Manila Standard - 2023 March 23 - Thursday

Watch for the March 27, 2023 launch of Manila Standard’s new weekly section: ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Teves suspended for 60 days

IN JULY House plenary, voting 292-0-0, finds him guilty of ‘disorderly conduct’

By Maricel V. Cruz, Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo

THE House of Representatives has slapped a 60-day suspension on Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., for refusing to heed its order to return to the Philippines to face murder charges filed against him.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also called on Teves to return from the United States as he played down supposed threats to his life.

Aside from being charged for three murders in 2019, Teves has also been linked to the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, a political ally of the President.

The House on plenary session voted 292-0-0 to adopt a committee report declaring Teves guilty of “disorderly

conduct affecting the dignity, integrity and reputation of the House of Representatives.”

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez assured the public that the House would not tolerate misconduct and wrongdoing among its members.

Speaking before Congress goes on a Lenten break, Romualdez said the call for disciplinary action against Teves was a “pressing matter that

DOJ says 5 or 6 directly planned Degamo slay, brains known soon

By Rey E. Requejo, Charles Dantes, Joel E. Zurbano

FIVE or six “direct conspirators” were behind the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday. Remulla issued the statement as the Degamo family said it was readying a murder complaint against 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo A. Teves Jr., in connection with the governor’s killing on March 4.

During the press conference of Special Task Force Degamo, Remulla said that there are five to six people who may have played a crucial role in Degamo’s death.

“It was a planned attack which was executed with military precision by former military people,” Remulla said.

Besides, he added, the sophisticated operation would not be possible without the cooperation of many people.

“We now have in our custody 10 persons.

House passed 23 priority bills, says Speaker

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives succeeded in approving on third and final reading 23 of 31 bills identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) as priority measures of the Marcos administration before its session adjourns for the Holy Week recess, Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said Wednesday.

These measures were already transmitted to the Senate.

Lawmakers will continue working on remaining priority legislation even during the congressional break.

The House authorized Wednesday night all its committees to hold hearings, if needed, during the period of adjournment from March 23 to May 7, 2023, to process important bills pending in various panels of the chamber.

By Vince Lopez and Charles Dantes

THE Japanese remotely operated vehicle (ROV) tasked to find the sunken tanker that caused a massive oil spill off Oriental Mindoro has found cracks on the ship’s surface, the mayor of Pola, Oriental Mindoro said Wednesday.

“Images show that there is a crack on the ship and the oil is leaking from it. It cannot be saved anymore, more or less,” said Mayor Jennifer “Ina Alegre” Cruz. Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor said the sunken tanker has at least 23 leaking areas.

PLENARY SESSION. Committee on Ethics chairman Rep. Felimon Espares reads the Committee Report during the plenary session which slapped a 60-day suspension for Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. Inset photo shows Speaker Martin Romualdez thanking all House Members for the approval on third and final reading 23 out of 31 priority measures Wednesday evening ahead of its Holy Week recess from March 23 (Thursday) until May 7. Pecto Camero and Ver Noveno

However, the ROV Hakuyo is not capable of plugging or siphoning oil from the sunken MT Princess Empress, Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Artemio Abu said in a television interview.

Abu told News5 another vessel from Singapore may have to be contracted by the tanker’s owner, RDC Reield Marine Services, to do this task, following the “spillers pay” principle.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also said Wednesday there is no need to appoint an official who will lead the government’s response to control the oil

Marcos defends devolution review

By Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday defended his decision to review his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s devolution order of national government functions to local

government units, saying it is not an “alternative” to the proposed Charter change agenda. Speaking to reporters, the President said he is only worried that poorer municipalities would not be able to handle the additional functions under

As of press time Wednesday, the House was scheduled to ratify the bicameral conference committee report on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Fixed Term Law, which is also a House priority.

In a formal motion raised before the plenary, House Majority Leader and

President: New EDCA sites scattered around PH

By Vince Lopez, Charles Dantes and Vito Barcelo

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Wednesday the four new military bases that US troops may use under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) will be located in the northern and southern parts of the country, and in Palawan.

In an interview after he attended the 126th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Army in Taguig City, Marcos said Filipino and American officials have already identified and agreed on the new sites under the EDCA and would soon make a formal announcement.

“So, there are four extra sites scattered around the Philippines. There are some in the north, there are some around Palawan, there are some further south. So they are really in different areas,” he said.

He said the goal is to defend the

PH hires int’l lawyer to appeal ICC drug war probe

ministration’s

“We

barrister, she has her chambers in London, but she is practicing at the ICC at The Hague, the Neth-

erlands,” Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra told CNN Philippines’ “The Source” on Wednesday.

The decision to hire Bafadhel to han-

THE Philippines has hired an international lawyer to help the country in its appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reverse its decision to resume the probe into the Duterte ad-

war on illegal drugs.

engaged Ms. Sarah Bafadhel, she is a British

TOP BRASS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joins the Philippine Army as it celebrates its 126th Founding Anniversary at the Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Rey Baniquet

PBBM tells Teves to return, vows protection but doubts threat claim

23 cracks on ship’s surface counted, option to plug or siphon oil raised

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warranted the chamber’s urgent and sound response.”

The House committee on ethics and privileges submitted its report for plenary action, after which the House imposed a 60-day suspension against Teves for disorderly behavior.

The President, meanwhile, played down Teves’ claim that his life was in danger.

“He is saying there is a threat to his life. On our part, the best intelligence we have is that we don’t know of any threat. Where will the threat come from?” Marcos told reporters covering the 126tj founding anniversary of the Philippine Army in Taguig.

The President said he does not have any direct contact with congressman, who has spoken to Romualdez.

He urged Teves to return to the country as soon as possible and face the charges filed against him.

“The only advice I can give to Congressman Arnie is that your situation

President:...

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country’s eastern coast, noting that the Philippines’ continental shelf on Luzon’s eastern side was also taken into account.

Asked if he has reached out to local government officials who are opposed to having the EDCA sites in their localities, Marcos said he talked to those officials and explained the importance of the EDCA sites in their jurisdictions.

“Yes, we explained to them why it was important that we have that and why it will actually be good for their province,” he said. “And I think they already understand, because most of… those who had interposed some objections… [have] come around to support the idea of an EDCA site in their province.”

Marcos last month granted US troops access to four more Philippine military camps, on top of the five existing locations under the EDCA.

Finalized after eight rounds of talks in August 2013, the EDCA, which was signed in 2014, allows US troops access to designated Philippine military facilities, and the right to build facilities and preposition equipment, aircraft, and vessels, but rules out permanent basing.

Under the EDCA, the Philippine government is working with the US to build the future facilities in Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan de Oro City; Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

The EDCA is a key pillar of the USPhilippines alliance, which supports combined training, exercises, and interoperability between Filipino and American forces.

Filipino and American troops are also scheduled to hold their largestever military exercise next month.

The Pentagon announced that the United States and the Philippines have agreed to review the full range of their maritime cooperation in the 2 + 2 meeting in Washington in April.

At the ceremony marking the Army’s 126th year, Marcos said the Army must be vigilant amid a more complex and unpredictable external security environment.

He also reassured the military that his administration remains committed to modernizing the Armed Forces to make it a highly capable organization.

In an interview after his speech, Marcos also said the government will implement a pilot shelter program for the country’s soldiers and police officers with the construction of 1,000 housing units in Cavite.

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Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose M. Dalipe moved to allow all standing and special committees of the House to pursue the performance of their mandate of passing vital pieces of legislation during the recess. “Mr. Speaker, in accordance with our rules, I move that we authorize all committees to conduct meetings and/or public hearings, if deemed necessary, during the House recess from March 23 to May 7, 2023,” Dalipe said.

After hearing no objection, Speaker Romualdez, who presided over the ses-

will become harder if this drags on.

There are a lot of options for you if you will return at the earliest possible time. However, the government might be forced to do something if it drags on,” he warned.

The President promised that Teves would be safe if he returned.

“You are rich, you have a private jet, you can land wherever you want. You can land in an Air Force base, in Basa, the soldiers will secure you, no one will be allowed near you,” he said.

“So we have made all of these offers but he has yet to decide,” he added.

Marcos also denied speculation that Teves was being implicated in Degamo’s killing because of e-sabong or online cockfighting.

“This is because of e-sabong? No. This stemmed from the killing of Governor Degamo.” he said.

On Tuesday, Teves said he would not return home yet due to fears over his safety as he also appealed for authorities’ “fairness” and for them to look at all angles in Degamo’s killing.

Two arrested suspects, Joric Labra-

23 cracks...

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spill off the waters of Mindoro Island.

“The head of the task force for the oil spill is the Coast Guard. Admiral [Artemio] Abu heads it. So, there’s no need (for another official). You see, there’s no need to organize something for everything,” Mr. Marcos said in an interview with reporters in Taguig.

“The idea is to have the assets in place so that if something like that happened, we can respond. We do not have to organize a special group, a special committee, or a special task force. They’re ready already as it is,” he added on the sidelines of the Philippine Army’s anniversary celebration.

The President said the Coast Guard is spearheading the effort because it has the assets and is also the one coordinating the foreign aid that is coming in.

Department of National Defense chief Carlito Galvez Jr. also said the government will seek the help of the country’s allies and partners to mitigate the adverse effects of the oil spill caused by the sinking of the Princess Empress off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

This includes expertise and technical support of other allies and partners, such as France and the United Kingdom, he added in a statement.

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dle the government’s case before the ICC is needed to make sure the country’s interests is represented in the tribunal, Guevarra said. The Solicitor General also said Malacañang has yet to decide whether to push through with a proposal to create an independent commission to investigate the campaign against illegal drugs during the Duterte administration.

Justice officials in the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have insisted that the ICC need not proceed with its investigation as the Philippines has a functioning democracy.

Following the ICC’s decision to issue a warrant of arrest for Russian

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Duterte’s full devolution order despite an increase in their internal revenue allotment share (IRA).

“No. The Charter change efforts are directed at the economic provisions of the Constitution, as far as I understand. So that’s what that is about,” he said on the sidelines of the celebration of the Philippine Army’s

sion, granted the motion.

The 31 LEDAC priority measures, collectively called the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) of Malacañang, Senate, and the House of Representatives, were drawn up from dozens of legislative measures filed in Congress to further stimulate economic activities, create job opportunities, reduce poverty, and provide better health care services for Filipinos.

Romualdez said out of the 23 measures approved by the House, two had been signed into law by President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., while the remaining eight bills in the LEDAC priority list are under advanced stages of deliberation.

dor and Benjie Rodriguez, earlier said a certain “Cong Teves” ordered the hit on Degamo. Teves already denied that he and his brother Henry were involved in the killing amid allegations that the crime was politically motivated.

In a video message posted March 22, Teves addressed Marcos directly, saying in Filipino that it would be harder for him to stay away if the President was asking him to return, acknowledging that the Chief Executive had the authority to give him protection. He also said he had no problem being investigated, as long as he was not the only one.

“What happened, Mr. President, was that right after the murder, they pointed to me right away,” he said in Filipino.

Teves, who has been away since February, also said he wanted to speak with the President to explain his side.

He claimed some people in government have been “operating” against him and so he refused to return home.

“Again, this is not about murder, Mr. President. I just want you to know this because as early as Jan. 11, some peo -

Galvez, who is also National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chair, stressed that his agency is on top of the situation.

Mayor Cruz noted that trying to look inside the ship or possibly repairing it underwater will already require a different kind of contract not covered by the ROV Hakuyo’s deal.

“Their contract is only to see the boat. So we have another problem: waiting to see how much more is in the ship’s tank. That’s how it was explained to me yesterday. I asked them why it wasn’t included in the contract, they said that was the only thing asked of them,” she said.

The official noted that the Coast Guard, as well as their locals, continue to work to contain the oil spill.

Cruz said she has spoken with Department of Agriculture officials for alternative sources of livelihood for the spill-affected fisherfolk.

“We spoke with the Department of Agriculture on their program for making coconut hash. For fisherfolk who live far, we are looking at banana processing. We have bananas upland -maybe we can get those then process them here so we can sell them, instead of bringing them to Manila,” she said.

The MT Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it went down in rough seas on Feb. 28. Thousands of fishermen

President Vladimir Putin in connection with the Ukraine-Russia War, Guevarra also said that while issuing a warrant is within the court’s powers, whether the same could be enforced is another thing altogether.

“The matter of issuing a warrant of arrest is always a possibility once the investigation is commenced. So, if the ICC Appeals Chamber authorizes the prosecutor despite our appeal to conduct his investigation, then part of that investigation is the issuance of a warrant of arrest,” Guevarra said.

“Whether the ICC can enforce it or not is a totally different question because the ICC will have to depend on local authorities to enforce that warrant of arrest. So, if the government does not cooperate because the matter of jurisdiction has not been finally settled who will enforce the warrant of arrest,” he added.

126th anniversary in Taguig City.

“The reason given by the proponents in the House and those in the Senate is that they need to be changed because these conditions have changed. For us to take full advantage of the new economy, we have to amend the Constitution. So, that’s not the same thing as what I think you are referring to,” Mr. Marcos added.

Meanwhile, in a Senate hearing on Charter change, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile cited the need to amend the strict economic pro -

“We have done our share in passing important pieces of legislation that will help the country recover from the crippling impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and external shocks that adversely affect the economy and the nation,” he said.

“That was our commitment during the series of meetings at LEDAC. That is our continuing commitment to the Filipino people,” the House leader added.

The approved bills were also among those enumerated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July last year, Romualdez said.

“We have responded positively to the President’s call for legislation that would hasten the country’s recovery from

ple in government have been operating against me,” he said in Filipino.

At the same time, Teves apologized to Romualdez for defying his order to return to the country for fear of his life.

Despite assurances from Romualdez, Teves said he did not feel safe returning to the Philippines.

Also on Wednesday, Justice Department prosecutors granted the request from the police and the Teves camp to extend the deadline for the submission of their respective documents.

This came after the DOJ held its first preliminary investigation on the complaint of illegal possession of firearms and explosives filed against Teves and others.

“We just appeared and we met the officials of the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group). They asked for one week to present their evidence,” Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said in an interview. “We also asked for two weeks to submit our evidence. So that’s all. Everything was cordial and it went on uneventfully,” he added.

have been ordered to stay on shore until they can fish safely, and swimming is also banned.

Dozens of people have fallen ill in Oriental Mindoro after oil washed up on their shores, the provincial government said. More than 2,500 hectares of coral reefs, mangroves, and seaweed could be affected by the spill, the Environment department said previously.

“This ROV [Hakuyo] doesn’t have the means to plug or control the leakage of oil from the sunken vessel,” the PCG chief said.

Besides sending another ROV sent to the Philippines to plug any leaks, Abu said it may also entail setting up pipes to siphon the oil, like what was done in Guimaras following the oil spill in 2006. He said there is still no information on when this next step will be undertaken.

Abu said it was RDC Reield Marine Services that contracted the entities that are engaged in this major work.

“We have the ‘spillers pay principle’ and they owned up to it. From the very beginning, they are taking full accountability and responsibility through their insurance, their P&I [protection and indemnity] insurance,” he said.

The PCG is coordinating with the Japanese experts who brought in special equipment such as the ROV and oil spill boom, as well as the US aid and personnel, the President pointed out.

The Solicitor General, he said, is not representing any particular individual.

“The OSG is not defending any specific person. The OSG is representing the Republic of the Philippines. We are representing the state and we are saying that we are defending our domestic, legal, and judicial system because it has the primary responsibility to deal with crimes that were committed in our own territory,” Guevarra said.

As for Bafadel, “International criminal law is her field of expertise and we chose her from a list supplied to us by the Philippine Embassy at the Hague,” the SolGen said.

“And we found based on her training and experience that she would be the best international criminal law expert who might be able to assist the Philippine government on procedural issues essentially,” Guevarra said.

visions of the 1987 Constitution to allow more foreign investors into the country.

Enrile, a former Senate President, also recommended a Constitutional Assembly (Con-ass) and not a Constitutional Convention (Con-con) as the mode of amending the Constitution.

He noted that the election of delegates and the operation of a Con-con is costly and warned that those elected might have no knowledge of the government.

Enrile also raised the possibility the

the pandemic, sustain our economic growth, and implement his Agenda for Prosperity,” the Speaker added.

The two bills the President has signed into law are the mobile phone SIM (subscriber information module) Registration Act, which is now under implementation, and the measure postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to October this year.

The 20 other LEDAC-endorsed bills approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives are the Magna Carta of Seafarers, E-Governance Act / E-Government Act, Negros Island Region, Virology Institute of the Philippines, Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act;

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Nine of whom participated directly in the attack against Degamo,” Remulla said.

He said the authorities are now gathering statements from the suspects about their role in the killing and he is expecting a lot of revelations that will point to the masterminds.

“We expect that the evidence will turn up already against the masterminds in a few days. We believe it would be a good time to name the masterminds after we have spoken to the nine suspects,” he said. He said they hoped to finish questioning the suspects by Saturday. He also said more cases will be filed in the next few days.

On March 4, Degamo and eight others were killed while several others were injured in the attack that was pulled off while the governor was distributing aid to his constituents at his residence in Pamplona.

Joric Labrador, one of the arrested suspects, identified a certain “Marvin” as the one who recruited them to conduct the assassination. He said they were told by Marvin that the order came from “Cong Teves.”

Remulla on Tuesday said that he got a text message from Teves, who is being linked to the killing. Remulla did not say what the text message said, however.

Teves, who earlier left for the United States and is now believed to be somewhere in Southeast Asia, had denied his involvement in the killing. On Tuesday, he released a video asking for fairness and claiming that he was also a “victim.”

Meanwhile, Levito D. Baligod, counsel of the Degamo family, said they are readying the documents needed in the filing of the murder complaint.

“The affidavits of the witnesses are not yet finished and the witnesses are currently in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation),” Baligod said.

At least nine suspects in the Degamo killing that also resulted in the deaths of eight other persons in Pamplona town are now in the custody of the NBI.

Remulla earlier said that one of the suspects, also a discharged soldier, is considered a “major player” in the killings with his revelations of “very critical information, including the identification of masterminds.”

“He is a major player. He has a major role in what happened,” Remulla had said.

But Remulla did not disclose the name of the “major player” nor the names of the “masterminds.”

Teves’ travel abroad was only authorized until March 9 and he has missed the deadline set for him to return to Congress.

The governor’s widow, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, has sought Teves’ expulsion from the House.

Earlier, five more people involved in the attack on Degamo surrendered to military officials, bringing the total suspects in custody to 10.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the suspects were later turned over to the NBI.

Abalos urged those who had a hand in the conspiracy to kill Degamo to surrender, saying that the government would protect them—and give them a fair trial.

Con-con delegates could be used as “instruments” by the incumbents who want to hold on to their political powers.

Mr. Marcos presided over a sectoral meeting in Malacañan Palace on Tuesday and ordered government agencies to study Executive Order No. 138, issued by Duterte, for possible amendments, and to determine what national government functions should be devolved to LGUs following the Mandanas-Garcia ruling of the Supreme Court.

National Disease Prevention Management Authority or Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Medical Reserve Corps, Philippine Passport Act; Internet Transaction Act / E-Commerce Law, Waste-to-Energy Bill, Free Legal Assistance for Police and Soldiers, Apprenticeship Act; Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law, Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, Valuation Reform, Eastern Visayas Development Authority, Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone, Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery, National Citizens Service Training Program, and Rightsizing the National Government.

NAIA 2 to be converted into domestic airport

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is poised to convert the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)

Terminal 2 into a domestic airport this coming July.

“The Terminal 2 from the time it was designed in the late 90s was intended to be a domestic terminal. When you arrived from an international flight you will notice a cramped facility,” said MIAA senior assistant general manager Bryan Co.

Co said the projected conversion was line with the agency’s scheduled assignment rationalization program implemented since last year.

At present, Terminal 2 is being used exclusively by the Philippine Airlines (PAL) for its domestic and overseas flights.

“We first implemented it (program) on December 1 when we moved PAL flights to and from the United States, Canada and Middle East. By June 16, the remaining international flights will be moved to Terminal 1 and so by July 1, Terminal 2 will become all domestic that will include the domestic flights of PAL, as well as Philippines Air Asia,” Co said.

MIAA officials said Immigration personnel assigned at Terminal 2 will be transferred to Terminals 1 and 3 to address the long queues at Immigration counters.

Former MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal had said using these terminals for both domestic and international flights caused air traffic congestion and inconvenience for plane passengers.

He said the best way to resolve the situation is to rationalize the airport and fully utilize Terminal 3 for international flights, and Terminal 2 for domestic flights.

MIAA records showed that Terminal 1 was completed in 1981 to accommodate the country’s growing international passenger traffic levels during the 1970s. The 16-gate facility with 78 check-in counters and 24 immigration stations was designed by Leandro Locsin, a national artist of the Philippines for architecture.

Terminal 2 began operations in 1999. Originally envisioned as a domestic hub, the facility now houses both the international and domestic operations of the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines.

While improvements raised Terminal 1’s design capacity to six million, a peak level of 7.7 million passengers was reached in 1997, causing overflow of passengers that year. Terminal 3 was the answer to this growing traffic.

NAIA 3 can handle 13 million international passengers annually. The center of the building contains the head house where passenger processing is centralized. A total of 20 boarding gates and 140 Check-In-Counters can accommodate 4,000 peak hour one-way passengers.

YESTERDAY’S Empowering Voices issue contained errors stating Rep. Josefina Tallado was from the third district of Camarines Norte and a former teacher. We would like to correct this and that she is from the 1st District of Camarines Norte and is not former educator. We would like to apologize for the mistake.

REPRESENTATIVE Josefina Baning 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.

During the 18th Congress, her first term in office, she co-authored the passage of several landmark legislations, among which are RA 11524 or the Coconut Farmer’s and Industry Trust Fund Act, which benefited coconut-producing provinces, such as Camarines Norte; RA 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentive for Enterprises Act; RA 11466, An Act

Modifying the Salary Schedule for Civilian Government Personnel and Authorizing the Grant of Additional Benefits, and For Other Purposes; RA 11517, An Act

Authorizing the President to Expedite the Processing and Issuance of National and Local Permits, Licenses and Certifications in Times of National Emergency and RA 11525, also known as the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021.

In the 19th Congress, she is currently the Chairperson of the Committee on Bicol Recovery and Economic Development and Public Relations Officer of the Association of Women Legislators of the Philippines.

PITX ensures security during Holy Week exodus

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) has vowed to ensure the security of more than 1.2 million passengers before and after Holy Week.

“he expectation of more than a million passengers stemmed from theobservation that people will travel earlier to avoid the Holy Week exodus within the Metro (Manila). With this, we are prepared in ensuring the commuting public’s welfare through the Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Se-

mana Santa 2023,” said Jason Salvador, corporate affairs and government relations head of PITX.

Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Semana Santa is a multi-sector initiative being spearhead with the various government agencies such as the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the InterAgency Council for Traffic (IACT),the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Philip-

pine National Police (PNP), and the Philippine National Red Cross --Paranaque Chapter.

“We have always been steadfast in providing immediate response to any issue that may arise together with the enforcement agencies of the government,” Salvador said.

DOTr’s Malasakit Help Desk (MHD) will be set up starting April 1 at themain entrance (Entrance 2) of the terminal. Manning the desk are personnel from the DOTr, I-ACT, LTO, LTFRB, MMDA.

ILOILO CITY GETS MORE POWER.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and business tycoon Enrique Razon lead the inauguration of More Electric and Power Corporation’s substation at the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao district. Also present during the event are Alliance Global chief executive officer Kevin Andrew Tan and More Power president Roel Castro.

IN BRIEF

Turkish with P28.8-m drugs nabbed at NAIA

GOVERNMENT agents have intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) a Turkish national with a luggage loaded with cocaine worth more than P28.8 million Operatives from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), the X-ray Inspection Project (XIP), and the Inter Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (IADITG) apprehended Kemal Ozenir upon his arrival at Terminal 3.

The suspect arrived from Dubai via Emirates Airlines flight EK332 Tuesday afternoon. Joel E. Zurbano

BOC seizes $167k from arriving Korean at NAIA

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized $167,300 roughly estimated at P9.196 million in cash from a Korean passenger who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The BOC said the foreigner, identified as a Korean, was arrested but his identity was withheld pending investigation.

In a statement, the bureau said that a physical examination of the passenger’s baggage at NAIA Terminal 1 yielded $167,300 hidden in a book.

The Korean arrived at the NAIA Terminal 1 from Incheon International Airport via Asiana Airlines Flight number OZ701. Vito Barcelo

DHSUD chief warns vs. housing scams

DOH looking for legal cures for delay of bivalent vax

By Willie Casas

THE Department of Health (DOH) is looking for legal remedies to enter into an agreement with COVAX facility regarding the delivery of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario

Vergeire said immunity from liability and indemnification clauses are required by the United Nations-backed international vaccine-sharing scheme.

These conditions are declared in the country’s state of calamity for COVID

which expired on December 31.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Vergeire said the DOH had coordinated with the Office of the President through the Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Solicitor General.

“We have had several meetings for this past week so that we can be able to find that meeting point, kung ano ‘yung puwedeng maging option because wala nga tayong pinagbabasehan na mga naka-state sa agreements as to immunity from liability and indemnification,” Vergeire said.

This resulted in the delay of the delivery of bivalent vaccines despite several countries already signifying their intention to donate the new jabs, which target the globally dominant omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.

“We had a meeting with COVAX and GAVI and still expressed our interest na tayo ay willing to receive as long as bigyan lang tayo ng panahon para ayusin ang legal remedies na puwede sa atin so we can enter into specific contracts na nirerequire ng COVAX facility,” Vergeire said.

DTI hails Senate OK of MSME empowerment measure

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has lauded the approval of the Senate Bill No. 1594 also known as the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Philippines Act of 2022 envisioned to effectively empower the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to further innovate and gain global recognition.

“As we all know, more than 99 percent of the country’s business enterprises are MSMEs. When we

uplift them, we uplift the nation and our economy. Through this, the department will be able to customize interventions that will pave the way for the development of new and innovative products from various regions of the country. It will also help promote our cultural identity in the international market,” said DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual. Through the establishment of OTOP Hubs and as part of the national government’s inclusive economic growth agenda, OTOPreneurs or budding MSMEs from the

grassroots are given the opportunity to showcase their unique products in various locations and access larger market and earning potentials.

From 2017 to 2023, OTOP Philippines already assisted 79,985 MSMEs,generated P10.9 million in sales, developed 39,815 products, established 111 OTOP hubs nationwide and conducted 1,390 trade fairs. Some of the assistance provided to MSMEs were tips on standards compliance, product development, capacity building, and promotional activities.

DEPARTMENT of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar on Wednesday warned the public against individuals or groups of people taking advantage of the rollout of the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program of the government.

Acuzar said the DHSUD will not tolerate any form of corruption or other illegal schemes in the implementation of 4PH –the flagship housing program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He vowed to take appropriate action, including filing of proper charges if needed, against those who would be found taking advantage of the housing program for their own selfish agenda. Rio N. Araja

MRT 7 TANDANG SORA STATION TAKES SHAPE. This MRT-7 station in Tandang Sora, Quezon City is fast taking shape and is expected to be completed soon. The 23-kilometer long elevated rail facility connecting Commonwealth Avenue and San Jose del Monte, Bulacan with 14 stations in between is 60 percent complete and envisioned to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2025. Manny Palmero

Gabriela solon files measure on paid, 2-day menstrual leave

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Gabriela Women’s Party on Wednesday filed a bill granting a two-day paid menstrual leave per month to female employees both in the private and public sectors.

In filing House Bill 7758, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas said that women should be provided with the flexibility and support they need to manage their reproductive health without the fear of negative consequences such as losing pay, falling behind in work, or facing disciplinary action.

The bill defines menstrual leave as benefits granted to a female employee allowing her not to report for work for up to two days every month due to premenstrual or menstrual tension but continuing to earn 100 percent of the compensation.

It covers all female employees, except pregnant and menopausal women, regardless of the nature or status of their employment.

The bill provides that the menstrual leave will be noncumulative and strictly nonconvertible to cash.

It also states that the paid menstrual leave should not be construed as diminishing existing maternity benefits currently enjoyed, whether or not these are granted under collective bargaining agreements or present laws, if the same is more beneficial to the female worker.

It cannot also be used as a basis for demotion in employment or termination, Brosas bill stated.

Filing of COCs for BSKE moved

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has rescheduled the filing of certificates of candidacy for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) from July to August.

Comelec chair George Garcia, quoted by GMA News, also said the filing for the BSKE elections had been moved from July

3 to 7 to August 28 to September 2.

“We approved just this morning, during our en banc session, the change of the date of the filing of the COC,” Garcia said, during a webinar of the UP Alumni Association and the Vinzons Policy Center (VPC) on

enhancing the country’s readiness for clean and honest future elections.

Garcia, quoted by GMA News, further said “this is to ensure the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the PNP (Philippine National Police) will be most prepared, especially because of the violence we have right now,” involving local officials.

The development came a day after Senator Francis Tolentino said he asked the poll body to delay the COC filing as conducting it in July would only “burden the local government units (LGUs)” due to election-related restrictions enshrined under the Omnibus Election Code.

Tolentino said it was “only just and fair” to adjust the filing period given the

BSKE would be held during the last week of October 2023 and that the law prescribed a 10-day campaign period when electing barangay and youth leaders, GMA News reported.

The BSKE has been repeatedly postponed since 2016. In October 2022, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed into law the measure delaying the December 2022 BSKE to the last Monday of October 2023. Tolentino meanwhile lauded the decision of Comelec to delay the scheduled period for the filing of COCs. He said the swift decision of the poll body to grant the request to reschedule the filing period on a much later date will not only help the local government units

Senator Marcos backs 100K advance cash

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Imee Marcos said she is supporting the advancing of the government’s cash gift of P100,000 to Filipino centenarians even before they reach 100 years old.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development, has sponsored a consolidated bill of amendments to the Centenarians Act of 2016, with input from fellow senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Christopher Go, Risa Hontiveros, Aquilino

THE SPEAKER AND THE CHAMP.

Boxing champion

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. pays a courtesy call on Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez at the Speaker’s Office in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Ver Noveno

Pimentel III, and Sherwin Gatchalian. In her sponsorship speech Wednesday, Marcos said senior citizens will be able to receive portions of the P100,000 cash gift when they reach 80, 90, and 100 years old, if the consolidated bill is passed into law.

To ensure that no senior citizen 80 years old and above is left out, Marcos also introduced the creation of an Elderly Management System, which mandates the Philippine Statistics Authority to record relevant demographic data, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and

to seniors

Local Government, the Department of Information and Technology, the National Commission on Senior Citizens, and local government units.

“We have a saying: What use is cut grass to a dead horse? Our grandparents should be able to enjoy their due benefits while they’re still around,” the senator said.

Recent government statistics put Filipinos’ average life expectancy at 79 years old for men and 83 years old for women. Only 10% of the more than nine million senior citizens are at least 80 years old.

Tulfo files bill to probe SSS processing complaints

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. RAFFY Tulfo is calling for a Senate investigation into the reported complaints from Social Security System (SSS) members about the long and tedious processing of their benefits, particularly retirement claims.

In filing Senate Resolution (SR) No. 544, Tulfo stressed that said delays in the processing of claims have caused financial difficulties for retirees, especially those who are relying on their benefits to survive the day-to-day.

“It is the responsibility of the Senate to

ensure that government agencies such as the SSS are efficient in providing services to the public, especially to its members who have contributed to the system,” the resolution read.

The SSS was created to provide social protection to Filipinos and help them prepare for the future through contributions and benefits.

Tulfo said the inquiry should include, among others, the reasons for delays in processing claims and the measures being taken by the SSS to address these issues. He noted that it should also cover the possible reforms that can be implemented to improve the efficiency of claiming benefits,

such as the use of digital technology and automation of processes. He likewise said that the inquiry should also include the need for additional funding and manpower to support the SSS in processing benefit claims efficiently and the possible establishment of a monitoring system that will track the progress of claims.

The findings and recommendations as a result of the said inquiry shall be used as a basis for proposing legislative measures to improve the SSS and to ensure that its members receive their benefits in a timely and efficient manner.

HONORING AGUINALDO.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan (center) led the wreathlaying at the tomb of  General Emilio Aguinaldo’s shrine in Kawit, Cavite, celebrating the hero’s 154th birth anniversary yesterday.

Joseph Muego

Marcos emphasized that the high cost of basic necessities and of maintenance medicines for common elderly illnesses as heart ailments, diabetes, and kidney failure call for advancing portions of the cash gift for centenarians. Funding the amendments to the Centenarians Act will be included in the annual national budget, subject to a yearly review and adjustment by the National Economic and Development Authority according to the average inflation rate of three prior years.

Lee files bill to urge LGUs to join agri dev’t plans

AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee filed a bill strengthening local government participation in agriculture development by institutionalizing a minimum of 10 percent allocation from their National Tax Allotment (NTA) for the implementation of programs, activities and services for agriculture and fisheries.

In filing House Bill 7597 or the “Local Agri-Fisheries Development Act," Lee maintained that the agriculture and fisheries sector must get its fair share of public funding to attain the country’s food security and redeem itself as an agriculture powerhouse, at par with other ASEAN countries.

“Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in our society, not just in providing jobs and livelihood, but also in ensuring that there is food in every household in the country. Kung hindi natin tututukan ang sektor na ito, gutom ang aabutin hindi lang ng agri workers, kundi ng buong bansa,” (If we don’t focus on this sector, hunger will reach not only the agri workers, but the whole country) Lee said.

“Our initial advantages in agricultural research and productivity have been lost and the agriculture sector has weakened in the last two decades. Local government units (LGUs) can play a crucial role in transforming the agriculture and fisheries sector,” he added.

Under the Mandanas-Garcia case ruling of the Supreme Court, LGUs ought to have a higher budget that can directly provide interventions to their local needs. In this new fiscal regime, there is a strong case to be made for greater prioritization and just share of the agricultural sector for its growth and development. Maricel V. Cruz

Salceda bats for Magna Carta for micro firms

HOUSE Ways and Means Chair and Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Wednesday pushed for the enactment of the Magna Carta for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as one of its principal authors.

At the same time, Salceda said he is supporting the increased procurement opportunities and benefits for MSMEs.

In a manifestation submitted to the Committee during the first deliberation on the measure, Salceda defended the passage

(LGUs) perform well but will also help prevent election-related violence since “it will lessen early politicking.”

“The poll body’s decision will allow our local government units to perform their respective functions without any compromise or restrictions—construction ban, etc,” Tolentino, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, said. According to Tolentino, it is only just and fair to adjust the timeframe of the filing period. He earlier stressed that having the COC filing period done in July will only “burden the local government units (LGUs)” due to election-related restrictions enshrined under the Omnibus Election Code. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Hontiveros urges gov’t to blacklist sugar importers

SEN. RISA Hontiveros on Wednesday said that if the administration is really serious about ensuring an ample supply of affordable sugar in the country, then it should start with immediately confiscating the sugar stocks illegally imported into the country by the three “favored” importers.

Earlier, Hontiveros named All Asian Countertrade, Edison Lee Marketing, and Sucden Philippines, as the three “favored” importers. These sugar importers should be immediately blacklisted, Hontiveros said.

In this way, the government will not be repeatedly forced to deal with the disposal of their illegal supplies, she said.

Hontiveros also noted that if the sugar to be sold at Kadiwa stores is meant to be consumed by the poorest 30 percent of the population, then the country needs at least 300,000 metric tons of sugar.

This amount, she said will ensure that the supplies for sale will not just be for publicity purposes.

“And if the government is committed to selling the smuggled sugar supplies, these should be sold at regular profit rates of P61 per kilo, and not P70,” the opposition senator said. She said stocks are already smuggled, and yet these are still being sold at jacked-up profits.

“Somebody is really intent on profiting from this situation,” the lawmaker said. She also said the government seems to be “too excited” about the 12,000 metric tons confiscated in Subic and Batangas. The Philippines’ annual consumption of sugar is 2.2 million metric tons. Macon Ramos-Araneta

of the bill.

“First of all, it allows MSMEs to operate immediately through the issuance of immediate provisional approval of all requisite permits from any local government. This will eventually pave the way for a single-window, singleday business registration system for the country,” Salceda said.

“Second, it creates demand for MSME products by requiring government to procure at least 10 percent of procurement opportunities from MSMEs.” Later during the hearing, Salceda also supported the increase of the percent threshold to 20 percent, citing that MSMEs account for around a third of the gross value-added in the economy.

“Third, it grants a 20 percent discount on shipping and delivery fees to MSMEs, which will also redound to the benefit of some 73 million online shoppers among Filipinos.”

“It also grants selling areas in malls to MSMEs. This is a policy that I have seen work brilliantly in Thailand during my October to November tour of Southeast Asia, where I had meetings with their investment and trade agencies and major businesses,” Salceda said. Salceda also mentioned about provisions to integrate information and communication technology in policies and programs for MSMEs.

Salceda also emphasized the need to grow the medium enterprise sector, touting it as a “potential driver of economic growth.” Maricel V Cruz Poe: PAGCOR should break up its

dual role

SEN. GRACE Poe said it is high time that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) break up its dual role as operator and regulator of the gaming sector.

“We have seen how its conflicting functions have resulted in its failure to do due diligence in the operations of POGOs and e-sabong, which have ushered in crimes and other social ills,” said Poe.

While the government needs revenues, she said generating and maximizing profits are better left to a separate agency if not the private sector.

She said PAGCOR can train its sights to guarantee a level playing field among industry players. She said it can also prevent illegal activities and ensure the people’s welfare is protected from potential social harm. Macon Ramos-Araneta

BUSINESS AS USUAL. An artist makes a sandcastle at the white beach of Puerto Galera in Mindoro on Wednesday. Business establishments in the area are business-as-usual despite the recent oil spill in Oriental Mindoro. Danny Pata

atbp.

AFTER a weekend trip to the Ilocos where I saw so many plots of land along the way unplanted for anything, whether on plains or in low hillsides, I and my travel companions began to reminisce about the Taiwan countryside.

Having been posted there for five years since 2016 till 2021, I saw for myself how serious the Taiwanese were about food security and agricultural productivity.

Travelling by land from Taipei in the north to Kaohsiung in the south, one could see that hardly any plot of land was not planted to something.

Even between factories, people planted rice or vegetables, fruits or flowers.

In southernmost Pingtung beside the sea, salt water is pumped into swimming pool-sized and aerated ponds where groupers were raised for markets in Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Shanghai, apart from local restaurants.

The value of grouper exports alone ran into billions of dollars each year.

Guess where they got the “mother” grouper from where they built up their stock?

From Philippine seas, where lapu-lapu (our term for grouper, which always raised the hackles of Cebuanos and Pres. Duterte) used to thrive in wild abandon. I saw mother groupers as long as a meter in length.

Just as the Taiwanese got their bangus fingerlings from our “sabalo” in the sixties, now they export to us fingerlings from which we raise our milkfish, a food staple. Ironic, but sadly true. ***

One of the highlights of a trip up North is Ilocano cuisine, from bagnet to thickly sauced dinuguan and higado, to my favorite sinanglaw and pinakbet, and of course longanisa from Vigan or Batac, both redolent with garlic and spices, and not the sweet and sticky version from some regions which I have always disdained from childhood.

Tagalogs and Kapampangans have their version of pinakbet, which Tagalogs call “bulanglang,” but the Ilocano version is inimitable.

Theirs is not sautéed in oil, the vegetables of freshly-picked dark green sitaw, ampalaya, okra, kalabasa, eggplants and sigarillas fresh and never over-cooked.

The concoction is salted by bagoong (Editor’s note: The Ilocanos take pride in their original pronunciation of boggoong, not the Tagalogs’ bagoong) and topped with either bagnet or grilled fish.

I suggest we change these (adobo or lechon as national food) to pinakbet, which after all is served everywhere in the archipelago these days

Meanwhile, kids in school are taught that adobo (in Luzon) or lechon (Visayas) are the national food. I suggest we change these to pinakbet, which after all is served everywhere in the archipelago these days.

Besides, pinakbet makes use of lowland vegetables, easier and cheaper to grow than highland vegetables.

My reason for that suggestion is so kids will learn to eat vegetables. A recent survey showed that 74 percent of our kids are veggie-averse.

Besides, lechon is fiesta fare, savored by the poor only on special occasions, and while adobo is eaten by all classes; it isn’t good if the pork isn’t liempo laced with fat, or brown chicken meat is used instead of the healthier white breast part.

We have to wean away our younger generations from thinking fried food and hotdogs, served by our fast-food chains, ingredients for which are mostly imported and laced with chemical preservatives, are good for them.

(If teachers show a video of what goes into hotdog processing, many will have second thoughts about ingesting it.)

One observation whenever we take trips to the provinces is fast-food chains have taken over regional or provincial fare, in the process “killing” good native cuisine served in small, familyoperated eateries.

Note how a huge mall peppered with fastfood chain eateries in Baguio, for instance, has practically killed the nice little restaurants in Session Road.

Well, it has happened practically everywhere.

Or the Metro Manila food chains taking over the business of small, lutong bahay eateries in Calabarzon, some parts of Quezon province excluded.

Thank the native Ilocanos for preserving their cuisine.

By Holmes Chan

Infrastructure binge

Dawang’s in San Nicolas beside Laoag, and Makkan in Agoo, La Union still serve the same native delicacies as before, patronized by locals and balikbayans alike.

*** Philstar columnist Iris Gonzales wrote about alternative staple foods, as suggested by 2021 TOFIL Awardee Roberto P. Alingog, to which this writer agrees fully.

Why not educate our people to eat camote, white corn, cassava and raw saba bananas, instead of rice, rice and more rice?

Our forefathers used to eat these staples, and, in fact, many of the rural poor would switch to these when the price of rice became too high, but lately the availability of these carbohydrate sources has been made scarce by the DA’s obsession with rice.

In Visayas and Mindanao, the elder generations had white corn, saba and cassava for staples, until rice became affordable and accessible to all.

These alternative foods are in fact more nutritious than rice, and are way cheaper to plant.

It makes more sense to revive demand for these starches and promote their consumption than lose billions of pesos subsidizing a false dream of 20-peso rice.

We used to import 10 percent of our rice requirements. But after the RTL was passed, our rice imports grew way too much, a disincentive for domestic farmers.

Last year, we imported 3.8 million tons, or 76 million bags, equivalent to 3.8 billion kilos.

Why, that is now 27 percent of our annual rice consumption!

And yet, DA keeps telling us domestic palay production is increasing; that it supplies 90 percent of our needs.

Pity the poor palay farmer, caught between increased input costs and competition from imported milled rice.

***

There is so much that the right education can do to change our consumption habits as a people.

Teaching the young to eat nutritious, locally grown food, particularly vegetables, will go a long way not only to help solve our food security problems, but likewise protect the health of our people.

Teach them that oily and starchy fast foods are bad for the health, and so are sugared drinks. A penchant for eating these types of food promote diabetes and heart ailments as people age, and now, as in America, even among the young.

Those consumption habits have been increasingly aped by our young.

LGUs should get into the act, by incentivizing their constituents to plant in every unused plot of land, as they do in Taiwan, China and Japan.

In the congested cities, we can promote vertical farming, the technology for which, including drip irrigation, is easily available, as practiced in Israel and Taiwan among other places.

Here in Metro Manila, I know of at least two visibly successful projects on vertical farming of vegetables: in Navotas and Taguig.

They grow mostly romaine lettuce, or the native variety, and supply these to restaurants for salads and lumpia.

***

The other food security issue we should address, and which I mentioned in previous columns, is the negative effect of the lack of qualified farm extension workers and trainors, an unintended result of the Local Government Code’s devolution of responsibilities.

Again, using Taiwan as an example, research is used to benefit farmers who are taught what to plant for the type of soil they have, when to plant, when and with what to fertilize, and other useful tips on how to earn as much as is possible from even small plots of land.

There is no need to re-invent the wheel. We just have to follow best practices, and the countries from which we can get these technologies and templates are all too willing to share.

Latest reports show our agricultural trade deficit has ballooned 36.3 percent year-on-year in the last quarter of 2022, food imports outpacing our agricultural exports of bananas, coconut oil and pineapples.

We import rice, yellow corn, soybeans, galunggong, pork, deboned chicken, beef, offal, vegetables like carrots, broccoli, potatoes, garlic and, not to forget, onions. Why, even the pork skins that Lapid converts to chicharrones are imported. For a country with 114 million mouths to feed and growing, yet with so much land yet uncultivated, this demonstrates how food insecure we are. We need to plant, plant, plant, and plant better more.

ONE of the main reasons foreign investors hesitate to bring their money into the country, apart from red tape, corruption, and the unstable peace and order situation in certain areas, is poor infrastructure.

That problem is caused in part by the country’s archipelagic character, which makes it extremely difficult—if not exceedingly expensive—to connect the more than 7,000 islands with one another, either through land, sea or air.

But the lack of adequate public infrastructure is now being addressed, with the Department of Public Works and Highways poised to implement this year more than 70,000 major and local projects all over the country with a budget allocation of P890 billion, according to Secretary Manuel Bonoan.

Among these projects is the construction of the P175 billion inter-island bridge that would connect the provinces of Cavite and Bataan. This is considered a very significant project as it would cut travel time from Manila to Bataan from five hours to about 30 to 40 minutes.

The 32-kilometer four-lane bridge over Manila Bay would link the municipalities of Naic in Cavite and Mariveles in Bataan. The project would be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

With more infrastructure, we will encourage not just foreign but also local investments to work in tandem to propel sustained economic growth in the years ahead

The detailed engineering is now about 70 percent complete, according to the DPWH, with the groundbreaking scheduled within the year.

It is expected to be finished in five years or before the term of the Marcos administration ends in 2028.

Once completed, the bridge would spur economic growth not only in Luzon but in the entire country as well, as it would link two growth areas in the southern part of Metro Manila and the other west of Manila. The ADB estimates the economic rate of return of the bridge at more than 25 percent. The DPWH says the bridge would be the largest and longest iconic bridge in the country.

Apart from this, the DPWH will also supervise this year the groundbreaking of six bridges that will be constructed across Pasig River. Three of the bridges would be funded by the ADB while the other three would be funded through an ODA loan from China.

We are glad the administration is accelerating infrastructure development at this time when the challenge is to revive the economy that has yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in the past three years.

The public-private partnership scheme is now being given priority by the Marcos administration as it gives the private sector an active role in building more public infrastructure.

With more infrastructure, we will encourage not just foreign but also local investments to work in tandem to propel sustained economic growth in the years ahead.

FVR’s 95th birth anniversary

LAST Saturday, March 18, would have been former President Fidel V. Ramos’ 95th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, some of the people who worked for him led by former Chief PNP Sony Razon and post presidential aide Mel Bergado decided to celebrate his birthday with a golf fellowship in his favorite golf course inside Camp Aguinaldo. What was intended as a small fellowship for people close to the late President turned out to become what we might call a gathering of eagles. Many of those who came to grace the occasion were the heavyweights in previous governments.

There must have been three former Executive Secretaries, several Secretaries and a score of former Chiefs of the PNP and Chiefs of Staff of the AFP.

FVR lived a long and fruitful life dedicated to the service of his country. It was, therefore, natural that along the way, he was able to gather quite a number of people both military and civilian to work with him in government. When he died a few months ago, the country did not only lose a true patriot but also a quintessential public servant.

The golf fellowship was a way of celebrating his life and to remember the good old days.

Because of his long and varied service to his country, stories about him from people who worked for him could fill a small library and was very evident during the award ceremony.

As General Joe Magno, now the oldest surviving military man in the FVR team, duly reported to the assembly, the Boss is with us and enjoying the festivities.

There are tons of stories about him while in the military service and as President.

His introduction of the military concept of complete staff work in the civilian bureaucracy has become a stuff of legend among many former Cabinet members.

(Editor’s Note: Complete Staff Work is the doctrine of any well-run office. Popularized by FVR and institutionalized by succeeding presidents through several directives, CSW is the principle of management, which states that subordinates are responsible for submitting written recommendations to superiors in such a manner that the superior does not need to do anything further in the process than review the submitted document and indicate approval or disapproval.)

This includes the frequent marginal notes they almost always received from him every morning including weekends.

One of the purposes of the golf fellowship was to reminisce many of these stories which has become obligatory in any FVR occasion.

If we turn the pages to examine the public life of FVR, we can actually divide it into three phases.

The first is his long military service beginning as a cadet in West Point in 1946 and ending when he took over the defense department as secretary in 1986 and ending in 1991. That is a span of 45 long years.

FVR died

did not only lose a true patriot but also a quintessential public servant

The second phase was his political life when he ran and won the presidential election in 1992, becoming the country’s 12th president.

The last was his post presidential life when he founded the FVR Peace Foundation and endeavored to promote the country internationally and helped succeeding presidents as best as he could. Not too many people realize that FVR was helping the government quietly up to the very end.

He was always available for consultation from many Cabinet members of succeeding presidents. A certified workaholic, he drove the national government bureaucracy to embrace his work ethic, resulting in his administration achieving peace, stability and progress for the country.

He also started the country on a sustained economic growth beginning with his Philippines 2000 slogan.

During the golf fellowship, former top government officials who normally do not attend public events anymore were there and stayed till the very end.

It was a pleasure to see Generals and former Cabinet secretaries Ed Ermita and Rene De Villa in attendance and not looking any older than when I saw them last which was many

years ago.

Although advancing in years, they are certainly doing it gracefully.

Former Chief PNP General Ramon Montano, who has some mobility problems, was also there and enjoying like the rest of us.

It was also a pleasure to have finally met former Executive Secretary Bingbong Medialdea who, knowing that I live in Baguio, told me about his father being assigned as City Prosecutor of Baguio for a short time long time ago.

Others who were there were former secretaries Del Lorenzana, Jun Esperon, Bobby De Ocampo, Rene Diaz and Paul Dominguez. General Leo Alvez, a friend of long standing who, like myself, is not based in Manila.

Missing were Raffy Alunan and Silvestre Bello who unfortunately were not able to make it.

While watching the award ceremony unfold and seeing the people who were there, I was deep in thought about what the country was missing by way of history.

If only these gentlemen would take time to write down what they had gone thru over the last 50 or more years, this country would be a lot richer in the knowledge that they could pass on to succeeding generations.

Even if they could not write or get a ghost writer, what they could do is simply get a video camera, sit in front of it and then just talk.

That way, the knowledge could be preserved for their families and, more importantly, the country. The recordings could be kept by the families, sent to the Presidential library of FVR or the Philippine government archives.

Right now, the country is starving for knowledge and answers to questions from direct participants about the momentous events that transpired in our country in the last 50 years. For those who missed the big shindig, the next one will be at Malarayat GCC next year.

(Editor’s Note: This is the Mount Malarayat Golf & Country Club-Mount Malipunyo Course in Lipa City, Batangas).

Hong Kong asylum seekers fear deportation under tightened policy

AFTER more than five years navigating the bureaucratic maze of Hong Kong’s asylum system, John faces a new fear: deportation under a recently amended “removal policy.”

“When you’re running for your safety, you never know where you go. You just want to go where you can be safe,” said John, an African man in his 40s, who asked to use a pseudonym and hide his nationality due to these concerns.

There are nearly 15,000 asylum seekers in the southern Chinese city applying for resettlement abroad, according to official figures.

Rules passed in December allow authorities to expel people whose applications were rejected but are awaiting appeal court verdicts.

Twenty-seven people have been removed as a result of the policy since it was enacted, with another 1,100 now vulnerable to immediate deportation, according to official data.

John is one of them.

“It’s eating our mind, our spirit inside,” he said of the rule change.

‘Hostile’ narrative

Many asylum seekers see Hong Kong

as a stepping stone towards relocation elsewhere—often not knowing that, over the past decade, 99 percent of applications have been rejected. The city, a special administrative region of China with its own set of laws, does not grant asylum seekers refugee status. China is a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees, but has not extended its application to Hong Kong.

But the city does have an obligation of non-refoulement – meaning people should not be deported to their home countries if they face persecution there -- under the Convention Against Torture, which China has extended to Hong Kong.

Rejected applicants can appeal their case in court. In many jurisdictions internationally, claimants are usually not at risk of deportation while awaiting rulings on their appeals.

But Hong Kong’s new rules mean that an asylum seeker has, in effect, just one shot at making their case in front of a judge.

In December, Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk told lawmakers that some claimants were “clearly using court proceedings to prolong their illegal stay in Hong Kong” and were causing a

But Hong Kong’s new rules mean that an asylum seeker has, in effect, just one shot at making their case in front of a judge

“burden to society.”

Surabhi Chopra, a law professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said “the official narrative is very, very hostile to non-refoulement claimants.”

Chopra said there was an “inherent contradiction” in deporting a claimant and then expecting them to follow up on nonrefoulement claims long-distance.

‘Life and limb’ The updated rules have sent ripples of anxiety through Hong Kong’s asylum seeker community, according to human rights lawyer Mark Daly, whose firm takes

on non-refoulement cases.

“(The government) is taking away their appeal rights on an issue of life and limb,” he told AFP, adding that the changes were made without consulting the public or the legal sector.

While none of his clients have yet been deported as a result of the justification for his clients facing lengthier detentions.

Last year, officials outlined plans to increase the number of detention facilities, which many asylum seekers enter upon arrival, for non-refoulement claimants to four.

Former detainees at Hong Kong’s immigration detention centers have alleged poor conditions, lengthy solitary confinement and even violent beatings— accusations the government has roundly denied.

Cycle of detention

While the majority of asylum seekers are released from detention, they are legally prohibited from working and most rely on government allowances of around HK$3,300 ($420) a month—an amount many struggle to live off.

In 2021, authorities arrested 438 nonrefoulement claimants for unlawful

employment, which for many meant returning to a detention cell.

Last year, Hong Kong deported 1,097 asylum seekers and officials say that, with more international flights resuming postpandemic, the number may rise.

The Immigration Department told AFP it would “continue to adopt a multipronged approach... with a view to expediting removal of unsubstantiated claimants from Hong Kong under the Updated Removal Policy.”

Leafing through his well-worn court documents, John said he was not aware of Hong Kong’s high rejection rate when he first sought asylum, and had struggled to find a sympathetic ear from officials in the system.

“It depends on the judge... Some judge(s) can just reject you, and it’s so painful,” he said. “We are running because we need protection.”

Nevertheless, he said he was not disappointed with the life he had built in Hong Kong, forming bonds with those trapped in the same purgatory he finds himself in.

“We discuss, we make each other hope.”

AFP

When

a few months ago, the country

BARRICADES SET UP, POLICE ON HIGH ALERT

WITH barricades set up near Trump Tower and police on high alert, New York was holding its breath Wednesday for the likely indictment of Donald Trump, but the timing remained uncertain.

The ex-president himself claimed he would be arrested on Tuesday over hush money paid to a pornographic actress, but the day came and went and there were no signs of an indictment or arrest.

Some US media speculated that the grand jury hearing the case could vote to indict on Wednesday, but that it may be next week before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announces any charges and Trump is arraigned before a judge.

Bragg, an elected Democrat, has not confirmed any plans publicly and grand juries operate in secret to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trials, making it virtually impossible to follow their proceedings.

The DA has put key witnesses in front of the panel in recent weeks and offered Trump the opportunity to testify, hinting that an indictment is close.

The 76-year-old Republican would

PROTEST. A member of the Confederation Generale du travail (CGT) labor union raises his arms as he stands in front of an overturned burning car during a blockade of Marseille’s port (Port Autonome de Marseille), southern France, on March 22, 2023, a few days after the French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution. The French President faces intensified protests and accusations of anti-democratic behaviour after pushing through a contentious pension reform without a parliamentary vote. AFP

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

The New York Police Department has geared up for an unprecedented arrest or self-surrender, which would see an ex-leader of the United States booked, fingerprinted and possibly even handcuffed, by erecting barricades outside Bragg’s office and Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

NBC News reported that every NYPD officer was ordered to wear their uniforms and prepare for deployment starting from Tuesday.

“While you will see an increased uniformed presence throughout the five boroughs, there are currently no credible threats to New York City,” an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement.

Trump called over the weekend for mass protests if he is indicted, but there has so far been no indication of any large movement. Leading Trump figures such as his sons have not openly urged action in the streets as they did after the 2020 election, when President Joe Biden defeated Trump.

A Monday evening protest in lower Manhattan organized by the New York Young Republican Club attracted only a couple dozen Trump supporters.

NYC braces for Trump indictment IN

Around 40 supporters rallied outside Trump’s Florida residence in Mar-e-Lago Tuesday in support of him.

“I think the end result of this will just be that his support will grow,” said 18-year-old Colton Mccormick, dressed in the colors of the American flag. Bragg’s inquiry centers on $130,000 paid weeks before the 2016 election to Stormy Daniels to stop the porn star from going public about an affair she says she had with Trump years earlier.

Trump’s ex-lawyer-turned-enemy Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment on Trump’s behalf and was later reimbursed. AFP

China approves 1st domestic mRNA COVID vaccine

CHINA has approved its first locally developed messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against COVID-19, its manufacturer said Wednesday, months after the relaxation of strict COVIDzero regulations sparked a surge in cases.

The vaccine, developed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd, has been approved for “emergency use” by Beijing’s health regulator, the company said in a statement.

It showed high efficacy in a trial in which it was used as a booster shot for people who have been given other types of vaccines, the company added, without offering further details. mRNA vaccines are considered among the most effective in reducing severe infections and deaths.

While traditional vaccines use a weakened or inactivated germ to prepare the body for a future attack from the real virus, mRNA deploys snippets of genetic material that carry instructions showing the body’s cells how to produce a protein – in this case, the spike protein on the coronavirus that causes COVID.

The body’s immune system then triggers antibodies to fight off that spike protein, making it ready for when the real coronavirus comes knocking.

CHINESE leader Xi Jinping left Russia on Wednesday after a summit with President Vladimir Putin that was a display of unity against the West, with no apparent signal of a breakthrough to end the fighting in Ukraine.

The nations, eager to curb Western power, expressed concerns about NATO expansion in Asia and agreed to deepen a partnership which has grown closer since Putin launched an offensive in Ukraine.

Xi’s plane left Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after being seen off by an honour guard, Russian news agencies reported, capping a visit that was a boost for the internationally-isolated Russian leader.

Putin 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.

“Many of the provisions of the peace plan put forward by China... can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when Kyiv and the West will be ready for it,” Putin said after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“However, so far we have not seen such readiness on their part.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had invited China to talks, and is waiting for an answer from Beijing.

“We offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula. We passed over our formula across all channels. We invite you to dialogue. We are waiting for your answer,” Zelensky told a press conference.

The United States, however, said it does not see China as capable of being an impartial mediator – Washington’s most direct criticism yet of Beijing’s aim to be a middleman in efforts to end the conflict. AFP

Beijing has refused to greenlight mRNAbased vaccines from foreign firms Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for public use. AFP

Israel strike hits Syria’s Aleppo airport–Ministry

AN ISRAELI air strike hit Syria’s Aleppo airport on Wednesday causing damage, the defense ministry said, without mentioning any casualties, in the second such attack on the facility this month.

The airport in Syria’s second city has been a major conduit for relief flights since a February 6 earthquake devastated swathes of southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria.

“Around 3:55 am (0055 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack... targeting Aleppo international airport, leading to some material damage,” a defence ministry statement said.

“A number of missiles” were fired from the Mediterranean west of the coastal city of Latakia, it added.

Transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil told AFP technicians were assessing the damage.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike targeted “the airport compound and a weapons depot belonging to pro-Iranian forces on the airport’s perimeter.” The Britainbased war monitor said the depot had been “completely destroyed.”

On March 7, three people were killed in an Israeli strike on the airport that brought air traffic, including relief flights, to a halt. The airport reopened several days later.

More than 80 aid flights have landed in Aleppo with relief supplies following the earthquake, according to the transport ministry.

Since civil war erupted in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against its neighbour, primarily targeting positions of the Syrian army and its Iranian and Hezbollah allies.AFP

Russian drone attack on school kills three in Kyiv

THREE people were killed and seven wounded in a Russian drone attack that hit a vocational high school in the Kyiv region overnight, authorities said Wednesday.

“Three people died, two people were injured and one person was rescued. Four people are probably under the rubble,” the state emergency service said on Telegram.

The military administration of the Kyiv said three people were killed and seven injured.

The strike hit a high school about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Kyiv, said the emergency services, which published images of heavily damaged buildings.

The attack “partially destroyed” two floors of two student residences and a building that is used for studying, the same source said.

A fire affecting more than 300 square meters (3,200 square feet) of the school was extinguished shortly before 7 a.m. local time, according to the emergency services.

Russia regularly pounds Ukraine with missiles, artillery and drones, often causing power cuts that prevent people from warming their homes or getting drinking water. AFP

Xi departs Russia after ‘new era’ summit with Putin

Stock market rises; PLDT tops gainers

While that would deal a blow to the Fed’s fight against elevated inflation, such a move is seen by observers as crucial to reinforcing stability and preventing another blow-up in the financial sector.

US and European markets surged at least one percent Tuesday, building on Monday’s advances, as investors cheered comments from US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterating support for lenders after the collapse of two regional banks earlier this month.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 15 points, or 0.24 percent, to close at 6,546.27, as four of the six subsectors advanced.

The broader all-share index also went up 6 points, or 0.19 percent, to settle at 3,499.97 on a value turnover of P4.23 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 98 to 77, while 49 issues were unchanged.

Eight of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by PLDT Inc. which climbed 4.46 percent to P1,381.00 and Robinsons Land Corp. which rose 3.31 percent to P14.34.

Most Asian markets also traded higher Wednesday.

TOP

MOST

The downing of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank forced authorities to promise customers would not lose their cash in a bid to prevent a run on other firms.

“Our intervention was necessary to protect the broader US banking system, and similar actions could be warranted if smaller institutions suffer deposit runs that pose the risk of contagion,” Yellen told an American Bankers Association conference in Washington.

She added that the government was “resolutely committed” to ensuring stability and that “the public should have confidence in our banking system”.

The dialing down of volatility allowed traders to turn their focus on the US Federal Reserve’s policy decision later in the day, with the recent turmoil fueling hope it will hold off on an expected sharp hike in interest rates.

With the recent crisis blamed on the central bank’s steep hike in borrowing costs over the past year, pressure is building on officials to pause their monetary tightening campaign, with many observers even tipping several cuts by the end of the year.

Google launches own AI chatbot Bard, competes with ChatGPT in US and UK

SAN FRANCISCO, United States—Google on Tuesday invited people in the United States and Britain to test its AI chatbot, known as Bard, as it continues on its gradual path to catch up with Microsoft-backed ChatGPT.

Bard, ChatGPT and other similar artificial intelligence apps churn out essays, poems or computing code on command and have taken the world by storm as the biggest new thing in tech since the advent of the iPhone.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai told staff that after testing Bard with 80,000 Google employees, the chatbot would be tested with the public in the United States and Britain as a “first step” before going out to more countries in other languages.

“As more people start to use Bard and test its capabilities, they’ll surprise us,” Pichai said in a memo to staff seen by AFP.

“Things will go wrong. But the user feedback is critical to improving the product and the underlying technology,” added Pichai, who had faced some criticism within the company for rushing to catch up with Microsoft.

In the launch, people wishing to play with

Bard can sign up on a waiting list at bard. google.com website, distinctly separate from the tech giant’s search engine.

“We’ve learned a lot so far by testing Bard, and the next critical step in improving it is to get feedback from more people,” Google vice presidents Sissie Hsiao and Eli Collins said in a blog post.

As exciting as chatbots can be, they have their faults, Hsiao and Collins cautioned. ‘Constantly learning’

Google has so far proceeded more carefully in its rollout of generative AI to consumers, in contrast to Microsoft’s choice to swiftly make the products available despite reports of problems.

ChatGPT’s OpenAI is backed by Microsoft, which earlier this year said it would finance the research company to the tune of billions of dollars.

Asked by AFP how its product was different from ChatGPT, Bard said that unlike its Microsoft-backed rival it was “able to access and process information from the real world through Google Search and keep my response consistent with search results.” AFP

UK inflation unexpectedly accelerates to 10.4%

LONDON, United Kingdom—British annual inflation unexpectedly accelerated in February despite central bank efforts to tame a growing cost-of-living crisis, official data showed Wednesday.

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 10.4 percent in the 12 months to February 2023, up from 10.1 percent in January, the Office for National Statistics said.

The news strengthened the case for another interest rate hike on Thursday from the Bank of England, despite calls for no change amid global turmoil in the commercial banking sector.

Expectations had been for a slowdown in UK inflation, but prices jumped for food and drinks -- offset only partially by falling motor fuel costs.

“Inflation ticked up in February, mainly driven by rising alcohol prices in pubs and restaurants following discounting in January,” said ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner.

“Food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose to their highest rate in over 45 years with particular increases for some salad and vegetable items as high energy costs and bad weather across parts of Europe led to shortages and rationing.”

The BoE is caught between hiking borrowing costs to dampen inflation -- or hanging fire amid ongoing fallout from the collapse of two regional US banks and the UBS buyout of embattled Swiss giant Credit Suisse.

Wednesday’s data comes after the UK government last week forecast inflation would slow sharply to 2.9 percent by yearend, with the nation set to avoid recession.

The predictions were published alongside finance minister Jeremy Hunt’s massive £94-billion ($114-billion) cost-of-living measures for this year and next.

“We need to stick to our plan to halve it this year,” Hunt said Wednesday in response to the latest data. AFP

OANDA’s Edward Moya said in a note: “It is a clear message from multiple officials that they are not taking this banking turmoil lightly and that they will probably be proactive when the next major risk arises.”

The US and European rally filtered through to Asia, where banks were among the big gainers with tech firms.

Hong Kong was boosted by a bump in lenders HSBC and Standard Chartered as well as ecommerce titans Alibaba and JD.com.With AFP

Six/NEO, 5th Avenue cor. 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, for validation pursuant to the Company’s By-laws. A sample format of the proxy form for individual and corporate stockholders are attached. Please visit https://atlasmining.com.ph/investor-relations/annual-stockholdersmeeting for complete information on the meeting. Thank you.

ELMER B. SERRANO Corporate Secretary

ANNEX A: RATIONALE FOR AGENDA ITEMS

Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on 26 April 2022

The Minutes of the annual stockholders’ meeting held on 26 April 2022 were posted on the Company’s website and appended to the Information Statement. These minutes are subject to stockholders’ approval during this meeting.

Approval of the Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements for 2022

The Company’s financial and operating results for the year 2022 have been summarized in the Annual Report which includes the Audited Financial Statements (AFS) as of 31 December 2022, and will be presented for stockholders’ approval. The AFS as audited by the external auditor, Sycip Gorres Velayo & Company (SGV), have been reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors, and will be appended to the Definitive Information Statement.

Election of Directors for 2023-2024

The Corporate Governance Committee has pre-qualified nominees for directors for 20232024 and confirmed by the Board of Directors. The list of nominees and their profiles are provided in the Information Statement. The nominees’ proven competencies, expertise and qualifications will be invaluable to the Company’s strong performance.

Ratification of Acts of the Board of Directors, Board Committees and Management in 2022

The ratification of acts and resolutions of the Board, Board Committees and Management of AT, from the date of the last meeting to the date of this meeting, which have been key to the successful performance of the Company, will be sought during the meeting. Significant acts and transactions are covered by appropriate disclosures with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Appointment of External Auditor

The Board, upon recommendation by the Audit Committee, approved and endorses the re-appointment of SGV as the Company’s external auditor for 2023. The profile of the external auditor and the audit fee for 2022 are discussed in the Information Statement. (MS-MAR. 23 & 24, 2023)

N OTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of stockholders of MANILA WATER COMPANY, INC., will be conducted virtually via https://conveneagm.com/ph/MWCI2023ASM on Thursday, April 14, 2023, at 9:00 A.M. with the following

Meeting held on April 20, 2022

Only stockholders of record as of March 2, 2023 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, this meeting. Stockholders may only attend the meeting by appointing the Chairperson of the meeting as their proxy, by remote communication, or by voting in absentia

Stockholders intending to participate by remote communication should register via https://conveneagm.com/ph/MWCI2023ASM to create an account and register in the CONVENE AGM System and notify the Company by email to corporatesecretary@manilawater.com on or before March 31, 2023. By registering to participate in the virtual stockholders’ meeting, a stockholder or a proxy or an individual representative of the stockholder agrees for Manila Water and its service providers to process their sensitive personal information necessary to verify their identity and authority. A stockholder who fails to comply with the registration requirement will not be able to participate in the virtual stockholders’ meeting.

Duly accomplished proxies and sworn certifications, as applicable, shall be submitted on or before March 31, 2023 to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at the 2/F MWSS Administration Building, No. 489 Katipunan Road, Balara, Quezon City and by email to corporatesecretary@manilawater.com. Please note that corporate shareholders are required to submit a proxy and a Secretary’s Certificate certifying the validity of the proxy. Validation of proxies is set for April 4, 2023 at 9:00 AM at the Office of the Corporate Secretary.

Stockholders may vote by remote communication or in absentia , subject to validation procedures. The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

Stockholders of record as of March 2, 2023 owning at least 5% of the total outstanding capital stock of the Company may submit proposals on items for inclusion in the agenda on or before April 3, 20232

All communications should be sent by email to corporatesecretary@manilawater.com on or before the designated deadlines.

STOCKS rose for a second day as more pledges of government support soothed worries over the US banking sector and provided some much-needed stability after more than a week of upheaval.

SATELLITE VISIT. Employees work in a cleanroom on an Indonesian communications satellite named HTS 113BT during a press visit of the French-Italian aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space site in Toulouse, southwestern France, on March 21, 2023. AFP

Petronas and Phoenix agree to explore partnership in PH

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MALAYSIAN oil company Petronas and Phoenix Petroleum Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding to explore partnership in the Philippines, including downstream marketing business and associated technology solutions.

The parties will capitalize on highquality fuels and innovative digital solutions. The collaboration will give Phoenix access to Malaysia’s stateowned company’s branded retail and marketing offerings, including fuel and fluid technologies, while Petronas expands its footprint into the Philippines.

“In our commitment towards customer centricity, Petronas is excited to deliver an elevated fuel retail experience to customers in the Philippines through this collaboration,” said Petronas vice president of refining, marketing and trading at downstream Ahmad Adly Alias.

“From our winning fuels derived from the fluid technology solutions to our state-of-the-art digital and sustainable solutions, we will continue to innovate and perfect our range of offerings to deliver a seamless experience to more road users around the world,” said Alias.

Petronas and Phoenix will conduct a joint feasibility study to take the collaboration on the next phase of execution.

“Partnership and collaborations between brands have been in fashion for some time now, and we’ve seen several that are especially effective in bringing together the best of two worlds,” Phoenix president Henry Albert Fadullon said.

“With the technology and expertise of Petronas as the largest fuel retail network operator in Malaysia, combined with the deep knowledge and experience of Phoenix in terms of the local market, this synergy promises to be a new experience for our customers,” Faudullon said.

Bloomberry drops deal with Uy’s PH Resorts

By Jenniffer B. Austria

BLOOMBERRY Resorts Corp., the gaming company led by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., dropped its plan to invest in two casinos owned by businessman Dennis Uy.

Bloomberry said its board of directors decided to terminate the agreement “after considering the results of due diligence on the target companies and the projects”.

No other reasons were provided.

PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc., a company led by Uy, said in a statement to the stock exchange the termination of the agreement would enable it to pursue talks with other interested investors.

“While it is unfortunate that a deal

Hann PH signs P9-b loan with AUB and Unionbank

HANN Philippines Inc. signed a P9-billion syndicated term loan agreement with Asia United Bank Corp. and Union Bank of the Philippines to partially finance the construction and development of Hann Reserve, its master planned mixed-use integrated lifestyle resort development in New Clark City, Tarlac.

“We are grateful to our partner banks and financial institutions for the trust and confidence in our vision to develop a truly world-class integrated resort that will solidify the reputation of Clark as an important leisure and lifestyle destination not just in the country but in the region,” said Hann Philippines chairman and chief executive Dae Sik Han.

The 450-hectare project is undergoing site preparation and general infrastructure development for its first phase, estimated to cost P17 billion. It will include the awardwinning Banyan Tree luxury hotel and residences plus an 18-hole mountain golf course by Nicklaus Design— the first of three world-class courses and PGA-affiliated player development facilities that will form the highlight of the integrated resort. Hann Reserve’s first phase development will also include a clubhouse and 10-hectare public park along with other ancillary facilities. The earliest targeted completion for the initial components of the first phase is by 2025.

“It is a privilege for us to be a part of Hann’s immense growth since its early beginnings. Likewise, we look forward to our continued partnership with this loan and to the company’s unabated success as it expands its business and operations,” said AUB senior vice president and head for investment banking group Kristeen Ella M. Reyes. Othel V. Campos

Monde Nissin reallocates

P2.14b for beverage business

MONDE Nissin Corp. is reallocating a portion of its capital and operating expenditures previously budgeted for its meat alternative business to branded and beverage unit.

Monde Nissin said in a stock exchange filing

Wednesday the P2.14-billion operating expenditures for meat alternative business as of end December 2022 would be re-allocated as capital expenditures of Asia Pacific branded food and beverage business in 2023. Monde Nissin also reallocated P1.1 billion in initial public offering proceeds initially budgeted for capital expenditures for meat alternative business to APACBFB, which manufactures a portfolio of brands across instant noodles, biscuits and baked goods.

The company earlier said it was implementing a number of restructuring and efficiency measures to improve the operation of the meat alternative business as market conditions remained challenging.

Monde Nissin said revenues from meat alternative business inched up by 1 percent in the first nine months of 2022 primarily due to price increases, strong volume growth in food service and share recovery in the United Kingdom retail business. Jenniffer B. Austria

BRIA Homes expedites

construction in Bukidnon

BRIA Homes is fast-tracking the construction of its housing project in the first-class municipality of Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon province.

BRIA Manolo Fortich’s strategic location is its major draw for locals looking to settle down. The tranquil residential village is tucked in an area with calming verdant greenery that is close to the Northern Bukidnon State College, the Bukidnon

was not closed, this now allows both parties to pursue their own plans. This development gives PHR the opportunity to reenter into discussions with other parties that were previously put into the backburner due to the contemplated investment by Bloomberry,” PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc. president Raymundo Martin Escalona said.

Bloomberry signed a term sheet agreement with PH Travel and Leisure Corp. in May 2022 for the proposed

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SAN Miguel Corp. on Wednesday

signed a joint venture agreement with the provincial government of Batangas for the P44.77-billion Nasugbu-Bauan Expressway project.

The Batangas provincial government granted the company’s infrastructure arm, SMC Infrastructure, a 35-year concession to design, build, operate and maintain the four-lane, 61-kilometer toll road which SMC president and chief executive Ramon Ang described as “a project that will further unlock the economic potential of Batangas.”

Ang said NBEX is a vital infrastructure initiative in Southern Luzon that would improve travel across towns

By Julito G. Rada

HONGKONG and Shanghai Banking

Corp. said Wednesday the liquid domestic financial system is giving the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas room to hike interest rates further in the next two policy meetings.

“Indicators suggest that the banking system in the Philippines remains sound and liquid for now... giving the BSP some room to raise rates further to address core

investment in Emerald Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Punta Engano, LapuLapu City, Cebu, and in Clark Grand Leisure Corp. which is developing The Base Resort Hotel and Casino in Pampanga. Bay Resort Hotel and Casino is the flagship development of PH Resorts located in a 12.4-hectare property in Mactan, Cebu.

The first phase of Emerald Bay is expected to have 4,514 square meters of aggregate gaming floor area, with 600 electronic gaming machines, 122 gaming tables and a five-star hotel with 270 hotel keys.

The Base Resort Hotel and Casino sits on a 4.4 hectare property within Clark Global City. It is envisioned to be a premier adventure-themed integrated resort.

PH Resorts asked the government in October 2021 to suspend the license of its casino project in Clark over uncertainties surrounding the casino gaming industry and stiff competition in the area.

Bloomberry earlier said it was focused on completing its second hotel casino in Vertis North, Quezon City. Solaire North, which is slated for completion by early next year, will feature a hotel tower with up to 550 rooms and a gaming area with up to 200 gaming tables and 3,000 slot machines.

Bloomberry also plans to build an integrated gaming and leisure complex in Cavite.

The share price of Bloomberry rose 2.1 percent Wednesday to close at P9.10, while that of PH Resort dropped 5.8 percent to P0.10.

NEW SUBSTATION.

Manila Electric Co. commissions the new North Caloocan 115 kilovolt-34.5 kV GasInsulated Switchgear Substation along Quirino Highway, Novaliches, Quezon City which unloads the forecasted critical load of Novaliches and Camarin power transformer banks. The project involved the commissioning of a new 83-megavolt ampere power transformer, one 115-kV GIS, one 34-kV GIS, four new distribution feeders and other substation equipment. The new substation will serve the growing demand in the areas of Quezon City, Caloocan City North and portions of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, including the expected power requirement of the MRT-7 once operational.

throughout Batangas, particularly the first district. Once completed, it will make Nasugbu, Balayan, Lemery, Bauan, the city of Calaca and other municipalities more accessible. Transportation of people and goods will be easier, faster and more efficient resulting in lower cost of business and higher economic activity, he said.

Ang said NBEX would cut travel time by half between Nasugbu to Bauan, Batangas from 1.5 hours to just 45 minutes. It will also reduce the usual five-hour trip to and from Manila to two hours. NBEX, which begins in Barangay Kaylaway, Nasugbu town, runs parallel to Tagaytay-Nasugbu and Palico-Balayan highways.

inflation that is currently the highest since 1999,” HSBC said in a report.

“Despite global concerns on financial stability, we expect the BSP to hike by 25bp [basis points] this week and at the next meeting in May,” HSBC said, referring to the collapse of big banks in the United States that observers feared could affect global financial markets.

HSBC said the “job’s not finished for monetary policy” in the Philippines de-

The terminus of NBEX in Barangay Kaylaway connects the expressway to another SMC Infrastructure project--the Cavite-Batangas Expressway which leads to Tagaytay City and Silang, Cavite.

The project has four sections, including the 10.78-km Section 1 that stretches from Kaylaway to Banilad in Nasugbu, the 13.03-km. Section 2 from Banilad to Balayan town, the 16.3-km. Section 3 from Balayan to Lemery and the 20.79-km. Section 4 from Lemery to Bauan.

“This project will drive a lot of development for our province and for our towns here in the first district,” said Batangas Governor Herminilando Mandanas.

spite headline inflation easing to 8.6 percent in February from a 14-month high of 8.7 percent in January.

Core inflation—which better represents the underlying trend of inflation—accelerated to 7.8 percent year-on-year in February, the highest since 1999.

“Moreover, despite the global headlines regarding Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse, we still expect the BSP to hike by 25bp to 6.50 percent at the fol-

THE Land Transportation Office said Wednesday said it will impose caps on driving school fees nationwide starting April 15 amid complaints on expensive rates.

LTO chief Jay Art Tugade said the new prescribed rates for theoretical driving courses and practical driving courses would be included in the Omnibus Guidelines on the Accreditation, Supervision and Control of Driving Institutions and the Standardization of Driver and Conductor’s Education to be issued by the agency.

The omnibus guidelines will also include directives on the standardization of drivers’ and conductors’ education, he said.

Tugade said under the new guidelines, the allowed maximum prescribed rate for TDCs would be P1,000.00, while the maximum prescribed fees for PDCs would vary depending on the license code—P2,500 for driver’s license codes A and A1 and P4,000 for license codes B, B1 and B2.

He said that aside from the prescribed maximum rates, accredited driving institutions would be required to hold the mandatory 15-hour TDCs in two days, with the first seven hours on the first day and the remaining eight hours on the second day.

Meanwhile, the practical driving instructions should not be less than eight hours per driver’s license code applied for.

“PDC for light and heavy vehicles shall be conducted for at least TWO days while 8-hour PDC for motorcycles may be conducted in one day, provided that the student-driver has proven to have already acquired the knowledge based on the assessment by a practical driving instructor,” the memorandum circular stated.

Darwin G. Amojelar

lowing Monetary Board meeting on the 18th of May. This is because the Philippine financial system remains sound for now, despite the aggressive pace of rate hikes over the past 10 months,” HSBC said.

HSBC said the financial system is still liquid given that the amount of bank funds parked with the BSP—-an indicator of excess liquidity—-is higher than prepandemic levels.

IRELAND’S SUPPORT. The Embassy of Ireland formalizes its continued support of Go Negosyo’s ‘Uplifting the IP Women of Davao’ program which is designed to build the entrepreneurship skills of the women of Matigsalug tribe by harnessing their skills in basketry and beadwork through mentorship and training. Attending the signing ceremony on March 14, 2023 are (from left) Ambassador of Ireland to the Philippines William Carlos, Ireland’s Minister of State for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science Niall Collins, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and Go Negosyo senior adviser Merly Cruz. The signing formalizes Ireland’s support of the program throughout the year and adds to the ongoing grant from the Embassy of New Zealand which started the program.

Blazing finish nets Zaragosa golf lead

ILOILO – Rupert Zaragosa popped up as the only player from a band of top guns that figured in a final round shootout last week to go low at the start of the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge presented by MORE Power, coming away with a five-under 65 to seize a one-stroke lead over Ferdie Aunzo at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club here Wednesday.

Zaragosa scorched the backside of the short but demanding par-70 layout with five birdies in a stirring windup that more than made up for a shaky start of two bogeys in the first three holes. He also dropped two strokes on the par-3 No. 5 but gunned down birdies on Nos. 4, 6, 7 and 9 to draw level at the turn.

Sustaining his 280-yard driving norm, he then waxed hot with his putter in the last nine holes and got past a mix of unfancied rivals to snatch first day honors in the P2.25 million tournament capping the two-leg Visayan swing of the Philippine Golf Tour.

“I played good at Marapara so it boosted my confidence coming over here,” said Zaragosa, who closed out with a 68 to tie for second with Tony Lascuña in last week’s ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Classic ruled by Ira Alido in come-from-be-

hind fashion.

“Despite going 3-over after five holes, I played good and made birdies on Nos. 6, 7 and 9. Then my putting clicked at the back,” added Zaragosa, still in pursuit of a breakthrough victory after finishing tied for second at Pradera Verde in 2020.

‘Monthly period’ drags Olympic medalist boxer Petecio down

By Randy Caluag

NOT a few female athletes have admitted that menstruation or a ‘monthly period’ could get in the way and alter their performance on the playing field.

And it’s way more difficult in a combat sport like boxing. Olympic silver medalist Nesthy Petecio went through the same difficult experience as she gallantly fought and dropped a close split-decision loss to Omailyn Alcala of Venezuela in the preliminary round of their light flyweight bout at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023 in New Delhi, India.

Petecio thought, though, that she performed well under difficult circumstances.

“Ngayon lang ako nakapaglaro na okay kilos at galaw na may menstruation talaga sa mismong Laban! Kaya proud ako sa sarili ko,” said Petecio.

The Olympic veteran thought she fought so well, that she urged her social media followers to watch her video and judge for themselves.

“I lost my 2nd fight today, against Venezuela... hindi ko alam, basta manood na lang kayo sa video ng laban,” she posted on her Facebook account, capped with

(Asian

Lady Falcons turn back UP belles, tie for 3rd with UST

several emojis.

Petecio shared that she used to struggle hard during her menstrual period.

“Hirap na hirap ako lumaban before kapag meron talaga, like gusto ko mahiga, matulog na lang, ayaw gumalaw, tamad na tamad..pero today? Wwooohhh.... masaya lang ako. Siguro sa iba hindi big deal at OA siya, or sabihin gagawin pang reason bakit natalo, pero sabi ko nga po, panoorin niyo na lang ‘yung laro,” Petecio reasoned out.

The long-time national team member and two others, Aira Villegas and Riza Pasuit, were using the tournament as part of their preparation for the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games slated for next month.

“So proud of myself! Slowly getting better and better. Para sa akin, another achievement to,” added Petecio, who scored a unanimous decision win over Guy Tianna of Trinidad and Tobago in her first preliminary assignment on the same day.

Fil-Am stuns Vietnam SEAG gold medalist

By Peter Atencio

FIL-AMERICAN standout Lauren Hoffman made a splash after outpacing a Southeast Asian Games gold medallist from Vietnam on Wednesday in the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championship at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex. Hoffman, a 23-year-old sprinter from Duke University, topped the women’s 100-meter hurdles heats after reaching the finish line together with Vietnamese trackster Huynh Thi My Thien with a similar 13.83-second clockings.

The 5’6” Hoffman, a prospect from Haymarket, Virginia, finished in front of defending SEA Games gold medallist, Bui Thi Nguyen, who qualified to finals at third overall with a time of 14.54 seconds.

With great showing, Hofmann came close to the national record of Sheena Atilano (13.65 seconds), turning herself into one of the brightest prospects for a seat in the national team, with two other FilAmerican standouts Umajesty Williams and Angel Frank.

“Let’s see how this plays out,” said Hoffman’s coach Edward Lasquete, a retired Filipino pole vaulter who competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Hoffman’s big show came as Silay City bet Aira Teodosio took the competition’s first gold medal, while defending SEA Games gold medallist Clinton Kingsley Bautista, Williams and Frank qualified to the finals of their respective heats in convincing fashions, as well.

The 25-year-old Teodosio, who is preparing for her stint in her favored hammer throw contest on Saturday, withstood the scorching morning heat as she topped the women’s discus throw with a 38.46-meter heave. Her performance was even better than the 37.49 meters she did during the 2019 SEA Games’ test event in Capas, Tarlac. University of the Philippines campaigner Chrizzel Lampa settled for the silver in 35.44 meters, while Air Force’s Kenneth Grace Ferrera took the bronze in 34.03 meters.

“Hindi ko ine-expect na makaka-gold ako. Dahil side event lang po ito sa akin. Sa hammer throw po ako naghahanda,” said Teodosio, who is aiming to reenter the national squad.

The 23-year-old Williams, a masters’ student at the Grand Canyon University, said he loved the humid weather, and showed it when he led the men’s 400-meter run heats in 47.88 seconds, which was way above his personal best of 45.76 seconds.

But his clocking is within range of the SEA Games’ bronze-medal time of 46.46 seconds.

“I love it. I love the weather,” said Williams, who only got his Philippine passport last July and was not able to join the Philippine national pool then.

Williams, a US NCAA division 1 standout, is looking for a podium finish against local bets Frederick Ramirez and Michael del Prado, who were second and third in their respective heats.

Cebuano karter Go honored by PSA, Cebu City Government

CEBUANO karting sensation William John Riley Tiu Go has once again brought pride to Cebu as he was awarded A Tony Siddayao Award, as well as named one of the Junior Athletes of the Year by MILO in the sport of karting at the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night last March 6. He was also recently recognized by the Cebu City Government at the 86th Cebu City Charter Day testimonial dinner as one of its “Outstanding Individuals”.

The Philippine Sportswriters Association, the oldest media organization in the country,

honored close to 100 of the best and brightest athletes in Philippine sports, including Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, who was recognized as Athlete of the Year.

Go was a recipient of the Tony Siddayao Award, an award given to young athletes under 18, along with other achievers in archery, gymnastics, karate, swimming and the Philippine Junior chess team. Go expressed his gratitude for the 3 awards, saying, “I am truly honored and humbled to receive these. It’s a dream come true to represent the Philippines in karting and I hope this inspires other young athletes to pursue their

dreams and have that ‘will to win’.”

Go, who has been karting since he was seven, achieving notable feats in his young career being the first Filipino with podium finishes in three European competitions.

In 2022, he won world champion at the ROK Super Finals in Lonato, Italy, along with getting the Pole Position and Fastest Lap. He also finished second at the FIA Karting Academy in Genk, Belgium, and third at the WSK Euro Series in Lombardia, Italy. His latest achievements are a testament to his unwavering dedication, passion, and hard work in his craft.

ADAMSON University ended the first round of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on a positive note by defeating University of the Philippines, 25-18, 25-17, 25-23, on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

In the third set, with Adamson leading 23-22, Steph Bustrillo made a costly error, but quickly made up for it with a down-theline kill to keep UP alive at 23-24. However, Kate Santiago went off-the-block to secure the win for Adamson.

“After the first round, we did our job. We were able to get the games that we needed to win. I think our placing is okay,” said head coach Jerry Yee.

The Lady Falcons tied for third place with University of Santo Tomas, both with identical 5-2 records.

Santiago was outstanding for Adamson, scoring 16 points on 12 attacks, three blocks, and a service ace.

Louie Romero made 18 excellent sets, utilizing all 14 players on the team.

Trisha Tubu contributed seven points, Lorene Toring dropped six, and Lucille Almonte and Rizza Cruz each scored five.

Meanwhile, the Fighting Maroons suffered their fourth straight defeat, falling to seventh place with a 1-6 record, just ahead of the winless University of the East.

Alyssa Bertolano came off the bench for the second straight game and had a team-high 12 points for UP.

Bustrillo and Abi Goc both scored eight points, with Goc also getting six digs and five excellent receptions.

Watch the UAAP Season 85 Collegiate Volleyball Tournament on the UAAP Varsity Channel (Ch. 263 HD). Available on Prepaid Loads 300 & up (valid for 30 days) or you can watch your favorite match-ups.

Meanwhile, the Lady Falcons’ male counterparts silenced University of the Philippines in straight sets, 25-16, 25-19, 25-22, for its breakthrough win.

The Soaring Falcons closed the first round at 1-6 for sixth spot while leaving the Fighting Maroons as the lone winless team at 0-7.

“Dalawang bagay lang ang sinabi ko sa kanila: Maniwala’t magtiwala. Maniwala sa sistema at magtiwala sa sarili,” said Adamson head coach George Pascua.

Enrique Razon Jr. visits Iloilo Golf and Country Club. Enrique Razon Jr. makes a quick stop at the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge tournament at the country’s oldest golf course, the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, after he attended the inauguration of MORE Power’s 30/36 MVA substation at the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao District in Iloilo City. Joining him are Stephen Paradies, MORE Power chairman, Jose Eduardo Alarilla, MORE Power director, and Michael Ray Aquino, Solaire Resort and Casino VP for Security. Photo shows Razon Jr (second from right) and Mr. Herminio Maravilla II, Iloilo Golf and Country Club president (far right), while watching the flight of Marvin Dumandan, Gerald Rosales and Bonifacio Salahug Jr. on No. 18. With them are Aquino and Alarilla.

Nesthy Petecio

Boxing Confederation)

William John Riley Tiu Go displays his PSA award and MILO medal

presi

Rupert Zaragosa watches his drive on tee no. 14. Manny Marcelo

Odds even as PLDT, Petro Gazz aim for finals

Game today

Homegrown bets seek to dominate PPS Ormoc

p.m.

PLDT has the proverbial momentum, but Petro Gazz has the experience, guaranteeing a furious, long-drawn battle for the other championship berth in the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference.

The High Speed Hitters and the Angles face-off in sudden death at 5 p.m. Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena with odds just about even between two teams seeking a stab at the championship against the winningest club in the fold.

The match will be telecast live on One Sports, One Sports+, Cignal Play, and SMART Live Stream and on pvl.ph.

Creamline swept F2 Logistics in their side of the best-of-three series, pounding out a 25-22, 25-23, 25-16 victory the other night following its 26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15 win in Game One, sending the defending champions to their eighth Finals appearance in the last nine conferences (Open, Reinforced and Invitational).

Petro Gazz, which yielded this crown to Creamline in the last two Open editions, looked headed to forging a third title showdown with the crowd favorites after repulsing PLDT, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-18, in their series’ opener.

The Angels, who beat the Cool Smashers to annex their first PVL crown in the 2019 Reinforced Conference, also took the first set of Game

Two in empathic fashion but the High Speed Hitters pulled through in a pulsating second set endgame battle then dominated the next two to fashion out a 14-25, 25-23, 25-14, 25-15 victory and force a sudden death.

PLDT coach Rald Ricafort said it was his wards’ will to win that carried them through the game they couldn’t afford to lose.

“Mabuti gumana yung match-up from the second set on, pero pareho naman na ubos na, kaya yung will to win na lang ang pinanghawakan,” said Ricafort after keeping PLDT’s crack at a breakthrough finals appearance while halting his former team’s march to a third title shot in the league organized by Sports Vision. While the High Speed Hitters have gained a big psychological edge following that key win, the Angels are expected to recover their rhythm and bearing and come up with the necessary adjustments in a day’s time.

SEA Games’ torch relay set in Tagaytay on Monday

TAGAYTAY City will host the Philippine leg of the torch relay for the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Monday, according to Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

The torch relay began Tuesday (March 21) around the World Heritage Site Angkor Wat in Siem Reap with 45 days to go before the SEA Games Opening Ceremony on May 5.

The torch relay will be staged at the Tagaytay City BMX and Skatepark near City Hall starting at 7 a.m. with Tolentino and POC officials welcoming Cambodia’s Ambassador to the Philippines Phan Peuv.

“The POC welcomes the Philippine leg of the torch relay, a solemn ceremony that formally signals Cambodia’s first-time hosting of the SEA Games,” Tolentino said.

Also gracing the event are embassy

representatives from the SEA Games member countries, national athletes, para athletes and Tagaytay City students.

The torch relay left Cambodia Wednesday (March 22) for Vietnam before heading to the Philippines. The relay will proceed to Brunei, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos before returning to Cambodia on April 27.

Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen led the torch-lighting ceremony at the famed Angkor Wat temple.

The host country is expecting 11,453 athletes and officials with the

Philippines fielding more than 800 in the 608-event, 38-sport Cambodia Games that end on May 16. The POC scheduled a formal sendoff ceremony for Team Philippines on April 15 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

KIMI Brodeth sets out for a sweep of the Leyte swing of the PPS-PEPP circuit while Gerald Gemida and Kenzo Brodeth go all-out to upend top seed Cyd Villamar in the boys’ side of the Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez National Junior Tennis Championships beginning today (Thursday) at the Ormoc Midtown Tennis Club.

Brodeth pulled off a pair of twotitle romps in Maasin and Baybay the past two weeks with Ormoc’s rising 16-year-old star all primed for another “double” in the Group 2 tournament against the likes of Kate Imalay, Sanschena Francisco and Ma. Nina Torrejos (16-U) and Corazon Lambonao, Joy Laguna, Davanee Velasco and Francisco in the centerpiece division.

Kenzo Brodeth, on the other hand, faces a stiff challenge in the 14-U category which he ruled in Maasin and Baybay as Christian Laguna, Urciano Villa and Claudwin Toñacao seek to stop his run, along with the rest of the bidders in the 32-player draw of the tournament presented by Dunlop.

He will also try to make up for his failed title bid in 16-U play the last time out and foil Villamar’s own two-title drive in the tournament serving as part of the OMTC’s youth sports program spearheaded by president Dr. Bingcol Rodriguez.

Gemida also braces for a tough outing against the top-seeded Villamar from Lanao del Norte in the 18-U category which also features Ariel Semblante, Jr. and Randy Pausanos, while fellow homegrown bet Ma. Caroliean Fiel is fancied to stretch her winning run in the 10-unisex and girls’ 12-U class after topping the Maasin and Baybay stops of the circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Meanwhile, action in the country’s longest talent-search, backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating), shifts to the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig for the Group 1 juniors tournament on March 30-April 2. For details, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

SMART/MVP Sports Foundation holds taekwondo summer program

THE Philippine Taekwondo Association is calling all parents and guardians to register their kids to the 2023 SMART/MVP Sports Foundation summer program, which simultaneously opens in all PTA-affiliated clubs nationwide starting March 27 until June 3. Considered the most popular martial arts combat sports in the country, the foundation of taekwondo teachings and discipline has been proven effective and practical on

children’s character build up.

Also, sports is highly regarded as best way for exercise, physical conditioning, develop alertness, and self-protection.

Registration is now in full swing in all affiliated clubs in Metro Manila as well as regional offices from Region 1 to 12, Cordillera Autonomous Region, Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao, CARAGA, Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Interested parties may contact the Philippine Taekwondo Association with telephone numbers 85220518 and 85220519 or e-mail your applications at philtkd@ gmail.com and philippinetaekwondo@gmail.com.

The summer program is part of the grassroots activity of PTA under the auspices of World

do and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and

Uy powers way to 3-shot lead with 67

ILOILO—Daniella Uy, who couldn’t seem to get her long game going at the tight Marapara layout last week, flourished off the mound at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, blasting a three-under 67 and moving ahead by three over Harmie Constantino and top amateur Rianne Malixi after 18 holes of the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge presented by MORE Power here yesterday.

Uy worked on her 270-yard driving clip all day and complemented her superb driving with iron shots that set up birdie opportunities, finishing with four, the last on No. 18 that negated her lone mishap on the par-3 16th. With Malixi reeling with back-to-back bogeys from No. 15 and settling for a 70, the former Junior World champion opened a cushion she hoped would be enough to spike a second Ladies Philippine Golf Tour win.

“I missed three fairways and three greens. Yes, there are some reachable (par-4) holes, so it really helps kung malakas ka mag-drive,” said Uy, who ended up fifth in last week’s ICTSI Negros Occidental Golf Classic topped by Chanelle Avaricio in big fashion.

“I was hitting it better today compared to last week and I was putting really well,” said Uy, who claimed her first LPGT win at Riviera-Langer in

2021. “But I wasn’t really expecting anything. I just want to hit the fairways and greens, and my goal is to stay calm and not get too emotional on the course.”

Malixi, also out to redeem herself from a mediocre stint at Marapara where she tied for third with Pamela Mariano, kept Uy within sight in a marquee matchup with Avaricio, shooting four birdies against two bogeys after 14 holes in hot conditions.

But the current toast of amateur golf wobbled and failed to rescue pars on Nos. 15 and 16, ending up with a pair of 35s to slip to joint second with Constantino, who rebounded from a twobogey frontside game with three birdies in the first four holes at the back.

But the inaugural ICTSI Match Play champion yielded strokes on the next two holes before birdying the 16th for a 38-32.

“I think I’m playing better this week. I kind of fixed my driving and irons also. Just need to be less aggressive when attacking the flags,” said Constantino, who launched her pro career with two victories in bubble setup in 2021. “But I have to play better numbers this week.”

Sarah Ababa, out to atone for her final round

meltdown at Marapara, also appeared headed for another good start the way she did at Marapara before fading in the clutch. She birdied No. 5 but struggled the rest of the way, finishing with three bogeys for a 72.

Sunshine Baraquiel also cracked in a frontside finish, bogeying No. 7 and dropping two strokes on the next and missed joining Constantino and Malixi at second.

The lady pilot, who nailed her first LPGT win at Tagaytay Highlands in harsh conditions, instead fell to joint fifth at 73 with Florence Bisera, who birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to salvage a 41-32 round.

Amateur Mafy Singson also birdied the 18th to save a 74 for seventh while Laurea Duque, the other amateur in the compact field, bogeyed three of her last seven holes and wound up with a 75 for joint eighth with Mariano while Marvi Monsalve hobbled with a 76.

Avaricio, who came into the event oozing with confidence after completing an improbable rally from eight shots down to win at Marapara, failed to recover from a double bogey on the first hole. She hit two birdies but made three bogeys and another couple of 6s to tumble to joint 11th with Chihiro Ikeda at 77, 10 strokes off Uy.

leader (Manny Marcelo)

Taekwon

MILO.

SUZUKI AVENIS AT THE MPBL. Suzuki Philippines’ Motorcycle Division is proud to announce its partnership with the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League for the 2023 season from March 11 to December 31. Suzuki is the MPBL’s Official Motorcycle Partner via the Suzuki Avenis. MPBL Founder Manny Pacquiao and Suzuki’s General Manager for Motorcycle Sales and Marketing Jun Bulot are joined here by MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, CEO Joe Ramos and Marketing Head Seth Jamora, with Suzuki’s Assistant to the General Manager for Motorcycles Daigo Morikawa and Motorcycle Marketing Manager Nenuka Guba during the opening games at the Quezon Convention Center on March 11. Stadium crowds will also be treated to a chance to win a brand new, Suzuki Avenis at select games during the Suzuki Halftime Half-court Shootout. For more information on Suzuki motorcycles, please visit https://mc.suzuki.com.ph/

POC president Rep. Abraham Tolentino

5

– Petro Gazz vs PLDT

Young participants show their skills during a previous taekwondo summer tournament at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Business guru Gerry Santos has a treasure trove of knowledge and experiences to share with aspiring entrepreneurs

Mr. Freeze Gerry Santos shares business goals in new show

Freeze, shared. Kung hindi ka successful sa negosyo na ito, hindi para sa’yo ito. So naniniwala talaga ako kung para sa’yo talaga ang isang bagay. Part din talaga ng success ang luck pero kung wala kang perseverance or hardwork, wala rin ,” Santos, who draws expertise from his almost 40 years of business experience, added. The quintessential TV show also aims to provide viewers and aspiring entrepreneurs insight into how to start their own businesses.

“It is an honor for us to be part of ALLT which shares the same vision of empowering aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs,” Santos said of his partnership with ALLTV.

BUSINESS guru Gerry Santos believes that making it big in business takes courage and a little luck. The successful entrepreneur shared this nugget of wisdom during a press conference for his new show, Negosyo Goals that premiered on

IF there’s still any doubt about singer Noel Cabangon’s stature as among the icons of the Philippine music scene, let the executives of Widescope Entertainment convince you that he is. The man had just signed a contract with their Icons Music label, a special division that carries an elite list of signees whose track record, popularity, and relevance all point to them being deserving of the adjective “iconic.”

The folk singer is respected by peers and beloved by gig audiences. His voice captures the sentimentality of being a Filipino which if you analyze it, few are actually able to do despite the claim

March 19 on ALLTV.

The network welcomed the successful entrepreneur to its growing number of programs, highlighting its aim to cater to the new generation of Filipino businessmen and women.

“Everybody needs a little luck. Pero hindi ka dapat mawalan ng pag-asa . Failures will make you a successful person. Hindi puwedeng para ka lang nadapa at bumangon ka uli . So simple logic din sa business. Quitting is not an option,” Santos, who is also known as Mr.

Easy listening a.k.a.

Noel Cabangon

ALLT President Maribeth Tolentino is optimistic about the new partnership with Makers Mind Media Production. The two parties signed the partnership agreement held at Coffee Project, Worldwide Corporate Center Building on March 14.

Ivy Ataya , CEO of Makers Mind Media Production, is the producer of Negosyo Goals

In Negosyo Goals, Santos will feature his celebrity friends who have their businesses such as Albert Martinez, Thirdy Ravena, Alyssa Valdez, Derek Ramsay, and Aga Muhlach

“I have other celebrities who agreed to be featured in the show, some even agreed to host with me,” Santos stated.

Finally, Alanis Morissette concert happening

in Manila

CANADIAN-American singer-songwriter

Alanis Morissette will finally perform her special one-night concert at the Mall of Asia Arena on August 1 to celebrate the 28th anniversary of her most recognized and iconic album, Jagged Little Pill Her upcoming show in Manila is part of her tour celebrating the supposedly 25th anniversary of her album and was originally scheduled to take place at the MOA Arena in April 2020 but it was moved to December 2021, and then to November 2022. The shows have been postponed three times because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

that Filipinos are natural singers. And then there’s “Kanlungan,” one of the best-sung folk ballads, with its massive popularity inspiring normal-looking, unassuming gentlemen with an acoustic guitar to make a try for themselves.

It’s cool news to have Cabangon begin a new chapter in his run, but what’s even more exciting is the song coming out as a result of this development. To be frank about it, he just recorded a track that is not just a piece to get the ball rolling. It is a single that should give him a legit hit in this era where the pre-pandemic atmosphere is getting back with a vengeance. Also, he wrote it himself, not by his underrated Buklod comrade Rom Dongeto.

The new Noel Cabangon song, “Kung Ako,” appears on digital stores by March 24 (Friday). Its chorus is as catchy as a pretty face you saw and fell for at first sight, with the lyrics echoing long in your ears along with its easy-listening melody.

Kung ako’y ‘yong iibigin/ Araw-

araw kitang susuyuin/ Kung ako’y iibigin/ Pangakong habang buhay kang

mamahalin,” Cabangon sings, as you can sense he’s feeling good about it. With his label being orchestrated by some made men, another icon, Widescope’s A&R manager Ebe Dancel, sat as the song’s producer, while Widescope president Vic de Vera and music and entertainment director Neil Gregorio backed them up as executive and supervising producers, respectively.

John Apura, who plays guitar and keyboards on the record, dealt with the arrangement, with Rommel de la Cruz and Paolo Manuel serving as the record’s rhythm section.

“The song is simply about the idea of winning the heart of the person that you’ve been pursuing,” said Cabangon, “And the promise of how you would want to give her that love back.”

“Kung Ako” was recorded at HBE Studio by Nonie Martinez, with Angee Rozul, another icon in the recording

scene in his own right, as mixing engineer.

Cabangon’s colorful career began in 1987 when he formed Buklod with Dongeto and Rene Boncocan, singing songs on human rights, environment, and politics. “Tatsulok,” which became a mainstream hit after Bamboo covered it, is a Buklod original.

The La Union native, a recipient of several Awit awards, wrote a book called “Ang Bayan Ko at Lupa: Awit Ng Diwa.” He released numerous solo albums, too. He opens his latest single with these words: “Kung ako ay papalarin/ Sa puso mong mailap sa akin/ T’yak na magniningning ang mga bituin/ At sasaya’ng may lumbay kong damdamin.”

string of Top 10 songs

five

Jagged Little Pill captured the zeitgeist of the mid ‘90s by crossing the line between Gen-X cynicism and self-realization. It was pitched somewhere between glitzy mainstream pop and angstridden alternative rock. The album produced a string of Top 10 songs like “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket,” and “Ironic.” It also won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, making the 21-yearold Morissette the youngest performer to ever win the prestigious honor. The album, on the other hand, was ranked number 69 on Rolling Stone’s list of “the 500 best albums of all time.”

Morissette won a total of seven Grammys and was

nominated fourteen times. Included among her finest songs are “You Learn,” “Head Over Feet,” “All I Really Want,” “Thank You,” “Mary Jane,” “Uninvited,” “Perfect,” “Forgiven,” “Right Through You,” “Wake Up,” and many more. And she has been one of the most influential singer-songwriter musicians in contemporary music since 1995. Her deeply expressive music and performances have received widespread praise from critics. Jagged Little Pill, Morissette’s debut album from 1995, was followed by nine more eclectic and acclaimed albums. She has composed music for theatrical releases and appeared in films both big and small. Aside from entertainment, she is a strong advocate for female empowerment, as well as spiritual, psychological, and physical well-being.

Alanis launched Conversation with Alanis Morissette in 2016, a monthly podcast featuring conversations with a variety of revered authors, doctors, educators, and therapists on a wide range of psychosocial topics ranging from spirituality to developmentalism to art.

Alanis’s upcoming concert in Manila is presented by Ovation Productions with TAPGO.TV as media partner. Tickets go on sale starting March 29, via www.smtickets.com and all SM Tickets outlets. Tickets to the previous dates will not be honored. Ovation Productions to give instructions regarding tickets refund and purchases. Visit https:// ovationproductionsmanila. com/ and https:// www.facebook.com/ ovationproductions/ or call (02) 8470-2222 for more information.

Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette

Bad Bunny sued by ex for ‘unauthorized’ use of voice note

girlfriend Bad Bunny has filed a $40 million lawsuit against the Puerto Rican megastar, alleging he used a recording of her voice in several songs without permission.

several Hernandez

Carliz De La Cruz , who dated the Puerto Rican singer and rapper from 2011 to 2016, filed the lawsuit

music star Bad Bunny

at a court in San Juan earlier this month, though the outlet Noticel first reported it just this week.

In 2015, before Bad Bunny had skyrocketed to global fame,

she recorded a voice note for him saying the phrase “Bad Bunny, baby,” court documents say.

She alleges that the singer, born Benito Martinez Ocasio, used the recording shortly thereafter without authorization, in the introduction of the song “Pa Ti” and a few years later in “Dos Mil 2016,” a track off his latest blockbuster album Un Verano Sin Ti

For that most recent release, the artist’s team sent contracts seeking consent to use De La Cruz’s voice, one day before the album release, according to the lawsuit.

But the documents say representatives did not wait for a response before putting out the record.

“Since then, thousands of people have commented directly on Carliz’s social media networks, as well as every time she goes to a public place, about the ‘Bad Bunny, baby,” says the lawsuit.

“This has caused, and is currently causing De La Cruz to feel worried, anguished, intimidated, overwhelmed, and anxious.” AFP

‘Negosyo Talks,’ with Gerry Santos (center) as its host, will cater to the new generation of businessmen and women

Noel Cabangon, the singer, poet, and songwriter under Icons Music, is decidedly on a fresh start.

Noel Cabangon signs with Widescope Entertainment’s Icons Music. From left: A&R manager Ebe Dancel, music & entertainment director Neil Gregorio, president Vic de Vera, Noel Cabangon, and artist managers Dinah Remolacio and Kristy Munoz

The digital cover of ‘Kung Ako’ by Noel Cabangon

Empowering MSMEs  through online tools for business

STARTING a business, no matter the kind and size, is challenging. For entrepreneurs operating micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), taxes-related matters take up their time, which they would rather spend to focus on operations.

Enter the leading messaging and conversational commerce app Viber which has been continuously championing MSMEs and empowering their businesses with the online tax filing and payment platform Taxumo.

Launched in 2016, Taxumo, an affordable online tax compliance tool, offers solo entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, professionals, and even corporations its real-time tax calculation and automated tax filing. It has multiple online payment channels so business owners can skip long lines at the bank.

With its partnership with Rakuten Viber, Taxumo now has its own verified Viber Channel where it shares tax management tips, key dates, and reminders on filing, brand announcements, and other useful content related to running a business. And because tax conversations don’t always have to be a heavy matter, Taxumo is also launching its own Viber stickers.

As a treat for members of the vibrant MSME Channels FoodPH and Raket PH, Viber’s newest partner is giving away two-year plan subscriptions to the winners of Pinoy Dream Negosyo and to select merchants of the two channels. First-time Taxumo users can enjoy a 30 percent discount on their subscriptions using an exclusive code shared on their new Viber Channel.

“Taxumo has always believed in empowering business owners to focus their time and energy on their passions and businesses instead of worrying about taxes,” says Ej Arboleda, Chief Executive Officer at Taxumo. “We’re delighted to partner with Rakuten Viber, which shares our vision of helping Filipino entrepreneurs achieve business success and stability and create real inclusive growth.”

“In recent years, Rakuten Viber has closely worked with MSMEs in the Philippines. We’ve seen how inspiring and passionate Filipino entrepreneurs are in growing their businesses. We also realize that tax compliance is a topic that they want to learn more about,” says David Tse, APAC Senior Director at Rakuten Viber.

“It makes sense to partner with Taxumo because this allows us to continue supporting MSMEs as they grow their

business and contribute significantly to the economy,” he adds.

Viber’s new storage management function Rakuten Viber, the global leader in private and secure messaging and voicebased communication, has announced

Integrated digital platform for doctors and patients

Aside from providing quality healthcare to women in the countryside, the collaboration also aims to help raise awareness on issues such as reproductive rights, gender equality, and abuse against women.

“Being a woman, a mother, and having a daughter, I am fully committed to empowering women through mWell’s holistic approach to health and wellness. Recognizing the crucial role that women play in nation-building, mWell shall ensure that women receive access to doctors, a daily health tracker, fitness programs and healthy recipes – all within the mWell app,” said mWell President and CEO and MPIC Chief Finance, Risk, and Sustainability Officer Chaye Cabal-Revilla

off the partnership, free mind health consultations were provided to mWell app users to promote self-love as part of mWell’s Love For Wellness campaign.

Recognizing the need to help ease anxiety and sadness, especially during Valentine’s season, mWell gifted app users with a health passcode, which they can use to consult with psychologists from YMP Lead.

its new storage management function, allowing Viber users to conveniently control their storage and free up space when needed. Users with devices that have limited storage will be able to use the Viber app more efficiently.

Since media messages have massively increased in size due to videos, AR Lenses, images, and other forms of interactive communication, it becomes challenging for older versions of mobile devices to handle the data. According to Statcounter’s global statistics, approximately 40 percent of mobile and tablet Android users use version 11.0 or lower, leaving a significant amount of people affected by low storage.

Viber’s new storage management functionality allows users to clean the cache from their entire Viber app or choose which chats need space cleared. As a mobile-only feature, storage management helps users see how much space Viber takes up on their device; how much total storage space they have; how much free storage space is left; and how much each chat uses.

Users can delete unnecessary files by selecting the files they wish to remove per chat. This will delete any media content

from the chat, such as videos, images, or files, for just the user performing the action, while the media files for the other participants in the chat will be unaffected. If users have already downloaded the files received on the app, those files will remain safely stored on the user’s device.

“We are excited to announce our new storage management feature that will allow the Viber app to be even more accessible worldwide. We want all our users to be able to send as many messages as they want to family and friends without needing to have the latest high-tech devices,” said Ofir Eyal, CEO of Rakuten Viber. “We believe this feature will be a game changer for our users and will provide them with a great experience in freeing up space on their device.”

For more information, review Viber Storage Management support article: https://help.viber.com/en/article/viberstorage-management. For iOS, the feature will be available starting version 19.3.0, and for Android, it will be available from 19.4.

For feedback, I’m at joba.botana@ gmail.com.

A time for wellness

MANY of us may be familiar with the concept of tuning instruments, but have you considered tuning yourself to the world around you and help cope with stress and anxiety? Philip Stein invited a number of VIPs and media guests to an intimate wellness weekend that featured a workshop and talk with yogi, wellness advocate and founder of the Global Mala Project in the Philippines, Teresa Herrera Just #InTimeForWellness, the weekend workshop at the Philip Stein Wellness Cube in Greenbelt 5 Fashion Walk presented a relaxing day for attendees with a comfy and casual set up, some delicious, healthy food and beverages, and a new, valuable way to help improve our overall well-being.

Teresa introduced guests to aligning one’s frequency to 528hz or the “love frequency”, which positively impacts the mind, body, and spirit and can help reduce stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts. Aside from the multihyphenate leading attendees through simple meditation exercises with a single-tone love tuner, Teresa also talked about Philip Stein’s Natural Frequency Technology. She was of course wearing her own Philip Stein as she explained how the technology is embedded in its watches and resonates with the body to strengthen our bio-magnetic field to reduce stress, improve sleep and

Attendees enjoying a relaxing during the weekend workshop with Teresa Herrera

boost energy in humans.

All in all, the #PhilipSteinWellnessDay imparted the significance of aligning one’s frequency towards mindfulness and its wonderful benefits for our wellness.

Visit the Philip Stein Wellness Cube at Greenbelt 5 Fashion Walk until March 31. Learn more about the new Evolution watch collection and its style and wellness benefits by following Philip Stein on Facebook and Instagram, and logging on to philipstein.com.ph

#PhilipSteinWellnessDay imparts the significance of aligning one’s frequency towards mindfulness

THE country’s first and only health and wellness mega app, mWell by Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s (MPIC), further strengthens its lineup of partner doctors for its mission to bring healthcare closer to Filipinos especially women who are the primary health guardians of the family.

In celebration of International Women’s Month, mWell has tied up with Kalusugan ng Kababaihang Pangkabayanan, Inc (KnKPInc), a group that safeguards the well-being of marginalized Filipino women in the countryside.

Working with member OB-GYNs, mWell shall provide free online consultation for women as part of KnKPInc’s medical mission this March.

“We are here to ensure good health and well-being of all women in every step of the wellness journey by providing the tools needed for improved productivity in the various roles they play,” Cabal-Revilla added.

“We are honored to partner with mWell in promoting women’s health and empowerment. Through our medical missions, we can help underprivileged and marginalized Filipino women who still suffer from inadequate access to quality healthcare. Becoming part of the mWell ecosystem will greatly help in KnKPInc’s mission to address the delays in preventive care and disease management for women in the countryside,” said Dr. Connie Pijuan-Alfiler, Chairman and Founder of KnKPInc.

As a fully integrated, fully digital platform, mWell has also partnered with YMP Lead to strengthen its roster of mind health experts. Kicking

Asked about their consultation experience, MP, RPsy, RMPm Riyan Portuguez, founder of YMP Lead says, “As a practitioner, everything I need can be found in the app with just one click. It’s easier for me to check my appointments and to have easy access to teleconsultation. I also really love the fact that it has automated coding for a specific diagnosis, and we can fill out and sign our abstracts after consultations. It’s so convenient to use.”

”The mWell app is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and multiple notifications (via email, text message, and the app itself) is helpful. Also, clinicians can input consultation notes and select coding for specific diagnosis. Overall, I love the app,” said Rachell Anne Castro, MA, RPsy, RPm.

After her consultations via mWell, Marry Jane Sioson, MP, RPm, RPsy said “The app allows both the clinician and the patient to stay up to date with their session schedule via email and SMS. This feature helps a lot especially in organizing and setting reminders amidst our busy schedules. Medical notes are easy to access and userfriendly. High regards to the technical team who are quick to respond.” Read full article on manilastandard.net

The Sunshine Place now offers music therapy and voice workshop

Voice workshop, music therapy for enthusiasts of all ages

FILIPINOS are music lovers and there is always interest from all ages to learn how to carry a tune.

Sunshine Place is pleased to announce that its Voice workshop is now open every Monday and Wednesday. Patricia Carpio, honors graduate of St. Scholastica College’s School of Music, conducts the by-appointment-only workshop.

Carpio has taught voice to children and adults. She designs different lesson plans according to the student’s needs.

For this workshop, the proposed lesson plan includes proper breathing, right intonation, proper support in singing, legato singing or connected singing, stage

presence, and song interpretation.

The students are taught singing while putting into practice the concepts they have learned. Each session begins with voice warm-ups. Students are consulted on their song preferences and are allowed to use videoke machine and other materials, and or equipment as an aid for lessons when necessary or needed.

Sunshine Place also offers Music Therapy from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. by appointment. Music therapy is defined as the use of music and or musical elements to develop potentials and develop or restore functions of the individual. It is helpful for people with dementia, limited

mobility, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety disorder, depression, cancer, stroke, children with special needs, and those with terminal illnesses.

The Music Therapy session is one hour to be conducted by music therapist Cleo Toribio who has a Master of Arts in Music and major in Music Therapy. As a music therapist, she has experience working with special children, Cochlear implant case, people with chronic illnesses, and Geriatrics. For further information, please contact 0917 515-5656 or email: operations@sunshineplaceph.com or hello@ sunshineplaceph.com

With Taxumo, MSMEs can access simplified tax compliance in an easy and affordable way

Leading messaging and conversational commerce app Viber and online tax filing and payment platform Taxumo partner up to champion MSMEs with the new Taxumo channel on Viber