Manila Standard - 2023 March 22 - Wednesday

Fourth of a six-part supplement to mark Women’s Month

SEE PAGE A3

House panel acts vs. Teves

Solon still no-show until deadline, sanctions for decision at plenary

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rey E. Requejo

THE House of Representatives committee on ethics and privileges committee is submitting to the plenary its recommended action against Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. following his failure to meet a 24-hour ultimatum to return to the country and submit himself to the panel last Monday.

The House in plenary session will then decide Wednesday through a vote whether to accept the panel’s recom-

Rufus rejects

‘secret’ meet on ‘Cha-cha’

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments on Tuesday rejected the suggestion of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri for leaders of the two chambers to meet behind closed doors on the House Charter reform initiative.

“I am against any executive session or secret meeting on this matter. Let us be transparent. We are discussing the fundamental law of the land, not just a proposed piece of legislation. Let us not hide our discussions from the public,” Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said. He said lawmakers should avoid discussing anything in secret, except certain issues like those affecting national security, foreign policy, and the country’s territorial integrity.

On Monday, Zubiri suggested holding a closed-door caucus to prevent lawmakers from “grandstanding.”

But Rodriguez said the Senate president was again showing his “fear of the unknown” by anticipating that some lawmakers would show off in a public hearing.

“He should trust his Congress colleagues to follow decorum. He should not mistake passion for showboating,” he said.

mended action on Teves. Congress goes on a Lenten recess starting March 25.

This developed as four more suspects considered “major players” in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, have surrendered to the Philippine military, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Tuesday. Remulla stressed that while authorities are looking for at least three more suspects, almost all on the “attack team” is now in the custody of authorities. Emerging from an executive session

Japan’s deep sea device spots tanker 400 meters deep off Mindoro

By Charles Dantes, Vince Lopez, Rey E. Requejo, Willie Casas, and Maricel V. Cruz

THE MT Princess Empress, which sank three weeks ago with its cargo of 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, has been found, officials said Tuesday, as the slick reached waters known for their rich marine life.

The tanker sank on Feb. 28 off Mindoro, and diesel fuel and thick oil from the vessel have since contaminated the waters and beaches of Oriental Mindoro province and other islands.

The tanker was found by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor said.

The vessel was found 7.7 nautical miles away from Balingawan Point in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, nearly 400 meters below the waves.

Dolor said he received the first photos showing the exact location of the vessel on Tuesday morning.

PBBM: Study LGU devolution further

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies to study Executive Order No. 138 for possible amendments and to determine what national government functions should

be devolved to local government units (LGUs) as a result of the Supreme Court’s Mandanas-Garcia ruling.

In a sectoral meeting in Malacañang Tuesday, President Marcos discussed the roadmap extending the transition to

SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to strictly enforce a onestrike policy against “ninja cops” and other erring policemen, including their immediate superiors.

Romualdez will meet again with PNP officials following reports that 13 personnel of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG)National Capital Region were accused of extortion recently by a group of Chinese businessmen.

“What is happening to our policemen? They are supposed to protect our citizens, but they are accused of... extortion and illegal activities,” he said.

“I am appealing to our PNP chief to apply the one-strike policy not only to those involved in these activities but also to their superiors. If the erring po -

Bill lets married women keep own surnames

TANKER FOUND. Pictures taken by the Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) Hakuyo spot the hull of the MT Princess Empress and the source of some of its leaking industrial fuel (inset) in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, around 7.7 nautical miles away from Balingawan Point and nearly 400 meters beneath the waves.

Coast Guard photos

The national disaster agency said the ROV would assess the hull’s condition before a decision was made about how to “control the spill from its source.”

The Philippines has sought assistance from several countries, including Japan, the United States and France, to help contain and clean up the slick.

US, PH blast China ‘grey zone’ ops in SCS ‘impeding’ fishermen’s rights

By Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz

THE defense secretaries of the United States and the Philippines jointly denounced China’s “gray-zone” operations—activities that just fall short of

war—in the South China Sea, saying these acts interfere with the livelihood of Filipino fishermen.

In a readout provided by the US Department of Defense following a phone call between US Defense Secretary

SUMMER’S

HERE. A couple enjoys the sunset on a beach facing the West Philippine Sea in Morong, Bataan. PAGASA on Tuesday announced the onset of the dry season with the end of the northeast monsoon or “hanging amihan” (see full story on A2). Manny Marcelo

CONGRESS HEADS. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (right) discusses with Senate President Migz Zubiri the plans for hosting the 31st Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in November in Manila during a luncheon meeting with ambassadors and diplomats of APPF-member countries at the Shangri-la Hotel in Global City, Taguig on Tuesday (see story on A6). Ver Noveno

Seized sugar to be sold at Kadiwa

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the sale of seized smuggled sugar at P70 per kilo at Kadiwa centers, the Presidential Communications Office said Tuesday in a statement.

“Recently, Mr. Marcos approved the recommendation of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to give as a donation to the Department of Agriculture the 4,000 metric tons of smuggled refined sugar to be sold to the public at Kadiwa Centers in the amount equivalent to the actual mill gate prices that are currently P70 per kilo,” the PCO said.

The President also ordered the DA, which he heads as concurrent Agriculture Secretary, and SRA to coordinate with the Bureau of Customs and

Rufus...

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As this developed, the PDP-Laban on Tuesday decided to support the push to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

The party’s Secretary General, Melvin Matibay, said members reached a consensus to come out on Thursday with a resolution manifesting their support to Charter change efforts.

Matibag said this will be announced once the resolution is signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte, PDPLaban chairman.

A photo of the meeting of PDP-Laban officers shared by Matibag to the showed the attendees included Senators Robin Padilla, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino as well as Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez.

Earlier, Padilla, chairperson of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, threatened to resign from the party if it will not support Charter change.

Padilla has conducted public hearings on the issue in Davao City, Baguio City and Cebu City.

He was earlier advised by Zubiri to postpone Monday’s hearing on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which calls for a constitutional convention to propose amendments to the Charter’s economic provisions.

Zubiri said in accordance with tradition and inter-parliamentary courtesy, House members should also be invited not as resource persons but as guests.

Rodriguez was supposed to attend Monday’s hearing, but his invitation was cancelled.

“I myself have appeared in the Senate several times in person and in Zoom to defend my bills on our regional hospital, our state university, the protection of our rivers and other bills authored by me,” Rodriguez said.

“I agree that the Senate and the House should observe parliamentary courtesy. However, what is not courteous, even in parliamentary terms, is disinviting a colleague from a coequal body. Instead of dispensing with our presence, they should have proceeded to hear us,” he added.

US, PH...

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Lloyd Austin and Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez, the two officials also called out Beijing for its activities that impede the rights of other claimant states “that seek to operate lawfully in the South China Sea consistent with the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling.”

Austin and Galvez lamented “with particular concern” the Chinese aggression in the waters where it deployed earlier this month more than 40 vessels, including a People’s Liberation Army Navy ship, to the waters off the Philippine-administered Pag-asa (Thitu) Island.

“The swarming of vessels falls on the heels of a dangerous incident last month, in which the PRC (People’s Republic of China) Coast Guard directed a militarygrade laser against a Philippine vessel operating lawfully around Second Thomas Shoal, temporarily blinding some of the crew,” the readout said.

Amid Chinese aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, Austin reiterated Washington’s commitment to the Philippines as its ally. In case of any armed attack, the US official assured the Philippines that Washington would invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty.

Austin said the pact would cover the Philippine armed forces, and Philippine aircraft and public vessels, including those of the Coast Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.

other government agencies to ensure that the sugar for sale has passed the Food Safety Act and other regulations, it added. The price of refined sugar in the market costs between P86 and P110 per kilo.

The Kadiwa Center is a DA program that aims to provide the public with affordable goods.

The PCO, citing the Customs Modernization Tariff Act, said the confiscated smuggled agricultural products can be given by donation to other government agencies.

“In as much as we want to give it for free directly to those in need, the sugar industry, including small farmers, need to be considered. Giving away sugar for free will result in an artificial drop in prices that will cost losses for fellow workers in the sugar industry,” the PCO said.

The goal is to provide the consuming public with the cheaper sugar in the market, SRA board member and planters’ representative Pablo Luis Azcona said in a “24 Oras” TV report on Tuesday.

The United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) supported the Palace move.

“These smugglers can’t recycle anymore. Because those who are caught

IN BRIEF

PBBM, VP Sara

vow more houses

by the authorities are bidding and auctioning, but the buyer is still the same, they are still smugglers. So the goods become recyclable. Now, there is no chance to recycle,” UNIFED president Manuel Lamata said.

The DA said it is preparing the guidelines to ensure that the initiative will pass the legal hurdles.

“Maybe with a donation. If it is donated to the DA, from agriculture to other institutions maybe FTI (Food Terminal Inc.), then from FTI going to Kadiwa,” DA deputy spokesperson Rex Estoperez said.

Asked if the SRA expects a legal impediment, Estoperez said: “Nothing, as long as we have to make it clear in our guidelines.” With Vince Lopez

PAGASA heralds end of ‘amihan’, dry season start

By Rio N. Araja

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Tuesday announced the onset of the dry season with the end of the northeast monsoon or “hanging amihan.”

This warm and dry season is expected to last until May, the state weather agency said.

“In the coming months, warmer temperatures are expected, and rainfall across the country will be influenced

House...

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of the ethics committee, Rep. Felimon Espares of COOP NATCCO party-list, the panel’s chairperson, said the panel already voted on a “recommendation on sanctions” to be imposed against Teves.

Espares said the committee will announce its decision in Wednesday’s plenary session. He said Teves’ failure to return home gave the panel “no choice (but) to wrap the investigation without his valid explanation.”

This was despite lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ legal counsel, asking the House to let his client attend the meeting via teleconferencing, as allowed in Congress’ hybrid meeting rules.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday reiterated his appeal to Teves Jr. to return home.

At the same time, Romualdez commended Espares and the House ethics committee members for acting expeditiously on the case, in consonance with its mandate and in compliance with the Rules of the House to punish its mem-

Japan’s...

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Thousands of hectares of coral reefs, mangroves and seaweed could be endangered, officials have said.

Department of National Defense chief Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a situational report to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the DND is “on top” of the oil spill crisis.

Galvez said his United States counterpart, Lloyd Austin, gave his word that the US is committed to provide aid to the country through its humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HARD) team.

The DND, through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and local government units in Mindoro, have raised their cleanup efforts to mitigate the effects of the spill in the region, he said.

One-strike...

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licemen belong to a station or a group, the station or group commander should be covered by such policy as well on the basis of command responsibility,” he said.

He said a commander is supposed to be aware of the activities of the men under his command.

CIDG director Police Brig. Gen. Romero Caramat Jr. has sacked the 13

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allows three options for identification, we see this bill as a relevant and timely move to prove the commitment of the House of Representatives to promoting equality of men and women before the

mostly by easterlies and localized thunderstorms,” it noted.

PAGASA cited several factors as indications of the end of the northeast monsoon, including the “retreat of the highpressure area over Siberia” increasing air temperature over most parts of the Philippines as well as the “strengthening of the North Pacific High” leading to a gradual shift in wind patterns from northeasterly to easterly.

The agency urges the public to take precautionary measures to minimize heat

bers for disorderly behavior.

“We recognize and respect all the rights Cong Arnie (Teves) has as a House member. That’s why we gave him all the chances to come home and clarify all the issues he is facing,” he said.

“I have, time and again, asked Cong Arnie to come home after the expiration of his travel authority last March 9. The last time we spoke over the phone, I personally relayed my instruction for him to return to the country at once. I assured him that the Speaker and the House of Representatives will exert all possible means to secure his personal safety as soon as he lands back home,” Romualdez stressed.

The decision on Teves’ case “now lies at the hands of his fellow House Members, voting as an institution.”

“Rest assured that the House of Representatives will render its decision on this case observing due process and fully cognizant of Cong Arnie’s rights, but with the best interest of the nation in mind,” the Speaker said.

On the new suspects, Remulla said:

“Well, there have been four extra surrenders in the Degamo case. Almost, we have

Galvez is also the concurrent chairperson of the NDRRMC.

Oil spill booms made of hay, human hair and other materials have been deployed to try to protect coastal waters that people in the fishing and tourism industries rely on for their livelihoods.

Oil has been spotted as far away as Casian Island, off the north coast of the western island of Palawan, about 350 kilometers southwest of where the tanker sank.

As feared, oil has also drifted north to the Verde Island Passage – a busy sea lane between Mindoro and the Philippines’ main island of Luzon.

Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga said previously that the area was “globally recognized” for its marine biodiversity.

The Philippine Coast Guard said cleanup operations on Monday removed oil from the shores of three villages on Verde

involved in the alleged “hulidap,” including CIDG-NCR chief Police Col. Hansel Marantan, who submitted his courtesy resignation. Romualdez said the PNP should intensify its campaign against wayward policemen to regain the trust of citizens.

“They have to weed out the bad eggs who are tainting the image of the police organization, which is not fair to those who are faithfully doing their job. They should make sure that only those who take their duties seriously and who are not involved in illegal activities remain

law,” Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said. “It is not enough that our jurisprudence says that a married woman has an option, but not a duty, to use the surname of the husband. It is important that we institutionalize that they can decide to retain both their maiden name and surname,” the Leyte 1st District representative added.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed Tuesday to give the police and the military decent shelter, as Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio said the Department of Education, which she heads, is ready to accept more partnerships with other local government units to secure the housing program for public school teachers.

“We have begun to craft the program for the housing of the uniformed personnel, the policemen and the military,” President Marcos said after a meeting in Malacañang with Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino, Human Settlements Secretary Jose Acuzar, and Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla.

stress and to optimize the daily use of water for personal and domestic consumption.

In a public briefing, PAGASA assistant weather services chief Chris Perez said the El Niño phenomenon was expected to begin by July.

Prior to El Niño, he said PAGASA projected near-normal to above-normal rainfall over different parts of the country.

During this transition period that coincided with the dry season, Perez said it was normal to experience warm and humid weather.

almost [all] the people there as part of the thing that attacked Governor Degamo. We have almost all of them in custody.”

He said the four suspects, who are former military personnel, will be turned over to the Department of Justice on Wednesday morning.

“They’re on their way here. We hope that they will be here in Manila by tonight and will be turned over to us by tomorrow morning,” Remulla added.

He said the four have yet to give their initial statement.

The suspects caught earlier said a certain “Cong Teves” was the mastermind behind the assassination.

“None yet. They had debriefing but it’s for purposes of military intelligence but we’ll be getting it. They turned themselves in. They arranged for their own surrender,” the DOJ chief said.

Degamo and eight others were killed while several others were injured after an attack at the governor’s home on March 4.

On Monday, Special Task Force Degamo head and Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos announced that one suspect surrendered to authorities on Friday.

Island, which is popular with divers.

Oil also has been spotted further along the passage at Tingloy municipality on Maricaban Island, part of Batangas province.

Residents and coast guard personnel have been removing oil-coated seaweed and other debris from affected areas.

Tens of thousands of people have been affected by the spill, with scores falling ill. The government is distributing food packs and other assistance.

Among the hardest hit are fishermen, who have been ordered to stay on shore until they can fish safely.

The number of people who have gotten ill from the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro increased to 191, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

During a press briefing, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said 14 more cases were recorded as of March 20.

in the service,” he said.

PNP deputy chief for administration Police Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia said the group of Chinese nationals went to his office to complain about an alleged operation CIDG-NCR personnel conducted on March 13.

The complainants said they were just playing mahjong in a house when the operatives raided it based on a complaint of a neighbor who was allegedly bothered by their noise.

The Chinese nationals alleged that the policemen took from them two ex-

Under the current version of Article 370 of Title XIII, Book III of the Republic Act No. 386, as amended, a married woman has three options: (1) use her maiden first name and surname and add her husband’s surname; (2) use her maiden first name and her husband’s surname; or (3) use her husband’s full name then prefix a word indicating that

“We are starting now to put together the system wherein they can be included in the financing system not only with public banks but also with private banks for this,” the Commander-inChief pointed out. Vince Lopez

House measure pausing PhilHealth fee hike OKd

VOTING 273-3-0, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a bill giving the President the power to suspend the increase in premiums of “direct contributors” of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth), members.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, the principal author of House Bill 6772, said the suspension of the increase would result in some savings for millions of government and private sector workers, professionals, self-employed, and other Philhealth contributors who are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said daily wage earners and many employees, who comprise the majority of Philhealth members, would save at least P50 a month or P600 a year from their health insurance premium payment if the adjustment were suspended. Maricel V. Cruz

PBBM:...

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full devolution from the national government to LGUs.

“The President asked us to study this and maybe make an amendment on EO 138,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a press briefing in Malacañang after the sectoral meeting.

“The President gave an instruction to further study the responsibilities, projects and programs that can be performed by LGUs and which should be left for the national government,” she added.

Pangandaman said several studies have already been done by different academic institutions and development partners.

“Maybe we can just look at them again and then it’s just quick. Maybe in just two months we might have a study and we are able to show this to the President already,” Pangandaman said.

The study, to be spearheaded by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, shall determine the need to extend the initial transition period of FY 2022-2024.

The Budget chief said when the Marcos administration took over, many LGUs raised concern on their inability and lack of preparation for the adoption of full devolution, particularly on big ticket and high-impact projects.

pensive watches -- a Patek Philippe and a Richard Mille, which are worth millions of pesos -- and other valuable jewelry, a Louis Vuitton bag and P3 million in a vault.

The Chinese were taken to the CIDGNCR headquarters where they were supposedly asked to come up with P10 million in exchange for their freedom.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said Marantan and 12 other police officers are not yet off the hook despite the retraction of the extortion allegations lodged against them. Maricel V. Cruz

she is his wife, such as “Mrs.”.

The proposed Article 370 under HB 4605 introduces a fourth option retaining the maiden first name and surname -- in other words, a married woman may choose not to introduce any change to her name.

House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe was among the principal authors of the measure. Maricel V. Cruz

CALABARZON & BICOL

Women leaders of Regions 4-A and Bicol: Making waves in Philippine politics

By Peter Paul Duran

IN THIS edition, we will be highlighting the women legislators of Regions 4-A and 5, who are making waves in the political sphere. These accomplished women have made a name for themselves in their respective fields and are also notable for their contributions to the cultural and economic landscapes of their regions. Our focus is part of a month-long special project aimed at recognizing and celebrating the contributions of women legislators.

It’s important to note that this feature is exclusively focused on seasoned congresswomen, and not first-time lawmakers who will have their own special project in the future. We asked these remarkable women how they plan to leverage their voices and platform to advance women’s causes and inspire future women leaders.

Region 4-A, also known as CALABARZON, is home to congresswomen Maria Theresa V. Collantes, Lianda B. Bolilia, Marlyn “Len” B. Alonte, Lani Mercado-Revilla, and Ruth Mariano-Hernandez. This region is known for its beautiful beaches, historical landmarks, and delicious cuisine, making it a popular tourist destination. It is also home to various industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, which these congresswomen work to promote and support in their legislative roles.

Meanwhile, Bicol Region is home to congresswomen Josefina B. Tallado and Marie Bernadette G. Escudero. This region is known for its stunning natural attractions such as Mayon Volcano, the Cagsawa Ruins, and the beaches of Camarines Sur. Bicol is

also famous for its spicy cuisine, particularly the Bicol Express dish made with pork and chili peppers. The region is predominantly agricultural, with rice, coconut, and abaca as the main crops. These congresswomen have worked to promote the region’s agricultural sector, as well as its tourism industry.

These women legislators are not only effective lawmakers but also champions of their regions’ cultural heritage and economic development. They serve as role models for women who aspire to leadership roles in their respective fields and are helping pave the way towards a more inclusive and equitable society.

Rep. Collantes, from Batangas’ 3rd Disctrict, is a former local government official. She advocates for the promotion of tourism and agriculture in her district, as well as the improvement of healthcare services.

Rep. Lianda “Siling Labuyo” Bolilia,who represents the Fourth District of Batangas, is a former radio and TV personality who is now using her platform to promote education and environmental protection. Indeed, her brand of “sizzling hot” public service is testament to

her care for her constituents in Batangas.

Rep. Alonte, the representative of the Lone District of Biñan City, Laguna, is a former mayor and businesswoman who is now advocating for the welfare of women and children. She authored bills that aim to provide better healthcare services and promote inclusive education for children with special needs.

Rep. Mercado-Revilla, of the Lone District of Bacoor City, Cavite, is a former actress and now a seasoned politician. She is a strong advocate for the protection of women’s and children’s rights, as well as the promotion of tourism and small businesses in her district.

Rep. Mariano-Hernandez, Laguna Second District representative, is a former local government official. She is now advocating for the promotion of entrepreneurship and the improvement of healthcare services in her district.

Rep. Tallado, from the First District of Camarines Norte. Tallado's aspiration for her constituents is a better quality of life through an improved local economy, enhanced delivery of social services and benefits, a progressive and peaceful society, and ready access to free quality education. Her principal advocacies in Congress included enhancing social justice, protecting the environment, championing tourism, and promoting the welfare of children and of senior citizens.

Rep. Escudero, the representative of the First District of Sorsogon, is a former local government official and businesswoman. She is now advocating for the promotion of tourism and the improvement of healthcare

services in her district.

These women legislators have shown exemplary leadership and dedication in serving their constituents. They serve as an inspiration to many, especially to women who aspire to become leaders in their respective fields.

As we continue to celebrate Women’s Month, let us recognize and honor the contributions of women in politics. Let us support and empower women leaders, and work towards a future where gender equality is fully realized in all aspects of society.

As we continue our month-long special feature on women legislators, we have shifted our focus to Regions 4-A and 5. These regions are home to some of the most inspiring and dedicated congresswomen in the country. These women have proven themselves to be true leaders, not just in their respective regions but also in the national stage.

When we asked these women how they plan to use their voices and platform to advance women’s causes and be role models to future women leaders, they all had one answer: they will continue to fight for gender equality and empower women to take on leadership roles in various fields.

It is essential to recognize the contributions of these women to the Philippine Congress and to society as a whole. They have shown that women can be effective leaders and lawmakers, and their voices and perspectives are crucial in shaping the country’s future. Let us continue to support and uplift these women, and let their stories inspire the next generation of women leaders.

The progressive congresswomen of CALABARZON, Bicol

By Patricia taculao

SINCE the Philippines has centuries of tradition and influence from local and foreign inhabitants, it’s not unusual to see some elements preserved today. Region IV-A, also known as CALABARZON for provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, are some of the areas in the Southern Tagalog Mainland that offer such an experience. Local and foreign tourists know Region IV-A for its white beaches, cultural heritage sites dating back to the Spanish era, breathtaking mountains, and other travel destinations.

Another Philippine region famed for picturesque landscapes and rich heritage is Region V, also known as the Bicol Region. Its highlights include the nearly perfect conical Mayon Volcano, historic routes, colorful cuisine, and vibrant festivals.

Thanks to the staunch leadership of the congresswomen who represent various districts of CALABARZON and Bicol in the 19th Congress of the House of Representatives, the two regions continue to flourish as they efficiently interweave history with the modern world.

HON. MARIA THERESA V. COLLANTES (Batangas, Third District)

Batangas is a hub for travelers who want to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the city and get closer to nature. As district representative, Collantes makes it her duty to care for the area’s surroundings. One of her recent projects is the Save Taal Movement or SATALA, which aims to conserve Taal Lake’s natural elements while boosting its nearby ecotourism and socio-economics.

Collantes also focuses on the health and welfare of her constituents, often extending aid to Filipinos with medical conditions like undergoing dialysis and chemotherapy or visiting the youth to provide them with goods to help support their families. She also leads her district in conducting a Basic Training Course for Barangay Health Workers to equip them with the necessary skills.

On the other hand, her contributions to Congress include establishing several government agencies, such as PAG-IBIG and TESDA centers in Batangas, and creating the Taal Lake Development Authority.

HON. LIANDA BOLILIA (Batangas, Fourth District)

“The cause for women empowerment has no shortage of heroines, exemplars who, by their words and deeds, give the world a better understanding of what it could be if women had a voice. As a woman in power, I consider it my duty to live my life by their example and exert my influence to create safer spaces and better opportunities for the next generation of women leaders.”

With the moniker of “Siling Labuyo,” Bolilia has to live up to its name, which means the spicy red pepper in Filipino cuisine. It denotes her bravery in the position and how she uses her voice to

speak up against the most controversial issues. Her nickname also signifies the heat and passion she has for public service.

The congresswoman always finds time in her busy schedule to be present in her district. Her constituents can catch her spearheading projects, including donation drives, medical assistance, and opening new infrastructures to better provide for the Batangueños in her jurisdiction.

Bolilia is responsible for pushing bills in Congress, such as creating the Department of Disaster Management, establishing the Southern Tagalog Medical Center in Ibaan, Batangas, and granting postgraduate scholarships to public elementary and high school teachers in state colleges and universities, among others.

HON. MARLYN “LEN” B. ALONTE (Biñan City, Lone District)

“My voice and my platform serve as an inspiration and a medium for any little girl to see and to make it their dream to serve, to reach new heights, and not to be afraid to speak up and be heard. It’s also about empowering other women to take more leadership roles and make an impact on society.”

From being a councilor mayor and to a representative, Alonte proved her political prowess to the people of Biñan. Her brand of public service is a covenant to her commitment to her people. She focuses on projects and innovations to help her district progress to a modern world.

With 24 years of experience, Alonte has numerous contributions in her name, which she continues to add to as she remains in office. Her projects include the construction of several infrastructures and supporting her public in celebrating and preserving their culture.

Some of her contributions include establishing a hospital in state colleges and universities that offer medical degrees nationwide, creating food banks in every city and municipality to provide a system of redistributing and recycling food surplus to promote food security and achieve zero hunger, and providing for the apportionment of the lone legislative district of Biñan City, Laguna.

HON. LANI MERCADO-REVILLA (Cavite, Second District)

“As a daughter, mother, sister, and public servant, I have constantly and consistently brought the woman’s point of view to every conversation pursuant to legislation. We must build an environment where women are free to pursue their personal and professional development, achieve financial independence, and help in the growth, development, and progress of our nation.”

Revilla showed her skills as an actress before but has now established herself as a prolific

politician who values her constituents’ happiness. She spearheaded fun yet worthwhile projects for the public but also remains active in preserving her district’s safety and welfare. The congresswoman also recognizes women’s strengths in various sectors.

Whether in the Plenary Hall or within her district, Revilla continues to advocate for women’s empowerment, education, and livelihood to provide her community with an opportunity for a better future. As a representative, she defines her public service as caring, which makes her well-loved among the public. The principal-authored bills she pushed in Congress included acts providing direct financial assistance to Filipino rice farmers, establishing a credit assistance program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and promoting Philippine indigenous and traditional writing systems.

HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ (Laguna, Second District)

“A fitting way is to collaborate with public and private entities in furthering programs that directly propel the socio and politico-economic opportunities for women. This, in addition to pushing for legislative measures focused on addressing women’s exigencies. Through these agendas, I hope to spark similar action from aspiring women leaders.”

Hardwork and empathy are the primary values of Hernandez as a congresswoman. She’s the voice of her people in various concerns, including safety, health, and education, among others. Although she smiles when she faces the public, Hernandez fights for what she believes is right.

Besides being a staunch advocate for women, Hernandez is also an ally of the LGBT community, which she demonstrated through the Love LGBT-Laguna General Assembly to promote Gender and Development in the region. She’s also vigilant in keeping her public well-informed about disasters and risks and how to manage them efficiently.

Hernandez’s recognized bills in the 19th Congress include providing a free annual medical check-up for Filipinos, promoting integrated urban agriculture nationwide to encourage food security, and strengthening mental health services of state universities and colleges.

HON. JOSEFINA TALLADO (Camarines Norte, First District)

“I assimilated the role of mother to my constituents. Stepping into this role allowed me to see my constituents as my children for whom I have aspired the best through protecting their welfare and ensuring delivery of enhanced social

services. It has come to be known as “Alagang Nay Josie.”

If there’s one word to describe the lady solon, it’s resilient. She overcame several odds in her life, starting with her welldeserved win as the district representative.

She’s now an example of a strong woman who doesn’t fear going against the people who’ve done her wrong. Thanks to her steadfastness, she became the most efficient congresswoman in the district.

As a mother herself, Tallado conducts projects focusing on children’s welfare and the health of her constituents. She also oversees various donation drives that provide goods and benefits to community members. Tallado also leads medical programs to offer Filipinos quality healthcare.

Some of her bills in the 19th Congress have provided fixed salaries and other benefits for regular government employees to barangay officials, created an agricultural pension fund for enhanced social protection for agricultural workers, and established an elderly care and nursing complex in Camarines Norte.

HON. MARIA BERNADETTE ESCUDERO (Sorsogon, First District)

“It is very personal for me as a woman legislator to advocate for policies that promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, such as access to quality education, equal employment opportunities, protection from gender-based and electronic violence, and access to reproductive health care. In addition, I will also use my voice and position to advocate for representation diversification so that women from diverse backgrounds are included in policymaking decisions and are adequately represented.”

Hailing from a political family, Escudero can attest that public service runs in their blood. Yet despite sharing this similarity with her relatives, she carved her own path as a trusted district representative for Sorsogon. She leads with grace and creativity, allowing her to establish a connection with her constituents.

One of Escudero’s priorities is highlighting the majesty of Sorsogon by promoting it as a tourist destination and preserving its rich heritage. She also values the public’s safety and security, which is why she established programs utilizing their finest and providing for the needs of her district.

In the 19th Congress, Escudero authored several bills, such as road conversions, promoting business growth and recovery by reducing the cost of business compliance for micro, small, and medium enterprises, and reducing waste by donating and recycling excess edible food, to name a few.

Hontiveros calls for sugar probe

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Risa Hontiveros renewed her call for an investigation on the alleged “sugar cartel” in the Department of Agriculture (DA) wherein three sugar importers can amass huge profits of P10 billion to P14 billion from smuggled sugar from Thailand.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino have yet to conduct a Senate probe on the alleged irregularities hounding the sugar importation.

Hontiveros however remains hopeful her plea will be acted upon. “I brought this to your attention , but I believe that Chair Francis is preparing... the latest we learned- time sensitive- so we need to come out with this to avert further damage,” Hontiveros said.

She is also optimistic that Senate President Migz Zubiri will be open and supportive should there be a probe on the sugar fiasco.

“We are talking here nothing less than large-scale agricultural smuggling. Nothing less than economic sabotage and billions and billions of pesos. These three- which composed the cartel” are not moderating

Sen. Villar seeks support for local coconut industry

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. CYNTHIA

Villar yesterday called for support to achieve the country’s goal of improving the lives of coconut farmers and the coconut industry.

Villar, chairperson of the Senate agriculture and food committee, was the guest speaker during the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) Planning Workshop held at ATI Compound in Quezon City on March 20.

In her speech, Villar cited Republic Act No. 11524, or the “Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act” signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 26, 2021, and took effect on March 13, 2021.

She said it created the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund (CFITF) which ensures the funding of P80 billion for the next five years. This will benefit 2.5 million coconut farmers and the coconut industry in general.

“The former President said that this law is a historic ‘gamechanger’ that will pave the way to modernizing and industrializing the Philippine coconut sector,” Villar said.

“The law also mandated for the preparation of the CFIDP, which shall set the directions and policies for the development and rehabilitation of the coconut industry within 50 years,” she added.

The utilization of the Trust Fund, she said, shall be in accordance with the formulated plan. It shall also take into account the annual allocation of the Trust Fund provided for by the law, which is: (a) 20% for the development of hybrid coconut seed farms, and nursery for planting and replanting: 15% to be implemented by the PCA; and the 5% by the DOST-PCAARRD for research; (b) 8% for the training of farmers and their families; (c) 5% for research, marketing, and promotion; (d) 4% for Crop Insurance; (e) 10% for the Farm improvements through diversification and intercropping with livestock, dairy, poultry, coffee, and cacao production; (f) 10% for shared facilities for processing; (g) 5% for the organizing and empowerment of coconut farmer organizations and cooperatives; (h)10% for the credit programs through DBP and LBP; (i) 10% for infrastructure development; (j) 8% for the scholarship program for farmers and their families; (k) 10% for Health and medical program for farmers and their families.

“Now is the time to give our coconut farmers, who are considered to be the poorest in our country with the monthly income of only P1,500, the much needed and long-awaited support and attention from the government,” Villar said.

their greed,” Hontiveros said, referring to All Asian Counter Trade, SUCDEN Philippines at Edison Lee Marketing.

Hontiveros also said Malacanang has yet to place under preventive suspension Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban.

She said Panganiban’s illegal actions have not been sanctioned and his recent memo, Sugar Order No. 6 has not yet been revoked. She stressed that Panganiban also implicated Executive Sec. Lucas Bersamin and even President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the latest sugar fiasco.

She said Panganiban has repeatedly insisted that the first memo of Bersamin was the basis for the sugar importation from Thailand which arrived in the country through a Batangas port.

Hontiveros said the latest sugar fiasco seems to be a repeat of the first sugar importation that former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez was dragged into.

But now, the latest fiasco has different cast of characters but similar position, further sparking public suspicion, Hontiveros said.

She also cited a photo of the sugar importers taken in Malacanang. The photo caption showed the names of Edwin Lee, Ian Alvarado, Michael Sucden and a certain Patricia. She referred to these persons as the current “favorite sugar importers.”

WOMEN’S MONTH CELEBRATIONS.

Vice President Sara Duterte leads the flag-raising ceremony during the celebration of National Women’s Month in Camp Karingal in Quezon City. The Vice President was also the guest speaker at the said event. Manny Palmero

gaining ground

Revilla says nationwide wage hike measure

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. RAMON Bong Revilla, Jr. said

a nationwide across-the-board wage hike is gaining ground in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

He also lauded Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri for shepherding the passage of a P150-peso increase in the daily wages of workers in the private sector.

Revilla said he has been filing bills for legislated wage increases since his first term in the Senate.

According to Senate records, he filed SBN2179 for the 14th Congress; SBN1981 in the 15th Congress; SBN937 in 16th Congress; SBN71 in the 18th Congress; and SBN2018 in the 19th Congress.

He was the lone author in the 16th and 18th Congresses and has filed a proposal this Congress with Zubiri filing his own version of the measure.

“Our workers are the backbone of our economy,” he said. “If not for their industry and dedication to their job, no growth in our economy.”

“We owe them our country’s development.”

While the lawmaker realizes that a balancing of interests will need to be had, Revilla expressed his optimism that with the support of the Senate’s leadership, the legislated increase in wages will be approved. “It is important that we have a living wage. Our workers have been longing for this. I am optimistic,” he further said.

BOC agents seize shabu worth more than P400m in Pasay

By Vito Barcelo and Joel E. Zurbano

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted a shipment of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth more than P400 million at the Pair Cargo Warehouse in Pasay City.

BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the seized drugs, declared as car spare parts, weighed more than 58 kilos and came from Guinea, Africa. The contraband was discovered after Customs officers examined the shipment after receiving reports with regards to the shipment.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed that the confiscated white crystal substance was shabu with an estimated street value of P400.724 million.

Both the BOC and PDEA are currently conducting an investigation on the consignee who is set to undergo inquest proceedings for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165 and RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization Act.

The BOC’s X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) detected and examined the shipment and later found the contraband.

Based on import documents, the shipments arrived on March 15 from Diallo Sandaly of Conarky, Guinea and consigned to one Eduardo Fajardo of Quezon City.

The initial examination of the packages by the joint efforts of CIIS, Customs XIP examiners, and other BOC personnel found five boxes containing four pulley engines for a total of 20 engines.

The suspicion into the packages began after the shipment’s claimant presented two valid identification cards reflecting different names at the Pair Cargo Warehouse in Pasay City. Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo

IN BRIEF

Gatchalian says POGO kidnappings continue

KIDNAPPINGS related to Philippine Offshore

Gaming Operators (POGO) remain unabated despite assurances made by police authorities that crimes involving POGOs have been addressed, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian made the revelation in the Chairman’s Report by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means following a series of public hearings conducted by the Senate body to determine the socio-economic impact of allowing POGO operations in the country.

Gatchalian serves as chairman of the committee.

Citing a letter dated March 9, Gatchalian said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has confirmed a kidnapping incident involving a licensed POGO service provider in the country.

By Nash B. Maulana

THE US government said it is supporting projects to boost women’s participation in energy resilience, innovation, and security in the Philippines.

The US Embassy said two new projects have been granted P37.9 million ($690,000) in funding support through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on International Women’s Day March 8, a press statement from the embassy said.

USAID Philippines Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks formally awarded the Women in Energy Leadership, Innovation, and Resilience grant to the Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. and to the Women Engineers Network of the Philippine Technological Council, Inc. (PTC) during the forum of the Women Champions in Sustainable Climate Solutions

on March 8 and 9, the statement said. More than 100 women leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators attended the event to exchange ideas and propose solutions to address climate risks.

“Women empowerment and climate change are two pressing issues of our time. They are inextricably intertwined,” USAID Philippines Deputy Mission Director Eubanks said.

“Climate change exacerbates gender inequalities and developmental gaps. Women have a unique perspective on these issues as they often bear the brunt of climate shocks and stresses.”

Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. received Php 29 million ($528,000) to expand “Tanging Tanglaw: Turning IP Women into Solar Engineers,” a program that trains elderly women from indigenous communities to build and maintain solar-powered pump systems to electrify their neighborhoods.

“Verification conducted revealed that on 16 February 2023, Consul Cao Kaiwen of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Philippines requested the assistance of the NBI in rescuing a male Chinese national (named) Cao Xialong, who is allegedly being illegally detained at Brickhartz Technology Inc., Shuangma Park,” the letter, signed by NBI Director Atty. Medardo de Lemos, stated. The NBI is currently working to gather possible leads to rescue the victim.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Revilla slams BI on offloading incidents

SENATOR Bong Revilla said out of the 30,000 passengers offloaded by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), only 4.2 percent had basis and only 1.45 percent were connected to human trafficking.

“This really says something about the accuracy and efficiency of the Bureau of Immigration,” Revilla said.

According to the BI, of the 32,404 Filipinos offloaded in 2022, only 472 were related to human trafficking, 873 allegedly misrepresented themselves, and 10 were minors.

Malapitan meanwhile applauded the buy-bust operation of the Caloocan City Police Station (CCPS) which led to the arrest of four suspects at Edsa cor. J. Mariano St., Barangay 95 on Monday, March 20, The said suspects were determined to be Sherwin Galope, 27 years old; Jose Gabriel Cuesta, 25 years old; Juan Mortera, 23 years old; and Eurica May Dela Cerna, 21 years old. The suspects shall face charges in violation of Section 5 (Selling), Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 13 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs in a proximate company of two or more) of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Acts of 2002). With Jun David

The latest offloading incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which went viral involved a Filipino passenger bound for Israel.

The woman traveler share on social media her experience with an immigration officer who conducted a lengthy interview which eventually cause the passenger to miss her flight despite being at the airport several hours before the scheduled time of departure. The traveler also had to shell out additional money to cover rebooking expenses.

According to Revilla, his office has received numerous concerns and complaints about the prevalence of arbitrary offloading at NAIA. Revilla said he was in the process of investigating the matter when the issue blew up. “We are looking at this since last year, and now, it came out,” he said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

PCUP supports ‘Buhay at Bahay’ program

THE Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) on Tuesday vowed to support the “Buhay at Bahay” caravan of Quezon City Councilor Mikey Belmonte of District 2 following the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding at the Commonwealth High School.

In line with President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s agenda to uplift the lives of the marginalized sector, the program aims to generate potential immediate and long-term programs and projects from national and international partners to complement and amplify the city government’s interventions to alleviate the people from poverty and promote the attainment of the human development potential, Undersecretary Elpidio Jordan Jr. said.

Buhay at Bahay: Housing and Improved Community Service Caravans for Quezon City features a two-day convergence of government programs tailor-fitted to the needs of the people as whole-of-government approach.

Belmonte stressed the need to address poverty in every area possible using adaptive programs. The PCUP is housing its information booth, together with other national government agencies and the private sector, to address the issues and concerns of the urban poor and urban poor organizations from District 2. Rio N. Araja

LOW DEMAND. A fish merchant waits for a customer, as demand for fish decrease due to the scare that fish might be affected by the recent oil spill in Mindoro Oriental. Danny Pata

RAMADAN STARTS. A Muslim prays at the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila on the eve of the start of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims as a month of fasting. Norman Cruz

OPINION

Dreaming the impossible:

The 1.5C climate target

By Marlowe Hood

IN THE realm of climate diplomacy, it’s the little engine that could, the 80-to-1odds Kentucky Derby winner, the lowbudget multiverse fantasy that came out of nowhere to sweep the Oscars.

We are talking, of course, about the Paris Agreement goal of capping Earth’s average surface temperature at 1.5 degrees Celsius above levels in the late 19th century, when burning fossil fuels began to seriously heat up the planet.

At barely 1.2C above that threshold, the world today has already seen a crescendo of deadly and destructive extreme weather.

Fifteen years ago, a 1.5C limit on global warming -- championed by small island nations worried about sea level rise -- was rejected by most scientists as unrealistic and by most countries as unnecessary.

The backstory of the 1.5C goal reveals an interplay of science and politics, with one driving and shaping the other

A 2C “guardrail” was assumed to be safe enough.

Today, the 1.5C target is enshrined in everything, everywhere, all at once. While technically no more than an “aspirational” goal, it has become the de facto North Star for UN climate talks, national climate plans and the business world.

From Apple and Facebook to Big Pharma and even Big Oil, multinationals have unveiled promises and plans to be “1.5C-aligned,” even if most of those plans don’t hold up very well under scrutiny.

You can draw a straight line from 1.5C to the science-base imperative to nearly halve global emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero around mid-century, meaning any residual carbon pollution must be offset by removals.

Both of these targets are set to be affirmed in a report summarizing six years of climate science, released Monday by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

2C not good enough

This raises a perplexing question, according to Beatrice Cointe, a sociologist at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research and co-author of a recent study on the history of the 1.5C target.

“How did an almost impossible target become the point of reference for climate action?” she asked.

And what will happen when the world experiences its first full year at or above 1.5C, which the IPCC says could easily happen within a decade, even under aggressive emissions reduction scenarios?

“The target appears increasingly unattainable,” Cointe and co-author Helene Guillemot, a historian of science at the Center Alexandre-Koyre, wrote in the journal WIREs Climate Change. “And yet calls to ‘Keep 1.5C Alive’ have been growing louder.”

The backstory of the 1.5C goal reveals an interplay of science and politics, with

EvEryman

By Ambassador Albert Del Rosario

BACK in 2012, during the Forty-fifth Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Cambodia and before the rendition of the Arbitral Award in favor of the Philippines, we were a lone voice trying to convince our neighbors to stand up to Chinese aggressions in the South China Sea, given that most diplomatic circles were opting for a policy of appeasement towards a powerful and rising China.

To press our point during that meeting, we quoted the famous lines of German theologian Martin Niemöller on the perils of doing nothing in the face of mounting tyranny.

Describing how the unopposed Nazis first came for the communists and then the trade unionists, Niemöller said: “Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

As a result of our firm position during that

one driving and shaping the other.

Going into the 2015 climate negotiations that yielded the breakthrough Paris treaty, it seemed unlikely that 195 nations would significantly improve on the 2C target already set in stone.

But a scientific evaluation by a UN technical body delivered ahead of the December summit sounded an alarm about the dangers of a +2C world and suggested greater ambition might be wise.

“While science on the 1.5C limit is less robust, efforts should be made to push the defense line as low as possible,” it concluded.

A growing coalition of developing nations, meanwhile, had gathered behind the 1.5C goal, eventually joined by the European Union and the United States.

Emerging giants and oil exporters resisted, fearful of the constraints on their fossil-fuel dependent economies.

“China was against it, India was against it, Saudi Arabia fought us tooth-and-nail to the very end,” recalled Saleemul Huq, director of the International Center for Climate Change and Development in Dhaka.

Even today, these nations remain lukewarm on the idea.

But in the end, nearly 200 nations committed to cap warming at “well below 2C,” while “pursuing effort to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C.”

‘A moral target’

It was a stunning diplomatic coup. Many scientists, however, were less than thrilled.

“It will be very hard -- if not impossible —to keep warming below 1.5 C during the entire 21st century,” Joeri Rogelj, a climate modeler currently at Imperial College London who played a key role in the technical report, told AFP at the time.

But because the target was part of the Paris Agreement, nations called on the IPCC—which exists to brief policymakers on climate science—for a “special report.”

The resulting bombshell, delivered in October 2018, left no doubt as to the difference a half-a-degree makes: a 1.5C world will see deep change but remain liveable; a 2C world could tip the climate system into overdrive, outstripping our capacity to adapt, it warned.

Today, the IPCC -- including Rogelj, a lead author of the 2018 report -- insists that the 1.5C goal is technically feasible.

But that conclusion hangs by the thinnest of threads.

There is no scenario that avoids “overshooting” the target, and bringing temperatures back under the wire will require extracting billions of tonnes of CO2 from thin air, something we can’t do yet at scale.

But whether the 1.5C target is feasible may be missing the point, say others.

“Getting 1.5 C into the agreement was a moral target,” Huq told AFP not long after the Paris pact was inked.

“It’s our leverage, the whip we will use to hit everybody on the back so they can go faster,” he added.

“Whether we achieve it or not is going down a dark track. From now on, it’s about raising ambition.”

Piers Forster, director of the University of Leeds Priestley International Centre for Climate and a coordinating lead author for the IPCC, describes the 1.5C objective as a “huge, but not impossible, task”.

“Hopefully the IPCC report can push the urgency,” he said. “If it’s ignored, we would have to give up on 1.5C.” AFP

Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The wheels of justice on Degamo’s slay

LOOKS like the wheels of justice are grinding well on schedule in the March 4 killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight others, after a fifth suspect has surrendered to military authorities.

We are told the surrenderer, a former soldier discharged from service in 2016 due to his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade, gave himself up and bore witness to the statements of four other arrested suspects, now detained, implicating still abroad Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. in the crime.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said four more suspects, whom he considered as “major players” in the killing of Degamo, have surrendered to the Philippine military. Degamo unseated Teves’ brother, Pryde Henry Teves, as provincial governor after the Commission on Elections last September annulled Pryde Henry’s proclamation as the winner in the May 9, 2022, elections.

This, after the Comelec credited the votes obtained by a nuisance candidate in Degamo’s favor. The Supreme Court affirmed the Comelec ruling last February.

The suspects earlier arrested by authorities identified a certain “Cong Teves” as the mastermind behind the Degamo et al. slays.

“direct participant” in the killings but restricted himself to saying, replying to questions, they were still verifying all statements.

But Remulla admitted the latest suspect “has very critical information (since) he is one of the main players in what happened. His statements corroborate the previous statements given to us and he knows the other people involved so he knows the extent of the network.”

will

We have high hopes this will indeed be resolved soon to check the culture of criminality in different parts of the country

Rep. Teves, whose request for a twomonth extension of his stay abroad was denied by House Speaker Martin Romualdez who advised him to come home instead, has denied involvement in the offbeat killing.

One of the suspects surrendered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines last Friday and has since been turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation, according to AFP chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino.

Secretary Remulla said the latest suspect was a

Upholding the rule of law

THE rule of law should prevail at all times.

Hence, the Philippine government is on the right track in asking the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue an international lookout bulletin against the suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

In our latest Saturday Media Forum in Quezon City, Department of Justice spokesman Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano told us the government had taken “concrete steps” for the issuance of an international lookout bulletin or Blue Notice for those considered suspects in the Degamo slay that also led to the death of eight others and the wounding of 16 more.

The Interpol Blue Notice is an international request for cooperation or alert allowing police in member-countries to share critical crimerelated information issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member-country.

This notice would allow the county to monitor the movements of the suspects.

“We hope to do that next week just so that we are aware of the movement of those who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital in our investigation,” Clavano said.

The DOJ official bared that cases have been filed against the four gunmen arrested near the scene of the crime, while the government is now currently investigating 10 more individuals.

He added the DOJ probe has revealed the perpetrators of the murder had resorted to what he described as “layering,” – one layer composed of the actual gunmen who carried out the crime, another consisting of the drivers of vehicles and lookouts, still another the handlers or middlemen, who directly took orders from the mastermind.

The Special Investigation Task Group Degamo organized by the Philippine National Police earlier confirmed the DOJ revelation that it was Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. who was the alleged mastermind in the killing of Degamo. The lawmaker had even issued a statement condemning the killing of Degamo and denying any involvement in the crime while he was in United States for medical treatment.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez said Rep. Teves had been issued a travel order good for

nine days, after which he should return home or face administrative sanctions.

But Teves has asked for a two-month leave, citing security threats to his life and that of his family.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has revealed that Teves is in an Asian country after leaving the U.S.

Prosecuting the mastermind(s) and the actual perpetrators in the brazen assassination of Governor Degamo will send strong message the government is determined to uphold the rule of law in this country. Biggest PH-US military exercise

With the Philippine military now among the weakest in the Southeast Asian region, it makes eminent sense for the national government to modernize its defense capability to deal with both internal and external threats.

Prosecuting the mastermind(s) and the actual perpetrators in the brazen assassination of Governor Degamo will send strong message that the government is determined to uphold the rule of law in this country

At this point, with the armed insurgency largely contained according to the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, dealing with tensions in the South China Sea that have risen to alarming levels in recent years, the government is correct in expanding security cooperation with other countries in the region to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The continuation of the annual PhilippinesUS military exercises called Balikatan is

Commitment to the legal system

ASEAN meeting, the ASEAN foreign ministers failed to produce an annual communique for the first time in 45 years because we were unwilling to sign a communique that would only serve China’s aggressions in the South China Sea.

As Secretary of Foreign Affairs, we were also made responsible for bringing China before an international tribunal.

Given the myriad political pressures, we pursued an arduous case against China.

Despite this, the Philippines came out vindicated when, on July 12, 2016, the international tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea rendered the Arbitral Award which ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines’ rights over the West Philippine Sea.

More than 10 years after the ASEAN Meeting and almost seven years after the rendition of the Arbitral Award, we remain fully committed in our position of championing the Rule of Law and defending our country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Thus, in addition to our arbitration case, we have undertaken steps and made recommendations in the pursuit of our advocacy for the Rule of Law in international affairs. Among these steps and recommendations

were mentioned in our 2011 interview with Mr. Ernest Bower of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. These include (1) the clarification of the coverage of the 1951 US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty or “MDT” and (2) our recommendation of operational lease of defense assets, as a cost-efficient means in building our country’s credible defense posture.

With regard to the clarification of the coverage of the MDT, we have taken a significant step in our country’s favor when former U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and current U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken publicly declared the MDT applies in the South China Sea as part of the Pacific and “any armed attack on any Philippine forces, aircraft, or public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual defense obligations under…our Mutual defense treaty.”

On Operational Leases, we are respectfully making this recommendation to our current leadership as such program may allow us to obtain newer defense equipment at lesser cost

He said based on the suspect’s claims, eight more people were involved in the killing aside from the four other suspects who are in NBI custody.

At the same time, police announced a rifle confiscated from one of the suspects in the killings has been confirmed to be one of weapons used during the massacre PNP Spokesperson Jean Fajardo confirmed the assault weapon based on the ballistic and cross-matching, stressing that Degamo had 11 shots and one of them came from the rifles recovered. We heard Fajardo, loud and clear, say that based on testimonies and forensic evidence, a solution to the case was coming soon.

We have high hopes this will indeed be resolved soon to check the culture of criminality in different parts of the country.

We remember Sun Tzu, the Chinese military general and strategist in the Eastern Zhou period, who said the “wheels of justice grind slow but grind fine.”

therefore a welcome development.

AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar told the Saturday Media Forum that the forthcoming exercise will begin on April 11 and end on April 28 with the participation of a total 17,600 troops: 12,000 from the US and 5,000 from the Philippines.

This year’s Balikatan is the largest joint military exercise in the country. Representatives from Australia and Japan will be coming over to observe the military exercises.

The defining activity of the military exercise, according to Balikatan spokesperson Col. Michael Logico, would be the sinking of an old fishing vessel some 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles) off Zambales, or about 185 km (100 nautical miles) from Panatag Shoal which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.

“We will be sinking a target vessel using a combination of artillery naval gunfire and aviation weapons… We will be firing HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), our artillery … a combination of Philippine Air Force and US Air Force rockets and bombs, and our frigates,” Logico said.

The US Army will also hold its first Patriot missile air-defense exercise in the country as part of a coastal defense live-fire exercise, Logico added.

Last year, the United States deployed the Patriot, which stands for “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target,” as part of a mobilization exercise for the Balikatan drills. It was not used for live-fire training then.

The Patriot, said to be one of the world’s most advanced air defense systems, can track and shoot down incoming missiles and aircraft with a minimum flight time of less than nine seconds and can travel up to 70 km to a target. This is already being used against Russian forces in Ukraine.

Asked if the upcoming joint exercise might anger China, Logico said: “We have the absolute, inalienable right to defend our territory. We are here to show that we are combat-ready.”

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

and with faster delivery time.

Our country has long relied on “excess defense articles.”

Though they remain useful, the costs for reconditioning and maintaining such excess defense articles become prohibitive over time.

Our analogy in this case would be acquiring a car.

Buying a new car is usually expensive.

Reconditioning and maintaining a used and donated car may also be expensive overtime.

However, like in a program of Operational Leases of defense articles, renting or leasing a car allows us to enjoy the benefits of acquiring a relatively new car, but at a cheaper price and without the waiting time for refurbishment.

At this somewhat late stage in our life, we shall remain steadfast in our commitment to the Rule of Law as our country and our people confront the challenges against their rights as a sovereign state.

(The author is Chair, Stratbase ADR Institute, and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs)

At this somewhat late stage in our life, we shall remain steadfast in our commitment to the Rule of Law as our country and our people confront the challenges against their rights as a sovereign state

House panel approves bill allowing divorce

THE House Committee on Population and Family Relations on Tuesday approved a bill reinstituting absolute divorce in the Philippines.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman welcomed the decision the panel chaired Rep. Ian Paul Dy of Isabela, saying it gives spouses, especially the wives, the option of getting out of an irremediably broken marriage and get a new lease on life.

Lagman said divorce is not against the Catholic faith. “Even the Bible cites instances when Jesus Christ allowed divorce. All Catholic countries, except the Philippines, have legalized divorce which the Papacy has not condemned. Even the Catholic hierarchy has its own matrimonial tribunal which dissolves marriages similar to a divorce.”

Lagman stressed that divorce is an option. An aggrieved party can seek in the proper cases annulment of marriage, legal separation or dissolution of marriage based on psychological incapacity under the Family Code, all of which are expensive and involve a lengthy process, unlike divorce which is mandated to be expeditious, reasonable, and inexpensive.

The approval of the substitute bill on absolute divorce for eventual plenary debates assures that the country is now at the threshold of joining the universality of absolute divorce in the community of nations.

The House committee’s approved bill adopted Lagman’s House Bill 78, which the congressman said is almost a replica of the bill approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives during the 17th Congress. The approval of the same bill during the 18th Congress was stalled by the pandemic.

“While it is said that marriages are solemnized in heaven, the fact is some marriages plummet into hell because of human frailty and imperfections. The Divorce Act seeks to redeem couples, particularly the abused or abandoned wives, from infernal agony,” Lagman said. “But it must be underscored that a law on absolute divorce is not for everybody. This Act is for the exceptional circumstances of married couples who are marooned in toxic, dysfunctional, and even abusive marriages, particularly for wives who suffer the torment of irreversibly dead marriages,” he added. Maricel V. Cruz

Romualdez, Zubiri say PH doors open for international community

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Philippines is now ready to receive foreign visitors, prospective investors, and parliamentarians, Speaker Ferdinand Martin

Romualdez said Tuesday.

Romualdez made the statement during a luncheon meeting with ambassadors of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF)-member-countries at Shangri-La The Fort as part of the preparations for the APPF’s 31st annual conference to be hosted by the Philippines in November this year.

For his part, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the event was “a great start for the President’s administration to show that the Philippines is once again open to the international community, in this period of post-pandemic recovery.”

“Our dear Ambassadors, please extend our warmest invitation to our peers in your countries and let them know that the Philippines is very much open for business, and we have a lot to offer,” Romualdez said.

“This year, 2023, in Manila, your parlia-

Six cold storage traders face contempt charges—Enverga

THE House Committee on Agriculture and Food on Tuesday issued a show cause order requiring at least six officials of cold storage facilities and a trader to explain why they should not be cited in contempt over their failure to attend congressional inquiries on exorbitant onion prices.

Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga stressed that the presence of these people was necessary for the investigation.

Those who allegedly snubbed the panel’s summons to attend the hearings were Mary Ann Lim and Grace Ang Ong of Super 5 cold storage, Sherman Chan and Eric Fabilona of Tian Long cold storage, Vilma Camato, former operations manager of Argo storage, Marlene Lamata of Rivson storage, and trader Lilia/Leah Cruz.

The Super 5 executives submitted a medical certificates stating that Lim was five-month pregnant and advised to take a rest, while Ong

tested positive for COVID-19.

Tian Long’s Fabilona was in Hong Kong for an eye operation, while Chan also did not show up. Lamata, who supposedly has upper respiratory tract infection, and Camato also submitted medical certificates that they were ill. Cruz, on the other hand, was confined in Metropolitan Medical Hospital due to bleeding.

“Ang daming maysakit,” Enverga said during the hearing.

“We issue a show cause order sa lahat ng wala,” Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga added.

House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Stella Quimbo expressed her frustration.

“Mr. Chair, this is our sixth hearing, and it has been two hours and all we have talked about are the excuses of our resource persons. It is really very, very frustrating,” she said.

mentarians will rediscover a other unique and rich culture, reflecting all three of our heritage —our island nation ancestry, our deep Southeast Asian roots as well as our Latin American kinship,” he said. Romualdez also said that the House of Representatives approved the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) and the proposals amending the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution to further stimulate economic activities, create job opportunities, and provide better health care services for Filipinos

“Two of our more promising initiatives is the Maharlika Investment Fund proposal and the efforts to amend the economic provisions of our existing Constitution through a Constitutional Convention. These measures, we at the House of Representatives believe, will help create a more vibrant

economy not only for the Philippines but also for the countries in the Asia-Pacific Region, by reducing, if not, totally eliminating economic barriers to investments. Indeed, there are so much more to look forward to,” Romualdez said.

The Speaker also cited the foreign policy declaration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the Philippines “is a friend to all, enemy to none.”

“Our country extends the open hand of friendship to our neighbors as we host the Asia Pacific Parliamentarians Forum this year. We are excited to have your legislators here. I am sure that the Senate President shares this sentiment,” Romualdez said.

Zubiri chairs the 31st APPF with Romualdez as co-chair.

The House leader told the ambassadors that he is looking forward to receiving and interacting with APPF lawmakers.

“Personally, I am eager to meet our counterparts from our neighboring countries. I am quite partial to faceto-face meetings. I find it easier to communicate, coordinate and provide support to each other when we are all physically present,” he said.

IN BRIEF

Cops seize 84 firearms, ammos in raid on Rockwell tower, Makati

POLICE have confiscated at least 84 unlicensed firearms and ammunitions during a raid at a residential skyscraper in a posh area of Makati City Monday night.

Armed with a search warrant issued by Makati executive judge Rico Sebastian Liwanag, the composite police team swooped down on a condominium unit at the search warrant around 7 Edades Tower, Rockwell Center in Barangay Poblacion, Makati.

The seized firearms consisted of 13 5.56 rifles, 12 revolvers, 53 pistols, and seven submachine guns.

The raiding team was composed of operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Anti Organized Crime Unit, the Makati City Police Station Intelligence Section, the Poblacion Community Police Substation, and the Special Weapons and Tactics.

The target suspects, identified as Taiwanese nationals Jiang Zhang Xiaodong, also known as Lu Ming Chung, eluded arrest.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. commended the policemen who took part in the operation. Joel E. Zurbano

Top tourism spot in N. Ecija padlocked

A TOP tourist spot in Nueva Ecija was ordered closed by local officials for alleged violation of various environmental laws. General Tinio Mayor Isidro Pajarillaga also called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to revoke its agreement with a private firm that operates the Minalungao National Park. Pajarillaga asserted that the General Air Logistics Corp. (GALCO) which operates the Minalungao National Park, has no business permits, including building and occupancy permits.

The mayor also cited that several natural rock formations inside the park were removed to give way for infrastructure projects, which clearly destroyed protected areas inside the Minalungao national park, which is situated in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija, a popular tourist spot in the Central Luzon region.

House okays bill creating tripartite council to address unemployment

THE House of Representatives unanimously approved on Tuesday a bill creating a labor panel to address the unemployment problem in the country.

Meanwhile, the Lower House also ratified a measure declaring every first Monday of August as the “National Line Workers Appreciation Day” to recognize the service and important role of electric line workers in the country’s development.

House Bill (HB) 7370, passed with 277 yes votes with no abstention, seeks to create a tripartite council to address unemployment, underemployment and the job-skills mismatch problem in the country.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the proposed law would benefit a lot of unemployed workers, college graduates, and students as the proposed council is tasked to

help them match their skills and education with jobs currently available as well as future employment opportunities.

“Part of our unemployment problem is due to the fact that many of the new members of our labor force do not possess the competency employers are looking for. Their education and job requirements do not match. This is one of the problems we would like to address in approving the bill,” Romualdez noted.

The measure aims to “ensure the relevance and adequacy of academic courses in the higher education curriculum and training programs offered in technical-vocational institutions in relation to the needs and requirements of the business and industry sectors and the overall human resource requirement of the country pursuant to its economic development goals.”

Maricel V. Cruz

Sandigan clears ex-solon of graft, but finds him liable for negligence

THE Sandiganbayan has cleared former Quezon 2nd District Rep. Proceso Alcala of graft, malversation, and falsification charges arising from alleged anomalies involving his pork barrel funds amounting to P6 million.

However, the anti-graft court Alcala civilly liable “for his negligence in the strict and improper implementation of the project funded by his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).”

“He is ordered to pay the government the amount of P6.05 million,” the 89-page ruling

stated, handed down on Tuesday, Alcala was charged for endorsing the registration of a non-governmental organization (NGO), the Economic and Social Cooperation for Local Development Foundation Inc. (Ecosoc), as project partner in implementing a financial assistance /livelihood program for his constituents, to be funded by his PDAF.

The amount was disbursed in three tranches between March and June 2007. The prosecution asserted that the Ecosoc turned out to be fictitious, and the intended

beneficiaries did not receive the financial assistance.

In acquitting Alcala, the court said the act of endorsing Ecosoc did not make him criminally liable. “(T)hat endorsement does not carry with it a peremptory directive to approve the same. As has been discussed, the discretion and decision to deny or grant Ecosoc’s application for registration, including the processing of the same, as well as the release of the said funds in whole or in part, lies with the Department of

Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the implementing agency, and not Alcala,” the court explained.

A certain Roberto Solon, who represented himself as the executive director of Ecosoc, was a signatory in the memorandum of agreement which also included then-DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral.

Alcala’s endorsement was issued without verifying the authenticity of the documents, such as the liquidation reports, hotel rates, photos and list of intended beneficiaries.

In 2003, the DENR, represented by Protected Area management Board (PAMB) chairman and Regional Executive director Regidor De Leon executed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with GALGO Vice President for operations Rey Aviles to preserve, develop, operate and manage the recreational park for 25 years. Vito Barcelo

JV picks up cudgels for brgy. volunteers

SENATOR Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito called on his colleagues in Congress to consider institutionalizing allowances and benefits for barangay volunteers, especially the health workers and security personnel (tanod).

Ejercito said barangay health workers and barangay tanods are the country’s first line of defense against public emergencies.

He acknowledged that they were overworked and underpaid. The lawmaker from San Juan stressed that barangay volunteers should be provided hazard pay, health insurance, and access to different medical services due to the risky nature of their work.

“It seems ambitious but I think it’s about time that we give the proper benefits and privileges to these people,” she said.

“We saw their value especially during pandemic wherein everybody were scared to come out. But they were there, risking their lives and even their families to serve. “

“It’s about time we compensate them properly,” he said.

He also urged the national government to study the feasibility of fixing a standard or minimum compensation package for barangay officials and volunteers.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, pose with diplomats from member-nations of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum after their luncheon meeting at the Shangri-la The Fort in preparation for the 31st APPF in Manila on November 23-26, 2023. Ver Noveno

LAND DONATION. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo (second from right) receives a certi cate of land title donation from Mayor Vic Amante covering 1.5 hectares in Barangay San Gregorio, San Pablo City as Rep. Amben Amante (left) and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin look on. Roy Tomandao

COURTESY CALL. University of the Philippines =president Angelo Jimenez calls on Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez at the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno

Trump to be arrested? US girds for drama as he calls for protest

NEW York police tightened security ahead of a possible historic indictment of Donald Trump over hush money paid to a porn actress, with the expresident calling for mass demonstrations if he is charged.

Only a couple of dozen Trump supporters attended a protest in America’s financial capital on Monday evening though, as a grand jury weighs an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over the 2016 payment to Stormy Daniels.

Trump would become the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime if an indictment is filed – a move that would send shockwaves through the 2024 White House race, in which the 76-year-old is running to regain office.

Bragg, an elected Democrat, has not

Hong Kong rights activist Albert Ho arrested by police

ONE of Hong Kong’s best-known rights activists was arrested by the city’s national security police on Tuesday over alleged witness tampering, a police source told AFP.

Albert Ho, 71, formerly led the nowdisbanded Hong Kong Alliance, which organised an annual candlelight vigil for more than three decades to mourn the victims of China’s bloody crackdown at Tiananmen Square in 1989.

The lawyer is already facing up to a decade in jail over an “incitement to subversion” charge under the national security law, which Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 to quell widespread and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.

Ho was arrested Tuesday for “allegedly interfering with witnesses” while on bail, said the source, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.

The trial in that subversion case is pending, and Ho was granted bail in August after spending almost a year in prison. His bail conditions included a gag order on any speech deemed a threat to national security.

Violation of bail conditions can lead to immediate arrest under Hong Kong law.

Ho’s arrest was the latest in a series of high-profile detentions under the national security law, including his brother Fred Ho, who was representing labour rights activist Elizabeth Tang Yin-Ngor.

Tang, the secretary-general of the International Domestic Workers Federation, was arrested on suspicion of “colluding with foreign forces,” a national security offence.

After her release on bail, police arrested Fred Ho and Tang’s sister on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Both have since been released on bail. AFP

‘Saudi releases US citizen imprisoned for critical tweets’

A US citizen sentenced to 19 years in a Saudi prison for social media posts criticising the kingdom’s rulers has been released, his son told AFP on Tuesday.

Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old of Saudi origin, was arrested in 2021 for what his son, Ibrahim, described as “mild” Twitter posts on topics including the war in Yemen and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Last October, a court handed Almadi a term of 16 years behind bars, which last month was lengthened to 19 years before his surprise release on Tuesday, Ibrahim said.

“Yes, he was freed five hours ago. He’s in his Riyadh home,” Ibrahim told AFP by phone from the United States.

A travel ban also imposed last year means he cannot leave the country, Ibrahim said.

Almadi’s case has risked further ratcheting up tensions between Riyadh and Washington, long-time partners that have recently been at odds over issues including human rights and oil output cuts approved by the OPEC+ cartel.

The State Department said last year it had “consistently and intensively raised our concerns regarding the case at senior levels of the Saudi government,” and that “exercising freedom of expression should never be criminalized.”

Saudi officials have not commented on the case.

The Gulf kingdom has come under fire for what human rights groups describe as draconian sentences for social media criticism of its policies.

Ibrahim previously shared with AFP a list of Twitter posts he said had been used in evidence against his father—information he said had been confirmed by the State Department. AFP

Ukraine issue to dominate Putin, Xi talks

confirmed any plans publicly, but has put key witnesses in front of the jury in recent weeks and offered Trump the opportunity to testify.

Trump said over the weekend that he expects to be “arrested” on Tuesday and urged supporters to “Protest, take our nation back!” although his lawyer said the comments were based on media reports and not any fresh action by prosecutors. Some US media said the panel could vote to indict when it returns on Wednesday after it interviewed its final witness, lawyer Robert Costello, on Monday.

The NYPD geared up for an unprecedented arrest, which would see an exleader of the United States fingerprinted and possibly even handcuffed, by erecting barricades outside Bragg’s office and Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

More than a dozen senior police officials met with mayoral aides on Sunday to discuss security and contingency plans for protests, the New York Times reported.

NBC News said police and other law enforcement agencies had conducted “preliminary security assessments,” including placing a security perimeter around the Manhattan Criminal Court where Trump would likely appear before a judge.

Senior Democrats have warned that Trump’s calls could trigger a repeat of the

violence that his supporters unleashed on the US Capitol in January 2021.

In an online group named “The Donald,” some Trump supporters called for a “national strike” and “Civil War 2.0” to protect Trump and protest any arrest.

But there was no indication of a large movement and figureheads for Trump such as his sons and leading commentators have not openly urged action in the streets as they did after the 2020 election, when President Joe Biden defeated Trump.

A small protest organized by the New York Young Republican Club in lower Manhattan passed peacefully.

Bragg’s inquiry centers on $130,000 paid weeks before the 2016 polls to stop Daniels from going public about an affair she says she had with Trump years earlier. AFP

VLADIMIR Putin and Xi Jinping were set to hold a second day of talks on Tuesday, as the internationally isolated Russian leader said he was open to discussing China’s proposals on the fighting in Ukraine.

The sit-down was to be unexpectedly mirrored in Kyiv, where Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was en route to meet Putin’s nemesis Volodymyr Zelensky.

Xi’s trip to Moscow has been viewed as a major boost for his strategic partner Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court warrant over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

On Monday, Xi and Putin held four and a half hours of talks, calling each other “dear friend.”

In a rare move, Putin escorted Xi to his car after the talks, and the two were seen smiling together.

During the meeting, the Russian leader said he was open to talks on Ukraine and praised Beijing’s 12-point position paper on the conflict, which includes a call for dialogue and respect for all countries’ territorial sovereignty.

China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington has said Beijing’s moves could be a “stalling tactic” to help Moscow.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Xi’s Moscow visit “suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the president accountable for the atrocities committed to Ukraine.”

“And instead of even condemning, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those great crimes,” he added.

Xi told Putin on Monday that China was ready to “continue to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement” of the Ukraine crisis, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. AFP

5 Ecuador TV stations get letter bombs

LETTER bombs were sent to at least five journalists working in TV and radio stations in violence-plagued Ecuador Monday, one of which exploded without causing serious injury, Interior Minister Juan Zapata said.

The prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation into thecrime of terrorism, without stating why the news stations were specifically targeted, or by whom.

The interior minister said the envelopes were sent from the town of Quinsaloma, in the coastal province of Los Rios. Three were sent to in the southwest and two to the capital Quito.

The “device is indeed the same in all five places,” Zapata told reporters.

In the port city of Guayaquil, journalist Lenin Artieda of the Ecuavisa private TV station received an envelope containing a pen drive which exploded when he inserted it into a computer, his employer said.

Artieda sustained slight injuries to one hand and his face, said police official Xavier Chango. No one else was hurt.

Chango said the USB drive sent to Artieda could have been loaded with RDX, a military-type explosive.

Another package addressed to journalist

Carlos Vera was intercepted by the police at a courier company in Guayaquil and did not reach its destination, Zapata said.

Elsewhere in Guayaquil in Ecuador’s southwest, the prosecutor’s office said a letter bomb was also sent to the offices of TC Television.

There is “an absolutely clear message to silence journalists,” said the minister.

The Teleamazonas chain later said it had also received a USB stick at its offices in Quito “with the same characteristics” as the one sent to Ecuavisa.

The Fundamedios NGO which advocates for press freedom, said the three “attacks

used the same modus operandi.”

Envelopes with USB sticks were addressed to Artieda as well as to Ayora of TC Television and Milton Perez of Teleamazonas, it said in a statement.

The envelope addressed to Artieda contained a threat against the journalist, said Fundamedios. AFP

the afternoon before this Court located at Room 703, 7th Floor, Hall of Justice, Diliman, Quezon City, at which place and on which date and time, any person who has objections to the petition may appear and file his opposition thereto.

Let a copy of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioner, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines.

Likewise, at the expense of the petitioner, let a copy of the Petition with its Annexes and this Order be furnished to the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the City Prosecutor,

BALINESE NEW YEAR. Devotees display an e gy known as Ogoh-Ogoh during a ceremony at Prambanan temple in Sleman on March 21, 2023, a day before the 'Day of Silence' – locally known as Nyepi, when Hindus do not work, travel or take part in any indulgence, in Indonesia. AFP

BUSINESS

BOP yielded deficit of $895m in February

By Julito G. Rada

THE country’s balance of payments position in the first two months remained at a surplus of $2.2 billion, a reversal from the $259-million deficit a year ago despite a bigger shortfall in February, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.

The cumulative BOP surplus reflected inflows that stemmed mainly from the government’s global bond issuance in January, remittances and foreign portfolio investments.

Cash remittances in January grew 3.5

IN BRIEF

DoubleDragon readies

US dollar bond offering

DOUBLEDRAGON Corp. said Tuesday it plans to conduct an additional or tap offering of its Singapore-listed US dollar bonds to finance expansion. A tap offering is a procedure that allows borrowers to sell additional bonds or notes from past issues.

DoubleDragon said in a stock exchange filing its offshore unit DDPC Worldwide Pte. Ltd. mandated UBS AG as the sole global coordinator, lead manager and bookrunner to arrange a series of fixed income investor calls.

DoubleDragon said a tap offering on DDPC Worldwide’s $160-million 2025 senior guaranteed notes listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd. may follow. The existing notes have an interest rate of 7.25 percent.

“Any bonds issued pursuant to the tap offering will be consolidated with and increase the outstanding principal amount of DDPC Worldwide’s existing listed maiden USD Bonds listed on the SGX-ST,” the company said.

DoubleDragon said this fund raising activity would enable it to diversify its funding sources as it prepares expand its business operations both here and abroad.

Jenniffer B. Austria

FGEN, DENR forge deal for 120-MW Aya hydro

FIRST Gen Corp. said Tuesday a subsidiary signed with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources an agreement that would pave the way for the development of the 120-megawatt Aya pumped storage hydro facility in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, while preserving the protected area status of the project site.

The Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas agreement enables First Gen unit First Gen Hydro Power Corp. to use a 36-hectare portion of the 84,000-hectare Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve for the Aya pumped hydro project. The agreement is valid for 25 years, subject to renewal for another 25 years.

“This is one of our most crucial permits. We are thrilled to be able to continue our work on the Aya Pumped-Storage project, and we are grateful for the support of our partners in DENR. We are also thankful to the LGUs and our stakeholders for their vote of confidence in us and for choosing us as their newest partner in protecting the watershed forest reserve,” First Gen senior vice president Dennis Gonzales said.

The DENR issues a SAPA to enable productive use of the country›s protected areas by providing access to economic opportunities to indigenous people, tenured migrant communities, protected migrant communities and other protected area stakeholders.

Alena Mae S. Flores

SMC rolls out P500-m fisherfolk assistance

SAN Miguel Corp. rolled out a P500-million financial assistance program for Cavite fisherfolk as part of its commitment to managing its social and environmental impact following strict performance standards set by the International Finance Corp. for its New Manila International Airport project.

The ‘Handog Tulong Pinansyal Para sa Mangingisda” financial assistance program, launched by its San Miguel Aerocity Inc., will benefit some 5,000 fisherfolk families, that will each receive a monthly financial assistance of P5,000 until the company’s operation in the area is completed by 2024. Eligible fisherfolk were identified based on both third-party surveys and a selection and validation process by local officials and leaders of local fishermen’s groups.

This comes after the company’s recent program to provide monthly food supply assistance to over 8,000 families across all four towns, to help them cope with rising food prices.

SMAI has also tapped experts to help implement programs that will minimize its impact on the environment—including site rehabilitation and restoration—and further embed sustainability solutions to its operation in the area.

Darwin G. Amojelar

percent to $2.76 billion from $2.67 billion a year ago, although this growth was slower compared to the 5.8-percent expansion in December 2022 as overseas Filipino workers usually send more money during the holiday season.

The BOP posted a deficit of $895 million in February, higher than the $157-million shortfall recorded in the same month last year.

“The BOP deficit in February 2023 reflected outflows arising mainly from the national government’s net foreign currency withdrawals from its deposits with the BSP to settle its foreign currency debt obligations and pay for its various expenditures,” the BSP said.

The gross international reserves decreased to $98.2 billion as of end-February from $100.7 billion in January.

The latest GIR level represented a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.4 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

It was also about 5.9 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 3.9 times based on residual maturity. BOP is the difference in total value between payments into and out of a country over a period.

The BSP lowered on Friday its 2023 BOP deficit forecast to $1.6 billion from a previous assumption of $5.4-billion

deficit, as it expected an improvement in the external sector in the coming months.

Gross international reserves are expected to reach $100 billion this year, higher than the previous forecast of $93 billion and increase further to $102 billion next year.

The BSP said remittances would grow 3 percent this year and in 2024, slower than previous assumption of 4-percent increase.

The BOP deficit hit $7.3 billion last year, a turnaround from the $1.3-billion surplus in 2021.

Fitch unit sees no major hurdles to Sky-PLDT deal

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CREDITSIGHTS, a unit of Fitch Group, said Tuesday it foresees no “major regulatory hurdles” to the P6.75-billion acquisition of Sky Cable Corp. by PLDT Inc.

“We don’t anticipate any resistance from the antitrust body as the acquisition effectively involves Sky’s broadband business only, since Sky will terminate its cable TV business as part of the transaction,” CreditSights said in a report.

AIM-UH TIEUP. Asian Institute of Management president and dean Dr. Jikyeong Kang (left)

Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Business Administration from AIM and a Bachelor of Business Administration Major in Management Information Systems from UH. The BSc in DSBA and BBA in MIS double degree program offers unparalleled complementary skills that will enable students from all over the region to become datapowered leaders with the skills to solve complex business problems using

Citicore building 680-MW Batangas

By Alena Mae S.Flores

CITICORE Renewable Energy Corp.

on Tuesday broke ground on its P21billion, 680-megawatt solar power plant in Tuy, Batangas, becoming the largest among the company’s renewable energy portfolio.

It is also the biggest RE project to be constructed in Batangas province. It will be constructed in two phases over two years and is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the Luzon grid after its completion.

“CREC is committed to invest and develop more solar plants in the long run and help expand the country’s total renewable energy capacity. In fact, we have upsized our solar energy project pipeline alone by more than three times, from 1.5 gigawatts to 5GW, in the next five years,” CREC president and chief executive Oliver Tan said during the plant’s groundbreaking ceremony.

The company is capitalizing on technological hardware to augment and stretch the benefits of its solar power inventory.

“We are also investing in the battery energy storage system to extend the life

solar plant

of solar energy beyond daytime and offer more competitive alternatives to end-users,” said Tan.

The project will generate 2,400 jobs during the construction phase, where the majority will be sourced within the host community and surrounding areas.

The Batangas solar project, to be situated in a 5-million-square-meter land parcel, will have an estimated cost of P21.6 billion and will begin commercial operations by 2024.

Citicore plans to engage Megawide Construction Corp.-Citicore Construction Inc. for the plant’s pre-development, construction and commissioning.

“With this development, CREC is helping the government achieve its long-term clean energy targets of 30 percent renewable energy share in 2035 and 50 percent in 2040 in the Philippines,” Department of Energy Undersecretary for special concerns Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said.

“No doubt, the development this solar farm can further boost the country’s economy through local employment and additional livelihood opportunities for the host communities,” he said.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

CreditSights said Sky Cable has a relatively small broadband market share of 2 percent to 3 percent, which should not materially reduce industry competition post-acquisition by PLDT.

PLDT’s Cignal in August 2022 scrapped its bid to acquire a 38.9-percent stake in Sky Cable for P2.8 billion over concerns that the Philippine Competition Commission might block the deal on grounds of anti-competition.

“Such concerns mainly pertained to Sky’s cable TV business, as Cignal and Sky are the two largest cable TV providers in the Philippines with a combined market share of 63 percent to 65 percent,” CreditSights said.

CreditSights said the Philippine antitrust body could prevent M&As “only if they substantially lessen competition,” which could include “M&As that create companies with dominant market power that could potentially lessen, restrict or prevent market competition”.

The PCC earlier said it was watching the developments about the planned takeover of Sky Cable by PLDT for P6.75 billion.

The anti-trust body noted that the previous acquisition plans involving PLDT and Sky Cable did not push through in 2020 and 2022 for various reasons, including PLDT’s own assessment then of possible overlaps with Sky Cable in their products and services.

“We don’t foresee the deal to face major regulatory hurdles with the Philippine antitrust body,” CreditSights said.

Robinsons Land’s board approves plan

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer Robinsons

Land Corp. said Tuesday its board of directors approved the extension of its P3-billion share buyback program amid continued market volatility.

RLC said in a stock exchange filing the share buyback program would not affect any of the company’s prospective and existing projects and investments.

“The objectives of the share buyback program are to enhance the shareholder value and to manifest confidence in the corporation’s value and prospects through the repurchase of the commons shares of the company,” RLC said.

This will be third extension of the company’s share buyback program, bringing RLC’s total buyback program

to P9 billion.

The board of RLC approved in November 2021 the creation and implementation of a P3-billion share repurchase program. This was extended in November 2022.

It said that from Nov. 4, 2021 to Mar. 19, 2023, the property firm also bought back 238.134 million common shares worth P4.072 billion.

A company usually conducts a share buyback because it believes that its share price is undervalued and that the market discounted its shares too steeply.

RLC said the new share buy-back program would not involve any active and widespread solicitation from the stockholders and would be implemented in the open market through the trading facilities of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Pag-IBIG released P53.76-b cash loans, assisted 2.61m members last year

PAG-IBIG Fund disbursed P53.76 billion in cash loans, otherwise known as shortterm loans, benefiting a record 2,612,491 members in 2022, agency officials said Tuesday.

The amount of short-term loans released by the agency in 2022 increased 21 percent or P9.46 billion from P44.30 billion released in 2021. The number of members assisted through the program went up by 24 percent or over half a

million more than the 2,090,851 members in 2021.

“We at Pag-IBIG Fund exert all efforts in providing our members with assistance on their financial needs. We are happy to note that through our Short-Term Loan Program, we were able to aid more than 2.6 million Filipino workers gain added funds to tend to their needs last year. All our efforts are in line with the call of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to provide

the best service to the Filipino people,” said Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, who heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees.

Pag-IBIG Fund’s Short-Term Loan Program includes the agency’s MultiPurpose Loan and Calamity Loan.

Under the Pag-IBIG MPL, qualified members can borrow up to 80 percent

of their total Pag-IBIG Regular Savings, which consists of their monthly contributions, their employer’s contributions, and accumulated dividends earned.

Borrowers may choose between a 24 or 36-month payment term and are provided a two-month grace period prior to their first payment. The MPL comes at an interest rate of 10.5 percent per annum. The Pag-IBIG

Calamity Loan, on the other hand, is made available to members residing or working in areas declared under a state of calamity.

Of the total amount of cash loans released by the agency, P49.85 billion were in the form of Pag-IBIG MPLs which helped 2,313,143 members, while P3.91 billion were in the form of Calamity Loans which in turn aided 299,348 members.

Roderick T. dela Cruz, Editor Alena Mae S. Flores, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

to extend P3-b share buyback program

and University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business dean Dr. Paul Pavlou sign a memorandum of agreement for the first-of-its-kind double degree undergraduate program in the Philippines. Enrolled students will get a

technology-driven solutions. The program will be taught by faculty from AIM and UH, giving students a complete and holistic curriculum designed by experts from the two schools.

REVENUE COLLECTORS. Port of Subic district collector Maritess Martin shakes hands with Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno at the 2023 Stakeholder’s Night at the Rizal Park Grand Ballroom Hotel on March 17, 2023.

3 aces aim high as ICTSI Iloilo golfest gets going

ILOILO – Three of the big names on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour who fell short of expectations last week look to do better this time as the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge presented by MORE Power reels off Wednesday at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club here.

For one, the region’s oldest championship course provides bigger landing spots off the mound than Marapara, putting more emphasis on power although multiple hazards come into play in most holes, thus also requiring precision on iron play and wedge shots, including putting.

“I like the course, it’s a little bit more hilly than Marapara. The front nine is more like Valley South and the back like Aguinaldo,” said top amateur Rianne Malixi, whose run of victories in the country’s premier circuit came to an end with a joint third place effort in last week’s ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Challenge ruled by Chanelle Avaricio in come-from-behind fashion over Sarah Ababa.

Malixi, 16, swept all her three stints in last year’s edition of the Tour put up by ICTSI, upstaging Princess Superal at Luisita then dominating the Valley and Riviera stops.

But she struggled at the tight Marapara layout coming off a stint in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship in Singapore, opening with a 78 and hardly recovering with a pair of 73s to finish tied for third

IRONMAN 70.3 Davao stakes world tourney slots

A ONE-OF-A-KIND racing experience awaits the more than a thousand partic ipants in the Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Davao with berths to this year’s World Championship up for grabs in the premier endurance race firing off Sunday at Azuela Cove.

On top of the 30 slots offered in various age-group categories, the blueribbon event is also staking 25 extra spots for women to the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Aug. 26-27 in Lahti, Finland.

That makes this weekend’s 1.9 km swim, 90km bike and 21k run event powered by Petron doubly exciting with the qualifiers gaining the rare chance to race under the Nordic midnight sun in Lahti, the gateway to the Finnish Lake District, less than an hour from the capital city of Helsinki.

The event, organized by The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc., has already generated so much interest, this marking the return of the pros in local triathlon in general, and in Davao in particular, after it hosted the IM 70.3 in 2018 and 2019 which Mexico’s Mauricio Mendez and Germany’s Markus Rolli, topped, respectively,

A handful of Filipino triathletes have competed in past World Championships but with 55 slots now being offered, expect a spirited chase for top honors in the event backed by event partners Alveo, Petron, Lungsod ng Dabaw, Azuela Cove, Davao Light, Lightwater, Prudential Guarantee, One Sport and Cignal.

Eighteen pros and a slew of agegroup aces from 46 countries of varying styles and forms are all geared up for what looms to be a furious battle of speed, power and stamina over a challenging swim, a single loop fast flat bike and a hot, grueling run course.

with Pamela Mariano.

“I’m not familiar with the course but it’s something that interests me. So I’m looking forward to the next three days,” she added. “I really don’t know what to expect but will take it shot-byshot and just play my game. But I also have to be patient.”

Daniella Uy, who said Marapara requires a lot of fade shots in contrast her (draw) game, is brimming with confidence, saying: “Iloilo is more open so I can use my driver often.”

“I always aim for a win, I always give myself a chance in every tournament. But my performance last week wasn’t really my best, so hopefully, I’ll play better this week,” said Uy.

She scored an LPGT breakthrough at the tough Riviera-Langer in 2021 then campaigned in a couple of tours in the US. She hardly contended and wound up tied 27th in last month’s Anvaya Cove International but put herself in the early mix at Marapara with a first round 73.

A 77 and 75 in the next two rounds, however, dropped her to fifth but the former Junior World champion expects to crowd Avaricio, Ababa, Malixi and the rest for top honors in this second leg of this year’s LPGT organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Like Malixi and Uy, Harmie Constantino also likes her chances after a seventh-place effort at Marapara but braces for a more challenging week.

Promoters want lesser rest period for Pinoy pro boxers

By Randy Caluag

asking the Games and Amusement Board to loosen up some of the agency’s policies that limit opportunities for Filipino boxers.

Boxing promoter Johnny Elorde said promoters, trainers, and boxers will meet with GAB chairman Atty. Richard Clarin today (Wednesday) to have a dialogue with him and request to lessen the rest period of boxers before they can fight again. Currently, boxers should have to wait for 45 days before they can see action

again. “Masyado nang mahaba ‘yun kaya maraming boxers and nawawalan ng opportunities na lumaba n uli agad,” said Elorde. “Bago naman lumaban iyan, kumplete pa rin naman ng medical approval from a doctor, so safe pa rin naman .”

“Sana mayroong mas thorough evaluation sa boxers at kalaban at hindi ‘yung sasabihin na lang samin na denied ‘yung laban namin sa abroad. We hope the new GAB chairman will listen to us,”he added. There is also an existing policy that a

Tenorio battling colon cancer, vows to come back stronger

GINEBRA San Miguel point guard LA

Tenorio announced on Tuesday that he has Stage 3 colon cancer.

In a statement published on the Philippine Basketball Association website, Tenorio, who has not played since the Commissioner’s Cup Finals last January, when the Gin Kings stunned the visiting Bay Area Dragons for the PBA title, said “The initial testing three weeks ago led me to instantly miss practices and games. I have completed my surgery last week and will soon undergo treatment for the next few months.”

He added: “I have given not only 17 full years to the PBA, but have dedicated my

whole life to basketball. I have committed my body and health for the love of the game. It has been my passion and love. Sadly, there are things beyond one’s control. But with my FAITH, I am lifting everything to God now and I believe there is a higher purpose as I go through this part of my life.”

Tenorio is undergoing treatment right now and is hopeful of a comeback in the future.

“I am not yet retiring from the game I love, and with the help of the best doctors in the Philippines and Singapore, I BELIEVE I can touch a basketball once more and return stronger,” Tenorio said.

Tenorio said he had no choice but to

make public his health condition.

“I would like to issue a statement about my health status by firstly apologizing to my teammates, some coaches, the PBA, the fans, the media and even some friends. As most of you are aware I have been nursing a minor injury since the Finals last January. I used that as the reason for my sudden absence. My sincerest apologies to all.

“With my profession in sports tied in health and entertainment, it will be very difficult to keep the real reason a secret any longer and will only lead to unnecessary gossips, fake news & misinterpretations.

Quiban stirs up title chase as ICTSI Iloilo unfolds

ILOILO—Justin Quiban, toughened up by stints on the Asian Tour, headed straight from New Delhi to here in pursuit of a third Philippine Golf Tour championship as the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge presented by MORE Power unwraps today (Wednesday) at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club.

Quiban tied for 14th in the just-concluded DGC Open won by compatriot Miguel Tabuena in India last Sunday. He and Tabuena crowded the leaders in the first two rounds of the Asian Tour event but while the latter bounced back in the final 18 holes and rallied from six down to win the crown with a solid 65, he wavered with a 73 and settled for a Top 15 finish.

But he expects to flash his top form and contend right in the first round of this week’s P2.25 million event put up by ICTSI against a mix of aces coming off a rousing battle in the ICTSI Negros Occidental

Golf Challenge topped by Ira Alido.

That should stir up the chase for the top P405,000 purse with the 22-year-old Alido, who fought back from six shots down to snare the crown in a thriller

of a finish, seeking to sweep the two-leg Visayan swing of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

But a host of others are also ready and keen on disputing the championship on a course that offers a different kind of challenge with its hilly and water-laced makeup and its last line defense also tipped to bring out the best and the worst from the men of the tour.

Quiban scored a career breakthrough with a three-shot win over Joenard Rates in the CAT (Central Azucarera de Tarlac) Open of the PGT Asia at Luisita in late 2017 then fashioned out a five-stroke romp over Jay Bayron at Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia in 2018.

He then campaigned abroad and achieved a dream of playing in a PGA Tour event by qualifying in the 3M Open in 2021.

But while he exudes confidence this week, he also faces a stiff challenge not just from Alido,

Filipino boxer should have won two of his last three fights before he will be given a go signal to fight overseas.

That rule, however, is not viable all the time.

Some Filipino boxers, even if they are coming off a string of losses, are sometimes offered to fight foes who are either also coming from successive defeats or have lesser win-loss fight records.

Before Clarin’s appointment, then GAB officer-in-charge Ermar Benitez conducted a consultation with stakeholders, led by boxing promoters and the agency agreed to relax its rules so that non-rated Filipino boxers can fight overseas.

The GAB has decided to resume issuing a lette r of authority to Filipino fighters with lesser credentials, but only after a thorough evaluation of their conditions and opponents.

LA Tenorio

but also from the likes of Tony Lascuna, Zanieboy Gialon, Frankie Miñoza, Guido van der Valk, Rupert Zaragosa, Alvin Engino, Nilo Salahog and Jhonnel Ababa, who all figured in a furious final day skirmish at Marapara.

Also tipped to shine are former Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla, former PGT leg winners Reymon Jaraula, Michael Bibat, Jerson Balasabas and Jobim Carlos while local bet Rene Menor hopes to cash in on his knowledge of the challenging layout.

Others vying in the 72-hole championship are Tour regulars Jun Bernis, Rico Depilo, Orlan Sumcad, Marvin Dumandan, Gerald Rosales, Enrico Gallardo, Richard Sinfuego, Art Arbole, Mars Pucay, Paul Echavez, Dan Cruz and Arnold Villacencio and young guns Sean Ramos, Josh Jorge, Gab Manotoc, Kristoffer Arevalo, Russel Bautista, Jonas Magcalayo, Don Petil, Ivan Monsale and Elee Bisera.

THE country’s professional boxing stakeholders are

Daniella Uy is brimming with confidence: ‘Iloilo is more open so I can use my driver often.’

Justin Quiban

Shown here are (from left) Arvin Magramo, Giemel Magramo, Johnny Elorde, Liza Elorde and Albert Francisco during their appearance at the PSA Forum.

Manila Standard TODAY Republic of the Philippines

ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Exquadra Tower, Ortigas Center Pasig City

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT DATED 3 FEBRUARY 2023

BETWEEN MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY AND GNPOWER DINGININ LTD. CO., WITH MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION ERC CASE NO. _______ RC

MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY AND GNPOWER DINGININ LTD. CO., Applicants. x -------------------------------------------------------- x JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT DATED 3 FEBRUARY 2023 (WITH MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION)

Applicants MANILA ELECTRIC COMPANY (“MERALCO”) and GNPOWER DINGININ LTD. CO. (“GNPD”; together with MERALCO, the “Applicants”), by undersigned counsels, and to this Honorable Commission, most respectfully state: I. The APPLICANTS

A. MERALCO

1. Applicant MERALCO is a private corporation existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office located at Lopez Building, Ortigas Avenue, Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission through its counsel at the address indicated herein.

2. MERALCO has a legislative franchise to operate and maintain a distribution system in the cities/municipalities of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal and certain cities/municipalities/barangays in Batangas, Laguna, Quezon and Pampanga, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9209, and is authorized to charge all its customers for their electric consumption at the rates approved by the Honorable Commission.

B. GNPD

3. Applicant GNPD is a partnership duly organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal place of business at GNPower Energy Complex, Sitio Dinginin, Brgy. Alasasin, Mariveles 2105, Bataan, Republic of the Philippines. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission through its counsel at the address indicated herein.

4. GNPD owns and operates a 1,366 MW coal-fired power plant (the “Plant”) at Sitio Dinginin, Barangay Alasasin, Municipality of Mariveles, Province of Bataan.

II. STATEMENT OF FACTS

A. MERALCO’s Power Situation Outlook for 2023

5. Based on its power situation outlook for 2023, MERALCO foresees a capacity deficit in its portfolio. In addition, MERALCO’s bilateral power supply contracts portfolio was reduced by 670 MW starting 07 December 2022, due to the suspension of the MERALCO and South Premiere Power Corp. (“SPPC”) 670 MW power supply agreement (dated 13 September 2019; docketed as ERC Case No. 2019-081 RC) (“MERALCOSPPC PSA”) as a result of Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) and, subsequently, a Writ of Preliminary Injunction (“WPI”) issued by the Court of Appeals on 23 November 2022 and 25 January 2023, respectively, in connection with SPPC’s Petition for Certiorari with application for [TRO] and Writ of Preliminary Injunction dated 4 November 2022 (docketed as CA G.R. SP No. 176036).

6. The abovementioned suspension of the MERALCO-SPPC PSA resulted in the imperative need to replace the 670 MW and contribute to the availability and affordability of the supply of electricity to MERALCO’s customers. That said, the Applicants respectfully submit that there is a need to execute an Emergency Power Supply Agreement (“EPSA”) up to 25 February 2023 (the “MERALCO-GNPD February 2023 EPSA”). B. Nature of the Application and exemption from Competitive Selection Process (“CSP”)

On 3 February 2023, MERALCO and GNPD executed the MERALCOGNPD February 2023 EPSA for the purchase of capacity and energy from the Plant from Operations Effective Date until 25 February 2023.

then the Parties shall cooperate in good faith to resolve the required amendment, including seeking a reconsideration by the ERC. If the Parties are unable to agree on the required amendment within thirty (30) Days from receipt of the ERC Final Approval resolving the motion for reconsideration, or if the motion for reconsideration is not resolved by the ERC within one hundred twenty (120) days after its filing, or the amendment is disapproved by the ERC, or approved by the ERC but still contains any material term or condition that is not acceptable to either Party, acting reasonably, then either Party may terminate this Agreement. For clarity, if, following the ERC Final Approval, Power Supplier does not file a motion for reconsideration with the ERC and/or notifies Meralco that it intends to terminate this Agreement, the ERC Final Approval shall be deemed accepted by Power Supplier and this Agreement shall continue to be implemented in accordance with the ERC Final Approval.

11.2.3. If the ERC Final Approval requires any portion of the sum that has been paid by Meralco to Power Supplier to be adjusted, Power Supplier shall make the necessary adjustments in accordance with the direction of

17. GNPD respectfully highlights that its own documentary evidence, Annexes “U” and series,” “V”, “W” and “Z” contain numbers, methodology, and calculations such as debt or equity ratio, capital costs, weighted average cost of capital, and fuel cost that provide valuable information and insight on how GNPD arrives

18. GNPD therefore submit respectfully submits that Annexes “U” and series,” “V”, “W” and “Z” falls within the bounds of proprietary “trade secrets”, which are entitled to protection under the Constitution, statutes, and rules and regulations of this Honorable Commission.

19. Under Rule 4 of the Revised ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure (the “Revised ERC Rules”), the Honorable Commission may, upon request of a party and determination of the existence of conditions, which would warrant such remedy, treat certain information submitted to it as confidential. Pursuant to such provision, GNPD respectfully prays for the issuance of a protective order declaring Annexes “U” and series,” “V”, “W” and “Z” as confidential information, since GNPD intends to present them as evidence in the instant Application.

20. The data contained in Annexes “U” and series,” “V”, “W” and “Z” constitute “trade secrets” of GNPD; thus, GNPD has actual and valuable proprietary interest to protect with respect to such information. If the information contained in these documents are unduly disclosed, it will seriously prejudice the competitiveness of GNPD.

21. The Supreme Court, in the case of Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell, Inc. (540 SCRA 215 [2007]), had the opportunity to discuss the definition of “trade secrets” and the great extent to which the same are protected under our laws. In other instances, the Supreme Court has held that the confidential nature of trade secrets protects such from disclosure even in the face of the right of inspection given to stockholders or the constitutional right to information. (Philpotts vs. Philippine Manufacturing Company, 40 Phil. 471 [1919]; Garcia vs. Board of Investments, G.R. 88637 [1989]).

22. In the Decision in ERC Case No. 2015-111 RC dated 30 May 2017 entitled In the Matter of the Application for Approval of the Power Supply Agreement Between Nueva Ecija II Electric Cooperative, Inc.- Area 2 (NEECO II – Area 2) and PNOC Renewables Corporation (PNOC RC), the Honorable Commission categorically stated that formulas and pricing structures of a generation company must be treated as confidential and may not be publicly disclosed, to wit:

In the case of PNOC RC, the documents sought to be protected from disclosure contains formula and pricing structures used in arriving at their proposed tariff. In fact, all three (3) documents were used by the Commission in evaluating the reasonableness of the proposed rate. In the electric power industry w(h) ere prices is[sic] a major consideration in selecting one’s supplier, it is apparent that the assumptions used in arriving at one’s proposed tariff is considered a competitive leverage by one player against its competitors Thus, the Commission resolves to treat the said documents confidential and may not be publicly disclosed. [Emphasis supplied].

23. Thus, the Honorable Commission has recognized the importance of maintaining pricing structures as confidential in order to ensure the competitiveness of the generation sector. Information, which falls within the definition of a trade secret as defined by jurisprudence, is clearly information that merits the confidential treatment provided for under Rule 4 of the Revised ERC Rules. Annexes “U” and series,” “V” “W” and “Z” should therefore be entitled to the protection of confidential information provided under Rule 4 of the Revised ERC Rules.

24. Accordingly, one (1) copy of each of the foregoing confidential documents is placed in a sealed envelope, with the envelope and each page of the document stamped with the word “Confidential.” PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed that the Honorable Commission: a) Issue an Order TREATING Annexes “U” and series,” “V”, “W” and “Z” and all other information contained therein as CONFIDENTIAL, directing their nondisclosure to persons other than officers and staff of this Honorable Commission, continuously protecting the said information from public disclosure by maintaining the same separate and apart from the records of the case, and ensuring that these are not divulged to unauthorized persons, and that the same will be returned to Applicant GNPD, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 4 of the Revised ERC Rules; and

b) After hearing on the merits, render a Decision APPROVING the MERALCOGNPD EPSA and the terms and conditions thereunder, including the price. Other reliefs, just and equitable under the circumstances, are likewise prayed for.

MYRTLE SARROSA

takes spotlight at game developers' confab in San Francisco

ACTRESS and lady

gamer Myrtle Sarrosa is definitely one of the women in gaming who is currently making waves in the industry.

On Thursday, March 23, she will be at the Game Developers Conference or the GDC in San Francisco to speak in front of the world’s leading game developers as one of the representatives of WeMade Entertainment.

“It’s definitely nerve-wracking. As a gamer growing up, it also feels surreal to be able to attend such an amazing event surrounded by all of my favorite game developers,” the 28-year-old celebrity cosplayer said.

“I’m just super excited to meet all of them because they truly are my heroes in gaming. And I’ll be forever grateful that I have been given this opportunity to be there as a guest speaker,” she added.

As an invited guest speaker, Myrtle will talk about her story as a gamer and her recent gaming venture, where she collaborated with game developers to create her own fan token for blockchain-based games.

“I will also share some details about our plans and future projects. It’s going to be exciting,” she added.

Last year, she became the first awardee

for the Tiktok Award in Gaming – a testament that women can also empower the gaming space. She was also the champion in the Apex Legends Mobile Showmatch and was able to create music for popular game IPs like Call of Duty Mobile and Call of

Donny Pangilinan takes Belle Mariano to Star Magical Prom

STAR Magic, ABS-CBN’s premier talent agency, is gathering its top young and rising talents as they usher in a new generation of stars in the industry that will ‘debut’ at the first-ever “Star Magical Prom” on March 30.

Star Magic will introduce its new up-andcoming artists at the showcase event that promises “a night of love, friendship, and magic.” Fans are also invited online to witness the red carpet and prom festivities by tuning in to the livestream on Star Magic’s YouTube channel.

Joining the celebration are some of today’s hottest love teams Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, Fractured stars Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin, as well as Drag You and Me’s Andrea Brillantes

Some of the artists that will also make hearts flutter for their debut are Dirty Linen cast members Xyriel Manabat, Sean Tristan, Raven Rigor Rans Rifol, and CJ Navato Teen Clash stars Jayda Avanzado Aljon Mendoza Kobie Brown, Andi Abaya, and Bianca de Vera, and PBB alumni Karina Bautista, Anji Salvacion, and Shanaia Gomez

Adding more fun and excitement to the magical night are the members of P-pop sibling groups BINI Gwen, Stacey Mikha Maloi Colet Aiah, Jhoanna, and Sheena, and BGYO - Nate, Gelo, JL, Akira, and Mikki, and global pop group Hori7on. Fans can also watch out for promising stars AC Bonifacio Gillian Vicencio Louise Abuel Daniela Stranner, and Angela Ken

The “Star Magical Prom” also has a few surprises in store for the fans such as the launch of a new Star Magic group, the Sweet 16 and Debutantes portions, and the much-awaited coronation of the “Prom King and Queen.”

Now in its 30th year, Star Magic continues to discover and hone the talents of artists with the goal of transforming them into the country’s biggest and brightest stars.

Duty Warzone 2. Now, Myrtle feels fulfilled being recognized by a lot of the games that she has played. One of the games that recognized her was the phenomenal blockchain game MIR 4 which was developed by WeMade. “They got me the opportunity to be a part of their special series. After working with WeMade Entertainment on several projects, we started collaborating to look for better ways to strengthen the relationship between creators and fans through innovations in blockchain technology. And since the Fan Token was designed to do just that, I decided to co-found it with them,” Myrtle stated.

The actress-gamer was also tapped to write two songs for Call of Duty.

“Being featured all over Asia was an exciting experience but I think the most exciting part of it was when I had the chance to really embrace my creativity and work hands-on for both the music and the video,” Myrtle said of the project. As an achiever and an empowered woman, Myrtle continues to serve as an inspiration beyond the gaming industry.

“I'm really happy that here in the Philippines, we are creating an environment that embraces women in gaming. And I'm grateful that we have such a supportive community that advocates for positivity,” Myrtle concluded.

GMA Network leads PH contingent to 2023 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards

MEDIA giant GMA Network is representing the Philippines at the 2023 New York Festivals TV & Film (NYF) Awards with nine entries making it to the short-listed candidates – again earning the most number of nominees for the country.

GMA Public Affairs leads the Kapuso contingent with eight entries while GMA Entertainment cements its worldclass programming with Maria Clara at Ibarra

The Atom Araullo Specials is gunning for another win this year with two entries.

“Mata sa Dilim (Eye in the Dark),” Atom Araullo’s documentary on the online sexual exploitation of children, was shortlisted under Documentary: Social Issues. “Ang Nawawala (The Missing),” which chronicled missing persons and their loved ones' heartbreaking search, is also nominated under the Documentary: Human Concerns category.

Likewise earning double nominations

Long-running public affairs program

I-Witness earns another short-list nod this year with Araullo’s documentary “Ang Langaw na Hindi Binubugaw (Black Soldier Fly)." The story about the black soldier flies and their benefits is nominated under the Documentary: Science & Technology category. Environment and wildlife show Born to be Wild is nominated for “Primate Planet” under the Documentary: Environment & Ecology category. In the said special, Doc Ferds Recio and Doc Nielsen Donato enabled viewers to learn more about the life of primates in Banton, Romblon and in New Israel Makilala, North Cotabato.

is Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) hosted by GMA Public Affairs pillar Jessica Soho. KMJS is short-listed for “Onse (Eleven)” and “Sugat ng Pangungulila (Wounds of Woes)” under the Documentary: Human Concerns and Documentary: Health/Medical Information categories, respectively.

Nine-time World Medalist Reporter’s Notebook returns to the NYF stage with its entry “Baha to School (Our School is Sinking)" nominated under the Documentary: Community Portraits category. The episode narrated the story of students who had to trek through floods to go to school in the Philippines.

Reporter’s Notebook is hosted by Maki Pulido and Jun Veneracion

Completing the list of GMA Public Affairs entries is Runaway Child Brides: Ang Kuwento ng mga Tumakas sa Buya (Stories of Escape from the Manobos' Buya), which made it to the Documentary: Cultural Issues shortlist. The documentary by Lilian Tiburcio, produced by GMA Public Affairs and GMA Digital Lab's online newscast Stand for Truth, tackled arranged marriages or a tradition called "buya" among Manobo tribe.

Meanwhile, Maria Clara at Ibarra earned a short-list nomination under the Entertainment Program: Drama category. The show follows Klay Infantes, a nursing student who is transported to the world of Dr. Jose Rizal's novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The series was headlined by Barbie Forteza as Klay, Julie Anne San Jose as Maria Clara, and Dennis Trillo as Ibarra.

At the 2022 New York Festivals, GMA Network was the sole Philippine awardee and gave the country four World Medals.

Actress and gamer Myrtle Sarrosa

‘Maria Clara at Ibarra’ stars Julie Anne San Jose (left) and Barbie Forteza

New Gen Phenomenal Love Team Donny Pangilinan (left) and Belle Mariano to grace the first-ever Star Magical Prom

Filipina student’s photo wins big in UK tourney

THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines recently recognized 22-yearold visual artist Mariah Karla Zamora with the prestigious Ani ng Dangal.

Zamora, who is currently pursuing Multimedia Arts at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of New Media Arts, earned the reputable distinction after emerging as National Award Winner for the Philippines at the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards in London. It is the leading competition for established and emerging photographers around the world. Her winning piece, dubbed Anom Asil, was a school requirement on Rembrandt Lighting, a popular technique that utilizes one light and one reflector or two separate lights to capture a dramatic yet natural image.

Inspired by the Renaissance masterpiece Mona Lisa by Italian maestro Leonardo Da Vinci, the portrait pictures her older brother, Juan Carlo, in a painting-like photograph.

Mona Lisa was depicted to be the perfect and most beautiful woman and I wanted to create a reversed version, hence the name Anom Asil,” she stated.

“Photography is a trial-and-error process, especially working with lighting, and that’s one of my struggles,” she detailed. “My brother was irritated because I was taking so long that his face finally captured what I was going for. When I won, we always joked about how hasty he was when I took it.”

Zamora, the daughter of award-winning Filipino photographer Carlo Zamora, has been immersed in the visual arts scene since she was eight. “However, as time passed, the school has been my priority and I couldn’t get back to it since,” she shared.

“That’s why I was so excited about the Photography Class at Benilde. I certainly had the opportunity to rekindle one of my favorite hobbies.”

The budding artist likewise extended her utmost gratitude to Viktor Peñas, her Photography professor in Benilde. “Thank

you for teaching me well during our class,” she expressed. The deliverable particularly caught the attention of her father, who encouraged her to submit it to the UK competition. “My dad is my inspiration,” she shared. “He pushes me to trust myself. I’ve doubted my capabilities and he always tells me that I accomplish them.”

Currently, Zamora works as a graphic designer and social media manager for a local skincare company. She is hoping to graduate this year and is planning to explore street photography. “It’s one of the most difficult and fun styles out there,” she elaborated. “I hope in the future I’ll be able to make a name for myself.”

The highlight and the concluding rite of the National Arts Month (NAM) in February, the Ani ng Dangal or Harvest

BACK in college, I thought that by the age of 25, I would be married, enjoying a stable income and sizable savings, and have everything figured out.

But life has a funny way of throwing curveballs and changing the path we’re taking.

I was in my late 20s when I started questioning my life goals. Some probably call it mid-life crisis. I began to feel envious of friends who found their life’s partner, or fulfilled their “dream life.” And yet, here I was, still figuring out if writing is really my calling.

of Honors pays tribute to the Filipino artists whose talents have earned international accolades from established award-giving bodies and brought pride to the country.

The categories include Architecture, Cinema, Dance, Drama, Literature, Music, Visual Arts, and Broadcast Arts. Zamora, together with over 30 Filipino artists, was bestowed during the 15th Ani ng Dangal Awards conducted at the Ceremonial Hall, Malacañan Palace. Each received the remarkable stylized sarimanok trophy sculpted by National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Imao.

Finding one’s calling

I knew I was writing reasonably well; but through the years of writing for a daily newspaper, I felt stifled for many reasons. And yet I was clinging fearfully to my journalistic job even though it didn’t spark joy anymore. Finally, I left because there was no use sticking around, or there was no more reason to stay.

When I left my previous publishing company, I jumped from one job to another, doing freelance writing and what have you. During those years, I felt like a boat without an anchor and just going with the flow.

Until I joined the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) as a writer for its publicity arm. I sensed a certain stirring within. It felt like I finally found where I should be.

I have a couple of friends who asked if I was content being a project hire, being under a renewable contract without job security. Truth is, I could find a job with better compensation, but if it would make me happy is a different story. Here, I found a safe place where colleagues support and encourage my paandar building cooperation and creating collaboration is the norm, and where one can feel like they belong in a community. A place where I could be me, and where I could let life speak.

Life at CCP is not always rosy, but when you have a strong community working beside you toward a common goal, things become bearable.

As you live life, you realize finding your calling, and creating your own niche, is not a race. Every person has to follow their own path, at their own time, and at their own pace.

The medical practitioner believes that a functional medical facility makes a significant difference between survival and death newspaper, I felt stifled for many reasons. felt like I finally found where I should be.

But finding your own calling is a commitment. Something that Dr. Tony Ligot, the doctor to the barrio who has been stationed in the sleepy town of Tam-an, Banaue for more than 30 years now, believes in.

In 1988, Dr. Ligot, along with other medical practitioners, joined a medical mission and traveled to Banaue. There, he met the American missionary and general practitioner who established the small remote medical facility. Unfortunately, the founder had to return to his home country and look for a new doctor to head the clinic.

In a community where townsfolks have little to no access to medical aid and would often resort to other alternatives such as faith healing, Dr. Ligot found his calling. He

Gateway Gallery holds first onsite

KulturaSerye Talk this Women’s Month

GATEWAY Gallery celebrates Women’s Month with its first onsite or face-to-face KulturaSerye

Talk titled Pinay Power: High Impact Advocacies on March 25, Saturday, from 2;00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Gateway Gallery, Araneta City.

The KulturaSerye Talk will feature the mother and daughter team of Zena Bernardo and Patreng Non, and will be sharing their personal advocacies, success stories, and the impact they made on their communities.

Zena Bernardo was recognized by Time

Magazine as one of the “25 Most Influential

People on the Internet” for her initiative to organize and launch the “Bayanihang Marikenyo Marikenya,” a nationwide campaign that aimed to organize community kitchens under the Community Kitchen Project.

Bernardo also launched the web-based Home Quarantine Care PH in December 2020. In May 2022, she conceptualized Project Hulmahan, an art-driven, mutual aid fundraising initiative that aims to support the livelihood programs of community kitchen volunteers, immediate disaster response of the community kitchens to internally-displaces persons (IDP) and support art mentoring for the youth in these communities.

Meanwhile, Ana Patricia Non, also known as “Patreng.” was the initiator of Community Pantry in the Philippines. She is a food security and sovereignty advocate and also the current President of Community Pantry Ph Inc.’s board of Trustees. She was the first to organize a community pantry in the country during the pandemic. Her Maginhawa Street pantry first distributed

believes that a functional medical facility could spell the difference between survival and death.

Despite the torrent of natural calamities, insufficient funds, and lack of medical staff, the good doctor remains unwavering in his resolve to keep the facility running, eagerly training staff to take over in preparation for his retirement.

“You go to rural areas to serve, not to earn money. For me, it’s worth it because it gives me satisfaction to serve the people,” said Dr. Ligot.

Learn more about Dr. Tony Ligot and his commitment to serving and safeguarding Banaue’s true and most important asset, its people, in the fourth installment of NLEX Humans of the North, a mini-documentary series showcasing the vibrant culture and spirit of the Northern Luzon region through the stories of everyday individuals (https://www.facebook.com/NLEXHumansoftheNorth).

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Another individual I found inspiring is dancer-choreographer Novy Bereber who uses dance to help Filipinos with Parkinson’s Disease find a new purpose in their lives.

After his stint with the Sydney Opera House production of The King and I, with an Australian cast, Bereber decided to

semi-retire and shelved his dancing shoes. But life seemed to have a different plan and led him to an announcement about a Dance Teacher Workshop for Parkinson’s Disease posted on the bulletin board of the opera house.

At that time, Bereber had no idea what Parkinson’s was. The only thing that registered to him was the word dance, and he knew that he wanted to do it. Attending the two-week workshop drastically changed his life. He became the first Filipino to teach Dance for PD in Australia.

Believing in the power of dance to heal, Bereber continued to explore his new calling. He flew to New York and underwent training with David Leventhal, founder of Dance for PD.

Later on, he decided to adopt Dance for PD for Asian audiences, and established Bereber Sayaw PD.

“Initially, Sayaw PD is only for people with Parkinson’s disease, but it also involves their carers and loved ones. I react to their reactions and work together with the PD students to create movements that work, movements that the participants will not only enjoy, but they can perform successfully,” shared Bereber.

The Iloilo-based dancer-choreographer, who I met during the CCP Upskilling Workshop where he shared his Sayaw PD program with the participants generously, takes pride and joy in Sayaw PD makes a difference in the lives of the people with Parkinson’s Disease, and how in his little way he could make a big change.

free foods such as vegetables, noodles, sardines, and some essential foods within that community A UP Artists’ Circle Sorority and UP Mountaineers member, Patreng took a Visual Communications course at the UP College of Fine Arts. Even when she was still in college, conducting free art workshops in the villages became part of her projects. She also developed and implemented programs for farmers, factory workers, political prisoners, and indigenous people. Get to know more about the speakers during the KulturaSerye talk. It will be moderated by UP Los Baños instructor John Carlo Santos the resident moderator and host of KulturaSerye. Admission is free but pre-registration is requested. The registration link can be found on its Facebook Page, GatewayGalleryPH. The mother and daughter tandem of Zena Bernardo (right) and Patreng Non

Visual artist and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Multimedia Arts student Mariah Karla

Congressman Roman Romulo (left) awarding Mariah Karla Zamora

‘Anom Asil’ by Mariah Karla Zamora

Doctor Tony Ligot offers quality medical care to the townsfolk of Banaue