THE European Union will still recognize certificates of Filipino seafarers, saying the Philippines has made "serious" developments to comply with maritime labor requirements, ABS-CBN reported Friday. The country “has made serious efforts
to comply with the requirements, in particular in key areas like the monitoring, supervision and evaluation of training and assessment," the commission said in a statement also on Friday.
THE National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI) has arrested an alleged mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Friday.
“The NBI was able to catch a main player, a main player. A name we have not discussed, we have never discussed here. But practically, I would say in my reading of the situation one of the masterminds was caught today,” Remulla told reporters.
Remulla would not release the name of the suspect, however, but said the case is “99 percent solved.”
“I’m just telling you that there’s a breakthrough, it’s 99 percent solved. The Degamo case is 99 percent solved,” Remulla said.
He congratulated the NBI for a job well done.
“He figures in the statements made by the other suspects in custody...
It drives a thread through everything,” Remulla said of the alleged mastermind.
He said the suspect fled Negros Oriental, and that for three weeks, the authorities were on his trail. He did not resist arrest and was read his rights, Remulla added.
Remulla again insisted that suspended Negros Oriental Rep. ArnolfoTeves Jr. was part of the group that planned Degamo’s killing, saying he was “in the middle of everything.”
Degamo and eight others were killed
By Alena Mae S. FloresPETRON Corp. announced a P9.20 per kilo price cut for liquefied petroleum gas effective today, even as domestic pump prices are expected to go up next week by as much as P1.50 per liter.
"Petron will implement a P9.20 per
kilo rollback (VAT-inclusive) in LPG prices effective 0001H Apr. 1," the oil firm said in its advisory.
This translates to a rollback of P101.20 per 11-kilo LPG tank used primarily by households.
"AutoLPG prices will likewise roll
By Vince Lopez and Butch Gunio
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday applauded the planned construction of the P175.6-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB), which will drastically reduce the travel time from Central Luzon to the Calabarzon region from five hours to just 45 minutes.
“With the BCIB, it is projected that that five hours trip will now become as close – as quick as 30 minutes, reducing by as much as 86 percent, and we are reducing it to maybe 45 minutes of travel,” Mr. Marcos
STEEP food prices are the “biggest problem” Filipinos are facing, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday as he vowed to open moreKadiwa stores that would offer cheaper farm products and cut down inflation.
Attributing the problem to the country's reliance on imports and its long-
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday emphasized the importance of repair and maintenance of military assets as he inspected two C-130T aircraft that had been overhauled and upgraded.
The two units, worth $55.60 million, were acquired from the United States under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program.
This developed as Speaker Martin G. Romualdez assured the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Thursday night of the continued support of the House of Representatives for its modernization program.
He made the assurance during the House of Representatives-AFP fellowship series in Cebu City, which was attended by high-rankingmilitary officers led by Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino and other House members.
"Maintenance and repair are key
time neglect of the agriculture sector, the President directed concerned government agencies to further widen the existing coverage of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo as he launched the initiative in Limay, Bataan on Friday.
“I have already instructed the Department of Agriculture, our DTI –Department of Trade and Industry, as well as the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) so that it is not
just a few if not more, to feel the Spirit of the President throughout the Philippines,” Mr. Marcos said in his speech. This developed as the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) plans to sell an initial 4,000 tons of confiscated smuggled sugar in Kadiwa stalls starting in April, board member Pablo Luis Azcona said.
“We already have the approval for
MALACAÑAN Palace on Friday announced the suspension of work in executive department offices starting noon on April 5, Holy Wednesday, to give workers ample time to prepare for the observance of the Holy Week.
The Palace made the announcement through Memorandum Circular 16 signed
by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. The order, however, provided that government agencies whose functions involve the delivery of basic and health services, disaster preparedness and response, and other vital services, will continue with their operations.
AEUROPEAN Union official on Friday welcomed the willingness of the Philippine government to engage with the EU and the international community over extrajudicial killings (EJKs), even as Senator Imee Marcos said the International Criminal Court's (ICC) insistence to investigate the Duterte administration’s war on drugs was a “diversion.”
EU Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore emphasized the Philippines should ensure accountability, in particular those accountable for “Operation Tokhang” which led to thousands of deaths during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
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while several others were injured after gunmen—most of them ex-military— opened fire on them at the governor’s home in Negros Oriental on March 4.
Teves was linked to the killings after suspects in custody said acertain “Cong. Teves” ordered the hit.
The lawmaker has refused to return to the country to face chargesfiled against him for three 2019 murders, saying he feared for his life.
The House of Representatives has
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“I think just as long as we finish, there are certain details we are fixing up, where the funds will go, small details, something like that. And then after that, hopefully by April, it's a go.”
The President led the distribution of various government assistance packages to over 1,500 beneficiaries in Limay.
Among the assistance distributed by the government were P90.1 million for the improvement of the Sitio NazarenoCulis farm-to-market roadand P180.3 million for the construction of a fish landing facility in Orani, Bataan.
From the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the President handed over reinforced boats with marine engines, fishingparaphernalia, and
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The suspension of work in private companies and offices is left to the discretion of their respective employers.
The Palace earlier declared Maundy Thursday, April 6, and Good Friday, April 7, as regular holidays.
April 10, Monday, has also been declared a regular holiday inobservance of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor).
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said he will go on a retreatfor a few days during the Holy Week.
Interviewed by the members of the Palace Press in Mariveles, Bataan,the President said he is also planning to spend Easter Sunday with his family.
"I'll do what I do every year. I go [on a] retreat for a few days and then I'll spend Easter with my family," Mr. Marcos said.
The President did not say where they would observe the long holiday.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, also declared half-day work for all courts on April 5.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Fridayannounced it will allow provincial buses along EDSA this Holy Week to accommodate passengers going to the provinces.
Provincial buses coming from North Luzon will terminate their trips at the bus
From A1 aspects of our operations as well as important decision points in the acquisition of additional assets," Mr. Marcos said during the inspection at the Haribon Hangar in Clark Air Base, Pampanga.
"I therefore direct the Philippine Air Force and the AFP (Armed Forcesof the Philippines) to continue developing your capabilities for conducting maintenance and repair to keep all our military assets ready to go," the President said.
Mr. Marcos told the troops to conduct routine checkups and to undertake regular aircraft engineering services to ensure safetyrequirements are met, and to provide extensive training to those whowill be flying and testing the aircraft.
He emphasized the key role aircraft play in times of calamity and emergencies.
“We must be able to assess and to be able
However, Sen. Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said the ICC probe was a diversion “that is necessary to prop up the false image of Western nations as the unimpeachable protectors of human rights."
She said the ICC “chooses to prosecute
suspended him for 60 days.
Teves’s brother, former governor Pryde Henry Teves, told ABS-CBN hewas exasperated with his older brother for refusing to come home, even though their father was sick and in hospital since Dec. 8.
“I asked him, can you forgive yourself that you’ve never been able to see him before he goes?'” Pryde Henry said.
“That doesn't seem right. So, I told him, you ponder and meditate upon that and you make the right decision,” he added.
“I’m exasperated. I’ve done enough and I have suffered enough,” hesaid in a
fisheries post-harvest equipment costing P1.2 million.
Those given through certificates of award included a fry holding facility, milkfish fingerlings, tilapia fingerlings, and a smokehouse, amounting to P3.7 million.
Also handed over was assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) under its various programs.
These included the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) amountingto P6.8 million; Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), P38.9 million and Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) Program, P15 million.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also launcheda pay-out for 934 beneficiaries, each receiving P5,000 under the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
The DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Division also gave out 1,000 family food packs, amounting to P777,000. The Technical Education and
terminals in Cubao, Quezon City while those from South Luzon will terminate their trips at the bus terminals in Pasay City.
“This is to allow the provincial buses to accommodate the expected high number of passengers going to the provinces for the Lenten seasonand ensure the convenience and comfort of the commuters,” the agency stated.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes said earlier they also suspended theimplementation of the number coding scheme (Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program) in the National Capital Region beginning April 6 (Maundy Thursday) until April 10 (Monday), which are declared holidays.
The MMDA also imposed a No Day Off, No Absent Policy on April 5, 6, and 10 when traffic is expected to be congested due to the holidayexodus while skeletal deployment will be enforced on April 7, 8, and 9 and will focus on the usual Visita Iglesia sites, including the Panata Route going to Antipolo and the Grotto.
Ambulances and tow trucks will be positioned along key areas in the metropolis.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday officially implemented its “Oplan Ligtas Sumvac (summer vacation) 2023” campaign nationwide to ensure safe travel for motorists and commuters this Lenten season and the summer months. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
to respond quickly,” the President said.
"We cannot afford to waste any time in the mission to save lives, therefore the existence of these air assets is crucial to ensure thatinformation, aid, and responders are made available to effectively help affected areas," he said.
The Philippines procured the C-130 aircraft with tail numbers 5011 and 5040 in 2016 and sent them for “extensive repair and maintenance” last year, the PAF said.
The EDA Program enables the United States to meet foreign policyobjectives while simultaneously supporting its allies by improving their defense capabilities.
Meanwhile, the Speaker said the reconciled bill on the fixed term ofthe chief of staff and other officers would ensure balance, continuity, and professionalism in the AFP leadership.
“The House of Representatives is committed to modernizing the ArmedForces of the Philippines as it is crucial to our nation’s sovereignty and
Third World countries but fails to take notice of the wrongdoings of the West.”
Fellow Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. also aired his belief that President Marcos' decision to fully “disengage” from the ICC that Duterte withdrew the country from “should be the last nail in the coffin” in what he said was the tribunal’s attempts “to meddle in the country's local affairs.”
Revilla expressed support for the country's anti-drug efforts, including that of the previous administration carried out by his current colleague, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa was the chief of the Philippine National Police under Duterte and faces the same charges as the former President at the ICC.
mix of English and Filipino. “I’m done with this. I’m tired of reaching out to him.”
The former governor, however, refused to comment on the firearms found in a sugar mill he reportedly owns.
Police conducting raids on the former governor’s compound said they collected items allegedly used by Degamo’s killers.
The Joint Task Force Negros reported on Thursday evening that agentsof the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNPCIDG) found identification cards and burned clothes. On top of the charred items, accessories
Skills Development Authority also gave out ovens and toolkits to STEP scholars.
On food prices, the President said: “We know that at present, that is the biggest challenge we are all facing, the prices of goods keep increasing. This became a problem because we depended too much on importation that we neglected our agriculture, leading to low production from our local farmers.”
Some 300 Kadiwa stalls are “viable and operational” across the country, Mr. Marcos noted.
“The challenge is expanding Kadiwa stores to more areas. The rice,sugar, and onions they sell run out quickly. This is why we should really improve our production,” he said.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said they wouldtry establishing more Kadiwa stores in partnership with local government units and the trade department.
“We are also coordinating with our regional trade office to make it strategic. It should be accessible to our consumers. We are identifying areas where the
From A1 said during the bridge’s milestone ceremony in Mariveles, Bataan.
“That will be an incredible feat when it happens and wouldsignificantly help in decongesting Metro Manila as motorists will be able to travel without passing through the metropolis," the President pointed out.
The 32.15-kilometer, four-lane, interisland bridge will connect Brgy. Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan and Brgy. Timalan Concepcion in Naic,Cavite. Once completed, it will be the longest bridge in the Philippines. The BCIB will have two navigational bridges: the 400-meter NorthChannel Bridge and 900-meter South Channel Bridge, which will traverseCorregidor Island. About 80 percent of the structure will be over the sea.
Primarily funded through Official Development Assistance loans fromthe Asian Development Bank (ADB), with co-financing from the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), BCIB’s construction is expected to last for 60 months and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2028.
According to Mr. Marcos, once completed, the bridge will also help
security,” he told his military audience.
“Our military should be equipped with the latest technological advances and training to respond to the continuing threats that we face,” Romualdez said.
He said proposals to amend RA (Republic Act) 11709, which fixes theterms of military officers, have been ratified.
The House leader pointed out that the amendatory bill would pave the way for “a regular turnover of leadership, (which) is essential to maintaining a healthy and professional Armed Forces that isaccountable to the people it serves.”
“Regular turnover can ensure that new ideas and perspectives are constantly being introduced and that there is a healthy culture of competition and meritocracy within the Armed Forces,” he said.
Under the bill amending RA 11709, the chief of staff would still enjoya fixed tenure of three years unless sooner replaced by the President, as the current law provides. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
The results of the anti-drug campaign coupled with the support it continues to receive from the public speak for itself, Revilla added.
Another lawmaker, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, however, said that disengaging from the ICC “will embarrass the Philippines on the international stage."
Gilmore was in the Philippines for the first time as the EU’s Special Representative for Human Rights.
He met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Chief of the PNP Human Rights Office Gen. Vincent Calanoga, Philippine Representative to the AICHR Aileen Mendiola-Rau, United Nations agencies, civil society groups, and business representatives.
such as a silencer, riflecleaning equipment, caliber .45 cartridges, soldering iron, a flash drive, a Swiss knife, and a tucker used for target papers.
PNP-CIDG officers have been implementing a search warrant on the 50-hectare sugar mill since March 24.
Assorted firearms, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were confiscated in the week-long search operations, while P18 million worth of cash collected by the authorities was returned to the mill.
Three individuals were arrested in the raids including the alleged head of security, Nigel Electrona.
products will come from,” Evangelista told reporters.
As the government has been opening more Kadiwa outlets, the President said it must also focus on improving agricultural productivity and reducing the country’s reliance on importations to stabilize the prices of basic goods.
Since its launch last year, the Kadiwa program has been successful inhelping Filipinos, particularly ordinary consumers, and those in the agriculture sector.
Last year, regular programs of both Kadiwa and Kadiwa ng Pasko earned more than P400 million, based on government figures.
Farmers, fisherfolk, and small businesses earned more than P3 million in two months through the Kadiwa ng Pangulo.
President Marcos also launched Kadiwa outlets in Cebu, Manila,Batangas, and Camarines Sur with more Filipino sellers and consumers now enjoying the benefits of the said trading program. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
in bringing prices down for goods and services, as transport and logistics costs will decrease, “thereby generating immense savings all around.”
New opportunities will likewise be opened in Bataan, Cavite and their surrounding provinces because of the easier access made available to the public.
The bridge’s construction will also support the development of seaports in the two provinces, making them potential international shipping gateways of the country, the President said.
The highlight of Friday’s event was the ceremonial switching of the offshore drilling equipment used in the geotechnical investigation for the BCIB, as well as the presentation of milestones of the project’s Detailed Engineering Design (DED).
The President also thanked the people of Bataan for supporting hiscampaign last year, noting it is now time to give back to them (see related story on A1 -Editors).
“So, this is my chance to come back to you as the President that you did - to come back to you as the President and thank you,” Mr. Marcos said.
“What we will repay you is non-stop work to make the life of everyFilipino better. Expect that your government does not forget you. As long as you said [that] you are in need, we will continue to provide help,” the President pointed out. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
From A1 Commission last December warned that Filipino seafarers would be banned from working in the regional bloc's jurisdiction if the Philippines did not comply with theInternational Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers (STCW).
Around 50,000 Filipino seafarers working in European vessels were atrisk of losing their jobs because of the country's repeated failure topass the European Maritime Safety Agency.
According to European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean, the Philippines provides a "significant and valued part of the European and global shipping industry’s maritime workforce – indeed, with roughly 50,000 Filipino masters and officers currently working on EU-flagged ships.”
By Rey E. Requejo
A PANEL of prosecutors from the Department of Justice has dismissed the murder complaint against 17 police officers implicated in the so-called March 7, 2021 “Bloody Sunday” killings.
The panel found out that one gun that allegedly killed the fisherfolk couple from Batangas, who were among the victims of the simultaneous service of a search warrant in 2021, did not match any of the service firearms of the policemen.
In a resolution, the prosecution panel ordered the dismissal of themurder complaint against the members of the Philippine National Police.
Cleared of two counts of murder were Lt. Col. Joseph Tan Nandu Jr., Lt. Arjay Mansalapuz Santos, MSgs. Rafael N. Roque and Mark T. Tolentino, Ssgs. Elvern D. Cacatian, Rodel A. Sillacay, and Edgar B. Brinas, Cpls. Aldrin E. Gabrillo, and Allen S. Lugue and Patrolmans Julio Bautista, Ray Boom Boom D. Dalingay, Grizzly O. Paras, Rogelio M. Ninolla, Ruel M. Tenoso, Rich John Melniel L. Tumacder, Renzo B. Santos and Mark Lester R. Padul. Activists Ariel and Ana Mariz "Chai" Lemita Evangelista, who led their community in opposing the construction of at least 150 fish cages on the fishing grounds of Nasugbo, Batangas, were among the nine killed in a series of raids in Calabarzon on March 6, 2021. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
THE United Kingdom and the Philippines are looking at an upgraded bilateral cooperation as London sought to strengthen its maritime engagement with Manila in the Indo-Pacific region.
UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan met withForeign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and other Cabinet secretaries on Thursday to discuss growing maritime, trade and climate links. Trevelyan is in Manila to launch the British Investment Partnershipsin the Philippines, which mobilizes investment from the British private sector and provides technical expertise to support sustainable infrastructure development and the transition to clean energy in the Philippines.
In a tweet following the meeting, Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to strengthen its “enhanced partnership” with the UK.
On Friday, Trevelyan met with Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) chiefCommodore Artemio Abu to discuss maritime security and marine conservation as part of UK’s commitment to “deepening diplomatic, economic and security-based ties in the Indo-Pacific” (see photo on A1—Editors).
At present, the UK offers the PCG and Philippine Navy officers a chance to train at world-renowned institutions, such as the Britannia Royal Navy College at Dartmouth.
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back by P5.14 per liter at the same time. These reflect the international contract price of LPG for the month of April," Petron said.
Solane LPG also announced a price cut of P9.18 per kilo, VAT inclusive, effective today.
Prior to the rollback, household LPG in Metro Manila ranged in price from P934 to P1,118 per 11-kilo cylinder.
On Feb. 1, oil firms raised the price of LPG by P10 to P11.20 per kilo, or about P110 to P123 per 11-kilo cylinder. Auto LPG prices likewise increased by P6.25 per liter.
Meanwhile, oil industry sources said there will be a price increase across all petroleum products next week based on the four-day tradingdata in the global oil market.
Gasoline prices are expected to go up by P1.30 to 1.50 per liter,diesel by P0.40 to P0.60 per liter, and kerosene by P0.30 to P0.50 per liter.
Department of Energy director for Oil Industry Management Bureau Rodela Romero confirmed the possible oil price hike on Tuesday.
"For the 4-day trading, we are expecting an increase in the prices ofpetroleum products due to an ease of tension brought about by the banking crisis and supply disruption in Turkey. Inventory of US fell down more than expected, especially for gasoline and distillates and at last a sign of strong demand in Asia due to China's recovery," Romero said.
On March 28, oil companies rolled back prices by P0.85 per liter for gasoline, P1.30 per liter for diesel, and P1.90 per liter for kerosene.
These resulted in a year-to-date net decrease for diesel at P4.15 per liter and kerosene at P5.55 per liter. Gasoline, on the other hand, has risen by P4.65 per liter.
THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have partnered to jointly pursue President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program deeper into the grassroots level.
Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar and Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos signed a memorandum of understanding solidifying the collaboration of the two agencies in the housing sector.
One of the salient provisions under the MOU is the plan to build housing units for indigent barangay workers and informal settler families under the Pambansang Pabahay.
The partnership will pave the way for the conduct of preliminary activities for the execution of Pambansang Pabahay down to the barangay level. Rio N. Araja
TINGOG party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude
Acidre on Friday expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Filipino people for voting Tingog as the top performing party-list in the House of Representatives.
In a nationwide survey conducted by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation, Inc. (RPMD), Tingog led the roster of top-performing party-lists with 93.5 rating on a total of 10,000 respondents, followed by ACT-CIS with 89.4 percent, Agimat PL with 88.6 percent and Ako Bicol with 85.1 percent.
THE Department of Education (DepEd) has underscored the setbacks of returning outright to the pre-pandemic school calendar which starts in June and the summer vacation set for April and May.
Meanwhile, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro appealed to the DepEd to return the summer vacation of students to April-May.
DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said among the factors to consider is the minimum number of school days covered by the school year.
“For this school calendar, 203 days po ng schooling iyong sinusunod natin. So hindi natin mami-meet iyan ‘pag bigla tayong mag summer break,” Poa said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
“We take note the suggestions to revert the school break to April-May because of the hot climate, but we need to study it first,” “If there is a chance, we will announce it, but the changes will be definitely not abrupt. It will have to be a slow transition,” he added.
Poa pointed out that they have to identify which areas that would be affected, and weigh the arguments on reverting to the pre-pandemic school calendar.
He ruled out however, the possibility of the transition taking place this year because of the timetable involved.
“In the years to come, we will have to really look into it and study first what will be affected. But again, we are not saying reversion is not an option,” Poa said.
“We are humbly thankful for this honor. With all humility, we thank all those who believed in us. Rest assured that this recognition from our endeared constituency will only motivate us further to work harder for the welfare of our people and our nation,” said Rep. Romualdez, wife of Speaker Martin
Romualdez and current chair of the House Committee on Accounts.
Mrs. Romualdez said although they are honored by the affirmation of the people of Tingog’s work inside and outside Congress, she considered the survey results as a challenge to do better and accomplish more as a party-list.
Tingog was established during the aftermath of Yolanda, deemed the strongest typhoon ever to hit the Philippines, in 2013 as a party-list with a “regional perspective on national issues.”
It focuses on issues affecting the countryside or rural areas in general. Its membership continues to expand as it operates 70 offices through its Alagang
Tingog Centers across the country.
“As a party-list group that was borne out of the worst calamity ever to hit our country, our passion for helping others runs very deep in the people that make up our organization. Kaya naman natutuwa kami na nagbubunga ang aming pagsisikap na makatulong sa ating mga kababayan,” Romualdez said.
She also lauded the other party-list groups in the House of Representatives for doing a good job of looking out for the welfare of the people.
“This is not a competition. Magkatuwang tayong lahat para sa ikabubuti ng ating bayan at ng mamamayan,” she said.
MARITIME TRAGEDY.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) continues its search, rescue, and retrieval operations for victims of the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 which caught fire in the high sea off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town, Basilan island province, killing over 30 passengers. PCG photo
QUEZON City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas has batted for the passage of several measures filed in Congress provide women wider access to health services and expanding their opportunity for economic and social participation.
Vargas, a staunch advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, has filed a number of measures upholding the rights and welfare of women.
“Empowered women empower society. They already have unique strengths and capabilities. We just need to fuel the change on how we want the world to perceive them,” Vargas, a deputy majority leader, said.
The legislator, who has consistently topped the legislative performance in the Lower House of Representatives in the 19th Congress, has included proposed measures such as Young Women’s Refuge and Assistance Center Act (HB 6007) which aims to provide ample and reliable access to maternal health and safe childbirth to young first-time mothers. Maricel V. Cruz
THREE high-ranking officials of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in a series of clashes with government troops stationed in Agusan Del Sur, the Philippine Army said on Friday.
The Army said a series of operations launched by the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division that stymied movements by the NPA during their supposed 54th founding anniversary celebration last March 29.
Col. Francisco Lorenzo, officer-incharge of the 401st Infantry Brigade based in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, said the 3rd Special Forces Battalion encountered around 20 NPA rebels at a mountainous area of Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur last March 30.
After responding to numerous reports from the residents that armed men were roaming their place, a 25-minute firefight transpired resulting in the death of suspected rebel leader Emmanuel Balano “Salem” Anub Sr. Charles Dantes
THE owners of the MT Princess Empress tanker that sank last February 28 off Naujan, Mindoro Oriental with 800,000 liters of industrial oil are obligated to provide financial and livelihood assistance to the affected villagers.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva
made this observation on Friday, saying the Mindoreños were still awaiting help from the RDC Reield Marine Services, owner of the ill-starred tanker.
Villanueva cited the “just compensation” or payment for damages that should be given by the ship owners to the families adversely affected by the oil spill. He also called on the local govern-
THE Social Security System (SSS) has granted financial benefits to the family of slain overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jullebee Ranara.
SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet handed over proceeds of benefit claims to Ranara’s mother, Norlynda Cabiles, last March 22. .
In a simple ceremony held at the
SSS main office in Quezon City, Cabiles received more than P100,000 comprising of death and funeral benefits, as well as financial assistance from SSS officials and employees.
“Considering the sacrifices being made by our OFWs by working in a foreign country and being away from their families for a long period of time,
it is very important that they have an active SSS membership which will help them and their families in times of contingencies,” Macasaet said. On behalf of the SSS, Macasaet also expressed his condolences to the Ranara family, and reiterated his continuous support and efforts towards the social security protection of OFWs.
VARIOUS consumer advocacy groups have ramped up the call for Malacañang to issue an order to accelerate the expansion and development of the country’s digital infrastructure, saying the move was critical to national recovery and sustainable growth especially after
the COVID-19 pandemic. Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3) said an executive order (EO) on digital infrastructure was needed to “remove the infamous bureaucratic bottlenecks hindering the Philippine economic potentials for resilience, recov-
ery and development.”
“In fact, the EO should cover not only digital infrastructure, but also land, air, and maritime transport, and even energy infrastructure,” said BK3 co-convenor Louie Montemar in a statement.
ment of Mindoro to ensure that the victims would not be intimidated to agree to a compromise settlement.
Villanueva urged the government officials of Mindoro to guarantee the protection of their constituents and see to it that pertinent laws are applied.
The Senate leader pointed out that the victims do not owe the ship owners debt
of gratitude in light of any assistance given to them.
He insisted that helping the affected islanders was a responsibility of the ship owners that should be fulfilled.
The entire province of Oriental Mindoro will be placed under a state of calamity, Governor Humerlito Dolor said on Thursday.
THE government is more prepared to address the El Niño episode this year than in previous years, an official of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) said.
NWRB executive director Sevilla David on Friday said the NWRB is now readying contingency plans ahead of time before the episode’s adverse impacts could be felt by the third quarter of the year.
“We at the NWRB are already prepared with our contingency plan or mitigating measures. One of them is the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System doing its part, such as the preparation for standby deep wells,” he said.
The weather bureau said El Niño is here to stay until 2024.
“The way we see things are, is that we are now more prepared since we have already prepared alternative water sources, like deep wells and treatment facilities The National Irrigation Administration, our partner, is also ready,” David said.
The NWRB further announced that it will retain the current raw water allocation for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) from Angat Dam at 50 cubic meters per second (CMS) from April 1 to 15, 2023.
“At 50 CMS, we expect that the volume of raw water flowing to the Novaliches Portal in Quezon City will still be at reduced levels. Given this, the current daily water service interruptions will remain in place, but the interruption schedules to be implemented starting April 1, 2023 have been adjusted to account for the full
suspension of the cross-portal sharing arrangement between Maynilad and Manila Water,” Maynilad Water Services, Inc said in a statement.
To mitigate the impact of the reduced available supply, Maynilad is facilitating its supply augmentation measures, which include the reactivation of deep wells and commissioning of modular treatment plants to produce more water from alternate sources, and the continued repair of pipe leaks and replacement of old pipelines to recover more water for distribution.
The company is also making available around 100 mobile water tankers for deployment, as needed. It has installed 83 stationary water tanks (SWT) in strategic locations, and is purchasing more SWTs for additional water storage.
Prior to the implementation of the service interruptions, Maynilad has been augmenting supplies through a “crossportal” arrangement with Manila Water, because less water has been reaching the Novaliches Portal in Quezon City.
However, the water level at La Mesa Dam has been going down in recent weeks, forcing Manila Water to gradually suspend the cross-portal supply sharing.
If the water impounded at Angat Dam will continue to drop, this will mean less supply for Maynilad to distribute, resulting in longer daily service interruption starting today, April, 1, 2023.
SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri said there is an urgent need to increase the salaries of Filipino nurses to address the shortage of nurses in the Philippines.
In a statement, Zubiri said nurses are paid by small local private hospitals as low as P15,000 to P20,000 per month.
“Who can blame them for leaving? Overseas, they earn somewhere around P150,000 to P200,000 a month. Our salaries and benefits offer no competition,” Zubiri, quoted by GMA News said.
“They are likely overworked, looking after more than their fair share of patients
as more and more of their colleagues leave for better pastures abroad,” he added. “If we want nurses to stay in the country, we need to increase their salaries. That’s really the long and short of the diaspora problem that we’re having.”
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier ordered the Commission on Higher Education to address the shortage of the number of nurses in the country due to migration.
At a recent Senate hearing, Commissioner Erwin Enad of the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) said the Philip-
SEN. Robin Padilla said he wants to free those trapped in “unhealthy, abusive and miserable relationships” by legalizing the civil effects of annulments filed before the church or religious sect.
In his proposed Senate Bill 2047 (Church Decreed Annulment Act), Padilla noted that since the Family Code of the Philippines provides that marriage may be solemnized by a priest, rabbi or minister of a church or religious sect and registered with the civil registrar general, the same church or religious sect can have the power to rule on its nullity, “which ideally must take the same effect in the eyes of the State.”
nal judgment or decree in accordance with the canons or precepts of the church or religious sect in which the marriage was solemnized or in which either married partner is a member at the time of the request for the annulment or dissolution, the said annulment or dissolution shall have the same effect as a decree of annulment or dissolution issued by a competent court,” he said in his bill.
The status of children of marriages subject to the church annulment or dissolution decree shall be determined in accordance with the Family Code of the Philippines.
pines has a supply of doctors, nurses, and other health workers but only a fraction of them are practicing their professions.
In his presentation, Enad showed that as of March 24, there are 951,105 registered nurses but only 53.55% or 509,297 are active.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo meanwhile aired his concern over the conditions of patients at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH).
During a surprise ocular inspection at the NCMH, he said patients are not receiving the specialized care and treatment they deserve because of the hospital’s poor facilities. Macon Ramos-Araneta
THE Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the validity of the 50 to 87 percent fare increases imposed in 2014 for passengers of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2, and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3.
In a decision written by Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, the SC ruled that fare increases for LRT and MRT require prior notice and hearing to be valid.
With these requirements, the SC ruled that the fare increases imposed in 2014 substantially complied with the notice and hearing requirements. The SC noted that the notice of public consultation on Jan 20 and 27, 2011 was published in two newspapers of general circulation.
WATER SALUTE. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) performs a water salute at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila as part of the “Fire Prevention Month 2023” culminating activities on Friday. Norman Cruz
“Whenever a marriage, duly and legally solemnized by a priest, minister, rabbi or presiding elder of any church or religious sect or any person authorized to solemnize marriages in the Philippines, is subsequently annulled or dissolved in a fi-
If the ground for church annulment or dissolution is not similar to any of the grounds in the Family Code, their common children born or conceived before the issuance of the church annulment decree shall be considered legitimate.
The bill also provides the spouses shall agree upon the partition and distribution of the properties and custody and support of the common children.
SEN. Robin Padilla on Friday admitted feeling “sadness” over the likely failure of his bid to amend some provisions of the 1987 Constitution, citing the lack of support from his colleagues.
“Of course, there is some sadness, but that’s just how it is. Of course, there is some sadness, but there is no despair because we believe we are merely working,” he said.
Padilla is chairperson of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, which conducted hearings for a possible Charter change.
Out of 24 senators, Padilla said only he and senators Francis Tolentino, Ronald dela Rosa, and Christopher Go would
likely back the proposed Cha-cha.
Padilla said his office already distributed copies of his committee report to all senators with the hope that “they would read it.”
The report needs to have at least nine committee members’ signatures before it can be referred to the plenary for deliberation and debate.
But for Padilla, his fight for Cha-cha is not yet over since he still has three more years as a senator. Padilla reiterated that the said Chacha will benefit the “long-suffering economy” and the people with amendments to at least seven economic provisions. He noted this was the gist of the committee report and proposed Reso-
THE police general who was arrested by authorities on Thursday over charges of syndicated estafa said he had prior disengaged as a former incorporator of a financing company.
Police Brigadier-General John Guyguyon said the financing company was sued for issuance of bad checks to clients, and that he was merely dragged into the corporate cases as an incorporator of the financing company back then.
In a statement to reporters in Cotabato City, Guyguyon said: “My conscience is clear.”
Guyguyon had been the head of the Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Region (PRO-BAR) when he was arrested for warrants separately issued by the
presiding judges of Regional Trial Court Branch 104 and of RTC Branch 91 of the National Capital Region.
News reports on Guyguyon’s arrest on Thursday were mostly based on the police blotter logged by the arresting operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit (CIDG RFU) 15.
Other sources said the involved financing firm has had off-court settlements with some of the complainants who had issued affidavits of desistance withdrawing their complaints against company owners and workers.
Guyguyon also said he was not,in any way, a direct recipient of any income of the financing company as the juridical respondent to the lawsuit.
lution of Both Houses prepared by the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes.
Padilla’s committee report is the result of eight committee hearings, including three in Davao City, Baguio City, and Cebu City.
“Whereas, to accelerate economic growth and fulfill its international commitment, the Philippines must amend its Constitution by removing restrictive economic provisions to allow foreign businesses to directly invest in a more conducive landscape,” Padilla said in his committee report.
He added it would be more cost-efficient for the Philippines to amend the Constitution via constitutional assembly
Citing government data, he said this will entail P46 million if held simultaneously with the Barangay/SK Elections this October.
In contrast, an election of delegates for the Constitutional Convention would amount to P14.7 billion if the election is held simultaneously with the Barangay/ SK Elections; and P28.5 billion if held separately from the Barangay Elections. This is aside from an added P28.5 billion for the plebiscite of the amendments proposed by the Con-con.
Padilla hopes the senators would read the report during the break, even as he is prepared to defend it in plenary.
Macon Ramos AranetaIt said that on Feb. 4 and 5, 2011, the public consultations were held. In 2013, the DOTC published anew a notice for the public consultation scheduled on Dec. 12, 2013. Rey E. Requejo
THE five-member advisory body looking into the possible involvement in illegal drugs of senior officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) is aiming to finish the vetting process before PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. reaches the retirement age of 56 on April 24.
“We hope before I retire, we can submit our official report to the President through the Napolcom (National Police Commission). Because the Napolcom will have to review the recommendation of the fiveman advisory group for them to check our recommendations before forwarding for approval or denial ng ating (of our) President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” Azurin told reporters in a chance interview on Friday in Camp Crame. Napolcom is chaired by Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and includes Azurin as an ex-officio commissioner.
The five-man committee is composed of Azurin, retired police general and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs Undersecretary Isagani Nerez, former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and retired Court of Appeals Justice Melchor Sadang.
THE National Bureau of InvestigationTask Force Against Illegal Drugs (TFAID) seized illegal drugs valued at P32 million and arrested a Syrian national in the course of the operation.
Information was initially received that a certain Mhd Alaadin Qwiader, alias “Alaa.” Qweider is peddling dangerous drugs— cocaine, high-grade marijuana or kush, and ecstasy—mostly in the area of the National Capital Region and at his bar in Makati City.
Further, Alaa allegedly supplies illegal drugs to owners of some high-end bars in Makati City, who, in turn, sell these illegal drugs at the comfort room of their establishments.
The NBI-TFAID operatives implemented the search warrant in Alan’s address which resulted in the seizure of 8,681 grams of high-grade marijuana or kush, 511.5339 grams of cocaine, 4,512 tablets of different shapes and colors of suspected ecstasy, one Jericho 9mm pistol, one magazine pistol for 9mm ammunition, and 50 pieces ammunitions. Willie Casas
TO MILITARIZATION.
WHY is it that the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Local Government Units do not seem to agree on the issues of jurisdiction on road management but they can easily act in unison when it comes to traffic enforcement related to the no-contact apprehension policy?
A Manila solon called for the abolition of MMDA because of an incident when MMDA operated in the City of Manila that caused confusion among car owners. The solon said MMDA encroached into the LGUs’ jurisdiction and power.
The MMDA answered the agency is also given authority to implement road and traffic management both on major thoroughfares and interior roads. If that’s the case, MMDA could be biting off more than it can chew.
It should first go back to basic which is clearing and easing traffic in major thoroughfares.
One basic traffic system the MMDA has not done, after so many years of presence as a government agency, is putting up designated loading and unloading stations on major roads. Shaw boulevard, Magsaysay boulevard, Rizal Avenue, Taft Avenue, E. Rodriguez, and MacArthur Road in Valenzuela. Has anyone seen loading and unloading stations for Public Utility Vehicles on these roads?
Traffic buildup here is caused by jeepneys – both the old and the modern ones – and buses, fetching passengers and unloading them wherever and whenever.
Ayala and BGC are the best examples of how to put together designated stops and disciplined drivers and passengers.
As for the aforementioned roads supposed to be under MMDA management, chaos
30 March 2023
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLIO
Publisher The Manila Standard
Dear Mr. Estabillio
Good day!
This is in reference to the article entitled, “Incompetence, possible corruption in Dimayuga’s MMDA written by Louis Barok Biraogo and published in print and online by The Manila Standard on March 24, 2023.
I would like to express my dismay over the said article as it seems to me that the information by Mr. Biraogo is outdated and not fact-checked. Hence, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify all the unfounded and malicious allegations against me in order to shed light on the matter at hand.
First and foremost, my given name is Carlo and not Carlos, I was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last August 1, 2022 as Acting Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). The Adaptive Responsive Traffic Signal System (ARTSS) Program was approved in October 2012 and the advance traffic control system was also procured in the same year. In fact, the ARTSS program was already in the process of implementation during my appoinment as Acting Chair. Thus, the accusation that “Carlos Dimayuga III seems to have approved the ARTSS” is false. How would I approve a project that has already been existing for so many years?
Second, Mr. Biraogo seems to imply that no public bidding was done for the acquisition of the ARTSS. This is, again, simply false. As stated
CANNABIS, or more commonly known as marijuana, is one of the earliest crops to be cultivated by mankind for food, fiber, medicine, and ritualistic purposes.
The earliest archaeological evidence of this was the discovery of baskets made from hemp estimated to be 26,000 years old, in what is now the Czech Republic.
The earliest written record of its medicinal use, however, was almost 5000 years ago by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung.
According to his account, cannabis was already being used for more than 100 ailments, from rheumatism to malaria.
Other ancient civilizations followed suit.
Cannabis was used for a plethora of ailments in Ayurvedic medicine.
The Egyptian medical papyrus includes cannabis, and its pollen was even recovered from the mummy of Ramesses II.
The physician Claudius Galen documented its widespread use throughout the Greco-Roman Empire. Throughout millennia, its use spread across the globe. In the 19th century, the use of cannabis was
PALM Sunday celebrates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Why did the crowds lay branches and carry branches shouting “Hosanna to the highest blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord? “
In the Old Testament the kind of reception the crowds gave to Jesus depicts Psalm 118, a psalm that was a description of a king coming into the city of Jerusalem. By the first century AD it was interpreted as a prophetic song as a psalm about the coming of the future king the Messiah to the city of Jerusalem.
So when they start proclaiming the words of this psalm—blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,—they are in effect welcoming Jesus into the city of Jerusalem as both King and Messiah.
In martial arts, masters
prevails daily especially during rush hours because PUVs can just stop in every stretch or corner, and take passengers.
Sometimes, they even stop in the middle of the road to unload. Even on Roxas Blvd. where there should not be any stopping except in cases of emergency, PUVs congest the right side of the road beside the area near Dolomite Beach to get passengers.
Loading and unloading stations are a basic infrastructure and system that can help instill discipline on the road.
This very important but basic ingredient is what’s been lacking that the MMDA and LGUs have not worked on through the years.
In martial arts, masters tell their students that if everything else fails, go back to basics.
above, the project now is under implementation, the phases of bidding, awarding and proceeding was conducted since 2012 up until 2018 under Phases one to five of the project. Ergo, the public bidding done years back. If only Mr. Biraogo contacted the MMDA first, surely, he will get the necessary documents evidencing lawful procedure of bidding for the ARTSS.
Third, another malicious imputation of graft and corruption was thrown at me in relation to the QPax Traffic Systems, Inc. I would like to remind Mr. Biraogo that the No Contact Apprehension Program (NCAP), to which QPax Traffic Systems Inc. is the implementor, is actually a Public-Private Parthership contract of the LGUS with QPax. That being said, MMDA officials as well as myself have nothing to do with such arrangement since, as we all know, LGUs exercise local autonomy.
Last but not the least, I would like to think that Mr. Biraogo is out-of-the-loop by asking me to resign my post in the MMDA. I have been a private citizen since October 2022 when I was replaced by the current MMDA Chair Romando Artes. So, why is Mr. Biraogo asking for my resignation this March? Clearly, this development was overlooked either by Mr. Biraogo himself or the editors of The Manila Standard, or both.
Having cleared up all these by presenting you information and clarificatory statements. I’m leaving it to your best judgment in deciding what is the best course of action moving forward. Being a fighter for truth amid mis- and disinformation, I trust that you will set everything right. Continue being truth crusaders and advocates of societal reform. More power.
Respectfully,
(sgd.) CARLO DIMAYUGA III Former MMDA Chairman
COPY FURNISHED: HONOR BLANCO CABIE Opinion Editor The Manila Standard
The crowds who greeted Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem with joyful enthusiasm, a few days later many were undoubtedly among the crowd filled with hate—screaming “crucify him! Crucify him!” This shows the contrast between human and divine plans, and the fickleness of human hearts. Following the way of the cross is hard. Or doing what is right even when it is not popular.
It is much easier to join the crowd, and chant praises or spew curses with them.
The church’s history has many saints and martyrs who did not conform to the sins of their times, but followed Jesus even to the cross. But sadly, there are also many of us who are swayed by the fear and hatred of the crowd, and who vent our anger on the nearest, most innocent victim Jesus, the servant who suffered, who comforted the weary, who endured insults and beatings, who gave up himself as a servant who obeyed until death.
Jesus is our Lord, the one we should follow wherever he goes, however hard the way.
But following Christ does not mean we tolerate abuse.
Rather following Christ means we speak
out against abuse and stand with those who are abused. This is the way of the cross, the way of Christ. But be not afraid for we will not be put to shame, we will not be disgraced for God is our help, Jesus is our lord and the Holy Spirit is our power. Palm Sunday challenges us to reflect on our own faithfulness to Jesus.
Are we like the crowds who praised him one day and rejected him the next?
Are we like the disciples who promised to stay with him but ran away at the first sign of trouble?
As Lent went on, we lost our enthusiasm for prayer, fasting, and alms giving
Are we like Peter who denied knowing him out of fear?
Or are we like the women who stood by him at the cross?
Are we like John who took care of his mother?
Are we like Joseph who buried him with dignity?
Palm Sunday invites us to be true followers of Jesus, not just fair-weather fans.
It is not easy to be loyal to him when he is unpopular or misunderstood.
It is not easy to do what he asks us when it goes against our desires or opinions.
It is not easy to stand up for him when others mock or persecute us.
But it is worth it, because he is our king and messiah, our savior and friend.
He loves us so much that he gave his life for us. He deserves our love and obedience in return.
Palm Sunday prepares us for the Easter Triduum, the most sacred time of the year for Catholics.
It is a beautiful liturgy that reminds us of the events that led to our salvation.
It helps us to enter into the mystery of Jesus’s passion, death, and resurrection.
It calls us to join him in his journey from Jerusalem to Calvary, from the cross to the tomb, from death to life.
Maybe we started this Lent with a strong resolve to pray more sincerely, fast more diligently, and give alms more generously.
But as Lent went on, we lost our enthusiasm for prayer, fasting, and alms giving.
Maybe we often waste our time arguing with each other about who is the best among us, whose politics or ideologies are more attractive, even though we are fully aware that war, poverty, racism, and intolerance still exist, sickness still affects many among us.
But because Jesus has the highest name of all, because we kneel before him, because we acknowledge him as our Lord, we will obey him and carry our cross or rather the cross that Jesus has given us.
We must never join the angry and violent crowd that shouts crucify him! Crucify him! But instead, with Jesus by our side, we are not forsaken, there can be no reason to fear, and so we sing:
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to our King! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Our King is here!
Sing, Hosanna! To the Son of David, Hosanna! O, Hosanna! He is our King! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Our King is here!
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IF WE are to historically retrace our membership in the International Criminal Court, students of international law could easily detect the Statute of Rome creating the ICC is fundamentally flawed.
The ICC ignores the most basic principle that places international order to human interaction. Foremost is the concept of sovereignty and respect for territorial integrity and independence.
This has somewhat disregarded the principle of law now imposed by the ICC.
This has now become a supra law superseding international law and the UN charter which has been upheld by the members through the ages.
This means the principles upheld by the ICC overlaps International Law that often require procedural due process like the approval of the UN Security Council if the subject matter affects the peace and security of the state. These are principles that should stand with the law itself because they could affect the social order of society; that, without them, human civilization will never advance.
Two American presidents waged war against several countries without the US Security Council approving a resolution.
On March 24, 1990, US President Bill Clinton bombed Serbia for refusing to withdrew its forces from the breakaway province of Kosovo. For five months, US-led NATO forces bombed Serbia including the bombing of the Chinese chancery, killing several embassy personnel while the country could not do anything to defend itself from being pulverized.
That, after Serbia opted to withdraw from the arrogant alliance created by the US that demanded the extradition of Slobodan Milošević and died while in prison without being convicted for his alleged war crimes.
During the administration of President George W. Bush, his country waged war against Iraq and Afghanistan, also without the UN Security Council sanctioning that decision.
Bush lied before UN General Assembly about the weapons of mass destruction allegedly found in Saddam’s laboratories to ensure that its ally then, Iran, would be able to execute its foremost enemy. More than a million Iraqis died in the indiscriminate bombing. The subsequent occupation of Iraq by its mortal enemy, now an accomplice of the US, was, in fact, encouraged by the US to ensure the capture of Saddam’s Sunni Muslim followers resulting in numerous casualties.
Many believe the US merely used Iran to finish off the Sunni Muslims, and when that project was accomplished, like the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the US abandoned their erstwhile ally which today stands as ally of Saudi Arabia against the US, Israel and Yemen.
Many countries were pressured to join the ICC.
The thing that is unusual is the major powers continue to shun their membership with the ICC for refusing to submit or surrender a part of their sovereignty which to them is indivisible to their independence.
The issue is the political immunity which they accorded to their head of state.
China, India, and Russia are not members of the ICC but they have never been accused of aggression or of violating the territorial integrity of other countries
The architects of the ICC made sure the President or the head of state allegedly guilty of war crimes or crimes against humanity be indicted for crimes which policies often overlap with existing international law.
Perceptions on the enforcement of certain laws have become a political issue as in the case of our country’s handling of prohibited drugs.
Our President tried to resolve the problem of drug abuse but often was misunderstood.
Consequently, our harsh application of the law results in the misapplication of policy with Presidents often accused of human rights violation.
The crime may ordinarily be treated with some kind of understanding to a society that is wrapped in a vicious cycle of poverty.
That, with zealot politicians often resorting to
introduced to western medicine by Irish doctor William O’Shaughnessy, who in 1843 published its medicinal qualities in the Provincial Medical Journal.
It was soon included in the British and American pharmacopeias, with Sir William Osler, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins and considered the Father of Modern Medicine, declared that it is the best remedy for migraine.
The earliest documented evidence of cannabis in the Philippines came from its most prominent physician, Dr. Jose Rizal.
In a letter to fellow anthropologist and friend Dr. Adolph Meyer, Rizal said: “I myself though, in 1879, used Hashish in the Philippines. I did it for experimental purposes, and obtained the substance from a Drugstore.”
Rizal’s experimentation with Hashish, or crude cannabis resin, is interesting for sure.
But what’s more important is the revelation of the availability of pharmaceutical cannabis on our soil, even before the founding of our nation.
I couldn’t help wonder if other records of cannabis use, by Rizal or our indigenous people, were lost to colonial powers. We are lucky Rizal’s letter survived in the possessions of Dr. Meyer, because the turn of the 20th century saw the start of the demonization
Cannabis is moving out of the drug dens back into the drug stores and medicine cabinets
of the plant.
Advances in technology made possible the isolation and synthesis of purified compounds.
Unlike morphine, which was isolated from opium in 1805, the active ingredients of cannabis remained elusive in the early 20th century. Isolated and synthetic drugs won over unrefined, unstandardized medical cannabis preparations. Cannabis moved out of the drugstores and into the drug dens. The diminished medical use, and concomitant increase in recreational use, lead to the enactment of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 in the US,
despite the opposition of the American Medical Association.
Harry Anslinger, head of the Federal Narcotics Bureau and instigator of the act, claimed that “most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, and Filipinos.
“Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to have sexual relations with negroes, entertainers, and others.”
The inaccurate, exaggerated, and unscientific allegations against cannabis users was epitomized by the propaganda film Reefer Madness.
The film portrays cannabis users as drugcrazed psychotics with a propensity for murder, rape, and other crimes, which still holds to this day.
Other nations followed the US lead, which lead to the 1961 Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs putting cannabis under international prohibition. The isolation of Cannabidiol (CBD) in 1963, and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, cannabis’ primary psychoactive component) in 1964, opened the floodgates of cannabis research.
Studies on the effects of these Phytocannabinoids lead to the discovery of a 600-million-yearold signaling system found in all animals, The
violence to gain quick results like executing those engaged in the selling and peddling of prohibited drugs without them knowing the consequence often bears a far greater consequence to society and affect the stability of the government.
Our joining the ICC has made us a pariah in the international community.
The ICC has lumped all the cases that could validate US and NATO intervention in other countries.
Some say, the US and NATO have politicized the ICC in their bid to arrest Putin for its invasion of Ukraine.
Yet, none of the NATO member-countries has voiced out the same concern when the US invaded Serbia, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan.
Some even say our approval of the ICC marked the return of neocolonialism to our country for, physically, it meant the return of imperialist control on our own armed forces to ensure our sovereignty will be greatly affected as we project our country as an alleged stalwart member of the ICC.
Members of the political opposition are acting more like morons debating whether to surrender our own former President to an unelected bunch of self-styled leaders purporting to represent the free world.
These people want to surrender President Duterte to the ICC which could reduce them to nothing more than a bunch of lunatics unable to determine what is right from what is wrong.
The ICC can never purport to be an independent body empowered to investigate and prosecute individuals for war crimes, for crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression.
Its power summarily shortcuts the UN Security Council that originally must be approved by the said UN agency.
In effect, the ratification by the members to the ICC means that individuals accused for war crimes, for crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression could be outrightly prosecuted by the ICC without the approval of the UN Security Council. Full text at www.manilastandard.net
Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is widely distributed throughout the body across all organs, and functions to maintain the body’s internal balance.
Turns out, THC and CBD mimics naturallyproduced cannabinoids inside the body, called Endocannabinoids.
These Endocannabinoids regulate our mood, appetite, sleep cycle, pain tolerance, etc –which explains the reported effects of cannabis consumption.
This led to the FDA-approval of synthetic THC (Marinol) in 1985 for chemotherapyassociated nausea and vomiting.
Other indications soon followed, and many jurisdictions have relaxed their cannabis policies on the grounds of compassion and human rights.
With the help of science, we are beginning to rekindle our intimate relationship with this plant.
Cannabis is moving out of the drug dens back into the drug stores and medicine cabinets.
(The author, an adult medicine specialist (internal medicine), is founder of the Philippine Society of Cannabinoid Medicine, and a researcher, international lecturer, and resource speaker during the 18th and 19th Philippine Congress).
‘Mr. Biraogo is out-of-the-loop’
NEW YORK – A New York grand jury on Thursday indicted Donald Trump over hush money payments made to a porn star during his 2016 campaign, making him the first former US president to face criminal charges.
The historic indictment of the 76-year-old Republican – who denies all wrongdoing in connection with the payments made ahead of the election that sent him to the White House –is certain to upend the current presidential race in which Trump hopes to regain office.
And it will forever mark the legacy of the former leader, who survived two impeachments
and kept prosecutors at bay over everything from the US Capitol riot to missing classified files – only to land in court over a sex scandal involving Stormy Daniels, a 44-year-old adult movie actress.
Trump’s lawyer Susan Necheles told AFP she expects he will be arraigned on Tuesday next week.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed that it had contacted Trump’s lawyers Thursday evening to “coordinate his surrender” in New York – with the felony charges against him to be revealed at that point.
Trump slammed the indictment as “political persecution and election interference,” raging against prosecutors and his Democratic opponents and vowing that it would backfire on his successor, President Joe Biden.
BUCHA, Ukraine – Ukraine on Friday marks one year since Russia withdrew from the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, leaving the bodies of executed civilians strewn in the streets in what has become a symbol of alleged Russian war crimes.
Russian forces withdrew from the commuter town northwest of the capital on March 31, 2022, just over a month after President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.
In their wake, they left behind scenes of horror that shocked the world.
AFP journalists on April 2 discovered the bodies of at least 20 people in civilian clothing, some with their hands tied behind their backs, lying in a street of the suburb.
During a visit to Bucha two days later, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky described the killings of
Surrendering for arraignment over what CNN has reported could be as many as 30 counts related to business fraud would normally involve being fingerprinted and photographed, potentially even handcuffed.
In the Republican camp, Trump’s allies and sons denounced what they say is a vendetta aimed at derailing his 2024 campaign –while his expected challenger for the party nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, slammed the indictment as “un-American.”
Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, said the indictment had “irreparably damaged” the country. Trump’s former vice president and possible 2024 challenger Mike Pence called it an “outrage” that would only “further serve to divide” the United States.
But the top Democrat Adam Schiff – lead
prosecutor of Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 – called it “a sobering and unprecedented development.”
“The indictment and arrest of a former president is unique throughout all of American history,” Schiff said in a statement. “But so too is the unlawful conduct for which Trump has been charged.”
Daniels welcomed the development with her characteristic aplomb.
“I have so many messages coming in that I can’t respond...also don’t want to spill my champagne,” she tweeted while also plugging her #TeamStormy merchandise.
- Possible protestsOn March 18, Trump had declared he expected to be arrested within days over the payment to Daniels – who received $130,000 weeks before the election that brought Trump to power, to stop her from going public about a
tryst she claims they had a decade earlier. In predicting his indictment, Trump also issued a call for demonstrations and dark warnings that it could lead to “potential death & destruction” that “could be catastrophic for our Country.”
His statement set New York on edge for possible protests but the prospect of a quick indictment appeared to recede as the grand jury panel continued to hear witnesses – until Thursday.
A media scrum quickly gathered outside the district attorney’s office, along with a handful of anti-Trump protesters – but the situation was calm overall.
Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment to Daniels on Trump’s behalf and was later reimbursed. AFP
civilians as “genocide”. Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russian troops of war crimes after the discoveries at Bucha, pointing to an abundance of footage and witness accounts.
But Moscow denies the accusations, claiming the atrocities in Bucha were staged.
Many foreign leaders and officials who have visited Ukraine since the war started have made a stop in Bucha.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he had a “strong sentiment of indignation” while in Bucha last week.
After Russia withdrew from near Kyiv, the fighting shifted to the south and east of Ukraine, with the embattled city of Bakhmut now the scene of the longest and bloodiest battle since the invasion.
- ‘Continue to live’ -
But a year after it was retaken by Kyiv’s forces, Bucha has not forgotten its victims.
The community of what was once a familyfriendly suburb is rebuilding, and locals told AFP “the pain subsides” and that they must “continue to live” despite their collective trauma. AFP
NEW DELHI – The death toll after a floor collapsed at a Hindu temple in India had risen to 35 on Friday, with rescue operations underway to find one person still missing, a local official told AFP.
Dozens of worshippers celebrating a major religious holiday plunged into the stepwell – a stair-lined communal water source – on Thursday after the floor covering it collapsed in the central city of Indore.
“Thirty-five people are dead. One person is still missing. Rescue operations are on,” Indore district magistrate Ilayaraja T. told AFP by phone.
A witness at the scene told AFP that rescuers were working to determine whether one more person reported missing had also fallen down the well.
Women, children and an 18-month-old baby were among those standing on the grill
covering the well when it buckled and gave way, plunging them into about 7.5 metres (25 feet) of water, the Times of India newspaper reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he was “extremely pained” by news of the accident.
“The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace,” he added. “My prayers with all those affected and their families.”
Modi’s office said compensation payments of 200,000 rupees ($2,400) would be given to the next of kin.
Narottam Mishra, home minister of Madhya Pradesh state, told reporters on Thursday that an investigation had been launched into the mishap. Television footage on Thursday showed emergency workers using ropes and ladders
GUATEMALA CITY – Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen began a visit to Guatemala and Belize on Friday to shore up ties with dwindling allies following a trip to the United States that angered China. Tsai’s visit to the Central American neighbors comes after Honduras became the latest country to cut diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing.
The president had stopped in New York on the way, with announced plans to meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. Washington had said there was no reason for China to “overreact” to the “normal, uneventful” trip, while Beijing warned the United States was “playing with fire.”
Tsai is due to arrive in Guatemala on Friday afternoon, where she is expected to hold talks with her counterpart Alejandro Giammattei and witness the signing of a cooperation agreement, according to her program. On Sunday, she travels to Belize, where she is scheduled to meet Prime
Minister John Briceno on Monday before departing the next day.
On her way back to Taiwan, Tsai plans to stop in Los Angeles, where McCarthy has said he will meet her.
Earlier this month, Honduras, a neighbor of Guatemala, cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognized China. The switch reduced the number of number of countries that diplomatically recognize Taiwan to 13.
Paraguay could follow next, with presidential elections due in April and opposition candidate Efrain Alegre having vowed to reevaluate ties with Taiwan. That would leave only Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, the Holy See, Eswatini and seven small Caribbean and Pacific island nations diplomatically allied to Taiwan. China considers the self-ruled, democratic island as part of its territory to be retaken one day.
Under its “One China” policy, it does not allow countries to officially recognize both Beijing and Taipei. AFP
to reach those trapped in the well in Madhya Pradesh state. Other videos showed the caved-in floor and mangled steel bars as well as police officers using ropes to seal the area.
Temples across India were brimming with devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami, the birthday of the Hindu deity Lord Ram.
- Deadly religious accidentsDeadly accidents are common at worship sites in India during major religious festivals. At least 112 people died in 2016 after a huge explosion caused by a banned fireworks display at a temple marking the Hindu new year. The blast ripped through concrete buildings and ignited a fire at a temple complex in Kerala state where thousands had gathered. AFP
WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday pledged enduring ties with Israel but warned against inflaming tensions with the Palestinians, following a rare public spat between the allies.
President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters Tuesday, called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step back from a bid to weaken the judiciary that has set off massive protests. Netanyahu, who at least temporarily froze the push faced with a general strike, responded that he would not bow to foreign pressure but took a more conciliatory tone when he participated in a democracy summit called by Biden.
In the highest-level contact since the exchange, Blinken called Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and “reaffirmed the importance of the enduring US– Israel bilateral relationship,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said. Blinken also discussed Iran, seen by Netanyahu as a paramount threat, and renewed US support for a Palestinian state – an idea rejected by much of Netanyahu’s hard-right government.
The top US diplomat “emphasized the importance of refraining from unilateral actions that exacerbate tensions,” Patel said in a statement. AFP
blaze northeast of Bangkok
NAKHON NAYOK, Thailand – Hundreds of Thai firefighters and soldiers battled a forest blaze less than 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Bangkok on Friday as the kingdom grapples with air pollution that has made more than 1.7 million people ill already this year.
The fire has affected at least 800,000 square metres (200 acres) of forest across three hills in Nakhon Nayok province, to the northeast of the Thai capital, with two districts declared emergency zones.
The blaze comes as Thailand grapples with a spike in pollution caused in part by agricultural burning that has seen the air in some northern cities rank among the dirtiest and most hazardous in the world this week.
Since the start of the year 1,730,000 people have needed hospital treatment for respiratory conditions caused by air pollution, according to the latest figures from the health ministry.
The fire is not threatening any major population centres but it is close to the edge of the Khao Yai National Park, the kingdom’s oldest national park and part of a UNESCO-listed forest complex stretching to the Cambodian border. AFP
After rough US visit, Taiwan’s Tsai heads to CentralA YEAR SINCE. A man walks among graves of unidentified local people who were killled in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv on March 30, a day before the celebration of the first anniversary of the Bucha liberation from Russian troops on March 31. AFP GLORIOUS REDEEMER. The sun rises in front of the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 29. AFP
STOCKS tumbled Friday after the World Bank reduced its 2023 gross domestic product growth forecast for the Philippines and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas hinted of another interest rate hike in May.
The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 145 points, or 2.18 percent, to close at 6,499.68, as four of the six subsectors declined, with property taking the biggest hit.
The broader all-share index also fell 45 points, or 1.28 percent, to settle at 3,493.37, on a value turnover of P6.17 billion. Losers outmatched gainers, 107 to 73, while 47 issues were unchanged. Only two of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, with PLDT Inc. rising 3.20 percent to P1,420.00 and Globe Telecom Inc. inching up 0.22 percent to P1,864.00.
The World Bank said in its East Asia and the Pacific Economic Update released Friday it cut its 2023 growth forecast for the Philippines to 5.6 percent from 5.8 percent it made in October.
It downgraded the country’s growth outlook, despite the upward revision in 2023 growth forecast for develop-
ing East Asia and Pacific to 5.1 percent from 3.5 percent in 2022, on the back of China’s recovery.
“China is projected to rebound sharply to 5.1 percent in 2023, following the economy’s swift reopening,” it said.
Meanwhile, BSP Governor Felipe Medalla, speaking at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Bali, Indonesia, was quoted as saying that it was “too early” to pause in monetary tightening.
Oxford Economics, a London-based think tank, said the BSP was expected to deliver another 25-basis-point hike in the benchmark interest rate in May.
Most Asian markets built on a global rally Friday as worries about
BEIJING—China’s manufacturing activity slowed in March, official figures showed Friday, while growth in the services and construction sectors surged to a 12-year high.
The world’s second-largest economy is slowly rebounding after posting some of its weakest growth in decades in 2022.
The official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI)—a key gauge of Chinese factory output—beat expectations but fell to 51.9 in March, from 52.6 in February, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.
Analysts polled by Bloomberg News had expected March factory activity to
come at 51.6 percent, after February recorded the highest reading in more than a decade as factories returned to normal following a surge in Covid cases.
The official non-manufacturing PMI, which measures growth in the services and construction sectors, rose to 58.2 in March—the highest since May 2011— and up from 56.3 in February.
“The PMI indicates China’s economic recovery is on track,” said Zhang Zhiwei, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.
“The expansion of service sector activities is particularly strong... The strong momentum will likely continue
in the coming months.”
The country has seen a surge in demand for travel, entertainment and other leisure services that were curbed for nearly three years during the pandemic.
China’s new premier Li Qiang said Thursday the economy was showing “strong momentum” despite a challenging global environment, pledging increased support for business.
Beijing has set an economic growth target of around five percent for this year, one of its lowest in decades—a goal Li has warned will not be “easy.” AFP
United Kingdom—The
UK will join 11 other countries in a major Asia-Pacific trade partnership, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Friday, in the country’s biggest post-Brexit trade deal following nearly two years of talks.
Britain will be the first new member since the creation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2018, and the first European country in the bloc.
The trade grouping will include more than 500 million people and account for 15 percent of global GDP once the UK becomes its 12th member, according to Sunak’s office.
It said Britain’s admission—after 21 months of “intense negotiations” —puts the country “at the heart of a dynamic group of economies” and was evidence of “seizing the opportunities of our new post-Brexit trade freedoms.”
The development fulfils a key pledge of Brexit supporters that, outside the European Union, the UK could capitalize on joining other trade blocs with faster-growing economies than those closer to home.
Critics have argued that such ventures will struggle to compensate for the economic damage sustained by leaving the EU, the world’s largest trading bloc and collective economy.
“We are at our heart an open and free-trading nation, and this deal demonstrates the real economic benefits of our post-Brexit freedoms,” Sunak said in a statement announcing the deal.
“As part of CPTPP, the UK is now in a prime position in the global economy to seize opportunities for new jobs, growth and innovation.”
The CPTPP is the successor to a previous trans-Pacific trade pact that the United States withdrew from under former President Donald Trump in 2017.
Its members include fellow G7 members Canada and Japan, and historic UK allies Australia and New Zealand.
The remaining members are Mexico, Chile and Peru, along with Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Brunei.
In Tokyo, Japanese government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno welcomed the announcement.
“The UK is a global strategic partner and also an important trading and investment partner,” he told reporters.
Its accession “will have great meaning for forming a free and fair economic order,” he added.
‘Milestone’
Despite rising geopolitical tensions, in particular with Canberra, China formally applied to join the bloc in 2021.
All existing members must reach a consensus for a new country to enter the CPTPP.
Matsuno said Japan would need to examine whether China and other nations hoping to join can meet the required conditions, and would also consider the “strategic viewpoint” and Japanese public opinion.
Since Britain quit the EU’s single market in 2021, it has been trying to strike bilateral deals to boost its international trade—and flagging economy.
London has so far inked agreements with far-
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (center) and Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Grant Shapps (right) visit the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Culham Science Centre near Oxford, west of London, on March 30, 2023. AFP
flung allies including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and is in talks with India and Canada.
However, a prized pact with the United States remains stalled.
The UK applied to join the CPTPP in February 2021, kicking off talks later that year in June.
London and the other existing members are poised to take the “final legal and administrative steps required” before Britain will formally sign later this year, Sunak’s Downing Street office said.
It will boost the UK economy by £1.8 billion ($2.2 billion) over the long term, it added, citing estimates.
More than 99 percent of UK goods exported to member countries will now be eligible for zero tariffs, including key British exports such as cars, chocolate, machinery and whisky, it added.
British exports to them were already worth £60.5 billion in the year to the end of September 2022, and are expected to grow once inside the CPTPP, according to Downing Street.
The UK’s dominant services industry will also benefit from “reduced red tape and greater access to growing Pacific markets with an appetite for high-quality UK products and services,” it said. AFP
the banking sector faded and traders grew optimistic that central banks are near the end of their interest rate hiking cycle. With the financial turmoil of recent weeks subsiding, traders are refocusing on the battle against inflation, though expectations for how high borrowing costs will go have lowered.
The US Federal Reserve had been tipped to push rates well above five percent by the end of the year, but with credit seen narrowing in light of the latest upheaval, forecasts are for them to finish just above four percent. That has helped push up equities, which had been under pressure through February and March. With AFP
TOKYO—Japan on Friday unveiled planned export controls on 23 items used to make semiconductors, following US pressure for countries to restrict Chinese access to the technology.
The move was immediately slammed by Beijing, which warned against moves that “politicize, instrumentalize and weaponize” trade.
It comes as Tokyo confirmed its top diplomat will visit Beijing this weekend, the first Japanese foreign minister to make the trip in more than three years.
As the world’s second- and thirdlargest economies, China and Japan are key trading partners, but diplomatic ties have been strained in recent years, with Tokyo wary of Beijing’s growing military and economic power.
The two are also divided by their approach to the Ukraine conflict, with Tokyo backing Kyiv, and China seeking closer ties with Russia. Friday’s export announcement came after the Netherlands implemented similar restrictions this month, citing “international and national security.”
Western officials, particularly in Washington, have repeatedly raised the alarm over the provision of core components in the manufacture of semiconductors to increasingly adversarial trading partners.
And while the Netherlands did not cite China specifically in announcing its restrictions, Beijing lashed out at the move.
Japan too declined to characterize the rules as targeting any one country, with trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura saying they were intended to “prevent the military diversion of technologies.” AFP
Diversified, Inc. 826 10. Luis Indu-Organic, Inc. 826
Emilio Multi-Ventures, Inc. 826
Roberto Eco-Organic, Inc. 826
Sun Life Financial 923
NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING
This is to notify all stockholders of Asia Pacific Medical CenterIloilo, Inc. (formerly: Allied Care Experts (ACE) Medical Center – Iloilo, Inc. and hereinafter the “Corporation’) that on its meeting held on 19 March 2023, the Board of Directors had approved to postpone the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders for the year 2023 of the Corporation which was previously scheduled on 16 June 2023 to 30 June 2023 to give the Directors ample time to prepare for the Inauguration of the Hospital on 28 May 2023 and commencement of its operations on or before 17 June 2023. A separate notice containing the details of the said Annual Stockholders’ Meeting will be posted at a prescribed period before the meeting.
Iloilo, March 24, 2023
SGD. MAYLENE B. VILLANUEVA, CCO, AICD Corporate Secretary and Compliance Officer
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday inflation likely eased to as low as 7.4 percent in March from 8.6 percent in February on reduced prices of petroleum and some food commodities.
It said in a statement the March 2023 inflation would likely settle within a range of 7.4 percent to 8.2 percent. The government is scheduled to release the latest inflation data next week.
“The recent rollback in domestic petroleum prices, lower prices of fruits and vegetables as well as the decline in
NATIONAL Grid Corporation of the Philippines filed a motion for reconsideration on the Energy Regulatory Commission’s denial of its request for month-on- month extension of ancillary services agreements.
The ERC said it received NGCP’s motion on March 28, 2023 on its denial of the grid operator’s request to extend its ancillary services procurement agreement with 1590 Energy Corp. “The ERC is currently evaluating the Motion in accordance with the Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Commission,” the regulator said.
NGCP’s filing of the motion follows its receipt of the ERC order on Dec. 12, 2022 denying its request to extend, on a month- to-month basis, one of its ASPAs. Among the grounds cited by the commission in denying the request was the fact that the 190-MW ASPA with 1590 EC expired on Sept. 25, 2022 and that it was a non-firm contract sought to be extended, which it said was in violation of the rules of the Department of Energy requiring all ASPAs to be firm contracts.
The ERC said the extension requested by NGCP also violates the DOE circular requiring all ASPAs to be procured through competitive selection process.
FloresAlena Mae S.
FOREIGN portfolio investments or hot money posted net outflows of $531 million, a reversal of the $292-million net inflows in January, as uncertainties in the global financial markets affected fund managers’ sentiments.
Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that the gross outflows in February hit $1.2 billion, exceeding the $680-million gross inflows.
The $680-million registered investments went down by 32.3 percent or by $324 million from $1.0 billion recorded in January. About 79.6 percent of the investments were in Philippine Stock Exchange-listed securities, while the rest went to investments in peso government securities (20.4 percent) and other instruments (less than 1.0 percent).
The top five investor countries in February were the United Kingdom, the United States, Luxembourg, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Meanwhile, the $1.2-billion gross outflows in February went up by 70.2 percent or $499 million from $712 million in January. Juito
Rada
G.Nanotech participates in Water Philippines 2023
WATER Philippines 2023 gathered the widest variety of over 300 exhibiting companies and key players in the water industry on March 22 to 24 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Nanotech Corporate Bottleless Water Dispenser joined the international expo as an exhibiting company offering state-of-the art water dispensers. It is a nanotechnology water purification processing system that produces clean, safe and natural alkaline purified water from piped-in dispenser.
It is a GQWEST brand, whose vision helped eliminate single-use plastic bottles over two decades ago when it launched the country’s leading water refilling station brand Aquabest. The company aims to build on a new future with the same quality water in a bottleless world.
Nanotech Corporate Bottleless Water Dispenser eliminates needless lifting, dangerous spills from pouring that contributes to the spread of diseases from hundreds of unsightly blue water bottles per month in offices or warehouses. More than just clean water, the company also boasts of being able to produce safe, natural alkaline water with its unique threecategory, eight-step process.
Nanotech Corporate Bottleless Water Dispenser produces the ideal alkaline level at pH8 but machines are customizable as to the alkaline levels that fit a company’s requirement
chicken and sugar prices are expected to contribute to easing price pressures during the month,” the BSP said. It said upward price pressures for the month were expected to come from higher electricity rates in Manila Electric Co.-serviced areas and increased prices of other key food items such as
pork, fish, eggs and rice.
“Going forward, the BSP remains prepared to respond appropriately to continuing inflation risks in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,” it said.
The appreciation of the peso against the US dollar helped cushion the impact of imported inflation in recent weeks.
The peso closed at 54.36 against the greenback Friday, up by 2.5 percent since the start of the year.
A stronger peso minimizes the local value of imported commodities such as petroleum, wheat and flour, milk and other dairy products, meat, rice, raw
materials and capital goods.
Inflation averaged 5.8 percent in 2022, above the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent, as the peso’s value fell 9.34 percent against the dollar last year. It tumbled a record low of 59 a dollar in October, with only the BSP intervention in the foreign exchange market preventing it from trading lower.
Inflation remained a serious concern this year, forcing the BSP to raise on March 23 the key interest rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 percent. Inflation in February slightly eased to 8.6 percent from a 14year high of 8.7 percent in January.
British financial institution Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. said the liquid domestic financial system was giving the BSP some room to hike interest rates further in the next two policy meetings.
It said despite the global headlines on Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse, the BSP would likely adjust by another 25 basis point the overnight borrowing rate to 6.50 percent in the next Monetary Board meeting on May 18.
“This is because the Philippine financial system remains sound for now, despite the aggressive pace of rate hikes over the past 10 months,” HSBC said.
By Darwin G. AmojelarPHILIPPINE Airlines said Friday it booked an operating income of $297.2 million in 2022, its first positive fullyear earnings since 2019.
The airline unit of tycoon Lucio Tan registered an operating loss of $98.1 million in 2021, which reflected the severe pandemic-era travel restrictions and operating conditions prevailing that year.
The flag carrier’s total comprehensive income reached $196.9 million in 2022, lower than $1.21 billion which included a $1.44-billion net gain from debt restructuring in 2021.
COFFEE EXPO LAUNCH. Members of the Philippine Coffee Guild announce in a media briefing the holding of the Philippine Coffee Expo 2023 that will gather the biggest industry players on June 2 to 4 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. The event is expected to draw more than 1,000 participants at the plenary sessions, feature more than 70 booths, dozens of concessionaires and more than 6,000 visitors in three days. Attending the media launch at the Romulo Café in Quezon City are Cherry Cruz, TWG member of Philippine Coffee Quality Competition and chief executive of Equilibrium Intertrade Corp.; Junibert de Sagun, director of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service of the Department of Agriculture; Mary An Mada, senior trade and industry development specialist at the Department of Trade and Industry-Region IV-A; Ronald Yu, executive director of PCG; Dr. Mel Garcia, chairperson PCG; and T.J. Ryan, chief-of-party of ACDI/VOCA PhilCAFE Project.
LIMAY, Bataan—San Miguel Global
Power Holdings Corp. expects to com-
plete 1,000 megawatt-hours of combined battery energy storage system facilities this year, making it one of the largest operators of BESS systems in the world.
San Miguel president Ramon Ang said BESS could have a transformative impact on the economy and the power sector, as he welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the inauguration ceremonies.
The company inaugurated a 50-MWh BESS project in this town as a part of its plan to open 32 facilities with a combined capacity of 1,000 MWh this year.
“It is the first of its kind in the Philippines, and one of the largest integrated grid-scale battery energy storage projects in the world... Strategically located in various parts of the country, our BESS facilities can instantly increase peak system supply to meet our growing energy demands post pandemic,” Ang said.
He said that with BESS providing a significant portion of peak supply, baseload plants could run continuously and operate more efficiently, resulting in lower electricity costs for Filipino consumers.
“Equally important, our facilities can support the integration of over 5,000 MW of renewable power sources into
the grid. They can store excess energy from traditional and renewable sources during periods of low demand and release it back into the grid when demand increases,” Ang said.
SMC’s Masinloc power facility pioneered the BESS technology, which enables the storage of energy both from renewable and non- renewable sources, in 2016.
Ang said building 5,000 MWh of BESS facilities with other industry players would support the country’s peak supply requirements and achieve energy security in the coming years. He said this could also bring down power costs by as much as P3 per kilowatt-hour. With Vince Lopez
Friday, March 31, 2023
BahrainDinar2.652661144.3817
Saudi Arabia Rial 0.26641114.5005
BruneiDollar0.75046940.8473
IndonesiaRupiah0.0000660.0036
Thailand Baht 0.0293301.5964
UAE Dirham0.27231614.8219
EuroEuro 1.09070059.3657
Korea Won 0.0007720.0420
PAL said the positive performance was consistent for all four quarters of 2022 and was largely a result of rising demand in air travel that followed the easing of travel restrictions and the reopening of borders in most countries.
“We are very grateful for the support of our customers that has enabled us to achieve this positive result amidst a challenging year. Philippine Airlines continues to be on a journey of recovery and renewal, and we will make good use of our resources to improve our services for the benefit of our valued customers. We are even more determined to upgrade our fleet, build more connections to key markets and offer improved products and services,” PAL president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng said.
“We also thank our shareholders, our service partners and our dedicated employee work force whose tireless efforts have led to continuing progress in our recovery journey. We embrace our mission of service and remain committed to work with government and industry partners to help boost the Philippines’ economic and tourism development goals,” he said.
By Jenniffer B. AustriaFASTFOOD chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. said Friday it plans to open more stores in mainland China after it inaugurated its 500th outlet in one of the world’s largest markets.
“This year, we will continue to open more stores in China as we see potential for more growth,” Jollibee group president and chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong said in a statement.
BSP’S AWARD. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (second from left) and Civil Service Commissioner Aileen Lourdes Lizada (left) grant the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for its Cash Service Alliance initiative. Receiving the award is the CSA core team composed of (from center) bank officer VI Ralph William Meris (team leader), director Ruth Gonzaga, deputy director Jann Ryan Jose and director Reynaldo Florencio Zipagan. The CSA core team serves a key role in ensuring adequate money supply in circulation to support economic activities.
ChinaYuan0.1455397.9215
IndiaRupee0.0121830.6631
MalaysiaRinggit0.22624412.3142
New Zealand Dollar 0.62570034.0562
TaiwanDollar0.0328231.7865
Source: BSP
THE Department of Transportation aims to improve Filipinos’ mobility and connectivity and lower the cost of food and other goods through various maritime infrastructure projects, Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
Speaking before the Rotary District 3830’s District Conference, Bautista outlined the future of Philippine transportation and gave an overview of the infrastructure flagship projects approved by the National Economic Development Authority board for the four transport sectors—maritime, roads, railways and aviation.
Bautista said the approved infrastructure projects are guided by the “CASA”
values--convenient, accessible, safe and affordable transport for Filipinos.
Bautista, who is also a Rotarian, said the DOTr under his leadership and the Rotary District have the same goal of promoting economic and community development.
The DOTr’s maritime sector is pursuing projects that connect the archipelago to make the countryside “competitive for trade, investment and tourism.” Two key projects identified by the transport chief are the roll-on roll-off network upgrade and the farm-to-market ports network.
Known as the Strong Republic Nautical Highway, the RORO system was
created in 2003 by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to make the movement of Filipinos and goods more efficient. Upgrading the country’s RORO network is one of the eight priority programs of the recently updated Maritime Industry Development Plan 2019-2028.
The upgrade will also “boost the domestic shipping industry in support of the nautical highway development,” Bautista said.
The upgrade of the 20-year-old RORO network includes the development of ports and ramps and the deployment of additional RoRo vessels to different routes. Once completed, the modernized
and expanded RoRo system will greatly improve the inter-island connectivity and movement of people and goods.
Acknowledging the important role of transport infrastructure in building a strong economy in the post-pandemic era, the DOTr plans to develop farmto-market ports “to improve the efficient transport of food products, while providing low-cost food throughout the country,” said Bautista.
This network of FMPs is being developed by the Philippine Ports Authority in seven provincial ports including Capinpin Port in Bataan, Tablas Port in Romblon, Dumangas Port in Iloilo and Dapitan Port in Zamboanga del Norte.
Tanmantiong said all three brands— Tim Ho Wan, Yonghe King and Hong Zhuang Yuan—would open stores in new provinces and cities in China this year in line with the group’s vision of becoming one of the top 5 restaurant companies in the world.
becoming one of the top 5 restaurant
Tim Ho Wan is a Michelin-starred restaurant, while Yonghe King is famous for its meal sets and soya milk and Hong Zhuang Yuan is best known for congee meals.
Jollibee recently opened a Yonghe King branch in Shanghai’s Putuo Rong Chuang Xiang Yi luxury estate area. The new store is near famous tourist attractions and iconic landmarks, particularly Changfeng Ocean World International Theme Park.
Jollibee group was operating 424 Yonghe King, 58 Hong Zhuang Yuan and 18 Tim Ho Wan stores in mainland China as of end-February 2022. Jollibee earlier identified China as one of its pillar markets.
“Opening our 500th store comes with a renewed commitment to continually deliver the same superior-tasting food and, which adheres to the highest standards of food safety and cleanliness. We look forward to serving our great-tasting food through more branches and to more people in Mainland China in the coming years,” said Jollibee China and Yonghe King president Louie Liu.
Jollibee opens 500th store in China, plans to add more this year
PAL rebounds with operating income of $297m
MASAICHI Otake and guest teammate Zachary Castro sustained their top form and combined for 72 points in Aggregate format at Legends, matching their output at Masters as they stormed ahead in the overall gross race with a 144 in Day 3 of the Southwoods Invitational in Carmona, Cavite yesterday.
But a slew of other teams still have to complete their second round play in various divisions in today’s (Saturday) finale of the four-day championship, ensuring a spirited battle for top honors in the host club’s flagship member-guest tournament which drew more than 600 players.
But Otake, member of Southwoods’ team in various Interclub championships, and Castro, winner of the recent Hurricane Junior Golf Tour in North Carolina, produced superb rounds, including the first 72 in Best Ball at the Masters under the Stableford Points scoring system with applied course handicaps.
With a 144 total, the Otake-Castro tandem stood nine points ahead of Florene delos Santos and Chino Raymundo, who settled for 55 points at Legends after an 80 at Masters for 135, while Claire Ong and Gabrielle Monfort pooled 134 points after a 64 and 70 at Legends and Masters, respectively.
Richard Chua and Fernando Lim likewise took control in the overall net championship with 84 points at the Legends for a 178 and a five-point lead over the Rodolfo Faustino IIIEd Camacho tandem, which made a 173 after 81 points at Legends, while Brian Park and Eded Hernandez put in 77 points at Legends for joint third at 171 with Karlo Miguel and Juan Carlos Reyes, who carded 75 points at Legends.
Renie Floro and Kazuo Murakami, on the other hand, stayed ahead in Division I with 170 after a 74 at Legends; Brian Park and Eden Hernandez grabbed the Division II lead with 171 points after a 77 at Legends; Richard Chua and Fernando Lim likewise seized control in Division III with 178 points after an 84, also at Legends, in the event backed by year-round sponsor Royal Caribbean/Baron Travel, hole-in-one sponsors Ogawa, Alpine Motors Philippines, Toyota Silang, Pagcor Casino Filipino and Klio International.
Match Saturday (PFF National Training Center) 4 p.m. – Mendiola vs Dynamic Herb Cebu FCV
DYNAMIC Herb Cebu FC tries to w rest top spot when it faces Mendiola FC in the Philippines Football L eague brought to you by Qatar Airways fixture on Saturday at the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.
The Gentle Giants are coming off their fourth straight win after a 2-0 blanking of Maharlika Manila FC last Wednesday.
Rintaro Hama scored off a header in the fourth minute before Daniel Gadia rifled a shot from outside the box nine minutes from time to seal the victory increasing Cebu’s tally to 40 points just two behind Kaya FC Iloilo.
Cebu currently has 12 wins, 4 draws against a loss. The Gentle Giants have not lost in 17 matches.
“Our coaches have been giving us a great gameplan which we know is effective against other teams,” said Gadia, the former University of the Philippines star who was named Man of the Match against Maharlika.
Gadia has been in fine form scoring in the last four games as he continues to push for national team callup.
Personal accolades aside, Gadia said he’s determined to lead the Gentle Giants title challenge.
“We’ll keep going to win the league for our coaches and for our community in Cebu,” added Gadia.
By Randy Caluag
ONLY limited seats have remained available in the FIBA World Cup for basketball fans wishing to follow the games of the Gilas Pilipinas and Team USA that will be bannered by National Basketball Association stars.
A check on the official events’ website https://philippines.worldcup.basketball/ states that only “limited quantities are available” for the special bundle packages for the Philippines hosting of the games from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 in various venues.
The bundle packages for Gilas Pilipinas games cost from P2,500 to P52,000. This
will allow the ticket holder to watch all the team’s five games in the first and second rounds of eliminations at the Araneta Coliseum. The confirmed dates for the Gilas Games are on August 25, 27 and 29. The two remaining playdates will be determined depending on the position of Gilas after the end of the first round of the Group Phase. Gilas’ opponents will be
known during the final draw on April 29.
Gilas Day Pass, priced from P1,000 to P18,000 plus, is also available for those who want to watch one of the team’s games in the elimination. Gilas Day Pass holders are also entitled to watch other games scheduled on that date.
For the first time in its history, basketball’s most prestigious international sporting competition will be hosted by multiple nations in Asia, namely the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
The Philippines has chosen Team USA among the teams that will be hosting in the eliminations.
Bundle Packages for games involving the most anticipated NBA stars of Team USA cost higher, ranging from P2,500 to P53,000, depending on the chosen seats at
the Mall of Asia Arena. Team Pass-USA holders can watch all five games that Team USA will play in the group phase of the first and second round eliminations on August 26, 28, and 30, and two more playdates that will be determined during the final draw. And then there’s the Finals Ultimate Fan Pass, which will allow the holder to watch a total of eight games for the final phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 at the Philippine Arena in Sta, Maria Bulacan. These include the four quarterfinal matches on Sept. 5 and 6; two semifinal games on Sept. 8 and the battle for third place and the championship on September 10. Finals Pass prices range from ₱5,600 to ₱231,400.
MEMBERS of Team Philippines will again be clad in ASICS national team kits following the renewal of partnership between the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) led by president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and SONAK Chief Technology Officer Kabir Buxani on Friday.
“ASICS has been tested in many competitions abroad. Their apparel, including the shoes, are all high end and made from quality materials,” Tolentino said during a formal sponsorship ceremony at the East Ocean Garden Restaurant in Pasay City.
“We are glad that ASICS is back for the fifth time as the country’s official outfitter for our athletes, coaches and team officials in Cambodia,” added Tolentino, referring to the 32nd edition of the Southeast Asian Games set May 5 to 17.
The partnership covers 1,500 sets of the recognizable Japanese brand’s
ON track for another crack at women’s volley’s version of a grand slam, Creamline looks to achieve the feat this year after coming up disconcertingly short the first time out.
But after hurdling perhaps the biggest stumbling block to its back-breaking mission, things look a lot enthusing for the Cool Smashers this time around.
They were a crown short of completing a first-ever sweep of three Premier Volleyball League jewels in a season after ruling the Open and Invitational conferences last year. But they failed to even make it past the semis stage of the Reinforced Conference.
They did win the battle for the bronze against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers, their 2019 Open Conference Finals tormentors, but in a pyrrhic victory as they lost skipper and leader Alyssa Valdez to injury.
That forced the many-time conference MVP and team leader to miss the entire All Filipino Conference but the talent-laden Cool Smashers proved more than up to the task, topping the elims, sweeping the F2 Lo-
gistics Cargo Movers in the semis and then overcoming Petro Gazz’s Game One win with a sweep of the next two in a series that was nothing but classic.
Sure, Creamline turned what was expected to be a dogfight of a sudden death into a virtual coronation bash with an empathic showing in the last two sets that spiked their 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15 title-clinching romp. But then again, one can’t fault them for dishing out their best against conceivably the best team to ever challenge them in a title face-off.
But coach Sherwin Meneses and his Cool Smashers are certainly not looking or plotting beyond their next mission – the PVL Invitational set next month with the season-ending Reinforced Conference the least of their worries at this stage of their campaign.
“Gusto muna naming mag-celebrate,” said Tots Carlos, who also achieved a personal milestone after
merchandise for the members of Team Philippines to Cambodia—840 athletes and 300 coaches.
Filipino athletes and coaches to the ASEAN Para Games that Cambodia is hosting from June 3 to June 9 would also be outfitted by ASICS.
With Tolentino and Buxani were POC deputy secretary-general for international affairs Bones Floro, Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara and SONAK director Filipina “Bhaby” Lorenzo.
ASICS would be supplying complete tracksuits, t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts, backpacks, caps, socks and footwear.
The brand has been the official outfitter of Team Philippines since the Philippines 2019 and Vietnam 2022 SEA Games as well as in the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 and Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.
winning the Conference MVP, her third after clinching the top honors in the Open and Invitational conferences last year.
The former UP stalwart emerged the leading scorer after the semis with 152 points, built on 136 spikes, five blocks and 11 aces. She normed 17.6 points in the title series, including 16 in Game 3.
residences, malls, offices, institutions, schools, entertainment venues, government centers, BPOs and a worldclass training and lifestyle destination for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, Vermosa continues to spur growth in the Daang Hari corridor.
Meralco is putting up a substation within Vermosa to ensure continuous power to homes, commercial establishments, institutional facilities and the growing features and amenities of the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub (AVSH).
A Landers Superstore, the Ayala Malls Vermosa, Army Navy and Panda Express drive-thru stores will soon rise in the area, joining brands like Petron and Starbucks, among others, in servicing the area that has become a busy east-west connector. A government center will soon provide services with the Philippine Red Cross also putting up a headquarters in place.
Land’s fourth largest estate, is in intense growth mode in 2023.
The next financial and commercial center down South is expanding retail outlets and services, also adding features and amenities like parks, a government center, a church and malls that support community and commercial needs.
A complete package
Residents, investors and businesses are excited about the rapid rise of commerce and a thriving community inside the 725-hectare central business and residential district that straddles the cities of Imus and Dasmarinas in Cavite. Boasting a complete package of
AFTER celebrating its milestone 10th edition in 2022, the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards returns in 2023, on the heels of a resurgent period of economic growth.
The 11th Annual PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2023, presented by Kohler and supported by Boysen Paints, is accepting for submissions to the open categories of the program. Submissions can be sent to: asiapropertyawards.com/nominations
Driven in part by increased consumer spending, the resurgence of domestic tourism, and a boost in the activity of small and large enterprises, the Philippines last year recorded its fastest rate of economic growth since 1976.
Positive signal
Jules Kay, general manager of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, said: “The Philippines remains a strong, innovative property market and a key contender in the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards regional series. We’re excited for what’s next from the Philippines as developers move ahead with highly anticipated projects across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”
Richard Raymundo, managing director of Colliers Philippines and a member of the independent judging panel of the Awards in the Philippines, said: “This is a positive signal for the property market which, over the past decades, mirrored the boom-bust cycle of the country’s economic output. This economic expansion should support positive net take-up of office space in 2023 and continued rebound in Metro Manila’s pre-selling and secondary residential markets.”
Last week, Kay led a media event at the Fairmont Makati hotel launching the 2023 edition of the Awards in the Philippines. Joining him at the media launch were: Cyndy Tan Jarabata, chairperson of the judges of the Awards in the Philippines and president of TAJARA Leisure & Hospitality Group Inc.; Lloyd T. Tan, partner with Diaz Murillo Dalupan and Company – HLB Philippines, the Official Supervisor of the Awards; Junefer Llena, head of project sales for Kohler Kitchen and Bath Philippines, the platinum sponsor of the Awards; and John Richard Sotelo, senior vice-president and general manager of RLC Residences, representing the Best Developer titleholder of the 10th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2022. The black-tie gala celebration of the awards program will take place at the main ballroom of the Fairmont Makati hotel on September 29.
Key dates for the 2023 edition:
14 July—Entries Close
7 August—1 September – Site Inspections
6 September—Final Judging
29 September—Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony in Manila, Philippines
8 December—Regional Grand Final Gala Presentation in Bangkok, Thailand Nominations and entries are being accepted online until 14 July: asiapropertyawards.com/nominations
Raising the bar
Robinsons Land garnered nine winning titles at the 10th edition of the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards in 2022. It marked Robinsons Land’s first win as Best Developer, the most prestigious title of the the Awards.
Developers from the Philippines went on to garner seven ‘Best in Asia’ wins at the 17th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final 2022. This year, main country winners of the Awards in the Philippines also qualify to compete for regional honours at the 18th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final 2023 on December
8 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Established in 2005, the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards continue to reward high-caliber work within the industry, encompassing property development, construction, architecture, interior design, and sustainable building practices. The series has expanded over the years to cover the region’s dynamic property markets, including Australia, the Chinese markets, Greater Niseko in Japan, and India.
Organised by PropertyGuru Group (NYSE: PGRU), Southeast
Asia’s leading property technology company, the 11th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards are supported by platinum sponsor Kohler; gold sponsor Boysen Paints; official magazine Property Report by PropertyGuru; official publicity partner Ripple8; and official supervisor HLB.
For more information, email awards@propertyguru.com or visit the official website: AsiaPropertyAwards.com.
NEW ENERGY IN THE OFFING. Infrastructure investments company Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) recently entered into an agreement to invest 2.0 billion Pesos to acquire 1.6 billion common shares of SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) from SPNEC’s parent Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings, Inc. (SPH), with MPIC to be given the option to become the single largest shareholder of SPNEC. SPNEC is an integrated developer, owner, and operator of solar power projects listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. MPIC, represented by its Chairman and President Manuel V. Pangilinan, and SPH, represented by its President and CEO Leandro Leviste, signed the agreement. SPH will advance the proceeds to SPNEC to fund its land investments in Nueva Ecija, where the company is developing what could be Asia’s largest solar project. “Our thrust of pursuing renewable energy brings the MVP Group one step closer to fulfilling our mission of creating long-term value for our stakeholders through responsible and sustainable investments,” says Pangilinan. The transaction affirms MPIC’s resolve to be the largest catalyst for a Sustainable Philippines. It is also aligned with the group’s efforts to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals , particularly access to affordable, sustainable and modern energy.
Residential communities sprouting Capital values for commercial lot investments have thus almost doubled at 82% since the Estate was launched in 2014. Home investors have expressed satisfaction with the high turnover rates of the different residential areas.
Residential communities composed of the 125-hectare private enclave called The Courtyards by Ayala Land Premier, the standalone 36-hectare upscale modern community of Alveo’s Ardia, and the 10-hectare Avida Verra Settings located in the residential district, are preparing to welcome their projected initial 2,000 residents.
Vermosa Campus Town, the estate’s commercial business district—a modern urban center with ultra-wide landscaped pedestrian walkways, bicycle lanes, jogging paths, an active street life and pocket parks—will complement the lifestyles of residents and outside guests.
More key developments are in the works ensuring that Vermosa lives up to its promise of being the leading growth center in the South, attracting investors and businesses wanting to expand in this part of the metro.
Vermosa is located near key urban centers, and is accessible via a network of roads such as Daang Hari, SLEX, MCX and CALAX.
UPSCALE GOLFING PARADISE. Soon to rise within the thriving Filinvest Mimosa+ in Clark, Pampanga, is Golf Ridge Private Estate by real estate brand Filigree. The project recently celebrated its first pouring milestone. “Following the successful project developments of Filigree in Filinvest City in Alabang, we’re very thrilled to expand our portfolio to bring our exacting and masterful approach to planning and design in Clark,” said Filigree head Daphne Sanchez. Investors at Filigree’s first luxury condominium outside of Metro Manila can find that Golf Ridge Private Estate is a winning proposition because of its main feature: the picturesque view of the neighboring 128-hectare Mimosa Plus Golf Course, hailed as the Philippines’ Best Golf Course for the year 2022 by the World Golf Awards. This is further strengthened by the property’s design and amenities helmed by architectural firm Leandro V. Locsin Partners. Golf Ridge offers one-bedroom units, two-bedroom units, and three-bedroom units. On top of these, Golf Ridge enjoys the benefits of being strategically located in Clark, Pampanga. Life essentials are within reach of the property, including leisure sites, medical hubs, and reputable learning sites. To know more, visit www.golfridge.com.ph
Shera recently introduced a construction method that enhances efficiency and quality for residential and commercial buildings. Shera showcased its range of products at the Worldbex event in Manila last week, offering an array of solutions for ceiling, walling, and flooring applications. These included the Shera Deco Board, Wood Plank, Splendid Plank and Deline series, Strip, and Floor Plank. These products feature embossed textures, mixed and matched grooving-line wall patterns, and ventilated ceiling and wall screening, offering the most exceptional product variety of any other fiber cement players in the market. Shera’s products conform to global green standards such as LEED, green labels, and carbon credit, emphasizing green sustainability. The opening ceremonies were graced by Thunnop Jumpasri, Country Head of Shera Building Solution Philippines, and Isabelo Dingal, Head of Commercial, Shera Building Solution Philippines Corp. Famous TV Host of Metro Home Anton Barreto also paid a visit to the booth. “We believe that by staying ahead of the curve and continuously adapting to changing market dynamics, we can establish ourselves as the leader in our field. Our commitment to delivering exceptional quality, value, and customer experience will be the driving force behind our success” said Thunnop. For more information, visit https:// www.shera.com/ph/.
SM PRIME EXPANDS COMMERCIAL FOOTPRINT. Integrated property developer SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), recently expanded its premium office portfolio with the launch of FourEcom Center, the latest Pre-LEED Gold certified office building in the SM Mall of Asia Complex. SM Offices is building future-ready offices, namely leasable spaces in strategic locations across the country. Its latest development, FourE-Com Center, is designed by architectural firm and master planner, Arquitectonica. Known for their design innovations with the use of materials, color, and geometry, Arquitectonica’s vision for FourE-Com Center is inspired by crystal formations, with three adjacent rhombic towers sprawling down from a landscaped sky garden podium. FourE-com Center’s sustainable design features include a double-glazed glass curtain to allow natural light to permeate into office spaces, use of LED lighting, water-saving fixtures and aerators, pressure-operated escalators, and recycled water for irrigation.
WHEN racing enthusiasts gather inside a racetrack, expect all hell will let loose when they go flat out.
But Driver Master Trainer Georges Ramirez and his bunch of racing experts did not allow it to happen as the bunch of Mini Cooper owners and a handful of motoring media gathered morning and afternoon at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga one day last week.
MANILA International Auto Show, or MIAS, has become one of the events that car enthusiasts look forward to seeing every year. With different car displays, launches, and car competitions, MIAS offers many things to look forward to each year.
Aside from catering to consumers, MIAS is also a platform for different players in the industry. From helping launch new cars to introducing new auto brands to the market, MIAS has become a go-to event to create connections and explore possible business opportunities.
As a powerhouse in the auto industry and this year’s theme, “Shaping Mobility” shows the auto industry ecosystem working together to improve
OVER. Outgoing Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) President, Mr. Masahiko Nakamura, officially passes his leadership to Rie Miyake at a presidential turnover ceremony held last March 28 at the Crimson Hotel in Alabang.
As the first female president of HCPI, Miyake assures the industry that Honda’s continuous commitment towards carbon neutrality shall stay consistent and prominent - embodying and further showcasing the Honda standard and identity in the process. Nakamura is now set to take his new post as the head of Honda Cars South Korea.
private transportation and increasing mobility not just in the metro but throughout the whole country. The automotive industry plays a huge part in improving efficiency and catering to the needs of a growing population in between urbanization in the country.
MIAS 2023 is packed with shows and event highlights that will leave your heart pumping with adrenaline. One of the main highlights of the event
is the Mobility Marathon, a series of car launches from some of the biggest automotive brands in the country today. The event will also see the return of the Russ Swift Car Stunt Show and the return of Russ Swift himself performing his gravity-defying stunts that will leave you in shock and awe. MIAS will once again showcase the Petron Custom and Classic Car Competition, where car enthusiasts compete for this year’s grand winner vying for the title of best customized car of 2023. You may also drive and try your dream car at the Test Drive Avenue and check out the latest truck models ideal for your growing business at The Truck Zone located at the North Wing Tent. Upon registrations, you will be welcomed by
a glass showcase featuring The Die-Cast Collection while the Car Club Display from different organizations will be located at the foyer of World Trade Center Metro Manila.
This year’s MIAS will continue to raise the bar for car events as it goes back bigger. With more car displays, car launches, and different aftermarket parts that visitors can buy, MIAS is once again staking its claim as the main car event in the country.
MIAS will take place from April 1316 at the World Trade Center in Pasay.
You can get your tickets through https:// manilaautoshow.com/
MIAS 2023 is organized by Worldbex Services International and for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
GAC Motor returns to the 2023 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) on April 13 with a showcase of its full range of high quality, technology-packed vehicles for the Philippine market.
As a first-class brand with international influence and excellent quality, GAC Motor will delight visitors with its display of the versatile and reliable GS4 compact SUV, the spacious and highly comfortable GN6 MPV, and the recently-launched premium and powerful All-New GS8 SUV.
Fans of the EMPOW will be in for a treat as the GE variant makes its public debut at the auto show since its launch in January.
The top-of-the-line GE variant features 18inch alloy wheels, paddle shifters, power folding mirrors, and a full suite of advanced driving assist systems and safety features.
The EMPOW’s signature color, Matte Fighter Green, will be exclusive to the GE variant.
Headlining the GAC Motor stand will be the EMKOO, the latest and mosttechnologically advanced SUV of the brand, which will be revealed on the first day of the MIAS. The EMKOO is an ultra-modern 5-seater compact SUV that impresses with
its future-forward design and cuttingedge technologies, making it the most ideal vehicle for today’s generation. First launched in China in 2022, the EMKOO is the embodiment of GAC Motor’s bold and futuristic new look for its global SUVs, characterized by the brand’s pioneering styling, high-efficiency drivetrains, and intelligent driving technologies.
GAC Motor will also be offering customers special deals during the four-day
FANS of iconic British mobility brands like Mini Cooper, Land Rover, Bentley, and Aston Martin have more reason to rejoice as yet another historic UK brand, MUTT Motorcycles, is set to open its flagship store, less than a year and a half after the brand’s launch in November 2021.
MUTT Motorcycles, a Birmingham, UKbased custom vintage motorcycle specialist is welcoming British (and even non-British) motorbike enthusiasts with the opening of their flagship showroom located along Katipunan Avenue in White Plains, Quezon City on April 15.
“We’re both excited and proud to welcome British bike lovers to the flagship MUTT Motorcycles showroom here in White Plains—a very strategic location that’s very accessible to much of the metropolis,” said Erroll Duenas, President of MUTT Motorcycles Philippines.
The flagship store, located at WPL Building, Katipunan Ave., White Plains, QC., occupies 130 sqm, boasts MUTT’s industrial design, can accommodate 8-10 motorbikes, and offers MUTT merchandise. It also has a fully enclosed service bay.
The MUTT models that will be showcased at the flagship White Plains showroom are the Fat Sabbath, Hilts, Mastiff, GTSS, Razorback, Akita and FSR. Upcoming MUTT models include the GT-SR, Mushman, and RS13. They come in various colorways with prices that start at P185,000. As part of MUTT’s 10th year anniversary, all current models will be offered with big discounts for the opening of their flagship store.
UK-born and bred
Mutt Motorcycles was founded in Birmingham, U.K. by Benny Thomas, one of the most respected personalities in the British custom bike scene. Thomas specialized in designing, sourcing and customizing high-end motorcycles for Harley Davidson and even Porsche. In 2013, he and his business partner, Will Rigg, spotted a gap in the motorcycle market for small-engine but equally stylish, vintage-looking custom bikes.
“Birmingham is the true birthplace of the British motorcycle industry. MUTT Motorcycles are crafted in the same tradition with how OG custom bikes were built in England decades ago. We’re thrilled that Filipino enthusiasts can now experience true British retro-style motorbikes right here in our country. No other brand has that bespoke approach now,” declared MUTT Motorcycles Philippines General Manager Jon Mendiola.
The MUTT Motorcycles philosophy
With the complexity and high cost of highend, vintage motorcycles, the custom bike scene can seem quite unattainable to most riders. MUTT Motorcycles changed that. MUTT started applying that same build quality and style to small-displacement bikes. They took smallcc motorcycles to the next level, and MUTT’s approach meant building them a little differently, with incredible attention to detail.
The whole ethos behind MUTT is to create a bike that’s easy to ride and maintain, affordable to buy and run, while giving riders the same feel and sound of a classically styled custom machine.
MUTT Motorcycles employs the latest materials and technologies: Delphi fuel injection, TIG-welded stainless steel, rear gas shocks, aluminum low-rise bars, CNCmachined fork caps and head stem nut, Alcantara seat upholstery, aluminum rider and pillion pegs, exhaust heat shield, and even ABS and bullet-style LED signal lights on aluminum stalks.
MUTT designers knew they could be accessible and still deliver a classic style with strength and a true custom vibe, but on a leaner machine—a bike that would be easy to handle, quick to respond, and adaptable to any riding condition.
show as well as test drives of the GS4, GN6, GS8 and the EMPOW.
Backed by global mobility company Astara, GAC Motor’s presence at the MIAS highlights the brand’s strong commitment to deliver world-class vehicles to more Filipinos, supported by an expanded network of showrooms and service centers across the nation. The company is on track to have 20 GAC Motor dealerships across the country by year end.
EVERY Filipino driver knows that hitting the road is more than just a means to an end – it’s an adventure. And when it comes to fueling up, you don’t settle for anything less. With Shell, you’ll have more reason to go out and enjoy the summer season because going 100% has never been more rewarding.
Four-wheeled customers will get exclusive rewards when they fuel up at participating Shell Mobility stations starting March 27 to May 26, 2023. A stamp card with six stamp slots will be given to customers after a single receipt purchase worth P1,500 of Shell V-Power fuels or P2,000 worth of Shell FuelSave fuels, and they will receive the following rewards after every two stamps: a 500 mL Gatorade Tropical Fruit Flavor drink on their second stamp, a limited-edition USBpowered Shell V-Power fan on their fourth stamp, and a Shell V-Power umbrella on their sixth stamp.
Motorists can now experience 100% engine cleaning and restoration with the new and improved Shell V-Power. The product’s latest formulation has been specially designed with powerful cleaning agents that can remove deposits from key fuel system components and restore up to 100% of engine performance.
Don’t settle for anything less and build the habit of always choosing to be 100% by fueling up with Shell V-Power and enjoy your journeys even more with exclusive rewards that make every moment behind the wheel feel like an adventure.
Check out https://www.shell.com.ph/ PowerUpYourSummer to know more.
There’s one specific instruction from the guy who made it happen once again after the Covid-19 pandemic. Willy Tee-Ten wanted all participants in the revived Mini Driving Experience 2023 to enjoy not only the racetrack but also to feel and embrace what the new Mini Cooper has to offer.
It was early Saturday morning when several members of various Mini clubs and invited guests gathered at the Clark Speedway. And Willy Tee-Ten was there to welcome them during the hearty breakfast. “It’s been so long since we had this Mini Driving Experience. We are so glad that many of you have come to see and experience driving the new Mini that we have here. Enjoy the rest of the day and enjoy driving the new Mini!”
Because of the enthusiastic response from the Mini owners and guests, Willy Tee-Ten had to make it a morning and afternoon session with two sets of participants attending.
After several minutes of briefing presided over by the veteran Ramirez, those Mini club members and media participants were divided into two groups and underwent two activities before they went to experience the new Mini on their own at the racetrack.
The Open Slalom was done at the inner side of the racetrack where all participants were given two laps to experience how the Mini gives you thrill to ride. According to the manufacturer, “the MINI 3-Door’s small turning circle, short overhangs and compact build allow nimble maneuvering through narrow streets and heavy traffic. The 3 and 4-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo engines supply immediate torque to get you off the mark fast.”That simply started the day for all the participants as they truly experienced the Mini just like doing it in a go-kart racing.
With the adrenalin now at its highest, the participants were then ushered into the track onboard a Mini each. Each four participants are headed by one driver expert ahead who showed them all the way how to tackle the whole length of the speedway. That was really racing at its best!
Even without getting into the Sports mode, the acceleration and steering response of the new Mini was really exhilarating. With its low center of gravity and high rpm, driving it while following the perfect line of the leading veteran driver is simply breath-taking indeed!
I can still remember participating in one of the very first Mini Driving Experience I think in 2008 at the Subic International Speedway. Comparing the Mini that we tested there before, man, the new Mini has evolved a lot. There were three models being introduced today – the Mini Cooper 3-Door, the Mini Cooper S 3-Door, and the Mini John Cooper Work 3-Door. I was so lucky to drive Mini Cooper S 3-Door that has a maximum speed of 235 kph that can reach 0-100 in 6.7 seconds and the Mini John Cooper Work 3-Door that can reach 0-100 in 6.1 seconds and has a top speed of 246 kph.
On those two Minis that I tried, the true meaning of the word “upak” (go flat out) among racing enthusiasts was simply an undertone. Coming out of a turn from a higher ground and entering the 1-kilometer straight of the Clark Speedway was really one hell of an experience as I kept the accelerator firmly at the floor and the car was pushing very hard forward.
The new Mini Cooper has a lot of other new interesting features to boot. But, enumerating them all here would not be enough, so it would be best if you can drop by their new showroom at Mini BGC All-British Cars at the corner of 38th St. and 11th Avenue, Triangle Drive.
The only thing is we don’t know if you would be allowed to do what we did during that Mini Driving Experience 2023 at the Clark International Speedway last week.
SUSTAINABILITY has become an essential and crucial component of a financial institution’s success vis-à-vis the growth of the country it serves.
Recognizing this, the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. has fully embraced sustainability in the Philippine banking industry.
RCBC’s dedication to sustainability has not gone unnoticed. The bank was recently honored at The Asset ESG Corporate Awards 2022 held in February 2023, where it bagged the Platinum Award for creating sustainable value for its investors and stakeholders. This is the Bank’s second ESG recognition, following last year’s Gold award, which is an affirmation of RCBC’s progressive stance in making sustainability a core part of its business strategy.
RCBC’s environmental and social management system (ESMS) is at the core of the bank’s sustainable lending practices. The ESMS adheres to the Eight Performance Standards of the International Finance Corp. (IFC) and has been in place since 2011, well ahead of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) sustainability regulations. In April 2019, RCBC developed its own Sustainable Finance Framework, a further testament to its commitment to sustainability. By implementing the ESMS monitoring mechanism to address potential environmental and social concerns, RCBC has effectively engaged its clients to take appropriate action, thereby fostering a shared commitment to sustainable practices. Since the implementation of its Sustainable Finance Framework, RCBC has issued US$1.4 billion in sustainable financing instruments that refinanced its eligible green and eligible social assets.
RCBC’s eligible green and social assets contribute to the following United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) - SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG
10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, SDG 13: Climate Action, and SDG 14: Life Below Water.
One of RCBC’s latest initiatives is the Digital and Customer Centricity Culture Transformation (DC3T), which educates business units to adopt, embrace, and practice a digital mindset and customer centricity.
The bank’s ongoing “Digital and People Transformation” initiatives aim to create a digital-savvy, innovative, and customer-focused organization. This transformation is a crucial link in staying ahead of the curve, equipping, re-tooling, and reskilling employees to prepare them for their roles as the economy recovers from the pandemic. This initiative contributes to the attainment of UN SDG 8.
RCBC’s recent recognition by the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) for its human resource management (HRM) performance and dedication to maintaining excellent industrial relations (IR) is also contributing to the UN SDG 8’s goal of promoting sustainable economic growth that is characterized by inclusive employment and decent work for all.
THE HONOR X7a has taken the smartphone market by storm, with its impressive performance and budget-friendly price point. With a large 6.09-inch display, powerful processor, and a 13-megapixel rear camera, the X7a manages to stand out from other phones in its price range.
But that’s not all—this smartphone also boasts of a long-lasting battery, fast-charging capabilities, and a storage capacity that can hold thousands of pictures, songs, and videos. If you’re looking for a phone that offers great features without breaking the bank, the HONOR X7a is definitely worth considering. Read on to learn more about this impressive budget smartphone.
The HONOR X7a is an impressive budget phone that has caught the attention of tech enthusiasts and casual smartphone users alike. This smartphone looks like any other phone in its price range, but the X7a manages to stand out thanks to its sleek design and excellent performance.
The HONOR X7a is a new addition to the HONOR X Series smartphone line, packed with extraordinary features that cater to the needs of those who require powerful hardware and long-lasting battery life.
One of the standout features of the Honor X7a is its large 6.09-inch display, which is bright and clear, making it easy to read even in bright sunlight. The phone also comes with a powerful processor that can handle most everyday tasks with ease. Whether you’re browsing the internet, watching videos, or playing games, the X7a delivers a smooth and responsive user experience.
The HONOR X7a boasts of a 6.74inch HONOR FullView Display with a 90.07% screen-to-body ratio, making it an immersive viewing experience for users, whether they are working, streaming videos, or gaming. The display has HD resolution and a color depth of 16.7 million colors, providing clarity and vibrancy in visuals, photos, videos, and movies.
Furthermore, the display is TÜV
Rheinland certified for low blue light emissions and comes with Eye Comfort Mode, eBook Mode, and Dark Mode, allowing users to personalize their display preferences and reduce eye fatigue.
But the X7a’s impressive performance doesn’t end there.
The phone also boasts a 13-megapixel rear camera that takes sharp and vibrant photos, even in low-light conditions. This camera is a great feature that will allow you to capture all the important moments of your life in high quality. The frontfacing camera is also excellent, making it perfect for selfies and video calls.
The HONOR X7a’s camera capabilities are impressive, with its 50MP Ultra-clear Quad Camera system, comprising a 50MP Main Camera, a 5MP Wide Camera, 2MP Macro Camera, and a 2MP Depth Camera. This feature
enables users to capture memorable moments in vivid detail, whether day or night. The device also has an 8MP Front Camera, ideal for selfie lovers who enjoy snapping photos with their loved ones.
The HONOR X7a’s camera capabilities are impressive, with its 50MP Ultra-clear Quad Camera system
In addition to its impressive display and camera, the HONOR X7a also has a long-lasting battery that can easily get you through a full day of use. This is great news for people who are always on the go and don’t have time to stop and charge their phones. And if you do need to charge your phone quickly, the X7a also supports fast charging, so you can quickly top up your battery when needed.
With its 6,000mAh battery and HONOR Smart Power Saving Technology, this device offers an unparalleled battery life, capable of supporting up to 42 hours of so-
cial media browsing, 42 hours of phone calling, or 29 hours of music streaming on a full charge. Additionally, the device comes with 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge, which can recharge the battery up to 10 hours of music streaming with just 30 minutes of charging.
For those who keep their media always accessible at their fingertips, the HONOR X7a offers a large 128GB storage drive, capable of holding over 28,000 pictures, 11,000 songs, or 450 HD videos locally. Additionally, the device has a MicroSD card slot, allowing users to expand storage by up to 1TB, providing enhanced flexibility to meet their business and personal needs.
KIDS today are considered as digital natives, making them more perceptive to developments in technology. But as it becomes even more advanced and fast-paced, it must be a challenge to catch up, especially if you are a busy parent. This is where Basecamp, Power Mac Center (PMC)’s official training provider, can step in. Armed with a mission to equip kids, teens, and young adults with the digital skills critical in today’s modern world, Basecamp’s “Design Trail” and “Vision Hub” workshop series offer fun and age-appropriate digital courses on animation, game design, web design, video editing, and app development.
Design Trail for Kids also has non-digital courses on drawing, painting, and science experiments. Enrollees in the Visayas and Mindanao region will also be provided with modules written in Cebuano. Courses will start on April 11, 2023 and will be ongoing all year long.
“Parents always want the best for their kids, and Basecamp is here to help them provide the best digital learning experience. Just like a real base camp, we serve as a storehouse of food for the imagination
Design Trail courses “The Art of Comics” and “2D Animation using iPad.” Designed for those aged 7-10 years old, these courses will strengthen their visual communication skills through creating new characters from basic lines, shapes, and colors.
Older teens and young adults aged 16-21 years old, meanwhile, can enroll in Vision Hub’s “3D Creation and Animation for Beginners,” which takes it to the next level through animation techniques and software tools actually used in the industry. Programming and STEM skills
and equipment needed by kids to survive the digital wilderness and, figuratively speaking, to scale the mountains ahead. Our courses are conducted by expert mentors who can readily address kids’ natural inquisitiveness and ensure their holistic development,” said Maleng Raysag, Basecamp Head.
Basecamp prepares youngsters to be the Philippines’ future animation artists, programmers, and filmmakers. It harnesses
the power of Apple technology and equips workshop participants with the knowledge, skills, and aptitude to succeed in their chosen path or simply enjoy exploring their talents and interests. In particular, they can improve the following skills:
Storytelling with iPad
Kids who love telling tales will learn to express their ideas through comics brought to life by technology after completing the
Today, everything is run by technology, which means that we will need more programmers in the foreseeable future. If your child is constantly immersed in game platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft, might as well get them a more structured training course that can teach them how to build their own Roblox game and publish it on Roblox Studio. They can also familiarize themselves with Minecraft for Education, which is a great tool for learning that builds science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, unleashes creativity, and engages students in collaboration and problem-solving.
IF there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that there’s no place like home. Even now that things are getting back to normal, we know that home is the best and safest to be.
When acerpure was introduced in 2021, a promise was made - to keep the air and water in homes clean and fresh. With air and water purifiers from acerpure already on the market, what’s next?
acerpure clean V1 lets you #CleanLikeAPro because this cordless vacuum cleaner is quieter and more effortless to use than any other product of its kind in the market.
It truly combines lightness, convenience, and power in one gadget
that lets you clean every nook and cranny of your home. acerpure clean V1 is slim but powerful with a 1.5kg ultralight and cordless body, visual battery life with a running time of 60 minutes on a full charge, different modes for different cleaning usages, electric power brush with hairfree technology, and four built-in LED lights.
Make your home dust- and dirtfree, as the acerpure clean has Cyclone Technology, which has five stages of filtration that can trap small and large sizes of dust and dirt from the filter to the main cyclone without losing suction pressure. This technology can help
trap 99.5% of particles, down to 0.3 microns! With the electric Mite Removal Brush, acerpure clean can also remove 99.9% of mites so your home is always clean and comfortable.
The 2-in-1 combination brush has two flexible ways to let you quickly clean multiple surfaces, such as windows, curtains, tables, and car interiors. Aside from the LED lights, the crevice nozzle helps you reach narrow areas and hardto-clean spaces, such as corners, sofa gaps, and ceilings.
Meanwhile, acerpure clean V1
Lite is a super lightweight at 550g with 13000Pa suction pressure power and a maximum of 15 min-
utes of cleaning time. It has h-in1 usage, one button switch, a DC motor, and a USB type-C charger. acerpure clean V1 has an SRP of P10,999 but is available at P9,999 for a limited time while the acerpure clean V1 Lite has an SRP of P3,999 but is offered at P3,499 for a limited time. Acerpure clean is available at Acer Concept Stores, authorized retailers and online at store.acer.com.
Visit Acer’s official social media pages for more information about acerpure clean on Facebook (@acerPH), Instagram (@ acerph), Twitter (@acerphils), or through the official website www.acer.com.