Manila Standard - 2023 March 6 - Monday

Modernization crux of PUV strike today

11 groups siding with PBBM won’t protest; VP Sara tags action as ‘communist-inspired’

COMMUTERS are bracing for a weeklong transport strike beginning today, involving thousands of jeepney and UV Express drivers protesting the government’s modernization program that could phase out their old vehicles.

At a media forum in Quezon City, Ariel Lim, national convener of the National Public Transport Coalition, said the program should be covered by a law that would consider the validity of the government’s push to consolidate the sector and its readiness for integrating electric vehicles in the country’s transport system.

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STRIKE AT A GLANCE

• Protesters across country led by Manibela, PISTON

• FEJODAP, LTOP among 11

UV groups not joining strike

• Group says new law must cover PUV modernization

• PNP units on heightened alert; Gov’t readies ferries for stranded public

• Solon asks jeepney drivers, operators to reconsider despite LTFRB phaseout plan

LTFRB eases rules to secure PUV franchise

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Julito G. Rada and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it dropped the certificate of conformity (COC) as a requirement in securing a vehicle franchise or certificate of public convenience (CPC).

Meanwhile, government-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) saidaffordable financing will continue to be accessible to transport groups to help them acquire modern jeepneys in compliance

By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources is performing disaster forensics in the areas threatened by the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress as it finalizes arrangements for a cash-for-work scheme for cleanup

DOT lifts need for face mask, vax card

FACE masks and vaccination cards are no longer required in tourism enterprises, according to a memorandum issued by the Department of Tourism (DOT) on Sunday to further ease health and safety protocols in these establishments.

Based on DOT Memorandum Circular 2023-0002, tourists are no longer required

to present proof of full vaccination in tourism enterprises.

Wearing face masks is no longer required as well, Tourism SecretaryChristina Frasco said in a statement.

These new guidelines are part of the agency’s efforts to help tourism stakeholders

Police tag 5 in Cebu hazing death

FIVE fraternity officials who were suspects in the alleged hazing death of University of Cebu student Ronnel Baguio last December have been identified, the Cebu City police

Suspect in Degamo case killed by cops in shootout

INTERIOR Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. vowed justice for Degamo, who was shot dead in his home in Barangay San Isidro, Pamplona town on March 4. The governor was killed along with five others.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday thanked Abalos for the speedy arrest of the suspects in the Degamo killing.

“We condole with the family of the governor, the mayor, and their

friends,” he said.

On Sunday, the death toll reached nine, with 13 others seriously injured, and four others injured. Abalos and top officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other agencies attended a command conference at the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NORPPO) in Sibulan town.

Abalos said they see no pattern in

teams in the local communities.

Environment chief Antonia Loyzaga said the University of the PhilippinesMarine Science Institute (UP-MSI) is helping assess immediate actions to protect mangroves, seagrass, and over 36,000 hectares of coral reefs in

WANT to help get rid of the oil spill off Oriental Mindoro? Donate your spare hair. A local barbershop in the provincial capital, Calapan City, is doing just that, collecting cut hair to help clean up the oil hitting the province’s shores.

“Hair, surprisingly, turns (out) to be a potent weapon against oil spills because of its remarkable ability to absorb five times its weight in oil,” Bruskos Barber Shop said in a Facebook post.

“[Your] hair shall be used in cleaning

HAIR VS. OIL.

This poster produced by Bruskos Barber Shop in Calapan City went viral on social media for calling on the public to help Oriental Mindoro clean up the oil spill by either having a haircut with them or donating their spare hair to help mop up the mess.

MOURNING THE GOVERNOR. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr., and PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. (from right) pay their respects to the late Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in Dumaguete City on Sunday. Sen. Imee Marcos (seated right, inset) also condoled with Degamo's wife, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo (seated left). Ver Noveno

STRIKE POINTS. This chart released by the No to PUV Phaseout Coalition shows the major points where protesters will rally today against the goverment's public vehicle modernization program. The group said various protest centers called 'Kampuhang Bayan' will be set up across Metro Manila to hold programs, discussions, soup kitchens, film screenings, and other protest actions.

PBBM, Anwar to discuss Sabah more P

RESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim have agreed to hold indepth discussions on competing claims over Sabah.

While Mr. Marcos acknowledged that Malaysia currently serves as the “administrator of Sabah,” he said top diplomats from both countries will hold negotiations on the issue.

“We also touched on the issue of Sabah. The Philippines is claiming that Sabah is ours. Now, [Malaysia] is the administrator of Sabah,that’s why we said we need to have an in-depth talk,” the President said in a vlog uploaded on his official Facebook page Saturday.

Modernization...

From A1

Other transport group leaders said the government should not force themodernization policies on drivers and operators who are already struggling.

However, Malacanang said in a statement more transport groups in Metro Manila and across the country are heeding the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and expressed opposition to the strike.

The Palace said in Metro Manila, 11 big jeepney and UV groups have strongly opposed the planned strike by Manibela, an alliance of UV drivers and a party-list group, and PISTON.

Groups not joining the strike, according to the Palace, include the National Federation of Transport Cooperatives (NFTC), Alliance of Transport Operators' & Drivers' Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO); Pasang Masda (PM) Jeepney, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), Stop and Go Coalition, Senate Employees Transport Service Cooperative (SETSCO), UV Express National Alliance of the Philippines (UV Express) and ACTO NA CORP.

Dindo Rosales, the executive coordinator of Boses ng Masang Pilipino, criticized the government’s credit loan program and consolidation, saying this would take away the rights and ownership of individual drivers and operators over their vehicles.

He said the commuting public should not be made to suffer because of the threat

LTFRB...

From A1 with the government’s transport modernization program. The LTFRB's decision to remove the COC, which is issued by a bank or financial institution, is part of the agency's commitment to comply with the tenets of Republic Act 11032, also known as the "Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Delivery Service Act of 2018."

In a resolution, the LTFRB said the COC requirement was seen as “a frequent cause of delay or dismissal of applications.”

Gov’t...

From A1

Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro and Caluya, Antique that can be potentially affected by the oil slick.

The ship BRP Hydrographer Ventura of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, an attached agency of DENR, has also been dispatched to use a multibeam survey to locate the sunken vessel carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel.

The local DENR Environmental Management Bureau is continuing its cleanup operations using locally available oil-absorbent materials andis installing provisional spill booms made of cogon and sawali as precautionary measures to prevent the oil spill from reaching the beach and mangrove areas of Pola, Oriental Mindoro.

The Environment department is likewise coordinating with SemiraraMining and Power Corporation to help and assist in the cleanup operations in Caluya, Antique.

Loyzaga said she is also in talks with her counterparts in theDepartment of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Labor and Employment for the cash-for-work setup.

Meanwhile, AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee demanded that the owners

Police...

From A1

in the fraternity welcoming and initiation rites that led to the death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig to come forward as victims.

Police Lt. Col. Virgilio Jopia said their investigation revealed four people were allegedly hazed during the rites held at a house in Biñan last week.

“Our respective foreign affairs secretaries will talk about it to resolve the issue,” he added.

Last year, a French court ordered Malaysia to pay US$4.9 billion to the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate for breach of an international private lease agreement on Sabah.

The court granted the demand of compensation after Malaysia stopped paying the annual cession money of RM5,300 (about P65,700) to the

from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to phase out traditional jeepneys.

George Royeca, co-Founder and CEO of Pinoy firm Angkas, assured the riding public that operations of its motorcycle taxis will continue unhampered and will be available for commuters.

Royeca assured Filipino commuters there will be no price surges and no extra fees, and called on commuters to report any erring Angkas rider who will demand an extra fare. He also reminded passengers to book rides earlier than usual to avoid inconveniences.

Lim slammed the LTFRB for being unprepared for the effects of consolidation, arguing that the cooperatives or corporations that itwants are likely to fail. He dismissed the agency’s extension of the deadline for consolidation.

“You’re not ready. How do you expect us to consolidate if you are not ready?” he said in Filipino. “You are forcing us to consolidate and surrender our livelihood for a franchise, when we know the corporations or cooperatives will fail.”

Lim also questioned the government’s readiness to incorporate electric vehicles in the public transport mix and asked where the charging stations are, and what measures have been taken to ensure the environmentally safe disposal of spent batteries.

Samuel Ramos of the Manila Taxi and Regional Association said he feared they too would suffer the same fate in the coming years.

On Saturday, Transportation Secretary

Jaime Bautista acknowledged that the modernization program would be difficult to implement, but said the goal was to make public transport affordable. He said industry consolidation would

"In the spirit of RA 11032, which was enacted to help simplify and streamline requirements to reduce red tape in business transactions in the government, we hope that removing the COC requirement in a vehicle franchise application will help ease the burden among the transacting public and give them more convenience in securing that much-needed vehicle franchise," LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said.

LBP President and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo reaffirmed LandBank’s commitment to support the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program led by the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB.

The bank has approved P6.9 billion

of the tankers be held accountable for damaging the country's vital resources.

"The owners of MT Princess Empress must answer for this. Very crucialprotected areas are now under threat because of the oil spill, so the government should do everything to hold them accountable for the containment, cleanup, and rehabilitation of the affected areas,” Lee said.

The oil spill, which already spans several kilometers, is feared to affect 21 marine protected areas.

Concerns have also been raised that the oil spill could threaten the important and already fragile Verde Island Passage, which scientists consider as the center of marine biodiversity in the world.

The lawmaker also appealed to the government to provide aid and temporary employment to fisherfolk who would be forced to cease work by the oil spill.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, for his part, expressed confidence that hisfellow lawmakers will support a supplemental budget for immediate action and recovery efforts for the sunken tanker.

“We are prepared to propose and enact a supplemental budget if itcomes to that. If the President requests it, we will grant it. This is an event that could have devastating consequences to fish supply and tourism, and it will definitely affect hundreds of thousands of families if it gets out of hand,” he said.

They included Salilig, two others the local police have already identified, and an alias “Diesel”, the neophyte who helped police arrest and file charges against six members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity. Salilig and the two were already frat members during the incident.

Salilig’s body was found buried in a lot in Imus, Cavite last Tuesday. His remains were buried in Zamboanga City last Saturday.

sultanate heirs following the 2013 armed invasion of militants allegedly sent by Sabah claimant heir Jamalul Kiram III.

Under the country’s new law on archipelagic baselines signed in 2009 and was upheld in 2011 by the Supreme Court, it categorically stated that the Philippines retains its claim on Sabah.

In an interview with ANC’s “Headstart” program, Anwar said Manila and Kuala Lumpur’s stance is to take a “cordial” approach in addressing the territorial dispute.

“[It] should not be an issue that easily provokes or causes antagonism,” he said.

“These are two great nations. They must walk together. I represent this

end the boundary system, create a proper work schedule for drivers, create jobs for mechanics, dispatchers, and administrative staff to make operations more efficient.

Some transport groups said they would not join the strike.

The Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), for example, said it would continue servicing commuters.

Many commuters would suffer unnecessarily when the problems could be solved by sitting down to dialogue, said the group’s president, Ricardo Rebaño, in a radio interview.

He said most FEJODAP members, including those outside Metro Manila, told him they would not join the strike.

Other groups such as Pasang Masda, ALTODAP, BCDO, and ACTO thatearlier committed to joining the strike have backed out, said Lando Marquez, president of the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP).

The transport group PISTON, on the other hand, said it would join the transport strike, saying the LTFRB move to extend the deadline for consolidation was not enough.

Mody Floranda said the group wants the government to junk the franchise consolidation altogether.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it has put its units on heightened alert ahead of the transport strike this week.

PNP Public Information Office chief Police Col. Red Maranan said 80percent of the police force will be on duty to provide aid and security to commuters who will be affected by the strike.

Maranan said the PNP will allocate mobile patrol vehicles to provide free rides to commuters to their destinations.

in loans to 144 transportcooperatives and corporations nationwide for the purchase of over 3,120 modern jeepneys as of Jan. 31, 2023. This was done through the SPEED PUV (Special Package for Environment-Friendly and Efficiently-Driven Public Utility Vehicles) Program. LandBank also raised the available program fund to P10 billion to accommodate more transport cooperatives and corporations. This is the bank’s third budget allocation hike from the P1.5 billion initial fund for the program in 2017.

Under the SPEED PUV Program, eligible borrowers may loan up to 95 percent of the total acquisition cost of

Suspect...

From A1 the recent attacks on local officials, especially governors. He called for maximum police visibility and the confiscation of loose and illegal firearms.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said pursuit operations were still ongoing to find six more people involved in Degamo's assassination.

Four suspects have already been arrested, some of them ex-military.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who also is the president of the League of Cities in the Philippines, condemned Degamo’s assassination.

“This egregious display of violence no less at the governor’s own residence while distributing assistance to his constituents is a blatant disregard of law and order,” Rama said in a statement.

Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia also said she was shocked and deeply saddened by the assassination.

“He was a good friend, dedicated public servant, and fellow governor.

I earnestly hope that the perpetrators of this atrocious crime will be exposed, apprehended, and brought to justice,” she said.

The Palace on Sunday said there was no schedule as of yet for a presidential visit to Degamo’s wake.

In the Cebu incident, the Public Attorney’s Office said Baguio was allegedly hazed on December 10, 2022, and rushed to the hospital on December 18, 2022. Based on his death certificate, Baguio died from Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Secondary to Indirect Lung Injury, Acute Kidney Injury secondary to Rhabdmyolosis, and Acute Kidney Injury secondary to Rhabdomyolosis.

generation, and I told the President (Marcos) very clearly that… let us work together,” Anwar said. The President said he and Anwar also talked about the assistance Malaysia could provide for the successful conduct of elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2025.

“We discussed the things that we should do for the upcoming election of BARMM officials,” Marcos said.

Malaysia acted as a third-party facilitator in the Philippine government’s peace process with Muslim separatists in Mindanao, which has contributed to significant progress in stability in the south.

Vince Lopez

He also advised the public to be cautious and refrain from going out if they do not have important plans. Also over the weekend, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio blasted the transport strike as being “communist-inspired” and pointless.

Duterte-Carpio, who heads the Department of Education, also said the strike will disrupt classes and keep students from learning.

But the Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list group said it supported the strike.

"For us teachers, we support our PUV drivers and operators in their fight for their livelihood. They are our partners in our daily struggles to do our jobs and earn a living. We feel them and wesupport their demand for a pro-people modernization of public transportation," said Rep. France Castro.

Castro also hit the DepEd announcement that there would be nosuspension of physical classes as insensitive and DuterteCarpio’s remarks as red-tagging.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta partylist Rep. Margarita Nograles appealed to jeepney drivers and operators to reject calls to join the nationwide transport strike and consider the long-term benefits of the modernization program.

Also over the weekend, the Manila International Airport Authority said it would implement contingency measures to cushion the effects of the strike on the operation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport this week.

The MIAA also urged all air passengers to give ample time from theusual three hours before flight departure time to be at the NAIA. Local airlines also advised passengers to allocate more time for travel to the airport. Vince Lopez, Rio N. Araja, Darwin Amojelar, and Rey E. Requejo

the modern public utility jeepney, at an affordable interest rate of 6 percent per annum, or a minimal 0.5 percent per month, and payable up to a maximum of seven years.

Over the weekend, however, Senator Grace Poe sought a longer payment period of up to 15 years to pay.

“We can see that a jeepney driver who earns P750 a day is not capable of paying off a new unit of PUV which costs P2.3 million," said Poe whose committee will conduct its second hearing on the planned jeepney phaseout on Tuesday.

She also noted that the P160,000 government subsidy for jeepneydrivers will not be enough, saying it should not be lower than 20\ percent of the cost.

In a social media post, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the murder of one of his campaign allies during the last presidential elections.

"We have received much information and now have a clear direction on how to proceed to bring to justice those behind this killing,” he said.

"I am warning all those involved in this killing: you can run but you cannot hide. We will find you. If you surrender now, it will be your best option," he added.

Degamo, 56, is the latest to be targeted in a long history of attacks on politicians and is at least the third to be shot since local elections last year.

Negros Oriental Vice Governor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes was sworn into office on Saturday as the province's new governor following Degamo’s murder. Reyes took his oath of office before Abalos.

The Pamplona Municipal Police Station released the names of those who were killed and injured during Saturday’s attack. Among the dead were a barangay councilor and a barangay captain.

Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday suggested that Negros Oriental be placed under a state of emergency for justice to be swiftly served following Degamo’s assassination. Macon Ramos-Araneta, Rio

N. Araja, Vince Lopez, and Bobby Lagsa (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

“‘The ones who did this enjoyed the Christmas and New Year (holidays), while we will be mourning all our lives,” the victim’s mother, Leny Baguio, said in a 24 Oras Weekend report on GMA on Sunday.

“This is why I hope they feel guilty and take pity on me, take pity on us, and more so, take pity on my child,” she added.

For now, the two participants in the Salilig hazing are still considered persons of interest, police said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Speaker wants all OTS airport staff replaced

By Rio N. Araja

SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin

Romualdez on Sunday said he will ask Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista to replace all personnel of the Office for Transportation Security assigned at the Manila airport after a recent incident of stealing from a Thai tourist, calling it a “national embarrassment.”

Romualdez requested a meeting this week at the House of Representatives with officials of the Department of Transportation todiscuss the incident that took place at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which he described as “very embarrassing and alarming.”

He said he would recommend to Bautista to replace all OTS personnel atthe airport with “honest and professional ones.” He said only OTS personnel with impeccable or good records should be allowed to re-apply for their posts.

"It sounds a bit extreme, but circumstances call for extreme measures.

If government personnel commit criminal acts against foreign visitors, the minute they land at the airport, it says a lot about our country.

So, it needs to be addressed sternly," Romualdez said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

DOT...

From A1

recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This latest issuance on the relaxed health and safety guidelines for tourism establishments reinforces the Department of Tourism’s commitment towards addressing the economic hardships of the tourism industry brought about by the lockdowns and restrictions of the pandemic,” Frasco said.

"It sends the important message across that, under the Marcos Administration, our country is open for tourism, and that we are keeping up with global practices on tourism operations that have already opened up worldwide," she added.

Meanwhile, the Philippines logged 170 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, while the active tally dropped to 9,058.

This was the fourth straight day that more than 100 COVID-19 infections were reported daily.

The number of active cases also went down from 9,355 on Friday.

There are now 66,143 deaths, including 10 new fatalities.

The country’s caseload is currently 4,076,866, based on the Department of Health’s (DOH) latest report.

The regions with the highest number of new infections were the National Capital Region (NCR) with 446, followed by the Davao Region with 230, Calabarzon with 209, Soccsksargen with 120, and Caraga with 86.

An additional 449 patients recovered from the viral disease, bringing the cumulative total to 4,001,665.

A total of 7,870 individuals were tested on Friday, while 321 testing laboratories submitted data.

As of Friday, the bed occupancy rate in the country stood at 16.3 percent, with 4,107 occupied and 21,082 vacant beds.

Willie Casas

Barber...

From A1 the oil spill,” it added, noting its initiative will run until April 4. It’s not the first time a local business is rallying to clean up an oil slick.

In 2006, beauty salons and barbershops from different parts of the country collected hair and sent them to responders in Guimaras, after an oil tanker spilled over two million liters of bunker fuel in the Island.

Approximately 20,000 hectares of coral reefs, 9,900 hectares of mangroves, and 6,000 hectares of seagrass were affected by that oil spill, according to marine experts (see related story on A1 – Editors).

“The spill from an oil tanker near Naujan, Oriental Mindoro is spreading to more areas and had already reached the municipal shores of Pola, Pinamalayan, Gloria, and Bongabong,” the barbershop noted.

It also said that 10 percent of its gross sales will be donated directly to the affected families.

The oil spill has also reached the shorelines of towns in Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan.

The Philippine Coast Guard also confirmed the presence of an oil spill in Antique.

This was after the MT Princess Empress ship, carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28.

IN BRIEF

Caloocan intensifies women empowerment

THE Caloocan City government under Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan aims to empower women through various activities and programs such as congress, bazaar, gender awareness seminars, and free medical services including pelvic ultrasound, mammogram, breast ultrasound, cervical screening and pap smear.

Malapitan cited the observance of Women’s Month as giving added dimension to the events.

The local government also lined up some activities for its employees in North and South Caloocan, including purple outfit contest, health awareness activities, free massage, haircut, freebies, gifts, zumba, yoga and meditation classes.

Malapitan paid tribute to all women for their “heroism, bravery, strength and excellence” in different aspects of life. Jun David

Dogs bit

more people

in 2022 than in 2021

PETS, specifically dogs, it appeared, have bitten more people in the country last year compared to the previous year.

Records showed that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) received a total of 79,925 claims for Animal Bite Treatment Package (ABTP) last year, up by nearly 40 percent from the 57,420 claims registered in 2021.

PhilHealth paid a total of P230 million in ABTP claims in 2022, up 28 percent from P180 million in 2021. Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo viewed however, this development quite differently.

“The record high claims betray the surge in animal bites all over the country, and each bite represents a potential risk of rabies transmission,” Rillo said in a statement Sunday as the country marked Rabies Awareness Month. Rio N. Araja

P1.4-b smuggled cigarets seized in Sulu

By Bobby Lagsa, Rey E. Requejo and Butch Gunio

ACOMPOSITE team of soldiers and Customs agents seized last March 2 over P1.4 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes from a warehouse in Indanan, Sulu.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) earlier confiscated smuggled agricultural products worth P101.6 million in 17 shipments at the port of Manila on February 27 to 28, 2023.

In another development, the BOC at the Port of Limay chalked up a record 21 months of consistently overshooting their collection targets.

The Sulu raiders were armed with a search and seizure warrant issued by Customs commissioner Bienvenido Rubio

Joint task force commander Maj.

Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio said the raiders, composed of Army soldiers, Philippine Navy special forces operatives, and Customs intelligence agents swooped down on the warehouse reportedly owned by a certain Faidasil Sakandal of Sito Boutan, Barangay Kajatian in In-

danan town..

The raiders found some 19,000 cases of assorted imported cigarettes bearing the brands B&E, New Far, Souvenir, Cannon, BroadPeak, and Bravo.

The contraband was subsequently shipped to Zamboanga City for proper disposal.

Customs examiners at the Port of Zamboanga have begun inventory of seized cigarettes, witnessed by CIIS and Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) agents and warehouse representatives.

Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido commended the troopers of the Joint Task Force Sulu, and attributed the successful operation to good interagency collaboration.

In a statement, the BOC said several containers mostly from China that ar-

rived at the Manila port from December 29, 2022 to February 12, 2023 were found to contain misdeclared and undeclared items, such as red and white onions, mushroom balls, and sugar.

Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Juvymax Uy said intelligence officials and personnel under Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio‘s leadership immediately examined the suspicious containers.

“While we aren’t done yet examining all these suspected containers, we’re already working on getting to the bottom of these illegal operations. Our good commissioner and our port officers and personnel are invaluable assets to the agency. With Commissioner Rubio at the helm, our teams are working day and night to protect our borders,” he said.

The Customs examiners found red and white onions, mushroom balls, and sugar in shipments to three local consignees, namely, RYY Consumer Goods Trading, MFBY Consumer Goods Trading, and M.S. Fab Builder.

The Alert Orders (AOs) were issued

Tingog closes concert series in Tacloban

By Rio N. Araja

THE final leg of the thanksgiving concert series sponsored by the Tingog party-list drew to a close in Tacloban City, Leyte where it gathered a massive crowd that overflowed the event’s venue at RTR Plaza on Saturday.

Dubbed “Tingog ng Pasasalamat,” the party-list staged the four-leg concert series as a gesture of its gratitude for the overwhelming support it received in the May 2022 elections.

The party-list won two seats in Congress.

Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who attended the event, thanked the Leyteños for their support while acknowledging the important contributions of the Tingog party-list in the effort to pass legislation meant to improve the lives of Filipinos.

“I am happy to see this huge crowd that trooped here to enjoy this concert. I am truly thankful for your display of support. Let me assure you that we will continue to work closely with Tingog to uplift the lives not only of the people of Leyte but inclusive progress for the entire country,” Romualdez said.

Tingog Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez gave assurance that their party would continue to deliver on its “distinct brand of service, particularly to those who need it the most.”

“You can be assured that Tingog will remain true to its avowed objective of bringing about hope, change, and progress to our communities. Maraming salamat po sa patuloy na suporta,” she said.

LAWYERS’ OATH-TAKING. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (left) administers the oath to the new set of officers of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Leyte Chapter. They are (from left) Hasmin Cristy Avila-Vibar, Sam Dominic Lagunzad, Barbette Reposar, Fatima Zyra Macapugas, Nile April Tobiño, Mary Agnes Sedansa-Pusay, Caryll Villanoza-Avila, Mark Stephen Reyes, Ramon Pedroza, and Sharilee Angela Gaspay-Mauro. Ver Noveno

Who should revise?

framework, we need to decide on the HOW of amendment.

The charter itself mandates three modes: one, through a Constituent Assembly of both houses of our bicameral legislature; two, a Convention of delegates elected by the people for the specific purpose of revising the fundamental law; and third, although practicable only for specific amendments, that of People’s Initiative.

ALTHOUGH the president has stated publicly that revising the 1987 Constitution is not his priority, the House of Representatives has held plenary sessions to debate the proposal to convene an elected Constitutional Convention for the purpose.

It is politically safe for the president not to be seen as wanting to amend the Constitution.

First, because past experiences have shown the electorate is always suspicious of extending the terms of officials they themselves elected for an absurdly short period of three years.

This is what doomed previous attempts to amend the charter, especially when done during the latter half of an incumbent president’s term.

Second, because the president has to be sensitive to the feelings of his highly popular vice-president and the legion of followers of the Duterte political brand, who might suspect that amending the fundamental law would affect VP Sara’s turn at the bat come 2028.

Given a choice, the public at large will realize that too many officials elected in too frequent elections are bane, rather than boon, to development and the elimination of poverty

But the former president has himself declared the present Constitution as seriously flawed, and a public avowal by Pres. Marcos Jr. forswearing any extension of his present tenure should be assurance enough.

The president surely realizes we have such a flawed political system that likewise impedes economic development and helps worsen the levels of inequality in our society.

It is wrong to think that if we lift the socalled “nationalist” restrictions imposed by the charter, foreign capital would come in droves to our economy.

The handlers of Sen. Robinhood Padilla must remind him that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing,” that quote attributed to literary giants Sir Francis Bacon and Alexander Pope.

No, Mr. Senator, sir, lifting foreign equity restrictions is not a magic wand that will end “37 years of poverty.” Fact is, the roots of our poverty did not begin with the ouster of Marcos Sr., but long before that.

There are basic conditions that attract foreign investors, and even domestic risk capital into an economy, namely: a stable and predictable political environment; the presence of a skilled and trainable labor force whose wages are reasonably competitive with others; and good governance, which means transparency and accountability along with a justice system that is fair, impartial and not prone to corruption.

The second factor, that of our labor force, has been considerably less attractive because many prefer, for obvious reasons, to work overseas, thus sucking out valuable manpower from our land; and, second, our educational system has continuously deteriorated especially in the important applied proficiencies of science and mathematics.

That will take some doing, and perhaps charter change is not as relevant in improving that second condition as to be competitive.

For now, we revel in our broken English literacy, but that is fleeting because our regional competitors are serious about learning correct English and understandable Mandarin, along with their consistently good STEM skills.

The other two basics that attract investors to a country, that of a stable and predictable political environment along with good governance, will prosper only if we adopt a Constitution that promotes these and not one addled by contradictions.

But before we enumerate our own proposals towards correcting our flawed political

Brazen assassination in Negros Oriental EDITORIAL

If we are to amend economic provisions and revise the political system, only the first two modes are practical.

But a Constituent Assembly will be faced with public suspicion on self-serving motives of legislators, and more importantly, the Senate will not agree to its 24 republics having the same vote as 300 congressmen.

That impasse alone is well nigh impossible to hurdle.

Thus we agree with the House proponents, calling for the election of delegates to a Constitutional Commission.

But valid is the apprehension of the erudite CJ Reynato Puno, about a preponderance of proxies of existing dynasts controlling the convention, especially given the time frame for campaigning and the seriously corrupted electoral set-up in the land.

To elect 243 delegates representing the number of congressional districts almost certainly ensures the proxies of our present crop of politicians will comprise the overwhelming majority of the convention.

Aside from that, 243 is such an unwieldy number, likely to be mired in endless debate which will consume so much time.

We thus humbly propose that elections be held by regional representation based on population density.

We have in all, 17, special administrative regions included.

If we proportion one delegate for every 2 million residents, we would be electing only 53 members, a number that is quite manageable.

Accordingly, given present population, these would be:

Region 1 : 3 delegates

Region 2 : 2 “

Region 3 : 6 “

Region 4 : 8 “

Region 5 : 3 “

Region 6 : 4 “

Region 7 : 4 “

Region 11:

Region 12: 2 “

Region 13: 1 “

THE brazen armed attack that killed Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and five other civilians on March 4 comes close on the heels of similar armed attacks on local officials since last month.

This raises the question: Are we seeing a clear pattern of settling grudges, whether political or personal, through violent means, especially at the local level?

If that’s the case, the national leadership has a big task ahead: to stop the wave of attacks and assert its authority to maintain law and order throughout the country.

Four violent incidents involving local officials since last month may be totally distinct and isolated cases, each with its own specific causes.

But these nonetheless indicate a breakdown of law and order at the local level that requires urgent action on the part of both national and local leaders. The immediate task, however, is to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

The provincial police office in Negros Oriental deserves commendation for acting swiftly and launching hot pursuit operations that led to the arrest of three of the suspected killers of Governor Degamo and five other innocent civilians.

It is probably just a matter of time before the other perpetrators of the dastardly crime

“

Region 4B: 2 “

CAR : 1 “

BARMM : 2 “

NCR : 7 “

TOTAL : 53 delegates

Then, the President, Senate President and Speaker can, by consensus, agree on the appointment of 12 members, representing both the marginalized sectors, such as labor, farmers, fisherfolk, IPs, OFWs, plus educators, medical practitioners, the IBP, business, tourism, the creative industries, etc., at one each, making a total of 65 delegates comprising the convention.

That number would be representative enough, and will not be too costly.

And they need not be paid 10,000 pesos a day as the House suggests, for the honor of being a framer of the fundamental law should dwarf any pecuniary rewards.

Being chosen by a regional electorate should largely minimize the power of provincial dynasties to ram down their proxies.

It should by and large elect more qualified and more respectable members of the regional communities, after a concerted voter education effort by the Comelec and civil society.

We had precedents of regionally elected members of parliament in the past, especially during the Marcos Sr. administration.

The Interim Batasang Pambansa was elected by region; the regular one was elected not by district, but by provinces at large, proportionate to population.

We then had 180 BP members with no Senate. Now we have 234 district representatives, plus 61 more from the party-list representation which Sen. Padilla, and I fully agree with him, should be abolished.

Only the dynasts who have taken advantage of the flaws in our political system and the oligarchs who have found it convenient to not only fund, but even control, or “own” political parties would want the present system maintained.

Given a choice, the public at large will realize that too many officials elected in too frequent elections are bane, rather than boon, to development and the elimination of poverty.

More of that in the next columns.

are rounded up and charged with multiple murder and sent to jail for long prison terms once found guilty by a court of law.

In the meantime, law enforcement agencies should conduct a thorough assessment of security threats against local officials particularly in areas with a history of intense political rivalry and where there have been cases of politically-motivated killings in the past.

Another blatant violation of Philippine territorial integrity

WHILE the recent laser pointing incident has increased diplomatic tensions with Beijing, yet another blatant violation of Philippine territorial rights has been reported by the Philippine Coast Guard when they sighted 42 suspected Chinese Maritime Militia vessels in what looks like another swarming maneuver in waters well within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Pag-asa Island established in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In a published statement, the PCG said, “Their continuing unauthorized presence is clearly inconsistent with the right of innocent passage and a blatant violation of the Philippines’ territorial integrity.”

Pag-asa Island is a municipality of Kalayaan Province of Palawan and is home to 400 Filipino citizens together with the local government, law enforcement, and military personnel stationed in the island.

Just a day before the news broke out on this new CMM intrusion into Philippine territory, top geopolitical analysts and security experts voiced their support for a trilateral defense mechanism that the Philippines, the United States, and Japan can enforce amidst China’s persistent acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea. This was during a hybrid-forum organized by think tank Stratbase ADR Institute, the Japan Embassy, and the United States Embassy in the Philippines.

Mr. Kenichi Matsuda, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, stated the importance of securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and recognized the shared values and principles that Japan and the Philippines such as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Professor Miyake Kunihiko, the Research Director of the Canon Institute for Global Studies who is an expert in Japanese foreign affairs and security said that given the evolving security environment in this region the prospect of trilateral cooperation between the Philippines, Japan, and the United States is a “natural process” where more countries working together will be able to cover the

wide waters of the Indo-Pacific region.

He believes Japanese government is very serious in forging a visiting forces arrangement with the Philippines but qualifies that “It is not a means to coerce foreign countries. It is a means to send the right message to those who wish to change the status quo by force and not in compliance with the international law. Then they will think twice.”

Those who have received death threats should be provided with adequate security to deter possible attacks against them.

Local officials who implement the law without fear or favor in their areas of jurisdiction are likely to be targeted for violence by those who stand to lose their positions of power and privilege, whether political or economic in nature.

Authorities should be constantly on the alert against those who may pose security threats against officials who uphold the law and may incur the wrath of their political adversaries or criminal elements.

The Department of Justice has offered a bounty of P5 million to those who can provide information that can lead to the masterminds of the murder of Governor Degamo and five others.

The sooner the perpetrators are arrested and charged in court, the better it would be for the peace of mind not only of other public officials facing security threats but also of the citizenry as a whole.

Law enforcement authorities should leave no stone unturned in ferreting out those responsible for the recent armed attacks on local officials, including Governor Roel Degamo, so that the rule of law may prevail throughout the country.

Every law is an infraction of liberty, it is said, but respect for the law is what keeps society together and our democracy from descending into chaos.

For his part, Mr. Gregory Poling, a Senior Fellow and Director at the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Center for Strategic and International Studies, called for continued and increasing support from both the US and Japan on maritime domain awareness capabilities for the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard. He sees the US continuing support to the Philippines and Japan in areas of defense, security, and economy.

Stratbase ADRi President, Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit expressed the institute’s support for bilateral, multilateral, and even minilateral initiatives aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.

“With the national interest as prime requisite, the President Marcos Jr. administration must continue to implement an independent external policy that is responsive, strategic, and Filipino centric. As a leader of our nation during these trying, complex, and precarious times, the people will expect an unwavering performance of his duty to uphold the territorial and sovereign rights of our country,” Prof. Manhit said.

Dr. Ronald Mendoza, Committee Member, United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration and Senior Economist at the Ateneo Policy Center, expounded on the strategic importance of Japan as an economic partner of the Philippines.

“Despite our earlier checkered history, Japan has become one of our closest and trusted democratic partners in Asia. This goes well beyond the economic and security partnerships our two nations have forged. This is people to people,” Mendoza said.

He adds “it’s critical to acknowledge that the economic partnership is even more important in the face of presently elevated geopolitical risks notably due to rising tensions involving China and the US.”

Japan and United States have consistently supported our victory in the 2016 arbitral ruling that junked China’s 9-dash claim and upheld our rights in the West Philippine Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone. The socio-economic history of our people’s and the strong economic partnerships nurtured through generations indeed makes it natural for the three countries to further strengthen alliances to safeguard against the creeping Chinese aggression that threatens to spark military confrontation that, like the war in Ukraine, will have serious global repercussions.

More discussions are set to dissect the dynamics of how to counter these so called “Gray Zone Operations” of China in the maritime Indo-Pacific in the upcoming hybrid forum organized by Stratbase ADRi in partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Philippines, on March 5, 2023, Wednesday, 9-12pm.

Register for free at the Stratbase ADRi facebook page.

Birth rates, Taiwan and sex education: China’s parliament proposals

AS CHINA gears up for a meeting of its rubber stamp National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, lawmakers are offering clues about what new proposals might be on the table.

With voting tightly controlled and no legislation likely to pass without the approval of the country’s top leadership, lawmakers have little to no scope to enact major changes.

Submitted proposals are nearly always approved overwhelmingly by the pliant chamber, and this year they run the gamut from geopolitical posturing to animal welfare.

Here are some of the proposals:

Taiwan

NPC deputy Li Yihu told the China Review News Agency he will submit proposals on promoting “civil exchanges” between mainland China and Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy Beijing considers part of its territory that it will one day reclaim.

Li said that over the past year Beijing’s “overall strategy for resolving the Taiwan issue” had firmed up, adding that “the mainland

will push national unification onto a fast track.”

The Chinese government has in recent years stepped up its rhetoric and actions towards the island, with President Xi Jinping saying last year that use of force would remain on the table and that “reunification of the motherland must be achieved.”

Promoting births

Multiple NPC deputies have called for measures to boost the country’s birth rates, which fell to lows not seen in decades last year.

Screenwriter and NPC delegate Zhao Dongling wants all children born after 2024 to enjoy free education up till their last year at university.

Maternity benefits should also be extended to self-employed and rural women in the form of “birth benefit” payments, as current policies only apply to women working full-time, Zhao told Chinese media. Authorities may also consider allowing unmarried mothers to enjoy the same rights as married women, representative of the Chinese

Multiple NPC deputies have called for measures to boost the country’s birth rates, which fell to lows not seen in decades last year

People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)—a consultative body with little to no power—Xie Wenmin told the state-run Global Times. They could also remove restrictions on registering the children of unwed parents, she added.

Cyberbullying

Electronics tycoon and NPC representative Li Dongsheng has called for China’s parliament to pass a law against online bullying, as the country lacks a precise legal definition of cyberbullying.

Li’s proposal follows multiple high-profile cases of cyberbullying in China, including the death by suicide of a young woman after online trolls attacked her for sporting pink hair in a social media photo. Shaping the young China must crack down on the “chaos” of the child influencer industry, and strengthen supervision of online content and livestreams featuring children, in order to protect their “healthy growth,” NPC deputy Fang Yan has said.

And fellow NPC delegate Chen Wei told state media that kindergartens should be equipped with sex education textbooks and teaching materials. “Establishing robust understanding of sexu-

ality from an early age is conducive to the improvement and development of one’s personality in society,” Chen said.

Pets not food Also on the cards is legislation cracking down on the slaughter, sale and consumption of dog and cat meat, said NPC delegate and agricultural scientist Zhao Wanping.

Zhao told Chinese media that Beijing must “severely punish the indiscriminate hunting of animals as well as animal cruelty.” Fireworks Authorities should respond to “the public’s demand to set off fireworks” during holidays, Zhao also suggested. Fireworks and firecrackers are a traditional highlight of Chinese celebrations, but many cities across the country forbid their use over fire safety and noise concerns.

Zhao said the government should consider creating designated venues for setting off festive explosives, while stepping up safety measures. AFP

Every law is an infraction of liberty, it is said, but respect for the law is what keeps society together and our democracy from descending into chaos

Pag-asa Island is a municipality of Kalayaan Province of Palawan and is home to 400 Filipino citizens together with the local government, law enforcement, and military personnel stationed in the island

CONSULTATIONS.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Tingog Party-list

Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre hold a consultation with regional directors from various government agencies on the implementation of programs for Leyte and the entire Eastern Visayas at the BR Hall Nipa in Tacloban City. Ver Noveno

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023 A5 NEWS mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF

Senators file bill for more health aid for seniors

TWO senators have filed bills to provide specialized health care to the country’s estimated 10 million senior citizens.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said under Senate Bill 979 or the Senior Citizens Hospital Act, a tertiary specialty hospital for geriatrics with a 200-bed capacity will be built in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, to be known as the Philippine Geriatric Medical Center (PGMC).

The PGMC shall adopt and enforce a program for indigents, with not less than 50 percent allocated for them.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also filed

Senate Bill No. 1317 to rename the National Center for Geriatric Health, located in San Miguel, Manila, as the Philippine Geriatric Center, still under the direct control and supervision of the Department of Health

More fire prevention programs for PH

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

T

Senators Bong Go, Win Gatchalian, and Robin Padilla also reminded the public to practice fire safety precautions at home and at work to avoid the occurrence of fire.

Go urged the government to remain steadfast to improve fire response efforts, including the modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and raising awareness through fire preven-

‘Gov’t online services need not be costly’

By Rio N. Araja

BATANGAS Rep. Ralph Recto on Sunday said the digitalization of government transactions must not only lead in “ease in doing business” but must also be “easy on the pocket.”

“Online processing should not cause the uptick of fees because the benefit that information technology-based services bring should not be cancelled by its cost,” he said.

In pricing online services, such as the processing of documents, government agencies should follow the established rule “that in setting fees and charges, the intention is to recoup the cost of extending that service, plus a reasonable surcharge, not to profit from it.”

Recto warned that an “IT boom in the bureaucracy should not lead to permit and license cost inflation.”

To keep state fees and charges in check, he urged the Palace to create a body that would regularly evaluate the rates if these are too high or too low, he noted.

“If digitalization cuts costs, then the savings must be passed on to the citizen. IT is not a profit center but a client-service tool,” he said.

tion education campaigns.

He cited that the BFP is currently undergoing a 10-year modernization program under Republic Act No. 11589, otherwise known as the BFP Modernization Act of 2021, which he primarily authored and co-sponsored.

The Act shall enable the agency to respond faster and more effectively to fire-related incidents in the country as

HREE senators have called for more efforts to intensify fire awareness to prevent the loss of lives and properties as the nation observes fire prevention month this March.the mandated modernization program includes procuring new fire equipment, expanding manpower, and conducting specialized training for firefighters, among others.

Furthermore, it also mandates the BFP to conduct monthly fire prevention campaigns and information drives in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and local government units.

Gatchalian, the principal author of the LPG Industry Regulation Act, reminded consumers anew of the proper handling of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to prevent fire. A little over 50% of households depend on LPG for their

daily cooking needs.

RA 11592 aims to fill in regulatory gaps in the industry, including ensuring the removal of unsafe tanks from circulation to prevent LPG fire-related incidents.

The law also institutionalizes the cylinder exchange and swapping program to allow consumers to bring any brand of empty LPG cylinder to any retail outlet and use it to purchase another brand of LPG cylinder carried by the retail outlet.

The LPG Cylinder Improvement Program, meanwhile, the senator noted, ensures the quality of all LPG cylinders in circulation to protect consumers.

The existing hospital development plan, current bed capacity and service capabilities, including organizational structure and staffing requirements, shall be updated, according to Hontiveros’ bill.

Padilla bill to include streaming, online services

SEN. Robin Padilla has filed a bill which seeks to update the 40-yearold Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Padilla’s bill is said to include online and on-demand streaming services “and any other technology of similar nature imported or produced in the Philippines” whether they be for local viewing or for export.

Padilla’s bill also seeks to update the definition of a “movie” to include streaming through online or on-demand streaming services “and any technology of similar nature whether currently existing or to be developed in the future.”

The senator, a former actor, also wants to boost the MTRCBagainst objectionable movies, publicity materials and other audio-visual media.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

PAO lawyers acquit more than 26K cases in 2022

THE Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) was able to secure the acquittal of 26,393 indigent clients in various courts in 2022.

PAO chief Persida Acosta credited the high rate of acquittal to the “dedication of the hardworking men and women of the PAO.”

She said the agency rendered services to 11,729,353 poor clients and handled 850,753 cases in 2022.

PAO released from detention of 87,577 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

WRONG TURN. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) try to secure a white vehicle after it almost fell into a creek between the railroad tracks of the Philippine National Railways at the Pandacan train station on Sunday. The driver and passenger of the vehicle were reportedly safe. Norman Cruz

SEN. Cynthia A. Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, is encouraging everyone to protect the country’s wildlife, noting that citizens will be adversely affected by its damage or loss.

“We owe it to the future generation to conserve and protect our wildlife resources. It is part of our duty to leave this world better than we found it,” Villar said, during the celebration of World Wildlife Day 2023 in the Philippines led by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary

One Kaizen CEO wins Asia’s Triumphant Award

By Roy Tomandao

PAUL ARELLANO, CEO of One Kaizen Asia has received recognition from Asia’s Triumphant Awards as an outstanding businessman.

“For us businessman, we are truly inspired by this kind of citation, and it really pushes us to do better. This is not only for us, but for our people as well, they are the ones who were with us in achieving this kind of success,” Arellano said.

“Becoming a businessman is my

dream since I was a kid, I am very much curious and interested in putting up businesses. So I did follow my dream and started putting up businesses, from which some were gone now, until I hit it unexpectedly, with One Kaizen Asia,” Arellano added. Arellano said the management and employees of One Kaizen Asia are like one big happy family. Employees get to enjoy food and transportation subsidies and all government dues were duly reported and paid for. Staff house is available for employees who

Toni Loyzaga.

“Let us not act harshly in ways that will threaten the delicate balance that sustains all life on earth. Let us make sure that the future generations will still encounter and co-exist with an abundance of plants and animals, and not just see them in old pictures,” she

live far from the office. Employees even have bonuses, house or car incentives, once their target has been reached.

“During the pandemic, we were not affected that much because one of my businesses is in construction. And as we all know, work did not stop in this industry. This was the saving grace of my other businesses until such time that they were able to operate again. It’s one business supporting another, all my employees have been taken care of,” Arellano added.

Mayor Tan of Santiago City seeking more investors

By Brenda Jocson

her “4K” program of governance translated as “KABUHAYAN, KALUSUGAN, KAHUSAYAN AT KAAYUSAN” or livelihood, health education, and peace and order while continuously looking to generate income from its local

‘To combat poverty we had to be hands-on and look for more investors to generate job generation but we had to prepare the Santiagueno’s to be receptive, healthy, educated, capable, and law-abiding to enable everybody to the dynamic changes coming in the future,” she said.

“With the vigilance of our public attorneys, the PAO was able to secure the release of 87,577 PDLs for the whole year 2022,” she said, citing the agency’s 2022 accomplishment report.

Rio N. Araja

further said.

Villar said every March 3, World Wildlife Day is celebrated and to raise awareness on the country’s amazing biodiversity. The country has a wide variety of wildlife and plants, and thi biodiversity contributes to people’s lives and the earth.

BUSINESS AWARDEE. Paul Arellano, the chief executive officer of One Kaizen Asia received recognition from Asia’s Triumphant Awards as an outstanding businessman in a ceremony held in Pasig City recently. Roy Tomandao

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

UN MEMBER states finally agreed Saturday to a text on the first international treaty after years of negotiations to protect the high seas, a fragile and vital treasure that covers nearly half the planet.

“The ship has reached the shore,” conference chair Rena Lee announced at the UN headquarters in New York shortly before 9:30 pm (0230 GMT Sunday), to loud and lengthy applause from delegates.

The exact wording of the text was not immediately released but activists hailed it as a breakthrough moment for the protection of biodiversity after more than 15 years of discussions.

The treaty is seen as essential to conserving 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030, as agreed by world governments in a historic accord signed in Montreal in December.

“This is a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitics,” said Greenpeace’s Laura Meller.

Following two weeks of intense talks, including a marathon overnight session Friday into Saturday, delegates finalized a text that now cannot be significantly altered.

“There will be no reopening or discussions of substance,” Lee told negotiators.

The agreement will be formally adopted at a later date once it has been vetted by lawyers and translated into the United Nations’ six official languages, she announced.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the delegates, according to a spokesperson who said the agreement was a “victory for multilateralism and for global efforts to counter the destructive trends facing ocean health, now and for generations to come.”

The high seas begin at the border of countries’ exclusive economic zones, which extend up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from coastlines. They thus fall under the jurisdiction of no country. AFP

FASTEST DEFENSE SPENDING IN 4 YEARS

China increases military budget in the face of ‘escalating’ threats

CHINA said Sunday its military spending would rise at the fastest pace in four years, warning of “escalating” threats from abroad at a meeting of its rubber-stamp parliament that is set to hand Xi Jinping a third term as president.

The increase in the world’s secondlargest defense budget came as Beijing announced an economic growth goal of around five percent for this year – one of

its lowest in decades.

The country’s planned budgets for the year put defense spending at 1.55 trillion yuan ($225 billion), a 7.2 percent rise and the quickest rate of increase since 2019. It officially rose 7.1 percent last year.

Outgoing Premier Li Keqiang told delegates to the National People’s Congress (NPC) that “external attempts to suppress and contain China are escalating.”

“The armed forces should intensify military training and preparedness across the board,” he said as he presented the government’s annual work report to thousands of amassed delegates in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

The military must “devote greater

energy to training under combat conditions, and... strengthen military work in all directions and domains”, he added.

China’s defense spending still pales in comparison with the United States, which has allotted over $800 billion for its military this year.

But analysts have said Beijing spends much more money than the officially announced sums.

The ramped-up spending comes during a low point in relations between China and the United States.

Beijing and Washington have butted heads in recent years over trade, human rights and other issues, but relations soured even further last month when the US shot down a Chinese balloon it

said was being used for surveillance – a claim strenuously denied by Beijing.

Top American officials have also repeatedly warned that China may invade Taiwan in the coming years, pointing to Beijing’s increasingly assertive military moves around the self-ruled island, which it sees as its own territory and has vowed to bring under its control.

Niklas Swanstrom, director of the Stockholm-based nonprofit the Institute for Security and Development Policy, said Beijing appeared to be “investing in its capacity to take over Taiwan and keep the US out of the region.”

“We have a military arms race in Northeast Asia, and Chinese armaments are driving this forward,” he added. AFP

NORTH Korea’s foreign ministry called on the United Nations to urge a halt to joint military drills by Seoul and Washington, state media reported Sunday.

The drills and rhetoric from the allies have pushed tensions to an “extremely dangerous level,” vice foreign minister Kim Son Gyong said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

“The UN and the international community will have to strongly urge the US and South Korea to immediately halt their provocative remarks and joint military exercises,” he said.

The statement comes after officials from Seoul and Washington announced on Friday more than 10 days of large-scale military exercises from March 13 to 23.

The United States and South Korea have said the exercises are defensive, but Pyongyang sees them as a rehearsal for invasion.

RUSSIA’S defense minister has inspected troops in frontline regions in eastern Ukraine, after the United States offered more support to Kyiv whose forces are struggling in Bakhmut.

Sergei Shoigu inspected an advance command post in the direction of the south of the Donetsk region, the defense ministry said, without specifying exactly where or when.

It put out a rare video of the Russian defense minister travelling in a helicopter and talking to a soldier in front of damaged buildings.

Shoigu handed state awards to ser-

vicemen and held a meeting with his deputies “on organizing the uninterrupted provision of troops with armaments, military hardware and ordnance,” his ministry later said.

The visit came with fierce fighting ongoing around Bakhmut, the longest battle of the conflict, which has further exposed rivalries between the conventional army and the Wagner paramilitary group.

Wagner chef Yevgeny Prigozhin said Friday his fighters had “practically encircled” Bakhmut.

Well-versed in social media, Pr-

Anger as climate activists smear

monument with black ink

POLITICIANS reacted angrily Saturday after climate activists smeared a black liquid on a monument near Germany’s lower parliamentary chamber on which the articles of the country’s constitution are inscribed.

The group behind the action near the Bundestag in Berlin, Letzte Generation (Last Generation), has carried out several similar actions to draw attention to the climate crisis.

They posted a video online of people dressed in fluorescent orange safety jackets spraying the liquid on some of the 19, three-meter high glass panels on which articles of the constitution are inscribed.

They also put up posters bearing the slogan “Oil or constitutional rights?”

igozhin has for weeks been publicizing the advances of his men towards the eastern city, whose symbolic importance outstrips any military significance.

Prigozhin regularly posts videos of himself alongside mercenaries, on the ground or even in a fighter jet, in contrast with Russian generals criticized for shirking the frontline. In his latest video Friday, Prigozhin directly called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to abandon Bakhmut, which Russia is determined to seize as part of the wider aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region. AFP

Seoul and Washington also conducted a combined air drill with a US long-range bomber and South Korean fighter aircraft on Friday, the latest in their series of joint training in recent weeks.

The “irresponsible acts” of the allies will only take the regional situation “to a very critical and uncontrollable phase,” Kim warned.

North Korea on Saturday blamed Washington for what it called the collapse of international arms control systems and said Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons were “the surest way” to ensure the balance of power in the region. AFP

The monument, called “Basic Law 49” in reference to West Germany’s 1949 constitution, was created by Israeli artist Dani Karavan.

“I am shocked that the activists of the #LastGeneration are smearing this important work of art on the Basic Law,” tweeted Baerbel Bas, president of the ruling Social Democrats in the Bundestag. “It stands as a reminder to respect our fundamental rights,” she added – including the right to freedom of expression and assembly that they themselves enjoyed.

No matter what message was intended, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann tweeted, “... it can only be wrong!” AFP

DONALD Trump dramatically raised the stakes of the 2024 election Saturday as he warned he was the only candidate who could save America from “warmonger” Democrats and the “zealots and fools” of the mainstream Republican party.

Darkly invoking a nation on its knees, Trump told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that Americans were “in an epic struggle to rescue our country from the people who hate it and want to absolutely destroy it.”

“We had a Republican Party that was ruled by freaks, neocons, globalists,

open border zealots and fools,” he said, singling out multiple luminaries of the traditional party by name.

American voters, Trump said, were tired of “entrenched political dynasties in both parties, rotten special interests, China-loving politicians” and supporters of “endless foreign wars.”

“We’re going to have Word War III if something doesn’t happen fast,” he cautioned in a section voicing disapproval for US aid to Ukraine.

“I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III.”

Trump spoke for around 100 minutes to close out the four-day CPAC, a short hop down the Potomac River from the nation’s capital Washington. CPAC was until recently the premier gathering of conservative thought leaders in America—but it has been swallowed whole by Trump’s far-right “Make America Great Again” movement, with pundits referring to the event lately as “MAGApalooza.”

“We are going to finish what we started,” Trump said as he took to the stage, prompting a chant of “Four more years, four more years!” AFP

UN members agree on first deal to protect the high seas

Nokor: UN must urge halt to joint US-Sokor drills

Russian minister inspects troops; Kyiv gets more aid

MAPPING OUT CHINA’S FUTURE. A general view of the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2023. AFP

GOOD LUCK RITES. People take part in a Buddhist ceremony in which an auspicious golden umbrella is placed at the top of a pagoda, donated by Karen state Border Guard Forces Chief Saw Chit Thu, at Pyi Thar Lin Aye pagoda in Hlaingbwe township in Myanmar on March 5, 2023. AFP

Former US President Donald Trump

UN development chief concerned over debt distress

DOHA, Qatar—A top UN official has warned that “urgent” measures are needed to help 52 countries facing debt repayment problems that put some at risk of default.

Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Programme, told AFP that 25 of the 52 were spending more than a fifth of government revenues servicing external debt.

“The situation right now for developing countries when it comes to the national debt is indeed very, very serious,” Steiner said in an interview on the sidelines of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) summit in Doha on Saturday.

The UN agency estimates that “52 countries are either in debt distress or one step away from debt distress and potential default,” he said.

Steiner did not name the countries involved but the UNDP last week released a report which called for a 30 percent write-off of external debt for 52 countries at 2021 values.

The 52 included Argentina, Lebanon, and Ukraine alongside 23 countries from sub-Saharan Africa, 10 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and eight from East Asia and the Pacific.

Steiner said “the financial markets are not paying enough attention” as the 52 accounts for only three percent of global external debt, but one-sixth of the world’s population.

Development shocks

Twenty-five countries spending onefifth of government revenues on debt servicing is “not sustainable”, he added.

“Therefore, we have called very clearly for urgent ways to inject liquidity while also restructuring and rescheduling debts, because otherwise, we may see country after country falling into that territory of debt distress.”

On Saturday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres slammed the world’s rich countries and energy giants for burdening LDCs with “predatory” interest rates.

Volatile trading expected ahead of inflation report

By Jenniffer B. Austria

TRADING at the Philippine Stock Exchange is expected to be volatile this week, as investors watch the release of the February inflation rate which will determine the direction for the benchmark interest rate.

Online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia. com said anxiety over the next few quarters replaced market’s optimism in the fourth quarter of 2022 as high inflation rate persisted.

“Next week, macro releases are likely to fuel another round of volatility, centered around local inflation and whether balance sheets are braced for another year of interest rate gyrations,” 2TradeAsia.com said.

Poor nations’ debt has multiplied over the past decade because of the coronavirus pandemic, high food and fuel bills, and financial crises.

Several have defaulted over the past two years. Steiner said that African countries such as Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso have lost up to 20 years of development progress amid a rise in political violence and government failures to provide basic services, security, health, and education.

He said total debt was difficult to establish as more than 60 percent is owed to private creditors.

“Now you have the war in Ukraine, you have the impact on the global food and energy prices and particularly when it comes to debts, the impact of inflation is driving interest rates up,” he said. Rising fuel costs have caused “a short-term shock” for countries struggling to maintain basic fiscal stability, according to Steiner. AFP

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said last week the February inflation would likely settle between 8.5 percent and 9.3 percent despite earlier predictions that prices would ease by February.

Analysts said that given this indication, they were expecting the BSP to stay hawkish and continue raising rates over the next few months to temper inflation.

This could hurt the growth of the economy and lead to decline in consumption spending and lower corporate earnings in the first half.

Analysts said despite the market condition, investors could adopt buy-ondips strategy, knowing that the county’s long-term domestic growth strategy remained intact and inflation and interest rates would eventually ease from high levels.

Companies expressed optimism about sustaining their growth momentum and expansion plans for 2023.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index closed 30 points lower

amid see-saw trading last week. Data showed that while value turnover improved to an average of P9.85 billion, foreign investors continued their selling spree amid the volatile market.

Meanwhile, world stock markets rose Friday with data showing the resilience of the US and Chinese economies, reassuring investors rather than sparking worries about interest rate hikes.

With central banks in the United States, Britain and eurozone raising interest rates to tamp down inflation, signs of economic strength could persuade policymakers to hike rates further for longer and possibly prompt a more severe downturn later.

A strong run of data sent chills through trading floors in February—wiping out almost all of January’s rally—as investors realized the US central bank had more work to do to control prices.

But survey data from both China and the United States were welcomed.

“The general mood has also been helped by better-than-expected economic reports, which while raising concerns about further rate hikes, have also helped to create a mood that the economic picture may not be as dire as had been predicted at the start of the year,” said market analyst Michael Hewson at CMC Markets.

China’s February Caixin services PMI rose to 55.0 from 52.9, where a score above 50 represents expansion. With AFP

PSEi March 3, 2023

for EV

batteries

Iran announces discovery of large deposit of lithium

TEHRAN—Iran has announced the discovery of a large deposit of lithium, a key component of batteries for electric vehicles and electronic devices, state media reported Saturday.

“For the first time in Iran, a lithium reserve has been discovered in Hamedan”, in the west of the country, state television quoted Mohammad Hadi Ahmadi, an official with the ministry of industry, mines and trade. This reserve is believed to hold “8.5 million tons” of lithium, according to the director-general of the ministry’s operating department.

Dubbed the “oil of the 21st century”, lithium is essential for the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles, which should allow cars to wean themselves off CO2-emitting oil.

THE next plot twist happened in the middle of college. Amid the hustle and bustle of student life in Taft, everything seemingly came to a halt when the coronavirus started to spread around the country. Again, fellow students: Try to remember that one fateful day when classes were suddenly suspended.

What were you doing? How did you feel?

That day, my last class had just ended, and I remember doing a bit of work for a fundraiser we were preparing for at the time. Overall, it seemed like a typical busy day—attending classes and doing the usual org work. When the suspension was announced, I was just as happy as any other student because, for the first time in my sophomore year, I was able to arrive home before 6 p.m.—a proud achievement for someone who stays on campus until security asks me to leave. Little did I know that it would also be a day of my many lasts at DLSU; the last face-to-face classes, the last commutes, and, ultimately, the last day of normalcy inside the campus. Stuck at home, I was once again struck with uncertainty. For all of us who studied for more than two years online, to say that the pandemic experience was difficult is a big understatement. As our houses became our classrooms, what once was a place to rest became a place to work. School was no longer a second home, but an extension of the first one—where setting boundaries was an entirely different challenge. Again, we would often hear something like “Malas na naman ‘no; sayang, two years din ‘yun.” At some point, as the pandemic went on, we gave much thought to the months and years of what could’ve been a normal college life—we thought of the things we should’ve done in the past but felt immensely uncertain of what lies ahead. We were left with no choice but to contemplate in silence as we watched the

This white metal is also an essential component of rechargeable batteries used in cell phones and other electronic devices.

According to a United States Geological Survey (USGS) report published in 2022, a total of 89 million tons of lithium have been identified worldwide. Australia, Chile, Argentina, and China are the main producers.

In 2022, lithium prices skyrocketed due to rising component prices and general inflation, as demand for cleaner means of travel increased around the world.

Iran, whose economy is battered by severe international sanctions, particularly imposed by the United States, has substantial natural resource reserves, including gas, oil, copper, and iron. AFP

Fate Part 2

world in isolation. But even in the most silent battles where we fought our doubts, fears, and regrets, we chose to learn, endure, and grow—becoming the reflective, lifelong learners we all aspired to be.

Reflecting on these plot twists, I wonder:

What legacy will our batch leave behind?

Are we really “guinea pigs” or are we high-caliber pioneers of a new curriculum?

Did the pandemic really make us the most unfortunate batch, or did it shape us to become the most resilient Lasallians?

Fellow graduates, the answer is for us to decide and act upon as we move forward.

Sir Winston Churchill said that “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” The fact that all of us are here today in this shared space is living proof of our commitment to keep moving forward—walang minalas, at mas lalong walang nasayang.

Uncertainties and turbulences teach us something about fate. I’d like to share two passages from Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore:

Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction, but the storm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over, you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn. Why?

Because this storm isn’t something that blew from far away, something that has nothing to do with you. The storm is you. Something inside of you.

Reading this passage reminded me of William Ernest Henley’s Invictus—“I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.” No matter the challenge, no matter the storm, we will always have the power to shape our lives. The second passage by Murakami captures this thought

perfectly: And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.

On behalf of the graduating class, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to those who have been with us throughout every twist and every storm.

To our esteemed DLSU professors, administrators, and mentors, thank you for a student environment that truly feels like home. From a new curriculum to a global pandemic, we have felt your unwavering passion and dedication to quality education—staying true to the life, legacy, and values of the founder, St. La Salle; for that, we are eternally grateful.

To the friends we made along the way, thank you for being you—for friendships that can overcome any pandemic and for countless memories that we will value for the rest of time.

To the parents, guardians, and loved ones here with us today and those in the heavens above, thank you for your unconditional love. With a grateful heart, we dedicate this journey to you—you who helped us find joy in times of sadness; comfort in times of doubt.

To God, the Almighty Creator, thank you for the teachings and life lessons that transcend what we learn inside our classrooms. We, as Lasallians, shall always continue to do our actions for the love of You.

Now, we go back to the start. Babalik tayo sa simula. New beginnings are always found at the journey’s end. As graduates, we now share a responsibility to become

TOP GAINERS

GREEN LIGHT

JAMES MARIUS N. BOLINAO

change-makers in the world around us. We acknowledge uncertainty and embrace the unknown, but it doesn’t mean that we have to face them alone.

Just like the Avengers or the Justice League, who band together to fight forces of evil, we, too, are just as interconnected with one another. We may not be superheroes, but we are Lasallian graduates with the spirit of faith, zeal for service, and communion in mission. Teaching minds, touching hearts, and transforming lives, we share our vocation for the rest of the world to see.

Fellow graduates, what do you want to be now that you’ve already grown up? As we continue to search for meaning, try to remember yourself, who once was a child who dared to dream. I’m sure that they must be so proud to see how far you’ve come. We now conclude this story of fate— and begin to write the first chapter of a new story where the future begins here.

Animo La Salle!

James Marius N. Bolinao is an Applied Corporate Management graduate. RVRCOB DLSU. Chosen to speak on behalf of the graduating class, he delivered this speech during the 194th Commencement Exercises of De La Salle University on February 18, 2023. He can be reached at marius.bolinao@gmail.com.

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

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

IAEA VISIT. Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behrouz Kamalvandi (left) welcomes the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi (right) in Tehran on March 4, 2023. The UN nuclear watchdog chief was in Iran on March 4 for expected talks with the President and other officials after the discovery of uranium particles enriched to near weapons-grade level. The two-day visit comes as the Vienna-based organization seeks greater cooperation with Iran over its nuclear activities. AFP

FRUIT HARVEST. Workers at El Cardon farm harvest pitahaya or dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) in Rocafuerte, Manabi, Ecuador, on March 2, 2023. In Ecuador, there are 1,528 hectares of pitahaya production for export to more than 50 countries, led by the United States with more than 15,000 tons in 2021, according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture. AFP

Emirates, PAL sign new interline agreement to boost connectivity

By Darwin G. Amojelar

EMIRATES signed a new interline agreement with Philippine Airlines to boost connectivity for passengers of both carriers to new points on each other’s networks via Manila and Dubai.

“The Philippines is one of our strongest consumer markets and we’re pleased to sign a new interline agreement with the country’s flag carrier. The partnership with Philippine Airlines will help open new links for trade and tourism that will drive more inbound traffic into the market, and expand Emirates’ footprint in East Asia,” said Emirates chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim.

“We look forward to serving our partner airline’s customers with additional travel choices to Emirates destinations across the Middle East, Europe as well as the Americas, and to expanding our cooperation with plans to include additional points via Cebu in the coming months,” he said.

Now in effect, the reciprocal interline partnership provides Emirates’ passengers access to 19 Philippine domestic destinations operated by Philippine Airlines, including Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Cotabato, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo as well as two Asian regional points via Manila.

Philippine Airlines’ passengers also benefit from access to Emirates’ global network and seamlessly connect to 21 cities operated by Emirates beyond Dubai to European destinations such as London, Rome, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Paris and Kuwait, as well as to Jeddah and other points in the Middle East and Africa.

“We are happy to embark on this new interline partnership with Emirates that expands the choices available to Philippine Airlines passengers, who now gain easier access to more destinations across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa via our flights to Dubai,” said PAL vice president for sales Bud Britanico.

SM adding 200,000 sqm of mall space

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. plans to open three new malls and expand five existing ones this year as it gears up for expansion outside Metro Manila.

SMPH said in its latest investor kit it would open SM City Butuan with 46,000 square meters of gross floor area, SM City San Pedro with 23,000 sq. m.; and SM City Sto Tomas with 58,000 sq. m.

The property firm will expand the existing SM City Marilao, SM City Cebu, SM City East Ortigas, SM City Bacolod

MGreen expects to complete two solar projects in Q1

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MGEN Renewable Energy Inc. expects to complete two solar power projects with a total capacity of 140 megawatts in the first quarter.

MGreen, a wholly-owned renewable energy unit of Meralco PowerGen Corp., the power arm of Manila Electric Co., is constructing a 75-MW solar plant in Baras, Rizal through PH Renewables Inc., a joint venture with Mitsui’s local unit MitRenewables Philippine Corp.

It is also building a 68-MW solar facility in Ilocos Norte in partnership with Vena Energy.

“These two projects are set to commence operations within the first quarter of 2023,” Meralco said.

MGen contributed P5.5 billion to Meralco’s consolidated core net income in 2022, higher than P1.2 billion in 2021, driven by the earnings of Singaporebased PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd.

MGen has a total power generation capacity of 2,251 MW in the Philippines and Singapore.

PacificLight’s CCNI reached S$305 million (P12.1 billion) as of end-December, a significant increase from the S$9.2-million (P2.2 billion) net income in 2021.

Meralco attributed this to higher margins on spot prices which averaged S$168.9 per megawatt hour and the 2-percent growth in demand.

PacificLight’s 800-MW liquefied natural gas facility in Jurong Island in Singapore delivered 5,619 gigawatt-hours of energy in 2022.

MGen has combined direct and indirect interest of 58 percent in PacificLight. It set its sights on building 1,500 MW of renewable energy projects.

Meanwhile, San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co.’s 455 MW supercritical coalfired plant in Mauban, Quezon, delivered 2,765 GWh of energy with an average plant availability of 87.9 percent in 2022.

and SM City Iloilo. The new malls and the expansion of existing ones would add around 200,000 sq. m. of GFA in the company’s mall portfolio in the Philippines.

SMPH had 9 million sq. m. of GFA across 82 shopping malls as of end-2022.

SM Prime also operates seven malls in China with total GFA of 1.4 million sq. m.

SMPH said it has 328 hectares of property in its land bank which could be developed over the next five to seven years.

SMPH said its expansion is geared towards the provinces as it already covered almost all key cities in Metro Manila. Its malls in the National Capital Region represent 42 percent of the company’s total GFA in the Philippines. Malls in Luzon, minus Metro Manila, account for 38 percent of total GFA, while those in the Visayas and Mindanao represent 12 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

“The focus is to cover most of Northern Luzon, Visayas and the progressive cities in Mindanao,” the property firm

said.

SMPH reported a 38-percent year-onyear increase in net income to P30.1 billion last year, driven by the recovery of mall and residential businesses.

The group’s mall business accounted for 58 percent of total revenues in 2022, as rental income surged 92 percent to P44.14 billion from P23 billion it booked in 2021.

The group’s mall business benefitted from improving mobility, resumption of face-to-face classes and charging of full rental fees from tenants.

Operating income also jumped 248 percent to P26.9 billion from P7.73 billion in 2021.

SM Investments Corp., the par-

PSE INDEX CLOSING

ent firm of SMPH, saw its net income in 2022 surge by 53 percent to P61.7 billion from P40.4 billion in 2021 on strong performance of core banking, property and retail businesses.

SMIC said consolidated revenues went up 28 percent to P553.8 billion in 2022 from P432.4 billion in 2021.

“All of our business units delivered strong results, reflecting the Philippines’ economic recovery last year and the actions we took during the pandemic. SM also innovated and improved efficiencies across the board, and today we are focused again on expanding our footprint across the regions to serve more Filipinos,” SMIC president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio said.

ICTSI expands large vessel capability of Manila flagship

INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. continues to go above and beyond its concession obligations with the Philippine Ports Authority, adding another berth at the Manila International Container Terminal—the Philippines’ premiere gateway for international trade. Currently under phase two development, MICT’s berth 8 has a design depth of 15 meters that will enable the terminal to handle foreign ultra large container vessels with capacities of up to 18,000 TEUs or twenty-foot equivalent units. MICT is capable of handling neo-Panamax ships through berths 6 and 7, which are operated by five quay cranes. A sixth crane is scheduled to arrive in July and will be operational within the year. Berth 8 will operate with a minimum of four QCs – two of which will be delivered in 2025.

“We are optimistic of the prospect of welcoming ultra large container vessels at the Port of Manila and are preparing to accommodate the added volume that these more efficient ships will bring. With these developments, our goal is to outpace demand and ensure the efficient flow of trade from the port to the local supply chain. We thank the PPA for supporting our initiatives to continuously raise the standard of ports and maritime trade in the country,” said ICTSI executive vice president Christian Gonzalez.

Gatchalian backs lifting of tariffs on e-vehicles

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian, the principal author of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, called for the short-term suspension of tariffs on electric vehicles to support the development of the industry.

THE Department of Public Works and Highways said it expects to complete the Cavite Laguna Expressway Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange by May after it secured an order from a local court in Tagaytay City to implement the writ of possession on the remaining 15,650 square meters of land needed to finish the project.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan told reporters that in “two to three months”, the Calax Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange would be completed after months of delays over right-ofway issues. The project was supposed to be completed in December last year.

gional Trial Court issued an order dated Feb. 23 directing the branch Sheriff to implement the writ of possession without delay.

“As prayed for and as agreed upon by the parties, the defendant [Uneco Land Corp] is given a period of 10 days before the actual implementation of the writ to remove , transfer or relocate the horses, farm tools and equipment and other things not otherwise considered as part of the building or structure that may found in the subject property,” Maranan said.

The undelivered right of way is a crucial part to finish the construction of CALAX Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange.

coco net.

“They [MPCALA Holdings Inc.] can now continue the construction,” Bonoan said.

Bonoan also committed to expediting the delivery of ROW for the remaining segment of the CALAX Project this year.

“I was able to talk to DBM [Department of Budget and Management], and they assured me that they will be releasing the funds necessary for the acquisition of the right-of-way for CALAX,” he said.

The DPWH chief said the DBM allocated P2 billion for CALAX right-ofway this year.

“The short-term protection will give time for local manufacturers to transition to e-vehicles,” Gatchalian said in a statement over the weekend.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed in January 2023 Executive Order No. 12 which removed tariffs on EVs to lower EV prices and make them more affordable to local consumers. The proposed five-year tariff is intended to increase the adoption of EV usage and reduce carbon emissions.

“We expect that tariff exemption of EVs will lead the country to usher in an EV ecosystem that is vibrant, responsive, and dynamic,” Gatchalian said.

He said the tariff suspension excludes twowheeled electric motorcycles to protect local manufacturers of tricycles. Only kick scooters, selfbalancing cycles, bicycles and pocket motorcycles with auxiliary motors not exceeding 250 watts and with a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour would have zero percent import duties, while emotorcycles are still subject to a 30 percent tariff rate. Alena Mae S. Flores

Bonoan said the agency secured a writ of possession on the remaining portion of land owned by a private company. Presiding Judge Michael Maranan of the Branch 134 of Tagaytay City Re-

SASSMAPI said its members fully support the DTI-BPS in going after sources of substandard steel products, especially as the country braces for powerful quakes that may be caused by the imminent movement of several active Philippine fault lines.

The ROW issues prevent continuous works, including construction of drainage and bridge, excavation and roadway earthworks and installation of fence and

sure that these structures are only using angle bars that passed the quality standards set by the government because of the frequent typhoons and earthquakes that we are experiencing,” SASSMAPI president Ramon Tan said.

DBM chief supports bill for lean gov’t workforce

BUDGET Secretary Amenah Pangandaman expects Congress to pass the rightsizing bill that aims for a lean, efficient and responsive government workforce into law within the year.

requirement of Philippine National Standard 657:2008 (Hot-Rolled Steel Sections-Equal-leg Angles-Specifications) as confirmed by third-party testing.

Subsection 4 or the Silang (Aguinaldo) segment reached 65 percent completion, while more than 57 percent of the whole CALAX project already done. Darwin G. Amojelar LOCAL manufacturers welcomed the confiscation and subsequent destruction of P740,000 worth of substandard steel angle bars conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Product Standards.

This is a big step toward protecting the public against the sale and use of hazardous sub-quality construction products, according to the Steel Angles, Shapes and Sections Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc.

“We laud the efforts of the DTI-BPS in strictly enforcing the product standard guidelines for critical products like angle bars that have multiple applications, including the construction of houses, buildings, and billboards. We have to make

The DTI-BPS reported that it prevented the sale and distribution of 600 pieces of substandard equal-leg steel angle bars worth P740,000 that were seized in Valenzuela City after they were found to be “non-conforming” with the elongation

The substandard equal-leg steel angle bars were destroyed in the presence of DTI-BPS representatives on Jan. 20 at the manufacturer’s warehouse in Valenzuela City using an oxy-acetylene torch prior to transfer to the manufacturer’s smelting facility. The agency did not disclose the identity of the manufacturer.

The House Committee on Government Reorganization approved in November 2022 an unnumbered substitute bill that aims to remove redundancy or duplication in functions in government agencies, and even agencies that are already obsolete.

The substitute bill is a consolidation of House Bills 12, 2423, 2787, 2885, 3096, 3227, 3385, 3473, 3529, 3539, 4015, 4086, 4120, 4411 and 4816.

Pangandaman said in a briefing the Budget Department would continue to support the bill all the way

CEMEX’S COMMITMENT. CEMEX Philippines executives led by president and chief executive Luis Franco (fourth from left) pay a courtesy visit to Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga (third from left) and other officials to discuss opportunities for collaboration on sustainable development initiatives. With them are (from left) CEMEX public affairs manager Lysander Castillo, vice president for cement operations and technical Santiago Ortiz, DENR Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna and Undersecretary Ignatius Loyola Rodriguez. CEMEX also discussed during the visit the company’s global climate action strategy called Future in Action.

EV CHARGING STATION. Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. plugs in the EV charger on his Porsche Taycan e-car during the launching of free e-vehicle charging on March 2 in support of the province’s commitment to clean environment. Cavite teamed up with SM Supermalls to launch the EV charging station at the basement parking of SM City Trece Martires on March 2, 2023. Dennis Abrina

PSA AWARDS NIGHT

PH sports’ best in spotlight

THE past links with the present in a celebration to remember to toast the best and brightest of 2022 in the San Miguel CorporationPhilippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night Monday at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Hotel.

Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz hands down, is the star of the night as she will be feted with the prestigious Athlete of the Year award for the second straight time exclusively by the oldest media organization in the Philippines headed by its president Rey Lachica, sports editor of Tempo.

Diaz, 31, leads the huge honor roll made up of close to 100 awardees who will be honored on this memorable night that will also have the late track great Lydia De Vega being elevated to the PSA Hall of Fame and bosom buddy Elma Muros-Posadas being recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Former Project Gintong Alay director Michael Keon, current mayor of Laoag City, will be among the special guests as he personally reminisces the good

old glory days when De Vega, Muros-Posadas, among others, were the toast of Philippine track and field.

Other bigwigs led by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann and Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino will grace the formal affair when rising tennis star Alex Eala is bestowed with the President’s Award, and Olympians EJ Obiena, Carlos Yulo, and Carlo Paalam, along with the Philippine Women’s football team and 11 others are presented with the Major Awards.

Veteran sportscaster Sev Sarmenta and lovely sports

journalist and host Rizza Diaz will anchor the gala night presented by the PSC and Cignal TV, and ably backed by the POC, Tagaytay City Mayor Bambol Tolentino, MILO, Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, Rain or Shine, 1Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, Philippine Basketball Association, OKBet, ICTSI, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Other special awards to be given are Executive of the Year (Tolentino), National Sports Association of the Year (Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas), Mr. Basketball (Scottie Thompson), Ms. Football (Sarina Bolden), and the MILO Champion of Grit and Glory award (Diaz).

A long list of citations will also be handed out led by the gold medal winners in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, as well as the Tony Siddayao Awards, PSA Special Awards, and the Lifetime Award in sports journalism.

There will be a special posthumous tribute to be given to De Vega and a host of other athletes, officials, and personalities who passed away last year.

The Athlete of the Year award is the fourth in the last seven years for Diaz since first winning it in 2016 when she ended the country’s 20-year Olympic drought with a silver medal finish in the Rio De Janeiro Games.

Fil-Am pays homage to roots thru dance

By Peter Atencio

FIL-AMERICAN Logan Ellana Edra said her performances will be more meaningful this time around.

The 19-year-old Edra, the 2021 Red Bull BC One Women World Breakdancing champion, said this after she was introduced as the newest member of the national team, with Filipino partner Ilyvm “Dudut” Gabriel.

“And now I get to do it with more meaning and purpose. Because this is my way of paying homage to my roots,” said Edra, who lives in South Florida and traces her Filipino roots to Zambales and Pangasinan.

Edra, who was formally presented as a member of Team Philippines, during the Urban Arts Festival by Philippine Dance Sports Federation president Becky Garcia at the Ayala Circuit Mall in Makati, went back to the United States on Sunday with her manager-

Acuna rips rifle record, bags bronze with Valdez

VETERAN shooter Amparo Teresa Acuna broke another Philippine record before she and Jayson Valdez bagged a bronze medal for the Philippines recently in the ongoing 2023 Air Rifle/Pistol Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The world no. 96-ranked Acuna, who is preparing for the Asian Games, shattered a one-year-old mark she set after placing 10th during the 10-meter air rifle qualifications.

The 25-year-old Acuna accumulated 622.2 points to surpass the Philippine record the she made last year in the 2022 Cairo World Championships with her tally of 617.8.

“I’m relieved that my training from the past month paid off. But at the same time I know there’s lots of room for improvement and I will continue working on what I’ve learned from this competition,” said Acuna, who won’t preparing for the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games with Valdez after their events were not included.

On Sunday, Acuna and Valdez snared the bronze medal in the mixed 10-meter air rifle semifinals. After placing sixth in the qualifications with 610.7 points, Acuna and Valdez prevailed over Malaysia’s Alia Burrudin and Hafiz Hessy, 166, in the semis shootoff.

Last December, Acuna broke a record at the PNSA-PSC Shooting Range at the Philippine Marines Barracks in Taguig City.

She tallied 582 points in the women’s 50-meter rifle, 3-position event, to smash her year-old mark by a point.

Her previous record was at 581, achieved in the 2017 Southeast Asian Shooting Association championships in Subang, Malaysia, where she settled for the bronze. That mark reset the 580, which Acuna did in 2014.

According to her mom, Tessa, Acuna now holds three national records—the 10-meter air rifle, the 50-meter 3-position rifle, and the 50-meter rifle prone. Peter Atencio

3-way battle looms in Tolentino chess meet

coach Lee Razalan. She was in Manila for two weeks to finalize her process of acquiring a Filipino passport. Breakdancing, also known as breaking, will be played as an event under dancesport in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. Garcia said the they hope to have Edra around to join the coming Olympic qualifiers as well.

B-boying or b-girling is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American communities in the United States, consisting of four kinds of movement, toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes.

Organizers of the Cambodia SEA Games have removed the latin and the standard events of dancesport in their calendar of events, compelling the PDSF to seek out Edra, who has been signed up recently as the youngest dancer of Red Bull.

“She is our future Olympian and

La Salle-Lipa sweeps matches in PNVF U-18

DE LA SALLE-LIPA completed a sweet sweep of its girls’ Pool A weekend matches on Sunday with a 25-13, 25-11 victory over Junction Youth Organization of Los Baños in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Under-18 Championships at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Sixteen-year-old Raizah Nicole Mamailao took care of defense at the net for De La Salle-Lipa, which went 3-0 in the third weekend of the tournament organized by the PNVF headed by Ramon “Tats” Suzara and supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, PLDT, Rebi-

sco and Akari.

“I reminded the girls not to be selective and follow the game plan,” De La Salle-Lipa’s coach of 19 tears Imee Mendoza said.

Opposite hitter Maezen De Silva, youngest for the Batangas squad at 12, provided instant offense in the second set, along with libero Reika Kaizerine Amaya.

“We just have to work hard, our job is not done as we’re heading now to the quarterfinals,” the seventh-grader De Silva said.

Mendosa said classes in Lipa City will go online this week in anticipation of a nationwide transport strike but hopes the parents of the players

will allow them to go to school to practice “I’m getting an approval from our administrators to allow us to practice at school,” she said.

Junction Youth Organization exited with four losses.

In the other girls’ results, Team Hiraya of Angono (Rizal) barged into win column after four games in Pool D by beating Ateneo de Manila University, 25-14, 26-24.

Ateneo ended the tournament with a 0-4 card.

Santa Rosa City dealt United Volleyball League of Nueva Ecija a fourth straight beating, 25-13, 2514, while wrapping up its Pool C

gold medallist in Paris 2024. I am very happy to have Logan here with us,” said Garcia, who sought the help of Senator Francis Tolentino for Edra to be able to get her Filipino passport.

The decision to represent the Philippines took some time and was finalized after Edra won the 2021 World Championships and some soul searching.

“I’m proud to represent the Philippines, and I’ve always wanted to represent because my blood is Filipino. I have been battling for 10 years at a young age around the world,” added Edra.

She came to the country after competing in the World Breakdancing Olympic ranking event on Feb. 25 in Fukuoka, Japan.

While Manila, she went into a faceoff with Gabriel during the festival, with the coaches believing that Edra can show how tough and good she can be around male performers.

A THREE-WAY title battle loomed among Samantha Umayan, Franchesca Largo and top seed Jerlyn Mae San Diego after the three hurdled their respective foes to share the lead after the sixth and penultimate round on Sunday of the Vice Gov. Athena Tolentino National Age Group Chess Championships in Tagaytay City.

Umayan bested Rhea Jean Canino, Largo trounced Kyla Deloso Dalagan and San Diego waylaid Marielle Agne Juzeia to share the lead in the girls’ Under-18 section with five points apiece going into the final round.

Umayan, Largo and San Diego were all eyeing to beat Dalagan, Cyhrea Ruth Atog and Sheila Mer Donoga, respectively, and hope one of them emerge with the highest tiebreak score to claim the crown in this event bankrolled by Tolentino, a Cavite vice governor and National Chess of the Philippines vice president.

The same logjam also happened in the premier open U18 class as Christian Gian Carlo Arca, Cyrus Vladimir Francisco and Del Emerson dela Cruz were bunched on top with five points each.

Francisco and Arca split the point, while Dela Cruz sent Jeremy Marticio back to earth to bolster their respective title chances in the meet backed by the PSC, NCFP and POC president Abraham Tolentino.

Dela Cruz and Francisco clash in the last round, while Arca tangle with Jerish John Velarde.

In the open U16, John Cyrus Borce bested Oscar Joseph Cantela to stay at the helm with 5.5 points while Jersey Marticio pushed back Maryss Annxeniel Caldoza to seize the solo lead with five points in the girls’ U16.

SUBIC TRIATHLON. Participants emerge from the water during the My Daily Collagen Super Series Triathlon at the Baywalk, in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority on Sunday.

More than 500 participants, including foreigners, joined the event. Joseph Muego

Logan Ellana Edra with dance partner Ilyvm ‘Dudut’ Gabriel

Hidilyn Diaz

16k Global Run to honor late running enthusiast

A VIRTUAL running event, titled the “RunningShield 16k Global Run” is slated on March 17 to 31 in honor of the late running enthusiast Patrick Concepcion, known as RunningShield. Concepcion ran a total of 127,811.89 kms in his lifetime, a distance amounting to over three times the earth’s circumference.

In his honor, the Global Run aims to run a distance equal to 40,070 kms, which is the length of a run around the world through the combined efforts of all participants for the benefit of The Philippine College of Surgeons Cancer Committee Foundation.

The 40,070-km challenge begins on March 17, 2023, Concepcion’s birthday, and will end on March 31.

For the 16k, register for free and run

UP belles edge Lady Warriors in UAAP volley

NIÑA Ytang steered University of the Philippines to a 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-20 victory over University of the East in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.

Ytang dominated above the net and fired six points in the Fighting Maroons’ pivotal 9-1 rally in the fourth set that gave them a comfortable 20-12 cushion.

Ytang finished with a match-high 20 points on 12 attacks, seven blocks, and an ace in the victory.

“Siyempre very thankful kasi unang panalo ng team and siguro ang dami pa ring naming mga kulang kanina pero kailangan naming maappreciate kung gaano ka-okay ‘yung ginalaw namin,” said Shaq delos Santos after earning his first victory as UP head coach.

The Lady Red Warriors closed the eight-point gap to within four, 19-23, after three consecutive errors from the side of UP before Dara Nieva committed an attack error that placed the Fighting Maroons at match point.

KC Cepada tried to keep UE afloat with a cross-court attack, but Alyssa Bertolano answered back with a cross-court hit of his own to help UP log its first win.

The Fighting Maroons overcame an error-plagued fourth set that saw them commit a total of 16 errors to tie Far Eastern University at the sixth spot with identical 1-2 records.

“Una ganu’n kami kabait,” said Delos Santos in jest. “Hayun nga, 16 errors so trabaho pa kami hanggang sa maibaba namin siya nang maibaba.

Part naman ‘yun ng process namin sa pagbuo ng team na ‘to so accept lang kami and then trabaho lang.”

Stephanie Bustrillo added 16 points on 10 attacks, three blocks, and three aces for the Diliman-based spikers while Alyssa Bertolano had an allaround outing of 10 points, 11 excellent receptions, and six digs.

The Lady Red Warriors and the Fighting Maroons had a close encounter in the opener but the latter managed to pull away late with Ja Lana unleashing an off-the-block hit that put her school ahead, 24-22. Stephanie Bustrillo saved a point but Vanessa Bangayan closed it up with a cross-court hit.

this distance all in one go. Or, between March 17 to 31, run the 16-km distance at your own pace.

The 160k Group Challenge comes with a P1,000 donation, wherein a participant gathers a team of at least 10 people who will commit to running a total of 160 kms.

Leader must register the team, while all members must register individually in the 16k Individual. Team member must declare their team during registration.

Participation also includes a raffle entry within each category for a chance to win prizes from sponsors Condura, Smeg, ASICS and many others.

For more information on raffle prizes, how to participate, our beneficiary, and more, visit http://therunningshieldrun.com/

Orchard tops Founders; Alta Vista double champ

CEBU CITY—The Orchard Golf and Country Club turned to its pair of junior golfers to take the fight out of its closest pursuers and capture the Founders division in the 74th Philippine Airlines Men’s Interclub golf team championships on Saturday.

Just two points ahead of Alabang and Riviera with two more teams within six points before the start of the final round, the Orchard drew a tournament-best 40 points from Zachary Castro and 33 from Tristan Jefferson Padilla to shut the door.

Castro went 4-under at the back where he started before adding two more against two bogeys coming home.

With Hongzheng Lu and Beejay Chua adding 32 and 25, the Orchard amassed 130 points at the Cebu Country Club to cruise to a seven-point victory.

Riviera Golf Club struck through Eric Gozo’s 35 and Michael Mendoza’s 34 to take second place with 463 points. Other scorers were King Stehmeier and Richard Salcedo with 28 apiece. Forest Hills settled for third with 455, drawing a pair of 32s from Augusto Pacheco and Jose Inigo Raymundo, a 31 from Joshua Nicolas Buenaventura and 26 from James Bryan Gosiaco.

It was also a close fight in the third-tier Aviator class with Alta Vista emerging on top with 425 points after closing with 103

points at Club Filipino de Cebu.

Cebu Country Club Team 2 came in second with 421 while Zamboanga took third with 417.

In the Sportswriters bracket, Club Filipino de Cebu posted a runaway 22-point win over South Cotabato, totaling 386 points. Third place went to San Juanico Golf Park with 357 points.

Alta Vista made it two in a row after its second team ruled the Friendship class with 326 points, 27 points ahead of Liloan Golf Club. Apo Golf Orogold Club placed third with 298.

The annual event, held with the theme

“Back to Ignite,” was supported by platinum sponsors ABS-CBN Global, Asian Journal, Airbus, and NUSTAR Resort and Casino. Gold sponsors include Radio Mindanao Network, Mastercard, MemoRieS FM 89.9 Cebu, University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network, PLDT/Smart, and Konsulta MD.

Joining the event as silver sponsors were Philippine National Bank, Biocostech, and

VISA.

Minor sponsors were Bollore Logistics, Manila Standard, Tanduay Brands International, and Asia Brewery while donors are the Department of Tourism, Ogawa, Newport World Resorts, Rolls Royce, and Boeing.

The final standings:

Championship – Manila Southwoods 534 (141-133-127-133), Eastridge 521 (127135-120.139), Cebu 498 (126-130-120-122), Del Monte 482 (113-127-119-123), Tagaytay Highlands 475 (119-113-119-124), Sta

Elena 442 (114-88-120-120), Pueblo de Oro 417 (111-101-88-117)

Founders – The Orchard 470 (113-112115-130), Riviera 463 (114-105-119-125), Forest Hills 456 (111-113-111-121), Negros Occidental 455 (116-94-119-126), Alabang 451 (120-113-105-113), Wack Wack 445 (107-108-119-111), Villamor Air Base 434 (110-102-102-120), Camp John Hay 406 (99-101-100-106), Camp Aguinaldo 399 (120-91-82-106), Team Brookside 386 (99103-86-100), 89), Apo 377 (90-99-86-102), Southern California Redhawks 377 (10999-82-102)

Aviators – Alta Vista 425 (101-116-105103), Cebu Team 2 421 (96-113-115-97), Zamboanga 417 (101-102-108-106), Summit Point 404 (94-103-105-102), Eagle Ridge 390 (86-108-109-87), Rancho Palos Verde 1 385 (76-98-109-102), Manila 380 (95-103-95-91), Tagaytay Midlands 373 (76-98-95-104), Britanikka 1 370 (79-105-

94-92), Sherwood Hills 363 (97-94-8785), Bacolod 337 (61-86-92-98), Fairways and Bluewater 329 (79-91-84-75), Filam Hawaii 329(71-73-96-89), Filam Fairfield 316 (54-89-87-86), Fil-Am Fairway 1 313 (68-84-77-84), Up Tee Jots 311 (82-857371), Guinhalaran 310 (72-77-95-66), Iligan 299 (63-81-87-70), Lumbia 288 (65-92-7556), Golden Gate 283 (73-71-85-54) Sportswriters – Club Filipino INC de Cebu 386 (102-92-94-98), South Cotabato 364 (83-88-88-105), San Juanico 357 (71-75-95-116), Camp Evangelista 350 (94-82-89-85), Davao City 349 (105-7873-93), Sarangani Golf 346 (85-96-6699), South Pacific Davao 344 (77-79-9395), West Highlands 339 (81-86-84-88), Negros Intl 339 (80-78-89-92), Seattle 335 (75-103-81-76), Filam LA 1 317 (8679-65-87), The Firm Eagle Ridge 317 (81-85-78-73), Leyte 312 (94-63-82-73), Lanang 309 (72-72-77-88), Filipino in the Middle East Dubai 300 (98-41-9170), MSU Golf 282 (66-59-66-91), Silicon Valley 227 (59-77-58-83), PGA British Columbia 245 (66-57-59-73), Pearl Kai Hawaii 213 (55-35-57-66), Yokohama Eagles 163 (44-32-47-40) Friendship – Alta Vista Team 2 326 (81-90-84-71), Liloan 299 (62-81-89-69), Apo Golf Orogold Club 298 (80-71-74-73), Eagle Ridge Lagitek 289 (80-62-65-82), Edwin Andrews Air Base285 (65-76-7767), Davao Team B 275 (71-70-78-58), Veterans 263 (66-67-70-62), Baguio 259 (59-55-73-72), Paraiso Golf Players Association Team B 247 (68-58-64-59), Van City 246 (75-66-62-43), Green Tee Clun Riyadh245 (52-51-78-66), Filipino Golfers in the Middle East UAE 245 (58-55-8349), Cotabato 238 (49-70-83-36), Paraiso Golf Players Association 230 (35-60-5976), Greenhills West 212 (61-62-50-41), Fil-Am Golf Sacramento 211 (40-44-5572), UAE Filgolfers AUH 202 (41-46-5956), Mt Malindang 198 (55-49-45-51), Caaga 174 (45-34-42-53), Fil Oz Sydney 64 (16-12-18-18)

Beermen out of contention in EASL Champions Week

SAN Miguel Beer bowed out of contention in the East Asia Super League Champions Week after absorbing a 14287 beating at the hands of Anyang KGC at the end of the group stage on Saturday at the Okinawa Arena.

The Beermen found no answer against import Omari Spellman, who torched them for 53 points, and dazzling Filipino import Rhenz Abando as the two joined hands to deal the reigning PBA Philippine Cup champions a 55-point blowout.

Anyang completed a two-game sweep of Group A to arrange an all-Korea showdown with Seoul SK Knights for the championship and the $250,000 prize purse.

The title duel is set Sunday also in Okinawa. Abando, the former NCAA RookieMVP from Letran and a member of the Gilas Pilipinas pool, finished with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, and together with Spellman, led a second

TOP local triathletes priming up for the Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Davao look to whip up the chase for individual honors in various age-group divisions when the premier endurance race powered by Petron is held on March 26 at Azuela Cove.

Ines Santiago, who topped the women’s side of the IRONMAN 70.3 Cebu last year, tries to bring her winning act to Davao, looming as the marked triathlete in the 40-44 division of the multi-age category event to be disputed over the challenging 1.9 km-swim, 90km-bike and 21k-run course.

The Negrense unleashed a strong finishing kick in the closing run stage to score a come-from-behind victory in the IM 70.3 Cebu last August in the event dubbed as the “comeback race” after being deferred for nearly three years due to pandemic.

And the 40-year-old ace sets out for another title crack via the same fashion, the upcoming event

marking Davao’s third hosting of the blue-ribbon event after being postponed in 2020-22. Santiago also ruled the Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines, a full distance race, last year, the first to be held after a two-year hiatus.

The Herbalife Triathlon team spearhead, however, braces for a tough grind in pursuit of another IM 70.3 diadem given a slew of talented rivals, including Merlyn Abong, Vanessa Agdon, Roxanne Ang, Jhoan Año, Ma. Veronica Arcenas, Maryfel Aumentado, Ma. Lourdes Cabero, Jaymee Castillo, Norlyn delos Cientos, Eunice Go, April Lañas, Dulce Lo, Joni Lopez, Anne Manas, Maypette Ng, Pauline Pastor and Eden Uy. Out to spoil the locals’ title bid in the event, backed by event partners Alveo, Petron, Lungsod ng Dabaw, Azuela Cove, Davao Light, Lightwater, Prudential Guarantee, One Sport and Cignal, are Belgium’s Caroline De Cramer, Ireland’s Etta-Mai

quarter breakaway that turned a tight first quarter into a huge 40-20 lead at the break for the KBL runner-up team.

Daryl Monroe, the other import of Anyang, had a triple double of 15 points, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists.

Import Cameron Clark led San Miguel with 35 points and 10 rebounds, while getting 26 points from CJ Perez.

The Beermen, who played minus injured big man June Mar Fajardo and veteran guard Chris Ross, ended their campaign with a 0-2 record. They earlier lost to Ryukyu Golden Kings, 96-68.

TNT Tropang Giga also finished with the same 0-2 slate in Group B.

Meanwhile, Ryukyu eked out a close 83-78 win over the Taipei Fubon Braves, to finish with a perfect 2-0 slate in Group A.

The Golden Kings finished tied with Seoul SK Knights on top of the same group, but was relegated in the battle for third owing to a lower point differential.

Davao

Farrell, Hong Kong’s Yui Ming Li and Poland’s Agnieszka Pierzynowska.

Other age-group titles to be disputed, including in the men’s side, are 18-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64 and 65-69.

Meanwhile, the IM 70.3 Davao has drawn 1,037 entries with three full weeks into the staging of the event, also the lone pro-laced race organized by The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc. in a busy season.

Listup is ongoing. For details, log on to ironman. com/im703-davao-philippines-athletes.

The event’s global premier partners are Active, Gatorade, HOKA, ROKA and Vinfast and technical partners Athletic Brewing Co., Biostarks, Breitling, Fulgaz, Hyperice, Qatar Airways, Santini and Wahoo while Always Advancing, EKOI and Compressport are the Asia supply partners and Outside and Sportograf.com are media partners.

‘Comeback race’ queen seeks to sustain run in IM 70.3

Members of Manila Southwoods receive the championship trophy and flash the no. 1 sign with PAL Board Member David Ong (leftmost) and PAL President and COO Capt. Stanley K. Ng (rightmost) during the 74th PAL Men’s Interclub awards night on Saturday.

Ines Santiago

TOURISM CUP. Officials of the Tourism Cup, led by TIEZA board of director Roy Martin (left), Assistant Chief Operating Officer – Assets Management Sector – Jetro Lozada (back, second from right), and Club Intramuros Golf Club resident manager Mylene Magsino (second from left, front row) are shown with the winners of the 18-hole tournament held as part of TIEZA’s commitment to promote local tourism, at Club Intramuros last Feb. 24, 2023.

By Patricia Taculao

WHO could forget Camille Prats’s performance as a child star during the late ‘90s? She made Filipino viewers laugh, cry, and sympathize with her through her roles in Sarah… Ang Munting Prinsesa and Ang Pulubi at Ang Prinsesa. At that age, Camille showed she was the Drama Princess of her generation who knew how to stir viewers’ emotions.

After five years since Ang Forever Ko’y Ikaw aired in 2018, Camille returns to the small screen this 2023. This time, she shares the limelight with two of this generation’s Drama Princesses, Shayne Sava and Althea Ablan for the upcoming GMA drama series AraBella

Both young actresses are grateful for the network recognizing their talents in soap operas and promising to give their best in future projects to maintain or further their prospects in the industry.

However, their latest distinction as the next generation of dramatic actresses also brings a new wave of pressure for Shayne and Althea. Nonetheless, they see it as motivation for improvement.

Shayne plays Ara, Roselle’s adopted daughter whom she raised after losing her biological child. If there’s one word Shayne used

Two generations of drama princesses unite for an afternoon soap

to describe the role, it’s extreme because it’s unlike her other performance on previous soaps.

“ Mas rollercoaster ‘yung buhay ni Ara . Mas madami siyang

press conference. In the meantime, Althea plays Bella, Roselle’s long-lost daughter.

Bella’s return will spark a feud between her and Ara as she tries to assert herself and win over her mother’s undivided affection.

pinagdaanan and at the same time, mas intense ‘yung emotions niya ,” Shayne shared during an online

Of katutubong awit, pambatang tula and oyayi

IN THIS day and age when Facebook and YouTube rule, Tiktok and Twitter are in the rage, K-Pop and American Top 40 continue to dominate, and Netflix, HBO and other streaming platforms, plus Disney, Marvel, and DC characters and films dictate who to idolize and watch, where does our katutubong awit pambatang tula, and oyayi fit into this happy chaos that we call globalization and modernization?

The answer to this question, Atty. Jose Miguel Palarca, spokesperson of Feast Foundation replies: “The Dadadoos is the answer to that and we are here to let kids, five years old and below, learn, remember, and fall in love with them.” Feast, which means “Filipino Excellence in Arts Science and Technology,” is the foundation responsible for forming The Dadadoos, a Filipino music and dance group that aims to entertain Filipino kids while educating them about Filipino culture and values. Their digital children’s show is now available for viewing and singing along on Feast Foundation’s YouTube channel with Filipino classic katutubong awit (folk songs) and tulang pambata (nursery rhymes) that will surely be enjoyed by kids and adults whose inner duwendes are alive and kicking.

Ian Bakanawa is the Dadadoos musical. He gives a winsome and whimsical take to the Dadadoos theme, “Pakitong Kitong,” “Sitsiritsit,” “Bahay Kubo,” “Sampung Mga Daliri,” “Leron Leron Sinta,” “Paro-Parung Bukid,” “Kung Ikaw ay Masaya,” and “Pen Pen de Sarapen.” Choreographers are Raflesia Bravo and Alexis Pelaez

The Dadadoos are composed of Yam Mercado, Iyo Canlas, Maxinne Ignacio, Fiona Sarte, John Arcenas, Vic Robinson, and Rissey Reyes as ‘Dada Diwata.’ Most

The Dadadoos members (from left) Iyo Canlas, Maxinne

Fiona

John Arcenas, Yam Mercado, and director Joseph Abello of them are commercial models, singers, and theater actors.

All of them are ecstatic to be part of a children’s program that inculcates Filipino values and presents our own culture. They, being the kuyas and ates of the present generation excite and thrill them.

Director Joseph Abello says: “Doing this show is a happy challenge for me. It does not seem alien because aside from being a filmmaker, I do community development projects wherein all the things that are considered old fashion are given utmost importance, especially Filipino values and it does not end there.”

“There is this genuine concern why folk songs, lullabies, and traditional nursery rhymes are slowly fading. That is why I am ecstatic that Feast Foundation is doing its share to let everyone, especially the kids realize the value of these songs and rhymes. Bahagi kasi sila ng kultura natin and what makes as unique as Filipinos,” he went on.

“The reason why we targeted kids is simply that they absorb learning easily, and they will know it by heart. And that aside from it being enjoyable to sing, their sense of appreciation for it will be deepened, and as they grow, that love for it, for anything and everything that is Filipino, be it a song, poetry, or dance, will never diminish, laging may apoy at

pagmamahal para sa sariling atin,” Palanca adds.

Having viewed the nine songs, what Feast Foundation and director Joseph Abello may add are: a brief history or origin of the song. After each song, an explanation of words that may not be easily understood by kids will be a good add-on to matching how to use them in sentences or conversation examples. Also, since most of the songs are in Filipino, a presentation of the Filipino alphabet is most prominent in the songs. After their first season which centers on katutubong awit and tulang pambata we can all look forward to their season on Filipino games, dances, food, historical places, and positive Filipino values. They also look forward to the day that they will have a television program and collaborations with lead government agencies who gives premium to the Filipino values system.

Feast Foundation and the members of the Dadadoos deserve a hearty round of applause and congratulations for giving importance and highlighting the beauty and meaning of Filipino folk songs, children’s nursery rhymes, and lullabies, and giving it as a gift to Filipino children to enjoy and cherish.

Follow Feast Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and on YouTube for more updates on The Dadadoos

andoon din ako sa ako ‘yung inaapi, pero ‘yung sa Prima Donnas din ako ‘yung palaban, ako ‘yung tagapagtanggol ng mga kapatid ko Pero this time, si Bella , nagsta- stand alone lang siya. Sarili lang niya ‘yung pinaglalaban niya dahil meron siyang gustong makuha, ” Althea explained.

Despite their differences, Ara and Bella desire the same thing: a mother’s love.

Meanwhile, Camille plays Roselle, the grieving mother who finds solace in having Ara around before reuniting ahighlight Camille’s skills in dramatic acting by tugging on the heartstrings of mothers and daughters. Yet her return to the small screen wasn’t without concerns since five years away from the limelight was long. “ Parang feeling ko talaga, kaya ko pa ba? Marunog pa ba ako?

Paano na ba ang style ng pag-arte ngayon? Marami ng nagchange through time,” Camille shared, who later admitted that she struggled to memorize her lines on the show. With Camille’s a cting skills that landed her the awe of her generation and Shayne and Althea’s modern take on soap operas, AraBella poses to be a must-watch for Filipino viewers who don’t mind whipping their tissues out for heartwarming and heart-wrenching scenes.

“ Ang pinagkaiba niya sa mga nauna kong character, syempre

Directing AraBella is Adolf Alix Jr. The series also stars Wendell Ramos , Alfred Vargas , Nova Villa Abdul Raman , and Ronnie Lazaro , to name a few. AraBella premieres today on GMA Afternoon Prime.

ALLTV inks partnership with METV Pilipinas for series ‘Hot Mom’

ALLTV signs an agreement with METV Pilipinas as it is set to bring onscreen a wellloved Asian hit series on primetime. The partnership held recently at the Coffee Project Worldwide Corporate Center marks the firstever collaboration between ALLTV and METV to bring the romantic-comedy series Hot Mom to Philippine television to air every Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

“ALLTV strives to bring a different kind of television experience to our Pinoy audience and this partnership with METV Pilipinas is a great opportunity for the station to deliver this kind of quality entertainment,” emphasizes Maribeth Tolentino, ALLTV President.

Filipino audiences can relate to the hit Asian series featuring award-winning actress Sun Li as the 26-year-old lead character, Xia Bing, a quirky, goal-oriented fashionable lady whose life goal is to marry and have children only until she reaches her 30s.

As she focused on attaining a work-life balance, her life takes an unexpected twist when she faced an unplanned pregnancy with her boyfriend, Yuan Bao played by Zhang Yi. The two were forced to marry each other, go through the parenthood journey, and discover life’s joys and challenges together with their friends and family.

Since its soft launch last September, ALLTV showcased a fresh television experience to Filipino viewers by bringing fun, entertaining, and informative shows as it expanded its programming with a variety of shows for all ages.

“We’re grateful for this partnership with

‘Hot Mom’ is a hit Asian series that follows the story of a quirky, goal-oriented, fashionable lady whose life goal is to marry and have children only until her 30s

ALLTV and we look forward to the start of bringing together a new flavor of content to our fellow kababayans,” concludes Peter Paul Sales, METV Pilipinas President. Hot Mom premieres tonight.

‘Everything Everywhere’ dominates Spirit Awards week before Oscars

EVERYTHING Everywhere All At

Once swept up yet more film prizes Saturday, as it was named best feature at the Spirit Awards – one of the last major Hollywood ceremonies before next weekend’s Oscars.

The trippy sci-fi won in every category it was nominated, at a ceremony held in a giant tent at Los Angeles’ Santa Monica beach to celebrate low- and mid-budget movies.

Its voters granted a whopping seven awards to the film, which was made for around $25 million and became independent studio A24’s biggest-ever

hit, with a global box office gross above $100 million. “This is too many. We’re so lucky!” said co-director Daniel Scheinert collecting the night’s final prize.

Michelle Yeoh won best lead performance, and Stephanie Hsu won best breakthrough performance. It is the first year in which the Film Independent Spirit Awards have opted for gender-neutral acting categories. This year’s Spirit Awards were held the weekend before the Oscars. Voting for the season-concluding Academy Awards is currently underway.

Final Oscars voting closes on Tuesday, before Hollywood’s most coveted golden statuettes are handed out at a glitzy ceremony next Sunday.

Among the films that could receive a late Oscars boost from their Spirit Award wins Saturday were best documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, best first feature Aftersun, and best cinematography winner Tar Women Talking received the preannounced Robert Altman Award, which honors a film’s director, casting director and overall cast.

But in a repeat of scenes at recent high-profile prizegiving ceremonies from Hollywood’s actors’, producers’, and directors’ guilds, the night’s big winner was Everything Everywhere which cemented its already clear Academy Award frontrunner status. The movie, which features characters with hot dog fingers, sex toy-shaped trophies, and talking rocks, has overcome predictions from some pundits that it would prove too bizarre for mainstream audiences and voters. It leads the nominations at the Oscars, with 11 nods. AFP

‘AraBella’ stars (from top) Althea Ablan, Camille Prats, and Shayne Sava are Drama Princesses in their own ways

Wendell Ramos Saviour Ramos Abdul Raman

Ignacio,

Sarte,

METV Pilipinas President Peter Paul Sales (left) with AllTV President Maribeth Tolentino

Alfred Vargas

The time is now

THIS was how Chroma Hospitality re-introduced all its properties all over the country under the brands – Crimson, Quest, and (soon) Grafik, at a glittering dinner event the other day, featuring a delectable five-course meal specially prepared by five of its chefs.

YOUR MONDAY

IRS:  Hello, Reverend Smith. This is the Internal Revenue Service. Is Samuel Jones a member of your congregation? SMITH:  He is. IRS: Did he donate $10,000 to your church? SMITH: He will

“The Time is Now” is its new Marketing campaign which encourages everyone to travel and create beautiful moments with loved ones, set at their many properties nationwide. The teaser video captures the essence of travel and the excitement of exploring new places and cultures.

Carmela Bocanegra, Vice President, Sales and Marketing of Chroma Hospitality wants everyone to “step out of their comfort zones, plan meaningful events, get back to business, get married, or even start a family. The time is now to create unforgettable experiences that will last a lifetime.”

“The Time is Now” packages will also be announced in the coming weeks, with Crimson Boracay leading the group, as they give guests P9,000 worth of resort credits for those who will book their travels at least 30 days in advance.

Chroma Hospitality also announced the latest updates on Crimson Mactan, its first property. After undergoing refurbishment, the property will soon welcome guests with renewed concepts and sustainability efforts. A highlight of the reopening is the introduction of

the first Kaiseki concept in Cebu, Aka. Guests can experience Chef Ogata’s sumptuous recipes through the Nibitashi and Wagyu course. Additionally, the property will re-launch Azure and Saffron, with the former embodying the element of fun, and the latter featuring action stations to ensure the freshness of food.

What is noteworthy about Crimson Mactan is its sustainability efforts. It has established new coral nurseries and has partnered with local government units to increase livelihood opportunities for the local community.

Country Manager, James Montenegro , also shared updates on Mimosa Plus Golf, located in Clark, Pampanga. It recently opened its newly renovated clubhouse and golf

course, now boasting a modern, sustainable design. The bunkers have been refinished and rebuilt to be more visually striking, while the grass has been changed to the more attractive Zoysia, which requires less maintenance and can handle the tropical weather. These changes banner Mimosa Plus’ shift to greener and more sustainable practices. As a result, Mimosa was awarded the Best Golf Course in the Philippines by the

Redefining inflight dining experience

COUNTING the days to its 82nd year, Philippine Airlines introduces a special anniversary menu reflecting its continuing initiatives to elevate the overall flight experience of passengers. Available this month for Business Class passengers traveling on PAL’s flights from Manila to North America and Australia, the anniversary menu features curated meals that deliciously meld local and global culinary inspirations delivered with a distinctly Filipino brand of service.

Passengers can look forward to a gastronomic collection of refreshing flavors and unexpected concoctions like the Tiger Prawn Sinigang, a merry mix of cherry tomato, green chili, eggplant, string beans, and water spinach; Filet Mignon served with asparagus and potato puree topped with Tanduay rum sauce; and Ilocano Cauliflower Adobo in vegan adobo sauce served with string beans and garlic fried rice.

Each culinary concoction in the Anniversary menu was thoughtfully put together by PAL’s professional catering team, an artistic expression that is a byproduct of the flag carrier’s expertise in its 82 years as an exemplar of the best of Filipino food and hospitality, as well as the creative stamp of PAL AVP, Chef Vallerie Castillo-Archer

“As a Filipino-American chef, it is my pleasure to enable passengers from all over the world to get a taste of exquisite Filipino flavors and renowned hospitality,” said Chef Vallerie, whose new role oversees both catering operations and menu development, including food safety, quality control, crew training, and team management.

The menu will reflect her Ilocano roots and a groundbreaking stint as the first female and first Filipino-American executive chef of Yamashiro, an iconic Hollywood restaurant in Los Angeles.

As the Philippines’ sole full-service airline, PAL masterminds a complex operation of catering teams and partnerships that produce over 600,000 inflight meals every month for flights to North America,

the Middle East, and all over the AsiaPacific region and the Philippines.

The special Anniversary menu is the latest development in a continuing drive to whip up new creations to spice up PAL’s in-flight menu offerings all year round. The Philippine Airlines in-flight menu is expected to take off into a whole new level with the Filipino legacy of caring customer service shining through.

“We’re committed to offering our passengers new discoveries in inflight dining on our international flights in the coming months, as we invite more and more travelers from all over the world to

fly on our direct flights to and from the Philippines. Drawing from Chef Vallerie’s innate passion and global experience, our expert catering team will ignite positive developments that will bring new delights to our customers’ overall flight experience.” PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Capt. Stanley K. Ng said. Enjoy the newly curated Anniversary menu when you fly PAL. Book your flights now and enjoy a Filipino in-flight dining experience.

World Golf Awards. Mimosa Plus Golf’s development includes the reconstruction of the Driving Range and the launch of the Mimosa Plus Golf Academy, to further increase patronage of the sport. The group also announced its plans to develop sustainable hotels, expand

its homegrown food and beverage brands, and make available third-party management services for independent hotels.

Montenegro declared that the latest addition to the family – Grafik Baguio and Quest Sheridan – are scheduled to be completed by the 4th quarter of 2024. The former is a full-service hotel with 256 rooms, meeting facilities, a spa, and three food and beverage outlets. It will integrate green building strategies to reduce the impact of climate change and improve the surrounding community’s quality of life.

Chroma Hospitality’s homegrown food and beverage brands, Firehouse and Baker J, will expand to BGC, Makati, and Cebu this year, adding to its current presence in Filinvest City, Mimosa+ Clark, Tagaytay, and Molito Lifestyle Center. Firehouse, which has a branch in Entrata, will open in Makati this year.

Indeed, having just gone through devastating two-and-a-half years of “forced hibernation,” the time is now to, once again, enjoy life!

More information on Chroma Hospitality’s expansion programs is available at marcomm@ chromahospitality.com, on Facebook (/ ChromaHospitality), and on Instagram (@ ChromaHospitality).

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

Conrad Manila presented with hospitality industry’s top recognition

CONRAD Manila, the premier haven for smart luxury by Manila Bay, was recently recognized by top global hospitality associations including Tatler Dining Awards and Forbes Travel Guide 2023 Star Awards. “We are humbled by the recent wins of the hotel. Our sincere gratitude to our guests and patrons for their unwavering support. But all these wouldn’t be possible without the passion and dedication of our team members who continuously strive to provide guests with authentic experiences,” shared Fabio Berto, hotel general manager. China Blue by Jereme Leung, Conrad Manila’s consistent award-winning Chinese restaurant, best known for its modern interpretation of traditional Chinese cuisine, was hailed in Tatler Dining’s Top 20 list, an unranked collection of the city’s most impactful restaurants. Meanwhile, Conrad Manila was recognized as a verified luxury hotel by Forbes Travel Guide 2023 Star Awards, the

world-renowned authority on excellence in hospitality. According to the organization’s website, the 65th annual list features 433 Recommended Hotels; 360 Five-Star,

9999 or email conradmanila@ conradhotels.com. To learn more about Conrad Manila’s promotions and offers follow us on Facebook (ConradManilaPH) and on Instagram (@conradmanila).

A refreshing pool at the Quest Plus Conference Center in Clark

The beautiful Timberland Highlands Resort

The breathtaking beachfront of Crimson Hotel Mactan

The Cobalt Pool of Crimson Hotel Boracay has a commanding view of the beach

The magnificent Crimson Hotel Filinvest