Manila Standard - 2023 February 2 - Thursday

DEPED: 1 YEAR TO REVIEW K-12 CURRICULUM

MAYORS APPROVE SINGLE TICKETING SYSTEM FOR NCR

COVID crisis ends, worst over

PBBM drops calamity state but orders DOH to pay frontliners’ allowance

By Joyce Pangco Pañares and Willie Casas

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will no longer extend the state of calamity that expired Dec. 31, 2022, signaling that the government believes the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over, the Palace confirmed Wednesday.

The President also ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that health workers continue to receive their COVID-related allowances even though the state of calamity has expired.

“That (the allowances) will continue.

I used to be concerned that the compensation for our health workers would not continue…We carefully studied their allowances and even if the state of calamity is not extended, their benefits will not be affected,” the President said.

Although there was no formal announcement, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said “yes” when asked if Mr. Marcos’ decision not to extend the state of calamity was final.

Members of review panel in PNP cleansing bared

By Joel E. Zurbano

Local Government

Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. on Wednesday announced the names of four members of the five-man panel tasked to review records and profiles of

high-ranking police officials who have submitted their courtesy resignations.

The advisory group will be composed of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., former Defense secretary Gilbert

Mr. Marcos to sign 7 bilateral pacts during five-day state visit to Japan

Teodoro, Jr. and former Cordillera Police Regional Office commander and retired P/Maj. Gen. Isagani Nerez. Abalos declined to identify the fifth member. Abalos, who called for the courtesy

By Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday that Manila and Tokyo will sign seven bilateral agreements during President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s official visit to Japan next week.

The visit seeks to “maximize the full potential of the Philippine-Japan strategic partnership in all its aspects and facilitate closer defense, security, political, economic, and people-to-people

ties,” DFA Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial said.

The agreements include humanitarian assistance on disaster relief or HADR cooperation, he said.

“Japan has been a very important partner providing assistance in relation to disaster relief and we certainly welcome this agreement,” Imperial told reporters in a Palace briefing. Imperial said that there will also be discussions on a security agreement

FIVE-MAN PANEL. Four members of the advisory group tasked to review records of police officials who may have links to illegal drugs have been named: (from left) Philippine National Police Chief Director General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former Cordillera Police Regional Office commander and retired P/Maj. Gen. Isagani Nerez and former Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. The fifth member has yet to be identified

President creates Water Mgt. Office to reduce reliance on groundwater

By

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday approved the creation of a Water Resource Management Office (WRMO) to manage the country’s

water resources and respond to current environmental challenges.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Mr. Marcos approved the WRMO during a multi-sectoral

FM brood fails in move to hold ‘frozen’ assets

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Marcos family’s attempt to take control of their assets being held by the government has been rejected by the Sandiganbayan. In a resolution, promulgated on Jan. 25, the anti-graft court’s Third Division, denied the motions filed by former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos and her daughter Irene Marcos-Araneta.

The Marcoses asked for the issuance of a writ of execution on the properties denominated as “frozen accounts, surrendered by virtue of compromise agreements, sequestered (but) not in the PCGG (Presidential Commission on Good Government)

US Defense chief Austin to tackle security initiatives with PH officials

VISITING Defense

Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez

A chaplain at Manila Police District Command (MPDC) blesses the 150 units of bikes and bike patrols that will be deployed to various schools and crowded places in Manila to avert criminality.

This handout photo taken on February 1, 2023 and released by Western Mindanao Command shows US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) shaking hands with Philippine Armed Forces chief General Andres Centino during a visit to the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City.

POWER. After a two-year hiatus, the month-long Baguio Flower Festival returns in full bloom. Dave Leprozo

PBBM gives DepEd a year to revise K to 12 curriculum

By Maricel Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave the Department of Education a year to complete its review of the K to 12 curriculum, DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said in a television interview.

“The President gave us a timeline of around a year to finish the review,” Poa told CNN Philip

pines’ The Source.

He said the review for the curriculum for kinder to Grade 10 has been concluded while the review for the senior high school grades has just started.

“We are trying to decongest our curriculum to focus on the essential subjects and the basics, like math, reading, science,” he said.

“We want to really look at literacy in a way that we’ll be able to inculcate not just foundational literacy but also functional literacy,” Poa added.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara

meeting with officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The WRMO, which will be under the DENR, will be a transitory body pending the creation of a Water Resources Department.

President Marcos said the WRMO’s first action should be reducing the country’s reliance on groundwater and deep wells and managing surface water supply.

“There’s enough water in the Philippines. It’s just that we’re not using it, we’re throwing the supply away,” he said.

He likewise underscored the need for a plan that will serve as a roadmap for waste management agencies.

“We need to stick to the plan. That’s why we have to strengthen the mandate of the Water Management Office. We have to bring them together so that they are all following the overall plan,” the President said.

An executive order (EO) will be crafted to enable the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and the other water-related agencies of the DENR to have a collaborative mechanism under the WRMO to implement water management programs.

“Whatever the relationship we come to with MWSS, LWUA, and the Water Board, DENR and this new Water Management Office, it has to be cohesive in the sense that the recommendation needed of the management office would be followed,” the President said.

The WRMO’s main functions include formulating and ensuring the implementation of the Integrated Water Management Plan (IWMP), which will integrate various plans of different agencies.

The IWMP, which will serve as the main guiding document for the WRMO, will respond to the current environmental challenges and manage water resources through a concerted government effort engaging various sectors.

The WRMO will also be tasked to champion, together with the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO), the passage of a law creating an apex body; collaborate closely with all relevant agencies, including local government units (LGUs), private sector, civil society and the communities; as well as perform other functions under the DENR.

Water is crucial to food security and supporting cities and urban growth.

Based on government data, irrigation accounts for a 35.6 percent contribution to the agriculture sector’s Gross Value Added.

The Philippines ranks among the world’s rapidly urbanizing countries, with over 47 percent of its population living in cities in 2021, requiring large water projects, including bulk water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

It also has a significant part in the country’s energy mix, as hydropower represents 7 percent of the total energy production in the country, and its contribution can be increased by as much as 15 percent by 2030.

Duterte earlier said the government wants a more responsive curriculum.

She said in its present form, the K to 12 curriculum is “congested.”

“Some prerequisites of identified essential learning competencies are missing or misplaced,”

Duterte said.

The chair of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture on Wednesday said it is crucial to introduce adjustments to the K to 12 curriculum that will equip graduates with the necessary skills and competencies to make them employable.

During the Laging Handa public briefing,

This was also confirmed by DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire.

“Yes, the state of calamity will no longer be extended,” she told Manila Standard.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday threw his support behind the President’s decision, saying it would greatly boost the country’s image, especially to foreign tourists.

“I support the President’s non-extension of the COVID-19 state of calamity because it would really [cast]… a bad light on the Philippines [if it were extended]. And… as we know, it’s almost back to normal,” Zubiri said in an interview Wednesday.

He said foreign tourists would be very hesitant to visit the country if they see online that there is a prevailing state of calamity in the country due to the pandemic, and assume that the government could not control the spread of cases.

“The point is the President does not want to tarnish the image of the country by extending the state of calamity. He wants it rectified by legislation,” he said.

The DOH earlier requested President Marcos to extend the state of calamity after the proposed bill for the creation of Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) was not enacted on time.

Zubiri said the Senate was now focusing on the passage of that bill, and incorporating the DOH requests for special powers, particularly those related to the vaccination program.

Zubiri said they are also working on the swift approval of the bills creating the Medical Reserve Corps and the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines.

The Senate President said Congress has also approved an additional P25 billion in COVID response fund that will be used to cover the allowances for health frontliners, logistics and other lo -

custody, and sequestered under the PCGG’s control and supervision.”

But the Sandiganbayan denied the plea “for lack of merit” and sought to clarify the status of some assets and properties pertinent to the case.

The court said it could not rule on properties that had already been recov-

that could happen in the future, but the HADR cooperation would come first.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will lead “an exchange of notes” on some $3 billion worth of infrastructure loan agreements for the North-South Commuter Railway and its extension. This will later on be signed by the Department of Finance, Imperial said.

Imperial said Manalo would also sign an agreement on information and communications technology on behalf of Information and Communication Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy.

“We are already exporting a lot of

committee chair and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said he agrees with Duterte’s plan to revise the curriculum to ensure graduates are more job-ready.

“Just like what Vice President Sara said, we need to start with curriculum adjustment. Because these are what [industries] are looking for—the competencies, skills, talents. We must equip our students with these and build their capacity. That’s why we need to adjust the curriculum to make it simplified and attuned to the needs of the Filipino youth who want to get jobs after K to 12,” he said.

“We just have to ensure that whatever the K to 12 students will learn would prepare them for the jobs that await them. If we are able to do that, then I think, the additional burden of two years would gradually be lifted,” he added.

According to the Bureau of Curriculum Development, 83 percent of SHS graduates pursued higher education, while only 10 percent of graduates were employed.

gistical needs of the DOH.

Proclamation No. 929, signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte, declared a state of calamity across the country in March 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread in the country.

The state of calamity was supposed to last for six months but was extended for a year up to Sept. 12, 2021, via Proclamation No. 1021, and was extended for a second time through Proclamation No. 1218.

Mr. Marcos on Wednesday also assured the public that the country has a sufficient supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses.

“The vaccines aren’t as necessary as they were in 2021 when we were scrambling to get them because the risk is lower now so we should adjust based on the scientific assessment of the COVID-19 situation,” he added in Filipino.

He also welcomed the continued decline in cases.

Data from the DOH showed that a total of 1,206 new COVID-19 cases were recorded during the week of Jan. 23-29.

The average number of new cases per day during the period stood at 172, reflecting a 36 percent decline from the cases logged on Jan. 16-22.

The DOH has so far vaccinated 73 million individuals, or 94.54 percent of the target population, while 21 million individuals have received their booster shots.

A total of 6.9 million senior citizens, or 79.47 percent of the target A2 population, have received the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, while 2.76 million senior citizens had their booster shots.

The Philippines has found 613 new cases of Omicron COVID-19 subvariants.

Based on the DOH’s latest report, 252 were classified as BA.2.3.20, 201 as XBB, 25 as BA.5, 15 as XBC, 2 as BA.2.75, and 118 as other Omicron sublineages. Of the BA.5 cases, 18 were classified as BQ.1, the DOH said. Results of the samples, which were processed by the University of the

ered by the government or transferred to third persons, or those that have been the subject of court decisions and compromise agreements. “What remains to be determined, however, is the list of properties which are included in the dismissal of the Third Amended Complaint for failure of the plaintiff to prove its allegations by preponderance of evidence,” it added.

Subject to the finality of the decision, the court, meanwhile lifted the seques-

agricultural products to Japan. [We hope]… this visit will result in more exports of agricultural products to Japan, especially our bananas and avocados,” he said.

President Marcos will visit Japan from Feb. 8 to 12.

The DFA said Wednesday said one issue the President will not raise is reparations for “comfort women” who were forced to provide Japanese soldiers sexual services during World War II.

Imperial said all war-related compensation claims by the Philippine government are already settled, so there is no need for the Chief Executive to bring them up during the visit.

“All war-related claims are deemed to have been settled by our 1956 reparations agreement with Japan,” Imperial said.

“Our working relationship with them is very strong,” said Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, head of the Western Mindanao Command.

“They [US troops] are here to help us in our mission, especially in counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response,” Galido added.

Austin also met with AFP chief General Andres Centino during his visit in Zamboanga City.

“It’s an ongoing relationship that we’ve had with the United States. As President Marcos has pointed out, it’s evolving. So our military alliance, our Mutual Defense Treaty, our Visiting Forces Agreement are obviously part and parcel of that entire relationship that we have with the United States so obviously that visit will reinforce all of these agreements that we have,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said Tuesday

He, however, deferred to the DND when asked if an agreement on the five additional facilities under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) would be firmed up during Austin’s visit. Manila and Washington DC are expected to discuss “speeding up the implementation” of the EDCA during Austin’s trip, the US Department of Defense said in an article dated Jan. 29. The US Defense chief, it added, would focus on capabilities and interoperability as “key to deterring any challenge in the region” amid the complex security environment in the IndoPacific region.

Philippines-Philippine Genome Center, were released on Jan. 28.

The DOH said that all additional BA.2.3.20 and XBB cases were local cases from all regions except Regions 8, 10, and 11.

To date, the BA.5 is still the dominant strain in the Philippines, with 12,687 cases, Vergeire told

ANC’s “Headstart” on Tuesday.

It is followed by BA.2.3.20 with 34,173 cases, XBB with 1,170 cases, XBC with 626 cases, and BA.4 with 325 cases.

The total tally also showed 42 BA.2.75 cases, 38 BQ.1 cases, seven BF.7 cases and seven BN.1 cases.

“Right now what we are trying to be cautious about would be the XBB1.5, which is circulating in the US... and other countries,” Vergeire said.

Despite the presence of more transmissible subvariants, closing borders is no longer an option in the country’s COVID-19 response, she added.

Three years to the day after the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the highest level of global alert over COVID-19, it said on Monday the pandemic remained an international emergency.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reached that conclusion following the recommendations of the United Nations health agency’s emergency committee, which on Friday held its 14th meeting since the start of the crisis.

The WHO first declared a so-called public health emergency of international concern—its highest possible level of global alert—on Jan. 30, 2020, over what was then called the novel coronavirus.

When it sounded the alarm, fewer than 100 cases and no deaths had been detected outside China.

Since then, more than 752 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported to the WHO, including more than 6.8 million deaths, though the true numbers are thought to be far higher.

tration orders earlier issued on at least 14 properties. It also recognized the properties without sequestration orders and those that remain under the full control and supervision of the Marcoses.

Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi wrote the ruling with Associate Justices Maria Theresa MendozaArcega and Maryann Corpus-Manalac concurring.

In their motion, the Marcoses asked for a writ of execution of their assets “consid-

However, he said the government will not stop private individuals from pursuing claims.

“We will not stop… the victims because this is an atrocious violence against the women during the war,” he said.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, surviving Filipino women who were sexually enslaved by the Japanese military during World War II called on the Japanese government to acknowledge its war crimes and resolve the “comfort women” issue.

In a statement, Lila Pilipina, an organization helping the Filipino women in their fight for justice, said Japan must “take the necessary steps toward a fair and long-overdue resolution of the comfort women issue.”

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Japanese soldiers

resignation of full colonels and generals, formed the panel to help weed out high-ranking police officials involved in the illegal drug trade.

He said the five-man team will go through the pertinent records to find out who are involved in drug dealing and trafficking.

Abalos said the advisory group will begin their screening immediately and the entire process is expected to be completed in three months.

“We have high respect for these five volunteer advisors who accepted the challenge and responsibility of conducting an investigation to continue to suppress illegal drugs in the country,” Abalos said.

He said he is confident the review will be fair and impartial “because these men are known to have credibility, integrity and possessed good track records in their respective fields.”

“I just want to clarify that this is a legal process because it is only an advisory group that will make recommendations to the Napolcom (National Police Commission) and eventually to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. They will receive no salary or allowance here,” he said.

Abalos asked the public to support this initiative to win the war against the drug trade.

He said only one high-ranking police official out fo 955 has refused to file a courtesy resignation but he declined to name the officer.

While 12 officials have yet to submit their resignations, five have already retired and six are retirees, he added.

“We fully respect his right. We are not ordering or commanding anyone. It was just an appeal. No sanctions will be done, nothing at all. But of course, we will find out why he refused,” he told Palace reporters in a mix of English and Filipino.

ering that there was allegedly no evidence that this trust account was ill-gotten.”

The Marcoses added that they did not give consent with respect to the compromise agreements on the surrendered assets.

In response, the anti-graft court said that while the appeal was “timely in the instant case,” the prayer for the issuance of a writ of execution “cannot prosper as the judgment or order that disposes of the action is not yet final.”

forced about a thousand Filipino women to serve them.

At the same time, Imperial said the controversy over four Japanese fugitives wanted for crimes in Japan and detained in the Philippines would not affect the President’s trip to Japan.

“If there is a decision to deport these concerned Japanese nationals, the Philippines will follow the timeline of deportation proceedings in accordance with the Philippine laws,” Imperial said.

“We feel that this is totally unrelated to the visit of the President. This is a consular matter being handled by the Department of Justice and the Japanese Embassy here and our embassy in Japan with the Ministry of Justice in Tokyo,” Imperial added.

NCR mayors approve single ticketing system

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE local government units (LGUs) of Metro Manila have given the green light for the implementation of a single ticketing system in the National Capital Region (NCR) as spearheaded by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of 17 NCR mayors, have ratified the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023 embodying the rules on the single ticketing system which provides for interconnectivity among government instrumentalities involved in the transport and traffic management in the metropolis with common fines and penalties.

The standardized fines and penalties will also be endorsed to the Land Transportation Office and local councils for adoption.

Based on Resolution No. 23-02, the single ticketing system “will harmonize the existing national and local laws on traffic enforcement to establish and effective transport and traffic management in Metro Manila.”

The code is also designed to address different procedures of apprehension; payment of fines; redemption of licenses and plates; as well as uncoordinated implementation of traffic laws resulting in confusion of the driving public, loss of money and productive hours.

IN BRIEF

Air Asia inaugurates

Manila-Narita route

AIR Asia Philippines on Wednesday announced it has started operating its commercial service flights to and from Narita in time for the various festivities in Japan this month.

Airline chief information of-

ficer Steve Dailisan said the maiden flight took off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 3 at 4:15 am and arrived at Narita International Airport at 9:45 am (Japan Standard Time).

Its return flight departed Narita at 11:25 am and landed at NAIA T3 at 2:55 pm (local time).

Dailisan said the daily Tokyo via Narita flight, which was recently tagged as the second top-selling international destination, is expected to revitalize Japan as among Air Asia’s top destinations in East Asia.

Joel E. Zurbano

Las Piñas rolls out mental health drive

THE Las Pinas City government has launched a campaign to raise awareness on mental and reproductive health issues among city residents, especially the youngsters.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said some 400 high school students, out of school youths, and members of Sangguniang Kabataan joined the roll out of the program dubbed “Kalungkutan ay Agapan, Kabataan ay Protektahan” held at the Verdant Covered court in Barangay Pamplona 3 on Tuesday.

She said the project was organized by the City Health Office led by Dr. Julie Gonzales “to build community resilience in attending mental problems of residents, especially the students, youths and adolescents for treatment and counseling.” Joel

E. Zurbano

BOC-Limay surpasses ’22 tax target by 48%

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the port of Limay, Bataan has chalked up a record collection of P78 billion for 2022, over-shooting its P53-billion target by 48 percent.

This was revealed in a report by the Commission on Audit (COA) which showed that the BOC-Limay headed by William Balayo mustered revenue collections totaling P78,729,645,419.07 for 2022, surpassed its target by nearly P25.7 billion.

“Due to the Port’s efficient collection strategies, it is noteworthy that the Port registered consistently monthly surpluses and by the end of September 2022, it already had met its actual target,” the COA report stated.

COA commended the BOC-Limay for its “aggressive strategies” em-

to collect taxes and duties and to promote local and international investments, the digitization and streamlining of processes, and the enhancement of trade facilitation. Butch Gunio

The resolution also stated that it might create chaos if left unattended, to the detriment of the public in general.

MMDA acting chairman Romando Artes said the single ticketing system will be convenient for apprehended motorists as they can now pay for their

traffic-related violations wherever, regardless of the locality where they were caught. “This is a historic moment for all of us because after more than twenty years, Metro Manila is finally adopting the single ticketing

system that will highly benefit our motorists,” Artes said.

“The single ticketing system would help avoid confusion among our driving public, as well as option to pay electronically for their violations. Driver’s license will also not be

confiscated during apprehension,” he added. MMC president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora thanked the panel for passing the resolution. He said the system would be in effect within the first quarter of 2023.

Lawyers seek thorough probe on slay attempt vs. IBP Abra prexy

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has called for a thorough investigation on the reported assassination attempt against the president of its chapter in Abra province last January 29.

The IBP, the country’s mandatory organization for Filipino lawyers, identified the target of the slay bid as Hamilcar Bigornia. The assault was reportedly staged by two men right in

Bigornia’s office at about 9:30 a.m. “While one of them waited (outside), the other approached Atty. Bigornia who was ordered to go out together with his aide. The person outside then handed his companion a knife who then repeatedly stabbed the aide before also stabbing Atty. Bigornia,” the IBP said in a statement.

Fortunately, another aide of Bigornia came and shot one of the assailants dead, the IBP said.

“We thus appeal to our brothers in the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), PNP (Philippine National Police), and other law enforcement agencies to investigate this matter as well as any other unsolved instances that seriously impinge upon the rule of law,” the IBP said.

“The incisive and growing impunity towards lawyers, judges, and officers of the Court has fostered an overwhelming

IPOPHL set to tackle counterfeiting in Greenhills market

By Othel V. Campos

THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has proposed a work plan to tackle long standing counterfeit activities in the Greenhills Shopping Center. Greenhills, a prominent marketplace in San Juan City tagged

notorious for the proliferation of counterfeit products, landed anew on the 2022 Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy report of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR). “Truly, clearing Greenhills of IP infringement activities will not be an easy feat. Its long-standing rep -

Tax relief eyed for special kids’ parents

By Maricel V. Cruz

A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Wednesday filed a bill seeking to give tax deductions to parents or guardians of children or youth with special needs (CSYNs).

“While we applaud the effort of the national government for recognizing the educational inclusivity needs of children with special needs with the signing into law of Republic Act RA 11650, or the ‘Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act,’ in March last year, we believe that their parents and guardians should also be empowered

utation as a market for Class As and Bs and pirated DVDs has cut across generations. The problem demands the close and consistent collaboration among NCIPR members, local governments, brand owners and Greenhills—both its managers and vendors,” said IPOPHL director general Rowell Barba.

and given assistance as well as they support their children in their everyday lives,” Pinuno party-list Rep. Howard Guintu said. Guinto filed House Bill 6960 which grants parents or guardians of children and youth with special needs tax deduction of ₱50,000 for any of the following: tuition fees for a private school; therapy; diagnostic evaluations by a medical professional; tutoring services; transportation expenses to school or a medical facility; and specialized instructional materials.

The parent or legal guardian must provide more than half of the total financial support for the child to qualify for the deduction.

climate of dread,” the IBP lamented. But the lawyer’s group stressed that they would not be cowed or stifled.

“Lawyers must be able to advocate their clients’ causes free from the corrupting elements of fear and intimidation. For if lawyers who are sentinels of the rule of law and who serve the poor are themselves assassinated or attacked with impunity, no one would feel secure or have faith in our justice system,” the IBP said.

THE Philippine government is exploring all avenues to to bring home as soon as possible eight Filipinos currently held in Myanmar, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

In a statement, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said coordination is continuing to assist the distressed Filipinos, among them tourist Kiela Samson who was arrested at the border of Thailand and Myanmar last month.

“The Philippine Embassy in Yangon maintains active and regular contact with Myanmar’s law enforcement authorities in Nay Pyi Taw and Myawaddy to secure the safety and well being of the said Filipinos and assist them in returning home the soonest time possible,” Daza said.

She said the group could leave Myanmar upon completion of their repatriation proceedings, notably the immigration protocols.

Daza also said Myanmar authorities have vowed to cooperate with Manila on the matter.

Among the eight were alleged human trafficking victims who were rescued by Myanmar authorities from in Myawaddy.

Last Monday, Daza urged on eyeing overseas employment to follow government regulations and be duly registered as overseas Filipino workers instead of leaving the country as tourists.

DFA: Negotiations underway to bring home eight Pinoys held in Myanmar

ployed

SINGLE TICKETING CODE. The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has approved the code on the single ticketing system being spearheaded by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for implementation in the National Capital Region. Photo taken following approval of the code in a ceremony held Monday at the MMDA headquarters in Pasig City shows (seated from left) San Juan City Mayor and MMC head Francis Zamora, acting MMDA chairman Romando Artes, and MMD general manager Procopio Lipana. Standing at the back are (from left) Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian, Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon, and Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro. Manny Palmero

NEW MILESTONE FOR MAKATI MEDICAL CENTER. The Makati Medical Center marks another milestone with the inauguration of its newest acquisition, a 3Tesla MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) that has been accreditated by the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. In photo taken during the opening rites are (from left) Dr. Reynaldo Lim, vice-president for service operations; Dr. Jackson Dy, head of radiology department; Atty. Pilar Nenuca Almira, president and CEO; Dr. Saturnino Javier, Medical director; and Dr. Noel Rosas, director of professional services.

Remulla assures prompt action on BI blacklist scheme

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday assured prompt action on reports of a group offering services online to Chinese nationals to have their names removed from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) blacklist in exchange for a hefty fee.

“We will work on those measures one by one. We will not stop. We will do what needs to be done to straighten out the system,” Remulla told reporters.

Remulla was commenting on an anticrime group’s revelation made during a hearing of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee on Tuesday which bared reports about the new modus involving online offers.

“We received reports of advertisements offering to lift immigration blacklist for a fee of P1 million to P5 million were circulating in Chinese social media platforms,” Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) chairperson Ka Kuen Chua said.

Chua also cited claims that “dens of iniquity,” especially those in Cavite and Pampanga, are under the protection of police officials.

“Furthermore, victims that we have assisted claimed that police personnel served as their guards, but we have yet to confirm the veracity of their claims,” Chua said.

He added that in some instances, the victims whom they have assisted who were so eager to file case later on retracted these.

“And it is claimed that their affidavits of desistance were prepared either by the police or by the prosecutors themselves,” he added.

Authorities have denied the claims.

Chua earlier bared the scheme during a hearing of the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee.

Let us respect Muslim rights, Romualdez says

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin

G.

Romualdez on Wednesday called on Filipinos to respect each other’s freedom of religion, including the right of Muslim women to wear the hijab.

Romualdez made the call during the celebration of World Hijab Day 2023 at the North Wing Lobby of the House of Representatives at the Batasan complex in Quezon City.

He said wearing the hijab means having to live a modest life.

“We celebrate the 10th World Hijab Day, an annual event that we celebrate with the rest of the world in recognition of a very basic human right: the right to the free exercise of religion, a right that is enshrined in our very Constitution,” Romualdez said.

However, he lamented that “instead of demonstrating the rich cultural and religious significance of the hijab to the Islamic faithful, the opposite occurs.”

“It often becomes the object of discrimination. And we can all agree that discrimination hampers our ability to grow and mature as a country with diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds, and is therefore a deterrent to nationbuilding,” he said.

This is the reason why the House, during the 18th and 19th Congresses, passed the National Hijab Day Bill, authored principally by Hataman, Romualdez said.

Sen. Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla meanwhile stressed that positive steps have been taken to drum up public consciousness about our Muslim brethren through the commemoration of World Hijab Day.

Tulfo lambasts PhilHealth chief over ‘no corruption’

SENATOR Raffy Tulfo lambasted Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., the new acting president of PhilHealth, after Ledesma said he personally does not see corruption happening in the agency.

During the inquiry of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography on the several measures amending the Universal Health Care (UHC) law, Tulfo asked Ledesma to clean and remove the corrupt personnel in PhilHealth.

“Maybe you should clean PhilHealth.

Investigate those who are involved in corruption. From then on, we will believe that PhilHealth will do better,” Tulfo, quoted by GMA News, said.

Ledesma, however, said, “personally, I don’t know if there’s all this talk — if it’s there, if it’s not there.” He added that he has “been

actively looking since I joined, although I’m telling you, so far, I don’t see any corruption.”

While admitting that he promised President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that he would address the possible shortcomings of PhilHealth, Ledesma, who took his oath on November 24 last year, appealed to the committee to give him a “honeymoon period” to do so, GMA News further reported.

Tulfo said he was “offended” by Ledesma’s “no corruption” remark, considering that there have been investigations into the alleged corruption

IN BRIEF

DSWD chief vows to ‘fix’ beneficiary list

involving PhilHealth’s fund, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That issue has been in the media, and it has spread. Issues on the bogus claims were repeated over and over in the media, some were already investigated, but you still say you don’t see any corruption,”

Tulfo said.

Tulfo, quoted by GMA News, further told Ledesma that “you have to accept that there is a real problem in PhilHealth.”

“Don’t be in denial and say that you are clean. Then, I’m sorry, sir, then you are not good for that position. For you to be able to clean your organization that has been tarnished with corruption, first you have to accept that there is really corruption. Don’t be in denial. That’s the only way you can solve the problem,”

Tulfo further said.

NEWLY-APPOINTED Department Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) chief Rex Gatchalian said he will prioritize fixing of the agency’s list of beneficiaries.

“There’s new technology. We just have to make sure that the list is good. So that is our first priority, we have to make sure that the list is correct,” Gatchalian, quoted by GMA News, said.

Lawmakers led by Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a great choice in appointing Gatchalian as DSWD secretary.

Gatchalian was sworn in as the new DSWD secretary in Malacañang on Tuesday, coinciding with the celebration of the department’s 72nd founding anniversary.

Romualdez believes Gatchalian is an excellent choice to head the DSWD, citing the latter’s outstanding track record and long experience as a public servant.

“Cong., now Secretary Rex, the loss of Congress is the gain of the DSWD. We wish you the best of luck,” Speaker Romualdez said in a media interview. Maricel Cruz

Senators cheer Chiz Escudero’s ‘return’

SENATORS hailed the participation of Senator Chiz Escudero during the Senate hearing on the Maharlika Investment Fund.

“It’s the first time in a long time that we’ve seen that smile on his face with a wonderful aura,” Sen. Grace Poe, said.

Escudero has remained silent following reports that his marriage to actress Heart Evangelista was on the rocks. It was unusual for Escudero, one of the Senate’s legal eagles, to be quiet on very important and sometimes, controversial issues hounding the government.

Senators air concern on Maharlika Fund loopholes

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEVERAL senators said they have misgivings on the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) on the first day of the hearing on the proposed sovereign wealth which President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. extolled at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

During the hearing, Senator

Chiz Escudero said he found several loopholes in the MIF which he stressed the government needs to address.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said that the MIF may instead become a liability fund that would balloon the nation’s already enormous foreign debt and make life harder for the present and future generations of taxpayers.

Sen. Win Gatchalian, chairperson of the Committee on Ways and Means, noted that those investors who would put their money in the MIF seem to enjoy too many tax exemptions compared to those who avail other mutual funds.

“With this fund (MIF), number 1, they don’t pay any taxes and then, number 2, aren’t we skewing the returns also? “ he said.

Gatchalian seeks probe on PAGCOR auditor

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Win Gatchalian is asking the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to conduct an inquiry into the alleged anomalous procurement of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) of a third-party auditor.

The third-party auditor, he said, was in charge of determining the gross gaming revenues of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country.

In a resolution filed on January 30, Gatchalian said the inquiry should aim to identify accountability and make amendments to the procurement laws, if necessary, about the alleged irregularities in the procurement of Global ComRCI Con-

sortium, the third-party auditor contracted by PAGCOR for the POGO industry.

The resolution follows findings at a recent hearing conducted by the committee showing that PAGCOR failed to comply with existing procurement rules in contracting a 10-year P6 billion contract with the third-party auditor in 2017.

The PAGCOR meanwhile said its new management is revalidating the veracity of the documents submitted by Global ComRCI. Gatchalian further cited the need to thoroughly scrutinize the questionable choice of Global ComRCI as a third-party auditor of POGO. If there is a violation of laws, he said there is a need to know who committed the violations.

Senate President Migz Zubiri, during the Senate hearing, said, “the reason why we suspended the session is because I want to give a big hug to my dear friend and classmate in Congress and our idol.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

SRA awaiting approval on new sugar imports

THE Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said on Tuesday it is awaiting the approval of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on its draft import plan of 450,000 metric tons of sugar for buffer stock.

During the Laging Handa briefing, SRA board member and planters’ representative Pablo Luis Azcona said they have considered the feedback of sugar producers and other stakeholders in the finalization of their draft import plan.

“We have already received the recommendations and comments of our stakeholders,” he said.

“What SRA will do is monitor the outstanding stocks of local sugar, and once we anticipate that we are about to lose supply, we will slowly release from the 450,000 (metric tons) that we are talking about. So, this will be a pure reserve stock po,” he added in mixed English and Filipino.

NEW LEASE. Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro and Antonio Tan, president and CEO of Liberty Commercial Center shake hands during the signing of another 12year lease contract for the Tabaco City mall ground floor. Norman Cruz

NEW LAKAS MEMBER. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez administers the oath-taking of La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega as new Lakas-CMD member. Witnessing the event are Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe. Ver Noveno

ARTS MONTH. Miss Universe 2018 and National Culture and the and Culture Arts (NCCA) Ambassador Catriona Gray poses with members of the Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild during the opening of the NCCA’s 2023 Arts Month celebration and press conference at the Metropolitan Theater Ballroom in Manila on Wednesday. Danny Pata

OPINION

Good tourism policies

Anyway, luxury good fanciers among tourists can always go elsewhere for these. And nouveau riche Filipinos can always shop in Singapore and Hong Kong, and pay the travel tax on their way there.

It’s sovereign power, ICC

THERE is a good side to being peripatetic, an inclination our president does not deny.

Because of it, he and the first lady have had plenty of experience traveling to other countries even before his election to the presidency.

President Marcos Jr. has announced several policies and practices which would facilitate inbound and even domestic travel, the better to promote tourism which is a major driver of any economy.

The relaxation of travel restrictions owing to the long pandemic is one, and it has certainly shown instant results in our fourth quarter tourism arrivals, both from neighboring countries as well as balikbayans.

When travelers found the One Health Pass too cumbersome, government simplified the process after several complaints.

The NAIA complex under its new management and the leadership of DoTr’s Jimmy Bautista has made checking-in more efficient, doing away with redundant X-ray and security checks.

We just hope that the immigration bureau can find ways to deal with long queues at peak hours, even as we understand that space in our obsolete terminals are a constraint.

The president’s recent directive to our embassies and consulates in China, Japan, South Korea and India, to adopt electronic visas for inbound visitors is another good move.

These are major nearby markets whose tourism potential have yet to be optimized by the country.

The Manila Economic and Cultural Office, our de facto embassy in Taiwan, has been issuing electronic visas since 2015, an innovation started by the late Chairman Amadito Perez and the MECO board.

The singular exception should be June 12, when we commemorate our National Day when we declared independence from foreign domination

When I took over in July 2016, 20 to 25 percent of our travel visas for Taiwanese visitors were done electronically.

Before the COVID pandemic struck and we locked down travel, we were already hitting 70 to 75 percent usage of the e-visa service.

We tied up with Taiwan’s CTBC, which had several branches and ATM machines all over the island, including 7-Eleven convenience stores to facilitate payment of the visa fee, which is MECO’s main source of income.

The e-visa should be very expedient, especially for large countries like China and India where our embassy and consulates are few and far between.

In China, for instance, we have an embassy in Beijing, and consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xiamen, Macau and Hong Kong. An e-visa would allow tourists coming from other provinces to apply without visiting our consular offices.

The president in fact adverted to MECO’s Taiwan e-visa, and directed the BID and DFA to use the same as template. ***

Another good policy is that of granting VAT refunds for tourists who shop while in the country.

Shopping is part and parcel of travel, and giving VAT refunds for tourists is certainly a welcome idea.

There are a few major considerations when it comes to the effective implementation of the VAT refund.

The first is obvious: what locally-made products are worth the while of the tourist? If they buy signature items and apparel made elsewhere, the effect on our economy is minimal.

But Joey Salceda has a solution, which is to tax by 25 percent all such designer-branded luxury goods, on top of the VAT.

By Samir Tounsi

MEXICO is on tenterhooks awaiting fresh revelations from the US trial of former security chief Genaro Garcia Luna, accused of receiving vast sums of money to allow the notorious Sinaloa cartel to smuggle cocaine.

The trial of Garcia Luna, who was Mexico’s public security minister from 2006 to 2012, began on Monday at the same New York court that handed convicted drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman a life sentence in 2019.

The prosecution’s first witness, an ex-police officer who later worked for Guzman’s Sinaloa cartel, said he had witnessed former gang boss Arturo Beltran Leyva, who was killed in 2009, give bribes to Garcia Luna.

“He was paid until Beltran’s last day,” Sergio Villarreal Barragan said in Spanish.

In exchange for money, Garcia Luna provided information about police operations, Villarreal Barragan testified -- claims denied by lawyers for the 54-year-old ex-minister, who has pleaded not guilty.

What we need to do, and this is where the DTI, the DOT, and LGU’s should put their heads together is in promoting well-designed, wellcrafted and reasonably priced locally-produced items which can compete with those of other countries.

A good example is Don Papa Rum, a local brand that makes use of our cane sugar, and has become a hit especially in Europe. It was blended and introduced initially for the Negros market 10 years ago, and became popular in the UK and Spain.

Recently Don Papa was bought by Diageo from its owners for 260 million euros, a genuinely successful and strategically-marketed Philippine product.

Imelda Romualdez Marcos, if memory serves me right, initiated the establishment of Design Center Philippines precisely to make good design available to Filipino artists, craftsmen and small manufacturers.

DTI’s Citem has in the past been quite active in promoting Filipino-made products abroad. But the variety, packaging, quality and other product development aspects should be improved.

The other major consideration is how to equip our shopping malls with convenient tax refund centers. Getting tax refunds at our decrepit airports where there is little space (excepting Cebu International and Clark) is impossible.

I was in Spain late last year and getting my tax refund was a cinch at the Barcelona International Airport.

In less than a week, my card-issuing bank received the VAT refunds. I guess we will have to wait for Bulacan and/or Sangley to replace our NAIA terminals for good.

***

Though some would disagree, holiday economics is the way to go, especially to spur domestic travel.

In the short-lived Erap regime, then ES Ronny Zamora approved my proposal as Philippine Tourism Authority head, to bunch up holidays to the nearest Friday or Monday, something which the successor GMA government implemented. Scuttled by PNoy and retained as such by PRRD, President Marcos Jr. is now reviving holiday economics.

But wait! Productivity is hampered here in the benighted land, not by holiday economics, but by far too many holidays -- religious (I thought we are a secular state), historical, special (by presidential order) or local, such as those idiotic Araw ng whatever city, or even quasi-religious and practice-wise bacchanalian fiestas in honor of patron saints the residents do not even properly recognize.

The last time I counted, we have 18 national holidays, not to include two local holidays (the Araw ng… and the religious fiesta) for a total of 20. By contrast, the US of A has 10, and France which our president will visit in June or July, has 11.

As for those who cry about losing the sentimental importance of commemorating heroes and others on inexact dates, the US of A has been moving almost all their commemorations to the nearest Monday or Friday for six decades.

My extreme proposal which I have written about in the past, but which is an aspiration that will certainly merit wholesale disapproval, is for all holidays in the first semester to be bunched up into an entire week to coincide with Holy Week.

Likewise all holidays for the second semester to be bunched up into a long holiday beginning December 24 up to January 1 of the following year. The singular exception should be June 12, when we commemorate our National Day when we declared independence from foreign domination.

***

As we write this piece, we are happy to know that Valenzuela’s ideal public servant, Rex Gatchalian, has been named DSWD Secretary.

Congratulations!

Incidentally, Rex was told on Tuesday morning that the president wanted him to join the cabinet, and could he rush to the palace in the afternoon to take his oath of office?

This was to be after a DSWD commemoration in the morning where no hints were given about the new head of agency. In any case, Rex brings both an excellent mastery of public communications and managerial competence which would be a credit to the DSWD.

MANY have had their eyes and ears up when The Hague-based International Criminal Court granted its prosecutor’s request to reopen the investigation into Manila’s war on drugs during the incumbency of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The tribunal said, after examining submitted materials from the Philippine government, the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, and drug war victims, the collections of information “do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a way that would sufficiently mirror the Court’s investigation.”

We agree with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla who laid down the law the Philippines has a functional justice system and described the decision of the ICC to resume its “drug war” probe an “irritant.” Remulla also vowed to prevent the ICC from imposing upon the Philippines, which is a sovereign country.

In law, the sovereign is the one who exercises power without limitation and, as the English jurist William Blackstone said, the term sovereignty exercised by a sovereign power carries implications of autonomy and to have sovereign power is to be beyond the power of others to interfere.

Presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile himself has said the government will not allow any of its officials to be investigated or tried by the ICC whose jurisdiction he added he did not recognize since it has no sovereign power over the Philippines.

We agree with Remulla when he reiterated the government’s position that the ICC can rightfully conduct proceedings only in states without a functioning government and justice system

Remulla has given assurances the Philippines is “not closing the doors to dialogue” but stressed “we will not accept impositions on our country...we are doing what it takes to fix the system.”

“Remember they are talking about problems that cropped up 12 years ago. We were not even in this office yet and expect us within seven months to answer every

Another Filipino murder victim

ONCE again, another Filipino woman working as a domestic helper in Kuwait was not only raped and brutally murdered but also burned after being killed.

I do not have the number of our womenfolk who have been killed, sexually assaulted or physically abused while working as domestic helpers in the Middle East.

But the number must run in the hundreds if not thousands by now.

In fact, about 80 Filipino overseas workers were just repatriated from the Middle East who were also victims of abuse.

Lucky for them, they came home alive.

This latest murder case is such that the government must now take a decisive action.

But the shocking response of the Department of Migrant Workers under Secretary Susan Ople is only to improve the protection of our workers with a more stringent government- togovernment agreement rather than immediately suspending the deployment of domestic workers to Kuwait.

DMW also wants to sanction the agency that recruited Jullebee Ranasa which in effect is washing its hands from any responsibility to what happened.

Why must DMW be so quick to throw the blame on the recruiting agency?

Our senior officials in the DMW must get it thru their thick skulls that no amount of written agreements can protect domestic helpers who live with their employers. Common sense dictates that women who work as domestics in places where there are no women’s rights are always in danger of sexual abuse especially the younger ones. Yet, we continue to send our women to these countries. Do we not have any national pride left in us?

Can’t the country survive without the foreign exchange sent by our domestic helpers? By now, the country should have graduated from deploying women domestic helpers and simply concentrate on sending skilled and professional workers. Before being drafted in government to head the DMW, Secretary Ople was a voice in migrant worker affairs.

question they have. Is that reasonable?”

Remulla argued.

The International Criminal Court is not part of the United Nations but is governed by the Rome Statute, the first permanent, treatybased, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.

Interesting that dozens of countries are not ICC members, including China, India, Russia, and the United States. The court has angered non-members by launching probes into possible war crimes in Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, and Ukraine.

Enrile also said ICC investigators must ask permission to enter the country, otherwise he would “cause their arrest.”

Earlier, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the Philippines intends to appeal the resumption of the ICC’s inquiry into the country’s anti-illegal drugs campaign before the ICC Appeals Chamber.

We agree with Remulla when he reiterated the government’s position that the ICC can rightfully conduct proceedings only in states without a functioning government and justice system.

“We are doing what it takes to fix the system.

We have a functional judicial system and I don’t see where they can come in unless they want to take over our legal system and take over our country. I don’t see that happening,” Remulla said.

He said the “unreasonable” decision by Karim Khan is not welcome in the Philippines and DOJ “will not stand for any of these antics that tend to question our sovereignty and our status as a sovereign country.”

Aptly said.

When cases happen like this most recent one, she was always in the forefront in trying to provide assistance. Now that she is in government, it seems her priorities have changed to sending as many of our women overseas to work as domestic helpers.

Maybe this is the right time to ask what exactly is the mission of the DMW and priority

Ranasa

What happened to Jullebee Ranasa should outrage us all and Secretary Susan Ople should ban the deployment of domestic workers to Kuwait immediately

of the government.

Is it the deployment of domestic helpers so that they can contribute to the dollar remittances to the country or the protection of Filipinos deployed abroad?

If the priority in the deployment is simply for the sake of the remittance, then there must be something terribly wrong with our priorities.

I understand the importance of remittances.

The latest worldwide figures indicate that about $850B was remitted by citizens of various countries working overseas in 2022, with the Philippines coming in fourth with about $38B.

India, Mexico and China are the first three. India gets $100B followed by Mexico with $60B and China with $51B.

The $38B remitted by our overseas workers is admittedly a lot of money and helps in keeping the country afloat because we are always spending more than we earn but the price that we are paying is too high.

Mexico gripped by ex-security chief’s US drugs trial

Mexican media have given blow-by-blow accounts of the proceedings, while President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has promised daily updates at his morning news conferences.

Lopez Obrador called the allegations “shameful,” while his government is seeking to recover $700 million allegedly embezzled by Garcia Luna.

A lawsuit was filed on September 21, 2021 in Florida against 39 companies belonging to Garcia Luna or his relatives.

The objective is “to return to Mexico all the property that exists in the name of Genaro Garcia Luna in Florida,” Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said.

Lopez Obrador, who took office in 2018, suggested three hypotheses on the situation surrounding Garcia Luna:

First, if he’s innocent, he must be released “even if it’s a fiasco” for the United States.

The second possibility is that Garcia Luna acted alone, deceiving Mexican authorities including former president Felipe Calderon (2006-12).

Lopez Obrador’s third conjecture is that Garcia Luna may have acted with a “green light” from

Mexican media have given blow-byblow accounts of the proceedings, while President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has promised daily updates at his morning news conferences

Calderon as well as former president Vicente Fox (2000-06).

A left-wing populist, Lopez Obrador regularly accuses his “conservative” predecessors of corruption, and even organized a referendum

in 2021 on whether former presidents should be prosecuted for graft. The poll’s result in favor was non-binding due to low turnout.

US cooperation Garcia Luna, who was arrested in December 2019 in Texas, was Washington’s interlocutor when he was Calderon’s security chief.

Meeting then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton in 2009 as the neighboring countries launched a joint initiative to fight cross-border organized crime, the pair were all smiles as they shook hands in front of the cameras. As the boss of the police, the former minister was a pivotal player in the war against drug cartels launched by Calderon in 2006. At the time, the super-cop was already allegedly profiting from his influence with “El Chapo,” US authorities charged in 2020.

“From 2001 to 2012, while occupying highranking law enforcement positions in the Mexican government, Garcia Luna received millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for providing protection for its drug trafficking activities,” the Justice Department said.

It does not have to be this way with better planning and getting our priorities right. We can still deploy our citizens to work abroad but we have to be more selective and deploy only those that are easy to monitor. We must not send our vulnerable citizens who will work basically as indentured servants in private homes where monitoring is extremely difficult if not almost impossible.

How many more Jullebee Ranara cases are we prepared to accept to convince the government to stop deploying domestic helpers to countries where sexual assaults and murders are happening?

I really wonder how much of the $38B being remitted to the country are coming from our domestic helpers. My guess is that it constitutes only a small part of what is being remitted.

If we look at the countries where remittances are coming from, the United States is still the top with about 40.5 per cent of all remittances.

Among the top 10, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar are the Middle Eastern countries on the list.

Singapore, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Taiwan and South Korea round up the rest. And if I am not mistaken, the deployment of workers to Kuwait was just recently resumed because of another case that happened during the term of then President Duterte.

As we already know, about 10 per cent of our population are scattered all over the globe working and sacrificing to send money to their families.

The best thing the government can do is to develop programs that ensures the safety of our citizens and one of these is to stop sending our women to work as virtual slaves in countries with no women’s right for the sake of the money that they send home.

What happened to Jullebee Ranasa should outrage us all and Secretary Susan Ople should ban the deployment of domestic workers to Kuwait immediately.

That is the least that she can do.

Before becoming a government minister, Garcia Luna, an engineer by training, headed Mexico’s since-renamed Federal Investigation Agency, a branch of the police.

Hailing from a modest district of Mexico City, Garcia Luna entered the security services at the age of 21.

It was there that Garcia Luna, known for always being elegantly dressed, met his wife, an intelligence analyst.

According to journalist Francisco Cruz, who wrote a book about the ex-security chief, Garcia Luna sought to model himself on the late American J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI’s first director who served for nearly a half-century.

The nature of his work meant that Garcia Luna crossed paths with US security agencies, whose presence in Mexico is an open secret.

“We had a close relationship with him on the themes of crime and drug trafficking,” said Mike Vigil, a retired chief of international operations at the US Drug Enforcement Administration .

The trial is expected to last several weeks and if convicted, Garcia Luna could face up to life in prison. AFP

Biden, Speaker clash, with economy at stake

PRESIDENT Joe Biden and the new Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, face off Wednesday at the White House to discuss the US debt standoff – but so far apart they can’t even agree on how to describe their get-together.

At stake is the stability of the US economy.

Republicans are threatening to block the usually rubber stamp approval for raising the nation’s credit limit if Democrats don’t first agree to steep future budget cuts. The White House, meanwhile, accuses the Republicans of taking the economy “hostage” in order to exact politically motivated budget concessions.

SILENT STRIKE.

A man crosses an almost empty street near Shwedagon Pagoda during a ‘silent strike’ to protest and mark the second anniversary of the coup in Yangon on February 1, 2023. Streets in commercial hub Yangon were largely emptied from late morning after activists called for people across the country to close businesses and stay indoors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. AFP

Ukraine hopes for progress on path to Europe

UKRAINE will hold a summit with the European Union in Kyiv this week, the government announced Tuesday, as it expressed hope the conference would bring the war-battered nation closer to membership in the bloc almost a year after Russia launched its invasion.

Kyiv also announced it expected to receive up to 140 modern battle tanks from its Western allies, while the prospect of more advanced weapons for Ukraine came from the United States.

In his evening address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped the Friday summit would reflect a high “level of cooperation and progress” with the 27-member bloc, which Kyiv has long sought to join.

“We are waiting for news for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

The fact the summit is being held in the Ukrainian capital sends “a powerful signal to both partners and enemies”, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said.

“It is a message that Europe believes in Ukraine’s victory and supports our rapid movement towards EU membership,” he said.

Ukraine gained EU candidate status in June last year, several months after Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops rolling across the border.

No details were provided on who would attend the summit from the European Union side. AFP

Fail to raise the debt ceiling by around June, the Treasury says, and the United States will be forced into default on its $31.4 trillion debt – a historic first that would leave the government unable to pay bills, undermine the US economy’s reputation, and likely panic investors.

McCarthy said in a tweet Tuesday, he’s going “to negotiate for the American people.”

Biden, though, doesn’t even want to hear the word negotiation when it comes to the debt ceiling. “The president firmly believes there should be no negotiation over this,” as Biden’s national security spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

There have been other showdowns over the years when Republicans balked at allowing US debt to spiral ever higher. But on most occasions the dispute was quickly smoothed over, Congress extended the ceiling and the economy kept going without a hiccup. This time, the political heat is so high that things may be different.

Two years through his first term, Biden

is widely expected to be on the cusp of announcing his bid for a second term in the 2024 election. And Republicans, who have just taken over control of the House, are eager to show their muscle.

Even if McCarthy is minded to show flexibility, his power in Congress depends almost entirely on the desires of a far-right group of Republicans who are more likely to play chicken, regardless of the global financial consequences.

The White House says it won’t allow the current debt ceiling to be part of any negotiation on future government spending because that $31.4 trillion is money already agreed to by Congress. In other words, refusal to raise the debt

Empty streets in protest on Myanmar coup anniversary

STREETS emptied and shops closed in protest across Myanmar on Wednesday, the second anniversary of the coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, with the junta hinting it may extend a state of emergency and delay new elections.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military’s power grab and bloody crackdown on dissent, which has sparked fighting across swathes of the country and tanked the economy.

Western powers launched a fresh broadside of sanctions against the generals on the anniversary, but previous rounds have shown little sign of throw-

ing the junta off course.

Streets in commercial hub Yangon largely emptied from late morning, AFP correspondents said, after activists called for people across the country to close businesses and stay indoors from 10 am (0330 GMT) to 4 pm. Roads leading to the famous Shwedagon pagoda – a Buddhist shrine that dominates Yangon’s skyline and is usually thronged by worshippers – were largely deserted. Most buses on roads elsewhere in the city were empty and there was a heavy security presence.

It was similarly quiet in the second city of Mandalay, a resident told AFP.

“There are a few people walking here and there in neighbourhoods but almost no activity on the main roads,” the resident said, requesting anonymity.

Local media images showed empty streets in the eastern city of Mawlamyine.

A pro-military group of “patriots, military lovers, monks and the public” was set to march through the streets of downtown Yangon later Wednesday.

The US embassy in the city has warned of “increased anti-regime activity and violence” in the days around the anniversary. AFP

WAITING FOR THE POPE.

A girl looks on as attendees gather ahead of the arrival of Pope Francis for the mass at the N’Dolo Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on February 1, 2023. Up to a million people are tipped to celebrate the papal mass in DR Congo’s capital. AFP

ceiling would be like refusing to pay an already existing credit card bill. There could be room for negotiating on changes to future budgets. McCarthy says his goal is to tackle “runaway spending.”

But when it gets down to brass tacks, it’s hard for either party to say where they can find significant reductions -- unless they go into the usually politically untouchable Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or other government subsidized healthcare.

Biden is signaling he wants to call McCarthy’s bluff by insisting that the Republicans lay out where exactly they’d make cuts. AFP

IN BRIEF

Murakami to publish new novel in 6 years

CELEBRATED Japanese author Haruki Murakami will release his first new novel in six years this April, publisher Shinchosha announced on Wednesday.

There was little detail given about the new work, which will be Murakami’s first novel since “Killing Commendatore” was published in February 2017.

In a brief statement in Japanese, Shinchosha said the new work would be published on April 13, but gave neither its title nor details of the plot.

The book is expected to be published in Japanese initially, with translations following later. Shinchosha told AFP it could not confirm when translations of the book might be released, or even when the name of the book would be announced.

The title will be 1,200 Japanese manuscript pages long, but the exact number of book pages that will amount to was also not yet confirmed, the publisher added. AFP

Elvis’ widow disputes late daughter’s will

ELVIS Presley’s widow Priscilla has disputed their late daughter’s will, claiming that an amendment which would remove her as a trustee is invalid, court documents show.

Lisa Marie Presley died suddenly in Los Angeles earlier this month from cardiac arrest at the age of 54.

According to court documents, Lisa Marie had in 2010 named her mother Priscilla and former business manager Barry Siegel as co-trustees of her estate, both during her lifetime and in the event of her death.

But Lisa Marie appears to have amended that plan in 2016 to remove them, and to declare that her older children Riley and Benjamin Keough should inherit the trust in the event of her death.

According to a filing last week by her lawyer, Priscilla Presley only “discovered” the changes after her daughter died on January 12. AFP

NATO chief hails Japan plans to expand defense spending

NATO’s chief on Wednesday applauded Japan’s plan to double its defense spending, saying that the pledge reflected the coun-

try’s resolve for greater security involvement in a volatile world.

Speaking in Tokyo, Jens Stoltenberg said Japan’s renewed focus on security made the nation “even more” of a partner “for peace.”

“I am glad that Japan is planning (a military budget) to reach the NATO benchmark of two percent of GDP devoted to defence,” he said at an address at Keio University in Tokyo.

For decades, Japan has capped military spending at around one percent of GDP, but late last year Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government approved a new security strategy, including plans to increase

defence spending to two percent of GDP by fiscal year 2027.

“This demonstrates that Japan takes international security seriously,” said Stoltenberg on Wednesday.

Rising threats from China and North Korea, as well as Russia’s war on Ukraine, have fuelled public support for greater military spending in Japan.

Stoltenberg stressed that Russia’s war was a global problem that also affected the security landscape of Asia.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “totally underestimated Ukraine” and

the strong unity among NATO members in supporting the country.

While stressing NATO did not see China as an adversary, he said Beijing’s military build-up and ambitions were an issue to address.

“Today, the global order that has served us so well for so many decades is under threat. Moscow and Beijing are at the forefronts of... authoritarian pushback,” Stoltenberg said.

“In a more dangerous world, Japan can count on NATO to stand with you,” he said. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Haruki Murakami

Priscilla Presley

TOP GAINERS

US sets up new panel on dairy trade complaint against Canada

WASHINGTON—The United States announced Tuesday it is once again turning to a dispute settlement panel in its challenge to Canada’s dairy import policies, which Washington says undermine market access that Ottawa agreed to provide.

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

Stock market rebounds; PLDT, ICTSI lead gainers

STOCKS bounced back from two days of losses as traders tracked a Wall Street surge fueled by data pointing to slowing US inflation and hopes the Federal Reserve’s rate hike drive is coming to an end.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Exchange, jumped 242 points, or 3.57 percent, to close at 7,035.76 Wednesday as all six subsectors posted gains. The broader all-share index also went up by 96 points, or 2.70 percent, to settle at 3,687.17, on a value turnover of P9

Agri remains weakest link; Scoot airline disappoints

AGRICULTURE’S gross domestic product performance is something not to cheer about. The farm sector, which now accounts for less than 10 percent of the Philippine economy, always disappoints economists and analysts alike, and is seen as a drag to the overall GDP growth. Its dismal performance last year is a reflection of the sector’s decadeslong retardation. The lack of postharvest facilities and outdated farming systems have kept farmers’ income to a subsistence level. The Philippine economy cannot claim an inclusive growth if farmers remain at the bottom of the food chain.

Agriculture and fisheries production contracted 1 percent in the fourth quarter from a year ago, on lower crop harvests and fisheries output, per the data of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“At current prices, the value of production in agriculture and fisheries amounted to P611.52 billion or 9.4 percent higher compared to the level in the same period last year,” says PSA report, noting the growth in current prices reflected the higher inflation in the fourth quarter. The production value of agriculture and fisheries for the full year of 2022 fell 0.1 percent

Crop harvests, which accounted for 59.1 percent of the total value of production in agriculture and fisheries, dropped 1.0 percent in the fourth quarter, while rice and corn output shrank 2.5 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. Fisheries, with a 13.8-percent share in the total value of the sector, slumped 6.6 percent.

The nation’s policy makers will cringe when they learn about Vietnam’s successful agriculture story.

The state-run Vietnamese New Agency reported on Dec. 30 that Vietnam’s agricultural sector met all goals set in 2022, including a growth rate of 3.36 percent. Its animal husbandry and cultivation sector expanded 2.88 percent, fisheries rose 2.88 while forestry grew 6.13 percent.

More impressive is Vietnam’s agricultural exports. Outbound shipments of agro-forestry-fishery products, according to the VNA, reached a new record of US$53.22 billion, up 9.3 percent from a year ago, with a a trade surplus of over $8.5 billion.

Vietnam’s farm exports already account for two-thirds of total Philippine exports in 2022, which rose just 5.6 percent to $78.84 billion.

The weak rise in Philippine exports, coupled with the 17.3-percent jump in imports to $137.16 billion, resulted in the country’s record trade deficit of $58.32 billion in 2022. The trade

deficit would have been a different story if the Philippines had developed a strong agriculture export base.

Singapore Airline’s pride dented

Singapore’s flag carrier airline prides itself for its multiple travel accolades and supposedly impeccable service standards that are embodied in its kebaya (traditional nonya dress)clad flight attendants, famously known as the Singapore Girl.

Singapore Airlines’ globally acclaimed standards, so the carrier’s promo claims, have won the organization multiple awards, ranging from a place on Fortune Magazine’s list of Top 50 Most Admired Companies in 2021 to being awarded the Highest Diamond Rating in the APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying audit of global airlines.

A quick search on the web, however, belies Singapore Airline’s reputation. Its budget airline unit, Scoot, is the subject of many complaints, mainly about lost baggages of passengers

The web will tell you about the nightmares experienced by Scoot’s passengers. Most of the baggages appeared to have been lost between connecting flights. The Straits Times/Asia News Network recently narrated the increasing number of travelers flying into Singapore, who were reporting lost or damaged luggages. Many travelers have to wait longer to collect their luggage after arrival.

A manpower crisis seems to be partly responsible for the lost baggages.

Singapore’s aviation sector lost about a third of its 35,000-strong workforce in the last two years because of pandemic-induced travel restrictions. But the manpower crunch should never be an excuse for bad service.

One horror story tells how a South Australian mother felt “helpless, hopeless and alone” after losing a luggage that contains the life-saving medication for her 13-year-old son. Singapore Airlines lost that critical medication.

Poor airline service has no place in the modern aviation sector. Guilty airlines like Singapore Airlines and its budget airline Scoot should put up or shut up.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com

billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 143 to 49, while 43 issues were unchanged. All ten most active stocks ended in the green, led by PLDT Inc. which climbed 6.41 percent to P1,428.00 and International Container Terminal Services Inc. which gained 5.40 percent to P218.60.

Most Asian markets also traded higher Wednesday. The gains will provide some relief to investors after January’s rally appeared to have hit the buffers this week on lingering concerns about the economic outlook.

Expectations the Fed will hike borrowing costs by just 25 basis points on Wednesday were ramped up after a key gauge of wage increases came in below forecasts.

“The employment cost index is closely watched by the Fed as it composition-

ally adjusts wages growth, unlike other more timely measures,” said National Australia Bank’s Tapas Strickland.

“More important for the Fed is one of the subcomponents, the wages and salaries for private sector workers excluding incentive paid occupations, which rose 0.9 percent on-quarter from 1.2 previously.”

He added that the reading was “a notable deceleration and in quarter annualized terms would be equivalent to 3.6-3.7 percent. That is close to being consistent with at-target inflation if repeated next quarter.”

The ECI reading came as another report showed a slowdown in the US housing market as well as a dip in consumer confidence, suggesting the Fed’s tightening campaign is beginning to kick in. With AFP

Canada’s policies limit a large share of American dairy exports— including milk, butter, yogurt, and ice cream—to Canadian processors under a system known as tariff rate quotas (TRQs).

A TRQ applies a preferential tariff to a set volume or quota of product, and a higher duty for amounts above that level.

US officials argue that the system restricts market access for American producers, despite an earlier attempt by Canada to bring its policies into compliance with commitments under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

“Although the United States won a previous USMCA dispute on Canada’s dairy TRQ allocation policies, the Canadian government’s revised measures have not fixed the problem,” said United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai in a statement Tuesday.

She added that the United States is setting up a dispute settlement panel in an attempt to enforce its trade agreements and ensure its workers, farmers, processors, and exporters receive full benefits of the pact.

According to the United States, Canada’s revised measures impose new conditions that effectively prohibit retailers, food service operators, and other types of importers from utilizing quota allocations.

“Through these measures, Canada undermines the market access it agreed to provide in the USMCA,” said the USTR.

The panel is expected to issue a report later this year. AFP

Electric cars gain record market share in European Union

By Taimaz Szirniks

PARIS—Electric car sales set a new market share record in the European Union in 2022, industry figures showed Wednesday, as the region seeks to rid itself of fossil fuel cars.

Battery-powered electric cars accounted for 12.1 percent of new car sales, compared to 9.1 percent in 2021 and 1.9 percent in 2019, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

The EU has agreed to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 as part of the 27-nation bloc’s effort to build a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.

Sales of electric vehicles rose 28 percent last year, with more than 1.1 million vehicles sold.

These rises were notably driven by the German market, where sales accelerated at the end of the year, just before a drop in purchase bonuses.

should change with the generalization of electric cars, according to ACEA president. AFP

In Norway, a record four out of five new cars (79 percent) sold last year were electric, in a major oil-producing country that aims to end the sale of new fossil fuel cars by 2025—a decade ahead of the EU’s ban.

The Italian market was the only one to put a brake on the electric engine in 2022, with sales falling by 26.9 percent.

It was also a strong year for hybrid cars, which achieved a market share of 22.6 percent.

‘Moving fast’

Traditional petrol and diesel-fueled cars continued to lose ground, despite still accounting for more than half of EU car sales in 2022 at 52.8 percent.

Diesel, hit by heavy penalties and a shrinking offer in manufacturers’ ranges, continues on its downward slope, dropping by almost 20 percent with 1.5 million vehicles sold.

European automakers are investing 250 billion euros ($272 billion) in their electrification, said Luca de Meo, ACEA president, and chief executive of French automaker Renault.

“The auto industry is moving fast,” he said on Tuesday.

But De Meo said Europe needs more public charging stations, with installations limited to 2,000 per week in the EU, while 14,000 are needed weekly to ensure the continent’s transition.

“Despite many announcements and recent progress, infrastructure development is lagging behind the industry efforts,” De Meo said.

With their high prices, electric cars are currently being purchased by “wealthy” households, but that

US bank sees BSP increasing borrowing rate to 6% in 1st half

By Julito G. Rada

CITI, the largest foreign bank in the Philippines, expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to increase the policy interest rate by another 50 basis points in the first half of 2023 to 6 percent to tackle the elevated inflation.

Citi Philippines economist Nalin Chutchotitham said in an online briefing Wednesday inflation remained a concern in the medium term.

“Thus we expect the BSP to remain hawkish and hike the policy rate by 50 basis points to 6 percent in the first half of 2023,” Chutchotitham said.

“The continuation of the hike is meant to tackle inflation this year and next year. We see inflation in 2023 to hit 5.3 percent and 3.3 percent next year. We expect inflation to be within the target band by October this year,” she said.

She said food prices remained high, and weather disturbances could impact agriculture this year.

“Inflation is very much on the mind of the BSP, although bigger hikes are not needed anymore [just] like they did last year to defend the peso and give the market enough confidence,” she said.

Chutchotitham predicted that economic growth in the Philippines would settle at 6.2 percent in 2023, slower than 7.6 percent in 2022.

Chutchotitham said based on her forecast, inflation might have peaked at 8.1 percent in December 2022.

Joanna Chua, head of Citi Asia Economics and Strategy, said the bank remained bullish on the economy despite a challenging macro-environment.

“GDP growth in 2022 beat expectations, and we continue to see some upside risks to 2023 growth outlook,”

Chua said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said inflation in January likely settled within a range of 7.5 percent to 8.3 percent, amid the higher prices of electricity, fuel and food items.

Inflation in December reached 8.1 percent on faster increases in prices of food and nonalcoholic beverages. The December outturn was faster than 3.1 percent in the same month in 2021.

This brought the average inflation to 5.8 percent in 2022, above the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent and faster than 3.9 percent in 2021.

The BSP earlier reaffirmed its readiness to tweak its monetary policy stance if necessary to rein in inflation in the coming months. The BSP in an open letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Jan. 24 said any further monetary policy actions would depend on pertinent economic data.

Economic growth in 2022 was the highest in 46 years and exceeded the 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent target range despite the global headwinds highlighted by higher interest rates and elevated inflation.

physical and intellectual capabilities and his readiness to steer the department into the path of stability and growth.

Pascual has actively contributed both to the private sector and the academe, serving prominent institutions such as the Management Association of the Philippines, Institute of Corporate Directors, Asian Development Bank, University of the Philippines and Asian Institute of Management.

He also served board memberships that included non-profits and other organizations such as the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, International Rice Research Institute, Institute for Solidarity in Asia and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines.

Pascual also led the University of the Philippines system in his capacity as president and co-chair from 2011 to 2017. He implemented bold initiatives and programs to transform UP into a research-intensive university, raised its profile as a global university and strengthened its capabilities as a leading public service university. Othel V. Campos

PAGCOR reviews documents submitted by POGO auditor

STATE-RUN Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. said Wednesday its new management is revalidating the veracity of the documents submitted by third-party auditor Global ComRCI.

This followed a Manila Standard’s report that Soleil Chartered Bank issued a statement denying the issuance of a bank certification to Global ComRCI, PAGCOR’s third-party auditor for offshore gaming licensees, whose contract commenced in December 2017. “In relation to this report, PAGCOR would like to reiterate that since the assumption of its new management in August 2022, all contracts – including that of Global ComRCI—were put under review in September 2022,” PAGCOR said.

“Should PAGCOR be able to prove that the documents submitted were spurious, it will immediately take legal action and cancel the contract of its third-party auditor, if found warranted,” it said.

BSP CONFERENCE.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla addresses the central bank’s regional partners and stakeholders during the 4th Regional Macroeconomic Conference for South Luzon on Jan. 18, 2023. Held online, the presentations discussed recent developments in the economy and the general banking system with a focus on South Luzon.

Meralco to continue delivery of stable power despite CA ruling on supply deal

By Alena Mae S. Flores

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said Wednesday it will exhaust all measures and work with industry stakeholders to find ways to mitigate the impact of the Court of Appeals’ issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction on a 670-megawatt supply deal with a power unit of San Miguel Corp. Meralco said in a statement it would ensure the continued delivery of stable and reliable power to 7.6 million customers following the CA ruling.

The company said it received the CA’s 13th Division’s decision granting the WPI sought by South Premiere Power Corp. on the 2019 power supply agreement.

The WPI stopped Meralco from implementing the order of the Energy Regulatory Commission to honor their fixed-rate PSA. “With the WPI, implementation of the PSA will remain suspended until such time that the court

CEB’S GOLDEN ARROW.

Cebu Pacific general counsel Atty. Anne Romadine Tieng (center) accepts the Golden Arrow Award for the airline from the Institute of Corporate Directors in recognition of its continuous adherence to the best corporate governance standards and practices among Filipino publicly-listed companies. CEB was one of the 86 companies that won the Golden Arrow Award for garnering at least 80 points in the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard Assessment, a globally-benchmarked scoring system that aims to improve the corporate governance performance of companies and make them attractive to investors.

PEZA-approved investments grew 83% to P6.4b

INVESTMENT pledges approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority climbed 83.69 percent in January to P6.39 billion from P3.48 billion a year ago as more locators plan to expand their facilities and ramp up operations in the country.

PEZA acting director-general Tereso Panga said the board approved the investments in its meeting in the last week of January.

“With the positive start of the year, we are bullish with our outlook this year, targeting a 10-percent investment growth based on the initial locator sector targets,” said Panga.

resolves the petition for certiorari filed by SPPC,” the company said.

SPPC cannot be compelled to continue to supply Meralco under the 2019 PSA following the CA decision.

Meralco said it would continue to source power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the trading floor of electricity where prices are more volatile, until it finds a new supplier to bridge the supply gap.

SPPC ceased to supply Meralco starting Dec. 7, 2022 following the CA’s grant of a 60-day temporary restraining order last year.

“Meralco maintains its position that preserving the PSA serves the best interest of its customers as this would protect them from potentially higher electricity rates,” Meralco said. ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said the regulator was seeking guidance from its legal counsel, the Office of the Solicitor General, on the latest CA resolution.

Manufacturing

index sustained growth in January

By Othel V. Campos

THE manufacturing industry’s purchasing managers index rose to 53.5 percent in January from 53.1 percent in December 2022, according to the latest report from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

A PMI is a gauge of a country’s manufacturing activity. A reading above 50 indicates growth or expansion of the sector compared to the previous month, while a reading under 50 suggests contraction.

The PEZA board approved a combination of 18 new and expansion projects with investments totaling P2.27 billion. These include 11 export manufacturing enterprises, four facilities enterprises, two IT enterprises and 1 domestic market enterprise.

It also approved an economic zone development project valued at P 4.12 billion.

These projects will be located in PEZA-accredited establishments in Makati City and Pasay City and within the economic zones of CALABARZON, Cebu City and South Cotabato.

Panga said PEZA aimed to strengthen

By Jenniffer B. Austria

FOUR publicly listed firms in the Philippines made it to Bloomberg’s genderequality index which tracks the performance of companies committed to transparency in gender-data reporting.

The four firms are DMCI Holdings Inc. and Semirara Mining Corp. of the Consunji Group, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group

the implementation of the economic zones development program with the launch of the new Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 on Jan. 30, 2023.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s market analytics unit Hexagon Perspective said the positive PMI was partly supported by the near record high remittances, increased revenues from the business process management sector, higher exports and imports, improving local unemployment, continued increase in infrastructure spending and foreign direct investments reverting to pre-pandemic levels. It said the sustained improvement in PMI is a good signal of economic growth, after the seasonal increase in economic activities during the holiday season.

and Manila Electric Co.

The index measures gender equality across five pillars including leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, antisexual harassment policies and external brand.

The Philippine firms joined 480 other companies as members of the GEI. Member companies represent a variety of sectors including financials, tech-

“With the inclusion of the ecozone development program in the new Philippine Development Plan, we are positive that more ecozones will be approved and created especially in the countryside. Ecozones can be shields to soften the landing of the headwinds, the external constraints, and all these global disruptions happening especially during this time. Ecozones can be economic drivers to accelerate economic recovery and growth,” he said.

Othel

V. Campos

in January Four PSE-listed companies included in Bloomberg’s gender-equality index

nology and utilities, which continue to have the highest company representation in the index from 2022. This is the third straight year for both DMCI and Semirara to be included in the list.

“Diversity and representation matter. When different voices and perspectives are included in the conversation, companies benefit from a wider range of ideas and insights,” DMCI Holdings

“The latest local manufacturing PMI gauge generally improved in recent months amid measures to further reopen the economy towards greater normalcy. Further improvement of foreign and local tourism in recent months and the resumption of the nationwide face-to-face/in person schooling supported the recovery of many affected businesses/industries, including some manufacturers,” said RCBC chief economist Michael Ricafort.

and Semirara chairman Isidro Consunji said in a statement.

DMCI Holdings and Semirara submitted a social survey created by Bloomberg in collaboration with subject matter experts globally. Those included in this year’s index scored above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect disclosure and the achievement or adoption of best-inclass statistics and policies.

Lebanese big threat to Strong Group’s Dubai title bid

AS expected, the Lebanese teams are emerging as the top threat to Strong Group’s bid to bring the title back to Philippine shores in the 32nd Dubai International Basketball Championship in Dubai, UAE.

So far, Strong Group, owned by Frank and Jacob Lao, has already clinched a quarterfinals seat along with three other Lebanese teams namely the Al Riyadi, Sports Club Beirut and Dynamo.

“All teams very tough,” said coach Charles Tiu.

Among the three, Dynamo seemed to be the better offensive team averaging 99.6 points through three games on an average winning margin of 23 points.

Dynamo is currently the No. 1 club team in Lebanon because of its explosive imports in Ibrahima Thomas and Cleanthony Early.

Al Riyadi is no pushover as it bannered by Lebanon national team members Wael Arakji, Amir Saoud, Hayk Gyokchan and import and former NBA second round draft pick AJ Majok.

Even Sale of Morocco, the tailender in Group B, is another cause of concern for the team backed by Mighty Sports and Acrocity.

“Morocco is super big,” added Tiu, Good thing, the Philippine representatives is playing Dynamo in its last game in the elimination which means they would not be facing in the knockout stage until the semifinals at least.

The game though will certainly give Strong Group an idea how it would fare against the other Lebanese squads with former NBA player Nick Young nursing a knee injury.

“It’s game time decision,” said Tiu.

Arakji, a familiar face for Filipinos after he towed Lebanon past a Jordan Clarkson-led Gilas Pilipinas in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers, has been averaging 16.5 points per game while Majok has been norming 16 points and 14 rebounds per outing.

Sports Club Beirut is also a formidable squad with Gerard Hadidan and Kenneth Hays forming a deadly onetwo punch for the team.

PNVF Under-18 championships set February 17 at Rizal arena

SIXTEEN senior high schools and club teams have so far confirmed their participation in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Under-18 Championships for Boys and Girls that kick off February 17 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara said the federation expects the number of participants to increase this week after several schools and clubs sent letters of intent to join the tournament that is being revived after decades of hibernation.

“This Under-18 Championships aims to keep the pool of young players active,” Suzara said. “This tournament serves as a feeder for future national teams.”

Five teams—California Precision

Sports-Antipolo City, Paranaque

Thunderbolts Volleyball Club, Santa Rosa City, Angeles City and Sto. Nino de Praga Academy (Trece Martires, Cavite)—are fielding squads in both the boys and girls divisions.

Also joining the PNVF’s seasonopening national tournament are Philippine Christian University (Manila), Queen Ann School (Santa Rosa), Justice CM Palma High School (Quezon City), Hermosa Volleyball Club (Bataan), Municipality of Nagcarlan (Laguna) and Mayamot National High School (Antipolo City) in the boys division.

Competing in the girls’ side are Ateneo de Manila University, Grace Christian College Foundation (Taguig City), New Gen-Municipality of Sta. Cruz (Laguna), Mayamot National High School (Antipolo City), UVL-Science City of Munoz and Parañaque Berets.

Competition director Oliver Mora said the matches will be played on weekends with the finals for both genders set on March 12. Yul Benosa is the event director.

Cruz bounces back, lifts Beermen past Bossings

By Peter Atencio

JERICHO Cruz bounced back from a bad first game with a game-high 22 points as the San Miguel Beermen repulsed the Blackwater Elite Bossings, 105-86, on Wednesday in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Cruz said encouraging words from the coaching staff pushed him to be better this time around for the Beermen, who posted their second straight win.

“Binigyan nila ako ng kumpiyansa.

Masama kasi ang una kong laro. Bumawi ako,” said Cruz.

The 6’2” shooting guard was held to just two points when the Beermen turned back the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters, 114-93, last Sunday in the Philippine at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Cameron Clark shot 20 points for the

Beermen, who already had the game under control near the end of the first half.

The Beermen, now coached by George Gallent, enjoyed their biggest edge at 30 points, 63-33, at the 52-second mark after Clark knocked in two free throws.

“We just had to learn how be smart on defense and play smarter. In the first half, we were running and it just suddenly stopped,” said Gallent.

Gallent recently replaced Leo Austria, who had a total of nine championships in the last eight years for the Beermen.

Six Beermen ended up with double figure outputs.

June Mar Fajardo finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while CJ Perez

made 18 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. Newbie Allyn Bulanadi shot 16 points, including 13 in the first half. Simon Enciso knocked in 14 points, while Marcio Lassiter added 11 markers a s the two combined for seven of the Beermen’s 14 three-pointers.

The Scores:

San Miguel Beermen 105 Cruz 22, Clark 20, Fajardo 17, Perez 14, Lassiter 13, Enciso 9, Tautuaa 7, Ross 3, Bulanadi 0, Brondial 0 Blackwater Bossing 86 Glover 16, Torralba 11, Ilagan 10, Taha 8, Banal 8, Hill 8, Ular 6, Casio 6, Ayonayon 5, Amer 4, Suerte 2, Escoto 2, DiGregorio 0 QUARTERS: 33-24, 63-35, 83-68, 105-86

Cebuano scores 11-second stoppage at URCC 82

IT took only 11 seconds for the newest bare-knuckle sensation Dondon “Rugby Boy” Serrano from Cebu to dismantle veteran mixed martial artist Richard “The Cannibal” Redman of Fist Gym to rule the 170-lb weight class of the URCC 82 Royal Knuckle Fight Night on Tuesday at the Royal Knight Club in A-Venue St., Poblacion, Makati City.

A barrage of lightning punches and telling blows by Serrano right after the opening bell caught Redman off guard and it spelled doom to his overhyped pre-fight challenge to a former amateur boxer-turned knuckle fighter nicknamed “Rugby Boy” in the new combat sport armed

with only bare fists. “Rugby Boy is here...kung sino pa ang maghahamon, call ninyo ako anytime, anywhere!,”said the 31-year-old golden-haired Serrano. In the undercards, Tirso “The Mechanic” Torres won over Rocky Vergara via majority decision in the 125-lb division, while Edemel Catalan of Catalan Fighting System outpointed Rexelmar Liloc in a 115-pound fight.

In the 145 category, Leonard “Deadshot” Pornia defeated Jeffrey Suble via TKO.

Allan “Manunusok” Wycoco manhandled Stephen Atok to score a second-round, refereestopped-contest.

John Marvin “Marble” Callueng defeated Jovanie Bualan via submission in a 155-pound tiff, before Mark “Deadshot” Sadang scored a first-round knockout of Rogelio “Thunder Flash” Enumerables. A second-round stoppage by Marvin Malunes over Wilson “Ongbak” Managuio capped the blockbuster supporting bouts.

After the awarding ceremony of the event witnessed by GAB chairman Atty. Richard Clarin and su pported by CrazyWin, Nueve Gaming, Top 1 Play and ALV Events, URCC founder/ chief Alvin Aguilar announced the newly hyped Rugby Boy Serrano vs Ma nunusok Wycoco to be scheduled next at The Okada Manila.

Van der Valk wary of TCC Invitational repeat bid

GUIDO Van der Valk is just as thrilled and inspired as the rest of the men of the tour for the Philippine Golf Tour restart next week but still striving to reach top form in time for rich The Country Club Invitational unfolding Feb. 7 at the TCC course in Laguna.

“I’m very excited to have the season start again, especially to play TCC after two years,” said the Dutchman, who nipped Clyde Mondilla by one to claim the last TCC trophy in 2020 and join the elite circle of winners in the flagship tournament of each PGT season.

While he topped the seven-leg PGT edition last year with victories at Splendido Taal and Pradera Verde, Van der Valk’s TCC Invitational preparations suffered a snag weeks before his defense of the TCC championship.

“I’m about a 6 at the moment,” he said when asked how he would rate his game at this stage. “It’s tough to sharpen my game as the club where I’m member at is closed for its member-guest tournament the week before the TCC Invitational.”

But he said he’s been working on his swing the last few weeks, saying: “Swing is slowly progressing to where I want it. I’m working hard to get as good in shape as I can.”

The rest of the stellar cast, made up of the past winners and/or the Top 30 players in last year’s PGT Order of Merit, are also in the thick of preparations for the 72-

hole championship, which offers a record P6 million total purse with the winner pocketing P1.5 million.

“I know if I play well I can win again. Just got to get my game in shape in the next few days,” stressed Van der Valk.

But a slew of aces will be going all-out to foil his back-to-back title drive in the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized event, including Mondilla, who won the last Philippine Open, also at TCC, in 2019, Tony Lascuña, Reymon Jaraula, Jhonnel Ababa, Lloyd Go, Ira Alido, Joenard Rates, Ruperto Zaragosa III, Sean Ramos, Rico Depilo, Orlan Sumcad and Jerson Balasabas.

Last year’s leg winners Zanieboy Gialon and Michael Bibat are also both primed for a shot at the prestigious championship, along with Gerald Rosales, Jay Bayron, Dino Villanueva, Marvin Dumandan, Fidel Concepcion, Albin Engino, Enrico Gallardo, Richard Sinfuego and Art Arbole.

Three-time winner Angelo Que and former champion Miguel Tabuena, however, won’t be around as the former is booked to compete in the rich Saudi International this week and in International Series Oman on Feb. 9-12 where the latter will join him.

The traditional pro-am tournament will be held on Feb. 6, featuring a select number of pros and amateur guests of the sponsoring ICTSI, with the practice round set in the afternoon.

SMB’s Jericho Cruz drives to the basket in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Beermen over the Blackwater Elite Bossings, 105-86.

Dondon “Rugby Boy” Serrano is declared as winner.

Guido Van der Valk eyes repeat.

Gomera resumes title hunt in PPS Bais

MCLEEN Gomera hopes to start out s trong coming off a break as he shoots for a “double” in the PPSPEPP Mayor Luigi Goñi national tennis juniors championships, which get going today (Thursday) at the Bais City Tennis Club courts in Negros Oriental.

Gomera kicked off the new season with an MVP romp with a victory in the 16-U division of the Masters Top 8 in Negros Occidental last month but the Lanao del Norte find skipped the stops in Iloilo, Roxas City and Bacolod, which Brice Baisa dominated to emerge the new toast of junior tennis. But the Palawan City native won’t be around this week to compete in his first International Tennis Federation tournament—the ITF Junior Circuit in Colombo, Sri Lanka— which starts on Friday.

Gomera, however, expects to have his hands full just the same with the likes of Ariel Cabaral, Josh Lim, the Masters Top 8 winner in 14-U, and Kurt Barrera all primed up for battle in 16-U play of the five-day tournament hosted by Mayor Luigi Goñi in his continuing effort to boost local tennis and keep the youngsters busy and prevent them from gadget addiction.

Gomera also faces an uphill battle in the 18-U class with Vince Serna, Herman Illusorio and Cabaral all set for a title crack even as Angel Vosotros and Therese Gauran brace for a showdown in the girls’ side of the premier division of the country’s longest talentsearch put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Gauran is also ranked No. 2 in the 16-U division topbilled by Louise Paliwag, Alexa Cruspero and Queen Villa gear up for a title clash in the 14-U division, while Lim banners the boys’ 14-U cast that includes Rafa Callao, Murray Bolongaita and Andrian Rodriguez.

Callao also gained the top seeding in 12-U class that also drew Gabrio Serillo, also winner of the Masters Top 8.

Meanwhile, action shifts to Manila next week for the Women’s Open (singles and doubles) at the PCA courts in Plaza Dilao with the collegiate championship, featuring team and individual competitions, to be held the following week. For details, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

James set to surpass all-time scoring record

NEW YORK—

LeBron James said Tuesday it’s only a “matter of time” before he passes Kareem AbdulJabbar as the greatest scorer in NBA history after edging closer to the longstanding NBA record.

James’ 28-point triple-double in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the New York Knicks means the 38-yearold superstar needs just 89 more points to eclipse Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387.

At his current rate of scoring, James is on target to pass Abdul-Jabbar next Tuesday when the Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

James said Tuesday, however, that the prospect of making NBA history is not weighing heavily on him as his date with destiny looms ever closer.

“No, it’s not getting heavier, because I’m going to do it,” James told reporters.

“I mean, it’s just a matter of time when I’m going to do it.

“I’m not going anywhere—I’m going to be in this league for at least a few more years, so I’m going to do it.

“It’s not heavy at all.”

James, meanwhile, said he had not allowed himself to be distracted by

BEST Center kicks o 2023 clinics at Ideal center in QC

THE multi-awarded Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training Center (BEST CENTER) fires off the year with a basketball clinic on February 4 at the Ideal Subdivision Sports and Training Center in Quezon City.

BEST Center, founded in 1978 by the late national coach Nicanor Jorge, plans to bring more clinics closer to the young students, who want to follow in the footsteps of their sporting idols.

The clinics will be held from 1 to p.m. on Saturdays from February to March 25.

Students aged 5 to 8 years are welcome to join the Preparatory classes, while those aged 9 and up can join the Level 1 class.

For further inquiry, call 3411-6260 or email bestcenter.inquiry@ gmail.com.

The Ideal Subdivision Sports and Training Center is at Abelardo St., Ideal Subdivision, Quezon City.

The BEST Center is a Philippine Olympic Committee Olympism awardee and a Hall of Fame member of the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

chasing the scoring record as he concentrates on helping the Lakers try to claw their up the Western Conference standings.

“I didn’t get to this point of my career by thinking about records or how many points I have,” James said.

“I just try and play the game the right way. I approach the game every night by trying to be a triple threat—scoring, rebounding and assisting. So let the chips fall wh ere they may.

“I think maybe when I get super-duper close (to the record) it might be in the back or the front of my mind.

“But I don’t put that kind of pressure on myself. I just go out and play.”

James, however, did allow himself

a moment to reflect with pride on the fact that Tuesday saw him pass Steve Nash and Mark Jackson to move into fourth in the all-time NBA rankings for career assists.

“It’s amazing. Because that’s what I love to do—get my guys involved. Try to put the ball on time and on target through my career,” James said.

“Any time you’re linked with the greats, it’s a super cool thing.”

PH’s top chessers clash for bragging rights

THE country’s top wood pushers, headed by defending champion International Master Daniel Quizon, Grandmasters John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Joey Antonio, battle it out for glory in the Philippine National Chess Championship at the Malolos City Auditorium.

Host Malolos City Mayor Atty.

Christian Natividad ushered in the nine-round tournament on Wednesday,

along with Asia’s first GM Eugene Torre, National Chess Federation of the Philippines chairman-president Butch Pichay and tournament director GM Jayson Gonzales and chief arbiter Reden Cruz.

The 19-year-old Quizon was battling Dasmarinas teammate Mark Jay Bacojo in the opening round at press time and the former hopes to retain the crown he won in the last

staging two years ago in Lapu Lapu, Cebu.

Gomez and Laylo, who were part of the national team that saw action in the Chennai World Chess Olympiad last year, were battling IM Michael Concio, Jr. and Woman GM Janelle Mae Frayna at press time, respectively.

Antonio, a many-time national champion, for his part, was tackling Olympiad regular Paulo Bersamina

Also seeing action in this event backed by Philippine Sports Commission chair Richard Bachmann and Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino and staking a total cash purse worth P322,000 including P100,000 to the winner are reigning women’s champion WIM Antoinette Mae San Diego, IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia.

After the opening round, two rounds

will be played each today and tomorrow, and takes a break on Saturday and resumes with two games each on Sunday and Monday. Also being staked are P80,000 to the second placer and P50,000, P30,000 and P20,000 to the third to fifth placers. The rest will receive P15,000, P10,000, P7,000, P5,000 and P5,000, respectively.

Karpov, Korchnoi, Fischer responsible for SEA chess boom

By Peter Atencio

FOR former world champion Anatoly Karpov, playing the game of chess at the highest level in the Philippines more than four decades ago led to the development of the sport in the Southeast Asian region

Back then, a young generation of Filipino woodpushers grew to love the sport.

But for him to win a title, Karpov felt that he needed to learn how to take a break.

Watching a game of basketball gave Karpov find his wits again and win his second world championship in Baguio City.

The 71-year-old Karpov, who was welcomed by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann and Grandmaster Eugene Torre, vividly recalled that time during a visit to the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila on Tuesday to meet and greet his fans and supporters.

Karpov remembered Soviet Chess Federation president Vitaly Sevastianov bringing him to the Araneta Coliseum so that they can watch the 1978 World Championship finals’ game between Russia and Yugoslavia.

He had fun watching the game, which saw Yugoslavia taking the crown from Russia with an 82-81 overtime win on Oct. 14, 1978.

This gave Karpov time collect his wits after his encounter with Victor Korchnoi got tied at 15.5-all, when the latter won Game no. 31 in 71 moves of a Queen’s Gambit Declined.

When he returned to the City of Pines, he had more time to relax and get ready for Game 32, winning it in 31 moves of the

Classical Opening.

“The problem was not in my preparation. But it was more of mental health and psychology. I was kind of drained,” said Karpov. He recalled that his winning drive returned after Karpov managed to get enough rest for his final game.

“The basketball team lost. But that brought back excitement with me watching the game,” added “That game brought me excitement,” Karpov went on.

Karpov would eventually win five world championships, two of which were won in the Philippines, made possible with the support of Florencio Campomanes, the FIDE Deputy President for Asia between 1974 and 1982.

During that time, Campomanes was credited with organizing the 1978 KarpovKortchnoi World Championship Match in Baguio City.

Karpov, who is the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 to 1985, and is a threetime FIDE World Champion (1993, 1996, 1998), recalled that interest in the game of chess eventually grew and exploded in the Philippines when he, Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer played here.

“(Chess in) the Philippines grew to the level of the top chess countries became of the level of games that were played here. Even after I had fought for the World Championships 20 times, six times in the Olympiad and eight times as a member of a team,” added Karpov.

Karpov’s visit to the country was first planned back in 2018 when Filipino GM Eu-

gene Torre joined the sixth Vila de Platja D’ Aro International Chess Festival Battle of Legends in Spain with Karpov, former world title contender Ljubomir Ljubojevic of Yugoslavia, and four-time world seniors titlist Anatoly Vaisser of France.

But this was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. It finally became a reality when the Russian embassy contacted the City of Manila last year.

Returning to the City of Baguio will be one of Karpov’s plans in his return to the Philippines.

His visit drew a lot of excitement after chess aficionados coming all the way from Dasmarinas, Imus, and Carmona in Cavite braved the traffic just to get a glimpse of Karpov. He was quickly whisked away, avoiding autograph seekers and excited fans, and was not around to view the film, “The Champion of the World.”

Also welcoming him to Manila was National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Prospero Pichay, executive director Jayson Gonzales, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Marat Pavlov and Zuleika Lopez, chief of staff for the Office of the Vice President.

After retiring from playing chess in 2012, Karpov has done other things like heading the Commission for Ecological Safety and Environmental Protection of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation in 2006. Since 2007, Karpov has been a member of the Public Council under the Russian Ministry of Defense.

JUNGOLF CHAMPS. Overall winners in the girls’ 8-to-16 division of the inaugural Junior Philippine Golf Tour at The Country Club display their trophies and medals. Shown here are (from left) Colo Ventosa, The Country Club Manager, and jungolf champs Georgina Handog, Precious Zaragosa, Ana Cedo Anya and Rafa Anciano. Manny Marcelo

LeBron James AFP

Chess icon Anatoly Karpov with GM Eugene Torre

Louie Ocampo celebrates 45 years with concert

COMPOSER, arranger, and media celebrity

Louie Ocampo is set to mark his 45th anniversary in the entertainment business with a concert series titled Composer Ka Lang at The Theatre in Solaire on February 4 and 5.

Produced by Viva Live Inc., in cooperation with Solaire Resorts Entertainment City, Composer Ka Lang stars Ocampo and features famous artists who will perform his hit songs.

These are Sharon Cuneta, Basil Valdez, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Marco Sison, Katrina Velarde, Janine Tenoso, Lyca Gairanod, and Jim Paredes and Boboy Garrovillo of the Apo Hiking Society on February 4 and 5; Zsa Zsa Padilla and Sarah Geronimo on February 4; and Regine Velasquez on February 5 and other surprise guests.

The show will focus on the music that Ocampo has created over the years as well as his experiences and memories as the favorite songwriter and arranger of some of the biggest names in the business.

Ocampo started out playing the piano and the organ as a child. This was followed by composing. His earliest hit songs were “Maghihintay Ako Sa ‘Yo” recorded by Anthony Castelo, “Hagkan” popularized by Sharon Cuneta, and “Ewan” by the Apo Hiking Society.

“Ewan,” co-written with worldfamous classical pianist Rowena Arrietta bagged Second Place at the Second Metro Manila Popular Music Festival in 1979.

Ocampo soon became a popular

music director and arranger but he kept up with his songwriting and has since then produced some of the biggest and most enduring hits in the area of Philippine pop music.

Among these are: “Ikaw” by Sharon Cuneta; “Tell Me” by Joey Albert; “You are My Song” by Regine Velasquez and Martin Nievera; “Say That You Love Me” by Basil Valdez; “Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin” by Joey

Composer, arranger, and media celebrity Louie Ocampo

Albert and Martin Nievera; “Don’t Say Goodbye” by Pops Fernandez; “So Many Questions” by Side A ; “Kahit Isang Saglit” by Vernie Varga ; “Si Aida Si Lorna at si Fe” by Marco Sison ; “Babalik Ka Rin” by Gary Valenciano; and “Closer You and I” by Gino Padilla, to name a few. Tickets are now available at www. ticketworld.com.ph or you can call telephone number 8891-9999.

TNT completes ‘KathNiel’ as Daniel Padilla joins telco as endorser

MUCH like an early Valentine’s Day treat for their millions of fans, value mobile brand TNT has announced Daniel ‘DJ’ Padilla as its newest endorser, joining his real and reel life sweetheart Kathryn Bernardo as a “TNT katropa.”

“I’m happy and grateful to join TNT with Kath. Together, we’re excited to give more saya and kilig to our fans and for millions of TNT subscribers nationwide who can always rely on TNT to keep us always connected,” said DJ.

“We’re very excited to have Daniel with us. Finally, we were able to add ‘Kathniel’ to Tropang TNT. We look forward to collaborating with them to give more fun to subscribers through our value-packed offers, powered by the Philippines’ strongest and widest network,” said Francis E. Flores SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business-Individual at Smart.

KathNiel’s much-awaited TNT campaign comes on the heels of their recently concluded hit TV series, 2 Good 2 Be True, which drew praises and accolades from viewers for the cast’s

are both excited to give kilig to their fans as TNT endorsers

stellar performances and dominated the online trending topics throughout its run from May to November 2022.

Asked how they keep their saya going in between projects, KathNiel reveals they usually spend quality time with loved ones and friends.

“

‘Pag free days, I spend time with Kath or eat together with my family and

Portrait of Soul Diva as guest

katropa. I also play basketball and golf,” Daniel said.

“I like to treat myself to some “me time” once in a while. Gusto ko sa free days ko pinapamper ko yung sarili ko which for me means spending time with friends and family, and also surrounding myself with people around me who give me happiness. I like to appreciate the people around me and find happiness through them,” Kathryn said.

What do they look forward to this year?

“I hope to explore new projects and roles na di ko pa nagagawa. I also hope to be able to perform my music again to a live audience,”DJ said.

“For 2023, I just want to continue learning new things. We just finished 2 Good 2 Be True but I feel like there’s still a lot to be explored for me to improve my craft in acting, and I’m looking forward to trying new things that will challenge me. Second is to protect my peace. As much as possible, I choose my battles and find a way to protect that inner peace,” Kathryn said.

Tarsier Records artists mark 2023 with wins and new music

IÑIGO Pascual, Maki, SAB, Zion, and other Tarsier Records artists continue to make waves in music with several milestones achieved last year and new music drops this month.

Singer-actor Iñigo Pascual

Options, Iñigo’s international album featuring the hit single “Catching Feelings” surpassed 20 million streams in 2022. Following its success, the Monarch star released a reimagined version of the album called Lockdown Sessions on January 20. It includes stripped-down, acoustic versions of the songs “Options,” “Neverland,” key track “Not Him,” and more.

Newcomer Maki made an R&B twist to the viral hit “Gusto Ko Nang Bumitaw” late last year, which crossed the half-amillion mark on Spotify by year-end.

TikTok star Zion Aguirre meanwhile achieved over 300,000 streams for his debut EP Bigkas

The music video of Pinoy soul icon Kyla and “Marry Your Daughter”

hitmaker Brian McKnight Jr.’s song collaboration “Cuz Of You (COY)” garnered over 130,000 YouTube views and its official hashtag was trending for

24 hours on Twitter. It features Kapamilya stars Anji Salvacion and Brent Manalo Marina Summers is the first drag queen to be part of Tarsier Records’ roster of artists. Her debut single “Divine” produced by Moophs gained 10,000 Spotify streams in less than 24 hours. The label continues to champion drag pop music and has just introduced another drag queen, Viñas Deluxe From milestones to new offerings, young artist SAB dropped the “Happy You Stayed” music video that also stars Kaori Oinuma and Shanaia Gomez on January 20 with over 73,000 YouTube views as of writing. Dotty and Malli are also starting off the year with a fresh vibe through their collaboration “icy,” a rap track that talks about protecting one’s energy from negative people. The two also dropped the song’s music video on YouTube two Fridays ago.

BY YUGEL LOSORATA TOUCHBASS

AS a marquee guest artist in a Los Angelesheld birthday concert of a friend, the Queen of Soul Jaya made everybody feel that she had no intention of upstaging the main act. She was there to support Garth Garcia, a beloved Filipino-American star in his own right.

True enough, Jaya added glitter to a “shining, shimmering” show by just being herself, effortless and naturally brilliant. She gave definitive meaning to how one need not push herself too much while on stage, and should just enjoy the crowd, either while singing or delivering a spiel.

“That was sweet. Thank you for your wonderful welcome to me,” said the soul diva after the crowd applauded long and loud to acknowledge her presence.

Perhaps due to her numerous accolades, most Filipinos have somehow forgotten that Jaya is the first Filipino recording artist to chart in the United States. Her Tagalog hits “Wala Na Bang Pag-Ibig,” “Dahil Tanging Ikaw,” and “Laging Naro’n Ka” have made her a household name.

Last Saturday at the Herbert Zipper Concert Hall in Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, the daughter of the late comedienne-singer Elizabeth Ramsey wowed the Fil-Am crowd with her duet with Garth of Dodjie Simon’s composition “Ikaw Lamang.” She complimented the birthday boy by saying she found the perfect stand-in for Janno Gibbs who did the famed record of the classic piece with her.

My Time: A Birthday Concert, brought to life by Starlink Promotions and TGM Group of Companies, also featured several promising FilAm artists in Southern California. Garth shone brightly in his, yes, “shining, shimmering” outfits and stage allure that complemented his smooth singing and properly timed quips.

Garth took the opportunity to promote his latest single “Round Round” released on the same day. It is a pop dance track that puts emphasis on his reputation as a singer delivering upbeat, recallable songs and mellowing down with heartfelt acoustic ballads. His version of

“Do You Miss Me,” popularized by Fil-Am Jocelyn Enriquez, is unmistakably delightful to the ear, and so is his take of Selena’s signature hit “Dreaming of You,” both songs included in his EP Hits Reimagined released in 2021.

While the statuses of both Jaya and Garth were crucial to the crossing of their paths, it is destiny that put them together onstage. The latter had been poised to get deep into the Fil-Am artist community, the former was brought back to America after a stellar run in the Philippines.

Jaya climaxed her spot at Garth’s stylish birthday bash by singing her most recent, pre-pandemic hit, “Hanggang Dito Na Lang,” penned by StarPop label head Rox Santos She shared, “It’s a song that has not been heard for two to three years. Then it was submitted to a Koreanovela which carried it.”

She added, “Sometimes God has His own ways of maneuvering things. He makes you wait.”

The album Queen of Soul, from which the song came, garnered awards. Jaya said she was already 50 when it happened. She noted, “Ang dami kong dapat ipagpasalamat. I’m so thankful that this song kind of happened before I made the move to live in America again.”

Garth Garcia (left) with Jaya

Filipino-American singer Garth Garcia

Daniel Padilla (left) and Kathryn Bernardo

Ka Lang’ will focus on Ocampo’s music over the years

Ocampo is the creative mind behind some of the biggest and most enduring hits in Philippine pop music

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

LIFE

HAIR STORY

Making women feel confident one hair extension at a time

is booming with tourists, so I felt so homesick at that time. So, to combat that, I made myself busy aside from being serious with my studies,” she started.

Denise asked a friend to photograph her amid the cherry blossoms at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Wearing hair extensions, she used the photos to initially sell the products online through platforms like Multiply and Friendster.

“My mom uploaded my photos online and she started swelling the hair extensions from our house in Antipolo. And she was selling at least one hair extension a day,” Denise said of the early days of her now booming business.

Self-expression

But I say, building self-confidence is a process. Since it is not innate, we start somewhere by borrowing that confidence until we own it.

Talking to Denise Aquino, CEO and president of Tokyo Posh—the pioneer of premium hair extensions in the Philippines – making a woman feel better about the way she looks, albeit temporarily, is already life-changing.

Denise welcomed me into her “very pink” boutique located on the 4th level of The Podium Mall in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong. The afternoon têteà-tête with the young mother and entrepreneur centered on how she started the business in 2009 when she opened a shop in Valle Verde in Pasig and how her hair extensions changed the lives of ordinary women —from celebrities to beauty queens, from models to bride-to-be, and from young professionals to stay-at-home moms.

Tokyo Posh was born in the streets of Harajuku, Japan, where Denise stayed as a fashion design student at the prestigious Bunka Fashion College. Exposed to a culture where hair was seen as an accessory, fashionforward Denise decided to bring this lifestyle home to Filipinas, introducing hair extensions that were not only easy to put on, but also came in a wide array of styles in colors and highlights all suited to complement the Asian look and style preference.

“Two weeks after graduating from Ateneo in 2006, I flew to Tokyo to study Fashion Design. Well, Tokyo wasn’t always the city that we know now, which

“In Tokyo, fashion is everything, it’s from head to toe. Yes, including the hair. Hair extension there is a normal thing and already a booming business. Since I’m so exposed to using hair extensions, I thought of bringing that aspect of Japanese fashion to the Philippines,” Denise shared and further said that she put up Tokyo Posh as a back plan.

“I was thinking, If I wouldn’t be able to finish Fashion Design, at least I have a fallback.”

This fallback is now the go-to boutique for premium hair extension services in the metro. It has two other branches in Powerplant Mall in Rockwell (her first branch in a big mall after closing the first shop in Pasig) and in UP Town in Quezon City — key locations that make her shops accessible to their target market.

Denise is very particular about the quality of their product, which is why, being the pioneer in the country, she confidently says that their hair extensions are exactly what they’re made to do— be an extension of your real hair.

“No glue or sewing is required in the application process, we only use clips and tapes with a special adhesive to avoid hair damage,” she said even asking the author to touch her hair if he would notice any difference or notice if she’s wearing any hair extension at all.

The young entrepreneur believes that hair, apart from being every woman’s crowning glory, is an extension of self-expression that can be changed on a daily basis—depending on her mood and the look she wants to achieve.

Hard work pays off

Tokyo Posh basically started a new category in

hair

WORKING with top designers and industry

insiders, Antoine Besseyre Des Horts, Leader (VP), LIXIL Global Design, Asia at LIXIL, shares the standout emerging trends for 2023 that are beginning to impact the real estate sector and the designs of home interiors.

As working from home continues to be the norm for many, people are looking for more convenient yet stylish solutions, especially for their homes. However, new trends will emerge as concerns about global warming arise and the prices of construction materials spike.

We will see greater demand for new tech solutions for homes that can help consumers reduce their water consumption, carbon footprint, and utility bills.

So, what does 2023 hold? Sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation are the main areas in interior design where we will see a shift in the next few months.

Sustainability, water conservation, and plastic reduction

Sustainability is becoming a priority for many people, especially younger generations, who are increasingly more conscious of the need to adopt sustainable solutions.

In 2023, more home products will be designed to enable people to be more sustainable in their daily lives without compromising their experience. We will see a mindful shift to sustainability and circularity, and a more responsible use of resources will be incorporated in interior design products and services, using recycled materials where possible and designing products with long life spans and recyclability in mind.

In particular, we will continue to see innovations that help reduce plastic and water use. Only in Sin-

gapore, the consumption of plastic and water consumption is on the rise, with each person using 158 liters of water a day and 467 million PET bottles being used each year across the country.

Being the main source of water consumption at home, toilets, showers, and faucets that use less water and help reduce plastic will slowly take over our living spaces. Like GROHE Blue, a revolutionary water system that can filter, chill, and carbonate water directly from the kitchen faucet, contributing to reducing up to 800 plastic bottles, water, and CO2. The process of creating more sustainable solutions at LIXIL has involved looking at pain points in the design of the products and identifying ways to improve water conservation without compromising user experience and accessibility.

More inclusive designs, especially for the ageing population

While inclusivity has been a buzzword for many years – inclusive workplace, inclusive education, inclusive language, etc. – little has been said about inclusive design for physical spaces. It is often left out of the mainstream conversation regarding diversity and inclusion initiatives.

However, in 2023, we will start to see a tendency to incorporate inclusive design in both existing structures and new developments. Products that ensure the built environment is accessible and accommodating to all individuals regardless of demographic will become more popular.

More specifically, we will see inclusivity when it comes to the ageing population. As people grow older, they become less physically able to navigate the structures in their homes, and

“Back in 2009, we just had salons, we didn’t have any hair extension specialist shops. Fast forward to 2022 to 2023, and we’re happy to say that the industry is growing. We have a lot of competitors now and I think it’s good for the business, the hair extension industry is growing and that means, we’re here to stay,” Denise exclaimed.

Being the first brand to introduce such a category, Tokyo Posh prides itself on offering the best products and best solutions to all hair needs.

“People will not find our product anywhere. We have two categories, the semi-permanent, and the

designers will account for this reality, especially with Asia-Pacific likely to see the most rapid increase in older citizens between now and 2050, according to the UN. Bathtubs, for example, are areas where designers will provide significant benefits to ageing populations; widened bathtub ledges can facilitate the transition into the tub, while walk-in tubs provide much easier accessibility and prevent slippage.

The trend of inclusive design will continue to expand to many areas and intensify. We’re seeing the beginnings of a shift from status-based products toward those that are simpler and more practical. These products are still beautiful and stylish, but more user-friendly and straightforward, to accommodate a diverse range of users. Designers and architects should keep this trend in mind as they work to stay ahead of the design curve. Technology will serve simplicity and practicality

Technology will play a significant role in advancing the 2023 trends in sustainability, inclusive design, and making homes more stylish and convenient as we continue to work from home. However, we won’t see “one-size-fits-all” innovation approaches in interior design projects. The scale at which designers will incorporate technology will depend more and more on the audience and environment.

For example, touchless faucets and flushing systems that help to minimize user contact will continue to exist in public spaces to optimize hygiene and minimize the spread of germs. However, concerns over safety are not as prevalent inside the home.

The integration of technology in the home will be more about convenience. So we will

clip-ons. And we are the exclusive distributor of the Hair Talk brand,” Denise said.

Unlike most extensions, these do not involve weaving, sewing, braiding, or gluing, but are simply clipped on, and worked into real hair. High-quality fiber from Japan ensures that these extensions look and feel natural, and are lightweight enough to carry any posh girl through all her day-to-night activities with confidence.

“I feel so humbled and honored to see a lot of women make their dreams come true with a simple activity as putting on hair extensions. It sounds so shallow but it’s so true. After putting your hair extensions on, you get that sense of confidence that’s hard to explain. Since we opened shop 14 years ago, we’ve seen a lot of women transformed simply because of this quick fix,” Denise ended.

see more products like GROHE’s Smart Control shower system, which uses innovative technology that allows users to personalize their shower according to the way they like it, such as having intuitive control of the temperature and volume of water.

ing on top of trends, implementing new technologies, or prioritizing sustainability, designers, builders, and architects have the power to accelerate the progression of inclusive design, water conservation, and sustainability. But more importantly, the ones who view the design from an empathetic, careful, and critical eye are those that will stand out among others while changing the lives of so many.

“BORROWED confidence” is the phrase that always comes to mind whenever we talk about something that makes us feel and look good temporarily—like how a woman feels more attractive when she’s in her high heels or when she puts her makeup on. Some argue that this idea leads to frustrations when the source of our confidence runs out.

needs

Maureen Wroblewitz for Tokyo Posh

The brand has two unique products, the semi-permanent and the clip-ons

Philippine fashion. It’s not just a brand that its CEO and President introduced. During the initial stage of her business, Denise had to do talks in schools and hospitals and even hold bazaars to “just educate people about hair extensions.”