Manila Standard - 2023 February 21 - Tuesday

PNP CRACKDOWN ON UNIFORM SALES AFTER AMBUSHES

SEARCH APPROVED FOR CESSNA PLANE AT MAYON CRATER

PCG plans laser use in WPS

Coast Guard eyes revised rules of force, plans joint patrols with US

By Rey E. Requejo, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

THE Philippine Coast Guard plans to include laser technology in its rules on the use of force after the February 6 laser-pointing incident in Ayungin Shoal involving the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG).

“For the Philippine Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard, there are also ongoing talks now about a possibility of joining the US Coast Guard in a joint patrol in WPS (West Philippine Sea),” PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said Monday in an interview on CNN Philippines.

Tarriela said the inclusion of lasers in PCG’s rules needs the approval of the National Task Force WPS (NTFWPS), which is chaired by the National Security Adviser – currently Secretary Eduardo Ano -- and counts undersecretaries from 16 government departments and agencies as members.

“For the PCG, we are currently including the use of laser technology in our rules on the use of force. But again, our rules on the use of force have to be approved by the NTF-WPS,” he said.

Last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian and told him “close friends do not use military-grade lasers

Euro HR solons to visit PH; Remulla pans ICC anew

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives committee on constitutional amendments on Monday approved a Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) calling for a constitutional convention to amend the 1987 Constitution.

The committee, led by its chairman Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, agreed on “Con-Con” as a mode

By Julito G. Rada

THE Governance Commission for GOCCs, the central advisory, oversight, and monitoring body for governmentowned and -controlled corporations, has backed the establishment of the Maharlika Investment Fund. In its position paper on Senate Bill 1670, the GCG pushed for the creation

Senate raises staff’s inflation stipend

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Maricel V. Cruz

LEADERS of the House of Representatives expressed their full support for the immediate ratification by the Senate of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement so that Filipinos can reap its benefits, including more jobs.

“By immediately ratifying the RCEP

Agreement, the Philippines can sooner benefit and take advantage of this mega-trade deal that could attract more foreign investors, create more job opportunities, and curb the unemployment and poverty rates in the country,” said Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, one of the principal authors of House Resolution (HR) 728, which supports the

SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday announced an increase in

to amend the Constitution after having conducted seven public hearings to get the people’s pulse on whether the Charter must be amended.

During the hearing, 16 lawmakers voted in favor of the resolution while three legislators voted against and one abstained.

The panel, however, suspended deliberations on the committee report on an

of a Maharlika Investment Corporation, which is envisioned to be an independent corporate body under the proposed bill. The MIC is intended to govern and manage the proposed state investment fund.

The Governance Commission said the MIC bears the attributes of a GOCC, such as its charter, functions relating to public needs, and state ownership.

PNP cracks down on uniform sales

PHILIPPINE National Police Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has ordered a crackdown on the unauthorized use and sale of police uniforms after it was learned that the gunmen in the assassination of the vice mayor of Aparri, Cagayan on Sunday were dressed like the police.

PNP public information office chief Police Col. Redrico Maranan added that Azurin also called on sellers of PNP uniforms to check the identification of buyers.

The PNP’s Anti-Cybercrime Group has also been tasked to go after people who are selling PNP uniforms online, Maranan said, reminding the public that it is against the law for civilians to wear police uniforms.

In a statement on Sunday, a police

Diesel up P1.05/l, gasoline P0.90/l; kerosene down

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PUMP prices went up by P1.05 per liter for diesel and P0.90 per liter for gasoline effective 6 a.m. Tuesday, but local oil firms cut the price of kerosene by P0.25 per liter to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

“PTT Philippines to implement the following price adjustments effective 6 a.m. Tuesday, February 21, 2023: Gasoline, an increase of P0.90 per liter and diesel, an increase of 1.05 per liter,” the company said in its advisory.

Seaoil Philippines, Chevron Philippines, PetroGazz, and Jetti Petroleum issued separate advisories of their latest price hikes, as other oil companies are expected to follow.

An industry source said over the weekend diesel would likely go up by P1 to P1.10 per liter and gasoline by P0.85 to P0.95 per liter.

The Department of Energy also said last Friday consumers can expect an oil price hike of more than P1 per liter for diesel and less than P1 per liter for gasoline and kerosene, based on the oil price movement for a four-day trading period.

“Yes, there will be an increase in the prices of petroleum products on Tuesday, Feb. 21,” DOE Oil Industry Management Bureau director Rodela Romero said.

Romero said the price increase was “primarily due to the plan of Russia to cut their crude production and the IEA [International Energy Agency] announcement that the world oil demand is predicted to rise by two million barrels per day in 2023.”

“One contributory factor is the increase in demand of China as a result of the lifting of their Zero Covid policy,” Romero said.

China is one of the world’s biggest consumers of oil products.

On February 7, the oil companies rolled back pump prices by P2.10 per liter for gasoline, P3 per liter for diesel, and P2.30 per liter for kerosene.

These resulted in total net increases this year at P5.10 per liter for gasoline, P0.05 per liter for diesel, and P2.25 per liter for kerosene.

spokesperson said the suspects were not members of the PNP.

“Let us be clear on this: No PNP member is involved in this incident.

What we are looking at is the possibility that the suspects were just wearing police uniforms to make it appear they are legitimate government forces because they have set up an unauthorized checkpoint in the ambush area,” said PNP spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo.

Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. on Mon-

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against each other.”

Mr. Marcos was referring to the latest incident in which a Chinese coast guard vessel aimed a military-grade laser at a PCG ship carrying out a resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal, which the Philippines occupies but which China also claims.

The crew of BRP Malapascua said they suffered temporary blindness.

“I said that the laser-pointing incident was only a part of what we are seeing as a – intensifying or escalating of the actions of the marine militia of China, the coast guard of China, and the navy of China,” the President said.

China, for its part, denied pointing military-grade lasers at the PCG ship, as Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the Chinese Coast Guard only used a “hand-held greenlight pointer” to measure the distance and speed of the Philippine vessel.

The joint patrols with the US Coast Guard, meanwhile, are in line with the freedom of navigation efforts of the United States in the South China Sea.

Tarriela said the joint patrols would gain cooperation among other countries in the region and would benefit the vessels that are passing through the area.

“This is not in the infancy stage. There is already a clear path of possibility since the defense department of the United States has also supported the joint patrol with the Philippines Navy and the US Navy, so there is certainty in this particular joint patrol to happen,” he added to CNN’s ‘The Source’.

Meanwhile, Tarriela said the PH Coast Guard is eyeing to modernize and

day condemned the assassination attempt on Lanao Del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. and the killing of Aparri Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda and his security escorts and driver.

“These dastardly acts have no place in a civilized society,” Revilla, co-chairman of the Lakas-CMD party, said.

Earlier, Vice President Sara DuterteCarpio and Speaker Martin Romualdez -- chairman and president of Lakas, respectively – led political leaders across the country in condemning the attacks. Revilla said the assassinations were a slap in the face of law enforcement agencies, and that the PNP should spare no effort in hunting down the perpetrators and masterminds and immediately bring them to justice.

increase its assets, as it only has three offshore patrol vessels.

“We have some spaces in WPS that we failed to patrol,” he said.

The Philippines should keep pushing back against Chinese aggression in the WPS to regain ground lost because of the previous administration’s policy of appeasement, a maritime expert said Monday.

In an interview on the ABS-CBN News Channel, Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said the Marcos administration has been more open and transparent on developments in the West Philippine Sea.

“The reason why China has been able to get away with a lot of things is that the previous administration cooperated with it in hiding events and downplaying them,” he said, referring to the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who emphasized friendly ties with Beijing and downgraded relations with Washington.

“So this policy of immediately reporting what has happened really should be done,” Batongbacal said, adding that he hoped this would be a standing policy to discourage China from taking more provocative actions in the future.

He added that the Philippines should work with other countries with territorial claims in the South China Sea to make China “accept and recognize” international law and “appropriate allocation of jurisdiction in the South China Sea.”

“The only way to do that, in the context of the international community, is to make it seem that... going against the interest of this region [and of] its neighbors is only going to create more problems for it and create bigger burdens for it,” he said.

At a high-level security conference in

rights,” the department added.

The PNP, he said, should be proactive in maintaining peace and order, not reactive.

“You should always be steps ahead to prevent evil people from causing harm to our people,” he said.

Alameda, on his third term, and five of his companions were killed on Sunday morning after their vehicle was shot in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya. They were on their way to a Vice Mayors League meeting in Metro Manila.

The assailants, on board a white Mitsubishi Adventure with government plates, blocked the highway near the MV Duque Elementary School in Bagabag town and when Alameda’s car approached, they riddled it with bullets. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Germany, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said harassment by the Chinese has become a daily situation faced by Filipino fishers and the Philippine Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea.

At a roundtable discussion in Munich over the weekend, Manalo said the Philippines was determined to address the territorial dispute through peaceful and legal means.

“Rival claims can only be solved peacefully by adhering to peaceful and rules-based approaches. The Philippine approach, articulated long before and formalized in the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, enjoys the support of the international community,” he said.

Manalo said tensions caused by incidents and aggressive actions inconsistent with the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea are not conducive to promoting peace and stability.

Despite a decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration to the contrary, China asserts historical ownership of nearly 90 percent of the waters. Other claimants to those waters are Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

Manalo said he recognized the complexity of the country’s relations with China.

In his speech before the Munich conference, Manalo said the “very strong links” of the Philippines—as well as other countries in the region—with China on the economic and cultural fronts create a more complex situation.

“We have this issue on the South China Sea with China, but at the same time we’ve also agreed with China that this issue is not going to be the sum total of our relationship,” he said.

criticize the way we run our country before,” Remulla added.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs welcomes this visit as it signifies the expanding dialogue and cooperation between the Philippines and the European Union,” the DFA said.

“The Philippines’ relationships with the European Union and its members have steadily expanded across political, economic, and security areas. These relationships are founded on mutual interest and shared values of democracy and freedom, rule of law, peace and stability, and human

ter next year, I think we have to wait another five years, which means (during the administration of) the next President, to keep Charter Change rolling.

Biden in surprise trip to Kyiv before war’s 1-year mark

KYIV—US President Joe Biden on Monday made a trip to Kyiv organized in strict secrecy, promising $500 million in fresh arms deliveries and “unwavering” American support ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Air raid sirens rang out across the capital at one point as Biden walked alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during what was the US president’s first visit to the country since Russian troops invaded on February 24, 2022.

“One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden said, speaking alongside Zelensky at the Ukrainian president’s official residence, the Mariinsky Palace.

“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about US support for Ukraine in the war,” he continued.

“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could outlast us.”

“He’s just been plain wrong,” Biden said, adding: “Putin’s war of conquest is failing”.

The visit was organized in conditions of strict secrecy.

Biden left Andrews Air Force in the early hours of Sunday.

After handing over their devices, journalists were made aware of his presence on Air Force One just 15 minutes before the plane took off.

The White House did not report how he eventually reached Ukraine, but other foreign leaders have travelled to Kyiv by train from Poland.

It was the first visit by a US president to Ukraine since 2008.

During the trip, Biden promised an additional $500 million (468 million euros) in arms deliveries for Ukraine, mentioning, in particular, artillery ammunition, howitzers and Javelin anti-tank missiles. AFP

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assistance in August.

The Senate President also announced a rise in the medical allowance from P30,000 to P50,000 of Senate employees, which will be given in September.

Meanwhile, Remulla on Monday said the Philippine government “will not bow down” to the political agenda behind the insistence of the International Criminal Court to investigate the drug war killings in the country.

“We will not bow down to that political agenda. Even though it is a court that tries crimes, the ICC is a political body in many ways,” he said.

“It is not just a body for justice, but it is meant to forward a political agenda for many people.

Why do I say this? Because we are a country with a legal system that can function by itself, and they want to take over some of our functions just to

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Senate’s ratification of RCEP.

The Justice Secretary also said he sees nothing wrong with the resolution filed by House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who sought to defend from the ICC former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been accused of ordering the killings in the drug war.

Remulla insisted the ICC has “no mechanism by which they can operate in our country.”

“If they want to put into themselves the judicial powers of this country then they will be committing a violation of our legal system. Just a fair warning: do not monkey around with our legal system,” he said.

countries and the world’s largest economies such as China, Japan, and Korea, among others,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.

unnumbered House bill to implement the RBH.

“It is the accompanying bill which will also have constituent power that will provide for qualifications, the budget, and other powers that will be given,” Rodriguez said.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party, said the Con-Con route at this early stage of the Marcos administration is the more feasible track instead of lawmakers convening themselves into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).

“The problem in our country is basically poverty. We need to create jobs, and in order to create jobs we need foreign investments, foreign capital,” he said.

Villafuerte said the House is “targeting to have more marathon hearings, and possibly, decide on this issue by April…so the Senate will be able to decide on this matter before the year is over...and maybe we can have a plebiscite by the first quarter of next year.”

“Now, if we can’t have a plebiscite to approve the would-be proposed constitutional amendments by the first quar-

That’s the sad reality,” he added.

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Puno supported the move, stating that the 1987 Constitution should not only be amended but also revised to meet the current needs and necessities.

At the same time, Puno suggested amending the Constitution by way of a hybrid form of constitutional convention, where delegates would be selected through election and by appointment.

“The world in the last decades of the 20th century is a totally different world in the opening decade of the 21st century. The geopolitical situation in the world has undergone radical transformation. The balance of political and economic power in this planet has changed. The digital revolution is redefining our way of life, including the text and texture of our fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property,” Puno said.

During the hearing, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) also told legislators that election exercises in connection with a Charter change initiative could cost the government as high as P28 billion.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), meanwhile, reiterated its support for the RCEP agreement and urged its ratification.

“We, in NEDA, consider RCEP to be a vehicle that would drive our economy’s sustained growth through regional and global trade as well as through greater investment in strategic sectors. Being part of RCEP will further enhance our market access, placing us at par with other RCEP-participating

The GCG also said that since funding from government financial institutions and GOCCs may affect their respective investment strategies and performance scorecards, the proposed investments to the MIC must necessarily be within and allowed by their respective charters.

“Ultimately, the Governance Com-

“Several consultations with concerned stakeholders and studies on the subject affirm that joining RCEP would unlikely lead to a surge in agricultural imports. In any case, with or without RCEP, the government strives for a competitive and resilient agriculture sector,” Balisacan added.

Joining Romualdez as authors of the measure were Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose M. Dalipe, Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st

mission is one with Congress and lauds its efforts to ensure the country’s economic transformation, growth, and sustainability,” GCG said.

“The GCG, therefore, supports the inclusion of the provision in SB No. 1670 providing at least 25 percent of the net profits of the MIC to families living below the poverty threshold,” it added.

GCG’s comments were submitted to the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions, and Currencies on Jan. 30, 2023.

The inflation and medical allowances are on top of the other benefits provided to the Upper House employees, like a monthly P30,000 transportation allowance, rice allowance, educational allowance, almost half a million pesos worth of HMO (health maintenance organization) cards, and a Christmas bonus.

Zubiri said the Senate decided to increase the incentives given to their employees as they are facing difficulties in their daily expenses due to the spiraling costs of goods and services.

He also announced that P30,000 will be given for each year of service to all retired employees.

These additional incentives, Zubiri said, came from the Senate’s savings.

Meanwhile, the Senate President appealed for an increase in the minimum wage of employees in the private sector.

He said the current minimum wage cannot be considered a “living wage.”

District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos, and Batangas 5th District Rep. Mario Vittorio Mariño.

They noted that on Nov. 15, 2021, the Philippines signed the RCEP agreement, which covers trade areas for goods, services, and investments, sustainable growth, and business environment involving the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its five other free trade agreement (FTA) partners, namely Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.

The House resolution said the RCEP is expected to address the problem of overlapping FTAs that the Philippines has with several countries.

House Bill No. 6608, or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act, was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives on Dec. 15, 2022. Senate Bill No. 1670 was filed on Jan. 12, 2023, which serves as the counterpart bill for the measure approved by the House.

Earlier, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno assured that the country’s gross international reserves will not be touched for the funding of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund.

Senate probes tra icking via private planes at NAIA today

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is set to inquire today on the alleged human trafficking involving foreign nationals who used chartered private planes from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to leave the country under anomalous circumstances.

The probe comes in the wake of an expose last February 15 by Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, about the alleged human smuggling activity at the country’s premier airport.

Poe noted that the Flight General Declaration indicated there were only three crew members and six passengers in the plane with registry no. N9527E left the NAIA for Dubai.

But based on information received by Poe from the Bureau of Immigration, seven passengers were in the general declaration, consisting of a Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, Vanuatu and three from Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Poe said they will look into the process in the departure of the foreigners aboard the chartered flight.

She said they want to determine if the passengers of the plane underwent the standard process.

She said they will verify if the documents of the passengers coming from Dubai where they landed were legitimate.

Poe raised the possibility that there was confusion when the Philippine National Police- Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup)) counted the number or passengers and crew, or well-wishers.

The Civil Aviation Administration of the Philippines, the Bureau of Customs, and the Manila International Airport Authority were unanimous in saying that all the passengers of the plane in question were cleared to leave the airport.

It was only Avsegroup which claimed there were some discrepancies in the documents. But Poe found out that the Immigration officer who purportedly signed the clearance was not the same man who escorted the passengers.

MEDICAL MISSION. Some 330 families receive nancial assistance worth P3,000 each from a medical mission at Barangay Potrero, Malabon in line with the government’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. Photo shows Malabon Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, Senator Loren Legarda and president and medical director of the Aivee Group Dr. Aivee

distributing hand-made plastic bags woven by local residents. Andrew Rabulan

Search and rescue team for missing Cessna plane allowed to climb Mayon

By Alena Mae Flores

THE search and rescue team for a missing Cessna plane has been allowed by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to climb Mayon Volcano which has been declared a permanent danger zone (PDZ) with alert level 2 raised in the area.

Meanwhile, the state-run Energy Development Corp. (EDC) which owned the missing aircraft with registry number RP-C2080 said it would not stop until the passengers and pilot have been found.

The search and rescue team however, would be scaling the iconic volcano in extreme danger due to potential heavy rains that can cause floodwaters to cascade down the slopes.

Comelec fully ready for Oct. 30 barangay, SK elections—Garcia

THE Comelec is prepared for the conduct of the October 30 barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections (BSKE) with a budget allocation of P8.44 billion.

In yesterday’s hearing by the Senate Commitee on Electoral Reforms chaired by Sen. Imee Marcos, Comelec chairman George Garcia said 86.59 percent of the ballots for regular voters have been printed and 90.62 percent were printed for SK elections.

He expected the printing of ballots for the BSKE would be finished by February.

The BSKE was initally set last December, but was moved to October 2023.

While they will use their savings and

At a televised public briefing, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesman Eric Apolonio said given the Philvolcs permission, the search and rescue team can now proceed with their mission.

“So far, ngayon, ang pagkakaalam ko nakahingi na po ng permit sa PHIVOLCS kasi PDZ po yung site, so hindi basta makakapasok ‘yung ating rescue team. But since nab-

igyan na po, magtutuloy na tayo sa pagpanhik,” Apolonio said.

According to Apolonio, investigators have to go to the supposed crash site on the ground, not just through aerial inspection, to confirm if the debris found there was really from the missing Cessna aircraft owned by the state-run Energy Development Corp. (EDC).

The search and rescue operations for the missing Cessna plane will focus on the Mayon Volcano area, Camalig, Albay Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. said on Monday.

The CAAP said the Bicol International Airport air traffic controllers lost contact with a Ces na 340 airplane carrying four people, including the pilot, crew, and two passengers.

The agency said the Cessna 340 (Caravan) aircraft departed Bicol International Airport at 6:43 a.m.

Chiz demands accounting of COVID vaccine procurements

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

SENATOR Chiz Escudero on Monday pressed anew the government to lift the “veil of secrecy” on all COVID-19 vaccine purchases.

While millions of vaccine shots have allegedly expired, Escudero pointed out that the responsibility to disclose the details of the billions spent for them does not go stale.

“The vaccines do not carry an immunity from accountability,” Escudero stressed.

He demanded a full-blown audit on the vaccine expenditures “because until today, even the total amount spent could not be determined.”

other funds for the conduct of said elections, Garcia also said they can ask additional funds from Congress.

However, this will depend on the results of the registration of 1.6 million voters December 2022 until January 2023.

Based on this, Garcia said they will identify if there is a need to add polling precincts which means additional funding.

Garcia also assured they will not help from the local government units which is prohibited by law. They can ask funds only during plebiscite.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo noted there was no need for the poll body to seek assistance from LGUs to avoid influencing the elections results.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Supreme Court orders NHA to return P367.8m in illegal bonuses

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has sustained the decision rendered by the Commission on Audit (COA) compelling the officials and employees of the National Housing Authority (NHA) to return the allowances and bonuses they “illegally” received for the period 2008 to 2009 amounting to P367.8 million.

In a 21-page en banc decision written by Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario, the SC

unanimously di missed for lack of merit the petition filed by NHA officials and its rankand-file employees seeking the reversal of the COA’s decision issued on January 26, 2018.

The COA through then chair man Michael Aguinaldo approved the decision of COA Corporate Government Sector (CGS)Cluster 2 decision issued on August 13, 2015, which affirmed the notices of disallowances (NDs) issued by its special audit team, per-

taining to the payment of allowances, bonuses, and other benefits to the officers and employees of the NHA for 2008 to 2009.

The COA audit team held that the grant of incentives, bonuses, and allowances violated Section 12 of Republic Act No. 6758 otherwise known as “An Act Prescribing A Revised Compensation and Position Classification System in the Government” directing heads of government-owned-and-controlled corporations, government financial

institutions to implement pay rationalization in all senior positions.

The government auditing agency stressed that NHA violated Section 45 of RA Nos. 9498, or An Act A propriating Funds for the Operation of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines from January to December 2008, and 9524 or An Act Appropriating Funds for the Operation of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines from January to December 2009.

DILG boosts village justice system

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE government has urged village officials to strengthen programs relative to settling disputes in their communities.

“We are jumpstarting the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Awards (LTIA) 2023 with an enhanced criteria and guidelines to elevate the performance in the barangay. We wish to strengthen this in order to better promote Katarungang Pambarangay (KP) in the communities,” said Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.

“Our Lupong Tagapamayapa are our frontliners when it comes to maintaining peace and order at the grassroots. Which is why it is important that we update our policies on this every now

and then,” he added.

The annual award is recognition of outstanding Lupon that include the Punong Barangay and 10 to 20 members assigned to solve cases referred to them and implement and disseminate KP in their area.

According to Abalos, this is the right time to update the assessment criteria to ensure even faster resolution of cases brought to the Lupon by the barangays. He added that the awarding policy was last amended in 2016.

“The review of our criteria and guidelines for LTIA is timely because new developments have emerged in the areas of peace and order, administration of justice, and local governance. Our policies must fit the current times and reality,” he said.

“If you ask government agencies how much was spent for how many, you will get different answers, if that is you get a reply. There were reports about P300 billion and some admitted on the floor it was P145 billion,” he said.

“Vaccine purchases bloated our debt. We bought them using borrowed money, with our children’s future i come as collateral. And yet we don’t know the full details of it, “Escudero lamented.

But what concerned him the most is that the cost of each dose remained “the greatest unsolved mystery” in public expenditures.

Until now, he said no price list yet on how much the Sinovac, Moderna, Pfizer and others were procured. And yet, we fine small grocery stores for not complying with the price tag law, Escudero noted. Escudero doubted if the so-called “nondisclosure agreement” (NDA) that the government had signed with vaccine manufacturers prior to the purchases could be used as an excuse to hide procurement details.

“For one, the NDA goes against Section 6 (transparency clause) of Republic Act 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, which requires the publication of the approved budget of contract and the amount of contract awarded on vaccine purchases,” the senator explained.

PBBM to agencies: Help uplift PH House panel okays tourist

VAT refund

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives ways and means committee on Monday approved the draft substitute bill for the valueadded tax refund for outbound tourists, a proposal already approved in principle by the President when it was brought up by the Private Sector Advisory Council.

“I expect between P10 billion to 40 billion in increased sales from local suppliers. That has the same nature, consequence, and character as exports.

And we don’t even have to compete with other exporters. The audience is already captured,” Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, the panel’s chairperson, said.

“Save for India and Cambodia, we are the last major Asian country without an operative VAT refund system for tourists. That hurts our competitiveness for tourists with, say, Vietnam and Thailand, which now receive more tourists than we do.”

Salceda is the principal author of the measure along with Nueva Ecija

Representative and House committee on ways and means senior vice chair Mikaella Suansing, who chaired the technical working group drafting amendments to the original draft.

The proposal adds a new Section to the National Internal Revenue Code, which outbound tourists to refund goods to be taken out of the country, with a per transaction value of at least P3,000. These goods must be purchased from accredited suppliers.

“A VAT refund, as global studies show, increases the propensity to spend.

Generally, for every P1 refunded, the tourist spends an additional P1.5. That will create an additional 20-80 thousand jobs, and will also improve our gross international reserves,” Salceda added.

The measure also allows the VAT refund system to be administered by a service provider, as is the practice in most jurisdictions.

DOJ chief says he won’t oppose De Lima appeal

DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday said he will not oppose detained former senator Leila de Lima from filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus before the courts for her release.

“We will not object. I am not objecting personally to any plea that will free anybody from jail,” Remulla said. The writ of habeas corpus is a legal remedy against arbitrary or illegal detention.

According to Remulla, the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus “is a power left to the judges to decide and even to the higher courts if need be if they want to go to the higher courts.”

“If they wish to petition for habeas corpus, so be it. It is their right after all as a citizen detained to ask the courts why she is detained and for the courts to decide or not a grant of liberty is appropriate under the circumstances,” he said.

The possibility of De Lima’s filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus surfaced after the Supreme Court granted the plea of lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, former chief of staff of former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, for her release from detention. Rey E. Requejo

Cayetano extends aid to fire victims in Taguig City

TAGUIG City Mayor Laarni Cayetano on Sunday personally visited and gave financial assistance to families affected by a recent fire in Barangay Ususan.

Cayetano and officials of the city’s Social Welfare Development Office and Barangay Affairs Office also provided sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and cooked meals to the families, who are now staying at Ususan Elementary School.

Cayetano was accompanied by Barangay Ususan Captain Marie Marcelino when she met the families.

According to Marcelino, 35 families were affected by the fire at No. 23 Kalayaan Street. The blaze reached the second alarm and destroyed more than P900,000 worth of properties.

The city government in close coordination with the city’s Bureau of Fire Protection office had launched an intensified campaign to inform residents about the effective prevention of fire in the city. Joel E. Zurbano

BIR Bataan urges public to avail of tax amnesty plan

BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) Bataan is urging individuals who have not settled their estate taxes to avail of the extended amnesty offered by the government.

BIR Bataan Admin and HR Officer Gemo Espinosa said the extension of estate tax amnesty is until June this year. Originally the deadline was June 2021.

The BIR official said if the amnesty is availed, there is no need to pay the surcharge and penalty due to delay in estate tax payment.

He said the amnesty covered the estate of the deceased who died on or before December 31, 2017. The BIR Bataan kicked off its tax collection campaign in the province on Friday.

Two motorcades were held in the province as well as a tax campaign program conducted at the BIR Bataan office at Galeria Victoria, Balanga City.

“So far through the able leadership of our RDO Merlyn Vicente, we have been achieving our target collections for the past years”, he said. Discussed in the tax campaign program were newly introduced digitalized methods, online registration, open cases, and amnesty on estate taxes, among others. It was attended by businessmen and bookkeepers. Butch Gunio

By Vito Barcelo

The President made the call during the oath-taking ceremony in Malacanang of officials of the National Amnesty Commission (NAM); National Anti-Poverty Commission(NAPC); Marawi Compensation Board (MCB); and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU).

“We know how important your work is. And that is why it is very, very important that you understand that we must work

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged government agencies to help his administration uplift the people’s economic condition, advance peace, and strengthen national security. together because we are here willing, and we are here to support all the advocacies that your agencies represent. And that is our end of this bargain,” Mr. Marcos said. He also encouraged the newly sworn-in officials to thoroughly study their organizations and figure out what needed to be done so that the government could carry out interventions for the benefit of the people. “I always say that we have a lot of good plans for the economy of the Philippines.

However, if the effects of our plans are not felt by the people, we have wasted our efforts. Only a few get rich,” he said.

NAPC’s mandate can come into play, the President said, as the agency helps distribute wealth equitably, while OPAPRU can do its part in the peace process.

In the case of Marawi City, Mr. Marcos said there have been many discussions about how to get the rehabilitation started and how to finally bring the people back to their homes.

“As we can all realize it is not a very quick process, these cannot be done right away. We know how important your work is. And that is why it is very, very important that you understand that we must work together because we are here willing, and

Remulla: Masungi Georeserve ‘will be protected’

By Rey E. Requejo

DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) Secretary

Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday assured that the Masungi Georeserve in Tanay, Rizal will be protected.

“We are pro-environment. The environment is not our enemy. It seems that there are just some people who are alarmist about the matter,” Remulla said, in an interview.

The protection of the park was assured by Remulla after the Masungi Georeserve Foundation aired its concerns on the plans of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to relocate its headquarters and erect housing

for its personnel in the Georeserve.

He also said that the BuCor has a title for certain portions of georeserve park.

“What is important is for Masungi to be preserved and the other unused areas are used by the government,” he stressed.

According to him, Masungi is “the heritage of the Filipino people” and “does not belong to one foundation at all but to all the Filipino people.”

“These people should not make the mistake that they are the only ones who can protect the environment. There are a lot of people who want to protect the environment,” he stressed.

Global companies sign MOA on shared workspace in Subic

By Joseph L. Muego

SUBIC Bay Freefort Zone — A partnership between the International Workplace Group (IWG) and Pacific Ace Subic Bay Corp. is expected to pave the way for the establishment of the first-ever hybrid workspace in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

partnership was sealed in a contractsigning ceremony between IWG Country

Lars B. Wittig and Pacific Ace President Virginia S. Dio on Thursday, February 16 at the latter’s headquarters in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“It’s a match made in heaven”, according to Dio citing IWG’s established global leader in hybrid work solutions and workspace brands and Pacific Ace’s Green Building advocacy to

lessen the negative impact of carbon footprint to environment and to human health.

Under the contract, IWG and Pacific Ace will utilize the 2nd floor of The Gardens by Pacific Ace and is set open the shared workplace on August 2023 with a number of co- working desks, meeting rooms, and private offices. IWG’s network coverage includes 3,500 locations across more than 120 countries and 83% of Fortune 500 companies among their growing customer base.

“Through our brands including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature, we help millions of people and their businesses to work more productively. We do so by providing the world’s leading hybrid work platform with professional, inspiring and collaborative workspaces and digital services all available via the IWG application.”

we are here to support all the advocacies that your agencies represent. And that is our end of this bargain,” he said.

“And of course, we are very confident in the performance that you will show after now that we have made official your positions in the different agencies. So I look forward to hearing from you as you get to settle into your jobs,” Mr. Marcos added.

“It is time that we do everything we can to make a change, to make progress, so that Marawi residents could have hope,” the President added.

“It’s now time maybe for our chance to do everything so that there could be changes to be seen, there’s progress so that the residents of Marawi will have hope,” he further said. With Vince Lopez

Remulla revealed that he has talked with Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia YuloLoyzaga on the issue. “We will speak in one voice on this matter,” he said.

At the same time, Remulla explained that it is not yet certain if the proposal of the BuCor to relocate its headquarters and put up housing for its personnel at the property in Tanay will push through.

“It’s not yet sure. It is still being explored),” he said, adding that they are also looking into using the property to house youth or female offenders from the National Capital Region (NCR).

‘NO’ TO KALIWA

DAM.

Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) groups and IP rights advocates hold protest actions at the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) on its supposed involvement in pushing for the construction of the New Centennial Water Source -Kaliwa Dam Project in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Padilla files resolution to defend Rody

SENATOR Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla

on Monday filed a resolution seeking to defend former President Rodrigo Duterte from investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) saying the Philippines has its own functioning and independent judicial system.

In filing Senate Resolution 488, Padilla asked his colleagues to support his resolution seeking “to declare unequivocal defense of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines, in any investigation or prosecution by the ICC.”

The lower house on Monday approved a similar resolution filed by former President and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

House Resolution 780 highlighted Duterte’s “remarkable accomplishments brought about by his relentless campaign against illegal drugs, insurgency, separatism and terrorism, corruption in government and criminality,” making the life of Filipinos “better, comfortable and peaceful.”

Padilla also noted that after a panel of judges at the ICC in The Hague authorized the Office of the Prosecutor to resume its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in the Philippines which Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla declared as “totally unacceptable.”

The Duterte presidency, according to Padilla ushered “remarkable accomplishments” brought about by relentless campaign against illegal drugs, insurgency, separatism and terrorism, corruption and criminality; while the peace and order situation considerably improved.

CLEARING OPERATIONS. Members of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) New Task Force Special Operation group conduct a clearing operation along Morayta Street in Sampaloc to dismantle illegal structures and tow illegally parked vehicles on Monday. Norman Cruz

Why Cha-Cha is imperative

the country would be under, whether it be Parliamentarian or Republican.

The Parliamentarians lost, would you believe by only one vote.

The German Constitution was adopted which provides a multi-party system.

That gave birth to the multi-party system which we now have.

THOSE behind the rampant smuggling of agricultural products like onions, sugar and rice, including fish and meat, have been identified as the same people involved in the hoarding and manipulation of prices.

During the many hearings of the House of Representatives, these importers, mostly Chinese, are said to operate like the Mafia, from shipment to the unloading of goods, to hoarding and manipulation of prices, Santa Banana!

What surprises me is the government has not lifted a finger to go after this Mafia-like syndicate or cartel.

President Marcos Jr. in fact should be the first to go after this cartel, as secretary of agriculture, if only to show the people the President has zero-tolerance on corruption.

BBM must remember it’s the poor who are the worst affected by the manipulation of prices, giving rise to the high inflation rate the country is now undergoing.

It is said Customs is involved in the smuggling and hoarding of high-value agricultural products.

Mister President, what these Mafia-like smugglers, hoarders and manipulators of prices are doing in the market is nothing but economic sabotage.

Crack the whip, Mister President!

The people need action against this cartel smuggling onions, sugar, rice and other food items like fish and many other products.

President Marcos Jr. says charter change or the amendment of the 1987 charter is not a priority.

Obviously, the President wants to show to the people that without amending the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, foreign investors will still come to the Philippines with him as President because in many of his trips abroad, especially during his five-day working visit to Japan, he struck no less than 35 deals between Japanese zaibatsus and Philippine conglomerates.

The Philippines may protest against it, as it had so many times, but will that end the assertiveness of China in the Philippine Sea?

The JICA or Japan International Cooperation Agency had promised the President to fund railways in the Philippines. Even Japan’s JETRO had pledged to help the country in its economic plans.

On the controversy over the West Philippine Sea, a tripartite agreement was even made for the Philippines, Japan and the United States to cooperate with each other.

Yes, my gulay, foreign investors will come without a charter change!

But, would it be better for the Philippines to have a charter change on the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution to give assurance to foreign investors the repressive, archaic and oppressive economic provisions, if amended, would assure foreign investors the country is opening its doors to the world?

In fact, President Marcos Jr. ‘s nine official trips over the past eight months have yielded P3.48 trillion in investments pledges, according to Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.

Santa Banana, data has shown among 84 countries worldwide, the Philippines ranks third among the most restrictive countries when it comes to foreign investors.

This should convince BBM of the need to amend the economic provisions of the charter since, among all the countries in Southeast Asia, we are considered a laggard when it comes to FDIs.

Mister President, all the foreign chambers of commerce and industries are one in urging you to do away with the restrictive, archaic and oppressive provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

*** *** ***

The1987 charter can no longer match the advances of world technology and communications. It was in fact a reactionary charter of then President Cory Aquino who picked her own people to amend the charter according to her wishes.

It’s a Constitution that has become so antiquated and outdated, so much so that there are many provisions that can no longer apply to modern times.

I would like to cite some of the provisions in the Constitution like the multi-party system , which to me is an anomaly.

Take that provision in the charter which provides for party-list organizations, providing for representation in Congress.

Recall that, at that time, the Parliamentary system of then President Marcos Sr. was then no longer under a Republican system to which we are now under.

According to the record of the 1987 charter, the system of government was under discussion on what system of government

Yes, the party-list system is supposed to represent the marginalized people, but it also gave birth to the participation of the Left and the so-called Makabayan Bloc which actually support the communists.

Thus, we have a peculiar system of government with a Republican form of government which provides a multi-party system which can only happen under a Parliamentary system.

Then, there is Section 18 of Article VII which gives the power to the President to declare Martial Law in case of invasion, rebellion or when public safety demands it.

A reading of Section 18 will show it was a reaction to the Martial Law of Marcos Sr., which in effect makes Martial Law a toothless tiger.

Santa Banana, with all the restrictions and conditions provided on the declaration of Martial Law, it would be stupid on the part of a President to declare Martial Law.

The provision in effect ties his hands when he has to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus when needed!

The declaration of Martial Law under Section 18 is so much unlike the 1987 charter when Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law in 1972.

There’s also the need to amend Section 18 when Martial Law is needed in case of invasion and rebellion or when public safety demands it.

As suggested by former Justice Secretary Estelito Mendoza during the discussion with the Senate panel under Robin Padilla, head of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, the phrase “or imminent danger thereof” in cases of invasion or rebellion or when public safety demands it should be inserted.

In the absence of that phrase, Santa Banana, it would be silly to declare Martial Law when there’s already invasion or when rebellion starts or when public safety demands it.

It’s but logical for a President to declare Martial Law before invasion or rebellion, or when public safety demands it by adding the phrase “in imminent danger thereof.”

I can go on and on to cite many more provisions of the 1987 Constitution that demand amendments, my gulay! *** *** ***

The latest act of bullying on the part of China in the Philippine West Sea is but one of the hundreds or more acts of bullying by China in its assertiveness to intimidate the country by using a military-grade laser beam on the Philippine Coast Guard.

The Chinese envoy and the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ spokesman may be twisting facts, but the Chinese Coast Guard aimed that military grade laser beam on our vessel which was headed to Ayungin Shoal on a mission to provide supplies to a navy crew in a grounded Philippine vessel.

The Philippines may protest against it, as it had so many times, but will that end the assertiveness of China in the Philippine Sea?

Of course not, especially now when the Philippines and the US have expanded EDCA or the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement to allow the US to use our four Philippine military campsites for the US military.

The question now is, will it come to a point that China will indeed intimidate the Philippines and our fishermen that can result in a real confrontation?

I can only pray and hope not.

By Prof. Edmund S. Tayao

even the nature of partisanship

our politics, where allegiance to a political family or personality is paramount, whoever will be elected as President will not have the support of many, or the majority to pursue Constitutional reforms, it will always be seen as self-serving.

Meanwhile, the changes we need can only be realized if we change the Constitution, if we change the mechanism that chooses our leaders and have them accountable.

In case we have not given enough reflection, the Constitution is called the fundamental law, because it is most fundamental, that all laws are based on it, that no law can be passed that is not consistent with it.

That is why it is called a Constitution in the first place; it is supposed to “constitute.”

It is also called the “charter” as, essentially, it provides direction for the country, that it provides the aspirations of the people.

The importance of a Constitution is therefore evident, yet we have not really given enough effort to have one that is really indisputably ours or one that is enacted under normal circumstances.

The 1935 Constitution was enacted under the auspices of the United States, then our colonial master. There was good reason the 1971 Constitutional Convention was convened, to finally have a Constitution that is truly ours, but it was to be superseded with the declaration of martial and instead we would have the 1973 Constitution.

And now we have the 1987 Constitution,

Updating the Constitution

IN RECENT weeks, there have been talks in the national legislature about possibly amending some provisions of the 1987 Constitution which, in the eyes of change champions, have become musty.

Such topic has been in practically every administration since the executive-appointed Constitutional Commission of 1986 came up with the 1987 Charter, now seen as old after 36 years.

The first attempt to amend the 1987 Constitution was under President Fidel Ramos, when the proposed changes included a shift to a parliamentary system and the lifting of term limits of public officials. Under President Joseph Estrada, there was a similar attempt to change the 1987 Constitution, which process was termed as CONCORD or Constitutional Correction for Development.

Unlike Constitutional Reform under Ramos and Arroyo the CONCORD proposal, according to its proponents, would amend only the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution considered to impede the entry of more foreign investments in the Philippines.

During the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, multiple attempts were made to change the 1987 Constitution when, by Executive Order 453 in August 2005, she created the Consultative Commission which proposed revisions relating to, among others, a shift to a unicameral parliamentary form of government.

Under President Benigno Aquino III, several proposals were put forth by different

The President himself has said Charter change is not his priority because he believes his administration’s economic agenda can be pursued without amending the Constitution

members of Congress. One called for Constitutional reform to convert to a federal republic; another bill was filed in the House of Representatives pushing for a federal and parliamentary government, in addition to economic liberalization.

During the May 2016 election, Rodrigo Duterte stated a plebiscite on the proposed replacement of

Never be hypocrites!

IN THE the gospel reading of Matthew tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, Jesus warns his disciples: “Beware of practicing your piety before others to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Jesus also emphasized: “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.

“Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Our Lord continues: “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.

“Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

As Christians, we are tasked to practice our faith.

However, there is a very real danger, as with everything we do, that we do these things for the wrong reasons: primary among these is the desire to look good in the eyes of others which leads to public displays of our practice of prayer fasting, and alms giving.

As we’ve seen several times over the past couple of years everything we do has to be for the love and glory of God and for the love and

glory of God alone, anything else receives a rebuke from our Lord as we can see in today’s passage.

The gospel urges us to continue to pray, too fast, to give alms despite having no one to see us.

In this passage at the beginning of the Lenten season, Jesus tells us about the rewards, not just those we will receive on judgment day, but also the gifts that the Holy Spirit will bestow on us.

Indeed, when we pray what is it we ask for?

For God always sees through the innermost recesses of our hearts

Jesus is asking us not to pray about our worldly needs but more importantly, we should ask for heavenly things.

And all this comes together in Jesus as we accompany him these following weeks towards his passion, crucifixion and resurrection.

Those of us who are sick, in my case with Stage 4 prostate cancer, embracing the Cross is what we are called to do.

These days, my prayer is words I borrow from the character of Sarah Miles in Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair and I paraphrase: “Let me go up to the Cross and be crucified with you. If I could suffer like you, I could heal like you.”

Jesus, fully human and fully divine, carries within himself the complexity of our human existence.

God had chosen to dwell through Jesus in human language and bodily expressions.

the unitary state with a federal one would be held in two years.

In the first year of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., talks are humming once more to have the 36-yearold Constitution amended, with some Constitutional law experts suggesting there are clearly irresolute provisions that must be addressed.

Members of the House of Representatives have filed several proposals to amend the sections of the Constitution regarding economic, political, and judiciary reforms.

In the Senate, meanwhile, several of its members rejected proposals to amend the Constitution, with Senate President Miguel Zubiri saying it was “too controversial” as the administration was just starting.

The President himself has said Charter change is not his priority because he believes his administration’s economic agenda can be pursued without amending the Constitution.

The President said: “There are so many other things that we need to do first that we can still, we can achieve if we can achieve what we want but within... the way the Constitution is written,” he said.

President Marcos has acknowledged some economic provisions in the Constitution such as land ownership could be a “hindrance” in attracting more foreign investments.

But he argued pump-priming the economy can be done without revising the Constitution.

In the meanwhile, fears lurk in the horizon— with tensions rising in the geopolitical landscape —whether a Constitutional Convention or a Constituent Assembly or some other be made to amend some provisions of the Constitution or the whole of it.

As fully human and fully divine, Our Lord knows how to be misunderstood and rejected. And Jesus, despite all the difficulties he encountered until the extreme loneliness at the cross, continued to remain faithful to his human condition through prayer, service, and fasting. And by his resurrection, he revealed that, in God, nothing good we have done is ever lost.

The smallest sign of love given, the shortest prayer said, and the smallest sacrifice made have their importance in God’s sight.

This Ash Wednesday and Lent we are once again reminded of the tenet that we live in a world that is tainted by sin.

But there are so many sources of violence and degradation, we see bloodshed across our globe. Yet, I want to believe that we can choose to live to be good.

In this state of rebellion, Jesus came, joined us, and offered that we can become children of God.

By his death and resurrection, Jesus breaks the dominion of sin if we are willing to welcome him into our hearts. The Church has long used ashes as an outward sign of grief, a mark of humility, mourning, penance, and morality.

Ash Wednesday urges Catholics to live the next forty days in deep reflection. With Ash Wednesday, we enter into a climate of repentance and conversion.

During this period of the liturgical year, we are reminded to practice our faith, do acts of charity, and constant prayer with the purest and most sincere heart and intent.

Never be like the hypocrites. For God always sees through the innermost recesses of our hearts.

Website: tonylavina.com. Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Charter Change, timing and mode of change (2)

drafted not by a Convention but a Commission.

That would have been alright, except that it was purely executive driven and even given a timetable to finish.

Most importantly, it cannot be denied it is a Constitution enacted more as a response to martial law the country has just gone through then. The result emasculated the government, both the executive and the legislature.

There is then so much reason to proceed and change the Constitution.

Assuming there is agreement to its being necessary, we now have to settle the question of how, whether to go through the ideal process of a Constitutional Convention or convene Congress as a Constituent Assembly.

There is a good reason why many would tend to consider a Constitutional Convention as it is most ideal.

We will be electing delegates to the convention, a body that will be tasked to draft a new Constitution. The question is, if we will be able to elect members to said body that is somehow different or unrelated from those who are in Congress.

The answer of course is no. The election of delegates will likely be subject to the same conditions and or considerations as we elect any and all of our elected political leaders.

Some will not just accept that as an important consideration.

After all, the convening of a convention will have to be subject to a congressional resolution convening it.

There is then a way to put provisions in the resolution that will determine who can be elected as a delegate.

For example, someone suggested during a public hearing in Congress that a provision in the resolution calling for a convention prevents anyone related up to the 4th degree of consanguinity to anyone in Congress.

On the other hand, if the anti-political dynasty proposed legislations did not make it in Congress before, what is the likelihood a provision consistent to it may be considered in a resolution convening a constitutional convention?

Going by all these, the only viable option it appears is the constituent assembly.

Members of Congress are elected after all, albeit that many are from the same names we have always been seeing in government and/or Congress for a long time.

The equal opportunity that is supposedly ensured in the Constitution simply cannot be relied on as the circumstances of elections as

we have it in place today favor those who have the resources to run for office.

We don’t have real political parties to begin with.

That would have made a significant difference, especially if it is the political party that will be responsible for raising campaign funds necessary for one’s bid to be elected.

If then, say, charter change actually gets going, one option that may be considered is for a constitutional convention to be called.

But the membership would still be those who are already elected in Congress only that they will be joined by some members who will be appointed.

This way, there is room for those who have already been identified as experts, or those renowned people who can contribute to the drafting of a good Constitution.

This is an option that was seriously considered by the 2018 Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution that drafted the Bayanihan Philippine Federal Constitution.

It can be a different combination as long as having a way to have qualified personalities to be members is seriously considered.

(The author is currently a faculty at the San Beda University Graduate School of Law and Executive Director of the pioneer NGO on Local Governance, the Local Government Development Foundation or LOGODEF.

He was also a member of the Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution convened by former President Rodrigo Duterte that drafted the ‘Bayanihan Federal Constitution of the Philippines.’)

If then, say, charter change actually gets going, one option that may be considered is for a constitutional convention to be called

North Korea fires 2 rockets in warning over US-led drills

SEOUL—North Korea fired two rockets on Monday, in a drill for a launcher Pyongyang said was capable of a “tactical nuclear attack” that could take out entire enemy air bases.

It was North Korea’s second weapons launch in 48 hours, after it fired one of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on Saturday to protest plans for increased USSouth Korea military exercises.

Japan said the ICBM landed in its exclusive economic zone, and the United States and South Korea staged snap joint air drills on Sunday in response.

Pyongyang said the Korean People’s Army (KPA) conducted Monday’s drill in retaliation for those US-South Korean exercises, blaming the allies for the deteriorating security situation, according to a report by state media outlet KCNA.

“Through today’s firing drill with the

involvement of super-large multiple rocket launchers, the tactical nuclear attack means, the KPA demonstrated its full readiness to deter and will to counter” the joint air drills, KCNA said.

The rocket launchers were powerful enough to “reduce to ashes the enemy’s operational airfield”, it added.

The South Korean military said it detected the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday at 07000711 (2200-2211 GMT Sunday). One travelled 390 kilometres (240 miles) and the other 340 kilometres, before they landed in the East Sea—the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. It described the launches as “a serious provocation that undermines peace and stability on the Korean peninsula” and called on North Korea to stop “immediately.” AFP

IN UKRAINE WAR

US says China mulling arming Russia

WASHINGTON—The United States on Sunday accused China of considering arming Russia in its war against Ukraine, ratcheting up tensions as the conflict hits its one-year mark this week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken leveled the allegations as US-Chinese relations have been further tested by Washington’s shooting down this month of what it said was a large Chinese spy balloon.

The European Union also sounded the alarm over munitions in the Ukraine conflict—saying that severe ammunition shortages facing Ukrainian forces

MONTREAL—China has rejected allegations it interfered in Canada’s federal elections, describing Canadian media reports that cited intelligence documents as “false” and attempts at “smearing” Beijing.

A statement Friday afternoon from the Chinese consulate general in the western city of Vancouver accused Canadian media of “smearing and discrediting China” and it expressed its “strong dissatisfaction.”

The statement followed a report in The Globe and Mail newspaper, citing confidential intelligence documents, that said Beijing had interfered in the 2021 federal elections.

China’s government used diplomats and proxies to lead disinformation campaigns aimed at boosting certain candidates of the Liberal party—the party considered more favorable to Beijing —against their Conservative rivals, the paper reported.

The Chinese consulate general state-

Israeli strike kills 15 in Syria capital per war monitor

BEIRUT—An Israeli air strike killed early Sunday 15 people including two Syrian civilians and badly damaged a building in a Damascus district housing state security agencies, a war monitor said.

The strike targeted a meeting that included Syrian regime officers and was “the deadliest Israeli attack in the Syrian capital” since the civil war began, said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The overnight strike cratered a road and wrecked the adjacent 10-storey building in the Kafr Sousa district, which is home to senior state officials and Syrian intelligence headquarters, said the Britain-based Observatory.

A woman was also killed in the Mazraa district, possibly hit when Syrian anti-aircraft munitions crashed down, it added.

It was not immediately clear who was the intended target of the strike, which AFP correspondents reported shook Damascus and left a gaping hole in the street.

Other missiles overnight hit a warehouse used by pro-regime Iranian and Hezbollah fighters near Damascus, said the Observatory, which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria.

Iranian news agency Tasnim said “no Iranian was harmed”, adding that the strikes hit “exactly the spot” where Hezbollah’s top commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a 2008 car bombing that the Lebanese Shiite group blamed on Israel. AFP

had to be overcome within weeks.

Blinken told CBS that China was now “considering providing lethal support” to Moscow ranging “from ammunition to the weapons themselves.”

“We’ve made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship,” he added.

He made similar comments in a series

ment said authorities had “made it clear on many occasions that China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and has never interfered in any Canadian election.”

It said the accusations “will damage the friendship and interests of the peoples of both countries.”

The statement further urged “the relevant media to abide by professional ethics, immediately stop smearing and attacking China and the Consulate General and do more good deeds” to improve mutual understanding.

Questioned about the matter Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted that the last elections, won by his government, were legitimate.

He added that he had been aware for “a long time” of Chinese attempts to interfere, but that Canadians could have “total confidence” in the integrity of their elections. AFP

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—The African Union insisted on Sunday it had “zero tolerance” for undemocratic changes of power and vowed to push through a continent-wide free trade deal as it wrapped up a two-day summit.

Leaders of the 55-nation bloc met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to discuss a slew of challenges facing the continent, including coups, conflict and climate change.

On the final day of the summit on Sunday, the AU said it was maintaining its suspension of four countries -Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Sudan -- which have been ruled by military leaders following coups.

of interviews from Germany, where on Saturday he attended the Munich Security Conference and met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

Also at the Munich conference, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell issued a stark warning about Ukraine’s dwindling supplies of bullets and similar munitions as it fights back against Russia’s invasion.

“(Let’s) accelerate our military support to Ukraine because Ukraine is in a critical situation from the point of view with ammunition available,” Borrell said.

“This shortage of ammunition has to resolve quickly, it’s a matter of weeks.”

There have been concerns China is

deepening ties with Russia despite the conflict—but Wang insisted that Beijing was playing a constructive role and would support dialogue and potential peace talks.

Appearing Sunday on ABC, Blinken emphasized that US President Joe Biden had warned his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as long ago as last March against sending weapons to Russia.

Since that time, “China has been careful not to cross that line, including by holding off on selling lethal weapons systems for use on the battlefield,” according to an administration source familiar with the issue. AFP

Brazil flooding, landslides kill at least 36

SAO PAULO—Flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rain in Brazil claimed at least 36 lives on Carnival weekend in southeast Sao Paulo state, authorities said Sunday.

TV and social media footage from the town of Sao Sebastiao showed entire neighborhoods under water, debris from hillside houses swept away by oozing earth, flooded highways and cars destroyed by fallen trees, among other damage.

At least 35 people died in Sao Sebastiao, the state government said. A girl was also killed in the town of Ubatuba, news reports said.

“Unfortunately, we are going to have many more deaths,” the state civil defense chief, Henguel Pereira, told the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

Another 228 people were left homeless and 338 were evacuated in the coastal region north of the city of Sao Paulo, the state government said earlier, as rescue crews raced to help those hit by the storm.

The authorities did not give a figure for how many people were missing or injured.

Sao Paulo state governor Tarcisio de Freitas declared a state of emergency in five towns along the coast after flying over areas devastated by the weather. He freed up the equivalent of $1.5 million for rescue operations. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Twitter that he will visit the area on Monday. He has been on holiday since Friday in the northeast state of Bahia.

“The assembly reaffirmed zero tolerance against unconstitutional change (of government),” said its Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye.

“The Commission is ready to support these member states to return to constitutional order, the idea is that democracy must take root and must be promoted and protected,” he told a news conference.

“It is necessary to re-emphasise that the AU remains intolerant to any undemocratic means to political power.”

At the end of the summit, the bloc’s new chairman, Comoros President Azali Assoumani, said the leaders had

agreed to accelerate the implementation of a faltering trade deal launched in 2020.

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is billed as the biggest in the world in terms of population, gathering 54 out of 55 countries on a continent with 1.4 billion people, with Eritrea the only holdout.

“I shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that this becomes a reality,” Assoumani said.

African nations currently trade only about 15 percent of their goods and services with each other. The AfCFTA aims to boost that by 60 percent by 2034 by eliminating almost all tariffs. AFP

United Nations member states on Monday open two weeks of negotiations aimed at finally reaching a treaty meant to protect and preserve vast areas of the world’s oceans.

After more than 15 years of formal and informal talks, this will be the third time in less than a year that negotiators converge on New York in what, yet again, is supposed to be a final and conclusive round.

But on the eve of the talks, set to run through March 3, cautious optimism appears to be taking hold, encouraged by a historic agreement reached in Montreal in

Sao Sebastiao, 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Sao Paulo and where many people from the city spend the pre-Lenten holiday weekend on the beach, was hard hit, as a record 60 centimeters (nearly two feet) of rain fell in 24 hours, city officials said.

That is more than twice the amount that normally falls in a month. Carnival events in Sao Sebastiao and elsewhere were cancelled.

“We have not yet gauged the scale of the damage. We are trying to rescue the victims,” said Sao Sebastiao Mayor Felipe Augusto, calling the situation in the town “extremely critical.” AFP

December during the UN’s COP15 conference on biodiversity.

Countries then committed themselves to protecting 30 percent of the world’s lands and seas by 2030 -- a nearly impossible challenge if it fails to include the high seas, of which only about one percent is now protected.

“We’re optimistic the COP15 biodiversity agreement will provide the shot in the arm needed for governments to get this important agreement over the line,” Pepe Clarke, Oceans Practice Leader for WWF International, said in a press release. AFP

China rejects claims it ‘interfered’ in Canadian polls, hits ‘false’ news

AU promises ‘zero tolerance’ to undemocratic change

UN members try anew to finish treaty protecting the high seas in two weeks

PEACE TO THE FALLEN. This photograph taken in Kramatorsk on February 19 shows Ukrainian flags wave over the graves of fallen Ukrainian servicemen at a cemetery, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP

FLATTENED BUILDINGS. This aerial photograph taken on February 19 shows the extent of the destruction caused by the earthquake in Turkey’s city of Antakya. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and has killed more than 44,000 people as of Monday. AFP

FLOATER. A car is submerged under water in Lochvaal, South Africa on February 19 after heavy rainfall wreaked havoc with the Vaal dam exceeding maximum capacity resulting in the Vaal River being flooded. AFP

Industrial hubs in the US, China most at risk for climate damage

Market slides, peso rises on interest hike concerns

TOP GAINERS

PARIS, France—Major

industrial and economic centers in China and the United States are among the most vulnerable regions in the world to the increasingly destructive power of climate change-driven weather extremes, according to a comprehensive analysis Monday.

The new findings underscore the urgent need for governments to focus on decarbonization and adaptation measures such as flood-proofing -- and show the economic fallout from climate change could be grave and widespread.

Nine of the top 10 most at-risk regions are in China, with two of the country’s largest sub-national economies -- Jiangsu and Shandong -- leading the global ranking by The Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI).

After China, the US has the most high-risk states. Florida, number 10 in global rankings, is the US state most in jeopardy, followed by California and Texas.

China, India, and the United States make up over half the states and provinces in the top 100.

“We get an extremely strong signal from countries like China, from the US and India, and we see essentially the engine rooms of the global economy where there is a lot of built infrastructure,” Karl Mallon, head of science and innovation at XDI, said at a briefing.

The analysis found that both inland and coastal flooding pose the greatest risks to physical infrastructure. The report also examined the dangers of extreme heat, forest fires, soil movement, extreme wind, and freeze-thaw.

The analysis covers over 2,600 territories globally, modeling damage from 1990 to 2050 based on a “pessimistic” scenario of global warming of three degrees Celsius by the end of the century outlined by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. AFP

STOCKS fell for a third day, while the peso advanced as investors expressed concern over the aggressive interest rate hike by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas which could temper consumer spending and economic growth.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Exchange, shed 34 points, or 0.51 percent, to close at 6,744.12 Monday, as all six subsectors ended in the red.

The broader all-share index lost 13 points, or 0.38 percent, to settle at 3,607.75, on a value turnover of P3.3 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 115 to 72, while 47 issues were un-

changed. Only one of the 20 most active stocks—Metro Pacific Investments Corp.—ended in the green, rising 0.72 percent to P4.21.

Meanwhile, the peso closed stronger Monday at 54.95 against the dollar, compared to 55.25 Friday, after the BSP implemented a bigger rate hike than the US Federal Reserve.

Asian markets mostly rose Monday but traders remained on edge as they considered the prospect of more US interest rate hikes aimed at bringing down stubbornly high inflation.

Equities have struggled to build on January’s rally, with recent data showing that the Federal Reserve still had plenty of work to do to get prices under control.

Investors are now awaiting the release of minutes from the central bank’s most recent policy meeting, hoping to gauge

officials’ views on their next steps.

Sentiment was given a jolt last week by comments from some members who said they were open to a 50 basis-point hike at the next gathering.

Several others have already warned that borrowing costs would likely have to go higher and stay there for longer to tame inflation, which has eased but remains elevated.

That has renewed concerns that the world’s top economy could tip into recession, with commentators warning earnings will also take a hit.

Asian markets fluctuated following a mixed day on Wall Street on Friday.

Shanghai led gains, jumping more than two percent as banking giant Goldman Sachs said it saw mainland Chinese stocks surging this year as the country reopens after zero-Covid and economic activity kicks on. With AFP

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

Moroccans defy ban against marches to protest surging cost of living

RABAT, Morocco—Moroccan trade union activists protested Sunday in the capital Rabat and other cities to denounce surging costs of food and fuel, defying a government ban against marches.

Protesters from the Democratic Labour Confederation (CDT) staged rallies outside their offices in Rabat and Casablanca as well as other cities “following the decision of the authorities to ban marches”, senior CDT member Rajae

Kassab said.

Morocco banned marches due to a “health state of emergency” put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic and still in force, according to a letter from the interior ministry to CDT, which was seen by AFP.

In Rabat, several dozen demonstrators surrounded by police officers chanted slogans against “the deterioration of purchasing power”.

“We came... to alert officials to the

tense social situation,” CDT official Rachid Lemhares told AFP.

Morocco has seen months of rising prices and growing calls for caps on energy firms’ profits. Soaring costs of food in recent days have provoked stiff criticism from trade unions, the opposition and the media.

Inflation peaked at 8.3 percent at the end of 2022, fueled by the effects of the war in Ukraine and shifts in global supply chains, according to the World Bank.

Rabat has blamed recent price increases on speculation on basic goods, and government spokesman Mustapha Baitas on Thursday announced the seizure of 192 tons of such products.

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch has promised to “strengthen market control” and lower prices in the coming days and subsidies have been issued for basic necessities such as petrol, gas and flour. AFP

Facebook owner Meta to roll out paid subscription, follows Twitter’s move

By Julie Jammot

SAN FRANCISCO—Facebook, the social network that was supposed to stay free “always,” and its stablemate Instagram launched on Sunday a paid subscription service, as the advertising-based business model that has long dominated the internet falters.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook-parent Meta, announced on Sunday the launch of Meta Verified, a service starting at $11.99 a month to authenticate one’s account, which follows a similar move by Elon Musk on Twitter.

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services,” Zuckerberg wrote in a statement posted to Facebook and Instagram.

Meta Verified will be rolled out in Australia and New Zealand this week before coming to markets in the United States and other countries.

Subscribers will get a badge indicating their account has been verified with a government ID, extra protection against impersonation, direct access to customer support, and more visibility, according to the company.

The social media giant said the service would be primarily aimed at content creators looking to expand their presence on the platforms and could see adjustments after a test phase.

There would be no changes to accounts on Facebook and Instagram that are already verified, the company said, adding that only users who are over the age of 18 will be allowed to subscribe. The service is not yet available to businesses.

its

It was not immediately clear how Zuckerberg planned to price Meta Verified in countries where users cannot afford to pay $12 a month, or in cashbased economies where they may have fewer ways to get the money to Meta.

Musk’s initial attempts to launch a similar service at rival social media network Twitter last year backfired, with an embarrassing spate of fake accounts that scared advertisers and cast doubt on the site’s future.

He was forced to briefly suspend the effort before relaunching it to muted reception in December.

‘Free?’

Facebook helped establish the dominant model of large platforms on the internet today, which sees users benefit from “free” services that collect their data to sell personalized ad space.

It is a model that has earned the com-

regulatory changes introduced by iPhone maker Apple, which restrict the ability of social networks to collect data and sell advertising.

Similar factors have already pushed other networks, from Reddit to Snapchat as well as Twitter, to launch paid plans.

Meta is also under pressure for making a huge gamble on the metaverse, the world of virtual reality that Zuckerberg believes will be the next frontier online.

‘Not a small fee’

Investors last year punished Meta, sending the company’s share price down by an astonishing twothirds over 12 months, but the stock has recovered some ground in 2023.

Meta announced in November it would lay off 11,000 employees, or 13 percent of its staff -- the largest worker reduction in the company’s history.

pany, along with other advertising titans such as Google, tens of billions of dollars a year.

For years the Facebook homepage proudly declared that the site was “free and always will be.”

But in 2019 the company quietly ditched the slogan. At the time experts suggested it was because the value of users’ personal data meant the site was never truly free.

In 2022, Meta saw its ad revenue decline for the first time since the California-based group went public in 2012.

The company recently announced that the number of Facebook’s daily users hit two billion -- but between inflation eating into advertisers’ budgets and fierce competition from apps such as TikTok, those users are not bringing in as much revenue as they used to.

The company has also suffered from

Meta Verified will be cheaper on the web than on mobile applications because of commissions taken by Apple on the iPhone or Google on smartphones operated by its Android system.

Zuckerberg said it would cost $11.99 on the web, and $14.99 per month on iOS or Android.

The company said it doesn’t expect to make significant revenue from the service during the test phase but that it is part of diversification efforts.

“Personally, I think it’s more about diversifying revenue,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.

After Twitter launched its subscription, other social media groups thought “well, we might as well try,” she told AFP. AFP

HANOI—One of Vietnam’s largest shoe manufacturers for major brands such as Nike and Adidas will cut thousands of workers at the end of the month due to a slump in orders, according to local authorities.

PouYuen Vietnam, a unit of Taiwan-based Pou Chen Group, will lay off 3,000 factory workers and will not renew the contracts of 3,000 others because of “very few production orders in 2023”, according to a Ho Chi Minh City labor department document obtained by AFP on Monday.

Vietnam, one of the world’s largest exporters of clothing, footwear, and furniture, has been badly affected by the cost-of-living crisis in major markets in Europe and the United States, with the buying power of worldwide consumers plunging.

PouYuen is the commercial capital Ho Chi Minh City’s largest employer, with around 50,000 employees.

“The company has told the workers’ union that in February it plans to cut 3,000 workers... and it will expect to make an announcement to those workers on 25 February,” the document said.

Factory workers will continue to be paid until they receive unemployment benefits, according to the document.

The layoffs come after PouYuen put 20,000 of its workers on paid leave in rotation at the end of last year.

More than 630,000 workers lost their jobs or had their hours cut in Vietnam in 2022, according to the labor ministry.

In the final quarter of 2022, orders were down 30 to 40 percent from the United States and 60 percent from Europe, compared to the previous year, according to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

Nike, Adidas shoemaker to cut 6,000 jobs on order slump

RV SHOW. Visitors view recreational vehicles, mobile homes and motor homes during the West Palm Beach RV Show at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, Florida on Feb. 19, 2023. AFP

This file illustration photo taken on Jan. 12, 2023, in Toulouse, southwestern France, shows a smartphone and a computer screen displaying the logos of the social network Facebook and

parent company Meta. AFP

Malampaya gas delivery resumes after successful maintenance work

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE delivery of Malampaya natural gas to major power plants in Batangas province resumed past midnight on Feb. 19, two weeks after the successful maintenance work on the platform now operated by Prime Energy Resources Development B.V., a subsidiary of Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. led by businessman Enrique Razon Jr.

Prime Energy and the other members of Service Contract 38 Consortium― UC38 LLC and PNOC-Exploration Corp.―successfully completed the maintenance work on the Malampaya system from Feb. 4 to 18.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla welcomed on Monday the completion

of the maintenance work, which was regularly carried out for the last 20 years, but for the first time, under an all-Filipino consortium in 2023.

The Department of Energy said the maintenance work was completed with a perfect safety record―with zero accident―achieved through diligent plan

ning and execution by Prime Energy, in coordination with the DOE.

Prior to the work, the DOE and Prime Energy conducted a series of dialogs with the stakeholder communities, local government units and other government agencies, particularly in the vicinity of the onshore gas plant in Batangas province. This was to raise awareness about the work, especially flaring.

The SC 38 Consortium tapped an international technical team to work with Filipinos involved in the maintenance mission. Lotilla said he looked forward to the further upgrade of technical capabilities locally and the energy supply base facilities of the Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project, which had remitted $13 billion to the national government since its inception.

Prime Infra president and chief exec-

utive Guillaume Lucci said the consortium remained committed to ensuring gas supply from the depleting Malampaya gas reserves.

“We’re here to stay, we’re here to invest, we’re here to increase dramatically the gas production with the extended term of the service contract and resource available and, more importantly, we are trying to make sure we produce the least cost to consumers,” he said in a recent energy forum.

The Malampaya project is one of the country’s most important power assets, as it produces natural gas for power plants in Batangas City that account for around 20 percent of the Philippines’ total electricity requirements.

It began operations in 2001, with the consortium’s license for the project set to expire in 2024.

BOP posted $3.1-b surplus in January

THE country’s balance of payments posted a surplus of $3.1 billion in January, a reversal from the $102-million deficit a year earlier, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

“The BOP surplus in January 2023 reflected inflows arising mainly from the national government’s net foreign currency deposits with the BSP, which include proceeds from its issuance of ROP Global Bonds, and net income from the BSP’s investments abroad,” the BSP said in a statement.

Data also showed that the gross international reserves also increased to $100.7 billion as of end-January from $96.1 billion in December.

The latest GIR level represented a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.6 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. It was also about 6.2 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.1 times based on residual maturity. Julito G. Rada

Metrobank announces free

home loan

appraisal

METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co. announced that it is making the P5,500 appraisal fee free for home loan borrowers who will submit their complete application until March 31, 2023.

“We keep on seeking meaningful ways to help our clients achieve their goals. By waiving our appraisal fee, they have one less thing to worry about as they build their dream house,” said Metrobank senior vice president and consumer business sector head Ramon Jaime Del Rosario.

Metrobank is the country’s second largest private universal bank with an extensive consolidated network that spans over 2,300 ATMs nationwide. It has over 940 domestic branches and above 30 foreign branches, subsidiaries and representative offices.

GSIS taps LBP portal for insurance payments

STATE-RUN Government Service Insurance System said it is now accepting optional non-life insurance premium payments and the corresponding taxes and fees from clients online through partner Land Bank of the Philippines.

This is in line with the continuing effort of the state pension fund to provide an enhanced customer experience using digital platforms.

SM Prime’s 2022 profit surged 38% to P30.1b on mall, office recovery

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. said Monday it booked a net income of P30.1 billion in 2022, up 38 percent from P21.8 billion in 2021, driven by the strong recovery of its mall and rental income businesses.

SMPH said in a stock exchange filing consolidated sales climbed 29 percent to P105.8 billion from P82.3 billion. Consolidated operating income also rose 52 percent to P49.2 billion from P32.4 billion.

“We are pleased to report that we end-

ed 2022 on a positive note despite the challenges faced for the most of the year, owing to the robust consumer spending particularly in the last quarter,” SMPH president Jeffrey Lim said.

“We will continue to monitor this trend and watch out for impact of movements in the inflation and interest rates, including impact on our supply chain. Meanwhile, we are poised to build on the growth momentum and proceed to expand our footprint in key areas in the country,” Lim said.

Domestic mall business saw its revenues more than double to P49.8 billion

from P24.1 billion in the previous year.

Rental income advanced by 92 percent year-on-year to P44.1 billion following the resumption of full rental fees in the second half of 2022.

Cinema, event ticket sales and other revenues also jumped 420 percent to P5.7 billion from P1.1 billion in 2021 amid the continued easing of mobility restrictions.

The property firm opened four malls in 2022, including SM City Roxas in Capiz, SM City Tanza in Cavite, SM City Sorsogon in Bicol and SM City Tuguegarao in Cagayan.

It ended the year with 82 malls in the Philippines and seven malls in China.

SMPH residential business group led by SM Development Corp.posted P40.1 billion in revenues in 2022, down 12.6 percent from P45.9 billion in 2021. Reservation sales inched up by 3 percent to P102.0 billion, representing 21,000 units sold, up 18,000 from a year earlier.

SMDC launched three residential developments in 2022, including Vail Residences in Cagayan de Oro, Now Residences in Pampanga and Zeal Residences in General Trias, Cavite.

MARINA slaps fines on Chinese vessels operating in Manila Bay

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Maritime Industry Authority said Monday said it penalized Chinese vessels that were allegedly engaged in “suspicious” activities in Manila Bay.

MARINA NCR regional director

Marc Anthony Pascua told reporters in a text message that the agency issued show cause orders, and “they [Chinese vessels] were accordingly penalized.”

Pascua said the vessels had settled the penalties.

“The MARINA would also like to reiterate that our decisions are without prejudice from them to re-file or operate again, provided that they will settle their penalties, and that they have valid permits to operate,” he said.

The National Coast Watch Center, an inter-agency maritime surveillance and coordinated response facility, earlier asked MARINA to investigate several foreign vessels that were allegedly engaged on “suspicious activities” and were observed to be operating outside their approved areas of operation as against the special permit issued by the

maritime authority.

The NCWC, led by the Philippine Coast Guard, earlier reported that the Chinese vessels were operating without a dredging clearance from the Department of Public Works and Highways and no environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

NCWC also said the Chinese dredgers had no memorandum of agreement with the DENR and no accreditation from the MGB.

“The NCWC also asserted that the Chinese dredgers allegedly failed to secure a ‘No Objection Clearance’ from the Office of the National Security Adviser,” MARINA said.

Another issue flagged by the NCWC was that the Chinese dredgers had been operating with false Automatic Identification System which allows the authorities to properly monitor and record their exact movements inside Philippine territorial waters, and that they turned off their AIS during operation and while berthed.

MPIC unit, Israeli partner investing P1b in vegetable greenhouse facility

METRO Pacific Agro Ventures Inc. and Israel-based LR Group are investing nearly P1 billion to develop the country’s largest vegetable greenhouse facility.

MPAV president and chief executive

Juan Victor Hernandez said Monday during the project’s groundbreaking ceremony that the 22-hectare facility in San Rafael, Bulacan would have a production capacity 1.6 million metric tons of vegetables annually. This marks the second joint venture

between MPAV, the agribusiness unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and LR Group, after their dairy project in Laguna province.

Hernandez said the project, part of the group’s vision to boost food accessibility in the country, would modernize Philippine vegetable cultivation and boost sustainable farming.

The facility will have a full value chain, including seedlings production, vegetable cultivation, sorting, packag-

ing and marketing. It will initially produce high-quality vegetables, including lettuce, kale, eggplant and tomatoes.

It will employ modern farming techniques such as nutrient film technique hydroponics and drip irrigation system which require less water, less land and fewer fertilizers and pesticides.

Hernandez said production would start early next year to cater to Metro Manila and nearby provinces through various suppliers and retailers.

“Growing our own produce is a step in developing our country’s capability in terms of food sustainability. Partnering with IAI and the LR Group moves us towards a future where ideally, food security is the norm, not just an aspiration,” Hernandez said.

MPAV, citing data from the United Nations, said 59 million Filipinos were suffering from food insecurity, the highest in Southeast Asia. Jenniffer B. Austria

ONLI is a benefit granted exclusively to GSIS active members, retirees, pensioners and their qualified dependents so that they can avail of insurance protection for themselves and for their properties against accidents or unforeseen events. It includes coverage for motor vehicle insurance, fire insurance and personal accident insurance.

“We are expanding our digital payment platforms so that even clients who availed of our ONLI policies are given access to additional secure, accessible user-friendly channels,” said GSIS president and generalmanager Wick Veloso. Clients who wish to avail of the online payment facility may access the LANDBANK Link.Biz Portal.

Fitch Solutions sees PH growth slowing to 5.9% in 2023

By Julito G. Rada

THE Philippine economy will likely underperform in 2023 from a 46-year high growth of 7.6 percent in 2022 because of the combined effects of elevated inflation, sluggish global demand and higher interest rates, a subsidiary of the Fitch Group said Monday.

Fitch Solutions said in a report that while the economy expanded by a strong 7.2 percent in the fourth quarter, this pace might not be sustainable.

“While the latest data showed real GDP expanding by a strong 7.2 percent y-o-y in Q422, a slowdown over the coming quarters looks likely,” it said.

“As a result of the lagged impact of persistent inflation, weaker external demand and higher interest rates, we think that real GDP growth will slow from 7.6 percent in 2022 to 5.9 percent in 2023,” it said.

Fitch Solutions said the pace of growth in the Philippines would still be strong compared to the standards of most economies.

“However, it would still mark an underperformance for the Philippines, especially given that economic growth averaged at 6.6 percent from 2015 to 2019,” it said.

GDP growth in 2022 slightly surpassed the target range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent for the full year. The interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee expects a slower growth of 6 percent to 7 percent in 2023 amid the risks from both the domestic and external fronts.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said earlier that despite the 2022 economic performance that surpassed expectations, it was likely that the 6 percent to 7 percent target range for this year would be maintained.

REFORESTATION PROGRAM. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga

(left) and Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. and WawaJVCo chairman Enrique Razon Jr. sign a memorandum of understanding for the reforestation of a 1,800-hectare area within the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape. The milestone partnership is in line with the vision and mission of DENR and the Environmental, Social and Governance framework of Prime Infra that integrates sustainability thinking in resource management and decarbonization strategies.

CONVERGE IN BORACAY. Converge ICT Solutions Inc. announces it is ready to serve the residents and businesses of the island of Boracay by the end of the first quarter of 2023. Shown are (from left) Converge regional general manager for Visayas and Mindanao Mike Maquiran, senior executive vice president and chief operations officer Jesus Romero and regional head for SME Blue Aldridge during the launch of the fiber broadband service in the world-class tourist destination.

Injured Pogoy, Aguilar to miss Gilas games in 6th FIBA window

COACH Chot Reyes has been holding practice sessions with the rest of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s team without TNT’s Roger Pogoy and Barangay Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar. Pogoy was not around during regular Monday night scrimmages at the Meralco gym and after suffering a bone bruise on his left ankle last Friday during TNT’s encounter versus Meralco in the PBA Governor’s Cup last Friday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

They will also play without Aguilar due to an MCL sprain.

Reyes has brought in deputy coach Tim Cone to be at the practices, which will wrap up on Wednesday.

Hatch claims 4th gold, shatters own PH record in 50-m freestyle

By Peter Atencio

CAPAS, Tarlac -- For Jarod Hatch, going under 24 seconds in the men’s 50-meter freestyle had been his goal on Sunday in the National Swim Tryouts for the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the New Clark City Aquatics Center.

The 25-year-old Hatch said this after he broke the broke a 38-month Philippine record for the second time in the afternoon finals, this time with a 23.59 second finish.

“I did what I set out to do. I always wanted to break the record, lower any record that’s in front of me,” said Hatch after he earned his fourth gold medal to became among the most bemedaled swimmers with Xiandi Chua in the four-day meet.

The Mission Viejo, California-based Hatch already surpassed the qualifyingA time of 23.61 seconds with his clocking of 24.27 seconds in the morning preliminaries.

Hatch erased Luke Gebbie’s 24.34-second performance in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in his bid to smash the 24.30-second QT-A for the selection for the national squad to the Cambodia SEA Games.

Aside from Hatch, Chua is among the most productive, meeting the QT-A time in the women’s 200-meter backstroke and the qualifying B-times in two others events of four events she joined.

In the last four days, Hatch swept the golds in the 100-meter freestyle, the 100-meter butterfly and the 50-meter butterfly, and hit all the QTB standards along the way.

The 21-year-old Chua finished the weekend finals with three golds and a silver and is expected to be back in the SEA Games, where she will gun for her best performance since earning a silver medal in the 4x100meter freestyle relay back in 2019.

Chua took the golds and hit the QTBs in the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle. She settled for the silver in the 400-meter individual medley.

Meanwhile, two-time Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi grabbed three gold medals, hit all the QT-B times, and is expected to be back in the national roster following her silver- and bronze-medal finishes in the recent SEA Games in Vietnam.

Her coach Archie Lim believes that the good showing will help Alkhaldi get back into the national roster.

The Philippine Olympic Committee Stabilization Body is now reviewing the results of the four-day tryouts.

The body is tasked to oversee the swim tryouts in the country, with Bases Conversion and Development

Authority Senior Vice President for Corporate Services Group Arrey Perez personally surpervising the pool operations, together with Japanese technicial officials Kazumi Eguchi.

POC deputy secretary general Valeriano “Bones” Floro, also a member of the Stabilization Committee is also helping around with POC legal head Atty. Wharton Chan, and briefed Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann on the outcome of the tryouts following his morning visit on Sunday.

Organizers said 12 more swimmers have met the qualifying time-B, which will put them in evaluation after hitting lower qualification times for the national pool.

The tryouts got a boost from Batangas congressman and multiple medallist, Eric Buhain, who watched on the final day.

Buhain said his organization, the Congress of Philippine Aquatics, Inc. “is supporting the POC Stabilization body’s quest for a genuine sports development in swimming.”

Muros-Posadas to receive Lifetime Achievement Award

A TRACK icon considered the undisputed long jump queen of Philippine athletics is going to be the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement honor in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night two weeks from now at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Hotel.

Elma Muros-Posadas will be recognized with the distinctive award by the country’s oldest media organization in gratitude for the many honors she brought to the nation and helped sustain Philippine track and field’s status as one of the powers in the Asian region.

The 55-year-old track queen gets to join an elite list of personalities in the likes of Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes, Carlos Loyzaga, Filomeno ‘Boy’ Codinera, Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan, Ramon Fernandez, and Robert Jaworski who were among the past recipients of the award.

Presented by the Philippine Sports

Commission and Cignal TV, the March 6 gala night is also backed by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Mayor Abrham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, MILO, Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, Rain or Shine, 1Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, Philippine Basketball Association, OKBet, and ICTSI.

Married to national coach George ‘Jojo’ Posadas and mother to two children, Elma was a product of Project Gintong Alay and made her indelible mark in long jump, where she would reign for the longest time as the best in the country and the Southeast Asian region.

She won a total of 15 gold medals in the SEA Games that also included stints in sprints, hurdles, and later on in heptathlon.

But the native of Magdiwang, Romblon was a force to reckon in the long jump, an event she dominated in the SEA Games for a decade by winning the gold six straight times from 1989 to

1999. She won her first gold in the biennial meet in 1983 in Singapore. Muros-Posadas also competed and won

medals in the Asian Games and the Asian Athletics Championships, respectively, including a bronze in long jump during the 1994 Hiroshima Asiad.

She was also twice an Olympian, representing the country in the 1984 (Los Angeles) and 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games, respectively.

Four times she competed in the World Athletics Championships and five times in the IAAF World Indoor Championships. A two-time PSA Athlete of the Year recipient (1993 and 1995), MurosPosadas retired from competing in 2001 shortly after winning the heptathlon gold in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

Muros-Posadas’ life story was the inspiration behind the 2011 awardwinning movie ‘Thelma’ starring Maja Salvador, where the athletics great also appeared in the role of a track and field coach.

Pagdanganan braces for power duel vs Taiwanese, Thais

BIANCA Pagdanganan provides the star power to a top-notch field in the Anvaya Cove Ladies International beginning Wednesday in Morong, Bataan, delighted with her return to the local golf scene after a long absence and thrilled to bits about competing in her first pro tournament in the country.

“I’m excited and looking forward to playing my first professional event in the Philippines,” said Pagdanganan, who led the country’s sweep in the individual and team gold medals in the 2019 SEA Games at Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac before launching her pro career in the LPGA Tour in 2020.

With her immense power and talent, th e Tokyo Olympian made an immediate impact in the world’s premier circuit, posting a joint ninth

finish in a Major— the Women’s PGA Championship—while emerging one the Tour’s longest hitters. She made the cut nine times in 10 events, kept her card in 2021 and finished tied for 10th in the LPGA Q-Series for Tour membership in 2022.

The University of Arizona product, however, struggled in the past season and fell short of her bid in the Q-Series, relegating her to the Epson Tour, which starts next month in Florida.

And for the 25-year-old ace, the road back to the LPGA Tour begins at home as she spearheads the local challenge against a host of aces from Taiwan, the $100,000 championship sponsored by ICTSI, being co-sanctioned by Taiwan LPGA Tour, led by No. 1 Ya-Chun Chang.

“I’m eager to be playing competitive

again and to be able to play in front of a home crowd,” she added.

For one, Pagdanganan is bracing for a showdown with Chang, who joined the Arizona Wildcats for the 2018-19 season when the former played out her senior year.

“Chang was my teammate in college and I am good friends with her,” said Pagdanganan. “It’s always a pleasure playing with top players from each country as it brings out the best in us.”

With Thailand’s No. 2 PK Kongkraphan standing at the forefront of the country’s perennial rivals’ charge, Pagdanganan and the rest of the locals, including Chanelle Avaricio, Harmie Constantino and Chihiro Ikeda, indeed face a daunting test in the 54-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and which kicks off the new LPGT season.

Gilas will battle it out with Lebanon on Friday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, before they get ready for Jordan on Monday.

The Filipinos are sitting in third place in Group E behind Lebanon (7-1) and New Zealand (6-2) in the standings.

Gilas has a 5-3 slate and are coming from back-to-back wins on the road opposite Jordan (74-66) and Saudi Arabia (76-63).

Japan-based Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks, and Jordan Heading have joined the Gilas sessions for the first time for the sixth window.

They will have three-time PBA Best import Justin Brownlee, who debuts for the team as a naturalized player.

Peter Atencio

All eyes on 4 senior rookies at PAL golf

CEBU—The Philippine Airlines Interclub starts its reboot on Wednesday with the Seniors’ action, a division usually reserved for players who are calculating and reserved.

This year could be the exception as the 72-hole championship for those 55 years old and above will see four new faces who are used to the aggressive play, which could ultimately spell the difference for their respective teams.

Marty Ilagan, who once entertained thoughts of turning pro, Ronnie Littaua, who spearheaded the Forest Hills men’s team for a long time, Carl Almario, a former pro who has innate knowledge of the two courses to be used this week, and Jun Jun Plana, who until the sta rt of the pandemic anchored the highly-successful Manila Southwoods men’s program, will be making their seniors debuts and loom as playe rs to watch.

Ilagan and Littaua have come in to infuse youth to the talentladen Luisita squad, while Almario joins an already loaded Cebu Country Club lineup that put the home squad in the mix as title contender in what is regarded as the country’s unofficial club team championship.

Plana, meanwhile, will ditch the old stabilizer role he used to play at Southwoods as he becomes the Carmonabased squad’s tip of the sword in trying to foil another Canlubang-Luisita fight for the title.

“They could provide the big difference,” Cangolf mainstay Tommy Manotoc said of the new faces in their division. “They are longer than (the old players), that’s for sure. And with the tournament playing forward tees, we could expect fireworks.”

Canlubang is the defending champion and is the only team in the Championship division which didn’t tinker with its lineup that also has the steady Abe Rosal and the seasoned Rolly Viray.

“I have no expectations,” Ilagan, a Tarlac native, said. “I will just go out there and help my team the best way I can.”

Alta Vista and Club Filipino will host the tournament, with a number of the veterans seeing the title to be decided in the Danao layout that has so many blind holes that local knowledge will be key.

Jarod Hatch waves the Philippine flag after his record-breaking feats in the National Swim Tryouts for the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the New Clark City Aquatics Center. BCDA Public Affairs

Bianca Pagdanganan

Elma Muros-Posadas

Southwoods ready to host 43rd Queen Sirikit Cup

WITH the return of competitive golf worldwide, Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club chairman Robert John Sobrepeña expressed excitement as the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines chose the club as host venue for the 43rd Queen Sirikit Cup.

“On behalf of the Manila Southwoods Board, I am very happy to host the Queen Sirikit,” said Sobrepeña, who with Queen Sirikit Cup Secretary General and one of the co-founders Rae-Vadee Suwan, Thailand Amabassador to the Philippines Tull Traisora, R&A Asia Pacific Assistant Director Nick Shan, and National Golf Association of the Philippines secretary general Bones Floro graced the opening ceremonies yesterday. Sobrepeña said that now is the perfect time to have a major tournament for ladies and support for

James hurts hand but hopes to carry LA into NBA playoffs

SALT LAKE CITY—LeBron James has not missed the NBA playoffs in back-to-back seasons since his first two campaigns and the Los Angeles Lakers star really doesn’t want it to happen again this year.

But the 38-year-old playmaker, who became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader earlier this month, has been nagged by ailments and couldn’t even escape Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game without an injury.

James sat out the second half after hurting his right hand as Team LeBron lost to Team Giannis Antetokounmpo 184-175, the first defeat for James in six times as an All-Star captain.

“I got my finger caught in the rim, but I’ll be fine,” James said. “I don’t think it’s too much to worry about but for precautionary reasons I just had to take the rest of the night off.”

James, who also missed three games with a left foot injury before making a comeback last Wednesday, had just said before the game how important his health will be as he tries to lift the Lakers into the playoffs over the next two months.

“The most important thing for me right now is to maintain my health and

be available to my teammates after this break because we have to make a strong push if we want to do anything special,” James said.

“It’s 23 of the most important games of my career for a regular season.”

The Lakers have struggled to a 2732 start and rank 13th in the Western Conference.

That’s two games behind Oklahoma City for 10th and the last spot in the post-season play-in games and 3.5 games behind sixth-place Dallas for the last guaranteed playoff spot.

“I want to make a push to make the playoffs,” James said. “I don’t want to see myself not being part of the postseason for two years straight. It’s just not part of my DNA.

“We’re sitting up here talking about the record and things of that nature, and that’s all cool, but I’m more passionate about trying to make the post-season and give ourselves a chance to compete

for another (title).”

‘Lot of commitment’

James was the top overall NBA Draft pick by Cleveland in 2003. He was the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year and reached his first NBA All-Star Game in 2005 but the Cavaliers missed the playoffs both seasons—the only time so far James missed consecutive NBA playoffs.

James reached the post-season from 2006 through 2018, winning NBA titles with Miami in 2012 and 2013 and Cleveland in 2016, and taking another in 2020 after missing the post-season with the Lakers in 2019.

The Lakers missed the playoffs last season after going 33-49 and need a charge to avoid another flop.

“I hope I can figure out a way to just make sure that I’m available on the floor every single night for these 23 games to give us a chance,” James said.

“I’ve always been confident in any club that I’ve been on, once we got into the playoffs, that we can compete with anyone and I feel no different now.”

The Lakers made major moves in the supporting cast for James 10 days ago, adding guard D’Angelo Russell, center Mo Bamba, guards Malik Beasley and Davon Reed and forward Jarred Vanderbilt to go

“With the roster the way we’re shaped up right now, if we can finish off this regular season on the right foot, then we can compete versus anyone in the Western Conference, if not the whole league,” James said.

“It’s going to take a lot of commitment... but yeah, I feel like if we can punch our ticket, we can compete versus anyone.” AFP

MPBL pre-season slated; champion pockets P3M

FANCIED teams Nueva Ecija, Zamboanga and Batangas test their mettle against dangerous Imus and guest squad Bulalakaw in the 2023 MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Pre-Season tournament starting on Tuesday, at the Lagao Gym in Brgy.Lagao, General Santos City.

The defending champion Nueva Ecija Vanguards battle star-studded Imus at 7 p.m., while South Division titlist

Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines tackle Bulalakaw of MPBL Founder and CEO Manny Pacquiao at 9 p.m. Host General City clashes with Valenzuela in the 5 p.m. opener of the weeklong tournament staking a whopping P3 million to the champion.

The second placer gets P500,000, the third placer P300,000 and the fourth placer P200,000. The rest of the eightteam field will get P100,000 each. Batangas, winner of the 2018 MPBL Anta-Rajah Cup, and Sarangani see action on Wednesday against Zamboanga and Bulalakaw, respectively.

The competing teams have been split into two with Zamboanga, Batangas, Sarangani and Bulalakaw comprising Group A and Nueva Ecija, GenSan, Valenzuela and Imus composing Group B. Nueva Ecija, which swept the elimination round of the 2022 MPBL Regular Season, is again tagged the

team to beat as coach Jerson Cabiltes will be parading an intact lineup.

Sans former starting guard Hesed Gabo, Nueva Ecija further bolstered its roster with the acquisition of proven talents Joshua Fontanilla, Harvey Pagsanjan and Rich Guinitaran.

Zamboanga, on the other hand, boosted its firepower with last year’s scoring champion Enzo Joson, formerly of Marikina, former San Juan gunners Judel Fuentes and Dexter Maiquez and former Rizal starter Keanu Caballero.

MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said the tournament will be a good opportunity for the fancied teams to find out the strength of the opposition before the MPBL Fifth Season begins

on March 10.

The MPBL regular tournament, which will have OKBet again as the title sponsor, has drawn 30 teams, including newcomers Quezon Province Huskers and Negros Muscovados, to be divided into the North and South divisions.

Joining Nueva Ecija in the Northern Divison are Bataan, Bulacan, Caloocan, Makati, Manila, Marikina, Pampanga, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig City, Quezon City, Rizal, San Juan and Valenzuela.

Bracketed with Zamboanga in the Southern Division are Bacolod, Bacoor, Batangas, Bicol, Cebu, GenSan, Iloilo, Imus, Laguna, Mindoro, Muntinlupa, Negros, Quezon and Sarangani.

women’s golf.

“Manila Southwoods has always been supportive of international amateur events. Last year, we had the Nomura Cup for men, now we have this. I believe that Asian women have a lot of chance of competing at the highest level,” he also said.

The main competition begins Tuesday and will run up to Friday at the difficult Masters’ course, Southwoods’ premier layout designed by Jack Nicklaus, which has been challenging even to the seasoned golfers.

Team Philippines will be spearheaded by Mafy Singson, Lois Kaye Go and Rianne Malixi, who will try to nail its first championship title. They’ll be against the best golfers from China, Korea, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and defending champion Japan.

Crossovers try to stretch PVL win streak to 4

Games (PhilsportsTuesdayArena)

CHERY Tiggo seeks to stretch not just its unblemished run to four but also firm up its semifinal drive as it faces PLDT Tuesday even as Army and Akari try to snap their slide in the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The Crossovers found themselves the lone unbeaten squad in the nineteam field after the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers stunned the Creamline Cool Smashers in an epic five-setter late Saturday and the inaugural pro league champions in 2021 are all pumped up to go for another victory halfway through the single round robin elims of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

But Chery Tiggo is in for a tough outing as PLDT recovered from a five-set setback to F2 Logistics with a straight-set romp over Army last Thursday and the High Speed Hitters are eager to stop the Crossovers, bolster their own campaign and send the semis battle into a wide-open race. Gametime is at 6:30 p.m.

The Lady Troopers and the Chargers, meanwhile, mix it up in the 4 p.m. opener with the former hoping to rebound from back-toback setbacks and the latter out to end a three-game slide marred by shutout losses to the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, the Cargo Movers and the Cignal HD Spikers.

After a second-to-last finish here last year, the Crossovers have vowed to do better and they’ve been dishing out their best to net them a pair of 3-0 romps over the HD Spikers and the Cargo Movers and a 3-1 triumph over the Lady Troopers.

Despite losing leader Dindin Manabat to Akari, the Crossovers have responded to comeback coach Aaron Velez and flourished behind the seasoned Mylene Paat, EJ Laure, Cza Carandang, Shaya Adorador and the rising Roselle Baliton.

Rahm wins Genesis Invitational to return to world no. 1

LOS ANGELES—Jon Rahm used two late birdies to power past Max Homa for a victory in the Genesis Invitational on Sunday that moved the Spaniard back to number one in the world.

Spain’s Rahm grabbed his third US PGA Tour title of 2023 after wins at the Tournament of Champions and the American Express in La Quinta, California.

It was his fifth win in his last nine worldwide starts, a run that included his third Spanish Open triumph in October and victory in the DP World Tour Championship in November.

Rahm was thrilled to capture a win at Riviera Country Club, the classic course west of downtown Los Angeles that has produced such champions as Ben Hogan but where, Rahm noted, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have never won.

Woods, who hosts this week’s event, was in the spotlight as he returned to competition for the first time since

missing the cut at the British Open. The 15-time major champion, still limited by the severe right leg injuries he suffered in a February 2021 car accident, carded a final-round 73 to finish on oneunder 283, tied for 45th.

“To reach that milestone of double digit wins, is pretty incredible,” Rahm said after capturing his 10th career US tour title.

“And to do it at a golf course with this legacy, this history and hosted by the man himself, Tiger Woods, it’s a true honor. I can’t really explain it.”

For a while, however, it looked like Rahm might let this one get away.

He started the day with a three-shot lead over Homa and was up by three through eight holes.

Tough Sunday

Homa closed the gap with a birdie at the ninth and Rahm’s bogey at the parfour 10th, where he was well left off the tee, proved especially costly as Homa

rolled in a six-foot birdie to pull level atop the leaderboard at 16-under par. Rahm fell a stroke behind with a three-

putt bogey at the 12th. But after Homa bogeyed 13, Rahm dropped the hammer, rolling in a 46-foot birdie bomb at the

14th and pushing his lead to two strokes with an aggressive birdie at the parthree 16th—where his tee shot straight at the flag left him less than three feet.

Homa, a local favorite from nearby Burbank who won the title in 2021, couldn’t find an answer, although he added interest at 18 with a third shot from the left rough that skipped across the cup.

He closed with a three-under par 68 for a 15-under par total of 269—one stroke in front of American Patrick Cantlay, who was alone in third after a 67 for 270.

American Will Zalatoris carded a seven-under par 64 for 271.

“It was a tough week and a tough Sunday,” Rahm said. “I’m just glad I could come through at the end.” Rahm, who last held the number one ranking in March of 2022, supplanted Scottie Scheffler just a week after the American toppled Rory McIlroy with a victory at the Phoenix Open. AFP

MVP. Jayson Tatum of Team Giannis displays The Kobe Bryant All Star Game MVP Trophy awarded him after the NBA All-Star Game as part of 2023 NBA All Star Weekend on Sunday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. AFP

LeBron James AFP with Japan’s Rui Hachimura.

Jon Rahm of Spain celebrates with the trophy after putting in to win The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on the 18th green on February 19, 2023 in Pacific Palisades, California. AFP

‘Ant-Man’ crawls to the top of box office

DISNEY’S Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has created an unexpected buzz, taking in an estimated $118 million over a long holiday weekend to dominate the North American box office.

That estimate, from industry watcher Exhibitor Relations, exceeded predictions and gave the latest Marvel superhero film one of the strongest totals ever for a four-day US Presidents Day weekend.

With Paul Rudd again playing the microscopic Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly as an heiress able to shrink to the size of a Wasp, the film blew the

‘Star for All Seasons‘ celebrates 60 years in showbiz, returns to ABS-CBN

SEASONED actress Vilma Santos comes home to ABS-CBN and relives her 60 illustrious years in the industry with Boy Abunda in a two-part TV special titled Anim na Dekada Nag-Iisang Vilma.

The special aired over the weekend on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.

Nandito ang puso ko. Napakalaki rin ng utang na loob ko sa estasyong ito. Alam na nito ang buong buhay ko. Ang ABS-CBN, pamilya na. Parte na ito ng buhay ko for 60 years. For 60 years, kasama ko ang ABS-CBN,” the Star for All Season said in the TV Patrol interview when asked why she chose ABS-CBN as the platform to produce her special milestone in the industry.

In the celebration, Santos rekindles her early years in the industry, as well as some of her most memorable roles during this period including Trudis Liit in 1963.

weekend competition aside.

Avatar: The Way of Water placed a very distant second at $7.5 million —though the 20th Century mixedanimation film has now compiled a none-too-shabby global total of $2.24 billion.

That places the James Camerondirected sequel at third in the alltime global box office rankings, kicking out his 1997 classic Titanic currently back in theaters as a 25thanniversary special edition – from the top three.

The original Avatar, released in 2009 and also directed by Cameron, holds

the top spot at $2.9 billion.

Universal’s family-oriented Puss in Boots: The Last Wish placed third in the long weekend with a solid $7.4 million in its ninth week out.

In fourth place was last weekend’s leader, Warner Bros. comedy-drama Magic Mike’s Last Dance , at $5.8 million. Channing Tatum stars as a retired, and very big-hearted, stripper in Steven Soderbergh ’s latest film. And in fifth was another Universal film, M. Night Shyamalan’s creepy thriller Knock at the Cabin, at $4.6 million. AFP

Rom-com director Easy Ferrer does ‘Stalker’ for Vivamax

MOVIE director

Viewers get a chance to meet the other sides of Santos through the lenses of her past leading men, directors, and friends including Christopher de Leon, Claudine Baretto, as well as members of her loyal army of Vilmanians present in the said celebration at the Dolphy Theater.

The multi-awarded actress also shares details about her current vocation as a public servant, as well as her private life away from the limelight. The special also includes an exciting talkback segment with stars and leading players who learned important lessons from her.

The two-part special is also available on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel this week for seven days.

Lorna Tolentino’s ultimate wish

IN THE future, Lorna Tolentino wishes to land a role in a show like FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano again.

Originally, her role as Lily Ann Cortez was good for ten days only. Her exposure was made longer and it reached three years and five months.

“I’m waiting for another show like that. Who knows, I’ll be part of FPJ’s Batang Quiapo and my exposure will be stretched?” she said.

The multi-awarded actress is keen on doing another soap opera but this time, she doesn’t like to be a villain believing that she had done enough unimaginable bad things in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano

“For my next TV project, I want to play an oppressed character for a change,” she added.

Easy Ferrer is tackling a relevant topic in his latest Vivamax project, Stalker, a four-part sexy comedy-thriller series headlined by Kitty K-7 star Rose Van Ginkel and Boy Bastos lead actor Wilbert Ross.

In a virtual press conference held last week, Ferrer admitted that the original idea of Stalker was morbid and very dark, but along the way, they decided to make it a sexy comedy to give it a lighter treatment.

“We are not condoning stalking. We are just looking into the idea in an effort to understand why these things happen. Why do people commit such? We made it comical lang para mas entertaining,” Ferrer explained.

The series wanted to answer the question: What happens when an obsessive person develops strong feelings for someone?

It’s the story of a young man with a dark and mysterious past who develops a deep infatuation with a seductive woman.

Harry (Wilbert Ross) is an IT expert at a BPO company. Even if he’s a handsome young man, he often shies away from others because of a skin condition that gives him insecurities and a lack of selfesteem.

Though he always keeps to himself, he has some serious issues of sexual perversion, which often leads him to

After her stint in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, she was able to finish a movie in South Korea along with Bela Padilla and Yoo Min-gon “It’s just a guest role in which I only shot my scenes in seven days. It will be commercially exhibited either this month or in March. My role here is Bela’s mother who works as an OFW,” she shared.

Like most celebrities, LT had also ventured into vlogging but thought it wasn’t for her because of the tedious process involved in producing online content.

GMA Network is giving away over P11 million worth of prizes including two brandnew house and lot units with Kapuso Bigay Premyo Panalo Season 6 Kapuso Bigay Premyo Panalo (BPP) continues to provide hope and prizes to more Filipino families in the country. Almost 2,000 winners stand to win daily and weekly cash prizes. For the first time, BPP is giving away two brand-new house and lot units. A lucky mamimili” will win a new unit courtesy of Bria Homes. GMA Network will also be giving away a brand-new house and lot to

“I have a camera until now. But it’s just there in one of my files. I guess, it’s not for me. Let’s leave it to the younger generation. I’m already a senior,” ended the seasoned actress.

* * * Julia Barretto and Bea Binene star in the upcoming Viva movie Will You Be My Ex?, which is their first silver screen teamup. Diego Loyzaga will be the lead actor.

“Actually, I’ve worked with Diego before in ABS-CBN’s drama fantasy series Mirabella way back in 2014,” says Julia. “We also did an episode for Wansapanataym in 2013. I’m so excited to work with him because he’s been a friend of mine for a very long time. We’ve worked twice already but I’m excited to be working with him again. We’re a bit older now. I hope we’re a bit more mature now.”

As for Bea, she expressed her happiness to be given the chance to work not only with Julia and Diego but with other Viva talents as well. It can be remembered that she signed up with Viva last year after being a contract star of GMA for 18 years.

“I’m really very excited that I’m with Viva now. I’m pretty sure that it will open lots of opportunities for me. A new world is out there. I’ll be able to widen my reach.

“I will have the opportunity to work on a variety of genres. And I think this is one of those projects. It’s safe to say that we’re one family here and I’m just looking forward to working with everyone, not just Julia and Diego,” states Bea.

a lucky sari-sari store owner in the grand draw. To join, participants must simply follow these easy steps: Bumili (Buy): Mamimili and sari-sari store owners need to:

1. Buy any of the participating products: Great Taste White, Lady’s Choice, Knorr Broth Cubes, Crispy Fry Breading Mix, and Bear Brand Fortified Powdered Milk Drink.

2. Enclose the required proof-of-purchase and a piece of paper with complete contact details in a plain white envelope. The participant can also write the name of his or

Rose Van Ginkel gives life to Apple, a beautiful and enigmatic character

Wilbert Ross plays Harry, an IT expert at a BPO company fantasize about being with women. He also sometimes makes a way to get closer to them in his own way.

One of those women Harry fantasizes about is Apple (Rose Van Ginkel) – easy on the eyes, beautiful, and teasing. Apple appears to be very fun-loving and confident, but she also has this enigmatic personality that makes people more into her.

Just like her name, she is the Apple

of the eye of many men, and Harry is no exception.

Harry’s admiration for Apple turns into an obsession, and now he follows her secretly wherever she goes. In short, he becomes her stalker. Also joining the cast are Mark Anthony Fernandez, Yayo Aguila, Nico Locco, Gwen Garci, Keanna Reeves, Millen Gal, Chloe Jenna, Rash Flores, and Shienna Yu Stalker premieres exclusively on Vivamax on February 26.

her sari-sari store partner, store address, and store owner’s contact number for a chance to win additional prizes.

3. On the envelope, write “Kapuso Bigay Premyo Panalo,” the brand of the enclosed proof-of-purchase, and the area of residence (NCR, Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao).

4. Sari-sari store owners, meanwhile, should write their own sari-sari store name on their entry, and ‘SARI-SARI STORE’ outside the envelope. Ipadala (Submit): Submit the entries through designated drop boxes in selected Mercury Drug branches nationwide, at the

Over P11-m worth of prizes up for grab in ‘Kapuso Bigay Premyo Panalo’

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ starring Paul Rudd (left) and Jonathan Majors

Vilma Santos considers ABS-CBN as her home after her many years in showbiz

Multi-awarded actress Lorna Tolentino is keen on doing another soap opera

Director Easy Ferrer (left) tackles a relevant topic with ‘Stalker’

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

ONE incredibly powerful impact that social media has had on the world today is its ability to launch seemingly ordinary people into superstardom. There’s no telling just what the next viral video will be, but when it hits, it does with unmistakable force. Such is the case of Queenay Mercado, one of TikTok’s fastestrising sensations, whose “panalo” story is primed to inspire and motivate Puregold’s young, aspirational customers. Queenay, in fact, relates how the values of initiative and persistence have played a part in her life journey.

Long before fame and success came, Queenay was a simple probinsyana who grew up in her

By Patricia Taculao

THERE’S more to baking than just being a process of producing goods. It’s also an enduring industry that also became a hobby for enthusiasts. Whether through consumption or participation, people celebrate the wonders of baking however they can.

In the meantime, Filipinos can enjoy the return of the highly-anticipated Bakery Fair this coming March 2 to 4 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City after the global pandemic. It also signals the revival of the Philippine baking industry.

Spearheading the event is the Filipino Chinese Bakery Association, Inc. (FCBAI), led by its president, Gerik Chua

“We would like to invite everyone to come and celebrate the Bakery Fair 2023 with us. This is the first time in four years na mayroong ganitong face-to-face activity,” Chua said during a press conference at Oriental Palace Restaurant in Quezon City.

Queenay Mercado maintains values as TikTok star

hometown in Batangas. She did not show much promise, then, and stardom was just a distant dream for her. As a kid, Queenay first needed to hurdle a few speed bumps, including being called “Broiler” for being plus-sized.

But Queenay was undaunted. As a showbiz aspirant, she participated in acting workshops, hoping these would open doors for her. For the longest

time, however, she only snagged bit roles. At one point, Queenay’s sole “claim to fame” was being glimpsed for a few seconds in the background of some GMA 7 television series. Thankfully, Queenay’s flair for self-expression led her to videosharing platform, TikTok. That was when Queenay’s profile really took off. To date, she has accumulated

Queenay’s phenomenal rise to prominence proves that determination and a healthy mindset trump any or all challenges

over 13 million followers, attesting to how her charm and appeal can generate a rabid following.

Puregold has trained the spotlight on Queenay’s talents through TikTok’s 52 Weeks, the 36-episode series that starred Queenay in the leading role of Mina, alongside co-star Jin Macapagal. Queenay has also joined the cast of the TV5 sitcom Oh My Corona

All this time, the TikTok sensation has remained unaffected, an attitude that endears her to her legions of followers.

Bakery Fair returns, promises new opportunities for the industry

The baking industry is among the most lucrative industries in the country

Celebrate all kinds of love Disney style

THE love story of Disney’s well-loved characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse takes centerstage for the mall’s monthlong Valentine’s celebration with Happy Together Disney Valentines at SM City North Edsa until

February 28.

During the event, The Block Atrium had Disney-themed vignettes to celebrate all kinds of love featuring Instagram and TikTok posts that perfectly showcase the theme. There was a Disney set-up

The Bakery Fair is FCBAI’s biennial, meaning it occurs every two years, civic project to promote and uplift the Philippines bakery industry and support socio-economic development.

“ Ginagawa namin ‘tong activity na ‘to para ma -introduce sa public ‘yung mga bagong technologies, mga new trends in baking, paano kayo mas makakatipid kung gusto niyo magtayo ng bakery ,” Chua added. Among the highlights of the event is how bakers can prolong their products’ shelf lives without using

preservatives. Moreover, 136 exhibitors will cover 10,000 square meters of the venue, ensuring something for everyone.

For three days, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., several exhibitors will conduct technical presentations and actual demonstrations in the lobby and Mezzanine Area (second floor). Besides local experts, Chua shared that the FCBAI invited foreign instructors to the Bakery Fair 2023 to share their knowledge with the attendees. The topics will tackle baking and more, including operations for business management.

Since the Bakery Fair 2023 commemorates the exhibition, the

Happy Together with Disney and SM at the Block Atrium until February 28 that made mallgoers fall in love with the Disney Gazebo with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

Friendship, family love, selflove, pet love as well as romantic love are showcased at the Love Snaps self-shoot studio. Mallgoers can tell their loved ones how they feel with Disney-themed Valentine quotes and puns like “So Minnie Valentines but you’re my favorite,” “There are so Minnie things I like

about you,” and “You Mickey everything so special”.

For the perfect Valentine’s gift, explore the Sweet Finds corner and shop collectibles, toys, clothing, and more featuring your well-loved Disney characters Mickey Mouse, and Minnie Mouse & Friends.

The Happy Together Disney Valentines at SM City North Edsa event also coincides with the yearlong celebration of the centennial

FCBAI made sure to bring back favorite segments or start new ones to delight their attendees.

One of the exciting events of Bakery Fair 2023 is the FCBAI Bakers Cup Wedding Cake Competition 2023, which also returns after the pandemic. It will showcase exciting and imaginative wedding cake creations that follow the “Kasalang Pinoy” theme.

Bakers can use fondant, royal icing, gum paste, and other innovations to make their pieces stand out. The winner will have a chance to receive P80,000 as their prize.

Another event in the Bakery Fair 2023 is “Angel Cup 2023.” The Angel Cup-Bread Display Competition highlights the making of Bread Showpiece, Artisan Bread, Healthy Bread, and Sweet Dough with dough filling.

“ Makakakita kayo ng bread sculptures na idi- display natin doon ,” Chua said.

Besides the schedule of events, the Bakery Fair 2023 also invites celebrities to attend the occasion. Although the FCBAI has yet to release the official list of personalities attending the Bakery Fair 2023, they promise a star-studded experience as experts and enthusiasts congregate for their love for baking.

“It is open to the public, and we have extended the invitation to many celebrities,” said Kamuning Bakery owner Wilson Flores Pre-register for free for

Queenay’s phenomenal rise to prominence proves that determination and a healthy mindset trump any or all challenges. And if one wants to be happy, humility is important to have as well. the Bakery Fair 2023 at www. bakeryfair. ph

anniversary of The Walt Disney Company.

From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family.

The Happy Together Disney Valentines event at SM City North Edsa kicks off the Disney 100 Years of Wonder or “Disney100” celebration in the Philippines.

From left: FCBAI Secretary General Jerry Midel, former FCBAI President Henry Ah, incumbent FCBAI President Gerik Chua, FCBAI Executive Vice President Christopher Ah, and FCBAI Vice President Wilson Flores

FCBAI promises new technology and surprises in Bakery Fair 2023