorld” allows players to challenge each other to games in the street.

John Hanke, the boss of Niantic, which produces both games, stresses that just as with Pokemon, players of the NBA game will also require only a mobile phone -- no expensive VR headsets or goggles.

He is pushing this hybrid-style game as a “real-world metaverse”, distinguishing it from the experience promoted by Microsoft and others of users sitting at home with masks strapped to their faces.

“I think it’s important to support what we do in the real world as human beings, like going out to the restaurant, meeting our friends and not staying at home,” he told AFP in an interview.

“Putting on a VR headset by yourself, to me it’s a very lonely and scary future. I hope that humanity doesn’t go in that direction.”

Gauff crashes out as Ostapenko advances

hit years since and had never before beaten a player ranked inside the top-10 at the Australian Open.

in debut

“I knew she’s such a great player, super young and she’s playing really well but I really had nothing to lose,” said Ostapenko, who won at Roland Garros in 2017 and earned her fifth WTA Tour tile in Dubai last year.

“I was trying to stay positive all the time,” said Ostapenko. “And I knew I have to play aggressive, even if I miss some balls.

Gauff had not dropped a set on the way to the last 16 and the match was a tight affair, with little to choose between the pair.

MPBL teams Marikina and Xentro Mall Rizal dominated just as expected, but it was celebrity baller Gerald Anderson who stole the spotlight on opening night of the Cocogen Ballout Hoops Founder’s Cup Season 2 at the Marikina Sports Center.

Ostapenko edged a tight battle 7-5, 6-3 in an 1hr 33min on Margaret Court Arena to reach the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park for the first time.

The Latvian will now face

“I just went there and tried to show my best and try to fight for every point and to make it hard for her and I’m really happy with the way I played.”

Ostapenko, whose last Grand Slam quarter-final came at Wimbledon in 2018, has endured some tough injury-

But it was the 25-year-old Ostapenko who played the crucial points better, pouncing at the end of each set.

She broke Gauff at 6-5 to take the first, then again at 4-3 in the second.

“At the end, I think I kept her under so much pressure and it brought me a win,” said Ostapenko.

Baisa sustains form, Diaz dominates in PPS Roxas

BRICE Vincent Baisa pulled off another “double,” crushing a couple of top-ranked rivals to claim the boys’ 16- and 18-U titles even as Jana Jelena Diaz matched that feat in the girls’ side of the PPS-PEPP Gov. F. Castro national juniors tennis championships at the Villareal Stadium courts in Roxas City, Capiz over the weekend.

In “NBA All-World”, released this week in France and next Tuesday globally, players choose their favourite NBA star as an avatar and get to meet and play others in the street.

The social aspect of the game, Hanke said, made mobile phones the perfect device to play on.

“It is mobile, low cost and almost everybody has one,” he said.

- Brand buy-inNiantic is hoping to cash in with microtransactions -- players can spend small amounts on virtual items that allow them to move through the game faster or customise their avatars with sneakers from brands such as Adidas or Puma.

Hanke concedes that the success of “Pokemon Go” has helped Niantic get high-level corporate partners onboard.

“The success of ‘Pokemon Go’ certainly helps us,” he said.

Now a cultural phenomenon with more than one billion downloads, “Pokemon Go” has generated roughly one billion dollars a year since its launch in July 2016, according to estimates from analytics firm Sensor Tower.

But Niantic has been unable to produce another hit even approaching that level.

And it has had notable flops.

It launched “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” in 2019, only to shut it down in January last year because of a lack of interest.

Like many other firms in the tech sector, Niantic also made swingeing cuts to its workforce last year, slashing eight percent of its staff and halting four video game projects.

With this in mind, Hanke is playing down any suggestion that his latest game could reach Pokemon levels of success.

“’Pokemon Go’, as the very first game of its kind, I think took the world by surprise,” the Niantic boss said.

“Maybe another game we create for the future will have the same kind of instant viral success, but that’s probably not a realistic expectation because it’s kind of an unusual case.” AFP

Baisa proved his exploits in Iloilo last week were no fluke, blasting his way to the 16-U finals with shutout wins over John Guilaran and Jake Frial, before toppling No. 1 Reign Maravilla, 6-3, 6-2. The Puerto Princesa City find likewise swept his way to the 18-U championship with one-sided victories over Juirus Cantor and Jann Guillano, then thwarted top seed Vince Serna, 7-5, 6-3, to complete a second straight two-title sweep in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

That makes the 16-year-old Baisa a solid favorite when the country’s longest talent-search, put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro to boost the sport and discover fresh talents, moves to Bacolod on Jan. 26-31 and Bais City, Negros Oriental on Feb. 2-7.

For listup and details, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Diaz, meanwhile, cashed in on the absence of Ormoc’s Kimi Brodeth as she lived up to her top billing to reign

The rising Bacoor, Cavite star then routed Feonne Suace, 6-1, 6-2, in the 18-U finals to share MVP honors with Baisa in the tournament sponsored by Gov. Fredenil Castro with support from sports coordinator Matty Viterbo and consultant Atty. Rudy Alba.

Iloilo’s Bjorn Castigador likewise stirred up play in the week-long tournament, shocking top seed Gabrio Serillo, 6-2, 6-3, to snare the boys’ 12-U trophy then matching Baisa and Diaz’s feats by ripping Rizal Labindao,

6-1, 6-3, for the 14-U diadem.

Jallorina, meanwhile, bounced back from her setback to Diaz by blasting fellow Ilongga Frances Alcarde, 6-1, 6-1, for the girls’ 14-U crown, with the latter bagging the 12-U title with a 7-6(3), 6-1 triumph over Claire Fungo.

Francisco de Juan III of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, on the other hand, routed Prince Crisosto, 4-1, 4-0, to top the 10-unisex division of the tournament backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).

A veteran of the MPBL, Anderson knocked in 19 points, including four three-point shots, proving to everyone that he’s a solid ball player as he keyed KalosPh’s 10293 triumph over M7-RPBY Dental Clinic, in the main game.

Anderson and fellow MPBL guard Genmar Bragais terrorized their counterparts in their backcourt duel.

Bragais led the way with 24 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Another KalosPh player ended up in double figures, Brylle Meca, who contributed 14 markers.

But while Anderson was the star of the show, teams of Marikiana and Xentro Mall were able to outclass their respective opponents.

The home team Shoelanders walloped Antipolo City, 99-80, and the Golden Coolers ripped One4BF, 88-72.

Marikina and Xentro Mall Rizal were handled by second generation coaches.

Coached by long-time mentor Elvis Tolentino, son of multi-titled collegiate coach Ato Tolentino, Marikina banked on Jason Opiso ad three other players who tallied double figures.

Opiso came away with a solid game of 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Ralph Vincent Robin, a standout from Emilio Aguinaldo College, contributed 16 points while also grabbing seven boards and dishing out four assists, while Felipe Chavez added 13 and Raymond Casajeros chipped in 10.

Xentro Mall, coached by Jonathan Banal, and son of another multi-titled collegiate coach Koy Banal, got balance production from his crew.

All systems go for PH’s newest professional cycling team

“It is an exciting time for Philippine sports. Our country won its first gold medal in the Olympics two years ago, and this year the country will be represented in both the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the FIBA Basketball World Cup,” said Ochoa.

The cyclist pointed out that “we are slowly showing the world that Filipino athletes can be competitive in international sporting competitions, and we will set out to prove that Filipinos have what it takes to excel in cycling as well.”

The officers of the VSCT are Atty. Franco Lacandalo (Team Representative), Jobert Catina (Rider Care and Mechanic), Rayzon Galdonez (Assistant Sports Director), and Micael Isidoro (Sports Director).

The riders of the team, on the other hand, are Jhay Oconer, Kelvin Mendoza, Márcio Barbosa, Luis Krog, Pedro Paulinho, Ochoa, Ean Cajucom, José Mendes, Daniel Cariño, Jerry Aquino, and André Cardoso.

Mendez and Cardoso are experienced professional cyclists from Portugal.

Portuguese national road champion, while Cardoso is a former World Tour rider for Trek Segafredo.

Aside from competing in UCI International races, the team also wants to contribute “to the meteoric rise of the popularity of biking in the Philippines.”

“We are extremely grateful to all the companies that share our vision,” stressed Ochoa, “and also believe that we can go beyond making cycling more popular––that we can raise the level of cycling and make it a part of our culture, as it is in other parts of the world where the needs and rights of bikers are embraced and respected.”

Owned by New San Jose Builders, Inc., VSCT also has the support of San Miguel Corporation, Banco De Oro, SM, Grab Philippines, and Mr. Kevin Wong.

On

Mendez is a former World Tour Rider for Bora-Hansgrohe and two-time

VSCT is also backed by Gruppo Innovare Corporation-Specialized Philippines, Neo Zigma Cycle Corporation-Shimano and PRO, Cofides Competição, Cebu Pacific, Rudy Project, Manuel L. Quezon University, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, VS Hotel, and Schroeder’s Deli.

MELBOURNE —Coco Gauff’s Australian Open ended Sunday after the 18-year-old American prodigy was beaten in straight sets by former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who blew the women’s draw wide open by knocking out world number one Iga Swiatek a few minutes earlier on Rod Laver Arena.

Streaking Brice Baisa (left) bags another MVP trophy, this time, sharing it with Jana Diaz. in the girls’ 16-U with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Louraine Jallorinia.

John Hanke AFP

IT IS all systems go for the Victoria Sports Cycling Team (VSCT)––the country’s newest professional cycling team.

The team is formally launched Saturday to the public in a ceremony at the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City.

Sunday, the team led a community ride in Quezon Memorial Circle.

Team representative Pako Ochoa said on Saturday that the team will work to open a “new chapter in Philippine cycling, as it aims to be the first Philippine team to regularly and actively represent the country in major international cycling tournaments in Asia and countries around the world.”

The Victoria Sports Pro Cycling Team is presented before the media and the public during its launch Saturday at the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City. (From left) Jay Oconer, Jerry Aquino, Marcio Barbosa, Pedro Paulinho, Andrei Cardoso, Jose Mendes, Daniel Carino, Pako Ochoa, Ean Cajucom, Luis Krog, Kelvin Mendoza, Micael Isidoro (Sports Director), Jobert Catina (Rider Care and Mechanic), and Rayzon Galdonez (Asst. Sports Director).

Brooke Shields describes rape in Sundance documentary

AMERICAN actress Brooke Shields revealed she was raped as a young Hollywood actress in new documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, which premiered on day two of the Sundance film festival Friday.

The former supermodel did not reveal the identity of her attacker, but said she met with the man – someone she already knew – soon after she graduated college, believing it was a work meeting to discuss casting her in a new movie.

He took her back to his hotel, claiming he would call her a taxi from his room. He instead disappeared to the bathroom before

By Patricia Taculao

AS MANY Filipino viewers know, the local entertainment industry has numerous drama series that tug at the audience’s heartstrings. Some of these shows become generational hits, like Mara Clara and Pangako Sa’Yo, which set the bar for how local networks should produce their following projects.

This 2023, the Dreamscape drama series Dirty Linen hopes to become the benchmark for succeeding shows. It promises a compelling plot, suspenseful scenes, detailoriented production and script, and a starstudded cast.

It follows the story of the Fiero family and how they wronged other families whose members are now seeking justice and revenge. According to director Andoy Ranay, the show’s title comes from the idiomatic expression, “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.” It means to refrain from discussing private matters publicly.

Dirty Linen stars a roster of celebrities with undeniable star power, with recent Golden Globe nominee Dolly De Leon kicking off the series and its cycle of secrecy, violence, and revenge. Joining her are veteran actors Tessie Tomas, Joel Torre, Angel Aquino, John Arcilla and Janice de Belen.

Other cast members include Janine Gutierrez Zanjoe Marudo Francine Diaz, Seth Fedelin, Epy Quizon, Xyriel Manabat JC Santos Raven Rigor, and Jennica Garcia, to name a few.

With such a cast, audiences can expect a dynamic performance throughout the series. But their talents can only go so far without a script and plot that’s up to par.

Nowadays, Korean drama, or K-drama, remains at the top in creating new shows for

returning naked and assaulting her, she said.

“I didn’t fight that much... I just absolutely froze,” Shields recalled in the documentary.

“I thought that my one ‘no’ should have been enough. And I just thought ‘stay alive and get out.’”

After the incident, Shields recalled phoning her friend and security head Gavin de Becker, who told her: “That’s rape.”

She replied “I’m not willing to believe that,” and has not spoken of the incident publicly until now.

The revelation – which echoes #MeToo revelations by prominent and lesser-known

Hollywood actresses in recent years – is one of several shocking moments in the film, which will be released on the Hulu streaming platform in two parts.

Part one examines the intense sexualization Shields experienced as a young girl, including a provocative nude photoshoot at age 10, and her appearance as a child prostitute in the film Pretty Baby at age 11.

The documentary shows a young Shields being asked lascivious questions by much older male chat show hosts about her roles in movies such as The

Blue

After experiencing global fame as a teenager, Shields attended university at Princeton, and initially struggled to find acting roles again after she graduated –leading to the meeting with her alleged rapist.

“My personal message is perseverance, and not allowing yourself to become a victim to a society or an industry,” she told AFP ahead of the film’s premiere at the festival in Utah. AFP

‘Dirty Linen’ the new benchmark for PH drama series?

similarities Dirty Linen has with K-drama is an unconscious coincidence.

“We are aware na maraming influences that would affect filmmakers of today. Every creative process would involve culling different influences,” he said.

One thing they made clear, they want Dirty Linen to compete with the global standard and stand side-by-side with the original content from different streaming services. Ranay and Diaz have since set out to make the series look compelling, from its storytelling to the entire production.

Unlike the usual television series that Filipinos became accustomed to, the directors made Dirty Linen intending to make it look compelling and cinematic yet fresh to keep audiences on their toes.

Dirty Linen premieres tonight at 9:30 on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.

Movers and shakers

BY ALWIN IGNACIO

ARTISTS belonging to the Gen Z demographics are today’s column focus. Why so? It is because they happen to be boisterous and talented lot. Youth is not wasted on them as they show their followers and supporters in particular, and the public in general that indeed, the power of electric youth is not only for real but potent.

Topping the movers and shakers enumeration is the artist FelipJhon, the real moniker of Ken Suson who happens to be 1/5 of the Southeast Asian Superstar Pop Group, SB19

Suson recently dropped the bomb with the release of his third single “Rocksta.” As of this writing, on YouTube, a day after its music video was screened, garnered almost 200K views and the digits are growing exponentially. The rap-hip hop ditty claimed number one status on several musical streaming platforms. And international and local music video reactors are throwing raves about the short but impactful anthem.

Suson admitted in an interview that he wrote his latest musical opus during the precious spare time he had at the height of their successful WYAT concert tour. The song being short, was on purpose so that listeners will want to hear it more. The insane bass vocal arrangements, a product of his genius since he wanted to maximize the force that his low register contains and its call to roar and rise, excite the positivity aspects of dreamers and wishers to work hard, love your talents, embrace your flaws, and realize your ambitions.

The music video brings the ooohs and the aahs because Ken showcased his lean and mean physique, his irresistible man-boy appeal – palpable and pulsating – and the fashion-forward statements, to die for.

“Rocksta,” Ken’s musical offering is just the tip of the iceberg as more

groundbreaking songs will be heard with Complex, the Suson-produced EP that arrives this first week of February.

Fresh darlings share precious screen time with seasoned performers in the highly anticipated melodrama Dirty Linen, from Dreamscape and ABSCBN. The Kapamilya quartet of Francine Diaz. Seth Fedelin, Xyriel Manabat, and Raven Rigor are the next batch of movers and shakers.

Diaz and Fedelin used to have different partners when they were part of the Gold Squad with Andrea Brillantes and Kyle Echarri

Being part of Dirty Linen is an acid test of sorts for the new partners in terms of building their fan base and showing observers that they have what it takes when it comes to acting. It is not every day that they are cast in a high-octane drama with Janice de Belen and John Arcilla as your parents and Tessie Tomas as your grandmother, in the case of Diaz. With Fedelin, Joel Torre as your dad, and Janine Gutierrez screams big-time challenge in the acting department.

Former child star Xyriel Manabat is all woman now and plays as the torn and yes the third wheel in the blossoming relationship of the characters that the FranSeth portray.

Raven Rigor, who made it to the new hope 2023 list that we wrote, is

the

Of course, this rundown will not be complete if the cake-smearing shenanigan of Alex Gonzaga did not make the movers and shakers cut. Yes, it moved and shook a majority of people. Why it hit a raw nerve only means that good manners and right conduct will never be old-fashioned.

The youngest Gonzaga already issued a public apology, made amends with the aggrieved party, and let us give Catherine that.

The biggest take on this, is the reality that “being kind” to all must be intrinsic. That “fame”, “clout,” “connections” and “online followers and subscribers” do not entitle anyone to behave callously and treat others with disrespect. Kindness begets kindness. And so does love.

Goodness gracious, it is just the first month of the year and local showbiz is not only full of promise, but filled with pride with these Gen Z movers and shakers who deserve not only a round of applause, but the public’s admiration and support. Hope springs eternal for Pinoy Tinsel Town then.

GMA Network strengthens anti-piracy efforts

LEADING broadcast company GMA Network has announced it has strengthened its anti-piracy capabilities by partnering with the Alliance for Creativity & Entertainment (ACE).

Widely regarded as the world’s largest and most effective anti-piracy coalition, ACE currently has over 50 global members, with GMA as its first member from the Philippines.

Attending a partnership signing event held on Thursday, January 19, were GMA Network’s First Vice President and Head of International Operations Joseph T. Francia, First Vice President for Legal Affairs Atty. Lynn P. Delfin, and GMA New Media, Inc. President and Chief Operating Officer Dennis Augusto L. Caharian

Joining them virtually as well were GMA Network’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong and Senior Vice President for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group, and President of GMA Films Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes

Representing ACE during the signing ceremony were Jan van Voorn Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Content Protection for the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Head of ACE, and Neil Gane, who represents ACE operations for the Asia Pacific region.

“Piracy continues to be one of the biggest problems in the entertainment industry globally,” said Atty. Felipe L. Gozon. “The duplication and illegal distribution of movies, teleseryes, music, and other materials invalidate the hard work of those behind it. And as such, we are proud to join the Alliance

for Creativity and Entertainment in its global campaign against digital piracy.”

“GMA Network, through various initiatives on different platforms, is consistently taking the necessary steps to combat the illegal distribution of our shows movies, music, and other materials. And through our partnership with ACE, we look to further strengthen these initiatives to protect our content,” Gozon added.

“We are thrilled to welcome GMA Network to the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment and look forward to working with them to combat piracy and protect content creators – in the Philippines and around the world. ACE is building a strong global network of media companies and partners who are working together to eradicate the serious threat piracy poses to the creative economy,” shared Van Voorn.

As part of its efforts to combat piracy, GMA Network also launched last Thursday its own anti-piracy advocacy campaign dubbed “Stream Responsibly. Fight Piracy.” The campaign aims to encourage people, especially the younger generation, to be aware of what is right and wrong and help raise awareness of the value of creative works. It also aims to protect and educate the public about the potential harms of clicking pirated websites and apps.

Serving as campaign ambassadors are Sparkle stars and the cast of the muchanticipated live-action adaptation of Voltes V: Legacy – Miguel Tanfelix, Ysabel Ortega, Matt Lozano, Radson Flores, and Raphael Landicho, with Sparkle talent Mikee Quintos and Maria Clara at Ibarra lead star Barbie Forteza

Nickie

Lagoon and Endless Love , and the series of controversial Calvin Klein jeans commercials she starred in.

the big and small screens. Before the K-drama phenomenon, viewers from across the globe loved watching Mexican telenovelas for their surprising plots.

Yet even though K-drama remains the standard for what people want to see, it shouldn’t stop Filipino creatives from

producing a project that has similar elements but maintains or amplifies Filipino roots.

“We made it [Dirty Linen] proudly Filipino—sariling atin Nandoon pa rin ‘yung touches ng Pinoy teleserye; kung paano gumawa ‘yung mga Pilipino. Pero dahil nga may benchmark, itataas natin ang

antas Medyo mahirap pero nagawa naman namin,” Ranay said during the Grand Media Conference for Dirty Linen Sharing the helm of the project with Ranay as the director is Onat Diaz. He was already around when the story was but a germ of an idea. However, he clarifies that whatever

eldest son of Angel Aquino and Epi Quizon, with Manabat being her youngest sister. Rigor who is one half of the BL tandem he shared with Sean Tristan, cannot believe his luck that he is part of the drama, and with a role that will surely make a mark.

ARIAS

American actress and model Brooke Shields

GMA’s anti-piracy advocacy campaign, ‘Stream Responsibly. Fight Piracy’ joins their various anti-piracy efforts

Ken Suson, aka FelipJhon, shows more than just his musical prowess in ‘Rocksta’

From left: Epy Quizon, Angel Aquino, Tessie Tomas, John Arcilla, and Janice de Belen bring life to the controversial Fiero family

From left: Christian Bables, Janine Gutierrez, Joel Torre, and Jennica Garcia

Francine Diaz (left) as Chiara and Seth Fedelin as Nico

Janine Gutierrez plays Alexa in ‘Dirty Linen’

Chillin’ in Seattle

AT A ground temperature of 8 degrees Celsius, I didn’t have a choice but to actually “chill” in Seattle. This is my nth time visiting the city because, before the pandemic set in, I made it a point to visit my daughter and her family every year. They live in a suburb of Seattle – Redmond, where the Microsoft Headquarters is. Yet, every time I visit, Seattle’s attractions never fail to fascinate me.

Seattle is the largest city in the state of Washington, even much bigger than Olympia, the state’s capital. Aside from Microsoft, the other big contributors to the state’s income are Amazon, headquartered in Seattle itself, and Costco, with its headquarters in Issaquah, 17 miles or 20 minutes away from Seattle.

Of course, the mention of Seattle immediately gives one the image of its iconic landmark, the Space Needle. It is an observation tower built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World’s Fair. It stands 605 feet tall and is built to withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude.

On top of this tall structure is the Sky City, a revolving restaurant that, of course, offers panoramic views and sumptuous culinary delights that the Pacific Northwest is known for. But if you don’t want to take in the calories and would just like to settle for a leisurely cocktail, there is The Loupe Lounge, the world’s first and only revolving glass floor, perched 500 feet above the city.

From the Seattle Center, my sibling and I drove to my other favorite attraction on the other side of town – Pike Place, where the famous Public Market is located. It is the city’s original farmers market where locally sourced

specialty food and artisan products are made available in massive quantities. But I go there for other reasons.

I always enjoy having lunch at Athenian, the restaurant featured in the movie, Sleepless in Seattle, not only because it still bears some of the props used in the movie, but also because the food is good. In fact, for so many years, the Chef was a Pinay from Tacloban. Their menu included Kare-Kare and Chicken Pork Adobo.

During one of my visits, I took time out to say “hello” to her and mentioned to her that I had visited Tacloban many times because my mother was from Ormoc. Much to my surprise, she later “gifted” me with “halo-halo” for dessert, complete with ube, leche flan, and all the other Pinoy ingredients this sweet last course is popular for. I found out during my yesterday’s visit that she had already retired and had gone back home to Tacloban.

Another “must do” every time I visit

Pike Place is getting my fill of cheese products for dessert at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, widely known as the favorite of TV host Oprah Winfrey It usually takes me quite some time to figure out which of the dozens of tempting cheese pastries to buy.

I always end my Pike Place visit by having to suffer through the perennially long queue at the very first Starbucks, just to get several bags of the Pike Place Special Reserve coffee. This has got to be the best coffee in the world, a dark roast with an extra dose of caffeine, perfect to give as gifts to family and friends. This store opened in 1971, offering freshroasted coffee beans, tea, and spices from around the world.

There are many other interesting places to visit in Pike Place, and in the other parts of the city. I guess that’s the reason why many tourists end up being Sleepless In Seattle.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

CITY

Award-winning Cantonese restaurant Crystal Dragon highlights its festive lunar new year menu available for lunch and dinner until January 29. For the traditional dinner table yu sheng (or yee sang) toss ritual, the salad is offered with a twist: Prosperity Roasted Duck in lieu of herring or salmon, with jellyfish, crispy vegetables, and plum dressing.

Good for a group of five persons per serving (P1,600), the ritual augurs good fortune for the group, as they stand and toss the ingredients high up with chopsticks while reciting auspicious phrases to bless all present with well-wishes.The roasted duck symbolizes wealth, abundance, and fertility; the flour crisps, and prosperity, while the plum dressing denotes sweetness and harmonious family relationships.

Singapore’s famous TungLok Signatures also highlights the quintessential Chinese New Year staple fare.

The yu sheng salad, which was popularized in Singapore, and known as lo hei in Cantonese, signifies blessings and fortune. Tung Lok’s salad is prepared with salmon, a medley of fresh vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients, each representing a wish during the toss while huat ah! or lo hei! is being recited. It is believed that the higher the toss, the greater will be one’s fortune. For direct reservations, call +63 917 7024024.

TungLok Signatures’ Prosperity Yu Sheng Salad (P2,888) is available until January 24 and can be shared by a group of six to eight.

The season’s flavors can likewise be savored at Red Ginger until February 5, which offers five auspicious dishes symbolizing fortune, longevity, prosperity, happiness, and harmony. The ala carte dishes are: Fortune Lao Sheng, a chicken salad with plum dressing; Longevity Noodles consisting of egg noodles with crispy pork belly, and quail eggs; braised Prosperity Pork Knuckle with king mushrooms; Happiness Prawn and Squid, a medley stir-fried in curry XO sauce; and for dessert, Harmony Coconut, a mix of coconut jelly and ice cream.

For inquiries and reservations in Crystal Dragon and Red Ginger, call 8800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com. For more information, visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

SUBWAY has just announced its latest digital ad campaign featuring noted YouTube vlogger Kimpoy Feliciano. With over 1.6 million subscribers to his name, Kimpoy hopes to tap into the power and clout of his fanbase when exploring this new partnership with Subway.

In the video, Kimpoy talks about his reputation as a lover boy who’s smitten with three different loves—B, M, and T—that are played by the wonderfully talented Natazha Bautista, Breena Ylaya, and Queen Semana Kimpoy understandably flip-flops – one is adventurous, another is practical, and the last is health-conscious. In the end, we find that Kimpoy is hooked, not on the three ladies but on three crave-worthy B.M.T. sandwiches from Subway.

Kimpoy is incredibly excited about his role in the ad. “Actually, sobrang relate ako,” says Kimpoy. “Whenever I go to Subway, parang may sandwich palagi for any occasion. Ang hirap talaga mamili ng favorites! No matter your mood, there’s a B.M.T.™ sandwich for you.”

The commercial perfectly highlights the variety one gets from Subway’s three B.M.T. options. The B.M.T. classic brings the thrill of a sandwich done just right. The ‘double cheese’ offers more flavor, an added value at a good price. Meantime, the egg mayo B.M.T. Plus presents an even healthier choice for discerning eaters out there.

For Joshua Wahiman, marketing manager of Subway Philippines, the ad sums up what it’s like to be a Subway guest. “What can be a more relatable feeling than love?” Wahiman says. “So we

want to show the overwhelming love one can feel for all the sandwich options at Subway. We also feel that Kimpoy did a fantastic job of conveying this in a fun way in our latest digital ad.”

The cheeky and humorous video was crafted by some of the best creative minds in the production industry. At the helm was awardwinning director Chris Cahilig, who led an A-List crew that included director of photography Noel Teehankee, food stylist Kia del Rosario, and line producer Jel Planas

They were joined by a talented post-production crew: offline editor Yvette Mijares, online editor Kenneth Amparo, sound designer Kat Salinas, Dia Magsaysay on color, and Paulo Almaden on scoring.

“We’re enormously pleased with the finished product,” says Wahiman. “We look forward to Kimpoy’s fans hopping over to Subway and experiencing first-hand how tough it is to pick from all our amazing options.”

of Dreams Manila hops into the Year of the Water Rabbit, signifying peace, prosperity, and fertility. To celebrate the lunar new year, auspicious specialties await diners at Crystal Dragon, Red Ginger, and TungLok Signatures.

The very first Starbucks, with its perennial queue, opened at Pike Place in 1971

Seattle’s very popular tourist destination, the Public Market at Pike Place

The Loupe Lounge at the Space Needle has the world’s only revolving glass floor (Photo courtesy of spaceneedle.com)

Crystal Dragon’s Prosperity Roast Duck with Jelly Fish, Crispy Vegetables, and Plum Dressing

A serving of Red Ginger’s Prosperity Pork Knuckles

We find that Kimpoy is hooked, not on the three ladies, but on three crave-worthy B.M.T. sandwiches from Subway

Kimpoy hopes to tap into the power and clout of his fanbase when exploring this new partnership with Subway