Manila Standard - 2023 March 26 - Sunday

NEW INTERNATIONAL SHRINE.

Priests carry banners outside the Antipolo Cathedral in Antipolo City, Rizal as it formally became an international shrine on Saturday in accordance with a decree issued by the Vatican. Now also known as the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, the church also houses the icon of Our Lady of Antipolo (inset).

In a congratulatory message, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said: “We are one with our fellow Catholics in celebrating the declaration of the Vatican making Antipolo Cathedral the first international shrine in the country and the third in the whole of Asia. May this honor deepen our faith.” Antipolo Cathedral FB Page

Guns, ammo at Teves biz

Solon’s brod facing illegal firearms raps, but willing to cooperate with PNP

FORMER Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves on Saturday said he is willing to cooperate with authorities after police recovered firearms and ammunition following a raid on a sugar mill owned by a company he heads.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNPCIDG) seized P18 million in cash, multiple

firearms, and nearly 10,000 rounds of live ammunition from the HDJ Bayawan Agri-Venture Corp. Tolong compound in

Bayawan City, Negros Oriental on Friday.

“Yes, I am the President of the Corp. [HDJ Bayawan Agri-Venture]. The search is not yet done. Let’s wait for it to be concluded so I can also check with our records on who owns what and how it came to be,” he told CNN Philippines in a text message on Friday while the raid was in progress.

“I will definitely cooperate with the authorities to shed light on the matter,”

he added. “I reached out to the DOJ (Department of Justice), they need me to be invited to answer some questions so they can put it together. I am very willing also, I have no problem with it.”

Pryde Teves is the brother of Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., the alleged mastermind behind the killing of Governor Roel Degamo on Mar. 4.

CIDG legal officer Col. Thomas Valmonte on Saturday said authorities

also discovered 207 pieces of fired bullets of different calibers during the raid on the sugar mill in Sta. Catalina town, Negros Oriental.

Pryde Teves will also be held criminally liable over the supposed illegal weapons, according to Valmonte. The business compound was raided by virtue of a search warrant due to an alleged violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulation Act. Charles Dantes

PSA: Fishers, farmers, rural folk still poorest

FISHERFOLK, farmers, children, and persons living in rural areas remained the poorest sectors in terms of poverty incidence in 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported. Based on the data released by the PSA on Friday, fisherfolk had the highest poverty incidence in 2021 at 30.6 percent, followed by farmers at 30%, children at 26.4%, and individuals residing in rural areas at 25.7%. These sectors also recorded the highest poverty incidences in 2015 and 2018, and “had the highest proportion of individuals belonging to families with income below the official poverty thresholds compared to the other basic sectors,” the agency said. This developed as the economy remains the main concern in both the macro and micro issues in the Pahayag Quarter 1 (PQ123) survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia, with the results released last 23 March. In a statement, the polling firm said

Cost-cutting Accenture to cut 19,000 jobs worldwide

TECH consultancy Accenture announced

Thursday (Friday in Manila) it will be cutting around 19,000 jobs, or 2.5 percent of its workforce, spread over the next 18 months, as part of a cost-cutting effort.

In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Dublin-headquartered company said it expects to incur $1.5 billion in costs as a result of the downsizing, including $1.2 billion directly related to the layoffs.

About half of the jobs lost are in administrative or support functions, not in areas that lead to billing of customers,

the company said.

In the Philippines, Accenture has 50,000 employees and touts itself “as one of the largest and most mature IT companies in the country, with a long and successful track record of delivering complex technology-based solutions and outsourcing capabilities.”

Accenture’s most recent annual report said it had 721,000 employees worldwide in 2022.

“While we continue to hire, especially to support our strategic growth priorities... we initiated actions to streamline our op-

erations,” the company said in a release.

The tech consulting and optimization company hired about 100,000 people in its 2022 fiscal year, which ended in August last year.

“We’re going after structural costs, right, to ensure that we’re in a better position,” chief executive Julie Sweet said on an earnings call Thursday.

“We’ve been dealing with the difficult challenges of compounding wage inflation and we’ve been doing that with pricing but we’ve also been doing that with cost efficiencies and digitizing,” Sweet said. AFP

there was no change in the top issues deemed most important for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to focus on – the economy, inflation, corruption, poverty, and jobs. Education is in the top 5 of issues among respondents aged 18 to 24, government workers, and vocational graduates, PUBLiCUS added.

Interestingly, when compared to the survey in the fourth quarter of 2022, “one can see that concern for corruption has increased marginally, from 11% (PQ4-22) to 13% (PQ1-23),” it added.

The Pahayag First Quarter is an independent and non-commissioned survey comprised of 1,500 respondents randomly drawn from the market research panel of over 200,000 Filipinos maintained by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a USbased panel marketplace with multinational presence.

The PSA data also showed significant increases in poverty incidence in most of the basic sectors, with fisherfolk growing the largest at 4.4% from 2018 to 2021. Children followed at 2.5%, persons aged 15 and above with disability with 2.5%, and individuals residing in urban areas with 2.3%.

Farmers were the only ones to have a significant reduction in poverty incidence at -1.6% from 2018 to 2021.

The PSA said individuals residing in rural areas logged the highest number of poor population in 2021 with 13.67 million, followed by children with 10.46 million, and women with 9.99 million. Persons aged 15 and above with disability recorded the least number of poor population in 2021 with 271,000, followed by fisherfolk with 348,000, and senior citizens with 1.2 million, it added.

Maricel Cruz

Du30 tops Pahayag poll of possible Senate candidates in 2025 elections

n By MARICEL V. CRUZ

IF SENATORIAL elections were held today, former President Rodrigo Duterte would top the race if he were a candidate – as indicated in a survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia, which released the results this week.

In a statement, the polling firm said its Pahayag Quarter 1 2023 voting disposition survey contained 34 names and showed that the former President got 55 percent of respondents to top the would-be Senate list.

The list is also composed of reelectionists, new names, and “balik Senado” (returning senators). The next senatorial elections are in year 2025.

Duterte, who stepped down as President in May last year, received high support from Mindanao (66%) and among 30 to 39-yearolds (68%).

Dr. Willie Ong, a candidate for vice president in 2022 and the Senate in 2019, was second among respondents at 49%. He was preferred by 58% of Metro Manila

voters and was the choice of voters from 40 to 49 years.

Would-be reelectionists Christopher “Bong” Go and Maria Imelda “Imee” Marcos are statistically tied at 42% and 41%, respectively. Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (36 percent), Vicente “Tito” Sotto (36 percent), and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (35 percent) rounded out the Top 7 in the survey. The next five are Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, tied at 30%, Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo at 28%, Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno at 27%, and Harry Roque at 26%.

The Pahayag First Quarter is an independent and non-commissioned survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc. It is a nationwide purposive sampling survey comprised of 1,500 respondents randomly drawn from the market research panel of over 200,000 Filipinos maintained by the Singapore office of PureSpectrum, a USbased panel marketplace with multinational presence.

UN hits Ukraine, Russia for POW ‘executions’

BACK TO HER ROOTS. ‘High School Musical’ star Vanessa Hudgens, seen in a resplendent gown from the recent Met Gala in New York in this file photo, was expected to arrive in the Philippines on Saturday for the first time to shoot a travel documentary which will dig deeper into her Filipino roots. The film will be directed by presidential adviser Paul Soriano.

EDCA does not give US troops unlimited access in PH—DND

THE Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States have built-in protocols and does not allow unlimited access for participating American troops anywhere in the country, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Saturday.

The Association of Generals and Flag Officers however, expressed support for additional EDCA sites, saying these would enhance the interoperability of US and Philippine defense forces, as well as accelerate the modernization and capability upgrade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and

PCG to boost oil spill containment with Korean help

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vowed to heighten its oil spill containment activity in Oriental Mindoro province in collaboration with South Korean technical experts who are expected to arrive on March 28.

PCG commandant Admiral Artemio

Abu met with Korean Minister Hong Soon Chang and Third Secretary Kim Dosik for the bilateral cooperation in containing the oil spill caused by the tanker MT Princess Empress that sank last Feb. 28 off Naujan town in Oriental Mindoro.

The Korean Coast Guard Response team of technical experts will be bringing in 20 20 tons of sorbent pads, 2,000 sets of personal protective equipment, and a 1000-meter spill boom.

In a statement, the PCG also said International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPCF) technical adviser Andrew Le Masurier has briefed PCG personnel and gave technical advice on how to address oil and chemical spills.

Abu requested the IOPCF and P&I Club London for swift processing of the contracted remotely-operated vehicles.

The PCG also endorsed the extended working hours set by the Department of Health and a relaxed requirement on wearing PPE to immediately address the crisis.

Meanwhile, the owners of the sunken MT Princess Empress, RDC Reield Marine Services, said the response efforts on the oil spill was ongoing, with a detailed clean-up plan devised by the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF) and the contractors as submitted to the government authorities. Charles Dantes

China have agreed to manage their differences and handle emergencies on the South China Sea (SCS) through “friendly consultations,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong clarified that selection of the EDCA venues must be agreed upon

by both countries.

“There are constant consultations with the Mutual Defense Board and Security Exchange Board wherein the US side and the Philippine side are in discussion to plan out activities and these activities determine when the sites are going to be used, how they will be used, what can be brought in, and what they will do in the sites, so it’s not unlimited,” Andolong said at the News Forum in Quezon City.

The EDCA, which allows American troops to access so-called agreed locations in the Philippines on rotation, is effective for an initial term of 10 years unless terminated by either party.

INBRIEF

UN rapporteur seeks law of HR protection

UNITED Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders

Mary Lawlor has urged the Philippine government to speed up the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill as a show of its commitment to human rights treaties and standards.

While the US is allowed to bring in troops, along with equipment, supplies, and materiel, the Philippines retains ownership of all EDCA sites.

Andolong added that EDCA locations could also be used for “exercises or in the event of contingencies like disaster and typhoons” but not as permanent basing facilities.

Five EDCA sites were identified after the agreement was signed. These were Cesar Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga; Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija; Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan de Oro; Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

House, Senate seek agreement on Cha-cha

n By JOEL E. ZURBANO AND MARICEL V. CRUZ

SENATOR Robinhood Padilla on Saturday thanked Speaker Martin Romualdez and members of the House of Representatives for considering discussing a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep.

Luis Raymund Villafuerte said over the weekend that with Speaker Romualdez himself was open to considering any Senate proposal on how to amend the Constitution, adding that there was more

reason for the Charter Change proponents in both the Senate and the House to meet during their six-week congressional break.

“The statement of House Speaker Rep. Martin Romualdez is a clear sign for me to ensure that I do everything to complete the Committee Report of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes and have it signed by our beloved senators,” Padilla said in a statement.

Romualdez earlier said lawmakers were open to discussions with the Senate on their preferred mode of amending the 1987 Charter if that will break an impasse

and lead to an agreement between the two chambers of Congress.

“We are open to considering any proposal of the Senate and will submit such a proposal to members of the House,” Romualdez said.

“This was what I relayed to (Leyte) Rep. Richard Gomez when he informed me that senators are amenable to economic amendments but through a constituent assembly (Con-Ass),” he said.

Romualdez commended Gomez and Padilla for trying to forge an agreement between the House and the Senate on this issue.

Victims of Sulu, Zambo bombings get cash aid from China, Hungary

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed financial assistance from China and Hungary for the victims of the 2019 Sulu and Zamboanga City bombing incidents.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian received the donations from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Hungary government on Wednesday, amounting to P35.85 million and P1.67 million, respectively.

The donations from the two countries were given through a ceremonial turnover held at the Sumaja Hall, SACC, Patikul, Sulu, and at the DSWD Field Office in Zamboanga City last Wednesday. The donations were then immediately distributed to the intended beneficiaries.

PICOP files admin raps vs. new PNP-CIDG chief

THE PICOP Resources Inc.

(PRI), formerly Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines), has filed administrative complaints against newly designated Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat arising from a P120-million robbery at the firms plant in Bislig City, Surigao del Norte.

In its complaint filed at the National Police Commission (Napolcom), PICOP also sought the preventive suspension of Caramat, then Bislig City police chief at the time of the January 2022 robbery.

The complainant accused Caramat of serious neglect of duty and irregularities in the performance of duty in connection with the Bislig police’s handling of the robbery.

The complaint, filed by PRI executive Francisco Buencamino recalled that a group of persons, allegedly members of the union AKHPRI-AWATU led by one Juan Guibone and another identified only as Bullezer “illegally” barged into the Bislig plant compound.

“They maliciously destroyed PICOP’s forklift and also attempted to steal items inside,” the charge sheet read.

On January 20, 2022 unidentified

people went inside compound PICOP compound in Tabon, Bislig City. They forcibly dismantled PICOP properties— valuable, resaleable metal items. The alleged labor union members claimed to implement a Writ of Execution issued by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).” PRI said in a statement.

The complainant asserted argued that the writ of execution was “illegally” issued by the NLRC.

The writ cannot bypass the Stay Order issued on June 6, 2008 by the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) that aimed to preserve the assets of PICOP.

The respective families of the two slain civilians during the Zamboanga City bombing received P350,000 each, while the four wounded persons received P245,000 each from the PRC. Meanwhile, Gatchalian said 84 out of the 135 victims of the Sulu bombing incident also received financial assistance from the PRC. Families of the slain individuals received P350,000 each while the wounded victims received P245,000 each.

Aside from the cash aid given by China, an additional P15,600 each for the families of those who perished, and P11,000 each for the wounded victims were extended by the government of Hungary. The rest of the victims still under validation. Maricel V. Cruz

At the ongoing 52nd Regular Season of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Lawlor said human rights defenders “face attacks, killings, judicial harassment, arbitrary detention and stigmatization campaigns in the Philippines.”

“The killings of defenders are rarely investigated which increases the vulnerability of those who remain active while undermining the human rights community’s confidence in the justice system,” she said.

Lawlor said that she wrote a letter of allegation to the Philippine government in 2021 following the March 7 “Bloody Sunday” raids across four provinces in Southern Tagalog that resulted in the killing of nine human rights defenders and indigenous peasants, and the arrest of nine others.

Lawlor stated that the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act, passed in July 2020, “further compounded the precarious situation of human rights defenders by legally formalizing the practice of ‘red tagging’ defenders by its overly-broad definitions of terrorism.”

P4.9-m cigarettes seized in Zambo City

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has intercepted in Zamboanga City a motorized wooden vessel loaded with 141 master cases of smuggled cigarettes estimated at P 4.9 million.

The shipment was confiscated after a joint apprehending team composed of BOC-POZ Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) personnel with the PNP 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company (2nd ZCMFC) conducted a seaborne patrol operation along the vicinity waters of Barangay Arena Blanco in Zamboanga City and intercepted the watercraft carrying the illicit goods.

The vessel, manned by four crew members from Parang, Sulu, originated from Jolo, Sulu, and was bound for Zamboanga City.

The crew failed to present legal documents for the alleged smuggled cigarettes and the transport of goods to Zamboanga City.

cigarettes were seize dfor alleged violation of Section 117 of R.A. 10863 or the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) of 2016 in relation to Executive Order Number 245 entitled “Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Leaf Tobacco and Tobacco Products.” . Vito Barcelo

SM malls offer jobs for BPSU graduates

SM Supermalls particularly the soonto-open SM Bataan open employment opportunities for Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) graduates. As early as last quarter of 2022, a deal was inked between SM and BPSU for the hiring of graduates from the school.

“The agreement aims to help BPSU graduates to land stable jobs through a career and employment opportunities at SM Bataan”, said BPSU job placement office officer-in-charge Princess Mary Cruz.

“The agreement strengthens the linkage between SM and the university”, she added.

SM vice president for Cheryll Ruth Agsoay and BPSU president Dr. Greg Rodis represented the parties during the signing rite.

SM Bataan will start operation on May, according to mall management. Butch Gunio

UNVERSAL PHENOMENON.

The planet Venus partly overshadows the Earth’s moon on Friday night, the conjunction creating a lunar crescent as seen in the evening skies of Quezon City, with Manila Standard photographer Manny Palmero being at the right place at the right time.

MEN AND BIRDS GO FISHING. A group of fishermen and a flock of egrets enjoy a good catch of fish during low tide at Barangay Tanza in Navotas City. Revoli S. Cortez

TABACO CITY ANNIVERSARY. Comely coeds of a local school show off their dancing skills during a gala parade to celebrate Tabaco City’s 22nd anniversary. Norman Cruz

French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Paris on March 23. AFP

UN hits Russia, Ukraine forces for POW ‘summary executions’

The allegations came shortly after Kyiv accused Russian forces of killing a captured Ukrainian serviceman who was filmed saying “Glory to Ukraine” before being shot dead.

The head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, said that her organisation had recently recorded killings by both sides.

“We are deeply concerned about (the)

N. Zealand raises concerns with China over rights

BEIJING—New Zealand has raised concerns with China over human rights abuses and growing tensions with Taiwan, Wellington’s foreign minister told AFP in an interview Saturday.

Nanaia Mahuta held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in which they discussed “challenging issues”, she said, including human rights in Xinjiang, freedoms in Hong Kong and China’s influence in the Pacific.

“There’s a lot that we can agree on and we also discussed some of the challenging issues, working through where we don’t agree on,” she said at the New Zealand embassy in Beijing.

“Human rights was an area where we did discuss some of those issues where we don’t agree on.” Mahuta this week made the first visit to China by a New Zealand foreign minister since 2018.

She earlier said in a statement she had told her counterpart that the New Zealand government had “deep concerns regarding the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong”. - Ukraine war -

In the interview, Mahuta said she had “used the opportunity to highlight New Zealand’s position on Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine”.

Beijing has notably refrained from using such strong language to refer to the Russian invasion, instead accusing NATO of “fanning the flames”. AFP

Unrest in France prompts Charles to postpone visit

PARIS -- Violent pension reform protests in France led to the postponement Friday of King Charles III’s trip to the country, highlighting the growing security and political problems faced by President Emmanuel Macron.

The French president condemned the latest burst of violence overnight, while a human rights watchdog criticised the “excessive use of force” by police during recent demonstrations.

King Charles’ first foreign trip as monarch had been intended to highlight warming Franco-British relations. Instead, it has underlined the severity of demonstrations engulfing Britain’s neighbour just 10 months into Macron’s second term.

Uproar over legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 was enflamed when Macron exercised a controversial executive power to push the plan through parliament without a vote last week.

With fresh strikes expected next Tuesday on what would have been the second day of the king’s tour, Macron asked for the postponement of the royal visit, a UK government spokesperson said.

The decision was made “to welcome His Majesty King Charles III in conditions which reflect our friendly relations”, Macron’s office said.

Police arrested more than 450 people on Thursday, according to interior ministry figures. AFP

summary execution of up to 25 Russian prisoners of war and persons hors de combat by the Ukrainian armed forces, which we have documented,” Bogner said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

“This was often perpetrated immediately upon capture on the battlefield,” she said.

“While we are aware of ongoing investigations by Ukraine authorities into five cases involving 22 victims, we are not

aware of any prosecution of the perpetrators,” she added. Bogner also expressed “deep” concern over the alleged executions of 15 Ukrainian prisoners by Russian armed forces after their capture. She said the Wagner mercenary group, which claims to be leading Russia’s assault for Bakhmut—the longest and bloodiest battle of the war—was responsible for 11 of those killings.

Kyiv said its forces were “managing to stabilise” the situation around Bakhmut, a now-destroyed city in eastern Ukraine that has seen the longest battle of the Russian invasion.

Bakhmut—which once had an estimated population of around 70,000 people

-- has been virtually emptied of civilians over months of fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

The frontline situation is “the toughest in the Bakhmut direction”, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces Valery Zaluzhny said late Friday after a phone call with Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.

“Due to the tremendous efforts of the Defence Forces, we are managing to stabilise the situation,” Zaluzhny said on Facebook.

Russian forces have been posting painstakingly incremental gains around the city, whose symbolic importance surpassed any military significance as the battle dragged on. AFP

RAMADAN.

Muslim devotees offer prayers marking the start of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan at Al Akbar Mosque in Surabaya, Indonesia on March 22. AFP

19 killed as US strikes Iran-linked Syria groups

BEIRUT—The death toll from retaliatory US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria following a deadly drone attack has risen to 19, a war monitor said Saturday, as Washington insisted it is not seeking conflict with Tehran.

Further rocket attacks by Iran-backed militias took place late Friday, prompting more strikes by coalition warplanes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Washington carried out the initial

strikes after the Pentagon said a US contractor died -- and another contractor and five military personnel were wounded -by a drone “of Iranian origin” that struck a US-led coalition base near Hasakeh in northeastern Syria on Thursday. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that, at President Joe Biden’s direction, he had ordered the “precision air strikes... in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”.

On Saturday, the Britain-based Observatory, which has a wide network of sources on the ground, said 19 people were killed in the first wave of US strikes: three Syrian regime soldiers and 16 members of Iran-backed forces, including 11 Syrian nationals.

Following the strikes, Biden sought to lower the temperature saying the United States “does not seek conflict with Iran, but is prepared to act forcefully to protect our people”. AFP

Trump to rally at site of deadly anti-government siege in Waco

NEW DELHI -- Top Indian opposition figure Rahul Gandhi said Saturday he would keep fighting for democracy after blaming his expulsion from parliament on his demands for a probe into a key business ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi, 52, was stripped of his parliamentary seat on Friday, a day after he was convicted of defamation in Modi’s home state of Gujarat for a 2019 campaign-trail remark seen as an insult to the premier.

Modi’s government has been widely accused by political opponents and rights groups of using the law to target and silence critics, but Gandhi said he would not bow to intimidation.

“I will do whatever I have to do to defend the democratic nature of this country,” he told reporters.

“They are used to everybody being scared of them,” he said, in reference to the ruling party. “I am not scared of them.” AFP

Ibero-American gab focuses on food crisis

SANTO DOMINGO —Addressing a food crisis affecting a fifth of Latin America’s population featured high on the agenda of an Ibero-American leaders summit that started in the Dominican Republic on Friday.

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, Latin America and the Caribbean is the region of the world where eating a basic healthy diet is most expensive -- at $3.89 per person per day in 2020, compared to $3.19 in North America and Europe.

It is a price that 22.5 percent of the region’s population cannot afford, according to the UN -- more than 130 million people in 2020.

Heads of state and government from 14 of the 22 Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America and Europe, were due to attend the two-day summit.

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa are among those gathered in Santo Domingo with the leaders of Chile, Uruguay, Honduras and others. AFP

US choco factory explosion kills 2

WASHINGTON -- An explosion at a chocolate factory in the US state of Pennsylvania has killed two people and left nine others missing, according to local media.

(cardboard

‘falla’

huge ornate cardboard sculpture made to eventually be burnt) burning on the last night of the Fallas Festival in Valencia, Spain on March 19. The fallas that portray current events and celebrities in which individual figures, or ‘ninots’, are placed, are burned as a tribute to Saint Joseph, patron saint of the carpenters’ guild. AFP

WACO -- Donald Trump stages his first presidential campaign rally Saturday at the site of a deadly 1993 standoff between an anti-government cult and federal agents as he rails against multiple criminal probes threatening his bid for the White House. Waco, Texas -- which is marking the 30th anniversary of the siege -- has become a touchstone for far-right activists glorying in its history of resistance against perceived government overreach. The rally comes amid a torrent of increasingly bellicose statements by Trump claiming a “witch hunt” by prosecutors he refers to as “human scum” who are pursuing cases against him in New York, Washington and Atlanta.

The Republican leader is expected to address at least 15,000 supporters as he braces for possible charges over a hush money payout days before the 2016 election to a porn star alleging a sexual encounter.

The 76-year-old -- who was impeached for inciting an insurrection -- called last weekend for protests against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, as the former president claimed falsely that he was about to be arrested. - ‘Violent chaos’ -

Some of those arriving in Waco came from other states, eager to see Trump returned to the Oval Office, with many wearing MAGA caps or waving flags touting his campaign. AFP

The explosion at the RM Palmer Company plant in the West Reading borough of Pennsylvania occurred before 5 pm local time (2100 GMT) on Friday, local TV network WFMZ reported.

Besides the dead and missing, six people were transported to medical facilities, Pennsylvania’s Emergency Management Agency told WFMZ.

“(The factory) is pretty leveled, unfortunately. There’s not much they can salvage from the building,” said West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag in a televised press conference.

“In the front, with the church and the apartments, the explosion was so big it moved that building four feet forward,” she added. AFP

KYIV—The United Nations said Friday it was “deeply concerned” by what it said were summary executions of prisoners of war by both Russian and Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.

CARDBOARD FIRE. This photograph shows Ninots

figurines) in a

(a

Indian MP Gandhi ‘to keep fighting’

MARCH 26, 2023

FORMER Energy secretary Vince Perez and Solar Pacific Energy Corp. chief executive Mike Lichtenfeld quickly bonded when they first met as colleagues in pursuit of higher academic achievement at Yale University in Connecticut, USA.

They discovered that both have strong conviction for the environment and on building a dynamic portfolio of renewable sources of power on a commercial scale.

Lichtenfeld was pursuing a Master of Environmental Management and a Master of Business Administration, while Perez spent a year as a fellow at the university and later on was invited to teach a course on renewable energy investing in emerging markets.

“I was lucky enough to know him.

When I graduated, I think it was the time he went back to the Philippines and founded Alternergy. At that time, I moved to California and started cutting my teeth in solar independently. I went to work for a number of companies based in San Francisco, developing large-scale solar projects throughout the US, mostly the Western US. But we stayed in touch. I frequently visited here, and we talked about when is the right time to push forward with a solar venture,” Lichtenfeld said.

Bound by common interest, Lichtenfeld and Perez ushered in Solar Pacific as a unit of Alternergy Holdings Corp. in 2018, further expanding its thrust of electrifying buildings after buildings, islands after islands through renewable power technology.

While Solar Pacific was founded separately from Alternergy in 2013, the company eventually became a part of the holding firm as provider of electricity using solar energy. They collaborated on project development and capital-raising activites.

Solar Pacific, backed by Alternergy, is the first renewable energy company to commercialize the so-called rooftop solar energy system, boosting daytime power supply in Metro Manila through solar panels perched atop buildings, specifically shopping malls.

An expert in solar power generation, Lichtenfeld believes that renewable energy will continue to evolve as the norm of the future. The firm’s pioneering approach will continue to leverage for new opportunities and scale up adoption of more solar-powered projects.

“We were founded with a mission to bring affordable high-quality, solar and solar plus storage projects, particularly to island communities here in the Philippines and eventually to other areas within the region in Asia Pacific, where electric utilities and commercial customers often struggle with supply chain issues around diesel and other forms of conventional power—with very high tariffs, of course, very expensive. And, of course, our mission is also to do what we can to mitigate climate change and other environmental impacts from conventional power,” he said.

Solar company heats up the power game in PH

Philippine projects

Solar Pacific’s first project in the Philippines is a utility-scale solar photo voltaic device, built and financed under a bilateral power purchase agreement with the Cagayan Electric Power & Light Company. The Kirahon solar project is actually the first large-scale solar PV project in the Philippines outside the feed-in-tariff scheme of the government.

“We were very proud to be the first clean energy provider to build a utility scale solar project under a power supply agreement structure. We took a different approach from the FIT program, because we wanted to build the company around bilateral offtake agreements with electric utilities or commercial customers, because we wanted to have that confidence in our long-term revenue stream,” Lichtenfeld said.

The Kirahon solar project emerged as the very first out-FIT power supply agreement to be reviewed and approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission, creating a totally independent approach for future renewable power bilateral agreements.

“Through that experience, we of course, learned a lot. We were the first to secure the ERC approval for such a PSA. Of course, there was an education process that we went through.

That was a good learning experience, both I think, for the commission and also for us,” Lichtenfeld said.

The Kirahon project paved the way for Solar Pacific to amass knowledge that will be useful for other pioneering pursuits—moving forward to solar rooftop installations as the company also tried its hand to export power generation services to an island in the Pacific.

International project

Solar Pacific Pristine Power Inc., a Solar Pacific unit, is preparing to operationalize the solar hybrid project in the Republic of Palau in April 2023. With rated capacities of 15.3-megawatt solar output and 12.9-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system, the project will benefit the island of Palau through a power source that will go beyond the total combined power requirement of the island inhabited by only 20,000 citizens.

The Palau project is not just the first project of Solar Pacific outside the Philippines, but it is also the first to use both solar and larger-scale battery storage.

Lichtenfeld said the solar energy firm is committed to delivering its first electrons within the next few weeks after the mandatory testing and commissioning process to make sure everything works perfectly. The facility is expected to officially run by mid-May, but delivery of power may start by mid-April.

“It’s exciting for us. In addition to it being a first for us, we are very proud to be the first independent power producer in the Republic of Palau. They own and operate their own diesel system. So we’re the first foreigners to come in and deliver power. And from what we understand, this will be the first or the largest solar plus battery project in the Western Pacific today. So another kind of pioneering achievement, and again, none of these is easy. One of the things about our company, both Solar Pacific and Alternergy, is our commitment to taking it one step at a time being solution oriented,” he said.

As solar power projects are rather a novelty compared

Bank executive named one of the Young Global Leaders class of 2023

EASTWEST Banking Corporation executive director and vice president Isabelle Gotianun Yap is part of the new crop of Young Global Leaders (YGL) Class of 2023 by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

WEF’s prestigious YGL class includes nearly 100 promising political leaders, innovative entrepreneurs, game-changing researchers, and academic leaders who are accelerating positive and lasting change in their communities, countries and the world. Isabelle is one of only two Filipinos chosen for the Class of 2023.

Yap invested time and expertise into leading the development of Komo, EastWest’s digital banking service and one of the first fully-digital banking services in the country. Introduced in August 2020, Komo helped Filipinos affected by pandemic to digitally access full banking services.

Before EastWest, Isabelle was formerly a consultant at McKinsey & Company where she served multiple clients across the region. Prior to that, she was part of the Management Associate Program with SingTel, one of Asia’s leading telcos.

to conventional projects and even to hydro-power projects, Lichtenfeld said there is a long process to bringing an idea into reality. The Palau project, he said, took about three years in development, including two years in pre-development stage and another year for the construction phase.

At present, Solar Pacific is operating nine projects in the Philippines with two more rooftop projects starting construction within the year. The energy firm is in the process of closing financing and finalizing the agreement with suppliers for projects in the pipeline.

Sustainability

In its utter commitment to protect the environment, Solar Pacific never compromises its principles when scouting for locations, proportionately avoiding forest covers and environmentally-sensitive areas.

While solar panel costs rose due to the challenges of the pandemic, the company is optimistic that prices will revert to pre-pandemic rates when materials for solar rooftop systems were more affordable.

“It’s interesting that the cost of solar technology has come down, generally, from the late ’90s. When the pandemic occurred, everything went haywire. And so for the first time in decades, the cost of the solar equipment went up, and although it has stabilized, it still has not come down as much as we had expected. So our projections, let’s say three years

enfeld said.

Amid the growing awareness for ogy, Solar Pacific is seeing a spike in shelf.

Building capacities

ago, where prices would be today has not met the previous expectations. Instead of being precipitous, it actually spiked up and now it’s been kind of leveling out. We’re still seeing some market volatility because of supply chain issues that are still kind of the hangover from the pandemic,” Lichtmore environmentally-sound technology, Solar Pacific is seeing a spike in demand for new projects, particularly those that were put on hold during the pandemic and are now coming off the Despite some supply and demand tension, the firm believes that prices will start to rationalize in the next couple of months and may drop to levels that will allow massive affordability in the next few years. quintuple the amount of solar megawatts in 2023. Right now, the energy company is producing about 20 MW of solar power with possibility of increasing it to 35 MW once the Palau project goes

Solar Pacific expects to power it generates to 100 increasing the on stream. Othel V. Campos

Solar Pacific CEO Mike Lichtenfeld

Avon honors the diversity of Filipina beauty

by the desire to support women and the causes that matter most to them, globally renowned beauty brand Avon Philippines ushers in the #TalagangPilipina era, an initiative that celebrates the beauty Filipino women and brings together a diverse group of Filipinas united by common values and self-worth.

part

From Ms. Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach to transwoman advocate Coleen Abarrientos, the campaign celebrates what it means to be a modern Filipina woman. The #TalagangPilipina campaign is part of Avon Philippines’ commitment to championing Filipina women who defy expectations and dare to break the outdated traditions forced on them for far too long.

Although Filipina women have access to more opportunities than before, they are still surrounded by stereotypes and the society’s traditional expectations that challenge them careerwise and financially.

A new research from beauty brand Avon reveals that Filipina women are highly affected by barriers to entrepreneurship. Over half or 52 percent of the women surveyed admitted to the lack of confidence being a barrier to starting a business, while a staggering 79 percent believe inadequate financial resources are a setback to becoming entrepreneurs. Avon sustains a legacy of championing women for over 135 years and a business model which allows women greater choice and freedom to earn money. The brand continues to reward every Avon sales ambassador 20 percent of sales, its way of supporting female entrepreneurs.

Food services company links with LP4Y to empower young women

holds an MBA from Harvard

Isabelle earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Double Major in Finance and Marketing from Singapore Management University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

As a YGL, Isabelle will be part of a global community of leaders who will collaborate to tackle challenges in shaping a more positive, peaceful and prosperous society. She will have the opportunity to participate in events organized by WEF to collaborate and work together with other YGLs in creating positive change.

SODEXO On-site Services Philippines Inc, a leading integrated facilities management and food services company has donated a P5.5 million grant to Life Project 4 Youth (LP4Y), a non-government organization developing innovative solutions for the professional and social integration of youth living in extreme poverty and victims of exclusion.

“We are strengthening our partnership with LP4Y with the objective of creating job opportunities for youth coming from underprivileged backgrounds. We believe that by providing

training opportunities and employment, we will be able to bridge the gap between neglected communities to a world where a decent quality of life is possible,” said

Sodexo’s managing director Paul Debaprateem.

The grant aims to help and empower young women, which is part of Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow initiative to improve the quality of life of the community where it operates. One hundred eight young women yearly are estimated to directly benefit from the project, each impacting up to 8 people in the community who will benefit from the program.

Sodexo’s unique philanthropic cause, Stop Hunger, created 26 years ago in the US, is a global non-profit network acting for a hunger free world and driving women empowerment in over 60 countries.

By Patricia Taculao

ANG kabataan

ang pag-asa ng bayan,” is one of the most popular quotes from the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal. Although it sounds cliche, it still rings true in the present and future because they lead the charge to create a more inclusive and innovative tomorrow.

Iligan Safe Space envisions creating a nonhostile environment for LGBTQIA+ youths from all walks of life in Iligan City

PINATAKASI aims to establish an Arts Month that caters to artists of Alabat Island, Quezon Province

Organization, pushes Project Teatro as one of their initiatives that utilize theater as their main platform for raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, striving to create well-informed, accepting, and HIV-free Metro Poblacion A, Santiago City in Isabela.

TAYO20 Awards

recognizes Filipino youth’s nation-building capacity

dialogue, and facilitated “empowerment validations.”

Sangguniang Kabataan of Brgy. Talomo River Project Descartes is a comprehensive online program offered free to interested senior high school and freshmen college students of Davao City. It covers five pre-calculus subjects and contributes to localizing Sustainable Goals for quality education and partnerships for the goals.

Shafaat Agriculture Cooperative Mushroom for Change is their social enterprise that aims to alleviate poverty in Lanao province through mushroom production by creating an alternative source of income for farmers, women internally displaced persons from Marawi, and out-of-school youths. The BAKA

Their Agricultural Leadership Incubation program for the Kagay-anon Youth is a yearlong program that aims to capacitate the Kagay-anon Youth on the whole value chain approach, with workshops and activities such as servant leadership, agro-fishery inputs, business planning, marketing, communications, and the showcasing of agricultural produce.

The top ten winners and ten finalists received a TAYO Trophy by Toym Imao and

Recognizing the relevance of empowering the youth, the 20th Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards, held at the Far Eastern University Auditorium last March 11, recently named the winners for their efforts and goals in five categories, namely, Culture, Arts, and Heritage; Education and Technology; Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation; Health, Well-Being and Human Development; and Livelihood and Entrepreneurship. search for national last September 2022, 491 hopeful organizations submitted their

Since TAYO launched the finalists last September 2022, 491

project entries, with only 20 outstanding youth groups nationwide making it to the finals. The event, co-presented by TAYO Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, and San Miguel Corporation, showed how the winners were true advocates of this year’s theme, Siklab. It serves as a reminder of the undying flare among Filipino youth leaders to make a difference, inspire hope and unity, and positively influence future generations.

The TAYO Awards recognizes youth organizations from across the country for their positive influence on future generations

Albay Young Farmers Organization

The group’s program encourages their community, especially the youth, to actively participate in farming technology by introducing an innovative approach to organized farming technology through edible landscaping.

Open Arms Organization

Embrace a Child Programs is their flagship project that strives to empower families through free and accessible rehabilitation services and social programs.

PINATAKASI

Also known as Pinabuhay Sa Tao Ang Kwento At Sining, PINATAKASI’s project is to initiate an all-free youth-led and volunteer-led Arts Month that caters to artists of Alabat Island, Quezon Province, as their avenue for expression, freedom, and beyond.

Project TALA

The group, which also goes by Project Teatro Para sa Aktibong Layunin at Adhikain

Globe sparks hope with Heroes of Learning Awards

WHEN schools closed as the pandemic pushed education to remote learning, we knew students would pay a heavy price. True enough, research conducted in 2021 showed that 86 percent of students believed that they learned less under remote learning. About 66 percent of those who attend classes virtually and 74 percent under hybrid learning were also no better because of one reason: lack of innovative and technology-driven solutions to support these set-ups.

This troubling reality didn’t cause learners to falter because Globe believes it brought out the best of us, and we can see these inspiring stories every day.

As part of its commitment to uplift education through technology, Globe launched the Heroes of Learning Awards, a search to honor modern- day heroes who shine bright or become a light for others amid obstacles. The awards will highlight their inspiring journeys and support them by equipping them with their required relevant e-learning tools.

Students, educators, and parents are eligible to join to be judged according to the following criteria: students must exemplify academic excellence, courage, and innovation. Parents must epitomize courage and innovation. Meanwhile, educators must demonstrate excellence in teaching, courage, and innovation.

More than just a trophy, chosen Heroes of Learning will be hailed as Globe for Education ambassadors and will take home Php 50,000 in GCash credits, Samsung Galaxy AO3 Blue 64GB loaded with P5,000 worth of Globe Prepaid credits, a 12-month subscription to GFiber Unli Plan, Globe MyFi LTE, and on top of that, KodeGo full course

scholarship worth P80,000, free 8-session tutorials with Edventure, and two e-passes to Ayala Museum. Nominations and entries will be accepted on or before April 30, 2023. Announcement of winners will be via a private Zoom event on May 18, 2023. Submit your entries or nominations now. Visit www.glbe.co/heroesoflearning for more details.

Leader’s Council (Sacred Heart of School – Ateneo de Cebu

Scouting Unit)

LOVE TO LEARN: LEARN TO EARN is a community program that aspires to help in the holistic reformation and development of children in conflict with the law. Youth Empowering Youth Initiative Their project focuses on food waste mitigation. It seeks to create a model for carinderias and market vendors to lessen food waste generation, raise awareness about food waste and responsible consumption, minimize food waste generated by local vendors, and increase local vendors’ average monthly income.

Representatives from the ten winners of TAYO20 with the competition’s sponsors and founders cash prizes of P50,000 and P20,000 seed grants, respectively, to help fund their ongoing projects or start new ones. In addition to the assistance from Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines and San Miguel Corporation, all National Awardees will receive P20,000. Meanwhile, all the National Finalists will receive P10,000, courtesy of the Office of Senator Sonny Angara, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Youth. Apart from the prizes for the top ten accomplished youth organizations, the TAYO Foundation also gave special awards to select youth groups. These were chosen by their partners and given to organizations that think beyond their missions as institutions, corporate organizations, and public offices. With their bright minds, hopeful hearts, and dedication to making the Philippines a better place for future generations, TAYO20’s newest awardees will carry the beacon of change and development for the Filipino youth.

Iligan Safe Space Their Safe Space Session project aims to create a non-hostile environment and a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youths of different cultures and backgrounds in Iligan City through emphatic listening, group

ARTIST’S CORNER

THERE’S more to art than the visual feasts people see. Besides theatrical performances, musical scores, and illustrations, to name a few, art also encompasses literary works born from articulate minds. Poetry is among the types of literature that use various elements to create vivid imagery in people’s imaginations.

Rendell Ron B. Pacho, a student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, knows how poetry can be an avenue for self-expression. He also loves how poetry can draw inspiration from personal experience or others yet still be relatable to audiences, which he learned when he began writing.

“It all started when I was in high school. Most of my poems were inspired by my personal experiences in life,

particularly my romantic life. It eventually became a hobby when I started compiling poems and publishing them through Wattpad. Then, it progressed until I made poems about my friends' experiences, too,” he said.

Pacho describes his writing style as more inclined to free verse since he welcomes changes in his craft.

“I am constantly experimenting with different writing styles and techniques. I also used to write poems in Filipino and English,” he said.

Although Pacho was inactive in writing poetry for years since he finished his book, including 100 verses he began composing in 2015. But an academic requirement in college paved the way for him to return to the craft he once loved.

‘MOVING FORWARD’

(One of Pacho’s recently written poems, which tackles everyone’s mental health and daily struggle)

It seems so easy how time passes, Like how memories fade sometimes, How do we forget most things, Like how do we wait for the next sunlight to rise? But it’s not always, right? We experienced hardships like there was no way out, Like we’re so stuck, and there’s no end of the night, Like there’s no help, and there’s no hope.

It’s weakening sometimes, We’re so drained and feeling lost, You’re questioning reality,

We’ve been so empty.

But here you are, still surviving. Hoping to see to the next morning,

To feel the coldness of the outside world,

To see you walking again on the road.

We are all aware that we cannot choose our lives.

It’s difficult to understand why we must suffer.

But we can still choose what to do next to improve things.

With that determination, let us make the next day a little brighter.

n By RANDY CALUAG

WOMEN power was on full display in the recent second leg of the Zamboanga Peninsula Open Water Swim Circuit, taking the spotlight in the month of the National Women’s celebration.

Aaliyah Zareena Silapan, a young, rising star in long-distance swimming from Zamboanga City, was tops in the women’s category of the premier five-kilometer swim around the beautiful, pristine Buluan island with a clocking of two hours and 34:26 minutes.

Reigning supreme on the men’s side was Austin John Hampac who had 1:38.33. Ethan Hugh Dacer and Danielle Filoteo topped the 2.5K category in the 2nd leg hosted by the provincial government of Zamboanga Sibugay under the leadership of lady Governor Ann Hoffer.

The 360-degree swim race around Buluan Island, a Hall of Fame awardee as the Best Managed Marine Protected Area, was organized by the Department of Tourism Region 9 and headed by Dara May Cataluna, one of the most revered women leaders in Mindanao.

“We believe that women should be given the same opportunities as men in sports and in all aspects of life,” said Cataluna.

The former councilor of Ipil town said the Zampen Open Swim is part of a noble advocacy to make Zamboanga Peninsula the center of aqua sports tourism, nature conservation, and community development.

The Zampen swim circuit proved to be more than just a competition but also about promoting women’s empowerment.

The groundbreaking event also aims to promote gender equality and encourages women to participate in open-water swimming, an activity that is traditionally dominated by men. The organizers hope to inspire women to challenge themselves and break barriers, both in sports and in society.

The event also has the full backing of the Tourism Promotions Board with Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderosa-Abubakar, who is also a prominent woman leader from Zamboanga City.

Women power on spotlight at Zampen Open Water swim

Asec Maria Rica Bueno emphasized that they want to reinforce the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence in this kind of tourism event rooted in the 7 M’s of core values that Filipinos are widely known for Malikhain, Makatao, Makakalikasan, Makabansa, Masayahin, May Bayanihan, and May Pag-asa. Along with the women leaders from the tourism department, Gov. Hoffer vowed to promote Zamboanga Sibugay as a chosen destination for aqua sports and other water activities.

The Zambo Peninsula Open swim competition, managed by the Zamboanga Open Water Swim Association, also

hopes to attract more local and international participants in the coming third and fourth legs to be held at the Lake Maragang Mt. Timolan and Dipolog, Zamboanga Del Norte. Unknown to many, open-water swimming is an Olympic sport. Also known as Olympic Swim Marathon, this 10-kilometer race is held in open water like rivers or sea and was first played in Beijing in 2008. It has been played since then and the next stop would be in Paris next year. If sustained in the coming years, it will be no surprise that the next Olympian swimmer will emerge out of the Zampen Open Water swim circuit.

PRURide is back: Gear up for PH’s biggest cycling festival

the 2023 PRURide Philippines, which will be held on May 21 in Clark and May 28 in Cebu, will become part of Prudential’s 175th-anniversary celebration, including its 100 years in Asia.

To launch this event and celebrate life for better health and wellness, Pru Life UK is doing a ceremonial fun ride around Bonifacio Global City with its employees, agency force, and partners from the government and private sectors.

“PRURide Philippines 2023 is about celebrating life and riding together with Filipinos and families for better health and wellness. Filipinos can continue to count on Pru Life UK to have access to many customer-centric health protection and wealth offerings to help them get the most out of life,” says Eng Teng Wong, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Pru Life UK.

Fun activities await cyclists at PRURide PH 2023 in May

THOUSANDS of cycling enthusiasts, from weekend warriors to elite riders, are going to get excited when leading life insurer Pru Life UK is bringing back

PRURide Philippines, the country’s biggest cycling festival. As part of its advocacy to help Filipinos live a healthier lifestyle through cycling,

PRURide Philippines 2023 is bigger with the participation of its official advocates Gretchen Ho, Kim Atienza, and Zoren Legaspi; cycling content creators Ger Victor, Darlings Levi & Sara, Jeno Cuenco, and Ian Austria; and Pru Life UK’s health champions Miguel Reyes, Montini De Guzman, and Aless Castañeda.

Ramos, Bravo top Ironkids in Davao

DAVAO – Euan Ramos and Carlisle Bravo flashed superb running skills to top their respective categories in the premier 13-15 age-group division of the IRONKIDS Philippines at the Azuela Cove here on Saturday.

Dustin Bersabal and Christy Ann Perez, on the other hand, dominated the 11-12 side of the swim and run event, while Francis Batican and Aliya Adre turned in inspired performances to lead the top finishers in the 9-10 category.

Jashiva Arsua and James Tagara bested 33 others in the youngest 6-8 class of the event ushering in the Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Davao Sunday.

Ramos, 14, came out of the swim leg way back at 10th place with a

03:45-minute effort but rallied with a best 07:30 time in the closing run part for an 11:59 clocking over the 250m and 2km run distance.

Carron Canas, who posted 0:31 in swim, came in second in 12:20 after an 08:04 in the run while Angelo de Vera posted 12:33 for third after 03:36 and 08:08 clocking in the swim and run legs, respectively, of the event organized by The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc.

Unlike in previous IRONKIDS races, there were actually no winners this time with the event staged to provide the youngsters the opportunity to feel the excitement of competition while enjoying the outdoors and promoting healthy living.

With a bigger and more exciting cycling festival this year, the ride will be held on two legs, one in Clark and one in Cebu, which are both open to families with child-friendly activities as part of the festivities.

Casual and seasoned cyclists from Luzon and Visayas can join the Gran

The 14-year-old Bravo likewise submitted the best time in the run (09:10) after a 04:21 clocking in swim for a 14:19 total, edging Candace Socito, who ranked next in 14:28 (04:07-09:27) while recent Vermosa IRONKIDS winner Celinda Raagas came in third in 15:08 (04:24-09:36). Bersabal topped the 200m swim and 1.5km run race in 10:17 (02:5406:34) with Henry Go and Nigel Armada taking the next two spots in 10:51 (03:08-06:50) and 10:57 (03:1806:49), respectively, while Perez actually finished second overall in 10:35 (03:05-06:41), finishing way ahead of Fritzie Surima and Elizza Ecalla, who timed 11:03 (03:20-06:55) and 11:22 (03:38-06:46), respectively.

FEU brushes off UP in UAAP women’s volley

FAR EASTERN University swept University of the Philippines, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20, for a winning start in the second round of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament, Saturday at Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The Lady Tamaraws returned to the win column at 4-4, still at fifth.

“Magandang balita ito. I mean para sa team magandang motivation yung win and coming to the second round yun talaga ang aim namin eh, yung win,” said first-year head coach Tina Salak as FEU is just trailing fourth-running University of Santo Tomas by a full game. UP was just within two late in

the second period, 18-20, but Tin Ubaldo and Jean Asis connected to give the Lady Tamaraws the commanding 2-0 lead, 25-19.

Asis proved to be the finisher in the third set as well as she took care of FEU’s final three points for the team’s first sweep this season.

Jovelyn Fernandez led the Lady Tamaraws with 14 points on 11 attacks and three blocks she laced with nine excellent digs.

Chenie Tagaod had 10 points as well while middle blockers Asis and Mitzi Panangin made eight and seven points, respectively, with the former doing it in just less than two sets of play.

Fighting Maroons captain Jewel

Encarnacion delivered anew with 12 points while Nina Ytang added 10 points of her own. Alyssa Bertolano was held to just three points. UP has lost five in a row and the seventh overall in eight matches.

Up next for FEU though is the still-unscathed De La Salle University on Wednesday at SM Mall of Asia Arena, while UP will next meet defending champion National University next Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. 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).

Fondo, a safe and timed ride ranging from 30 to 60 and 100 kilometers. Gran Fondo 30 is ideal for beginners, while the 100 replicates the route taken by professional cyclists. Those looking for a moderate challenge can join the Gran Fondo 60, which follows a condensed format of the 100. Professional and amateur cyclists can also be part of the free Virtual PRURide PH, a 175K virtual race happening on May 21 in Clark and May 28 in Cebu. The cyclist finishing with the best time will be declared this category’s winner. The Family Fun Ride is a 5K cycling activity for groups, while the Kids Cup is a fun and friendly race for children. PRURide PH 2023 will end on a high note with a free concert by a top OPM band both in its Clark and Cebu legs.

Fajardo, Brownlee lead 28-man natl pool for SEA Games

A YEAR after the Philippines conceded the gold medal in men’s basketball to Indonesia during the rescheduled 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, ending a 52-game winning streak dating back to 1997, the country’s own version of the Redeem Team flies to Phnom Penh this May for the 32nd edition of the SEA Games.

“That moment is upon us, and we’re not leaving any stone unturned in our overall bid to regain basketball glory in our region,” says Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio.

“What we’ve gone through after that fateful day in Hanoi, both the wins and the losses in the various tournaments that followed, are, in effect, geared also toward bringing the SEA Games gold medal back to our shores.

“And once Gilas assembles and starts practice for the competition in Cambodia, I expect nothing else but 100 percent effort and serious resolve in sending the most competitive national team possible to do the job of winning back the Gold. That is our commitment to our basketball-loving countrymen.”

SBP has submitted a 28-man national pool for its Entry By Name (EBN) list to the Philippine Olympic Committee led by six-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee.

Women participants and organizers of the Zamboanga Peninsula Open Water Swim Circuit with lady Gov. Ann Hoffer (with hat, 6th from left) of host province Zamboanga Sibugay.

A participant at work to complete the 360-degree swim around Buluan Island.

Jashiva Arsua sprints way to the finish in the girls’ 6-8 division.

PRURide PH advocates cycle within the roads of Uptown Mall at BGC in Taguig during the event launch.

Far Eastern University’s Jov Fernandez attacks the UP Maroons’ defense

SINGERsongwriter

Jeremy G delivers a heartfluttering confession in “Bini,” a new dancepop single that conveys the difficulty of finding the right words to say to someone special.

“Coming from the break-up anthem ‘Sinayang Mo,’ I think that ‘Bini’ will give listeners a new feel and different side of me, since this song is basically about falling for a girl but being too shy to tell her face-to-face,” the young artist said of the song that was released on March 24.

“I feel like listeners would vibe to this song along with feeling like they’re falling in love while listening,” he went on.

become too generalized. So to some extent, the song ‘Bini’ was based on a personal experience of mine,” he admitted.

With the release of “Bini,”

Jeremy hopes that the listeners would feel a boost of confidence to express their true feelings to their loved ones. He shared, “I feel like my advice would just be to follow your heart. It may sound cliche but you never know when’s the next time that you’ll feel that feeling again. Be genuine and show them that you have genuine intentions.”

‘Bini’ by Jeremy G combines dance-pop vibes while conveying the difficulty of finding the right words to say to someone special

JEREMY G’S confession

Young singer expresses true feelings in new single ‘Bini’

Jeremy, who wrote the song with ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo and Star Pop label head Rox Santos, also shared that his new single was inspired by a personal experience.

“Before we started writing this song, we had to draw from an experience that was rather specific so it wouldn’t

ANY adventure worth its weight in gold requires likable characters, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has plenty.

When the movie opens, unfailingly optimistic bard Edgin (played by Chris Pine ) and his best friend, the barbarian fighter Holga ( Michelle Rodriguez locked away in the notorious prison Revel’s End, a result of the betrayal by the nefarious Forge Fitzwilliam ( Hugh Grant) , who took Edgin’s beloved daughter Kira to live as his ward in the great metropolis of Neverwinter where Forge installed himself as ruler.

Jeremy was first known in his stint in The Voice Teens Philippines Season 1 where he became a grand finalist under Sharon Cuneta’s team. He released his first single “Sa’yo” in 2019, which was hailed as the Best R&B recording at the 33rd Awit Awards. Jeremy also collaborated with Kyle Echarri for their song “Kahit Na Masungit,” which won 2nd Best Song at the Himig Handog 11th Edition.

Last year, Jeremy ventured into both music

and acting projects. He released 13 singles including his debut EP maybe forever, and wrote several compositions for series soundtracks and the song “My Time” for the Idol Philippines season 2 champion. He also starred as Stevie in the IWantTFC series Lyric and Beat where he composed the theme song with Jonathan Manalo.

Unlikely heroes

Meet the guys of ‘Dungeons & Dragons’

Jeremy hopes ‘Bini’ will give listeners a much-need confidence boost to express their true feelings to their loved ones

“He is riddled with insecurity about his magic,” says actor Justice Smith who won the role. “He has internalized that he is never going to be enough and bathes in his own self-deprecation and has resorted to using his tricks for petty thievery.”

Pine happened to be hosting his nephew’s D&D group at his home. He decided to sit in on the campaign and was immediately hooked.

Chris Pine is the leader of the cast as he plays the extroverted bard Edgin Darvis

On a mission to take back what has been lost to him, Edgin escapes together with Holga. Along the way, they are joined in their quest by an insecure sorcerer, a paladin, and a Tiefling.

Chris Pine (Edgin The Bard)

Leading the cast is Chris Pine, who plays extroverted bard Edgin Darvis. “He will make the best out of any situation,” says Pine of his character. “He might seem like he has his stuff together, but more often than not, he’s winging it. It makes him, I think, a likable thief.”

), are ’

Although Pine is no stranger to blockbuster filmmaking – having starred as Capt. James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams trilogy of Star Trek films and having played Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman movies – he was new to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. In an ideal confluence of events, the same week he was offered the role in the new film,

Justice

Regé-Jean Page describes his character, Xenk The Paladin, as ‘infuriatingly upright, moral, and a perfect paladin hero’

“I ended up playing with my entire family – my parents, my sister, my nephew, the two Dungeon Masters that run the game for my nephew – and we had a blast,” Pine says. “It’s such an incredibly creative game. It’s a game that depends on performance and investment and allowing for

whatever comes and not censoring yourself and having fun. It teaches so many things from camaraderie to friendship to strategizing to team building. It’s joyful.”

Regé-Jean Page (Xenk The Paladin)

Among the characters Edgin and his best friend Holga meet along the way is handsome paladin Xenk Yendar, played by breakout Bridgerton star RegéJean Page. Despite the character’s youthful appearance, Xenk is cursed with an unnaturally long life after having narrowly escaped a ritual that transformed the residents of Thay into the undead.

“Xenk is a very old man stuck in a young and virile man’s body,” says Page. “He is sworn to heroism. He’s infuriatingly upright, moral, and a perfect paladin hero. Within D&D, paladins are known for being slightly overly heroic and showy. The joy of Xenk is that he’s all those things yet utterly unaware of them. He exists mostly to infuriate our group by being the hero that they’re not quite.”

Justice Smith (Simon The Sorcerer)

While Xenk exudes confidence, half-elf wizard Simon Aumar does not. He often struggles to perform even basic magic, despite the fact that wizarding runs in his blood – he is descended from the great sorcerer Elminster Aumar.

But Simon also displays a surprising level of acceptance of his own shortcomings. “The thing that I find beautiful about Simon is that he’s not necessarily upset that he’s not good at magic,” says Smith. “He really has come to terms with it, and I love the idea of someone who’s practical about where they’re at and not in a woe-isme kind of way. But it definitely is his obstacle throughout the story, trying to come into his own power.”

A real D&D experience

Once all the principal roles had been cast (including Rodriguez as Holga, Sophia Lillis as Doric, Chloe Coleman as Kira, and Daisy Head as Sofina), the filmmakers created a unique opportunity for the actors to bond, organizing a D&D campaign run by an experienced DM from Seattle, Washingtonbased Wizards of the Coast.

“We had the entire cast around the table, playing this unique oneshot adventure that she’d come up with for the team,” producer Jeremy Latcham explains, noting that directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley joined as the character Jarnathan, who represents the race of nomadic bird-people known as the Aarakocra.

“They were there for four-anda-half, five hours around the table playing, getting to know each other, understanding each other’s sense of humor, understanding each other’s sense of timing,” the producer says.

“To see them all come together, having fun was a delight.”

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves , distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures, opens nationwide on March 29.

Francisco Martin pays homage to viral Tiktok trend of girls who don’t drive but get driven around

FILIPINO-American singer and songwriter Francisco Martin makes a comeback with a new single titled, “Passenger Princess.”

The song pays an obvious homage to the viral TikTok trend of girls who don’t drive but get driven around.

Martin first shot to fame with American Idol Season 18 in 2020, where he placed Top 5. From there, he quickly released a few singles before embarking on a coast-to-coast tour in the US.

A singer with his heart-on-his-sleeve that produces soulful pop songs, Martin has garnered favorable comparisons to songwriter artists such as James Bay, John Mayer, and Ed Sheeran

To date, he has released several hit singles, including “Swollen,” which has amassed six million streams on Spotify, and has released his debut EP, Beautiful Ramblings of a Restless Mind, in 2021.

Martin continues to grow in his craft with “Passenger Princess,” which is a tapestry of TikTok that includes aesthetic hedonism and mesmerizing melodies that make you want to go for a drive and create memories with your dream partner “just because.”

Listeners can expect to hear the artist’s dreamy falsettos as the lullaby showcases a softer, more sensitive, and serene side of him.

“Passenger Princess” has a free radical-like soundscape and subtle pull for attention that bridges the gap between influences of indie rock and soul. Currently, with 18.8 thousand streams on Spotify, the song talks about how life is viewed through a wideangle lens – cinematic landscapes of sunsets and the Pacific Coast Highway.

To watch the official lyric video of “Passenger Princess,” click on the link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=T6bNW2aZHr4.

Smith brings life to Simon The Sorcerer as he tries to unlock the full potential of his magical abilities

Filipino-American singer and songwriter Francisco Martin’s new single is a tribute to the Passenger Princess stereotype The album cover of ‘Passenger Princess’

PETS

Dog Tear Stains: Cause and Treatment

By Mariana Burgos

TEAR stains are an unpleasant issue that many pets face. Unfortunately, this isn't simply an aesthetic problem. These stains are frequently an indication of a greater problem and a crucial warning sign that owners should be aware of.

If your dog has watery eyes, please have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian first before attempting to remove tear stains with whatever product you saw in an advert. There are several disorders that can cause the eyes to leak excessively, resulting in discomfort and loss of vision if left untreated. It is best to know the true cause from a vet before doing DIY treatments.

Vetrerinariqan Eileen Fatcheric says in her article, "Dog Tear Stains: What You Should Know," some of the most common possible underlying issues of tear stains include

1. allergies,

2. inflammatory conditions (like conjunctivitis, corneal irritation, or ulcer),

3. foreign bodies,

4. glaucoma,

5. distichiasis (eyelashes growing from the wrong place),

6. entropion (eyelids that roll in so that haired skin rubs on the cornea),

7. facial nerve paralysis (eyelids can’t blink), and

8. nasolacrimal (tear duct) obstruction.

If your veterinarian discovers an underlying medical problem that can be handled or addressed, tear staining will no longer be an issue. Epiphora (excessive tears that pour onto the face) is neither unpleasant nor hazardous for your dog. It is only a cosmetic issue. Simple modifications in grooming practices can sometimes be beneficial.

What causes tear stains?

According to Dr. Greg Magnusson, in his article, "A Veterinary Guide To Tear Stains" in the Leo's Pet Care website, tear stains are typically generated by color molecules known as porphyrins. Porphyrins are ironcontaining compounds created by the body when red blood cells are broken down. Porphyrins are largely expelled through bile and the digestive system, although a substantial proportion is excreted through tears, saliva, and urine in dogs.

Stains appear when porphyrin-containing tears or saliva settle on white fur for an extended period of time. When exposed to sunshine, these iron-related stains deepen and worsen.

Magnusson says all dogs manufacture porphyrin, although porphyrin staining is more visible in light colored dogs. When a white or lightcolored dog licks or bites on his leg, you'll notice that the fur in that region turns an iron-brown hue as well. Most tear

Rodents as Pets

RODENTS as pets, sometimes referred to as "pocket pets," are very popular pets.

The most common rodents kept as pets are hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils, chinchillas, and guinea pigs. They make good first pets for young children because they require minimal care. Most have a shorter life span than dogs and cats (two to six years for most, but chinchillas can live for up to 20 years). Young children should be told of this fact so that the sudden death of a three-year-old pet will not be a shock to them. They, like any other pet, get sick from time to time, and their illnesses can be severe.

Rodents are frequently kept as pets for young children. While children should be involved in pet care, expecting them to be fully responsible is unreasonable. An adult must be willing, capable, and accessible to supervise. While rodents are tiny and often tractable, they can inflict damage by scratching or biting. Children should not handle a rodent unless an adult has determined that the animal would tolerate typical interactions and handling in a calm manner.

Children should be taught not to disturb sleeping or resting pets or take them from their nest or nest box, as well as how to handle them securely, such as not picking them up by their limbs or tail. While touching animals, young children should always be supervised. Kids should be made aware that rodents have short lifespans so that they can manage senior animals with care and comprehend the ultimate death of their pet.

Despite the fact that most domesticated rodents require identical basic care, there are small variances in behavior across this animal species. Un-

stains in most dogs may be avoided simply by keeping the face clear of porphyrin-containing tears. Dr. Magnusson recommends trimming the face hair and cleaning the face at least twice daily with a gently moist washcloth to dilute and wipe away the tears.

Correcting a misconception.

Ptyrosporin, according to Dr. Magnusson, does not exist. Prior to the official term change in 1984, the Red Yeast everyone is talking about is not some magical red-stain-producing yeast strain found exclusively in dog tears; it is the same, brown, Malassezia that causes ear infections, skin infections, and all sorts of other yeastbased infections in dogs.

A little mistake spread across dozens of websites has resulted in a vast misconception about what causes tear stains.

If your dog has a YEAST

INFECTION beside her nose as a consequence of the fur beneath her eyes being chronically wet with tears as a result of you not washing her face and keeping her fur trimmed, it is a medical problem that may be readily addressed with regular grooming and care.

BROWN staining from yeast infection caused by inadequate grooming care and RED staining from porphyrins are two distinct diseases, according to Dr. Magnusson, which is why oral supplements aimed at lowering porphyrin synthesis will not work in all dogs.

Certain antibiotics reduce excessive porphyrin

derstanding this information ahead will aid you in finding the best chubby cheek companion for you!

Most rodents consume some mix of pelleted hay, rodent chow, grains, seeds, vegetables and fruits, with the amount of each dependent on the breed. Before acquiring a pet rodent, do some study on its food.

When getting a new pet, make sure you understand his or her housing, social and environmental needs, activity patterns, potential scents and sounds, and any other elements that may pose a problem for your household. It is most advised that you do your research first about the animal before you acquire one.

In choosing your pet rodent, what choices do you have?

In his article "Choosing Your Pet Rodent", Jeff Thompson tells us that the most common rodent pets are hamsters. Syrian and golden hamsters are the most acquired breeds. However, albino (white with pink eyes) hamsters are also available. Hamsters may fight if housed in pairs or groups, thus, they are normally housed alone.

Gerbils, which are similar in size to hamsters, are more active and gregarious, according to Thompson. Gerbils, unlike hamsters, like to be kept in pairs or small groups. Gerbils are thinner and have longer back legs that allow them to stand upright. They also have a wonderful long tail. While gerbils are strictly nocturnal, they have been observed to be more like cats, enjoying naps throughout the day and being equally active during day time and night time. Gerbils are not as easy to manage as hamsters, but they can be tamed. Prospective own-

synthesis in some dogs, indicating that yeast infection is not the sole likely source of tear stains, according to Dr. Magnusson.

Treating tear stains:

Dr. Magnusson gives us an 8-step treatment.

STEP 1: Keep your dog's face clean at all times. Wipe the face with a moist towel twice a day to eliminate excess tears, and schedule frequent grooming sessions.

STEP 2: Discard plastic food dishes. Stainless steel, porcelain, or glass are all acceptable materials. Tiny fractures in plastic food bowls can contain germs and cause face discomfort.

STEP 3: Use a moderate boric acid solution, such as that found in certain contact lens cleaners, or liquid vitamin C on a cotton ball to wipe the dog's face and lighten any existing tear stains. Acids such as boric and citric (Vit C) oxidize the porphyrin iron complexes and lighten them, whereas sunlight darkens them.

STEP 4: If your porphyria persists despite your best grooming efforts, consider a NON-Tylosin containing oral supplement, such as those indicated above.

STEP 5: If your tap water has a lot of minerals or iron, try giving your dog bottled water or using a filter to make cleaner water.

STEP 6: If you insist on administering antibiotics, medications such as doxycycline, metronidazole, and enrofloxacin have all been administered successfully under veterinary supervision.

STEP 7: Tums or Apple Cider Vinegar? - Dr. Magnusson discovered no evidence that adding a trace of ant-

acid or vinegar to your dog's massive stomach acid had any influence on the pH of their tears.

STEP 8 : Does a higher-quality food lower porphyrin synthesis in some dogs? Yes, they do. Veterinarians usually advise giving the most balanced food you can afford for your dog. Some people swear by homemade or raw meals, while others are concerned about nutritional balance difficulties with homemade diets. Most veterinarians recommend feeding a wellstudied commercial food of some sort from a big manufacturer. There are no absolutes here; do what works best for you and your family.

NOT A SINGLE MEDICATION IS SAFE. Every medication, supplement, and herb has an adverse effect. According to Dr. Magnusson, saying otherwise is careless and irresponsible. Buyer beware, and always contact your veterinarian before beginning any supplementation program for your dog.

Tear stains are an indication that there is a problem inside your dog's body. Tear stains will be more evident if your dog has been exposed to irritants or has structural eye abnormalities, but vets will still typically suggest a deeper issue. Fortunately, most of these difficulties can be rectified with a little research, hard effort, and assistance from your local vet.

About the Author: Mariana Burgos is a freelance artist. She is a solo parent for 16 years now because she is wife to a desaparecido. She and her daughter are animal lovers and are active in advocating not only human rights but the rights of animals as well.

ers should be advised that in some places, acquiring and maintaining gerbils is unlawful.

While mice can be docile and fun, they are significantly more skittish than hamsters or gerbils. Female mice behave well in pairs or small groups, whereas male mice frequently fight. Mice will scent-mark portions of their cage, so you will have to clean their cages more often, explains Thompson.

Guinea pigs are the largest and most popular of the rodents typically kept as pets, according to Thompson. Guinea pigs are the most popular rodent breed because of their large size and mild demeanor. They are gregarious, unlikely to bite, and perform well in couples or groups of the same sex. In addition, they might be more loud than other rodents. A guinea pig will require a spacious, but not double-layered, enclosure. Thompson claims that the Degu is the least popular pet rodent, although it is far from the worst. They are around three to four times the size of a hamster, live longer, and make active and devoted pets. They are highly energetic and love

to jump around, therefore even though they are smaller than a guinea pig, they will require a large sized enclosure (double or multi-layer preferred). They are gregarious rodents, like gerbils, and thrive in pairs or small groups. If you can't find packaged food, mix hamster and guinea pig chow together! They will also like hay and veggies like a rabbit. Chinchillas are lively and friendly pet rodents who enjoy snuggling. Because of their lengthy lives of 10 years or more, owning one as a pet is a long-term commitment, but because of their lively personality, they can be a lot of joy to have around. The fact that they are nocturnal mammals, they are most active in the evening. Chinchillas, despite their silky coat, should be handled only when absolutely essential. According to Thompson, chinchillas should never be washed in water since it promotes fur rot and skin fungus. A chinchilla, on the other hand, requires a daily dust bath in which they may roll to absorb oils in their fur. Due to their huge size, chinchillas require a multi-level habitat.

A rescue dog in a shelter has tear stains below the eyes. (Photo from Dreamstine royalty-free images)

Chinchilla pellets and hay will be consumed. Mariana Burgos

This poster shows a number of different breeds of rodents with their name-breed, size, and lifespan. (Photo from FactZoo.com)

rat. (Photo from the article, Five

Rats, of the Tufts Now website).

A little girl puts her pet rodent inside her jumper pocket. (Photo from the article, 7 Best Small Pets to Consider for Your Child, the Parents website)

A toy poodle mix breed has tear stains on its face. (Photo from Dreamstine royalty-free images)

A toy poodle mix breed has tear stains on its face. (Photo from Dreamstine royalty-free images)