Manila Standard - 2023 March 27 - Monday

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

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Explosives found at Teves mill

Firearms, ammo also buried in sugar firm site; Terrorism charges mulled

By Charles Dantes

POLICE on Sunday dug up various firearms, ammunition, and suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the compound of the sugar mill owned by former Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves, the brother of suspended Rep. Arnolfo Teves.

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First Lady posts snap of Imelda to put rumors of demise to rest

FIRST Lady Liza Marcos posted a photo on Instagram with her motherin-law, Imelda Marcos, on Sunday, days after rumors that the former First Lady had died circulated online. Also in the photo is Tingog Partylist Rep. Yedda Romualdez, the wife of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the

San Miguel cop chief shot dead in robbery try

By Charles Dantes and Orlan Mauricio

SAN Miguel, Bulacan police chief Lt.

Marlon Serna was shot dead Saturday night while responding to a robbery in Barangay San Juan, a police report said.

Serna’s team chanced upon two unidentified suspects riding a motorcycle, who opened fire.

Serna was hit in the head and taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his wounds.

The Philippine National Police later offered a P1.2 million reward for anyone who can give information on the whereabouts and identities of the suspects.

The reward came from the Department of Interior and Local Government,which gave P500,000; the Police Regional Office Region 3 which gave P300,000; PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., who gave P200,000; and Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando, who gave another P200,000.

Police Regional Office 3 Director Police Brigadier General JoseHidalgo Jr. said that he tasked the Bulacan Provincial Police Office to investigate the incident.

PNP spokesperson PCol. Jean Fajardo said Serna joined the pursuit operations using his own vehicle, and around 10:30 p.m., they encountered the suspects, who fired at them when they tried to intercept them.

The killers escaped towards Barangay Akle in San Ildefonso town.

Pursuit operations were ongoing.

cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and a nephew of Imelda Marcos. The 93-year-old Imelda, who was also a representative for Ilocos Norteuntil 2019, was last seen in public in May, weeks after her son won the presidency in a landslide.

WEAPONS SEARCH. Operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group dig up a portion of the HDJ Tolong sugar mill compound in barangay Caranoche, Sta Catalina, Negros Oriental on Sunday as they look for weapons following a tip from an informant. They previously recovered high-powered weapons, ammunition, and P18 million in cash from the sugar mill (see photos on A2). PNP CIDG Photo

Standard debuts ‘Environment & Sustainability’

MANILA STANDARD has decided to come out with a weekly section called Environment & Sustainability every Monday, found on page C1 in this issue.

The section aims to expand the readership of the paper and reach out to the younger generation that now comprises the majority of the population. The Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z and Gen Alpha (born between 1965 and 2013) comprise the majority of news readers now, with a sprinkling of the Baby Boomer Generation who were born from 1946 to 1964.

We feel that the Environment & Sustainability section will satisfy the hunger of the younger generation for information on social and environment issues affecting the planet. One common trait of the younger generations is their support of the United Nations' Sustainable Goals that seeks to end poverty and achieve a sustainable lifestyle through reduced carbon footprints, clean water, renewable energy, recycling and ecological balance. The younger generations, for one, are more

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY M Philippine supporting development.--

Oil spill compensation seen eclipsing P1.1-b 2006 record

By Rio N. Araja and Vince Lopez

COMPENSATION claims as a result of the massive oil spill from the MT Princess Empress could surpass those filed in the aftermath of the environmental disaster in the Guimaras Strait in 2006, when the

MT Solar sank with its cargo of 2 million liters of bunker fuel, a lawmaker said Sunday.

“If we look back at the MT Solar incident, a total of P1.1 billion was paid to settle 26,872 compensation claims, including those filed by owners of beach resorts, tour boat operators, and other tourism service providers hit by the 2006

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oil spill,” said Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, vice chairman of the House tourism committee.

The Guimaras disaster was widely considered the country’s worst oil spill in history.

But considering that the MT Solar episode happened 17 years ago, Rillo said the inflation-adjusted compensation

Brace for water interruptions, El Niño—Maynilad

WATER concessionaire Maynilad has advised the public to be ready for possible water interruptions in the coming dry season and the threat of an El Nino phenomenon.

Maynilad said it will post possible

water interruptions on its social media accounts, and Corporate Communications

Head Jennifer Rufo also said the firm is expecting the water reservoirs on dams to dip, with fewer rain showers expected in the coming dry season.

claims with respect to the pollution damage caused by the MT Princess Empress may well exceed P1.1 billion.

“Apart from tourism-related claimants, we expect property owners hit by the oil spill to file compensation claims for damages to beachfront properties, fishing boats, and fishing gear,” Rillo said.

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Maynilad, however, said the supply of water from Angat Dam remains “good,” while noting that the water level at Ipo Dam has slightly dipped.

Maynilad also said several Metro

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CAGAYAN de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Sunday chided the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) for flip-flopping on amending restrictive provisions of the Constitution to attract more foreign investments. “MBC and Finex are now against Charter amendments. Before thisposition, they were in favor of changing the Constitution’s economic provisions,” he said.

In a joint statement on Friday, MBC, Finex, and other business groups said they opposed the current House initiative to rewrite the Constitution’s economic provisions.

They cited the high cost of funding a constitutional convention that would propose the amendments, and said the investment promotion campaign of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and recently enacted laws that aim to relax

Biz groups bashed for ‘flip-flopping’ stand on Cha-cha

HALE AND HEARTY. First Lady Liza Marcos (right) smiles for an Instagram post with her mother-in-law Imelda Marcos (left) and Rep. Yedda Romualdez, wife of Imelda’s nephew Speaker Martin Romualdez.

This came a day after the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) seized P18 million in cash, multiple firearms, and nearly 10,000 rounds of live ammunition from the HDJ Bayawan Agri-Ven-

ture Corp. Tolong compound in Bayawan City. Three security personnel allegedly linked to Pryde Teves were also arrested following the raid. PNP-CIDG chief legal

SC sides with LTO on card project

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has ruled that the Land Transportation Office (LTO)’s use of the P341.7 million left in its 2016 budget to augment the P528.7 million appropriated in 2017 for the driver’s license card (DLC) project was constitutional.

In an en banc decision written by Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, the Court dismissed the petition filed by then partylist Rep. Aniceto D. Bertiz III assailed the legality of the agency's use of the balance of its 2016 budget for the driver’s license card project.

Bertiz asked the Court to declare the move unconstitutional and asked it to stop the driver’s license card project.

The lawmaker also claimed that the LTO’s bids and awards committee (BAC) conducted a “rigged and ma-

Explosives...

From A1 officer Col. Thomas Valmonte identified them as members of the former governor's security detail.

Loose firearms were allegedly recovered from the three suspects, Valmonte said.

Following a tip from an informant, CIDG operatives led by Police Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. unearthed the items with the use of a backhoe inside the HDJ Tolong Compound in Barangay Caranoche, Sta. Catalina town.

The CIDG officials said the seized explosives were similar to what the New People's Army (NPA) and other armed groups in Mindanao use in their attacks.

Asked if the recovered firearms had been used in the March 4 killingof Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo -- of which a certain "CongTeves" is allegedly the mastermind -- Valmonte said they have yet to put the weapons under ballistic and laboratory tests.

Charges of illegal possession of firearms would be filed against the suspects before the Department of Justice headquarters in Manila, he added.

Valmonte also said the CIDG was now looking at an "intention ofterrorism" with the recovery of some explosives.

Pryde Teves maintained his innocence over the seized items, notingthat there are at least 200 houses within the compound where employees and relatives are residing. He said he will order an internalinvestigation within the sugar mill corporation, of which he is president.

“I will have to make my pencil-pushing and I will order an investigation on the records on who went inside, who went outside,” he added.

Degamo unseated Teves in a recount of the May 2022 gubernatorial race, while Rep. Arnie Teves was earlier implicated in the governor’s murder, although he had previously denied involvement in the crime.

But Valmonte reiterated that the police search on the former governor's property had nothing to with the Degamo slay case and was only part of their "Oplan Paglalansag Omega," the CIDG's campaign against illegally possessed firearms and explosives.

Biz..

From A1 certain economic restrictions were enough.

But Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the opposition from six big business groups echoed the position of “independentminded members” of the House of Representatives against a constitutional convention to amend the Constitution.

He said he agreed with the business groups that a convention was nottimely as the government has to address more pressing economicproblems of poverty, inflation, and food security.

The huge budget for a convention could better be spent on a “pro-people agenda and reforms.”

He said the recent statutes liberalizing the entry of foreign investments should first be fully implemented before amending the Constitution, he added.

Also over the weekend, Senator Robin Padilla welcomed SpeakerFerdinand Martin Romualdez’s openness to discuss amending the Constitution through a constituent assembly instead of a constitutional convention.

But Rodriguez said the President’s efforts to attract foreign capital “are commendable but are still subject to the limitations of the Constitution, as are recent laws, including the amended Public Service Act.”

“These laws cannot amend the Charter. As for the cost involved, we are trying to keep them to the minimum,” he said.

MBC and Finex favored Charter reform in previous position papers sent to his committee, Rodriguez said.

In a position paper dated Sept. 11, 2019, MBC said it was reiterating its “long-running support” to lift investment restrictions in the Constitution.

“Among other means, we support adding

nipulated" bidding, which resulted in the award of the contract to Dermalog (Dermalog, CFP and Nextix, Inc. joint venture).

“The use of the Land Transportation Office of the amount appropriated under ‘Issuance of driver's license and permits’ in the General Appropriations Act of 2016 to supplement the amount appropriated under ‘Issuance of driver's license and permits’ in the General Appropriations Act of 2017 is not unconstitutional,” the Court said.

Caramat said the area searched was near the back portion of a firing range owned by Henry Teves.

The recovery effort collected rocketpropelled grenade (RPG) ammunition without a serial number and marking, one caliber.45 pistol, three improvised explosive devices (IEDs), black powder, various live ammunition, assorted spent ammo cartridges and slugs, and components used in the making of IEDs.

Workers of HDJ Bayawan, local barangay officials, and Pryde Teves'legal counsel, James Miraflor, were present during the recovery operation conducted by PNP-CIDG.

The operation began last Friday as CIDG implemented a search warrant on the compound for a possible violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

The PNP-CIDG team initially confiscated over P18 million in cash, numerous high-caliber firearms, and more than 9,000 rounds of assorted live ammunition.

The excavation unit was instructed to be on alert for the possibilityof more hidden IEDs in the search area, which could pose a threat to their lives, Caramat said.

"It's a vast area," Valmonte told reporters when asked why the search has taken days.

"The explosives, actually, when you possess it, you are intending touse it, definitely, because it is assembled, and the cost of buying explosive powder is no joke, so we are looking into angle of acts of terrorism here,” he said.

Pryde 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 the company he heads.

“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, 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.”

the words ‘unless otherwise provided by law,’ following the constitutional provisions that set the limits on various sectors. In a competitive global economy, we believe in lower barriers to trade and investment in general. In a dynamic global economy, we believe any barriers should be subject to modification by the President and Congress, better than being fixed in the Constitution,” the MBC paper read.

It said a survey among Asean nations, China, and India “shows that while their constitutions may discuss economic principles, specific economic restrictions, and guidelines are left to the legislature.”

“Further economic liberalization will bring in new players and technology, who will boost competition on price and quality, benefiting Filipino consumers,” it said.

Finex, in a letter to the Rodriguez committee on Feb. 17, said it agreed with House members on the need to amend the Charter’s economic provisions, “which have resulted in the most restrictive economic environment among our peer countries and have impeded foreign investments.”

“We note that in almost all countries in the world, restrictions on foreign investments are not contained in their Constitutions. Instead, restrictions on foreign trade and investments are done through legislation or administrative orders that can be changed to suit shifting national priorities,” it said.

Finex at that time also backed the proposed convening of a constitutional convention to propose the amendments.

Rodriguez also cited the Jan. 22, 2021 joint statement of several business organizations, including MBC, Finex, Filipina CEO Circle, Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Judicial Reform Initiative, more than a year before the May 2022 elections. Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

However, it clarified that the “ruling in the present case will not include a determination of the propriety of the bidding process conducted by the LTO as well as the subsequent award of the contract to Dermalog… as the resolution of such issues necessarily involves settling questions of fact. This Court is not a trier of facts….”

In dismissing the petition, the Court said that Bertiz’s assertion “is belied by the text of the law itself.”

Section 65 of the 2016 General Appropriations Act (GAA) “explicitly authorized and prescribed the limits on the use of appropriations in 2016 for 2017,” the Court said.

It pointed out that Section 65 states that appropriations authorized for maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlays shall be available for release and obligation for

Oil...

From A1

“Those who suffered economic losses, including fisherfolk, seaweed farmers, and fishpond operators, are likewise expected to file claims,” Rillo said.

Meanwhile, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Tingog partylist Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Social Welfare and Development Secretary RexGatchalian distributed cash assistance of P3,000 to 600 oil spill victims in Oriental Mindoro.

The Speaker’s office also gave the province’s first congressional district, led by Rep. Arnan Panaligan, a P500,000 calamity fund. The P3,000 cash aid came from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (see related story on A4 – Editors) Local governments that had to pay their staff extra in response to the oil spill are also expected to file claims, along with clean-up contractors and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Rillo said.

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito

Dolor and an insurance representative earlier announced the launch of a “Claims Caravan” in Calapan City that will serve as a claims-collecting point for those harmed by the MT Princess Empress’s oil spill.

As of March 23, the Oriental Mindoro provincial government had recorded 20,932 fishermen, 61 tourism establishments and 750 communitybased organizations that are expected to file claims.

The entire province of Oriental Mindoro is now under a state of calamity because of the oil spill, which has also hit coastal areas in Batangas, Antique and Palawan.

The MT Princess Empress sank off Naujan, Mindoro Oriental on Feb. 28, while carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil on the way to Iloilo from Bataan, the PCG said.

Meanwhile, Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the US Coast Guard and some of its air assets will arrive in the Philippines to help in the ongoing clean-up operations.

In a report to President Ferdinand

Standard...

From A1 socially-conscious about the im pact of climate change on everyday life. The paper and its online edition feel that a pro-active Environment

the purpose specified… “for a period extending to one fiscal year after the end of the year in which such items were appropriated.”

The Court said the provision in Section 65 “is an example of ‘existing or continuing appropriations’ or ‘appropriations which have been previously enacted by Congress and which continue to remain valid as an appropriation authority for the expenditure of public funds.’”

“The LTO therefore was acting well within the bounds of law when it supplemented the appropriation for its 2017 DLC Project with the balance of its 2016 appropriation for the same purpose,” the Court said.

In December 2015, the 2016 GAA under Republic Act No. 10717 budgeted P587.49 million for the 2016 DLC project.

Gov’t letting US dictate terms of EDCA—group

THE Marcos administration has been misleading Filipinos on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) by letting the United States dictate the terms, the militant group Bayan Muna said on Sunday.

The EDCA expansion has allowed the creation of four new US troop bases in the Philippines on top of the existing five.

Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares cited two articles of the EDCA that are allegedly disadvantageous to the Philippines.

According to Article 4, “the prepositioned materiel of the US forcesshall be for the exclusive use of the US forces, and full title to all such equipment, supplies and materiel remains with the US. US forces shall have control over the access to and disposition of such prepositioned materiel.”

Colmenares pointed out that Article 4 lets the US store weapons, ammunition, and equipment in the Philippines, but the country has no say on these.

“It is noteworthy, that the US retained ‘control over the access and disposition’ of these materiel and the Filipinos could not access these highly sensitive and classified ‘prepositioned materiel.’ We cannot even monitor if they have chemical or nuclear weapons in these storage depots,” he added.

He also questioned Article 3, which lays out the terms on land access.

“When requested, the Designated Authority of the Philippines shall assist in facilitating transit or temporary access by United States forces to public land and facilities (including roads, ports, and airfields), including those owned or controlled by local governments, and to other land and facilities (including roads, ports, and airfields),” Article 3 reads.

Brace...

From A1

Manila and Cavite areas experienced water service interruptions or low pressure on Saturday due to high water demand at the Bagbag Reservoir, GMA News reported.

Among the areas that were affected were parts of Caloocan, Manila, Malabon, Makati, Quezon City, Parañaque City, and Pasay City.

The affected Cavite areas were Bacoor, Imus, Novoleta, Rosario, and Kawit.

The service interruption started at 10 a.m. and would resume by 10 p.m. on Saturday, Maynilad said.

Marcos Jr., Galvez said they were expecting the arrival of the entire

“We are looking forward to the arrival of the entire US Coast Guardcontingent for the additional technical support in our disaster response operations,” Galvez said in a report to President FerdinandMarcos Jr. “Although, one US C-17 with equipment (60K loader) alreadyarrived this morning and is now at Subic Air Base, another C-5 is expected to arrive tomorrow,” Galvez said.

Galvez, who is also chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Undersecretary

Ariel Nepomuceno and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) chief Admiral Artemio Abu and other Armed Forces and local government officials, conducted an aerial inspection of the affected areas of theoil spill early Sunday morning.

Galvez said the presence of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has greatly helped in the clean-up operations by providing rapid environmental assessments of the affected areas, identification of priority areas at risk of environmental damage, and assessment of the needs for ecosystem restoration.

The DND senior official also reported that the Japanese remotelyoperated vessel (ROV) which found the sunken MT Princess Empress said the tanker had suffered extensive structural damage after sinking.

He said at this point, it was unclear how much oil remained in the tanker and at what rate it was leaking out.

Galvez said the situation in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon,Palawan) and Western Visayas was “a lot better” than he had imagined and that this was “encouraging.”

“Our response efforts, particularly the actions of the various government agencies, are present and very effective with the collaboration of all stakeholders, not to mention the assistance of our allies and other partner countries,” Galvez said.

To date, the Marcos administration and non-government organizationshave already extended more than P95 million worth of assistance to the residents in the areas affected by the oil spill.

and Sustainability weekly section dovetails with the preferences and the general goals of our youth. Manila Standard will be the ally of the younger generation, as well as the corporates that have aligned their operations to achieve their own sustainability goals.

“The water level of our main reservoir dropped faster than anticipatedfollowing stronger withdrawal, likely due to the summer heat as more water is consumed,” the firm, quoted by GMA News, said.

“We issued the emergency advisory to avert a longer service interruption if the reservoir is allowed to become fully depleted. Mobile water tankers were deployed to augment supplies meantime,” the company added.

Following the end of La Niña or increased rainfall due tolower-thannormal air pressure over the western Pacific, the Philippines is now bracing for the possible El Niño phenomenon, which the weather bureau expects to start in June.

“We expect below average rainfall conditions, so the weather will be hot. Maybe the weather will get even hotter because there is no weather system that will give us rain,” Rufo said.

Currently, the water level in Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa Dams are slightly below normal.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), meanwhile,said the water level in Angat Dam would not reach critical levels during the summer.

Engineer Jose Dorado Jr., MWSS deputy administrator for engineering and technical operations group, said from their simulation on March 12, Angat Dam water levels will reach 184 meters by the end of July.

“Our minimum operating level is 180 meters, so we are still four meters higher if the trend of the curve simulated for the supply for the Angat reservoir continues,” Dorado said. Rio N. Araja

First...

From A1

"Still strong and kicking!" was how a niece of Imelda Marcos doused rumors that the matriarch has passed away on Thursday.

Eliza Romualdez-Valtos posted an old photo of Marcos on Twitter and used the hashtag #notofakenews.

Marcos' daughter, Sen. Imee Marcos, also said rumors on her mom's alleged demise have been swirling for a week now.

"Last week pa yan, ang bad ng nagkakalat (the one spreading it is bad)," the senator said.

Mrs. Marcos was trending on Twitter last week, owing to the rumors of her death.

CASH, AMMO STASH. Police investigators recover high-powered weapons, ammunition, and P18 million in cash from the HDJ Tolong sugar mill compound in Sta Catalina, Negros Oriental on Friday (see story on A1). PNP CIDG Photos

WESTERN AND CENTRAL VISAYAS

The capable Lady Legislators of Western and Central Visayas

By Patricia taculao

DUE to its booming economy, rich history and culture, and captivating landscapes, the island group of Visayas continuously impresses local and international personalities from various industries. For instance, Region VI (Western Visayas, composed of Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo) is home to the world-renowned Boracay beach and famous festivals, like Dinagyang, Masskara, and Ati-Atihan. On the other hand, Region VII (Central Visayas, composed of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor) is the gateway for foreign and domestic tourism. These features are only some of what makes the two Visayan regions worth visiting and empowering. Fortunately, they have competent lady legislators representing them in the House of Representatives to voice their needs and wants for a more secure and progressive future.

HON. JANE T. CASTRO (Capiz, Second District)

“I can encourage and inspire women to reach for their dreams, contribute to society, and take on leadership roles despite their circumstances in life; that whether they are stay-at-home mothers like I was before I entered politics, or executives in large corporations, as long as they work hard, and push for small changes to better themselves and their environment at home and at work, it will slowly improve women’s affairs.”

After serving as the Representative of Capiz’s Second District, Castro successfully returned to the position for the 19th Congress. It shows how the people trusted her brand of public service as it positively impacted her community throughout the years.

Castro is a seasoned and wise public servant. She actively led her constituents in developing and preserving Capiz’s heritage. The lawmaker also embraces change in the modern world, allowing her to connect more with Filipinos. In the 19th Congress, she pushed for several acts, including encouraging corporate social responsibility, establishing an aquaculture feed mill in a barangay in Panay, Capiz, and providing for developing sustainable cities and communities in the Philippines.

HON. MA. LUCILLE L. NAVA, M.D. (Guimaras, Lone District)

“Standing in a crucial position to transform the women in our community, I endeavor to embody strength and light. My advocacy is to give them a voice in policies affecting them, to teach them financial literacy and to sustain the livelihood that is granted to them by the government. This was my guiding principle when I founded the Integrated Women’s Alliance of Guimaras in 2017. The Integrated Women’s Alliance of Guimaras is taking bigger strides by becoming an active contributor to their community, as they become an integral member of the Development Councils in the Province. This has proven successful in improving the role of women in their communities, and not just as the housewives and mothers, but in giving them a powerful voice to steer the development of their Barangays and Municipalities, and later, even at the Provincial level.

Today, members of the Integrated Women’s Alliance of Guimaras have found their collective voice as they continue to create opportunities for themselves. This has led to success stories of sustainability paving the way for financial stability. As their founding chairwoman, this gives me the opportunity and duty to open more doors for them and bridge institutional and societal gaps. As a legislator, I became the Chairperson for the House Committee on Population and Family Relations during the previous 18th Congress. During my stint, I dealt with all referred matters relating to population growth, family planning and the rights and responsibilities relating to family relations. This 19th Congress, as a Vice-Chairperson in the Committee of Appropriations. I endeavor to use this new position to ensure programs that cultivate health, education and the protection of women and seniors remain in place. At this juncture in my political career, I hope to inspire more young people, especially young girls, that the possibilities are endless. Work hard. Follow your dreams. Be the voice where there is none.”

Since the pandemic struck two years ago, people began to appreciate the relevance of having someone knowledgeable about medicine representing the community. Fortunately, Nava already established herself as well-versed in politics and health. As an example of a modern woman, she proves she can have a flourishing career and a happy home.

Even though she’s in her last term as a legislator, Nava remains dedicated to providing a better life for her constituents. Her recent goal is to have better infrastructure in her district to improve the public’s quality of living, tourism, and economy.

Nava has principally authored bills that advocate education, health and environmental protection. These include the conversion of Guimaras State College into Guimaras State University, the upgrading of Dr. Catalino Gallego Nava Provincial Hospital to a Level II hospital, the

declaration of Taklong Marine Reserve to be protected as a Natural Park, and the Permanent Validity of Certificates of Live Birth, Death and Marriage.

HON. JANETTE L. GARIN (Iloilo, First District)

“As women, we have to work doubly hard to ensure that our voices are not drowned out in a patriarchal society. As a legislator, I understand that my voice is powered by the voices of my constituents. With this challenge and responsibility in mind, my voice should echo that of my people and be loud enough to be heard by those in power. By leading with honesty and integrity and ensuring that I am serving my people effectively, I can empower both girls and women to believe in the power of their own voices and to see that they too can lead.

I will work to break down the barriers that hold Filipinas back and to create opportunities for them to succeed. Together, with women leaders in the House, we can create a society that values and uplifts women, where their voices are heard and their contributions are celebrated.

I believe that nothing is louder than the voice of a fiery woman with an advocacy to work for, principles to stand for, and people to serve.”

Doc Nanay, as she is endearingly called by her constituents, has always prioritized legislation and projects that empower the people, going beyond the boundaries of the First District of Iloilo. Her deep understanding of the plight of women, children, the elderly, and the less privileged drives her to ensure that public welfare comes first. Employing her background in public health and medicine, she ushered the enactment of laws such as the Cheaper Medicines Act, Reproductive Health Law, and Magna Carta of Women.

Garin’s brand of service is a perfect mixture of head, heart, and hands. She launched several livelihood projects in her district, providing earnest ways for Ilonggo families to have additional income despite the pandemic.

She was chosen as one of the Top 100 Inspiring People of the World in 2011 by Women Deliver New York and was conferred with the Order of Lakandula, the highest honor given by the Philippine President, citing the important contributions she has made to Public Health.

In the 19th Congress, Garin’s principally authored bills include strengthening the technical, vocational, and livelihood curriculum for senior high school students, providing for early voting by qualified senior citizens, persons with disabilities, lawyers, and human resources, and an act instituting the Magna Carta of Filipino seafarers. Her Waray blood mixed with her Ilonggo heart and mind empowered her to be an example of a strong woman leader from Western Visayas.

HON. JULIENNE “JAM” BARONDA (Iloilo City, Lone District)

“Shattering the glass ceiling when it comes to advancing women’s causes has been my advocacy. In fact, I championed the passage of the Iloilo City Gender and Development Code when I was a City Councilor. As a House legislator, I have always supported legislative measures that would redound to the reshaping of a Filipino society where women are empowered, strong and independent. I have also provided training opportunities to capacitate my fellow women.”

Locals from Iloilo City know that Baronda always considers their welfare across all industries, such as health, culture and arts, safety and security, and education. She’s the first female House Member in Iloilo, allowing her to set an example for women who want to become a trailblazer for nation-building like her.

Baronda always keeps herself busy as a public servant. If she’s not outside to greet her constituents and show them something new, she’s always deep in thought to inspire innovative ideas to improve her people’s lives.

In Congress, Baronda pushes several bills, including granting additional benefits to Filipino centenarians, recognizing octogenarians and nonagenarians, creating a special economic zone at the free port in Iloilo, and establishing the Iloilo City Geriatric Medical Center.

HON. JULIET MARIE DE LEON FERRER (Negros Occidental, Fourth District)

As a lawyer and ex-officio Judicial and Bar Council member, Ferrer exercises her knowledge of Philippine law by prioritizing justice. She appropriately uses her platforms to ensure Filipinos receive fair treatment when they fight for what they believe is right. She’s also the Chairperson for the 19th Congress’s Committee on Justice.

Ferrer acts confidently, which she also brings to the House of Representatives. Locals from the Fourth District of Negros Occidental know they have the congresswoman to turn to when they need her the most. She also advocates for her province’s economic benefit and women’s and children’s welfare.

Some of her authored bills include reinstituting absolute divorce as an alternative mode for the dissolution of marriage, establishing the Negros Island Region, and founding the Negros Occidental Heart, Lung, and Kidney Center.

HON. MERCEDES ALVAREZ

(Negros Occidental, Sixth District)

“I am a woman; therefore, I lead. I have the privilege of helping write the law of the land because women before me have paved the way. This cycle of solidarity must continue. May we build this culture of empowering one another— because we’ve got each other’s back.”

Even though being a lawmaker is a challenging position to be in, Alvarez doesn’t let it keep her from being positive. She always finds new ways to share happiness with her fellow Filipinos. After all, being happy with oneself is also an ideal way to show enthusiasm for one’s job and encourage others to do the same.

The lady legislator is a staunch advocate of sustainable tourism, especially for the sites in her province. Her dedication allows Filipinos to see the beauty around them—if they know where to look. Her authored bills in the 19th Congress include the establishment of dialysis clinics in all national, regional, provincial, and strategic district hospitals, strengthening mental health services of state universities and colleges, and fortifying the particular program in creative arts for junior and senior high school. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Committee on Local Government and a Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations. She was also a Deputy Speaker during the 17th Congress. Alvarez also furthers her passion for public service through her position as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Philippine Army Reserve Command and holds a Master‘s Degree in National Security Administration.

HON. EMMARIE “LOLYPOP” M. OUANO-DIZON (Mandaue City, Lone District)

“I always consider women’s welfare in legislative proposals presented, covering women in education, livelihood, and other fields. Our social media pages trumpet women’s triumphs, especially in business. I want to be an instrument in sending the message to everyone that if these women were able to achieve these, so can you.”

Over the years, Ouano-Dizon established herself as an ideal political figure to her people. She pushed for more representation in Congress for Mandaue citizens. She now serves as the people’s voice to address their concerns better. She launched various programs in Mandaue, such as scholarships for hundreds of interested applicants and to better equip them to find jobs. She works closely with government agencies, like TESDA, to ensure the success of her endeavors and reach more Filipinos in the process. Her contributions to the 19th Congress include several bills recognizing several locations in the Philippines as tourism sites. Others include strengthening the mental health services of state universities and colleges, and establishing the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines. She’s also a principal author in the House of Representative who filed the Malasakit Bill, which has now become the R.A. No. 11463, otherwise known as the “Malasakit Centers Act.”

In this 19th Congress, she filed House Bill No. 2373, otherwise known as the “Dialysis Center Act,” seeking to establish facilities that would provide quality renal health services for Filipinos. It will also establish health facilities at the national, regional, and provincial levels that will give free dialysis to indigent Filipinos.

HON. KRISTINE ALEXIE TUTOR (Bohol, Third District)

“In the words of Ms. Universe Catriona Gray, ‘[But] I stand here today because someone believed in me and we owe it to our children to believe in them.’

As a member of the House of Representatives, I advance women’s causes and rights through active participation in spreading awareness through healthy discourse and informing others of the said advocacy. By utilizing my platforms in social media in spreading truthful information, and also speaking up by supporting bills that seek to support women in the various committees in which I am a member, I am able to inspire women and bring attention to women’s plights in our community.

I also believe that a major part of being a guiding light is urging educational institutions to provide comprehensive and inclusive sexual education that tackles women’s rights, health, and well-being, as it is a form of support for the youth to further utilize and amplify their own voices by being wellinformed citizens who can also do their part in protecting women’s causes through grassroots solutions.”

When Tutor won the elections for Representative of the Third District of Bohol in 2019, she became the first lady legislator from her constituency and the second from Bohol. Despite being young, she bested experienced solons in the bid for the position to prove that age or gender isn’t a factor that defines her competency as a public servant.

In November 2020, she launched several notable projects in her district. These included a patient transport vehicle (PTV) service for residents of the Third District. It became possible under the Oplan Tabang program, which provides free transportation services and access to the province’s medical facilities for indigent patients, PWD, and senior citizens.

She also passed bills in the 19th Congress, including requiring the registration of subscriber identity module cards, upgrading salary scales of public dentists, and increasing the monthly social pension of senior citizens, to name a few.

HON. RACHEL MARGUERITE DEL MAR (Cebu City, First District)

“It wasn’t always like this. Only 12 women legislators were elected during Batasan Pambansa from June 12, 1978 to June 5, 1984. The number increased a little during the 8th Congress where we had 20 lady legislators in 1987 to 1992. In 2010 during my first term in Congress (15th Congress) we were 64 lady legislators. Today, I am proud to be one of the 84 lady legislators in the 19th Congress.

We have lots of ladies in public service from SK Councilors, SK Chairmen, Brgy. Councilors, Brgy. Captains, Mayors, Governors, Congresswomen, Senators, Cabinet Secretaries. Our country even had women Vice Presidents and not just one,but two women Presidents.

I would like to encourage women to continue to be great leaders and inspire the next generation to achieve even greater heights!” Del Mar, who also goes by the moniker ”Cutie”, leads the proud region of Cebu and its First District. She upholds a brand of excellence in her duties as a House Member. No matter how big or small, Del Mar offers whatever she can to her constituents. It’s this level of commitment that pushes the people she leads to trust her.

The lawmaker often goes around her district to show how active she is in nation-building. She focuses on almost all aspects to secure her region’s prosperity, including health, safety, education, and more.

In Congress, her contributions benefit the people from her district and Filipinos nationwide. Some examples include creating the Mega Cebu Development Authority, strengthening the people’s right to information, and regulating the operations of motorcycles-for-hire.

HON. JOCELYN SY LIMKAICHONG (Negros Oriental, First District)

“Being the first woman representative in Negros Oriental, I recognize the immense responsibility that comes with this position. As a woman public servant, I have a special responsibility to ensure that women in our community have the support and resources they need to succeed. I will continue to use my voice and platform to champion legislative measures that seek to promote gender equality, greater access to healthcare and education, and better economic opportunities for women. Through my work, I hope to inspire and guide future women leaders to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact in their communities.

Hindi tayo babae lang. Babae tayo. Together, we can make a difference and create a brighter future for all women.”

As a legislator of her caliber, Limkaichong doesn’t let anything get past her. She continues to address her constituents’ concerns, including health, agriculture, education, rural development, and tourism. She serves her public passionately, as evident in their smiles whenever she meets them on the field.

Limkaichong also recognizes the youth’s power in nation-building. Her projects also empower the younger generation as she teaches them the values of the things she advocates. She also finds ways to provide women with livelihoods as they work toward better lives.

The lawmaker even advocates for sustainable tourism, evident in the bills she pushed in the 19th Congress to recognize several key destinations in the country. She also pushed for instituting the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, among others.

HON. JANICE SALIMBANGON (Cebu, Fourth District)

“A leader is not gender-based. A man or woman can be a good and effective leader. What matters is the character and aspirations of a person. As a woman legislator and a mother, my focus is on the welfare of the family, children, health, and environment. I filed and supported bills that gives equal opportunities for all, provides platform for quality education, access to good health services, and protects the environment.”

Due to Cebu’s location as an economic and tourism hub, Salimbangon has to lead with bravery, strength, and grace—which she does. She often keeps herself busy by going around her district to see where she could help. Despite the responsibilities, Salimbangon always shows up with a smile to show her unwavering passion for public service.

She now focuses on establishing infrastructure projects, including multi-purpose buildings and more. She also advocates the welfare of women and children, agriculture, education, and others through her various activities.

In the meantime, her contributions to the 19th Congress include an act imposing an excise tax on plastic bags, an act creating the Philippine centers for disease prevention and control, and an act providing for the enabling environment to foster the growth of public-private partnerships for infrastructure and other development projects.

JOCELYN SY LIMKAICHONG REP. JANICE SALIMBANGON

Romualdez duo, DSWD hand out aid in Davao Oro to quake victims

By Rio N. Araja

IN partnership with Secretary Rex Gatchalian of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and wife Tingog partylist Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez have distributed cash aid to at least 1,653 families who fell victim to the series of tremors that rocked the province of Davao de Oro in the past week.

“Natural calamities, such as earthquakes, are unforeseen, and the injuries and damage they cause are of no fault of the victims. So, it is only just to allocate and direct the government’s ayuda program to victims of the Davao de Oro earthquakes,” the Speaker said.

A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Mindanao on March 22, followed by strong aftershocks that caused a considerable amount of damage to property of the people.

The couple helped facilitate the release of cash aid to the victims, most of whom were displaced by the earthquake, under DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.

“We know that the amount of assistance does not really cover the damage done by the recent calamity. But we hope it alleviates a little our citizens’ plight in this time of need. The government is doing everything in its power to restore normalcy to Davao de Oro,” the party-list lawmaker said.

DSWD, along with representatives from the Speaker office and local government officials, conducted AICS payouts to the municipalities of Compostela, New Bataan and Maragusan.

In Compostela, 319 beneficiaries received cash aid of P3,000 each.

Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada represented the Romualdez couple in the financial aid distribution and was accompanied by Davao de Oro Rep. Maricar Zamora.

The Speaker’s message was delivered by Gabonada who said that when the Speaker’s province of Leyte fell victim to a strong typhoon in 2013, Davao de Oro was one of the provinces to send aid.

BRIDGE FISHING. A man casts a shing net o the W. Diokno Bridge along Macapagal Ave. in Parañaque City on Sunday, hoping the stream leading to the Manila Bay will provide him his next meal.

Lino Santos

Study of devolution to LGUs out in 2 months—DBM exec

THE study on the devolution of some roles of the executive branch to local governments is expected to be out in two months, a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) offi cial said over the weekend.

“Last week, the President directed the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) to further study the implementation of this full devolution taking into consideration the overall capacities of the local government units (LGUs) and to take a look at the particular functions and services that should be retained by the national government,” DBM Director John Aries Macaspac said in a news forum in Quezon City.

“So, these are basically those that cannot really be implemented by the local government units taking into consideration their technical and financial capacity and then we will also identify those that could already be implemented by the local governments,” Macaspac added.

After the completion of the study, DBM will propose the necessary policy recom-

STAR program to aid move of domestic flights to NAIA

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Manila International Airport Authority will start the second phase of its Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization (STAR) program in April, making Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 exclusively for all domestic flights.

MIAA General Manager Cesar Chiong stressed that under this program, international flights will be reassigned to Terminals 1 and 3, where passengers can enjoy a wider selection of food and retail stores and spend more time in duty free shopping.

“With this move, we expect a significant increase in Terminal 2’s capacity from 7.5M to 10M passengers a year, 20 to 25% more than its current rate,” Chiong said, noting that taking out infrastructure such as immigration counters would give the much

mendations for the Chief Executive “to issue and to serve as guidance of the local governments and the national government agencies in the implementation of the full devolution effort.”

The necessary policy guidelines will also be issued or probably an amendment to Executive Order (EO) 138, Macaspac said, adding that the DBM together with its partner agencies, particularly the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), will also issue the corresponding implementing guidelines for the purpose.

“And the local government units, as well as the national government agencies concerned will be duly informed, capacitated and, well, they will be informed of these policy directives for the full, efficient and effective implementation of this full devolution effort of the government,” he said.

Macaspac pointed out that the full devolution effort of the government is being implemented to cushion or mitigate the fiscal impact of the Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case.

EO 138, s. 2021, was issued to support the efficient implementation of the SC ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case and strengthen the autonomy and empowerment of LGUs.

It directs full devolution of certain functions of the Executive branch to the LGUs and also provides for the creation of a Committee on Devolution to monitor the implementation of the EO.

Basis of devolution

The SC ruled in 2018 that the just share of LGUs from the national taxes is not limited to “national internal revenue taxes” collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other tax collecting agencies.

Under the Mandanas ruling, the national government is mandated to expand the share of LGUs in tax collection.

On the other hand, LGUs are required to handle the responsibility of operating social services like agriculture, connectivity and health within their jurisdictions.

IN BRIEF

HIV patients urged to get treatments

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is urging patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to avail of outpatient treatments.

In a statement, PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said PhilHealth’s Outpatient HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) package covers up to P30,000 per year or P7,500 per quarter.

The package is part of the PhilHealth’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)related benefits.

“This includes payment for medicine, laboratory examinations, and professional feels of providers of HIV/AIDS-related cases that have been tested in Rapid HIV Diagnostic Algorithm facilities, STD/AIDS Central Cooperative Laboratory or the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine,” he said.

Ledesma said PhilHealth has paid 15,191 claims from HIV treatment facilities, equivalent to 0.11 percent of the total claims count for the year, amounting to P108,463,468 as of the end of 2022.

Mangyans get S&T livelihood projects

needed space for expansion.

Under the new scheme, MIAA will be able to assist Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) in improving its manpower deployment in Terminals 1 and 3 by realigning their people to the two Terminals.

Beginning April 16, Jetstar Japan, Jetstar Asia, Scoot, China Southern Airlines and Starlux Airlines will be transferred to Terminal 3. On the same day, Philippine Airlines (PAL) will relocate its flights to and from Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh to Terminal 1.

On June 1, Ethiopian Airlines and Jeju Air will move to Terminal 3. Come June 16, all international flights of Philippine Airlines will move to Terminal 1.

For the third phase of the program, beginning July 1, all domestic flights of Philippines AirAsia will be operated from NAIA Terminal 2.

Sen. Villar urges Soroptimist women to embark on urban gardening

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

AS the country observes Women’s Month, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar recently recognized the women awardees of Soroptimist International of the Americas Philippines Region (SIAPR) during its awarding rites with the theme “Remarkable Soroptimist Women in Service” held at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City. She expressed hope the Soroptimist

women will always have momentum and opportunities to serve and advocate for women welfare and empowerment.

“May you always thrive in your worthy goals and programs, and may you always be inspired to serve, do more and work towards the best that has yet to come,” said Villar.

The senator hopes she can encourage the chapters and members of Soroptimist Philippines to embark on urban gardening in their respective communities.

Since the onset of pandemic in 2020, Villar said she has been advocating the planting of vegetables in one’s own backyard, and the establishment of pockets of vegetable and community gardens nationwide.

“I have been giving out vegetable seeds of good quality to households, communities, schools, organizations and local government units nationwide to strengthen the culture of establishing their own respective vegetable gardens,” related Villar.

The chairperson of the Senate agriculture and food committee enticed them to plant vegetables.

“It’s not bad to revive planting vegetables —the veggies in our ‘Bahay kubo’ (song) —in your backyard or community although ‘we are in Metro Manila and other urban areas. With the high costs of basic needs, we can save on our daily expenses if we get vegetables from our own garden.”

SMC gives cash to Cavite fisherfolk

SAN Miguel Corporation (SMC) has extended monthly cash assistance to more fisherfolk families, bringing to close to 2,000 the beneficiaries from the P500million “Handog Tulong Pinansyal Para sa Mangingisda” program in the province of Cavite. San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI), SMC’s airport unit, launched the financial assistance program recently as a follow up to the company’s monthly food supply initiative for over 8,000 fisherfolk families from Rosario, Tanza, Naic, and Ternate towns. This is part of the company’s commitment to managing its social and environmental impacts following strict performance standards set by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for its New Manila International Airport

(NMIA) project to be constructed in Bulakan, Bulacan.

Under the program, some 5,000 fisherfolk families will each receive a monthly financial assistance of P5,000 until the company’s operation in the area is completed by 2024.

Some 1,074 fisherfolk families from Tanza and 658 fishing boat owners were initially identified as eligible beneficiaries based on both third-party surveys and a selection and validation process by local officials and leaders of local fishermen’s groups.

SMAI’s separate Social Development Management Program (SDMP) include garment production and soap-making, scholarships for children of fisherfolk, and construction-based training in cooperation with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA).

FIVE Mangyan communities in Oriental Mindoro will soon enjoy improved socio-economic status through science and technology-based livelihood interventions.

Mindoro State University Vice President for Research, Extension, and Development and Project Leader Dr. Lourdes V. Icalla said they have launched a project that aims to improve the Mangyans’ existing livelihood and provision of resources towards attaining sustainable food and poverty threshold levels.

She said the project targets increased livelihood income through enhancement of production and marketing because of wider market reach; strengthened publicprivate partnerships; improved children and adult literacy; increased social capital among community members; and an established quality Mangyan brand.

Icalla added it also aims to empower Mangyan communities by improving literacy and leadership capabilities as well as promote Mangyan products through communication and marketing.

Objectives will be attained through capability building in the form of training in food production, processing, and marketing; development and production of IEC materials; provision of basic literacy and numeracy; leadership training; and provision of scholarship to selected Mangyan students. Butch Gunio

Orani mayor: Dialysis Center to rise in town

ORANI Mayor Bonjong Pascual announced that a dialysis treatment center will soon cater to patients with renal complications in the town for free.

He said he already signed a memorandum of agreement with a private health provider for the establishment of the center, part of municipality’s vision of providing accessible health services to constituents.

He said the old Rural Health Unit building will be converted to the Orani Dialysis Center to be installed with 10 dialysis machines.

Meanwhile, Pascual led the turnover of a motorized banca to Pulo Integrated School in Sitio Pulo, Barangay Kabalutan, on an islet few kilometers away from town proper.

The Orani local government through the Local School Board provided the boat for transportation needs of the school that has 450 students.

DepEd Orani District Supervisor Arlene Carlos and Barangay Kabalutan Captain Jose Sally Raymundo witnessed the turnover ceremony. Butch Gunio

B. Noche

SOROPTIMIST EVENT. Senator Cynthia Villar (second from right), during the Soroptimist International of Americas (SIA) Philippines Region event on Saturday, discusses the economic empowerment for women, including providing them an opportunity to earn and provide for the needs of the family as well.

THE appointed framers of the 1987 Constitution disliked political dynasties, but left it to Congress to pass the needed law to proscribe the proliferation of these species.

That was a case of passing the buck to politicians who, left to themselves, will never act on the matter.

If memory serves me right, then senator, later appointive vice-president, Teofisto Guingona Sr. authored a bill defining and limiting dynastic politics. The House never acted on it.

Perhaps in frustration, Guingona founded his own dynasty. He had his Junior running for the HoR in Bukidnon, and thereafter succeeding him in the Senate from 2010 till 2016.

His wife, Ruth de Lara was continuously elected by her townmates in Gingoog, now a city, and when her term limit was up, daughter Marie succeeded her. That dynasty has ended though.

Now let us look at how dynasties have perpetuated themselves all over the benighted land:

In the national capital region, the Malapitans, father and son, have successfully carved a dynasty.

In neighboring Malabon, the Oreta dynasty has been replaced by the Sandovals and LacsonNoels.

In Valenzuela, the undisputed political rulers have been the Gatchalians: Sen. Sherwin, Rep. Rex, now appointed to the DSWD, and newlyelected mayor, Wesley. Down south, Las Pinas has always been under the capture of the Aguilars, who married a Villar, and spawned a dynasty in the city, in the HoR, and the Senate, where now reside mother and son. In Paranaque, the Bernabes have been replaced by the Olivarezes.

In wealthy Makati, since EDSA Uno, it’s been Binay after Binay, sometimes Binay against Binay. In now wealthy Taguig, it’s Cayetano, with the mayor and two senators, after the Tinga dynasty was effectively trounced.

Only a competitive party system through the return of two parties, assuming we maintain a presidential form, can provide the internal party competition that would curtail the perpetuation of these family dynasties

In QC, the Belmontes have reigned after a three-term hiatus of their ally, later enemy, Herbert Bautista, who tried founding a dynasty that did not take off.

Other long-time dynasts did not fare long --Crisologo, Castelo-Daza, Defensor, but Alfred Vargas’ younger brother Patrick succeeded the actor-politico.

In neighboring Marikina, the Teodoros and Quimbos have sidelined the accomplished Bayani Fernando and wife Marides.

In Mandaluyong, the Abalos reign holds, in partnership with the Gonzaleses.

And in Pasay, the Calixtos have definitively put the long-time Cuneta dynasty in the freezer.

Of course, one will note how the Estradas have been trounced by the Zamoras led by the brilliant Ronaldo and now his son Francis, long-time allies of the former president who became mayor of Manila for two terms before being trounced by upstart Isko Moreno.

The Lacunas have finally gained the dream of long-time vice mayor Danny, with daughter Honey now the first female mayor of the city.

The Lopez dynasty has been upended by the Moreno-Lacuna partnership, so with the Atienzas and Bagatsings.

In Ilocos Norte, with President Marcos Jr’s victory in 2022, expect the Farinases to have a hard time getting back Laoag and the district, what with a senator, governor, congressman, and city mayor all Marcoses.

And the Singsons have won all major posts in Ilocos Sur.

Likewise the Ortegas in LU, while in vote-rich Pangasinan, the Guicos of Binalonan have trounced the Espino dynasty, as shifting alliances have kept the congressional districts firmly in the Arenas, de Venecia, Celeste and Primicias-Agabas dynasties.

Expect those alliances to shift once again come 2025, when former long time representatives like DAR Sec. Conrad M. Estrella III enters the gubernatorial fray.

In CAR, the Bulut family of Apayao have been in power for three decades, and still going strong. Whoever has more goons and gold in Abra will see-saw with each other in power. Dalog and Chungalao in Mountain Province and Ifugao are still in office, while in Kalinga, a changing of the old guard likewise occurred in 2022.

In Benguet, meanwhile, the powerful party-list congressman in the last administration, Eric Yap, defeated long-standing politicians to become its representative, while in Baguio City, Benjie Magalong has again defeated the once durable Morik

Domogan. In the Cagayan Valley, it’s still the same families lording it over, except in faraway Batanes, where the Abads have hibernated, while their allies, Cayco and Gato, are in power.

But in Cagayan, Gov. Mamba has strengthened his position, although out there, it’s really a sharing of power among the Mambas, the Vargases, the Laras and Nolascos, each dividing the huge province into fiefdoms where the crusty near centenarian JPE once lorded over.

In Isabela, the alliance between the Dys, now in their third generation, and the Albanos headed by Gov. Rodito is still going strong, while in Nueva Vizcaya, the voters have divided their bets between Caloy Padilla and Luisa Cuaresma.

But in neighboring Quirino, the Cua family have held on for the last three decades.

Nueva Ecija in Region 3, once controlled by the Joson family for two generations, is now divided into the forces of Gov. Oyie Umali of Santa Rosa and the Vergaras of Cabanatuan, while the Violagos continue to maintain power in the Ilocano-speaking north.

In Tarlac, the Yaps maintain their control, with the political heir of Charlie Cojuangco keeping the first district, both dynasties flying the NPC flag of the late kingpin, Danding.

And in Pampanga, the modus vivendi of the Pinedas with former Pres. GMA continues to hold the wealthy province in their sway, just as in Zambales, GMA’s public works secretary and PNP chief Hermogenes Ebdane shares power with the Khonghuns.

Bataan is solo turf of the Garcia family, with the Romans, formerly a competitor, now an ally.

Bulacan is likewise divided into fiefdoms, with the Robeses of San Jose, the Villaricas, Silverios, and once overlord Alvarado of the first district trounced by former movie actor Daniel Fernando in the last elections.

But in Aurora, it’s still Angara.

The most populous region, Calabarzon, is one where you would think dynasties will have by now lost their traditional control.

Yet Rizal is Ynares country, with ally Duavits keeping their lakeshore district.

And Cavite is Remulla territory, with the Revillas and Tolentinos, once their rivals, now allied with Governor Johnvic.

Laguna is also divided territory, with the populous first and second districts including its cities controlled by different families, from Gov. Ramil Hernandez, to the Alontes of Binan, Dan Fernandez and Mayor Arcillas of Sta. Rosa.

The third district is now an Amante fiefdom, ruling from San Pablo City, while in the second district, a new dynasty is born, with Benjie Agarao’s daughter succeeding him.

In Batangas, Ralph Recto, former senator and now deputy speaker, is the undisputed political kingpin, with the Laurels retiring from politics and Gov. Mandanas without an heir.

The heirs of political strongman Eming Alcala, Proceso and Kulit have been trounced, with the heirs of his brother, former Gov. Anacleto, still holding on to Lucena City.

The Envergas continue to hold the first district, while Helen Tan of the fourth has defeated the Suarez clan, now to start her own dynasty, with Jayjay Suarez left holding the second district.

In Marinduque, it’s the new overlords, the Velazcos, with the long-time Reyes dynasty now turning off politics, while in Romblon, it’s still Madrona.

Palawan is now Pepito Alvarez’ kingdom, with the son of longtime Gov. Socrates his ally, and the Mitras and Reyeses minimized.

Long-time Occidental Mindoro governor and congresswoman Josephine Sato, who wrought finis to the Villarosa dynasty, has now been replaced by a Tarriela.

Meanwhile in Oriental Mindoro, hounded by floods and now an oil spill, and perpetually suffering from power brownouts, the Leachons and the Valencias are out, while younger Panaligan and Dolor have taken over.

In Region 5, there is a division of power among the Lagmans and Gonzaleses, each content with their share, while Joey Salceda is unscathed by rivalries of long-time dynasts, flitting from governor to congressman. And the Escuderos, with Chiz as senator and Dette in the House, continue the legacy of their much-admired dad, Salvador.

Masbate is now completely Kho, and Camarines Sur is completely Villafuerte, with only the Fuentebellas left in their Partido district.

Former VP Leni will likely run for Naga City representative in 2025, with her husband’s ally, Gabriel Bordado, giving way after two terms.

So there, we have enumerated the leading political dynasties of Luzon, the largest island with 57 percent of the nation’s voting population.

How then can the Constitutional mandate to Congress to limit dynasties ever pass through ordinary legislation?

The Senate itself is a stronghold of dynasties: Villar, mother and son; the Estrada-Ejercito siblings; the Cayetanos of Taguig; presidential sister Imee; a Tolentino and a Revilla both of Cavite; Nancy Binay of the Makati dynasty; Sonny Angara having succeeded his father; Lito Lapid of Pampanga, Probinsyano and now Quiapo, all of them led by its president, a Zubiri of the two-generation Bukidnon dynasty.

Only a competitive party system through the return of two parties, assuming we maintain a presidential form, can provide the internal party competition that would curtail the perpetuation of these family dynasties. In the next column, let us look at the dynasties of Visayas and Mindanao.

One-strike policy for ‘ninja cops’

WILL summary dismissal of erring cops instill iron discipline and proper behavior within the Philippine National Police and significantly improve its public image?

That’s apparently the rationale behind the recent proposal of House Speaket Martin G. Romualdez for the PNP to strictly enforce a one-strike policy against so-called “ninja cops” and other erring policemen, including their immediate superiors.

Romualdez issued the appeal following reports that 13 personnel of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG)National Capital Region were accused of extortion by a group of Chinese businessmen.

What triggered the Speaker’s outburst was the news report that the Chinese said they were just playing mahjong in a house when the operatives raided it based on a complaint of a neighbor who was allegedly bothered by their noise.

The Chinese nationals alleged the policemen took from them two expensive watches worth millions of pesos, valuable jewelry, an expensive bag and P3 million in a vault.

The Chinese were taken to the CIDG-NCR headquarters where they were supposedly asked to come up with P10 million in exchange

for their freedom. “What is happening to our policemen? They are supposed to protect our citizens, but they

Under-implemented Rare Disease Law

THE European Union defines a disease as rare when fewer than 1 in 2,000 people within a general population is affected.

On the other hand, Pharmaceutical industry data estimates that, collectively, there are 400 million people suffering from rare disease and there are 7,000 different rare diseases, which seems not so rare as these figures are even higher than global cancer statistics.

Rare disease patients are among millions who experienced dangerous delays and even deprived access to life saving treatments because of supply disruptions and healthcare facilities and manpower that were redeployed to fight the pandemic – a sad consequence that reflects what the Department of Health has admitted is the country’s “disjointed” public health system that needs to be addressed with urgency.

In last week’s Stratbase ADR institute’s hybrid forum organized in partnership with UHC Watch and the Philippine Society of Orphan Disorders, implementation gaps of Rare Disease Act (Republic Act 10747), passed in 2016, were aired by patient groups, health advocates, and the DOH.

Stratbase ADRi president, Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit. in his opening statement pointed out after seven years since the law’s passage, patients and other stakeholder groups are still clamoring for government support in terms of adequate funding and proper implementation of the Integrated Rare Diseases Management Program Strategic Plan.

“The challenges of rare disease patients continue and need to be addressed -- among these are the institutionalization of government support, increase access to available services and expansion of the scope of the rare diseases which is aligned with the Rare Disease Law,” Prof Manhit said.

The Role of the DOH as the lead agency was emphasized by UHC Watch Healthcare and Education Convenor, Alvin Manalansan.

In particular, he appealed for a faster Health Technology Assessment process for rare disease health technologies and to explore innovative financing mechanisms that will support patients in accessing diagnostic services and treatment.

Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines Healthcare Policy Director Lourdes Desiree Cembrano raised the need to raise public awareness pointing to low understanding, the limited capacity for detection and management, and the lack of tools for patient navigation and registries.

Among her recommendations were for stakeholders to engage in quad-media campaigns, continuing medical education across various healthcare professionals, and to estab-

lish a rare disease community for patient navigation mechanisms. Ms. Cembrano stressed on the need to have more agility and flexibility in regulatory processes citing US PhRMA data showing only 11 percent of new medicines are made available in the Philippines with a delay of three years.

She appealed for an expedited FDA registration pathway and ‘Green lanes’ for Bureau of Customs release.

Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders

President Ms. Cynthia Magdaraog expressed hope with the development of new technologies and medicines and vowed to initiate more engagements to access financial and psychological support for families living with rare disease.

We call on our legislators support this important law with enough budget allocation to enable the DOH to address the challenges raised by rare disease stakeholders in the true spirit of Universal Health Care for all

Dr. Manuel V. Vallesteros, DOH Division Chief of Disease Prevention and Control Bureau-Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health. said they will be developing a life stage-based medium term strategic plan to integrate all existing strategies including the rare disease program.

“The DOH will ensure the proactive engagement with the concerned institutes of the University of the Philippines – National Institutes of Health and various medical societies to help us jumpstart the development of Clinical Practice Guidelines” Dr. Vallesteros said.

Scoliosis Philippines Support Group Inc. Founder and President, Amanda Bonife-Kiamko discussed the value of partnerships with various government agencies, private sector, and other NGOs in conducting patient empowerment, capacity building, strategic planning, and policy workshops.

are accused of extortion and illegal activities.

I am appealing to our PNP chief to apply the one-strike policy not only to those involved in these activities but also to their superiors,” the lawmaker fumed in exasperation

While the CIDG director has sacked the 13 involved in the alleged “hulidap,” including the CIDG-NCR chief who submitted his courtesy resignation, what is important is for the top PNP leadership to intensify its campaign against wayward policemen to regain the trust of citizens.

Romualdez gave this piece of advice to the top PNP officials: “They have to weed out the bad eggs who are tainting the image of the police organization, which is not fair to those who are faithfully doing their job. They should make sure that only those who take their duties seriously and who are not involved in illegal activities remain in the service.”

Will the prospect of summary dismissal from the service deliver a strong message to the entire institution that they should uphold the core mission of the PNP to serve and protect?

Maybe.

Or maybe not, as the same ‘one-strike’ policy for serious violations of rules and participation in outright criminal activities had already been suggested by previous PNP officials—and apparently completely ignored by those who should not be in the institution in the first place.

She cited PAPO’s recommendations to have a citizen representative from the patient groups, and representatives from local health workers in the HTA Council. Furthermore, there should be a separate track for HTA process on rare diseases and cancers, and continued education and capacity building to be able to submit topic nomination.

Dr. Celeste Mae Campomanes of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians said what is needed now is to arm our general practitioners and other doctors to entertain the possibility of Interstitial Lung Disease so that they can refer patients to specialty centers.

Dr. Marita Tolentino-Reyes, Chairperson of the HTA Council identified challenges on the prioritization of rare diseases such as the lack of local data on burden of illness, healthcare costs, unharmonized list of international and local rare diseases, lack of local studies on clinical efficacy, effectiveness and safety, high costs of innovative drugs, and the lack of data on prevalence and access to care in subpopulations.

The unanimous consensus or the forum is to proceed with the organization of a “Rare Disease Coalition” to campaign for adequate funding and to ensure the implementation of the Rare Disease Act.

As a co-convenor of UHC Watch, we call on our legislators support this important law with enough budget allocation to enable the DOH to address the challenges raised by rare disease stakeholders in the true spirit of Universal Health Care for all.

MORE OPINION ONLINE

(www.manilastandard.net)

EvEryman

UN’s global disaster alert systems goal faces uphill climb

By Amélie Bottolier-Depois

HOW can anyone seek shelter from a natural disaster they don’t even know is coming?

Last year the United Nations called for every person on the planet to be covered by early warning systems by 2027 – but months into the effort it is becoming clear that the project will require more data and expertise.

With a relatively low price tag of $3.1 billion, the UN’s plan hopes to implement the simple principle of early warning systems: assess risks using meteorological data, forecast impending problems using modeling, prepare populations ahead of time, and send out alerts to those expected to be impacted. But building out those steps poses unique issues at each turn, according to those involved in the effort, many of whom are gathered this week in New York for a historic UN conference on water-related crises.

In Tajikistan, 100 years of weather data exist only on paper, chair of the country’s environmental protection committee, Bahodur Sheralizoda said.

Digitizing this data could provide “more precise weather forecasts” or be applied to climate modeling, he added.

“With the small investments, we can have really big impact in the long run.”

To help fill the data gap, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is also hoping to deploy weather stations made from 3D printers around the world, said the agency’s chief scientist Sarah Kapnick.

When it comes to analyzing the meteorological data and predicting future weather events, there is also a lack of local expertise, said Stefan Uhlenbrook, director of hydrology, water and cryosphere at the UN World Meteorological Organization.

“You need local capacity to run the local models,” he told AFP.

Some help should be coming from NOAA, which Kapnick said has plans to “train local climate forecasters and leaders.”

After risks are identified, getting those alerts to remote populations poses possibly the biggest hurdle.

“To reach the last mile... and then to get them acting and prepared is a big challenge,” said

While climate change is expected to intensify storms, at the opposite extreme, it is also expected to increase the severity of droughts

Uhlenbrook. This is where the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), a WMO partner in the field, comes in. Regular training and drills For IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain,

the country of Bangladesh should be viewed as a model to replicate.

Scarred by the horrific 1970 cyclone that killed hundreds of thousands, the South Asian country has for decades built up storm-resistant shelters and warns residents of upcoming dangers, by bicycle if necessary, Chapagain told AFP.

While church bells, loudspeakers and sirens are still used as warning systems in many isolated places, alerts sent via radio, TV and SMS have become the norm.

“In 2022, 95 percent of the world’s population had access to mobile broadband networks and close to 75 percent of the population owned a mobile phone,” said Ursula Wynhoven with the International Telecommunications Union. That makes mobile networks “powerful communication channels” for alerts, especially because “SMS warnings can be targeted to reach only those located in an at-risk area,” she added.

Few developing countries have installed such systems, she said, noting a “relatively low cost.”

WMO chief Petteri Taalas also highlighted the cost effectiveness of setting up early warning programs, saying that “you’ll get the money back at

least tenfold that you invest.”

He pledged at the UN Water conference to speed up implementation of the UN’s 2027 goal, beginning with water-related disasters.

Floods and droughts account for 75 percent of climate-related disasters, which are expected to increase further due to global warming.

But simply alerting a population is not enough —there must also be “regular training and drills,” warns IFRC chief Chapagain.

People must practice the processes of interpreting different signals and finding the nearest escape routes or shelter.

“Once people understand the logic, they manage these things better,” he said.

While climate change is expected to intensify storms, at the opposite extreme, it is also expected to increase the severity of droughts.

Though the potential for drought-induced disaster happens more slowly, Uhlenbrook said, warnings are still important to protect livelihoods.

For example, “we had in Europe a very dry, warm winter, so the (water) reservoir levels are very low,” Uhlenbrook said. AFP

‘Sovereign rights over WPS exclusively belong to PH’

Will the prospect of summary dismissal from the service deliver a strong message to the entire institution that they should uphold the core mission of the PNP to serve and protect?

34 more students hospitalized after Cabuyao school fire drill

THE City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CDRRMO) reported that 34 more students of Gulod National High School-Mamatid Extension in Cabuyao, Laguna fell ill the next day after a surprise fire drill downed more than a hundred learners.

CDRRMO head Bobby Abinal Jr., quoted by a GMA News report, said the local government unit tasked the principal to suspend classes on Friday, following Thursday’s incident wherein over 100 students were taken to the hospital for showing heat exhaustion symptoms.

On Friday, Abinal said his men went back to the school at around 7 a.m. to get copies of the CCTV footage and found that classes had resumed. Upon checking the building, he said his men found out that the circuit breaker was off and the windows in classrooms were closed.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier said more than 100 learners were brought to the hospital. The DepEd said an inquiry is being conducted into the surprise fire drill.

The Department of Health (DOH)Calabarzon said it will conduct an in-

Residents say ‘yes’ to SJDM split into four

ESIDENTS of Barangay Muzon in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan approved the split of the village into four, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported on Sunday.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex

Laudingco said a total of 12,324 residents, or 92.51 percent of the 13,322 registered voters who participated in the plebiscite on Saturday, agreed to split their biggest barangay into four – Barangay Muzon Proper, Barangay Muzon East, Barangay Muzon West, and Barangay Muzon South.

The barangay has a total of 43,771 registered voters, but only 30.44 percent (13,322) participated in the plebiscite.

“Given this clear mandate from the constituency of Barangay Muzon, considered the most populous area in the City of San Jose del Monte, the original barangay will henceforth be divided into four distinct and independent barangays,” Laudingco said in a statement.

The move to split the barangay into four is aimed at improving the delivery of basic social services.

Laudiangco said the Come-

lec en banc, headed by chair George Garcia, expressed gratitude to poll employees as well as all its stakeholders, including the local government of Bulacan and the City of San Jose del Monte, for their help and support in ensuring a peaceful and orderly plebiscite.

The Comelec earlier said more than 70 clustered precincts in four voting centers have opened to accommodate voters for the plebiscite on Saturday morning that will divide Barangay Muzon in the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

In a statement, the poll body said more than 43,000 registered voters would decide if they want to divide their barangay into four separate barangays.

It said if a majority of voters approved the division, each barangay would be independent of one another and have its own officials.

The plebiscite is the second for the province after the poll body held the plebiscite in Baliwag, Bulacan, where the people voted to convert the municipality into a component city.

A total of 23,562 voters participated in the Dec. 17, 2022 plebiscite, 17,814 of whom agreed to ratify RA 11929, which converted Baliwag into a city.

vestigation into the surprise fire drill last. In a statement, DOH-Calabarzon said that the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) is now coordinating with its city and provincial counterparts on the ongoing case investigation.

On the day of the drill, the heat index in the city hovered between 39 to 42 degrees Celsius, according to a disaster management official.

Earlier, DOH-Calabarzon pointed out that heat exhaustion – often accompanied by dehydration -- might occur after exposure to high temperatures.

Its symptoms include confusion, dark-colored urine, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, headache, muscle and abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, pale skin, profuse sweating, and rapid heartbeat.

“Although heat exhaustion is not as severe as heat stroke, it should not be taken lightly. Without proper intervention, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, damaging the brain and other vital organs and even causing death,” DOH-Calabarzon warned.

Ping: Paid menstrual leave may do more harm

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

FORMER Sen. Pafilo Lacson on Sun-

day said the proposed paid menstrual leave may have unintended consequences and might do “more harm than good.”

“A proposal for a paid menstrual leave may do more harm than good to the ordinary working woman whose rights it is supposed to uphold,” Lacson said.

He pointed out that the economic implications of such leave may lead to layoffs or even the closing of some factories whose owners do not have the budget for it.

“Instead of benefiting the female workforce in general, it may have a negative effect on the economic and political stability of the country,” he said.

“What the proponents of the twoday-a-month menstrual-leave-withpay measure and the ordinary work-

ing woman in this country may not realize is the impact of an additional 24 days a year of leave with pay,” Lacson said. He said this is on top of the 105 days of maternity leave, 7 days of paternity leave, and 5 days of sick leave.

Lawmakers propose solutions to medical act impasse

By Rio N. Araja

TWO ranking members of the House of Representatives have proposed solutions to the impasse on proposed legislation to replace the Medical Act of 1959.

Bohol Rep. Alexie Tutor, the committee on civil service and professional regulation chairperson, is asking countryside doctors in the district and provincial hospitals, the so-called Doctors to the Barrios, and the Commission on Higher Education for help on a negotiated consensus solution to the impasse hindering the replacement of the old Medical Act of 1959.

Senior Citizen party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, a member of the Tutor-

led panel and special committee on senior citizens chairperson, said “on this matter of recognition of a national association of doctors, I am inclined to think that the model we should be looking at is the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), where a diverse range of different types of schools are under the COCOPEA.”

He is also a committee on higher and technical education and committee on health member.

“Right now, the Philippine Medical Association is not like the COCOPEA because not all physicians are covered by the PMA. The proposed Integrated National Organization of Physicians is, I believe, the COCOPEA-like umbrella organiza-

tion that would indeed be inclusive.

Automatically making all PRC physician board passers members of the PMA is not the solution for inclusivity because that would be violative of the constitutional right of freedom of association,” he said.

“A real umbrella organization would include all the physicians who see patients, including those in remote areas and provinces with only a basic PRC physician license and who are not PMA members,” he added.

“The current impasse on the proposed new professional regulation law for doctors will be resolved in the coming weeks before Congress resumes session after the summer break,” Tutor cited.

“Also included here is the 13 to 18 days of vacation leave every year (convertible to cash if unused) which could lead to layoffs or even the closing of some factories that may not have the wherewithal to cope with the burden of complying with all these privileges,” he added.

Lacson noted that while he is all for upholding the rights of women, there are other ways to do this without causing joblessness.

He added that while the bill may be music to the ears, the harsh reality is that it may discourage long-term investments by prospective employers.

“It is good to be perceived as pro-labor, especially among the 49% women population,” Lacson said.

However, Lacson aaid we should also take into consideration the long-term effect on the country’s investment climate in particular and the economy in general.

Go supports bill on cash gifts to more seniors

SENATOR Bong Go said he is supporting a proposed measure which will allow senior citizens over the age of 80 to receive a portion of the P100,000 cash gift given to centenarians.

“This cash gift is a tangible way to show them that their contributions to society are valued and appreciated,” Go said.

Senator Imee Marcos was the principal sponsor of the proposed Senate Bill No. 2028. The counterpart version in the House of Representatives already passed on second reading on March 21.

As a culture that values taking care of elders, Go emphasized the need to support and recognize senior citizens since they are a very familyoriented and caring people.

If passed into law, a cash gift of P100,000 in total, will be distributed in three equal tranches to senior citizens who reach the ages of 80, 90, and 100 years old.

Currently, only those who reach 100 years old will receive the cash gift.

However, the average life expectancy of Filipinos is around 70 years old, making it difficult for many seniors to receive this benefit.

Go added that the proposed bill also aims to have a greater impact on more senior citizens by giving the cash benefit at a time when health interventions would have mattered for a better chance of healing and achieving better health outcomes.

Go stressed that as a vulnerable group, senior citizens need the help and support of the government.

He said the cash gift will also help improve the health and welfare of our senior citizens. He believes that we should recognize their sacrifices and honor their contributions to our society.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Party-list lawmaker files House measure to expand powers of nutrition council

long-standing problems on malnutrition.

According to Lee, the government needs to scale up its workforce and resources to combat hunger and severe malnutrition, as the country is facing

a high prevalence of wasting, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight among children and women.

“Our country faces the multi-faceted problems of malnutrition and undernutrition which are deeply rooted in different health, social, economic, and political aspects, resulting in prevailing illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and child stunting, among others,” said the Sorsogon lawmaker.

“It is high time to strengthen the NNC to expand its powers and functions and scale it up into a Commission to respond to the prevailing hunger and malnutrition situation in the country,” he added.

Since its creation in 1974, the NNC has remained a small agency with a lean organizational structure of about 150 officials and staff in both the central and regional offices working together to ful-

fill its functions of policy-making, coordinating, and monitoring and evaluating nutrition programs from the national down to the regional levels.

On top of implementing and overseeing various laws and its regular interagency participation and collaboration, the NNC is one of the agencies tasked to help in fulfilling the country’s international commitments in the United Nations and ASEAN. Rio N. Araja

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

COOLING OFF. A local tourist enjoys the refreshing cascading water of the Infinity Farm in Baco, Oriental Mindoro. The place is an eco-tourism location whose main attractions include 14 cascading waterfalls that form natural pools. Danny Pata

SIEGE OF LIPA. Members of the Republica Filipina Reenactment Group reenact Katipuneros using a Spanish bronze cannon during the siege of Lipa in Batangas in Intramuros on Sunday. The siege in June 1898 ended when Katipunan General Eleuterio Marasigan brought in a cannon from Cavite and began bombarding the compound where the Spaniards were hiding. Danny Pata

Lacson

AS PUTIN DEPLOYS ARMS TO ALLY

Ukraine: Russia ‘took Belarus nuke hostage’

KYIV – Kyiv on Sunday said Russia was holding Minsk as a "nuclear hostage" after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to ally Belarus.

"The Kremlin took Belarus as a nuclear hostage," the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov, wrote on Twitter.

He added that the move was "a step towards the internal destabilization of the country".

On Saturday, Putin said he and strongman Alexander Lukashenko "agreed" Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus for almost 30 years, is a key Putin ally.

Back in February 2022, Minsk allowed the Kremlin to launch its invasion of Ukraine from his country's territory.

Fears have since risen that Belarus may join its ally's offensive, but Lukashenko said he would do so "only if attacked".

For Danilov, Putin's announcement "maximizes the level of negative perception and public rejection of Russia and Putin in

Belarusian society".

Putin said Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbor and ally Belarus, bringing the arms to a country at the gates of the European Union.

Putin has previously issued thinly veiled warnings that he could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine if Russia were threatened, reviving Cold War-era fears.

He also said he would deploy depleted uranium ammunition if Kyiv received the controversial weaponry from the West, following a British suggestion that it could supply Ukraine.

Putin said the move to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was "nothing unusual."

"The United States has been doing this for decades. They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies," Putin said.

Putin said he spoke to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and said "we agreed to do the same."

He added that Russia had helped equip Belarusian planes "without violating our international agreements on nuclear-nonproliferation... 10 planes are ready for this type of weapon to be used." AFP

‘Not a crime’: Trump dismisses New York probe at Texas rally

WACO – Donald Trump staged his first presidential campaign rally in Texas Saturday, brushing off his potential indictment as he railed against multiple criminal probes threatening his bid for the White House.

The Republican addressed several thousand supporters –far fewer than the 15,000 he had expected – in the city of Waco as he braced for possible charges over a hush-money payout just days before the 2016 election, to a porn star alleging a sexual encounter.

Maintaining the investigation was over “something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanor, not an affair,” Trump told supporters how he had been the victim of “one witch hunt and phony investigation after another.”

The former president has made a torrent of increasingly bellicose statements, claiming “misconduct”

Honduras, China form diplomatic ties in blow to Taiwan

BEIJING – China and Honduras began formal diplomatic relations on Sunday, with Taiwan accusing Beijing of using "coercion and intimidation" to lure away its few remaining allies.

Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang signed a joint communique in Beijing, according to video released by state media outlet CCTV.

by prosecutors he refers to as “human scum” who are pursuing cases against him in New York, Washington and Atlanta. The 76-year-old – who was impeached for inciting an insurrection – called last weekend for protests against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and claimed falsely that he was about to be arrested.

“This is really prosecutorial misconduct. That’s what it’s called. The innocence of people makes no difference whatsoever to these radical left maniacs,” he told an enthusiastic crowd.

For loyal followers, the lines were likely familiar, with the appearance marking a thrilling opportunity finally to see the ex-president at a rally.

As Trump spoke in the background, Hungarian-American retiree Marianna Bodrogi told AFP the occasion marked “the first time I’ve seen Trump in person.” AFP

China's announcement of the move came shortly after Tegucigalpa said it had officially severed ties with Taipei.

"The two Governments have decided to recognise each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level", effective immediately, China's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The switch cuts to 13 the number of countries that still diplomatically recognise Taiwan, which has lost several Latin American allies in recent years.

China considers the self-ruled, democratic island a part of its territory, to be retaken one day – by force, if necessary. Under its "One China" policy, it does not allow countries to recognise both Beijing and Taipei.

"China welcomes (Honduran) President Xiomara Castro to visit China at an early date," said Qin.

Earlier, Reina said that upon Castro's instructions he had "communicated to Taiwan the decision to cease diplomatic relations".

"The government of the Republic of Honduras recognises the existence of only one China in the world, and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government that represents all of China," the ministry said.

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory."

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said the switch was part of "China's coercion and intimidation" of Taipei's allies.

"China has suppressed the international space

of (Taiwan) for a long time, unilaterally endangering regional peace and stability," read a statement from her office.

Qin said China "sternly admonish(ed)" Taiwan's government for "engaging in activities that promote Taiwanese independence and separatism".

In Beijing, Reina and Qin had clinked champagne glasses in front of their countries' flags. But in Taipei, officials at the foreign ministry had removed the blueand-white banners of their former ally.

- 'Pressure and intimidation' -

Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu confirmed the severing of ties, accusing China of offering "financial incentives" to lure away the island's allies.

Earlier this month, Reina said economic necessity was behind his country's decision, and that the Honduran government had asked Taiwan to increase financial aid. AFP

TWISTER DAMAGE. This March 25 still image taken from a video by storm-chaser Lloyd Bridges and posted in the Eurovision News Wire, shows tornado damage in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. At least 23 people were killed as a devastating tornado ripped across Mississippi, tearing off roofs, smashing cars and flattening entire neighborhoods. The powerful storm system, accompanied by thunderstorms and driving rain, cut a path of more than 100 miles (60 kms) late Friday, slamming several towns along the way. AFP

Pause Israel reforms, defense minister urges

TEL AVIV – Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv Saturday against a controversial judicial overhaul, as Defence Minister Yoav Galant broke ranks to call for a pause to the government reforms.

The latest demonstration to hit Israel’s commercial hub came days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with the changes despite mounting international alarm.

But his defense minister said Saturday that “we must stop the legislative process” for a month in view of the divisiveness of the reforms.

“The growing social rift has made its way into the (army) and security agencies. It is a clear, immediate, and tangible threat to Israel’s security,” said Galant, who is a member of Netanyahu’s own right-wing Likud party.

“I am committed to Likud values... and placing the State of Israel above all... but major changes on the national level must be made through deliberations and dialogue,” he added.

His comments were welcomed by opposition leader Yair Lapid who hailed a “brave and vital step for Israel’s security”.

Galant called for the halt before lawmakers are due to vote next week on a central part of the government’s proposals, which would change the way judges are appointed. AFP

Scholz looks to quell coalition divisions

BERLIN – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will battle on Sunday to put out the fires threatening his government as the three-way coalition meets for crisis talks on a growing series of disputes.

A little more than a year after taking office, the relationship between Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) and his governing partners, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, looks more strained than ever.

Earlier this week, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens

accused the FDP of blocking progress, while the FDP’s deputy chief Wolfgang Kubicki compared the Green politician to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kubicki later apologised but the damaging row underlines the state of the three-way coalition – the first in Germany’s post-war history.

The alliance got off to a good start in December 2021 under the motto of their coalition agreement –“Dare for more progress”.

It was put to a tough test when Russia invaded Ukraine just two months on, upending decades of German economic and political certainties. AFP

SANTO DOMINGO – Twenty-two countries signed a declaration at the Ibero-American Summit in the Dominican Republic on Saturday committing to fight food insecurity in Latin America, improve migration controls and negotiate more financial support for the region’s struggling economies.

The goal is to reach “zero hunger” across Latin America, said Andres Allamand, a former Chilean minister and the current Ibero-American secretary general.

“We have more or less 60 million people who face food security problems. One-third of the food produced in the region is wasted” due to problems in distribution, storage or marketing chains, he added. But the agreement, made by leaders of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America and Europe, faces serious challenges.

Growth projections for Latin America are below two percent, and the cost of a basic healthy diet is the highest in the world – $3.89 per day per person, compared with $3.19 in North America and Europe.

It is a price that 22.5 percent of the population cannot afford, according to the United Nations.

“Access to healthy food should be a right, not a privilege for a few,” Bolivian President Luis Arce said, stressing the impact of climate change on food production.

Several leaders agreed that more favorable financial support would help countries reduce hunger and fight global warming.

“The Ibero-American countries will work as one bloc to negotiate better conditions,” Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said. AFP

ROLLING FORK – At least 25 people were killed by devastating tornadoes that ripped across the southern US state of Mississippi, tearing off roofs, smashing cars and flattening entire neighborhoods, with the region readying for more severe weather Sunday. The powerful weather system, accompanied by thunderstorms and driving rain, cut a path of more than 100 miles (60 kilometers) across the state late Friday, slamming several towns along the way. Mississippi's emergency management agency put the death toll at 25, and said dozens more were injured. Four people reported missing "have been found," it added.

And in Alabama, one man died after being trapped when a trailer overturned in the severe weather, the sheriff's office in Morgan County said on Twitter.

In Rolling Fork, home to fewer than 2,000 people, an entire row of houses and buildings was demolished, leaving only scattered debris. Cars were overturned, fences ripped up and trees uprooted. President Joe Biden ordered federal aid to Mississippi on Sunday to support local recovery efforts.

The funding will provide grants for temporary housing, home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, the White House said in a statement.

Some 4,800 customers were without power in Mississippi, and nearly 11,000 homes and businesses remained in the dark in neighboring Alabama, monitor poweroutage.us reported. AFP

SAINTE-SOLINE – French police again clashed with protesters Saturday as campaigners in the southwest sought to stop the construction of giant water storage facilities, the latest flashpoint as social tensions erupt nationwide.

The violent scenes at Sainte-Soline came after days of unrest over President Emmanuel Macron’s pensions reform, which forced the cancellation of a visit by King Charles III of the UK.

The protest movement against the pension reform has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron’s second mandate, with police and protesters clashing daily in Paris and other cities over the past week.

At Sainte-Soline, several protesters and members of security forces were injured in Saturday’s confrontations at the banned protest. Campaigners there are trying to stop the construction of giant water “basins” to irrigate crops, which they say will distort access to water amid drought conditions.

A long procession of activists set off late morning for the site, numbering at least 6,000 people according to local authorities -- around 30,000 according to the organisers.

“While the country is rising up to defend pensions, we will simultaneously stand up to defend water,” said the organisers.

Once they arrived at the construction site, which was defended by the police and gendarmes, clashes quickly broke out between the more radical activists and the security forces, AFP correspondents said.

The authorities had mobilised more than 3,000 police officers and paramilitary gendarmes to guard the site. AFP

PROTESTS CONTINUE. Demonstrators wave national flags and raise placards during a rally against the Israeli government’s controversial judicial overhaul bill in Tel Aviv on March 25 (see story below). AFP

BUSINESS

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PLDT Inc. said over the weekend it held exploratory talks with financial advisers to bring in potential investors in its data center business.

assets.

“We have just exploratory discussions with them and just really feeling out what the market has to offer, but we have not formally started the process,” PLDT president and chief executive Alfredo Panlilio said.

Panlilio also clarified that the company had no “real decision” yet on the sale of a minority stake in its data center

Stocks face volatility

amid dovish US Fed

LOCAl stocks are expected to continue facing volatility amid the dovish US Federal Reserve’s stance and the uncertainty on the global banking sector.

Analysts said trading woud remain bumpy over the short term as the recent fall of Credit Suisse and last week’s dovish comments from Fed chair Jerome Powell could further dampen market sentiments.

Fears of a global banking crisis are forcing central banks to rethink their aggressive monetary tightening policy because of the negative impact of the banking sector.

“Despite cues for a pivot sooner than we anticipated, we maintain cautious of inflation-interest rate movements in the medium-term as drivers have yet to go down convincingly,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said.

“There is more work to do the reach goldilocks conditions in terms of inflation, and by extension, interest rates, which supports the case of extra vigilance,” it said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Diokno cites Fil-Chinese role in economic growth

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Filipino-Chinese business community, a strong partner of the government since 1954, plays a very important role in the country’s development.

Diokno underscored the present administration’s message of unity and committed to strengthening inter-sectoral ties for economic recovery during the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s 33rd biennial convention at the Marriott Hotel on March 24.

“The Marcos Jr. administration is built on the premise that unity is vital for recovery. We will stay true to this principle and strengthen inter-sectoral linkages as envisioned in the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028,” he said.

The FFCCCII brings together chambers of commerce and trade associations from all over the Philippines to promote business growth and improve the competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises.

“For almost seven decades, the federation has consistently devoted itself to promoting cooperation and co-prosperity between Filipino and Chinese businesses,” Diokno said.

G. Rada

Julito

NPC asks for P0.25/kWh

UCME rate for 2024

STATE-RUN National Power Corp. expects the universal charge for missionary electrification subsidy to reach P30 billion in 2024.

NPC filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission dated Mar. 8, 2023 seeking to recover the proposed basic UCME rate of P0.2532 per kilowatt-hour for 2024.

NPC said the UCME rate approval is vital to its subsidy requirements to maintain a reliable and stable funding source for operating costs requirements and to ensure sufficient subsidy for payment to new power providers, qualified third parties and renewable energy developers.

It said the existing UCME rate of P0.1544 per kWh could not sustain its operation and payment to NPPs/QTPs because of the fuel price hike in the global market.

NPC said it used the figures from the Department of Budget and Management’s development and budget coordination meeting held on Dec. 5, 2022, which put the price of Dubai crude in the range of $70 to $90 per barrel.

The company utilized the highest value of $90.626 per barrel using the Mean of Platts Singapore average price with a delivered fuel price of P64.9836 per liter multiplied by NPC’s fuel volume. NPC said it did not use the 2021 figures of P34.95 per liter in its computation because it was “far removed from the projected price in 2024.”

Alena Mae S. Flores

“Right now, we continue to review that,” he said, adding that the company was “very busy” in completing its 11th data center.

“In fact, we’re thinking whether we should take a look at the 12th [data center] obviously depending on demand that we’re seeing from the customers

WOMEN MENTORS.

Mary

and hyperscalers,” Panlilio said. The company’s unit ePLDT is building its 11th data center in the Philippines on a five-hectare property in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

VITRO Sta. Rosa will have an initial power capacity of 14 megawatts by early 2024 and will further increase to 50 MW once fully operational, which will make it the largest and most advanced data center in the Philippines.

It said ePLDT operates the widest data center network in the country, offering a total rack capacity of nearly 10,000 to meet the requirements of lo-

cal and global enterprises across various key industries.

The company expanded its VITRO Makati 2, its largest operational data center to-date, with an additional 12MW capacity that will power nearly 1,600 new racks. This will bring VM2’s total capacity to 3,360 racks running on 20 MW of total power capacity, representing an increase of 150 percent.

It said ePLDT’s strategy to rapidly invest in more capacity was driven by the accelerated adoption of digital financial services, e-commerce, digital media and the government’s strong push for digi-

PLDT eyes investors in data center unit IN BRIEF

talization and regional competitiveness.

The Department of Trade and Industry is promoting the Philippines as a hub for hyperscale computing companies in Southeast Asia.

PLDT earlier reported a 60-percent drop in net income to P10.48 billion last year from P26.36 billion in 2021.

Telco core profit, which excludes the impact of asset sales and Voyager Innovations, reached P33.1 billion in 2022, up from P30.23 billion in 2021.

The company said it budgeted P80 billion to P85 billion in 2023 capital expenditures, lower than the P96.8-billion capex last year.

Ayala Land plans to sell P22b worth of fixed-rate bonds

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. plans to raise up to P22 billion from the issuance of fixed-rate bonds.

ALI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the bond offering would have a base offer of P17 billion and an option for another P5 billion to cover over-allotment.

are (from

of Omie’s Buko Pie, Yzabel Gonzales of Tropical Palm Herb Manufacturing, Avic

of Lagom

Visa processing bottleneck restrains tourism growth

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Tourism warned over the weekend about losing P2.51 billion in industry revenues if the government fails to address the bottlenecks in visa processing.

“Airlines and charter operators have already approached us expressing grave concern of the present limitations. According to them, they may not be able to increase the flight frequencies that they are very much prepared to resume due to low passenger numbers and airfares and travel packages may become too expensive and therefore, not competitive,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

The DOT said the limited access could dampen interest in the Philippines despite an anticipated surge in foreign visitors during the dry season.

Frasco said while the tourism industry recorded several achievements last year, there were still bottlenecks that could prevent the country from fully unlocking the potential of international tourism.

The country concluded 2022 with 2.65 million international tourist arrivals, surpassing the target of 1.7 million.

The DOT met with government agencies last week to discuss visa concerns for key and strategic tourism markets in the hope of finding solutions affecting the flow of entry of international tourists.

“For this reason, our President issued the directive to various government agencies to explore how the bottlenecks to travel into the country may be addressed. He indicated that one of the ways by which travel into the Philippines may be fully opened up especially to certain important markets, we must explore the provision of electronic visas,” Frasco said.

She said government agencies should explore the provision of e-visas to Chinese and Indian nationals.

The DOT noted that 58 percent of the Indian visitors are repeat travelers, thus the need to continue the efforts to sustain and increase their entry by exploring travel mechanisms, primarily an e-visa system, that would make travel seamless.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Friday, March 24, 2023

The base offer will consist of P4.75-billion bonds to be issued as fourth and final tranche from ALI’s P50-billion bond shelf registration program approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2021 and P12.25 billion as first tranche from the new P50-billion program to be registered with the SEC.

ALI plans to list the bonds on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

The property firm engaged seven banks as joint lead underwriters and book runners for the offering.

These are BDO Capital & Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., East West Banking Corp., First Metro Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp. and SB Capital Corp.

ALI said it would use the proceeds from the fund-raising activity to develop various projects of subsidiaries in Quezon City, Cavite, Caloocan, Bulacan, Tarlac, Makati, Cebu, Mandaluyong, Tagaytay and Davao. ALI said it earmarked P85 billion in 2023 capital expenditures primarily to develop more integrated estates, residential, malls, office buildings and hotels.

The property firm bounced back strongly in 2022 on the strength of the reopened economy since the 2020 pandemic.

ALI’s net income jumped 52 percent in 2022 to P18.6 billion as consolidated revenues rose 19 percent to P126.56 billion.

Real estate revenues, composed of property development, commercial leasing and services, reached P116.36 billion, or 21 percent higher than P96.15 billion in 2021.

CEMENT manufacturer Holcim Philippines Inc. said over the weekend net income reached P942 million in 2022, down 63 percent from P2.56 billion it earned in 2021 amid weak demand and rising costs.

Holcim Philippines said in a disclosure to the stock exchange total sales reached P26.6 billion in 2022, slightly down from P26.9 billion a year ago.

The company said it implemented a series of price increases in 2022 to partly cover the increase in costs because of higher coal, power and fuel prices.

“Despite the increase in selling prices and the aggressive cost reductions in general, administrative and selling expenses, these have not contributed to the overall profitability of the group due to the increasing energy prices and raw materials purchases,” the company said.

The company said fuel and energy costs ballooned by 60 percent from the previous

year’s level and accounted for 64 percent of production expenses.

Holcim Philippines president and chief executive Horia Adrian said the company managed to deliver positive financial performance in the second half despite the many challenges.

“Alongside a strong sales rebound in the second half and expansion of our customer base, we accelerated decarbonization of operations driven by higher usage of alternative fuels and raw materials and production of blended cements. These achievements were key to our resilient results and longterm success anchored on our transformation into the leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions in the Philippines,” Adrian said.

The cement firm said it gained momentum in the second half, with revenues increasing 16 percent from the first half and 9 percent yearon-year as sales steadily grew in the third and fourth quarters. Jenniffer B. Austria

ERC asked to submit action plan to resolve more than 20 unapproved power supply deals

By Alena Mae S. Flores

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to submit an action plan to resolve the more than 20 cases of distribution utilities operating without approved power supply agreements.

“A regulator is supposed to protect consumers, but if you’re saying our distribution utilities are operating without approved power supply agreements and are charging

generation rates beyond what is allowed, how can we be confident of our own regulator?” Gatchalian told ERC officials at a recent hearing conducted by the Senate committee on energy.

“Submit to us an action plan on how to prevent this from happening again moving forward because it doesn’t say good things about our regulator,” Gatchalian, co-chair of the Senate energy committee, said. The committee tackled the case of San

Fernando Electric Light and Power Company Inc. in Pampanga which was ordered by the ERC to refund consumers P654.4 million covering the period January 2014 to December 2020. The ERC also imposed a P21.6-million penalty on SFELAPCO for passing on to consumers a generation rate which was not approved by the ERC. Gatchalian said ERC Resolution No. 17 series of 2009 requires all DUs to submit ev-

ery month their calculations on generation rates, system loss rates and mandated rate reduction, among others.

He assailed the ERC for failing to efficiently regulate the DUs and ensure affordability of electricity rates to the detriment of consumers.

The senator asked the Department of Energy to review its policy of allowing DUs to maintain indirect membership to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the trading floor of electricity.

SFELAPCO’s indirect membership in WESM prevented it from contracting power supply on the spot market which resulted in higher distribution costs to the detriment of consumers in San Fernando, Pampanga, Gatchalian said.

“The problem is the indirect membership. I suggest that you review that policy because it can be a loophole moving forward,” Gatchalian told DOE assistant secretary Mario Marasigan.

Holcim PH reported 63% drop in profit last year on weak demand, higher costs

First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos (fourth from left), together with US Ambassador MaryKay Carslson (fifth from left), joins Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion (right)in mentoring five women entrepreneurs. With them

left)

Carmel Ann Uy of Healthymathecian Fitness Hub, Rachelle Pamplina

Ramos

Studio and Leah Clara Yabis of Adhika Nature Farm. The special mentoring session happened on the sidelines of Go Negosyo’s Women Summit 2023 on March 18 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque City. Mentorship is one of the key pillars of Go Negosyo’s advocacy for entrepreneurship, along with giving micro-, small- and medium enterprises access to markets and money, or capital. After the session, the First Lady contributed pandagdag-puhunan to the women entrepreneurs she mentored.

FINANCIAL LITERACY. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (left) meet with Civil Service Commission chairperson Karlo Nograles (center) and Banco De Oro Foundation president Mario Deriquito to discuss financial literacy programs for government employees. The BSP, in partnership with the CSC and BDO Foundation, is set to roll out activities in the second half of 2023 aimed at enhancing the personal finance skills of civil servants. A longstanding advocate of financial education, the BSP is actively working with partners from the private and public sectors to develop customized financial literacy training programs for various stakeholders.

Cargo Movers clobber High Speed Hitters, near bronze

F2 LOGISTIcs delivered the goods it had failed to dispatch in its semis faceoff with Creamline although it needed to hurdle an early slip to fashion out a 2025, 25-22, 25-18, 25-17 victory and close in on the bronze medal in the Premier Volleyball League All Filipino Conference before a huge Sunday crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Aby Maraño put up a rare stellar offensive play of 14 attacks but it was her solid net defense that helped anchor the Cargo Movers’ domination of the High Speed Hitters in the last three sets, coming away with five blocks for a highly productive 19-point effort as F2 Logistics moved a win away from posting its best finish in the country’s premier women’s volley league.

“Perhaps, we were just adjusting early on. But I felt the fire inside me in the second set,” said Maraño, who shone with her signature running attacks on her way to clinching the game’s top honors. Her inspired performance also rubbed off on her teammates.

3 PH 800-m tracksters hit SEAG qualifying standard

By Peter Atencio

ILAGAN, Isabela -- Southeast Asian Games veteran Mariano Masano and Jose Rizal University student Frederick Ramirez joined Edwin Giron in coming up with better-than-expected performances in the ICTSIPhilippine Athletics Championships at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex here.

Masano and Ramirez came up with impressive clockings, even though they placed second and third in men’s 800-meters finals.

They were behind Malaysian National Games champion Wan Muhammad Wan Fazri Zahari, who took the gold men in

one minute, 53.91 seconds.

The 25-year-old Masano submitted a time of 1:54.17 to hit and go below the SEA Games gold medal qualifying standard of 1:55.75.

Ramirez, 25, also went below the qualifying time with his 1:54.23 showing.

The 23-year-old Wan Zahari won his first gold in an international meet and has been selected to be part of the Malaysian national contingent to 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia.

University of the Philippines standout Giron, who continued to submit a lower time performance and finished the men’s 800-meter heats in one minute, and 51.83 seconds, was excused from joining the finals by coach Jojo Posadas. Because Giron’s time was much lower in the heats, Posadas just asked him to rest, return to Manila and take the needed break before the SEA Games begins in May.

During the trials last month, Giron was a second slower at 1:52.50, and got

Cebu keeps pressure on Kaya in PFL

IT was a far from convincing performance, but Dynamic Herb Cebu got the job done nonetheless and sustained its title push in the Philippines Football League brought to you by Qatar Airways.

The Gentle Giants turned back Mendiola FC 1991, 1-0, last Saturday at the PFF National Training Centre in Carmona Cavite to move within five points off leader Kaya FC-Iloilo in the title race.

With Kaya not playing this weekend, Cebu made its move thanks to Japanese forward Rintaro Hama’s 23rd minute strike that pushed the Gentle Giants past a stubborn Mendiola side.

“We’re happy for the three points,” said Cebu’s Turkish head coach Mehmet Kakil, “But

the game was not satisfying. At least, we’re only one game behind Kaya in the standings.”

Kaya has 42 points, with Cebu at 37 and a game in hand. Mendiola remained in sixth spot with six points from 13 matches.

The Gentle Giants enjoyed plenty of the ball in the early goings with Ivan Ouano testing Michael Asong with a header in the sixth minute. It wasn’t until Marius Kore found Hama surging on the left flank when Cebu found the breakthrough. A fine first touch and a clinical strike to the bottom corner finally beat Asong. Mendiola came close to an equalizer late in the first half, but Serge Kaole’s shot was denied by Jun Badelic, before Hama’s shot was also saved by Asong in the 52nd minute.

the attention of Posadas.

Masano said he hopes to be part of the national team in the 800-meters and in the 1500-meters as well, after bagging a silver medal back in 2019.

“Thankful ako na nakasali ako ulit. Last time hindi ako pinalad dahil nag-5th place. Napapag-usapan namin ni coach Jojo na babawi ako,” said Masano.

Ramirez, a criminology student at JRU, said that with his good showing, he would mostly likely make it to the national 4x400 meter relay team with Fil-American Umajesty Williams.

Earlier in the day, Mark Harry Diones prevailed in his showdown 2022 SEA Games bronze medallist Tran Van Dien after he took the gold with a 15.81 leap in the men’s triple jump.

Azevedo, Crowley crowned IM 70.3 Davao champs

DAVAO—Portugal’s Filipe Azevedo and Sarah Crowley of Australia fueled their respective title bids in the bike leg then held off their rivals’ fightback in the grueling closing run to crown themselves the 2023 Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Davao champions at the Azuela Cove here on Sunday.

Azevedo, 30, figured in a threeway battle with Serbian Ognjen Stojanovic and Tuan Chun Chang of Taiwan in swim then took command by nearly four minutes over Chang with a blistering pace in bike (2:00:17) by Transition 2. He then lived through the punishing run (1:20:38) in hot conditions to prevail in 3:51:09 over the 1.9k swim-90k bike-21k run distance event powered by Petron.

Stojanovic turned in the best clocking in the closing leg (1:18:02) but fell short of his comeback bid, settling for runner-up in 3:52:28,

while Chang timed 3:57:12 for third followed by American Robbie Deckard and Zsombor Deak of Romania, who clocked 4:09:01 and 4:14:27, respectively.

Crowley later came in with a 4:20:14 clocking to beat American Lauren Brandon (4:22:49) and Lottie Lucas of United Arab Emirates (4:25:09) in their side of the pro battle as the Brisbane native kept her hot streak going following a rare sweep of three Australian IRONMAN races last year, including the IM Western Australia in Busselton last December.

Brandon actually came out of the water nearly two minutes ahead French Julie Iemmolo, Lucas and Crowley. But the 40-year-old Crowley unleashed a strong finishing kick in the next leg to seize the lead then flashed superb staying power by dominating the early part of the run.

Kim Dy fired 20 points, including 15 on attacks and a couple of aces, while Ara Galang came away with 13 markers and Majoy Baron added nine points to underscore F2 Logistics’ balanced offensive sock. But the Cargo Movers took control of the High Speed Hitters by doubling up on blocking, finishing with an eye-popping 18 blocks against their rivals’ six, which matched Galang’s impressive block effort.

That set the tone for their victory that in the early stretch had looked like an enormous task for the Cargo Movers after they succumed to the High Speed Hitters’ power and smarts in the opening frame aided by their erratic stint at the service area that netted the latter five points.

“‘Di pa rin pwede mag relax, dapat mas maging aggressive pa kami,” added Maraño heading to tomorrow’s Game 2.

“I don’t mind kung ano ung points na naibigay ko sa team, ang importante sa akin yung panalo,” added the former La Salle stalwart, who along with her teammates, also drew inspiration from former mentor Ramil de Jesus.

For coach Regine Diego, she stressed the need for her wards to assert their might early, saying: “Kailangan na kunin agad. We have to play with more fire and be able to check our errors. But I think we’re on the right track.”

PH climbs highest FIFA women’s ranking at 49

By Peter Atencio

A NEW milestone has been reached after the Philippine national women’s football team moved four rungs to its highest FIFA World rankings.

Coach Allen Stajcic said this after the Filipinas, who are set to join the Olympic qualifiers in Tajikistan, are now ranked at no. 49.

“Another amazing milestone for the Team on this journey to the World Cup. Another record for the country,” said Stajcic in a statement.

The Filipinas are now ahead of Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Panama and Haiti.

Team Philippines is getting ready for its next mission in April.

“This is a further objective confirmation that we are heading in the right direction,” added Stajcic.

The Filipinas are coming off a campaign in the Pinatar Cup in Spain, which was part of their preparation for the coming World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Australia has also improved and returned to the Top 10 in the penultimate FIFA Women’s World Ranking.

The Matildas, who used to be coached by Stajcic are in 10th, and are up by two rungs.

The biggest points change came from Panama, who went up by five notches to no. 52.

Panama is one of three teams to emerge from the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-off Tournament with a ticket to Australia and New Zealand 2023.

F2’s Aby Marano ashes the no. 1 sign after scoring a point against the PLDT High Speed Hitters in the PVL’s battle for third place.

Rintaro Hama celebrates his goal against Mendiola

Portuguese Filipe Azevedo (center) is anked by Ognjen Stojanovic of Serbia (left) and Taiwanese Tuan Chun Chang

Nueva Ecija rallies to nip Bataan, grabs share of lead

NUEVA Ecija crawled out of a deep pit to thwart Bataan, 72-69, late Saturday and shared the lead in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City.

The defending champion Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards stared at a 26-49 halftime deficit before gradually working their way back and finally seizing control over the Bataan Risers in the last two minutes to tally their third straight victory in the 29-team tournament.

Earlier, the Quezon Huskers also came from behind to nip Rizal Xentro Mall Golden Coolers, 74-73, and join the idle Bulacan Kuyas and the Muntinlupa Cagers at 3-0.

Will MCaloney presided over Nueva Ecija’s comeback by pouring 11 of his 16 points in the second half and was supported by Pamboy Raymundo, John Bryon Villarias and Jay Collado in the fiery rally that delighted the hometown crowd.

The burly Cebuano also grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked 3 shots to earn best player honors. Raymundo scored all of his 8 points in the second half, Villarias ended up with 10 points and Collado 8.

Other Rice Vanguards who delivered for coach Jerson Cabiltes were homegrown Bobby Balucanag with 10 points and Michael Juico with 9.

Bataan, which led for over 36 minutes, drew 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals from prized acquisition Yves Sazon, who, however, failed to force overtime after missing a 3-pointer with four seconds to go.

The Risers, who tasted their first defeat in three games, got 11 points from Kristoffr Torrado and 10 each from Jeff Santos and Arvie Bringas.

Bacolod City of Smiles drew double digits from six players and dumped the Bicol Volcanoes, 93-82, for their first win in three starts.

Domark Matillano fired 17 points, while John Cantimbuhan, Justin Alano and Ryusei added 13 each for Bacolod, which also got 12 points from James Mangahas, who joined the MPBL 1,000-point club, and 10 from Mac Montilla.

France’s Boutier grabs lead; Saso 6 shots back

LOS ANGELES—France’s Celine Boutier posted an eagle and six birdies in a seven-under par 65 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead in the US LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition

Mountain, Arizona.

Boutier had a 16-under par total of 200 and was a shot clear of South Korean Ryu Hae-ran, American Alison Lee and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.

Former Women’s Open winner Yuka Saso, now representing Japan after spending her amateur years playing for the Philippines, is tied for 31st place with seven others after a two-under 70 in the third round for a 206, only six shots off the pace.

Moriya was 17-under with two holes to play but closed with back-to-back bogeys to slip into the group sharing second -- one stroke clear of her sister Ariya Jutanugarn and Norwegian rookie Celine Borge. On another day of ideal conditions and low scores, Boutier got things going with an eagle at the second hole, reaching the green at the par-five in two.

“Had a solid drive, said the French player, a two-time winner on the LPGA tour and a three-time winner on the La-

dies European Tour.

“I was kind of all the way at the front of the green and the pin is kind of back. Just made a solid putt and happened to go in, so it was a pretty nice way to start the round.”

She’d add birdies at the sixth and seventh before a bogey at the eighth. Four birdies coming in included one from a bunker to cap her round at the par-five 18th.

“I feel like I had a lot of birdie opportunities today,” said Boutier. “I didn’t even make all of them, but I feel like because I was playing really steady and focusing on hitting good shots and having the birdie chances I, feel like I made a few.”

With an abundance of low scores and the 18th offering a prime birdie chance it was an especially disappointing finish for Moriya, who started the day in a three-way tie for the lead.

She had shaken off an opening bogey with six birdies, but couldn’t keep

HD Spikers eye sweep, finals; 3 others battle for No. 2

CIGNAL faces Cotabato seeking to cap its unbeaten run from the elims to the finals while Iloilo goes all-out against winless Imus for a crack at the other championship berth in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The round robin semis ends today (Monday) with the HD Spikers keen on re-asserting their mastery of the Cotabato Spikers, stretching their streak to 13 and formalizing their highly anticipated stint in the finals.

up the pace and settled for a 69. She will now be chasing on Sunday as she seeks a third LPGA title, and her first since 2021.

Ryu, 22 and ranked 53rd in the world, put herself in contention for a first LPGA victory with an eight-under 64 while Lee carded a 67.

Ariya and Borge were among the three players to shoot nine-under par 63s.

Former world number one Ariya, whose 12 LPGA titles include two majors, had nine birdies without a bogey.

She reeled off five birdies in a row from the sixth through the 10th and closed her round with three straight birdies at 16, 17 and 18.

She said she could have scored even lower but missed some short birdie putts.

“Just misread it,” said Ariya, adding that overall her putting was “pretty good” after struggles on the greens in recent weeks.

Borge’s nine-under effort included four birdies to open her round and a birdie-eagle finish.

South Korean Amy Yang also carded a 63 to head a big group on 203 that also included world number three Ko Jin-young of South Korea and overnight co-leaders Jenny Shin and Maddie Szeryk. AFP

They swept them in the elims but top hitter Marck Espejo stressed there’s no reason for the HD Spikers to take the Cotabato Spikers lightly.

“May isa pa kaming game at kailangan pa rin naming gawin yung best naming para tuloy-tuloy na,” said Espejo, who dropped 13 points in their domination of the Iloilo D’Navigators last Friday following a similar straight-set romp over the Imus AJAA Spikers.

Gametime is at 5:30 with Cignal also vowing to sustain its form against Cotabato to free itself of any barrier in the event three teams would end up with 2-1 (win-loss) slates.

But with two easy wins worth six points, the HD Spikers can still get into the finals even with a five-set loss as the Cotabato Spikers and the D’Navigators could only finish with six points at best.

Still, Cotabato believes it can stop Cignal’s emphatic run.

“Do-or-die sa amin, so ibibigay naming yung 100 percent. Pagbubutihan pa namin at talagang ta-tyagain namin every point,” said Cotabato main man Jau Umandal, who fired 20 points and finished with nine excellent receptions against the AJAA Spikers.

Iloilo, meantime, hopes to stay in the hunt for the second finals slot as it takes on Imus at 3 p.m.

Baluyot faces Sevilla in URCC 84; slap rap battle debuts

TWO HIGHLY-RESPECTED mixed martial arts bouts will be showcased, while the newest slap rap battle will have its debut in the coming Universal Reality Combat Championship 84 Rage on April 25 at the Xylo at the Palace in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

URCC founder and president Alvin Aguilar announced recently the exciting line-up of the URCC fight card 84 entitled Rage, featuring the MMA flyweight main event bout between jiujitsu black belters Eros Baluyot (1-0) and Elouie Federic (EF) Sevilla (5-3).

“We have these two of the best [jiujitsu] black belters in the Philippines going against each other and I really can’t wait for April 25,” Aguilar said. “We’ll also be hosting the first-ever slap rap battle—a first of its kind. We have a lot of innovative things we’d like to introduce here in URCC.”

Unlike the respect showed by Baluyot and Sevilla with each other, Arvin “Sharpshooter” Chan and Costa Rican

Batangas swimmer, 4 others dominate COPA-Golden Goggle

BATANGAS native Clevic George

Daluz led five triple-gold medalists for the Most Outstanding Swimmer Awards, on Sunday at the close of COPA-Golden Goggle Legs 1 and 2 at the Teofilo Yldefonso swimming pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Center in Malate, Manila.

The eight-year-old Grade 1 student at the Agustin Ramos Memorial Elementary School in Balayan topped the boys’ 8-yearold class 50-m backstroke with a time of 51.03 seconds and the 100m breaststroke, clocking 2:01.11 in a fitting follow-up to his openingday triumph in 200-m freestyle (3:36.78) on Saturday.

The event was supported by Speedo, the Philippine Sports Commission and MILO. “Masaya po ako kasi nabigyan ko ng

medals ang team namin at ang mama at papa ko,” said Daluz of the Balayan Tigers Swim Team. Other triple-gold winners were Marcus Pablo, John Rey Lee, Samantha Mia Mendoza and Jamie Aica Summer Sy.

They all qualified for the Luzon Championship in August, when the top swimmers clash with the best from the Visayas and Mindanao Regional Championship of the tournament organized by the Congress of Philippine Aquatics, headed by swimming icon Batangas 1st District Congressman Eric Buhain.

Pablo, who also won the boys’ 7-year-old class 200-m freestyle (4:14.17) on Saturday, delivered anew in the 50-m back (1:00.01) and 100-m breast (2:14.28), while Lee clinched top honors in the 9-year-old age

group after winning the 100-m breast (2:10.26), 50-m back (52.33) and 200m free (3:17.50).

The pride of Coach King Swimming Team, Mendoza topped the girls’ 8-year class 100-m breast (2:13.77); 50-m breast (55.29) and 200-m free (3:23.73), while Sy capped her performance in the girls’ 12-years class, winning the 100-m breast, clocking 1:41.87. She also won the 50-m back (38.68) and 200-m free (2:43.10).

“COPA is doing its best for swimming development. After our regional championships for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, mayroon tayong National Championship in November. We are also in close coordination with our friends abroad for an international-flavored event na tayo ang host at hindi ‘yung tayo ang gagastos para bumiyahe pa. Tuloy-

the attention of the fans on their heated, coming bout supported by the Philippines Nuebe Gaming and Vietnamese Highlands Coffee.

“We want to see how the saga of Arvin Chan and Mariano Jones ends,” Aguilar added.

Aside from the two main events, the lone women strawweight bout between Jomary Torres (4-5) and undefeated Mariane Mariano (2-0) will also take place.

For inquiries about tickets sale, go to www.urcc.online and download the app https://apps.wix.com/placeinvites/join-lp/b4e05b90-55a0-40a88fac-17ccf4a2c074?ref=pre_banner_ top which is available for iOS and Google.

In the preliminary bouts, Rex De Lara (10-8) battles debuting John Carranza (1-0) in the featherweight class, while Rhino Casipe (0-0) meets Kervin Lampacan (0-0) in the flyweight category, and Marvin Dela Cruz (0-1)

clashes against Denzel Dimaguila (1-2) in a flyweight bout.

In the amateur bouts, Nigerian Emmanuel Epkeusi (4-3) squares off with Indian Mohammed Aslam (10-0) in the welterweight divisiob while Jan Ilarde (2-0) collides against AJ Castellano (2-0) in heavyweight category.

In the first-ever slap rap battle, Ronmar A. Tubig (South Piezze) meets Joneil Deo Destreza (Sirdeo), while John Kenneth Reyes (Cloza Mafia) faces Daniel Ray Wiggins (Taz Wiggins).

Details of the fight and future fight cards are available to download at https://apps.wix.com/place-invites/ join-lp/b4e05b90-55a0-40a8-8fac17ccf4a2c074?ref=pre_banner_top , which is available for iOS and Google.

For more information about nuebe gaming and Highlands Coffee, you can go to websites https://nuebegaming.ph/ and https://www.highlandscoffee.com.ph/

Flying Lampasot in the girls’ 14-year class 50-m back (35.39); Marie Rejuso in the 15-years (34.11); Dane Urquico in 16-years (34.38); Fie Dolliente in the 17-years (35.15); Dianna Cruz in the 18-years and over (33.73);

Yuka Saso of Japan walks on on the third green during the third round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Apache Junction, Arizona. AFP

George Clevic Daluz, 8, of the Balayan Tigers, is shown with his coach and mother after the awarding ceremony.

Fighters are shown with URCC founding president Alvin Aguilar during Friday’s news conference at the Xylo at the Palace.

fighter Mariano “The Hitman” Jones exchanged personal verbal jabs prior to their welterweight showdown.

The 33-year-old Chan (8-9) even went outside Xylo to confront and slap the 26-year-old Jones (1-0), drawing

tuloy din ‘yung coaches’ education program natin,” said COPA treasurer and event director Chito Rivera.

Legs 3 and 4 of the tournament resume on April 22 and 23.

Other winners were Keisha Blair of

The men of Hashtags reunite as ‘Working Boys’

By Angelica Villanueva

FORMER Hashtags

members Wilbert Ross, Nikko Natividad, and Vitto Marquez reunited in a project – not on a dance floor but on the big screen.

Under Viva Films, the three former dancers star in a comedy film Working Boys 2: Choose Your Papa alongside Mikoy Morales and Andrew Muhlach Wilbert, Nikko, and Vitto first worked together back as members of the all-male dance group Hashtags in 2016. Nikko was part of the first batch while Wilbert and Vitto later joined the group. Wilbert and Vitto first signed with Viva and recently, Nikko officially had his contract with Viva Artists Agency.

As for Mikoy, he was the runner-up winner of Protégé: The Battle For The Big Artista Break in 2012. It was Mikoy’s first time working with the other cast members since he came Nakakapanibago sa totoo lang. Unfamiliar territory, wala sa comfort zone ko, wala akong kilala sa prod, wala akong kilala sa cast. Lahat sila first time ko makatrabaho,” shared Mikoy.

Meanwhile, Andrew is a regular of Viva Films and Viva Max flicks.

The film tackles the life of five bums struggling with what direction they want to take in their respective lives. As they plan to turn things around, they try to find a job, only to fail at it miserably and even gain a lot of hate and a new enemy.

Having the ‘never say no attitude’ especially when it comes to their friends and family, they applied to PAPA APPS.

The cast of ‘Working Boys

2: Choose Your Papa’

Working Boys 2: Choose Your Papa is inspired by the 1985 film of the same title which starred Tito Sotto, Joey De Leon, and Vic Sotto, commonly known as the TVJ.

Director Paolo O’Hara clarified that the latest one is not a remake but a modern take on the TVJ film.

“It’s about the brotherhood of these boys trying to survive the hardships. Parang more on inspiration rather than a remake. Kasi hindi natin kayangng tapatan ang TVJ,” explained the

director. Kung meron mang similarity, it’s ‘yung pag-t-thrive nila to survive, to work harder,” he added.

The five lead cast were also advised by the director not to watch the TVJ film.

“Specifically, sabi ko ‘wag panoorin. Because ayoko na magaya. I want them to think fresh du’n sa character nila,” added O’Hara. When asked about the challenges he encountered working on his first full-length

mainstream film, the director quipped that he didn’t experience any.

“Actually, wala eh. Siguro ang isa sa mga main challenge ko talaga, halimbawa, itong presscon, kinakabahan ako habang naghihintay ako do’n kanina. But, seriously, like problema sa set, wala eh. Kasi kung paano ako sa theatre, kung paano ako sa events…ganu’n din ‘yung ginawa kong proseso dito. So, happy set, walang diva, everybody’s equal.

Kahit ‘yung PAs, equal to everybody,” said O’Hara.

To complete the roster of the cast, the “hero”

Wilbert Ross

of Philippine Comedy Bayani Agbayani plays ‘Chupapi’ of the boys, together with Angela Morena, Debbie Garcia, Lea Jane, Angelic Guzman, Divine Aucina, Marissa Sanchez, Bob Jbeilli, and Juliana Parizcova Segovia with the special participation of Frankie Russell Working Boys 2: Choose Your Papa unspools in cinemas on March 29.

From

Nikko Natividad, Wilbert Ross, Director Paolo O’Hara, Mikoy Morales, Vitto Marquez, and Andrew Muhlach during the press conference of

Home is where the heart is

problem, of course.

“I believe this is the opportune time for a second branch. Let us see what can we do to make the brand bigger. We are bullish about this development.”

Adding more boost to his confidence, Tiri avers: “The people with purchasing power are back. We feel it. We see them, They visit, dine, and we welcome them. Slowly but surely, the cocooning and staying-athome phase I believe is now reaching its concluding cycle. This thing call revenge spending is for real and happy to report that Limbaga 77 gets a good share of the revenge spending pie.”

AS diva Diana Ross sings: “When I think of home, I think of a place where there is love overflowing…” one cannot help but smile and remember why home is where the heart is.

When we tweak the lyrics of this ditty and add a sprinkling of: “Where good food is served and shared,” that is when a home becomes not just a house but a slice of heaven on earth.

Many agree that the tweaked lyrics of Miss Ross’s iconic anthem from The Wiz, figuring on the top spot as the best example is Limbaga 77 –the home away from home that serves and sets the standard of umami for Filipino dishes. Named after the address in which the century home is situated and adaptively reused as the restaurant that not only evokes but feels like home.

Since its opening in December 2014, many have chosen to celebrate the milestones of their lives big or small, meeting place for bonding and catch-up time for colleagues athe premium guarantee of glorious food and impeccable service – this has become the stamp of Limabaga 77.

The First Gentleman of Limbaga 77 is Rex Tiri. He expands the reach and reign of the Tomas Morato-based restaurant with business manager Sonny Fortuna, with the opening of its newest branch.

“I wanted to try a second branch and the challenge of bringing it to a mall excites me,” begins Tiri. “It took us two months to decide and to realize this. Familiar na rin kami, especially with all the preparations that we needed to do.”

“The prime consideration of course is the location, that is why we chose the Trinoma mall,” carries on the First Gentleman. “I am not daunted by the fact that there are so many restaurants in the area. Ganun rin naman ang kaso sa Tomas Morato. Competition is good and healthy for any business. I think what leaves a mark on people are the food and the service. What we offer in the Morato restaurant, they are all here. We want people to experience the trademark food. The food is of course the biggest attraction of the restaurant, Tried and tested, approved by many, may word of mouth na, and reasonably priced. And, the courtesy, hospitality, and first-world manner of service given by our staff is another Limbaga 77 premium.”

Tiri and his team put up the second branch because the first branch is teeming with events. They are finding it difficult to accept walk-ins, which is a happy

Limbaga 77’s most delicious dishes are kare-kare baked lechon paksiw, and adobong tadyang ng baka, to mention a few. The First Gentleman’s favorites are: “Definitely karekare, with its sauce made from scratch. We do not use peanut butter, talagang mani. Beef parts and the crispiest of vegetables with the signature bagoong, and stuffed laing continue to be our best sellers.”

Tiri is the Force of RP Hepatagon Holdings which is into food and restaurants, health care and equipment, real estate, aesthetics, and beauty, logistics, and entertainment. With regard to what will be in store for T-Rex Entertainment, which has Mudrastra the Roderick Paulate headlined movie in the can, Tiri avers: “There will be exciting announcements about the film and new developments are going to be made public soonest.”

Kailangan naming tumulong sa pagbangon ng Philippine economy in our own little way. That is not just a goal, but my purpose – to assist, to be of service. We should all be positive and we must trust our country, the leaders, and their governance. Dapat may tiwala tayo sa kapwa Pilipino natin. Let us do our share in nation-building so that there will more people who live happy, healthy, and secure lives.” The second branch of Limbaga 77 is located at Level 1, Garden Restaurants, Trinoma Mall.

Hori70n’s debut single tops iTunes PH

POP group Hori7on is starting to make a mark on the global stage as its pre-debut single “Dash” tops iTunes Philippines while its music video has garnered 1.3 million views in less than two days.

In the boy band’s Instagram live on March 22, the group’s members Jeromy Batac Marcus Cabais Kyler Chua Vinci Malizon Reyster Yton Kim Ng and Winston Pineda were grateful that they topped the Itunes chart in the country even before their debut.

The pre-debut single also secured spots in different countries like UAE (15th), Singapore (#30), and Denmark (#80), while its instrumental version was included

in the top 20 of Itunes Philippines.

Netizens were amazed by the powerful dance moves and vocal prowess showcased by the group in various sets that made the music video trend on Twitter and YouTube.

Aside from the launch of its pre-debut single, the seven-member group continues its nationwide tour before they fly to South Korea. Catch them at Robinsons Gen Trias on March 25 (Saturday), and Robinsons Starmills on March 26 (Sunday). Watch them perform live at KCC Koronadal on April 14 (Friday), KCC Gensan on April 15 (Saturday), and KCC Zamboanga on April 16 (Sunday).

Mel Tiangco, Atom Araullo, GMA online newscast recognized for journalistic excellence

LEADING broadcast company GMA Network was once again recognized by educational institutions University of the East (UE) Caloocan and De La Salle University (DLSU).

Seasoned news anchor Mel Tiangco was recently named as “Gawad Bagani sa Larangan ng Telebisyon” at the Seventh Gawad Bagani Sa Komunikasyon: Para sa Makabagong Mandirigma sa Radyo at Telebisyon. The awarding ceremony was held on March 13 at the UE Caloocan Campus. Tiangco won in the Television Program Category for GMA Network’s primetime newscast 24 Oras. She was conferred with the same award in 2016 and 2018.

“I express to you my deep appreciation and gratitude for the fact that you, here in UE Caloocan and in CAMANAVA, recognize me in these qualities of ‘Mahusay,’ ‘Matapat,’ ‘Matapang,’ ‘Matulungin,’ ‘Charismatic,’ and ‘Maaasahan,’ – qualities which took me a lifetime to gradually identify, cultivate, hone, and sustain all these years in my professional and personal life. By the grace of God, with a lot of help from angels – in the person of friends, colleagues, and sometimes, even strangers, we come to this point in life where people like you discern and affirm how all of that matters in your lives,” says Tiangco.

Launched in 2014, UE Caloocan’s Gawad Bagani sa Komunikasyon recognizes and appreciates “warriors” in popular media “who fight against social injustice rooted in poverty as manifested in unemployment, illiteracy, illness, and powerlessness.”

Pop group Hori7on is starting to make waves in the global music scene

Meanwhile, award-winning broadcast journalist Atom Araullo was the first-ever recipient of the Outstanding Media Personality Award at the 2023 Lasallian Scholarum Awards of De La Salle University last March 22. The award was included this year to recognize a media practitioner who showed admirable

attributes, serving as a role model to journalists-in-the-making. Atom was selected by Lasallian student journalists together with the university’s Student Media Office.

Together with Maki Pulido, Atom coanchors GTV’s flagship newscast State of the Nation. He headlines the bi-monthly The Atom Araullo Specials and is one of the hosts of the long-running documentary show I-Witness Maraming mga pagsubok mula sa local issues natin hanggang sa global issues like climate change. Journalists should be at the forefront and we should also inspire other people, users of media, na gamitin ang kanilang galing para labanan ang ganitong klase ng problema,” said Araullo.

GMA Public Affairs and GMA Digital Video Lab’s online newscast Stand for Truth, bested other entries and took home the Outstanding Video Feature Story on Youth and Education for its documentary Runaway Child Brides

Produced by Lilian Tiburcio and Bryan Brazil, the documentary tackled arranged marriages or a tradition called “buya” among Manobo tribes. The documentary is also shortlisted at this year’s New York Festivals TV & Film (NYF) Awards.

GMA Network dominated this year’s Lasallian Scholarum Awards with four documentaries from I-Witness making it to the list of finalists in the Outstanding Video Feature Story on Youth and Education category. These were Kara David and Anna Isabelle Matutina’s Balik Ilog’; Araullo’s Fimagas Class of 2022 and Here Comes the Child Bride; and another from Davcid, Usok sa Gubat DLSU’s annual Lasallian Scholarum Awards recognizes the exemplary media coverage of youth and education stories by various news organizations in the country.

Joining the three former dancers in ‘Working Boys 2: Choose Your Papa’ are Mikoy Morales (left) and Andrew Muhlach

left:

the upcoming comedy film

Limabaga 77's Rex Tiri (left) with awardwinning actress Sylvia Sanchez

Atom Araullo (center) and the ‘Stand for Truth’ team

Vitto Marquez

in Narvacan Your little Santorini

next 12 hours, he spoiled us with food served by his amiable staff who would give us everything we requested for.

Our quick trip started off with a tour and a merienda cena at Baluarte

– a zoological park in Vigan. We had dinner at BarTech before heading to the Narvacan dancing fountain for a 30-minute show. And just when we thought the night was over, we had a nightcap – a beer and karaoke session at Sulvec Greece.

“This is my happiness,” Chavit said, to which I asked, “What’s the cost of this happiness then, Gov.?”

The 81-year-old Chavit retorted, “It doesn’t matter. You don’t own your money until you spend it.” Then he bursted out in a hearty laugh.

SANTORINI is one of the best places on earth to visit and that’s probably what inspired businessman and former politician Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson to build his own version of it in Narvacan.

Sulvec Greece is Chavit’s sevenhectare property in Sulvec, Narvacan, a quaint town in Ilocos Sur where he became a mayor and a councilor.

I first visited the property in April last year when he hosted former Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu and the Miss Universe Organization during their official visit to the country.

I didn’t get the chance to ask the former governor about his stunning mansion that mirrors the famous landscape of the majestic island in the Hellenic Republic. But I thought one day, it would be great to have a sit-down interview with him to talk about the stunning mansion.

Sulvec Greece has five bedrooms, all opulently furnished and powered by Alexa. There are other equally sophisticated villas on the property for guests and staff.

Last month, we flew to Laoag City via Chavit’s private jet. It was a quick overnight trip since the former governor would also be back in Manila the next day for a business meeting. But for the

He said that it took seven months and 300 hundred workers working round the clock to complete his “passion project.”

The mansion, adorned by contemporary and classic art pieces, is very Chavit, I would say. You see, in the morning, deer walk around the garden. Just like in his house in Corinthian in Quezon City, Sulvec Greece is also home to animals that you would only see on safaris. It’s just like his Golden Tower in Baluarte only more sophisticated and attuned to the taste of the former politician. It has its own helipad, gym, infinity pool with jacuzzi, entertainment area, and a stunning garden facing the West Philippine Sea. The room I stayed in for a night was furnished by Bentley Home. Now you could imagine how much this property cost if it were for rent, but Chavit said he hosts people for free. He even allowed Coco Martin and the cast and crew of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano to stay and shoot at the property for three months free of charge.

“I love hosting people. To be honest, I can no longer remember all the names of celebrities that I have welcomed here,” he said saying that a lot of A-list celebrities have already visited the mansion including Pops Fernandez and Small Laude. Korean superstar Lee Seung-gi was his guest a few weeks ago.

“This property was constructed during the height of the pandemic. I was so bored and while in lockdown and playing mahjong, I thought of building this mansion. We first had

a quarantine facility so if workers would get sick, we have a place for them to stay,” Chavit recounted. As someone who had a background in Architecture, he was very hands-on in building the entire property, inspecting the detail of the construction, from the floors to the ceilings, and from the material to the furnishings.

“I monitored it every day. If not in person, I would ask for videos for me to see the progress of the construction. And this property isn’t finished yet, within one month, we’ll complete constructing the helipad,” he shared. Going through the printed-out photos of the property, Chavit showed us his other plans for the Santorini Sulvec. “We’ll soon have an events and entertainment venue here,” pointing to the sanded area of the property near the seawall.

“We also built a chapel here. I’ll get married at that altar one day,” he added in jest. Chavit Singson has been generous in sharing this of Greece with his visitors, allowing them to experience the kind of happiness that he has built for himself.

“I can no longer ask for more, I’m

content with my life. I don’t even think of going into politics again. I just want to have fun, build businesses, and help people in their livelihood. That’s the happiness I’m talking about,” he ended.

Fili Hotel brings genuine Filipino hospitality to Cebu

FILI Hotel, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts’ new brand of homegrown hotels has opened its flagship property at NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu City. The 5-Star is the first of three hotel towers to rise in NUSTAR, the pioneering integrated resort in Cebu and the rest of the southern Philippines.

Fili’s location on Kawit Island paints a panoramic view of the southern part of Cebu City and the newly built CebuCordova Link Expressway (CCLEX). It is a 30-minute drive from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport via the CCLEX, and a 25-minute sea travel from Mactan shortening the travel time and offering a scenic route to and from the airport. These major infrastructures add to a worthwhile experience and stay at the hotel.

As the country’s first authentic Filipino 5-star hotel, Fili promises the global charm of Filipino hospitality and accommodations

where luxury and Filipino care are experienced in every detail. It is envisioned to be a household powerhouse that will expand and operate in Metro Manila and other parts of the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Filipino warmth and service from the heart

The Filipino hospitality beams from the hotel’s logo – a parol that symbolizes light and warmth, and a sight that evokes comfort, joy, and pride in the Filipino beholder. The parol is meant to assure guests, “You are home. Let me take care of you.”

Filipinos’ genuine care, joyful nature, and efficient service shine in all service areas of Fili. Here, each of the staff always welcomes guests with warmth and pride for the Filipino heritage and culture. From the second they arrive to long after they

leave, guests can experience and treasure the distinct luxury and warmth of Filipino hospitality, which Fili prides itself on.

Fili Hotel’s service is anchored on the virtue of finding joy in helping guests the best way it can.

The lobby, hallways, and all 379 guest rooms and suites of Fili Hotel showcase local craftsmanship and celebrate artful pursuits through contemporary décor and Filipino accent pieces. Masterpieces of both budding and world-renowned Filipino artists in various mediums can be seen around the hotel. The chandelier at the reception lobby is inspired by the sardine run, which is also one of the tourist attractions in the southern town of Moalboal. Below the chandelier is a table by Vito Selma, one of the distinguished Cebuano furniture designers.

At the Fili Lobby Lounge, solihiya is widely used, which dates back to the Spanish colonial era when it

Fili’s deluxe rooms boast a spacious and lush layout for ultimate relaxation and comfort

provided comfortable rest in the tropical heat. Likewise, replete with modern conveniences, Fili Hotel aims to serve as an escape from the city bustle, and as a home away from home for guests coming from other cities or countries.

The Jef Albea pieces are from his collection that’s inspired by water. Water threads all his sculptures together and like water, his sculptures of women dressed in flowing gowns have fluid lines which spread wavily, giving the impression of graceful movement and animation.

bliss in mind.

Each room has a smart TV, high-speed internet access for multiple devices, 24hour in-room dining service, a Nespresso coffee machine and minibar, an in-room safe, IDD telephone, and voicemail, and premium bath amenities which includes a detached bathtub for the ultimate relaxing experience.

through contemporary décor and

Meanwhile, both contemporary and classic pieces, as well as abstract ones by visual artist Fidel Sarmiento, are curated in various areas of the hotel, for guests to admire and learn from. Sarmiento is most known for his mastery of intricate Spanish colonial-era houses. He presents both the interior and exterior views of provincial ancestral houses, and the livelihood of Filipinos in olden times, and yokes the rich colonial past with the present.

Fili’s deluxe rooms boast a spacious and lush layout that is meant to provide relaxation and ultimate comfort – perfect for both business and leisure travelers.

Meanwhile, with picturesque views of the sea, mountain, or city skyline, an incredibly comfortable bed, and lavish amenities, Fili’s suites are designed with guests’ serenity and

Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR) is the hospitality arm of Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC). It is well on its way to becoming the Philippines’ biggest and best hotel group with the widest variety of formats and brands, as well as the most diverse geographic reach.

Its latest development is NUSTAR Resort and Casino, Cebu’s first premier integrated resort. NUSTAR will be home to exceptional hotel towers: NUSTAR Hotel, the only ultra-luxury hotel outside Metro Manila, and Fili, a 5-star hotel that boasts genuine Filipino hospitality.

Set on an island already renowned for its hospitality, each hotel has been designed to redefine the standard of luxury in accommodations, dining, and leisure.

For inquiries and reservations, dial (032) 888-8282 or email the hotel through reservations.fili@nustar.com.ph. More information can also be found on the website at www.nustar.ph/hotels/fili.

Sulvec also houses animals that people can only see on safaris

The elegant dining area

An aerial view of the sevenhectare property in Sulvec, Narvacan in Ilocos Sur

The BarTech restobar along Calle Crisologo, Vigan

The facade of the chapel

A stunning view of the West Philippine Sea

A baby giraffe is also one of the attractions in Baluarte

Chavit Singson (third from left, standing) with members of the press

The suites offer picturesque views of the sea, mountain, or city skyline

Fili Hotel showcases local craftsmanship

Filipino accent pieces Unwind under the sun at the Villa Pool

Big PH firms push for cleaner habitat, sustainable practices

MORE and more Philippine conglomerates are supporting the United Nations’ agenda for sustainable development.

Big Philippine companies are now aggressively laying down their plans on sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment, after over three decades when more than 178 nations congregated in June 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to ensure all human beings enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.

“The future of humanity and of our planet lies in our hands. It lies also in the hands of today’s younger generation who will pass the torch to future generations. We have mapped the road to sustainable development; it will be for all of us to ensure that the journey is successful and its gains irreversible,” declares the UN.

The same 2030 agenda calls for sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices that increase output, help maintain ecosystems, strengthen the capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, and progressively improve land and soil quality.

For starters, San Miguel Corp. is leading the clean-up of major river systems in and around Metro Manila.

The conglomerate reported that its job on the 15-kilometer San Juan River, a main tributary of the Pasig River, was well underway, with over 90,000 met-

ric tons of silt and solid waste already extracted.

The project, according to San Miguel president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang, is part of the firm’s much larger Pasig River cleanup initiative that has successfully removed waste choking different sections of the river. The waterway spans the cities of Manila, Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City.

San Miguel’s initiative has resulted to better flood mitigation in flood-prone areas in Navotas, Malabon, Valenzuela and Caloocan. ‘GREEN URBANISM’

San Miguel’s quest for a greener Philippines is embodied in its ambitious airport project in Bulacan province. It released last year a conceptual master plan for the massive, green-designed and future-ready aerocity development.

Ang said the designs reflect the vision of a modern Philippine city that provides built-in solutions to various socio-economic, environmental, and climate issues, and correct the mistakes seen in many urban developments of Metro Manila.

The SMC chief executive said the Aerocity development would address many of the problems experienced in Metro Manila today.

It is designed, and will be built, with sustainability in mind. It will be properly zoned, with areas dedicated to agriculture and food production, logistics, health and wellness,

Turn to C2

Our commitment to our mission, evidenced by our power plants' use of clean and renewable sources,

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

First Gen joins global shift to net zero emissions

By Alena Mae S. Flores

BPI wins 10 sustainability awards

THE Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI) secured back-to-back awards from a multitude of notable local and regional awarding entities throughout 2022. These recognitions underscore the bank’s purpose-driven and staunch commitment in promoting conscious consumerism and sustainable operations by embedding positive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into its core.

BPI received a record-high 10 recognitions which further affirmed its position as the leader in sustainability in the Philippine banking industry and as among the best in the Asia Pacific region.

BPI was recognized as the Most Sustainable Bank (Philippines) by International Business Magazine Awards; Best Bank for Sustainable Finance (Philippines) by Global Finance Sustainable Finance Awards; Best Sustainable Bank (Philippines) by FinanceAsia Country Awards; Top Sustainability Advocates in Asia by Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability Awards; Sustainability Company of the Year—Circle of Excellence by Asia CEO Awards; and Best Bank for Sustainable Finance —Domestic, Philippines by The Asset Triple A Country Awards for Sustainable Finance.

The Bank also clinched the Financial Leadership in Sustaining Communities (Asia Pacific) citation from Global Finance Sustainable Finance Awards, House Awards Service Providers APAC: ESG Solution from Corporate Treasurer Awards, Market Leader in ESG from Euromoney Market Leaders, and Award for Sustainable Development Finance Program from Manila Bulletin’s Sustainability Recognition Night.

Jose Teodoro K. Limcaoco, BPI President and CEO, vows to further broaden the Bank’s ESG impact to consistently deliver great value to its

stakeholders, guided by its culture, mission, and values.

“We are grateful for the continuing support that we receive from our clients, investors, partners, employees, and regulators—support that has helped BPI be recognized as the top bank for sustainability in the Philippines and among the leaders in Asia Pacific. These awards inspire us to develop more actionable solutions so that we, in turn, can help our clients and the communities we serve achieve their own sustainability initiatives, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

Some of BPI’s sustainability highlights last year included the launch of new sustainable products that promote responsible banking such as the BPI Sustainable Invest Funds, BPI MyBahay, Energy Transition Finance Facility, Pamilya Protect, NegosyoKo Lite, and the Green Saver Time Deposit.

BPI also doubled down on its commitment to achieving responsible operations and creating a positive impact on the environment and society by launching the BizKo and VYBE App; conducting a sustainability summit for employees; transforming three BPI offices into 100% renewable energypowered branches; organizing sustainability trainings and learning sessions for clients. The Bank also achieved the IFC-EDGE certification of its five branches namely BPI Iloilo Solis, BPI Loyola Katipunan, BPI Guiguinto, BPI San Fernando Highway Main, and BPI North Greenhills.

Last year, BPI also organized its first Sustainability Awareness Month in June, to bring companies, communities, and citizens together to address the problem of climate change. The bank also introduced its first celebrity endorser for sustainability, actress and sustainability advocate Bea Alonzo, to spearhead its #BPISustainableWithYou campaign.

DigiPlus Interactive’s Commitment to A More Sustainable Future

First Gen Corp. of the Lopez Group is one of the first conglomerates to sound the call for sustainability and decarbonization.

First Gen chairman Federico Lopez’s battle cry is to not to ignore the worsening climate crisis. First Gen has been leading the way with clean energy through its portfolio of solar, hydro, wind, geothermal and natural gas power plants.

“If we’re not prepared and conveniently ignore it, we’ll be overwhelmed and not recognize the world around us in the coming thirty years,” Lopez said.

He said decarbonizing and scaling up a green electricity grid over the next three decades is the greatest energy transition in the history of mankind.

Lopez said government should craft a decarbonization and adaptation plan to address the growing impact of climate change,

“We need a comprehensive, integrated, and well-studied national decarbonization and adaptation plan of our own, backed by constant feedback from what science is telling us,” he said. The decarbonization and adaptation plan should cut across all affected sectors such as agriculture and energy, he said.

Lopez said almost every major developed city has climate change action plans and the Philippines’ climate vulnerability necessitates that cities, communities and infrastructure prepare for resilience in a climate-changed world.

First Gen has helped companies in its decarbonization efforts. it recently forged a renewable energy supply agreement with Japanese waste management and recycling company GUUN Co. Ltd.

The move would help GUNN achieve its 42-percent target carbon dioxide reduction by 2030.

aeronautics, finance, science and technology, commerce, residences, education, tourism, entertainment, recreation and government.

It will utilize renewable energy and accommodate both traditional and alternative modes of transportation, as well as promote active and healthier lifestyles, Ang added.

The airport city design will adopt green architectural and green urbanism guidelines over and above the country’s building and zoning codes, and follow structural codes of other countries similarly situated in earthquake zones like the Philippines. It will feature easily accessible public transport systems, including mass transit systems, bicycle highways, as well as a waterfront area with landscaped walkways and promenades.

FOOD SECURITY

An agriculture-independent Philippines is the noble objective of conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. The country’s leading infrastructure investments company, through wholly-owned unit Metro Pacific Agro Ventures Inc., has launched The Vegetable Greenhouse Project, a 22-hectare property that houses a complex of modern greenhouses in San Rafael, Bulacan province.

It will be the biggest vegetable greenhouse facility in the country that will produce highquality vegetables all year round.

“The vision behind these investments is an agriculturally independent Philippines,” says MPIC chairman, president,and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan. “We want to help build a nation that’s capable of feeding all of its people.” The modern greenhouses will use less water and land. And with controlled farming conditions, crop cycles are shorter and can be done year-round.

“Growing our own produce is a step in developing our country’s capability in terms of food sustainability,” says MPAV president and CEO Jovy I. Hernandez.

The greenhouse project will supply high

THE leading provider in retail leisure and entertainment firm, formerly known as Leisure & Resorts World Corporation (LRWC), had just recently announced its change of name to DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (DigiPlus) and change of ticker from LR to PLUS.

The company has been sharing its expertise for over 20 years in the retail gaming market and has continuously provided world-class multi-gaming platforms with a strong distribution network of entertainment sites all over the country. Following its receipt of the SEC “Certificate of Filing of Amended Articles of Incorporation” which the SEC issued on 28 February 2023, it officially changed its name to DigiPlus Interactive Corp.; still with the same devotion of being one of the top experts in the retail gaming market.

As the new name hints, DigiPlus will be gearing towards a more digital business approach and eventually reducing its carbon footprint. It continuously believes in its commitment to a more sustainable organization that is fully compliant with all the environmental laws and regulations that help the company to contribute clean and sustainable business operations daily. With the company’s utmost dedication to helping the Earth have a greener economy and a strong will of fighting climate change, DigiPlus Interactive trusts the responsible actions they have put in place that streamline all its efforts towards a digital and more sustainable development in the business. A perfect sample of this transition and effort would be its newest product launched just last year, BingoPlus.

GUUN’s Philippine branch in Consolacion, Cebu produces 8,000 tons of fluff fuel annually, an alternative fuel from waste plastics and residual waste that is used in cement plants as a substitute for coal.

First Gen’s power marketing, trading, and economics vice president Carlo Vega said “this greening of supply chains is necessary if we truly want to be a part of the solution to our climate crisis and at the same time, future-proof our businesses.”

“Looking at all providers of this 24/7 source of RE, we chose to partner with First Gen because of its proven track record in supplying geothermal power to its customers all over the country,” said GUUN’s senior managing director and general manager Takeshi Konishi. Hocheng Philippines Corp., a leading total bathroom solutions, recently renewed its partnership with First Gen over clean, reliable and renewable energy supply.

Other companies are also aggressively moving with RE development such as Ayalaowned ACEN Corp., which has bared plans to put up 5,000 megawatts of RE by 2030, and Aboitiz Power Corp. which is aiming to increase its RE capacity by 3,700 megawatts by 2030. Meanwhile, San Miguel Corp. has dropped plans to build more coal projects and focus on RE and gas while Meralco PowerGen Corp. is putting up 1,500 MW of RE projects.

quality produce, reaching more Filipino homes with better quality vegetables.

MPIC is looking for other opportunities in the agricultural sector, while aiming to achieve a wider presence in the dairy industry. This venture in agribusiness affirms MPIC’s resolve to be the largest catalyst for a Sustainable Philippines to achieve food security and, ultimately, food independence.

PLASTIC NEUTRALITY

Universal Robina Corp. of the Gokongwei Group, one of the Philippines’ largest food and beverage companies, has set more ambitious goals for its human resources, operations, products and processes, as it releases its latest Sustainability Report.

The company plans to reduce the amount of energy and water it uses to manufacture its products by 30 per cent against its 2020 baseline, as well as promote responsible sourcing of key ingredients, like palm oil, potatoes and coffee beans.

It also aims to achieve plastic neutrality through plastic waste collection, recovery and diversion initiatives, as well as collaborative projects on waste management that include community engagement and linking with local recyclers.

URC is looking at multi-stakeholder partnerships to tackle the immense plastics challenge. It has recently been named as regional co-chair for the Alliance to End the Plastics Waste, an industry-founded non-profit organization, which promotes solutions that reduce and avoid environmental pollution from plastic waste.

URC has managed to save over 11 million cubic meters of water since 2018 through various water conservation initiatives integral to its corporate social responsibility.

“We recognize that water is a non-renewable resource, and that it is an essential input material in the production of our products,” said URC chief executive officer Irwin Lee.

Lee said URC had saved enough water over the past four years to fill 4,600 Olympic-size swimming pools. The company in 2021 managed to recycle over 860,000 cu m., enough to cover the water needs of 2.26 million people for a day. Ray S. Eñano

THE call to mitigate climate change has been greatly amplified in recent years and the Philippines is joining the global energy transition to net zero emissions.

Understanding sustainable development and its impact

By Patricia Taculao

SINCE the world continues to face the impact of climate change due to rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other factors, people have begun adopting more environment-friendly approaches. These sustainable practices enable everyday people to contribute in their own ways to mitigate the harmful effects of global warming.

Yet. environmental concerns aren’t the only issues that people must discuss as there’s also hunger, poverty, inequality and more. Although pressing, each concern finds a solution through sustainability. Fortunately, there are existing principles that guide people to progress toward sustainability. Among them is sustainable development.

According to the Brundtland Report, also known as the “Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future” by the United Nations, sustainable development refers to the “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

In other words, the desired result of society following sustainable development is where living conditions and resources meet human needs without damaging the Earth’s integrity and the

natural system’s stability. Despite a more intensified bid for the principle in recent generations, sustainable development was a relevant goal decades before. It became institutionalized with the Rio Process at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. By 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, which they plan to achieve by 2030, and explained how these could be possible globally. The UNGA’s 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) hope to address global issues like poverty, inequality, climate change, hunger, peace, justice and environmental degradation.

However, due to the root word “sustainable,” people often interlink sustainable development with the normative concept of sustainability. People often differentiate the two ideas through

a distinction formulated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

According to the organization, sustainability refers to a long-term goal people hope to achieve, while sustainable development is the process and direction to make it possible. Nowadays,

the latter’s concept focuses on economic development, social development and environmental protection for future generations.

One study claims that six interdependent capacities are requirements to achieve sustainable development. These capabilities measure progress to-

ward sustainable development through promoting equity within and between generations, adapting to shocks and surprises, transforming systems to more sustainable development pathways, linking knowledge with action, and devising government arrangements to enable people to work together.

More smart cities emerging to protect natural resources

By Patricia Taculao

THROUGHOUT the globe, countries and societies prioritize environmental sustainability by following sustainable development

NEARLY three decades since the Bakhawan Eco park in the heart of Kalibo in Aklan came to life, the One Meralco Foundation (OMF) breathes a fresh air of hope for the rehabilitation of the mangrove forest that has become a symbol of community perseverance and environmental preservation through its reforestation initiatives.

Through the One for Trees program, OMF pledged support to the Kalibo Save the Mangroves Association, Inc. (KASAMA)— the caretaker of the Bakhawan Eco park—by planting 100,000 Bacauan and Api-api trees to help rehabilitate the mangrove forest.

The mangroves, which will cover a 10-hectare site within the Eco park, will be cared for by some 200 members of KASAMA who have been persistent in the reforestation of the Bakhawan Ecopark since the 1990s. Planting of the trees started in late January and once completed, will subsequently be maintained and cared for by members of KASAMA for the next three years.

“It is essential that the community act as the manager of the mangroves as they have a direct stake in the area,” Allan Quimpo, head of KASAMA, said.

“Through OMF’s One for Trees program, we are turning another page in our milestones, and this is because the community is with us. The mangrove reforestation provides a vital benefit to us all—food to eat, security during typhoons, and a coastal forest patch that holds many of nature’s beauty,” he added.

In 2014, strong typhoons and heavy rains severely damaged the mangrove plantation which prompted the renewed need for its rehabilitation according to Medelyn Quadra, a forest technician from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. More than a mangrove forest, the Bakhawan Eco park is also home to a rich marine life, is an eco-tourism site, and a source of livelihood

pathways, including social and economic improvements. Even in the Philippines, people can see sustainable cities here and there as they aim to meet the worldwide cooperative social development goals.

Sustainable cities are urban centers that minimize their environmental impact through urban planning and management. Also known as smart cities, these areas often feature sprawling parks and green spaces, pedestrian or bicycle-friendly routes to lessen cars, rooftop gardens, and buildings that rely on alternative energy like solar power.

As many people know, environmental sustainability mandates society to shift their lifestyle and activities that continue to meet their daily needs while preserving the planet. Some trends people adopted in recent years include minimizing their plastic consumption, applying zerowaste practices, and replenishing natural resources through clean-ups or urban gardening.

Cities or societies that consume natural resources equal to nature’s ability to replenish reach an environmental equilibrium, resulting in a steady economic and natural state. However, the goal is to consume resources less than nature’s ability to renew to allow continuous environmental renewal.

Yet, besides environmental neglect, experts suggest that rural poverty and overexploitation cause unnecessary damage to the surroundings and local resources. As such, they urge cities to treat these natural reserves as significant economic assets or natural capital. Here’s where the other two pillars of sustainable development, social and economic, come into play.

Economic development has required growth in an area’s gross domestic product for years. However, the concept of sustainable development may yet change this perspective. Unlike traditional growth, sustainable development can improve the quality of life and takes into account how the environment affects social welfare.

for members of KASAMA who tirelessly maintain the productive wetlands.

“It is our aim to protect, rehabilitate and nurture critical watersheds and vulnerable forests. The mangrove plantation started by KASAMA necessitates a reforestation support that integrates community inclusion and climate action at its core,” Patrick Famisaran, who manages the One for Trees program of OMF, said.

The One for Trees program of OMF is implemented nationwide and contributes to the preservation and protection of Philippine forests through reforestation and agroforestry.

Currently, the OMF has forged partnerships with various organizations such as the Green Earth Heritage Foundation in San Miguel in Bulacan, the Fostering Education and Environmental Development organization for Siniloan in Laguna, and various local government units in the provinces of Bohol, Bukidnon, and Agusan del Norte among others.

“We, in One Meralco, believe that nurturing the environment is everyone’s job. In the years to come, we will see and experience the importance of protecting and developing these mangrove areas,” Jeffrey O. Tarayao, OMF President and Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, said. #

Allan Quimpo, head of Kalibo Save the Mangroves Association, Inc. (KASAMA), speaks during the community launch of the One for Trees program in Kalibo, Aklan. The One Meralco Foundation pledged support for the rehabilitation of the Bakhawan Eco park by planting 100,000 Bacauan and Api-api trees.

The One Meralco Foundation donated 100,000 Bacauan and Api-api trees seedlings for planting to rehabilitate the Bakhawan Eco Park.

As early as the 1970s, scientists have used sustainability to describe an economy balanced with ecological systems. Scientists and economists have been going back and forth to address the impacts of expanding human development on the planet. It was not until 1987 when economist Edward Barbier published the study The Concept of Sustainable Economic Development. Through the paper, he recognized that environmental conservation and economic development goals are not conflicting. He these two goals could reinforce each other if people found a foundation between the two.

The 2022 IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Sixth Assessment Report tackled how ambitious climate change mitigation policies have created negative social and economic impacts when not aligned with sustainable development goals.

It resulted in a slower transition towards sustainable development mitigation policies. It caused these policies’ inclusivity and considerations of justice to weaken or support improvements in particular regions as other limiting factors, such as poverty, food insecurity and water scarcity, and hinder governments’ implementation of procedures to build a low-carbon future.

Other than relying on everyday citizens to meet the requirements of SDGs, the concept encourages everyone, from private individuals to small businesses to corporations to governments across the globe, to share in the responsibility of creating a better world where no one is left behind or abusing the Earth’s natural resources.

Sustainable development is a goal that everyone hopes to achieve in the following years. The UN’s SDGs serve as a framework for how people can work together to achieve a sustainable society that promotes the safety and security of present and future generations and planetary resources.

Nowadays, technology provides access to studies and seminars that help people better understand sustainability, sustainable development, and their roles for all. Before taking the much-needed first step towards sustainable development, people must also reflect on whether or not their actions coincide with the plan that aims to safeguard the welfare of all for years to come.

One Meralco Foundation breathes fresh life to Kalibo mangrove forest by donating 100,000 trees

PROTECTING MANGROVES. One Meralco Foundation President Jeffrey O. Tarayao (center) leads the community launch of the One for Trees environmental program for the Bakhawan Eco Park together with members of KASAMA led by their Chairman and Executive Director Allan Angelo L. Quimpo, representatives from the provincial government of Aklan, local government unit of Kalibo and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of the province.

SYMBOL OF COMMUNITY PERSEVERANCE. The mangrove forest located in Bakhawan Eco Park in Barangay New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan helps in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and in protecting the municipality during typhoons.

A PARTNERSHIP FOR THE MANGROVES. Representatives from One Meralco Foundation, KASAMA, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the local government of Kalibo are seen during the community launch of the One for Trees project.

San Miguel companies post key water savings milestone

SAN Miguel Corp. recorded a milestone on World Water Day (March 23, 2023) after its businesses collectively saved some 33,865,901,000 liters of water from 2017 to 2022―equivalent to the annual consumption of over 94,000 households, or the monthly use of over 1.129 million families.

The water savings, part of the company’s long-running “Water for All” water sustainability initiative, represent a 21.65 percent reduction in the use of scarce water across the larger San Miguel Group.

This includes Petron Corp., San Miguel Global Power, San Miguel Foods, San Miguel Brewery Inc., Ginebra San Miguel Inc, San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp., Northern Cement, SMC Infrastructure and San Miguel Properties Inc.

Petron topped the list with the most water savings, accounting for over 17 billion liters saved throughout the sixyear period, due largely to its use of water desalination technology, which enables the safe and sustainable use of seawater for cooling facilities at its state-of-the-art refinery in Limay, Bataan.

Petron was also the top performer in 2022, saving 2,082,244,000 liters of water, followed by San Miguel Global Power at 1,500,406,000 liters. Gine-

bra San Miguel and San Miguel Packaging came in third and fourth with 1,107,000,000 liters and 1,038,094,000 liters, respectively.

“Water issues have always been a priority for San Miguel, especially since much of our operations and all our communities, depend on access to water. This is why we have not let up on our efforts to continuously increase water savings at our facilities across the whole San Miguel Group,” said SMC president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang.

Ang added that through its established Water Council, made up of water and technical experts across its different businesses, programs and innovations in support of water recycling and reuse have now become commonplace at all its installations.

SMC’s newer plants are constructed with built-in rainwater harvesting facilities. Older facilities, meanwhile, invest to put up rainwater catchment and collection systems.

For 2022, the San Miguel Group collected and used some 473,862,000 liters of rainwater, a significant jump from 114,368,000 liters saved in 2021, Ang said, illustrating some of the progress made in further lessening dependence on scarce water sources.

The use of recycled water for various processes across the different SMC businesses was, however, significantly higher, topping out at 1,461,065,000 liters in 2022, from 1,089,744,000 liters in 2021.

Still, seawater desalination continued to

account for majority of the water reduction, at 2,880,267,000 liters in 2022, from 2,002,458 liters in the previous year.

SMC In recent years has taken a determined, proactive stance to address major issues related to water and the environment.

In 2017, it announced that it was exiting its then-profitable plastic bottled water business to demonstrate its commitment to greater sustainability goals, and help minimize plastic wastes that end up in bodies of water. It then announced its

and

“Water for All” initiative, which mandates a 50 percent reduction in utility water use across all SMC companies by 2025. It also invested significantly on the Bulakan Bulk Water Project to provide potable water at a low price to all water districts in Bulacan province. The investment allowed water districts to deliver potable water to households and end dependence on groundwater extraction, a primary cause of land subsidence, which in turn contributes to flooding in the province.

Converge appoints Chief Sustainability Officer in drive to deliver on sustainability commitment

LEADING fiber broadband provider

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has named

Benjamin B. Azada as its Chief Sustainability Officer, concurrent with his role as Chief Strategy Officer, as the internet service provider steps up on the delivery of its sustainability commitment.

As Chief Sustainability Officer, Azada will

be overseeing the implementation of the company’s sustainability commitment and roadmap, as well as compliance to sustainability reporting requirements.

“We’ve been

changing to economy, environment and society while we Benjamin Azada.

working on our sustainability program ever since we became a public company in 2020. I’m grateful for the importance that the Board is giving to sustainability by creating this new role. The ESG reporting landscape and stakeholder expectations are changing rapidly. Converge is committed to proactively managing its impacts on the economy, environment and society while we work to close the digital divide,” said As Chief Strategy Officer, Azada has led the establishment of the company’s sustainability roadmap, vowing to reduce

its scope 2 GHG emissions by 75 percent by 2030 and operate its fleet, including its contractors’, with 20 percent electric and hybrid vehicles in the same year. Converge also commits to net zero GHG emissions by 2050, which means cutting GHG emissions to as close to zero as possible to avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a livable planet.

Converge had already shifted to 100 percent clean energy for its headquarters in Pasig City and its data center in Pampanga.

In terms of economic performance, the sustainability roadmap also ties in with operational goals of the company such as the

Converge network passing 15 million homes by 2023.

In 2021, Converge vowed to be a sustainable company with this commitment: “We commit to empower the Filipino people and the nation through technology. We respect humanity and the environment as we create a prosperous and sustainable future for all.”

Several programs were launched to pursue this commitment including the company’s Adopt-A-Watershed program in its hometown Angeles City, Pampanga where 2,000 trees were planted and the Zero Waste campaign that initially targeted electronic waste and used tarpaulin marketing materials.

San Miguel Corp., through its Luzon Clean Water Development Corp., will make available potable

affordable water from the Angat reservoir to more than 350,000 households in Bulacan by early 2025 as it starts implementation of Stage 3A of the Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project covering the water districts of Baliwag, Norzagaray, Hagonoy, Pandi, San Ildefonso, San Miguel and San Rafael.

Chief Strategy Officer and now Chief Sustainability Officer of Converge Benjamin B. Azada plants a seedling in Converge’s adopted plot of the Angeles watershed in 2021.

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Renewable energy obtains top priority to offset climate change

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Aware of the negative impact of fossil-based fuel on the environment, the Department of Energy has prioritized accelerating renewable energy development toward a sustainable and low-carbon energy future.

The DOE, through its National Renewable Energy Program and Philippine Energy Plan 2020-2040, set a target of 35

percent RE share in the power generation mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

“As the global population continues to grow with climate change upon us, the world rushes towards finding cleaner and more efficient alternative sources of energy. Global trends project an aggressive demand and accessibility for renewable energies in the next decade.

Ostensibly, harnessing renewable ener-

gy sources is critical to our future,” said Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara.

Guevara said the transformation from traditional to RE sources will require huge investments.

She said DOE was setting the RE targets but it was up to the private sector to make it happen with government support, such as incentives, programs and

policies to accelerate the process.

Guevara said several RE policy mechanisms were being developed for implementation in the coming years to achieve the RE goal.

She said DOE would auction the generation of 11,610 megawatts of electricity under the Green Energy Auction Program 2 for the 2024 to 2026 supply period by June.

The GEAP aims to provide an additional market for renewable energy through competitive electronic bidding of RE capacities.

“Compared to the first auction of GEAP-1 last year, we are more aggressive this year and we are looking for RE developers who have ready capacity by next year, to the tune of 3,590 MW and for 2025 and 2026, we need capacity commitments of 3,630 MW and 4,390 MW, respectively or a total of 11,610 MW,” Guevara said.

DOE conducted the GEAP-1 in June last year for a capacity requirement of 2,000 MW.

“The proposed installation targets under the GEA-2 were determined based on the capacity needed by the three grids to ensure sufficient supply, the RE capacity levels to meet the target of 35 percent RE share in the power generation mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, and the volume of RE certificates necessary comply with the mandates under the Renewable Portfolio Standards,” Guevara said.

She said DOE would include in the terms of reference the list of areas and corresponding capacity of transmission that is already available.

National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has committed to accelerate transmission development to match the pace of generation works, she said.

The energy official said GEAP-3 would be held in the fourth quarter for geothermal and impounding hydro.

Meanwhile, Guevara said DOE would issue a circular defining the procedures and requirements for awarding offshore wind service contracts following the publication of the “Philippine Offshore Wind Roadmap.”

She said an executive order that seeks to strengthen and rationalize the regulatory framework for the immediate development of OSW is being reviewed for finalization by the Office of the President.

THE drive to reduce global carbon emissions and air pollution is getting the full backing of the

Marcos administration.

Aboitiz launches cold storage project to curb harvest spoils

THE Aboitiz Group, bidding to become the Philippines’ first ‘techglomerate,’ has launched Fresh Depot, the first-ever physical and digital solutions platform for farmers in the country.

The first phase involves piloting a modular and sustainable cold storage unit in Mankayan, Benguet province, with the vision of helping farmers reduce their post-harvest losses and maximize crop yield.

“Fresh Depot aims to transform the lives of our farmers by offering a platform that optimizes their yield and income while reducing waste, making a significant contribution to our country’s food security,” said Aboitiz Group president and chief executive officer Sabin Aboitiz.

“Uplifting the agricultural sector and our farmers is crucial to strengthening our food supply chain and reducing our reliance on imports. We see various opportunities to make an impact in this sector and this is just one of the many projects we’re working on,” he added.

A study conducted by the Institute of Food Science and Technology of the University of the Philippines Los Baños said about 42 percent of locally grown produce goes bad before they can be eaten, and that farmers, consumers and other supply chain players are suffering from the spoilage.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) in 2020 underscored the need to es-

tablish more cold storage facilities in the country. The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) concurred with the observation, stressing the facilities can reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ income.

In the Philippines, however, most cold storage facilities are located near urban areas and are used for storing meat and other frozen products. These conventional, energy-guzzling cold storages are not built for farmers, who need farm-level and affordable cooling facilities for their crops.

The Aboitiz Group, thus, launches Fresh Depot, an integrated solution that aims to help farmers reduce their postharvest losses and maximize crop yield.

In addition to offering sustainable modular cold storage, Fresh Depot’s second phase will involve digitizing farmers’ land, planting practices, preharvest, harvest, and market information. Digitization will allow Fresh Depot to offer advisory services, explore market linkage opportunities and financial inclusion programs, as well as build a database of information that the government can utilize for their agricultural programs.

This pilot, which will initially run for

three to six months, will become a case study for this new type of enterprise, which the Aboitiz Group hopes to scale up across other farm locations in the Philippines if proven viable. Ultimately, Fresh Depot is envisioned to assist the government in enabling millions of farmers.

Among those in attendance during the pilot launch in Mankayan were Benguet Governor Melchor D. Diclas, M.D., Mankayan Mayor Dario Banario, Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region Regional Technical Director for Operations Engr. Danilo Daguio, Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal chairman James P. Estong,

NVAT general manager Gilbert Cumila, EcoZen Solutions president Ravindra Dolare, Hedcor president and Chief operating officer Rolando Pacquiao, and Aboitiz Equity Ventures vice president for transformation Dea Franko Csuba.

Aboitiz plans to launch a second pilot location in the next few weeks.

COLLABORATION

With the support of government units and agencies, Fresh Depot is working with Mankayan’s Manpat-A Farmers Association for its first pilot site of the cold storage unit. The Benguet region is home to quality highland crops and thousands of farmers.

For its pilot project, Fresh Depot

Aboitiz and government officials show off the first crates of vegetables during the launching of the Fresh Depot’s cold storage unit in Mankayan.

From right are Benguet Governor Melchor D. Diclas, M.D., Department of Agriculture-Cordillera

Administrative Region

Regional Technical Director for Operations Engr. Danilo Daguio, Mankayan Mayor Dario Banario, Manpat-A Farmers Association president Basilio Ngaseo Jr., Aboitiz Equity Ventures vice president for Transformation Dea Franko Csuba and Hedcor president and chief operating officer Rolando Pacquiao.

is also teaming up with two leading international agri-tech players: Ecozen Solutions Pvt. Ltd., which is backed by Nuveen global impact fund USA and EXIM Bank of Government of India, and Cropin Technology Solutions Pvt. Ltd., which is backed by Impact Assets Singapore, as one of its investors.

Ecozen manufactured the modular hybrid cold storage unit called Ecofrost. Ecofrost is designed with climate-smart deep tech to harness solar energy to power the unit, with a proprietary technology for battery-less back-up, which after pre-cooling will keep the fresh produce market-ready 24/7.

Oil spill threatens Mindoro island’s rich marine biodiversity

AN UGLY oil spill has blemished the seascape of Mindoro island.

Thousands of fishermen in the Philippines have been ordered to stay ashore days after the accident as authorities struggled in to contain an oil spill from a sunken tanker that is threatening the region’s rich marine life and economy.

The slick off Mindoro island, south of the capital Manila, stretched for 120 kilometers (75 miles) and was about nine kilometers offshore, said Ram Temena, disaster operations chief in the affected province of Mindoro Oriental.

Princess Empress had engine trouble and sank in rough seas off Naujan municipality on Feb. 28. It was carrying 800,000 liters (210,000 gallons) of industrial fuel oil from Bataan province, near Manila, to the central province of Iloilo.

Another vessel rescued the 20 crew members on board.

Diesel fuel, which had been powering the Philippine tanker, and some of the cargo have leaked into the sea, the coast guard said previously, sparking concern for the environment and industries dependent on the ocean.

Coast guard spokesman Armando Balilo said experts and major oil firms were being consulted over how to recover the industrial fuel oil from the tanker, which is more than 400 meters (more than 1,300 feet) below sea level.

“It is beyond the capability of technical divers,” Balilo told reporters.

“Second, we do not have the mechanical equipment, submersible, that can dive to syphon it off without endangering (crew) lives.”

Rough seas have prevented the deployment of oil spill booms to stop the toxic material from spreading, Balilo said.

Instead, they were spraying chemical dispersants on the water surface to break down the oil.

It is not known how much diesel fuel and industrial fuel oil are in the water.

The situation was “getting worse,” said Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor.

He had ordered the province’s 18,000 registered fishermen to stay on shore until it was safe to fish. In the meantime, they would receive food packs.

“It will have a big impact on us,” Dolor said. “Based on experience, the adverse effects on the community will be long term.”

An estimated 591 hectares (1,460 acres) of coral reefs, 1,626 hectares of mangroves and 362 hectares of seaweed could be “potentially affected” by the oil spill, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga said.

The tanker sank near the Verde Island Passage―a busy sea lane between the main island of Luzon and Mindoro―which Loyzaga said was “globally recognized” for its marine biodiversity.

Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz said some dead fish coated with oil had washed up on the shores of the municipality, which is one down from Naujan.

“Our entire coastline was hit by the oil spill,” said Cruz.

“Earlier, we could smell the foul odor. It’s like we’re inside an auto shop.” AFP

MPIF Enlarges Blue Footprint for PH Biodiversity Protection & Conservation

By Magic Bautista

METRO Pacific Investments Foundation. Inc. (MPIF) continues to enrich its fifteen year-old environmental flagship program, Shore It Up! (SIU), by expanding its blue footprint to conserve and protect more wetlands of national importance. The corporate social responsibility arm of the country’s leading infrastructure investments company Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) is progressing its environmental stewardship, through its continued support of protecting the 97,030 hectares covering the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, as well as the Municipality of Del Carmen, Siargao. MPIF is also working on a partnership with the Department of Natural Resources in enhancing the mangrove-pivoted initiatives in the Las Piñas – Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP, formerly LPPCHEA).

As the figurehead foundation for marine and coastal biodiversity of the Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) Group of Companies, MPIF has made it an imperative to forge partnerships that safeguard the Philippines’ natural resources for future generations.

“Our archipelagic country is rife with world-renowned hubs of biodiversity and requires a strong support system from the private sector when it comes to preservation and conservation,” says MPIF President Melody del Rosario. “No solitary entity can undertake that responsibility and we at MPIF want to ensure that we play our part in futureproofing what we have and help in mitigating climate change through the work that we do.”

SIU’S BLUE FOOTPRINT

SIU’s major initiatives are not singularly focused on alleviating environmental impacts to coastal communities. They also foster the involvement of the local community by providing livelihood opportunities, whether supplementary to or resulting from its programs, impacting the socioeconomic aspect as well.

Since 2013, MPIF maintained a mutually beneficial partnership with the municipality of Del Carmen in Siargao Island, through establishing a Mangrove Protection and Information Center. Del Carmen is home to a contiguous 4,000-hectare mangrove forest - the second biggest of its kind in the Philippines after Palawan.

MPIF’s

Del Carmen developed a full-fledged community-based ecotourism program that generated 1,000 direct employments, more than 10 homestays, 20 transport services, 20 restaurants, 1 operational mall, 146 boat tour operators, and a poverty reduction of 29% as of 2019 data.

During the 2023 World Wetlands Day last February 2, the Philippine government declared the Municipality of Del Carmen’s mangrove forest as a wetland of international importance, hopefully setting the stage for its formal inclusion into the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

If accepted, it will be the ninth Philippine wetland to be listed under the international treaty.

As of 2022, MPIF has committed to support the conservation of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and World Heritage Site (TRNP) for four years. TRNP was named a Ramsar site - a wetland site of international importance - by the Ramsar Convention or “The Convention on Wetlands”, an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO. The Convention provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

MPIF’s intervention reinforced TRNP’s Biodiversity and Habitat Protection, Research, Monitoring, and Restoration program by providing the necessary funding to mobilize ecosystem research, monitoring, and enforcement.

EXPANDING SIU’S IMPACT

In partnership with the Office of Sen. Cynthia Villar, MPIF is in the early stages of integrating SIU in the current mangrove-centric efforts in LPPWP, a coastal wetland in Manila Bay situated within the metropolis of Manila.

A Ramsar site since 2013, LPPWP was designated as a Critical Habitat for the survival of threatened, restricted-range, and congregatory species in 2007. At least 5,000 individuals of migratory and resident birds have been recorded at the site, including about 47 migratory species. Lined up with SIU’s goal to conserve the country’s natural resources, MPIF and the LPPWP Protected Area Management Board (LPPWP PAMB) are planning to establish a mangrove nursery in the area. The mangrove propagules are earmarked for replacement planting inside the protected area and may likewise be distributed to other planting areas within the Manila Bay. The partnership aims to replicate the positive impact generated in the three existing Mangrove Centers.

With SIU’s blue footprint reaching more nationally important wetlands, MPIF intends to continue its journey of rescuing, restoring, and reviving the Philippine biodiversity landscape by institutionalizing its initiatives with more partner sites in the future. Shore It Up!’s commitment to the protection and conservation of wetlands of international importance is aligned with Gabay Kalikasan, one of the MVP Group’s Gabay Advocacies for a Sustainable Philippines. It is also in line with MPIC’s efforts to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 14 Life Below Water, 15 Life on Land, and 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

This partnership bolsters MPIF’s role alongside MPIC, as the largest catalyst for a Sustainable Philippines, aimed to improve the lives in the country through providing essential services and mobilizing advocacies that uplift the quality of life of all Filipinos.

intervention through the Mangrove Center has resulted in 0% mangrove cutting since its inauguration. 10 Mangrove Ecoguides are directly employed across all three sites, including Alaminos, Pangasinan and

Cordova, Cebu. These centers collectively protect over 5,200 hectares of mangroves, becoming additional ecotourism hubs in their cities that spawn a myriad of tourism-related businesses and activities that employ locals.

Photo credit: Penn De Los Santos