Manila Standard - 2023 April 15 - Saturday

April 21 a holiday to mark Eid’l Fitr

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared April 21 a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Based on Presidential Proclamation No. 201 dated April 14 and signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the holiday aims to "bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid’l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness."

"To allow the entire Filipino nation to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in peace and harmony in the observance and celebration of Eid’l Fitr, it is necessary to declare Friday, April 21, a regular holiday throughout the country," the proclamation read.

Eid'l Fitr, dubbed the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," is one of the

NFA plans huge rice import

330,000 MT meant to boost PH buffer stock, but farmers oppose move

By Rio N. Araja

Maricel V. Cruz

THE National Food Authority (NFA) proposes to import 330,000 metric tons (MT) of rice to replenish the country’s buffer stock, but farmers rejected the suggestion outright on Friday.

WHO: No more massive COVID case outbreaks

DESPITE the detection several cases of the XBB.1.9.1 COVID-19 variant in the Philippines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday it does not expect “outbreaks of massive proportions” to happen.

Dr. Babatunde Olowokure, WHO Western Pacific Regional Office Emergency Director, said the detection of the sub-variant in the country should be looked at positively as it only shows that systems are working to monitor variants.

This developed as the WHO emergency committee is set to meet again inMay to determine whether COVID-19 still constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that from April 3 to 11, the country has detected 39 cases of the XBB.1.9.1 variant that was recently added to the list of variants under monitoring by the WHO. The total number has reached 54 since March.

“The transmissibility, yes, we recognize, this may be a challenge. But I think, as we have seen, there’s a slight increase

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the NFA wants to import rice “to cover an expected deficit in the country’s buffer stock for the relief operations of various agencies in the event of calamities this year.”

The PCO said the NFA’s proposed buffer stock of rice is equivalent to nine days

of national consumption from July 2023 onward

China: Stop US use

Pinoys in Taiwan

By Rey E. Requejo

CHINA cranked up its anti-American rhetoric Friday, as its ambassador urged the Philippines to deny US troops access to its military bases if it “cares genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs (overseas Filipino workers)” in Taiwan.

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines produced a Fab Five of new lawyers on Friday when a quintet of its students topped the 2022 Bar Examinations as announced by the Supreme Court.

In an interview with CNN Philippines last night, topnotcher Czar Matthew Dayday said he was crying, screaming, and shouting incoherently with his family after the results came out.

Asked why he wanted to be a lawyer, Dayday said: “I wanted to help people and I thought like I was good at solving problems, so I thought being a lawyer is a way to go.”

Teves asks to junk firearms raps, DOJ says too late

By Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

SUSPENDED Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr. on Friday asked the Department of

Justice to dismiss the illegal possession of firearms and explosives filed against him by the Philippine National Police. But DOJ Prosecution Attorney Hegel Jasper A. Balderama said the charges against Teves and his co-respondent Jose Palo Gimarangan are already submitted for resolution.

Teves’ lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, confirmed the charges had been submitted for resolution after the panel of prosecutors conducted its last hearing yesterday.

Meanwhile, Pamplona, Negros Oriental Mayor Degamo has decried the

Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian accused the United States of taking advantage of the situation in the Taiwan Strait to expand its military presence in the region.

Huang said the safety of the OFWs in Taiwan was not a valid excuse for allowing more US troops access to Philippine military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) because “China is

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A LAS Piñas City regional trial court on Friday issued another warrant of arrest against former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and four others over the killing of broadcast journalist Percy Lapid last October.

The Las Piñas RTC Branch 254 also ordered the arrest of former BuCordeputy officer Ricardo Zulueta, Israel Dimaculangan, Edmon Dimaculangan, and a certain Orlando.

The court’s Presiding Judge Harold

topnotcher Czar Matthew Gerard Torres Dayday (top right photo) and schoolmates Erickson Cayabyab Marinas, Christine Claire Cregencia, Andrea Jasmine Ong Yu, and Kim Gia Grande Gatapia (lower right photo). Norman Cruz

and

Diesel price rollback seen next week

By Alena Mae S. Flores

OIL consumers can expect a price rollback for diesel by as much as P0.55 per liter next week as it reflects the movement of prices in the world market.

An industry source told the Standard that based on the four-day trading and foreign exchange movement weekon-week, the pump price ofdiesel is estimated to go down by P0.45 to P0.55 per liter, while gasoline will have no

NFA...

From A1

"The first order for the Department of Agriculture and the NFA should be to help farmers increase their productivity to achieve the targeted rice production and augment the rice buffer stock. NFA pushing for rice importation is a great disservice to farmers and Filipinos,”

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)

spokesperson Rafael Mariano said.

The government must buy more rice from farmers, instead of “allowing rice importers to make a killing,” Mariano said.

“Why is it that NFA itself is the one pushing for rice importation?” Mariano said. He added that the NFA's proposal runs counter to the Presidents declaration that the domestic rice supply is sufficient.

Current palay farmgate prices are at ₱23/kilo for dry and ₱18.50/kilo to ₱19/ kilo for fresh—but the NFA wants to buy palay at P19/kilo.

The KMP said the increasing rice prices in retail markets are a persistent result of price manipulation by the rice cartel.

“For all we know, big rice traders and

China:...

From A1 the last country that wishes to see conflict over the Strait because people on both sides are Chinese.”

"Obviously, the US intends to take advantage of the new EDCA sites tointerfere in the situation across the Taiwan Strait to serve its geopolitical goals and advance its anti-China agenda at the expense of peace and development of the Philippines and the region at large," Huang said in his message at the 8th Manila Forum that tackled handling differences between the Philippines and China on Friday.

The Chinese ambassador urged Filipinos to do some soul searching.

"To know if increased US military deployment in another country truly helps to protect the host country’s sovereignty and security, one just need to take a look at the long list of mess left behind by the scourge of American military around the world, the turmoils, divisions and devastation. Answers will not be difficult to find," he said.

At the forum, Huang said the Philippines and China must handle their differences over the South China Sea “directly,” without the interference of others.

UP’s...

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In another interview for a local news website, Dayday credited his study partners who became his fast friends as they reviewed for the Bar together.

"Mostly, what I think really worked for me is studying with my friends. I have these group of three friends that I really study with every night," he added.

"What we would do is maybe around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. we would go on Zoom together and we would just study as a group so that at least it feels like we have a group of people who would keep us accountable."

In a separate interview with ANC, the topnotcher said that he was in denial at first when he heard the news. Even joking that "there must be another Dayday who took the test."

As far as Dayday is concerned, he just wanted to pass since future employers and clients will never ask about their rankings.

"Once you pass the Bar, you're all equal as lawyers," he added. "I just wanted to pass, honestly."

Top 2 Erickson Mariñas, meanwhile, felt disbelief and a big sigh of relief after he saw his name in the Bar exam results.

“I was led to believe that it suits my personality and skills,” Mariñas said of his decision to pursue law.

Third-ranked Christianne Cregencia,

WHO:...

From A1

in cases, so we are not looking at an outbreak of massive proportions, but I think, at the moment, we’re looking at something which appears to be controllable,” Olowokure said.

The regional office noted an observed increase of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines but reminded the public to inter-

movement or a P0.05 per liter increase. The final computation will depend on Friday's oil price trading, the source added.

The move followed reports from the Organization of the Petroleum

their cohorts inside DA are using the latest rice price hikes to push and lobby for more importation," the group said.

The agricultural alliance Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) also opposed the NFA proposal, saying it could buy cheaper rice from local farmers.

SINAG executive director Jayson Cainglet said the landed cost of imported rice amounts to P36 per kilo, much higher than the locally produced rice at P20 to P21 per kilo.

“Local millers have long offered to mill the palay of NFA at discounted prices,” Cainglet said, He also lamented how the government’s first recourse is to import agricultural commodities.

The Rice Tariffication Law allows the private sector to freely import rice, while the NFA is mandated to maintain an emergency buffer stock of rice sourced solely from local farmers.

But the NFA wants to import rice on a government-to-government basis through the Office of the President.

The PCO said the NFA, given the agency's budgetary constraints, expects its buffer stocks will decrease to less than 500,000 sacks by July 2023 —equivalent

While "indeed, there are differences between China and the Philippines on the South China Sea issue," Huang noted that the two countries have maintained peaceful coexistence "for over a thousand years and will continue to be so in the future."

To settle their territorial differences, the Philippines filed a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which ruled in Manila’s favor in 2016. But China, which refused to participate in the proceedings, rejected the ruling and claims almost all the South China Sea—even portions that are clearly in the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez on Friday expressed hopes that China would realize that Manila and Washington only want peaceful resolution of issues, including the disputes over the South China Sea.

Romualdez stressed that the joint statement issued by the Filipino and Americans official in the 2+2 meeting merely urged China to stick to the rule of law when it comes to maritime issues.

Romualdez added that the joint statement was not directed towards China but to all incursions that "happened in the past."

The Philippines and US were not looking for conflict with othernations, he added.

upon hearing the result, said: “I locked myself in my room and when I heard my name, of course I was very surprised… then my mom suddenly barged in my room already crying.”

Like most who aspire to be lawyers, Cregencia said she also wanted to help other people.

Top 4 Andrea Yu also waited for the results with her family.

“When Justice Caguioa mentioned my surname, my family just started shouting to the point that I didn’t even hear the rest of my name. At that moment I just cried out of relief, gratitude, and joy. It was just so overwhelming,” she told CNN Philippines. Yu said she wanted to be a lawyer because of her passion and purpose.

Fifth-placer Kim Gatapia, meanwhile, said she started “whining” after she knew that she passed the Bar.

“I really felt a complete disbelief, hindi talaga ako makapaniwala hanggang ngayon,” said Gatapia, who admitted taking the Bar mainly because of career advancement.

“I’m a working student in law school, and I thought being a lawyer is a way for me to advance in my career.

Like others, Dayday dreamt about being a lawyer in high school, admitting that lawyers were often portrayed as cool problem-solvers in movies and television. But as the years went by, he learned that things were not exactly how they were portrayed in the media.

Jimbo Gulle

pret the numbers with caution, given the decline testing and surveillance.

Despite the slight increase, which may be attributable to the recent Holy Week break, Olowokure said indicators being closely monitored do not point to a rise in risk.

“Does it reflect an increase in hospitalizations and increase in severity in terms of people being hospitalized in ICU units or an increase in the number of deaths. So, we have not seen that at this time.”

Exporting Countries that there may be some risks to summer oil demanddespite the production cut announced by OPEC and Saudi of 1.16 million barrels per day to boost prices.

On April 11, local oil companies implemented a per liter increase of P2.60 for gasoline, P1.70 for diesel and P1.90 for kerosene.

These resulted in a year-to-date net decrease for diesel at P1.95 per liter and kerosene at P3.45 per liter.

Gasoline on the other hand, has a net increase of P8.65 per liter.

Meanwhile, Department of Energy

to less than a day of public consumption.

“The NFA may use its credit lines with the Development Bank of the Philippines or the Land Bank to finance the importation and provide logistics and management support,” the PCO said.

Also on Friday, the chairman of the House committee of ways and means said he supported the call of the NFA to boost the rice buffer stock through “a mix of both domestic sources and imports” as the agency expects the country’s rice inventory to fall to 45 days’ worth of consumption, below its 90-day mandate.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, the panel's chairperson, clarified that he hopes the government will limit its imports to the lean months of July and August.

“With El Nino, it’s always good to be prepared. Rice prices are actually declining globally, so it may be a good time to bolster our buffer stock,” Salceda said.

Salceda added, “anyway, we can always use excess inventory for pre-disaster and disaster relief operations.”

Global rice prices have declined by 3.2 percent from February to March 2023.

Salceda said he expects “global price levels for rice to be very close to pre-

"We are hoping that our friends in China will see that as an opportunity for us to be more serious about really resolving these issues peacefully,” the ambassador told a TV interview, citing the harassment being experienced by Filipino fishermen in the country’s territorial waters at the hands of Chinese vessels.

"Our fishermen, up to this day, every single day get harassed by ships that are obviously of Chinese registry in our territorial waters. Theyhave been doing this for so many years, hundreds of years and yet we get reports almost every day of that nature," Romualdez said.

"Clearly, our territorial waters are ours, we've had it all this time and now we have somebody claiming that it's theirs," he added.

The Philippines and the US have expressed strong objections "to the unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea."

Romualdez also said the Philippines' defense ties with the US weremerely aimed at defending the country’s sovereignty and protecting its citizens.

In a separate interview with CNN, Romualdez said the Philippines is nolonger interested in accepting military equipment donations from the United States, which are usually only functional

PBBM,...

From A1 to fifth) were Czar Matthew Gerard Torres Dayday (88.81 percent); Erickson Cayabyab Marinas (88. 77); Christine Claire Cregencia (87. 97 percent); Andrea Jasmine Ong Yu (87.77); and Kim Gia Grande Gatapia (87.42) (see related story –Editors).

Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, who was the chairperson of the 2022 Bar examinations committee, said the Court had set the oath taking and signing of the Roll of Attorneys for the successful Bar examinees starting at 10 a.m. on May 2 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday congratulated the passers of the 2022 Bar examinations and urged them to serve the country with integrity and compassion.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Friday urged the 3,992 Bar passers to be “good lawyers" in service to the country. He said they should also handle and prosecute cases without fear or favor.

“You should be good lawyers by serving the poor and the underprivileged. Ensure that justice is served without fear or favor," Romualdez said. "Be a catalyst for change and uphold the standards of public service excellence in the practice

“It is not a concern but we continue to monitor, we continue to look at the severity and if we do see an increase, of course, we will be in touch with the DOH and to see how we can support,” he added.

Because of the manageable situation in the Philippines, as well as some governments already declaring the end of the emergency at their level, questions are being raised whether the country would be doing the same. Willie Casas (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Secretary Raphael Lotilla met with theLiga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas on Friday to discuss their concerns such as domestic oil prices, utilization of liquified natural gas for road public transport, transition to e-vehicles, and other programs and projects that the Department of Energy may extend to the public transport sector.

The DOE said the dialogue was a venue for the continuous coordination between the agency and LTOP on addressing concerns and keeping them abreast of government initiatives in the sector.

pandemic levels by July or August 2023.

On Thursday, the President assured the public that there would be no rice shortage in the country in the coming months.

Mr. Marcos gave the assurance following his meeting with NFA and DA officials at the Palace.

He said the country’s rice supply situation is in “good shape”, as he noted that the government is implementing measures to control the price of rice.

“We won’t have a rice shortage,” he said in Filipino. “And we are looking at different ways to control the price so that it wouldn’t increase that much.”

Under the DA 2023 supply outlook, the country’s total supply is at 16.98 million metric tons (MMT), which is sufficient to cover this year’s demand estimated at 15.29 MMT. Based on this data, the DA said the country would have an ending balance of 1.69 MMT, which is equivalent to 45 days of buffer stock, instead of the 90-day ideal buffer stock to stabilize the price of rice.

Mr. Marcos pointed out that the NFA should build up its buffer stocks by buying from local farmers for now but acknowledged that the government might have to consider some importation.

for a few years.

“We’ve already made a decision and that was started by President (Rodrigo) Duterte that we will no longer be interested in getting what we call excess defense articles,” he said.

In 2017, the government said it will no longer accept second-hand equipment from the United States and will only purchase new ones.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, meanwhile, said the Philippines and the United States are refocusing their attention on emergent concerns that will likely be on their common agenda for the future.

Manalo said among the issues tackled during the recently concluded 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between the defense and foreign ministry officials of both sides were: climate-smart technologies and policies, climate finance, green metals, clean energy transition and de-carbonization strategies, critical infrastructure and new technologies for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation.

"This refocusing takes into account the stakes of communities in the relationship, as well as our responsibilities with respect to climate change and environment," the country's top diplomat said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

of our noble profession."

Romualdez is himself a lawyer, an alumnus of the UP College of Law and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa).

He said the new entrants to the law profession should help improve thejudicial system by representing those who cannot afford legal services.

The Court reminded the 2022 Bar passers that it has increased the Bar admission fee from P3,500 to P5,000 “to cover the imminent surge in the operation costs, particularly the cost of the venue for the oath taking and roll signing ceremonies, and other logistical expenses, as well as the allowance of concerned personnel.”

The 2023 Bar examinations, also online and regionalized, will be administered only for three days on Sept. 17, 20, and 24, also in various testing centers nationwide, with only six core subjects instead of eight.

Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, chairperson of the 2023 Bar examinations committee, said: “Commercial Law and Taxation Law have been conjoined to the close affinity between these two fields in legal practice, while Remedial Law and Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises were fused together as these subjects complement each other in actual practice.” (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

April 21...

From A1

most important days for Muslims and is an occasion that brings the entire Islamic community together.

During this time, families and friends gather to show gratitude to Allah while celebrating the end of the month-long Ramadan. Vince Lopez

Avoid a second Cold War, IMF leader pleads

COUNTRIES must do more to avert the costly consequences of growing global trade fragmentation and help avert a "second Cold War," the International Monetary Fund's managing director said Thursday.

"I am among those who know what are the consequences of a Cold War: it is loss of talent and contribution to the world," Kristalina Georgieva said during a press conference at the official start of the World Bank and IMF's spring meetings.

"I don't want to see that repeating," she said, adding that the world should "rationally accept there will be some cost, there will be some fragmentation, but keep these costs low."

Georgieva was born and raised in Bulgaria, a former Soviet satellite state. Multilateral institutions like the World Bank and IMF have animportant role to play in preventing the world from splintering into different blocs with severe economic consequences, she said.

An IMF report earlier this week predicted that growing tradefragmentation resulting from events like Brexit, the USChina trade war and the Russian invasion of Ukraine could make the global economy as much as seven percent smaller than it otherwise would have been. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

‘Amang’ rains fail to hike dam water levels

SEVERAL areas in Luzon will continue to get dampened with rain showers due to the low-pressure area that was Tropical Depression Amang, last tracked 40 kilometers southwest of Iba, Zambales, the weather bureau said Friday.

The amount of rainfall caused by Amang also did not raise the water level of dams in Luzon, a spokesperson of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Zambales, and Bataan.

Flash floods or landslides are possible in these areas due to moderate to at times heavy rains, the weather bureau said in its latest bulletin.

The rest of the country will have isolated rain showers caused by localized thunderstorms.

"Amang did not cause heavy rains enough to increase the water in monitoring dams in Luzon. In fact, it only caused little to no effect on the dams," Adel Duran of PAGASA said in a public briefing. Rio Araja (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Teves...

From A1

apparent “VIP treatment” that will be afforded to Rep. Teves when he testifies Monday on the killing of her husband, Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo. Teves, who has remained abroad, was tagged as the mastermind in the killing of Gov. Degamo.

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Teves will testify virtually duringthe hearing of the case by the Senate Public Order committee, which he chairs.

Meanwhile, the lawmaker’s brother, former Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry Teves, on Friday said he would join the Senate investigation on the killing of his political rival Roel Degamo.

The Senate will open Monday its inquiry into the March 4 assassination of the Negro Oriental governor in his residential compound.

"I will come. I’m already preparing my antigen test and I’m already trying to get a ticket on Sunday. Hopefully, I will come with my lawyer Atty. Fortun. Physically we would be there," ex-governor Teves told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Las...

From A1

Huliganga issued the warrant against the accused, who had been charged with murder, a non-bailable offense.

The issuance came a day after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 206 issued its own warrant against Bantag and Zulueta for the killing of Villamor.

A manhunt operation has been launched against Bantag and Zulueta on the heels of the Muntinlupa RTC issuance, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said Friday.

In a statement, CIDG chief Police Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. onThursday ordered tracker teams to conduct the operation and arrest Bantag and Zulueta. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

IN BRIEF

Bukidnon lawmaker guilty of malversation

BUKIDNON lawmaker Candido Pancrudo Jr. and two others were found guilty of multiple counts of graft, malversation of public funds, and malversation of public funds via falsification of public documents, the Sandiganbayan said.

Aside from Pancrudo, also found guilty by the court were former Technology and Resource Center (TRC) legislative liaison officer Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana and Farmerbusiness Development Corp. (FDC) representative Johanne Edward Labay, GMA News reported. The case involved the disbursement of P36.9 million worth of pork barrel funds for training and livelihood seminars that turned out to be ghost projects.

CAAP sets 2-day air connectivity workshop

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has conducted a two-day workshop in Alfonso, Cavite and discussed the agency’s strategic plans to ensure its alignment with the development goals of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

The April 12 to 13 event, according to CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio, provided a platform for participants to identify possible issue areas in alignment, and to discuss strategies to increase air connectivity between different regions in the country.

He said the workshop helped the participants to have a better understanding of how to implement the strategic plan and work collaboratively to achieve the objectives set forth by CAAP and DOTr. Joel E. Zurbano

QC, FDA partner on micro business development

IN A bid to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the Quezon City government on Friday partnered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Bigyang-Halaga, Bangon, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (BBMSME) program.

Mayor Joy Belmonte and FDA director general Samuel Zacate signed a memorandum of agreement for the BBMSME program designed to provide technical assistance and training on regulatory compliance, product registration and other relevant topics for MSMEs.

The collaboration also aims to streamline the registration process, making it easier and more accessible for them to comply with FDA regulations. Rio N. Araja

Santos: I’m not involved in P6.7b shabu case cover-up

FORMER Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for operations Police Lieutenant General Benjamin Santos Jr. issued a statement denying his involvement in an alleged “cover-up” in connection with the P6.7 billion shabu case.

“I strongly deny any involvement in whatever impropriety or infraction of law or standard operating procedures if there are any in the alleged cover-up in the buy-bust operation,” Santos, quoted by GMA News, said.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos earlier called on 10 police officers to take a leave to give way to the investigation on the alleged attempted cover-up in the series of operations that netted P6.7 billion worth of shabu in October last year, GMA News also reported.

Abalos included his name in the list of implicated cops over his “mere presence in a CCTV footage,” and that there was a lack of due process for him to explain his side, GMA News reported.

NEW RECTOR FOR MANILA CATHEDRAL.

Reverend Monsignor Rolando Ramos Dela Cruz (right) has been officially installed as the new rector of the Manila Cathedral on April 14 presided over by Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila. Monsignor Dela Cruz was the parish priest of San Fernando de Dilao Parish in Paco, Manila for 12 years. Norman Cruz

PBBM names new execs for key agencies

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. appointed two undersecretaries for the finance and social welfare departments and also named the government’s new special envoy to Japan, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Raffy Tulfo on Friday said he will file a bill to address the alleged corruption at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) resulting in the government losing billions of pesos in collections.

Tulfo said he will file the bill once the Senate regular session resumes. Earlier, Tulfo conducted an ocular at the LTO office to confirm complaints received by his RTIA Action Center.

He also visited the LTO head office to gather research materials that he could use in crafting legislation that he said, would fix the agency’s system and hold accountable all officials behind reported corruption in the agency.

“Billions were lost annually from the nation’s coffer from the LTO collections due to its rotten system,” Tulfo said.

He stressed it is about time to go after those involved in the alleged and fix the wrong policies at the LTO. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Abalos earlier launched a probe led by the National Police Commission into the illegal drug case of now-dismissed Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. involving 990 kilograms of confiscated shabu. According to Abalos, Napolcom’s fact-finding panel was convened due to the supposed slow pace of the police investigation into Mayo’s case. He said Napolcom’s investigation showed that “there is indeed a massive attempt to cover-up the arrest of Mayo.” Santos said he was “shocked” when

Santos said he would have informed Abalos that he went to the crime scene after the said buy-bust operation. Santos also denied ordering anyone to embezzle 42 kilograms of the confiscated shabu and noted that he arrived at the scene after the supposed theft took place.

One of the cops named by Abalos, Police Brigadier General Narciso Domingo, who recently has been removed as PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) chief, earlier admitted lapses in police procedures.

HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Food and Drugs

Administration Director General Dr. Samuel Zacate show a copy of a memorandum of agreement for the “Bigyang-Halaga, Bangon, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (BBMSME)” program held at the Quezon City Hall on April 14. Manny Palmero

The PCO also said Mr. Marcos picked Maria Luwalhati Dorotan-Tiuseco and Edward Justine Orden as undersecretaries under the Department of Finance and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, respectively, ABSCBN News reported.

In a social media post, the PCO further said Mr. Marcos also appointed Amable D.R. Aguiluz V as his special envoy to Japan for Trade and Investments Designation. He will have a term of 6 months.

Before holding his new post, Aguiliz was former President Rodrigo Duterte’s special envoy to the Gulf Cooperation Council. The official is the owner and chairman of AMA Group of Companies.

The President designated Ma. Lynette V. Ortiz as the acting president and chief executive officer of the state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines. Prior to her new role, Ortiz was the CEO of the international bank Standard Chartered in the Philippines.

The PCO further said Mr. Marcos appointed a new director for the Department of Finance, and new service officers for the Department of Foreign Affairs. New directors for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Justice, Bureau of Immigration, Department of Labor and Employment, and DSWD were also named.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System meanwhile has new board of trustees members. The PCO said the new appointments were dated on April 12.

Binay to DOT: look into Nayong Pilipino budget for tourism projects

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Nancy Binay on Friday urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) to review the P1.5-billion tourism-oriented project approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) for the Nayong Pilipino Park.

This was in line with the Nayong Pili-

pino Foundation’s (NPF) mandated purpose to showcase Filipino culture and explore alternate sources of income.

“Given their fiscal situation now, I would side with COA’s opinion that Nayong Pilipino needs to come up with alternative revenue sources for its operations because if there is no concrete plan or project to have an income and no move-

ment to have sustainable operations, their funds will all be lost,” Binay said.

Binay, chair of the Senate tourism committee, also said the DOT can also look into NPF’s financial and sales projections in the next five to 10 years.

The DOT, she also said, can inquire into the other activities that crossline the department’s programs, and the corporate

Bill seeks lifeguards on

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

FOLLOWING a series of drowning incidents that killed more than 70 during the past Holy Week, Senator Win Gatchalian renewed his proposal to assign a lifeguard to public swimming pools or swimming facilities across the country.

Under Senate Bill No. 1142 or the Lifeguard Act of 2022, each public swimming pool shall employ at least one certified lifeguard during the duration of its entire operations.

He said pool operators shall employ an additional lifeguard for every 250 square meters of swimming areas.

The lifeguards, he said, should be duly certified by any nationally recognized organization accredited by the Department of Health (DOH).

The proposed measure requires pool operators

function that somehow duplicates what other agencies are already doing.

“More than anything else, with income coming from several pieces of prime assets that they own and lease out—including the 15-hectare property they own in Bay City/Aseana which awaits to be developed—the NPF is supposedly a selfsustaining GOCC,” Binay said.

all pools, beaches

to provide local government units (LGUs) with a certification and supporting documents, which will prove the employment or engagement of the required number of certified lifeguards. LGUs, on the other hand, shall ensure the compliance of all public swimming pools through periodic local inspections coordinated by local health officers.

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 72 people have died due to drowning as of April 9.

The fatalities included children who were left unattended by guardians while swimming in beaches or swimming pools. The PNP is yet to issue a breakdown of the fatalities.

“We should all work together to minimize the risk. When safety procedures and policies are being implemented effectively, the number of accidents will be reduced,” he added.

Tulfo says he’ll file a bill against LTO corruption

Senators to tackle ICC’s drug war probe

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights will start next week its hearing on a resolution that opposes the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) move to investigate the bloody drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The resolution also asked the Senate to defend the former President from “apparent meddling” of the ICC over the country’s criminal justice system.

In an advisory, the hearing on the resolution will be conducted starting at 3 p.m. on April 19.

Committee chairman Sen. Francis Tolentino said he had already sent invi-

By Vito Barcelo

AIR passengers at the country’s international airports will now experience a faster and more convenient immigration procedure through the use of the e-Travel System starting April 15, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Immigration commissioner Norman Tansingco said the e-Travel System is a single data collection platform for arriving and departing passengers for purposes of establishing an integrated border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis.

“Not only does this speed up immigration clearance, this initiative also ensures interoperability among border management agencies, and saves government resources,” Tansingco said.

The system is an initiative of a subtechnical working group of the IATF, headed by the BI. It is a joint project of the agency with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

The platform was initially rolled out at the arrival area last December, later expanded to cover departing travelers.

IN BRIEF

Solon lauds PBBM for delaying LRT fare hikes

AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee has lauded President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s order to postpone fare increases for LRT-1 and LRT-2 pending a thorough study.

“We thank you, dear President Marcos for (your) wisdom in deferring the implementation of fare increases for LRT-1 at LRT-2 until a thorough study is being done on how it will adversely affect the riding public,” Lee said.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista announced on Tuesday in a press briefing that the DOTr has approved fare hikes for both LRT-1 and LRT-2, but will defer its implementation upon the orders the President pending a thorough study on “how a fare hike today will impact on passengers.”

In the same briefing, Bautista revealed the fare hike for MRT-3 was also being deferred “due to infirmities in complying with the requirements and procedure.” Maricel V. Cruz

Agusan Norte lotto bettor wins P27.9m

tation to the ICC, but has not received any response.

The committee invited ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan who has been insisting on the probe of Duterte’s infamous drug war.

Khan’s predecessor in the ICC, Fatou Bensouda was also summoned to attend the hearing through teleconferencing.

Tolentino earlier clarified that the forthcoming Senate investigation has nothing to do with the cases before the ICC. He said this will be solely done on the basis of pertinent resolutions filed in the Senate.

Tolentino noted that if the ICC wanted to be recognized by the Philippine government, the panel should attend the Senate hearing.

Duterte was also invited to the hearing, but no word from him yet.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada filed Resolution 492 which seeks a Senate stand against the projected ICC investigation.

Estrada also said no one can tell the Filipino how to run their country, adding that the ICC’s intervention undermines

the Philippines judicial system, not to mention the fact that the Philippines was no longer a state party of the Netherlandsbased international judicial body.

Estrada emphasized that as an independent nation, domestic sovereignty resides in the Filipino people.

“I stand by our government’s position that we have the first responsibility and right to prosecute crimes committed within our territory,” he said.

“As I have stated in filing Senate Resolution No. 492, the ICC’s insistence on investigating the war on drugs of the Duterte administration is disrespectful of our sovereignty and undermines our fully capable judicial system,” Estrada stressed.

A LOTTO bettor from Agusan del Norte is the country’s newest multi-millionaire.

According to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the lucky bettor pocketed nearly P28 million as solo winner of Thursday night’s 6/49 lotto draw with the combination 48-19-10-17-47-49.

The winner bought his ticket in a lotto outlet in Santiago, Agusan del Norte.

Meanwhile, 19 other bettors won P50,000 each for getting five of the six winning numbers, while 716 others won P1,200 each for four correct numbers, and 11,190 will settle for P50 each for three correct numbers..

The grand prize winner can claim the check at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City upon presenting the winning ticket and two identification cards.

SPD reveals arrest of ASG member in P’que

THE Southern Police District (SPD) on Friday announced the arrest of an alleged member of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) wanted for murder and attempted murder in Zamboanga City.

SPD director John Kirby Kraft identified the suspect as Salahuddin Alpin, alias Almad Pantangan Tawasil, 38, a construction worker.

Kraft said a composite team from the SPD, the Zamboanga Police, the Philippine Navy, the Paranaque City Police Station, and the Las Pinas Police Station arrested the suspect at Marina Bay South Shore Project along Jackson Avenue in Barangay Don Galo, Parañaque City on Thursday evening.

Seized from the suspect were one .45 caliber pistol with eight bullets in its magazine, one hand grenade, and a Marone Herschel back pack. Joel E. Zurbano

Bicol lawmaker defends vintage Filipino-made passenger jeepneys

By Maricel V. Cruz

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Friday said the PUV Modernization Program should not “abolish” the jeepney, but should modernize the renowned Filipino vehicle, by preferring locallymade but fuel-efficient vehicles.

Salceda, chair of the House Commit-

tee on Ways and Means and the chamber’s resident economist, also called on the government to extend the deadline for consolidation for jeepneys manufactured in recent years and to support domestic manufacturers of cheaper, more modern jeeps.

“I would summarize my proposal in three points: First, support domestic

Daza seeks holistic solution to shortage of nurses

A MEMBER of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives has raised concern over the issue on shortage of nurses in the country.

“It’s time for comprehensive solutions, including reforms in the licensure system, if we want to solve our shortage of nurses. Of course, it’s an economic issue—salaries abroad are

definitely higher—but our nurses will stay for the right reasons,” Northern Samar Rep Paul Daza said.

In a statement, Daza quoted a recent study showing that Philippine nursing schools produce about 80,000 graduates annually, about 19,000 of them choose to work abroad, and that it has long been accepted that this emigration is rooted

in the quest for higher income.

“At the heart of the problem is really the search for a better life for their families. However, the solutions should be all-encompassing. For one, nurses will prefer staying here in the Philippines with the right motivations, outside of higher salaries,” Daza said. Maricel V. Cruz

SSS intends to hire PWDs as regular employees

By Rio N. Araja

THE Social Security System (SSS) plans to hire persons with disability (PWDs) for its branches and offices this year.

SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Macasaet said even as the

SSS is compliant with the Magna Carta for PWDs, it still continues to look for other ways to encourage the active participation of PWDs in the society.

“As one of the country’s primary providers of meaningful social security protection to Filipino workers, we can attest to the importance of having gain-

ful work during your younger years not only to make ends meet but also to secure your future,” Macasaet said.

“Having this in mind, we want to do our part in helping PWDs obtain this right by providing them with more employment opportunities in our offices,” he added.

manufacturing of more modern and more efficient, but similarly stylish jeepneys. Second, increase the subsidy per unit to meet the financial viability gap. Third, buy out old jeepneys for cash,” Salceda said.

Salceda also told the Department of Transportation to consider emissions “on a per capita basis,” since the more

modern jeepneys “can accommodate fewer passengers than traditional jeepneys.”

According to Salceda, the traditional jeepney produces some 0.33 kg of CO2 emissions per passenger per year, while the modern jeepneys would still produce some 0.25 kg per passenger due to smaller capacity.

BI: e-Travel system in place for faster air pax processing

ACCORD ON SINGLE TICKETING SYSTEM. The Metro Manila Council led by San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora forges an agreement with the Land Transportation Office and the Metro Manila Development Authority on the single ticketing system for enforcement in the National Capital Region. Also present at the signing rite are Senator Francis Tolentino, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Domimic Garci, and acting MMDA chairman Romando Artes. Manny Palmero

AUTO SHOW. Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian addresses the opening of the Manila International Auto Show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Boy Bautista

FOR SEABORNE POLICE. Technicians of the Propmech, a provider of marines solutions and products, demonstrate the capability of its high-speed tactical watercraft during a media tour of the factory and warehouse of the company’s subsidiary, SafeHull Marinema Technologies Inc,, at the Global Industrial Park in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales. Manny Palmero

How much longer?

By Edmund Tayao

HOW long have we been waiting, hoping for a great leader?

How long have we been fighting each other over competing claims of greatness among our leaders?

How long have we been comparing leaders who in reality are more of the same?

If we closely look at the policies, especially economic policies put in place by different Presidents, which could have differed from the others if any.

Nothing wrong with arguing as to who have been a better leader.

This in fact is an indication we as a people have been reflecting on our leaders and therefore on the prevailing situation in the country, if there has been any change that has taken place good or bad.

Of course, there is no other better measure of a leader’s accomplishments other than how the people have been under his/her watch.

If there has been any significant change or development, it will surely be credited to the leader; we have seen this to be the case time and time again.

May be premature for now to assess and evaluate how the leader has performed, especially in terms of the country’s economy.

Others of course will likely see differently and would be inclined to judge forthwith.

To my mind, however, a more objective evaluation is most expedient, for everyone, and that we’d be better able to assess halfway to the end of an administration’s second year in office.

That way, the policies and programs put in place in the first year should be starting to bear fruit or that some impact can already be felt.

This seems to be consistent with China continuing to refuse to recognize the arbitration award.

Seems strange though that it keeps on citing its adherence to UNCLOS, the very basis of the arbitration award.

One contradicts the other, that it is puzzling if this stance has been given much thought. These suggest that while China opposes what it considers imperialistic, it acts the same as it chooses to recognize only those that serves its purpose and repudiates the ones that aren’t consistent with its claims and actions. Beware though, this may be part of a plan after all, playing dumb but doing what it wants just the same. We have seen enough with the infamous gray zone tactics.

One thing is clear with all these, both countries will only act on the basis of their interests that we should also be acting only in our own interests.

We may not have the same resources, the same size as China and the US have separately, but we have our own interests just the same.

Whether we like it or not though, we will be dealing with them for years to come, and we must think of the best way to relate to them that we are able to get what we need and what we want, i.e. promote our own interests, without necessarily provoking either of them.

We cannot just choose one side because that will provoke the other, that in the process can cancel out whatever it is we can gain from the other.

There is a third given, and this bolsters the latter argument; China and the US may be adversaries, but they are also friends.

Both know that they cannot just go against the other without hurting oneself in the process.

From where I sit, we’re doing a good job.

The previous administration did a good job, and the current administration is continuing to do a good job.

Contrary to what many thought and remains inclined to think, we didn’t necessarily ingratiate ourselves to China in the past administration.

Yes, what is clear is that the US was repudiated, a point that had to be made considering the history of our relationship with them, of being promised with a lot that weren’t honored anyway, even made a fool of us.

Getting China’s favor was more a strategy to tell the world we can decide to get out of America’s shadow if we choose to.

This opened up friendship to many countries and we gained a lot in the process.

On

IT’S supposed to be good news when the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and City mayors in Metro Manila recently inked an agreement on data sharing with the Land Transportation Office to implement the single ticketing system starting on May 2.

In an MMDA press release on social media, this was applauded as a historic moment by MMDA acting chairman Don Artes, saying it took 28 years before it was realized.

Was the idea hatched that long ago?

“The single ticketing system will harmonize the existing national and local laws on traffic enforcement, as well as penalties and fines of the most common traffic violations stated in the Metro Manila Traffic Code,” added the MMDA communique.

“The move aims to establish effective transport and traffic management in Metro Manila by standardizing apprehension procedures, payment of fines, and redemption of vehicle plates and drivers’ licenses, among others.”

It is seen as a preparation for the full implementation of the no-contact apprehension policy which was halted by the Supreme Court’s TRO pending the results of the resolution filed by several transport groups.

Analysis on EDCA: Part I

THE country’s decision to grant the US to reestablish their military bases under the guise of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is in violation of our Constitution.

The Constitution prohibits the stationing of foreign military bases in the county.

First, the 1987 Constitution is clear the establishment of foreign military bases is prohibited through a treaty ratified by the Senate.

Second, the return of the US bases under the name of EDCA was only signed through an Executive Agreement by the US President and was not ratified by the Senate.

In fact, it was only signed by then Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and by then US Ambassador to the Philippines Arthur Goldberg.

navigating through the South China Sea (SCS).

The US cannot be entitled to that right, it being a lessor and not a littoral state to the SCS.

Moreover, the freedom of navigation only applies to commercial shipping that would require a certain purpose and intentions in the pursuit of trade and commerce.

Naval ships operating in the SCS like those of the US, UK, Australia, Japan, India, and South Korea cannot enjoy the freedom of navigation as they are not littoral to the SCS to grant them the right to regularly patrol the SCS.

Otherwise stated, they do not enjoy the status of littoral states to be given the right to patrol that SCS.

But it looks like there’s no stopping the scheme from being pushed by at least seven LGUs, namely: San Juan, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Parañaque, Manila, and Caloocan who were well represented in the formal signing. Conspicuously missing is the city of Makati. It’s the only LGU that so far has not been sold to the idea of the NCAP.

But it’s another story.

With the seven LGUs standing firm on the NCAP and agreeing to unify through the single ticketing system, it will be easier for traffic violators to pay for their penalties, regardless of where they were caught.

Good news.

Seemingly seamless.

If the bottom line objective here is to emphasize discipline on the road of Metro Manila, these measures should be accompanied by reforms in many aspects, including boosting traffic education of traffic officers and infrastructure—putting up designated loading and unloading stations. It’s probably the reason why Makati is not riding yet on the NCAP scheme—Makati takes pride in its well-educated traffic officers and designated stops. Hoping other cities take Makati’s way.

Of course, ultimately, the performance of an administration is best determined at the end of its term, but doing so would just be for the purpose of history. We have to keep an eye on everything the government does every step of the way, not because we are to find fault.

The government after all is our government, and our leader our leader, his success is our success and his failure, our failure, worst, it affects our day-to-day lives, our welfare.

It is then just right the government is always made aware of what the people appreciates or chides and in the process make appropriate adjustments while still at the helm, that something can still be done to do things right.

At this juncture, what may be immediately seen as it can be analyzed is foreign relations and or policy. Analyzing it may also provide a way to anticipate how and what will be its impact on the country, to the overall direction of the administration.

Thus far it appears that what many thought to have become a China-centric Philippine policy before seem to have been all but set aside.

Ever since the Republic has been established, we have always been influenced by the Americans.

Those who have been used to it or remain believing that everything about America, and all they have done and given to us, are good would likely be celebrating seeing that the previous administration’s approach appear to have been reconfigured.

Or is it?

Before we can make any assessment, however, we should bear in mind there are benchmarks or references, what we call “given” in the equation of foreign relations or in any endeavor to contrast.

One, whether we like it or not, there is an ascendant China, with the way things are going, it will be likely be so for at least two generations more at the very least.

If this is the case, and indeed the spate of things continue in the same direction, we can likewise assume in the way we relate with the whole world, that China may in fact take over as the foremost member of the international community.

Two, however we’d like to think we have become independent from the United States, we will still be seen as a friend to them by many.

More than that, America’s influence to us, not only to many of our political leaders but even to those in important positions both in the public and private sector, remains considerable.

America is looked up to by many in the whole country.

Perhaps this is because of our long history with them.

Perhaps it’s America’s still prevalent “soft power,”; everywhere we turn to, from music, to movies to fashion, much remains from the west that many tend to attribute to America.

However, China appears to be burgeoning, it remains no match in terms of soft power. It will take more than military might to get things done and have countries submit to its power.

The US may no longer be as invincible as it used to be, but its interests, especially in the Pacific, are unwavering.

Whatever resources available would likely be used to maintain that presence, in the Pacific and beyond.

It has been so when it started its ascent in the 19th century and sustained in the aftermath of the 2nd World War.

It remains today, that it is this interest that fuels its presence, to remain as a super power.

China is, of course, no doubt, aware of this.

The agreement between the US and Japan, entered in San Francisco after the Second World War, is opposed by China.

It is the one thing that makes US’ presence in the Pacific justified after all.

Whether opposing it has any impact or not is of course another story entirely.

It was a treaty that capitulated Japan after having been bombed with “the little boy” and “the fat man.”

China may be a party indirectly as it is one of the countries besieged by Japan but it is not a party in the treaty it is opposing.

This time, finally we enjoyed what was always there for many countries, a market we can choose from in getting what we need to achieve a respectable state of defense. Finally the world took notice of the Philippines, and not in the way some would like to think, not because we had a villain of a President, but because we had a leader who showed that making hard choices can be done and should be done.

The same is being done now under the new President.

Differently of course; they are not the same person after all, different personalities to say the least. More than that, circumstances are different.

Consistently with the previous leader, we are not necessarily going back to a US- influenced foreign policy.

US will remain influential, this we have explained in the foregoing, why they remain influential, but no longer in a way that we will just follow what we are told or asked.

In the first place, the many options that became available to us in the previous dispensation has opened up our eyes and mind of the benefits of actually making crucial choices and not just limiting ourselves to a friend, however close they have been.

Circumstances are now different as we have said, that however we’d like to or inclined to go back to how it was before the previous administration, it can no longer be done. New partnerships have been established, partnerships that have to be honored or continued.

Choices have also been made, the benefits of which far outweigh going back to a situation where there are no choices.

We will continue to make difficult choices, and choose rightly we should. That depends though on being able to play our cards right, that being considered a friend by either one of them is in their interests. This is not only because of our strategic location.

Locating US bases have proven that there are other locations that are as strategic as where we are.

We have to remain viable, not only as a friend but as a country.

That our government is strong, that it cannot be breached as it is a fortress. Of course, this depends on the leadership. The strength within is also the strength beyond. Almost a year now. We already have a blueprint, a plan of action that will take us to where we want to be in the next five years or so, even to prepare for the following six years after.

The means to put the blueprint in place however is still very much incomplete, wanting. I can not in any way consider any question to the capacity of the one at the helm, but anyone in that position would need someone to help carry out what needs to be carried out.

Someone who can really be trusted to know how best to accomplish difficult tasks, sensitive tasks. There should likewise be a team who will and can help the trusted to accomplish critical tasks.

Make no mistake, however, it is a team that is needed, as the government has to act as a team.

There has to be someone who will be calling the shots, not to decide what will be done as that is already the mandate of the one at the helm, but to determine how best to put in place what has been decided to be put in place, the questions of “how” so to speak.

The team obviously is composed of members.

The members though must know their individual roles, that no one should be inclined to take one over the other.

That’s why it is a team, it has to act as a team and not as some rabble. So far, i think, that’s what we are all still waiting to have.

(Prof. Tayao is a faculty at the San Beda University Graduate School of Law and Executive Director of the pioneer NGO on Local Governance, the Local Government Development Foundation. He was also a member of the Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution convened by former President Rodrigo Duterte that drafted the ‘Bayanihan Federal Constitution of the Philippines.’)

The return of the US bases stealthily began as Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), meaning US forces will not be allowed to build permanent military structures but only to occasionally visit the country.

The regularity of the visit resulted in the designation of some areas under the revised agreement called Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), thereby allowing the US to establish permanent structures for their military personnel, ports and airports, grounds, communications and radar sites to such designated centers but specifically limited. We violated our Constitution when we allowed the entry of nuclear weapons, thus making a bad joke by not confirming whether US warships carry with them nuclear weapons.

It was the first sign the US bases would only serve its own interest.

Unlike in the old military bases agreement we signed in 1947 which granted the US 99 years to stay before their termination in 1991, they were only limited to two, namely Clark Air Base in Pampanga and Subic Naval Base in Zambales.

With the US signing of EDCA in 2014, that removed the limitations granted them for their operations in the country such as the issue of criminal jurisdiction for crimes committed by US servicemen in the country, the rights of Filipino workers working inside the bases, payment of taxes to dutiable items imported by servicemen, etc.

To date, the US bases have access to the free use of water and electricity. The advent of the BBM administration granted them four additional bases for a total of nine.

The US invoked the of freedom of navigation. While of freedom of navigation can be exercised with certain limitations by observing international law, that freedom can only be exercised by countries littoral to that body of water as in the case of the Philippines and China

The US, Australia and the UK should refrain from patrolling SCS through AUKUS much that they are armed with nuclear power submarines, and constitute a threat to the security of the region.

It is an act of provocation that has the possibility of ending in a conflict. The US cannot apply the Monroe Doctrine as applied in South America where it could exercise hegemonism.

Admittedly, the whole of SCS cannot be owned by China.

While China claims the Nine-Dash Line as part of its territorial waters, neither it is preventing the passage of shipping lanes for the purpose of freedom of navigation like preventing ships from observing the 12-mile limit, respecting the territorial waters of states littoral in the SCS, or the expanded 200-mile boundaries of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In fact, the same Nine-Dash Line has been rejected by the Permanent Arbitration Court (PAC). The 200-mile EEZ is exclusive to countries within that zone including the right to exploit all the minerals and to harvest the resources therein.

The EEZ was seriously aggravated by the

discovery of oil and natural gas of huge quantity in the area.

The Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam began to parcelize the area by awarding certain areas to private service contractors to exploit and develop oil and gas discovered in the area.

Strictly speaking, Malaysia has the right to claim any of the islands in the SCS.

It was the formation of the Federation of Malaysia of which Brunei became a member in 1964 that extended Malaysia the status of littoral state to the SCS.

Before that, Brunei or even Malaysia had no shoreline in the now disputed waters of SCS. Its claim to some of the islands in the SCS was tailored to justify access to the SCS using the formation of the Malaysian Federation to enter the SCS.

Before we entered into some kind of joint exploration agreement, say with China and Vietnam, the Philippines already had an existing joint venture agreement with foreign oil companies. We initially implemented the 1987 Constitution, particularly Section 2, Article XVII regarding co-production and joint venture to develop and exploit the country’s mineral resources to be divided on a sixty per centum basis of the capital owned by citizens.

China tried to rectify this error when foreign minister Wang Yi and our Secretary of Foreign Affairs Leandro Locsin signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2018 which authorized China’s National Oil Corporation as the leading Chinese enterprise.

The Philippines authorized the PNOC to enter into a service contract through PNOC–Exploration Corporation.

The agreement states that the MOU will govern how to arrive at the agreements when the moratorium is lifted.

The moratorium refers to the ban on further exploration at Reed Bank under Service Contract 72 granted in 2010 by the Department of Energy to Forum Energy, an oil and gas exploration company incorporated in the United Kingdom with focus on the Philippines.

It was also revealed that the majority shares of Forum Energy (64.45 percent) are owned by Philex Petroleum, which Manuel Pangilinan stand as chairman and chief executive officer and owns 74.79 percent. (rpkapunan@gmail.com)

Small town serenatas, now past andantino

ALMOST four score back, soon after the smoke had evaporized from the guns of the second world war, many small town bands and orchestras in the north of the country often staged weekend serenades – from the Italian serenata or evening evening song. This was taken from the 17th century practice in Europe, kind of musical performance at night in open air or a form of secular cantata, almost always of a dramatic or imaginative character.

This was an instrumental composition in several movements, intermediate between the suite and the symphony. If one were a senior citizen today, one would definitely remember the serenatas of the 1950s and the 1960s played by at least a 25-piece small town band in the countryside – like the town of Paoay in Ilocos Norte, where three bands alternated among themselves the assigned Saturdays playing classic pieces near the town hall.

In the capital town of Laoag, now a city, the 46-piece Ilocos Cultural Arts Club staged weekend serenatas at the Ablan Heroes Hall near the meandering Padsan River that emptied into the Luzon Bay, the overtures lifting manners of those who went to the public square to listen to classical music.

If a person were newly married in his 20s in the 1970s, he would as well remember the concerts at the Rizal Park, colloquially called Luneta, by the Manila Bay, where bands from towns in the city’s outskirts played martial music to the delight of afternoon strollers. In recent years, the concerts at the Rizal Park had faded out, and the serenatas in the country have been overtaken by CDs and DVDs bought from the nearest department stores if not brought in from the metropolis or from overseas by returning workers in the mold of Overseas Filipino Workers.

Their weekend repertoire included overtures and martial music which always gave great pleasure to the population, mostly farmers and fishermen and some young and middle-aged professionals

A northerner, himself a trombonist in his youth in the 1960s, still remembers the weekends in Paoay, the town which at the time had three major bands of at least 40 members each, doing afternoon serenatas beside the two-story town hall. Their weekend repertoire included overtures and martial music which always gave great pleasure to the population, mostly farmers and fishermen and some young and middle-aged professionals.

It was soothing to hear any of the three bands –The Majestic, the Smart, and the Rhythm Masters – play, one weekend after the other, Franz von Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant” and other operettas, a genre of light music in terms of subject matter.

And they always heard, among many familiar classic compositions that were part of the culture of that generation, “Haydn Concerto in e flat Minor,” the first movement of the opus of Austrian-born Franz Joseph Haydn, acknowledged as a great composer of the classical era. The small town bands’ supply of soothing music for their captive listeners included

Rafael Hernandez’s “El Cumbanchero,” Lara’s “Solamente Una Vez,” and “Quien Sera” by Ruiz and Gimbel, where a listener can easily be won by the sighing reeds and the hugging trombones. There was also Serradel’s “La Golondrina,” “Csárdás,” a traditional Hungarian folk dance — the name derived from csárda (old Hungarian term for tavern), and was popularized by Roma music (Cigány) bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Burgenland, Croatia, Ukraine, Poland, Transylvania and Moravia, as well as among the Banat Bulgarians, including those in Bulgaria. ”Csardas,” like “Poet and Peasant,” and “La Virgen de la Macarena” were very popular in that generation, who danced to the beat of Perez Prado’s “Cerezo Rosa,” Glenn Miller’s “In The Mood” and Tommy Dorsey’s “Song of India” as well as Harry James’ “Ciribiribin” during town fiestas.

In Manila, the Philippine capital, bands in colorful uniforms of red and white, blue and white, or the original khaki outfit, played “Stars and Stripes,” a patriotic American march widely considered to be the magnum opus of composer John Philip Sousa. They also played Sousa’s “National Emblem,” “Under the Double Eagle,” “The Washington Post,” which has remained as one of the composer’s most popular marches throughout the United States and foreign countries, including the Philippines. Or they would play Sousa’s “El Capitan” or the locally composed “Dalagang Naic” or the “El Palikero.” Or the bands would play ballroom beats like “La Cucaracha” and “La Cumparsita” as interpreted by the country’s trumpet king Anastasio Mamaril of Pangasinan, or Prado’s “Cerezo Rosa” which featured trumpeter Miguel Calderon as interpreted, in better lilting trills by Amy Galinato of the Jolly Boys of Ilocos Norte, the notes on his trumpet frolicking like some ice cubes falling on the pavement, doing one better than the own version of Cuba’s mambo king. Full text at www.manilastandard.net

The members though must know their individual roles, that no one should be inclined to take one over the other

US airman nabbed for Pentagon dox leak

WASHINGTON—

FBI agents on Thursday arrested a 21-year-old national guardsman suspected of being behind a major leak of sensitive US government secrets—including about the Ukraine war.

Broadcast live on TV networks, the dramatic arrest was the culmination of a weeklong investigation—fueled by intense media coverage—into one of the most damaging leaks of classified information since the 2013 dump of National Security Agency documents by Edward Snowden.

Addressing a news briefing, US Attorney General Merrick Garland named the suspect as Jack Teixeira, an employee of the US Air Force National Guard and the reported leader of the online chat group where the document trove first emerged.

Arrested “in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information,” Teixeira was taken into custody without incident by FBI agents, Garland said.

News footage of the operation, in the southern Massachusetts town of North Dighton, showed the suspect dressed in red shorts and a t-shirt with his hands behind his head, backing slowly toward rifle-armed, camouflage-clad law enforcement personnel who took him into custody.

Police in the small town in the northeastern state sought to reassure the community about the heavy law enforcement presence, saying in a statement that there was “no threat to public safety.”

The US National Guard Bureau said Teixeira enlisted in September 2019 and is an IT and communications specialist who reached the rank of airman first class -- the third-lowest for enlisted air force personnel. He was expected to make an initial appearance in a Massachusetts federal court as early as Friday. AFP

Trump testifies under oath in NY fraud lawsuit

NEW YORK—Donald Trump testified under oath for several hours on Thursday in a New York civil case that accuses the ex-president and three of his children of business fraud.

The behind-closed-doors deposition came a week after Trump’s historic arraignment on criminal charges in a Manhattan courtroom in a separate case.

The 76-year-old Republican is facing a slew of state, federal, and congressional probes that threaten to complicate his bid to regain the presidency in next year’s White House election.

The lengthy deposition was the second time he had sat for questions in the lawsuit brought by New York state attorney general Letitia James.

Trump arrived at James’s office in lower Manhattan around 10:00 am (1400 GMT) and returned to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue shortly after 6:30 pm.

“This civil case is ridiculous, just like all of the other Election Interference cases being brought against me,” he wrote on his social media site Truth Social ahead of his testimony.

A lawyer for Trump and a spokesperson for James did not return requests for comment.

James sued Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump in September last year alleging they committed “incredible” fraud at the Trump Organization. AFP

French top court to have final say on pensions reform Bakhmut battle

PARIS—France’s top constitutional court is to rule Friday on whether to approve President Emmanuel Macron’s deeply unpopular pensions overhaul after months of protests.

The 45-year-old centrist leader is facing a major domestic crisis over his flagship pensions reform, whose headline measure is to raise the legal retirement age to 64 from 62.

Some demonstrations have turned violent since Macron’s government forced the bill through parliament last month without a vote, using an executive power that is legal but has sparked accusations of undemocratic behaviour from opponents.

The Constitutional Council’s green light is the final hurdle before Macron can sign the changes into law and ensure they are implemented by year-end.

But labour unions and opposition lawmakers hope for a rejection of a reform that Macron put at the heart of his re-election campaign last year for a second term in office.

Some 380,000 people took to the streets nationwide on Thursday in the latest day of union-led action against the bill since January, according to the interior ministry. But that was far fewer that the nearly 1.3 million it said demonstrated at the height of the protests in March.

Momentum has petered out in recent weeks as people appear to become increasingly weary of sacrificing a day’s pay to strike or march.

- Partial approval?Paris police have banned any demonstration around the Constitutional Council in Paris until Saturday morning.

The court is to issue two decisions by the end of the day.

First, the nine-member council is to rule on whether the pensions overhaul, which has been formulated as a social security budget law, is in line with the constitution.

Experts think the most likely scenario is that it will partially approve the bill. AFP

Lula to meet Xi in Beijing after ripping US dollar, IMF

RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazilian leader

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to forge closer ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Beijing on Friday, a day after he lashed out at the power of the US dollar and the IMF.

The veteran leftist, whose government recently announced a deal with Beijing to trade in their own currencies -- ditching the dollar as an intermediary -- is in China

to boost ties with his country’s top trading partner and spread his message that “Brazil is back” as a key player on the global stage.

“Why should every country have to be tied to the dollar for trade?... Who decided the dollar would be the (world’s) currency?” Lula said in Shanghai at a ceremony to inaugurate his political ally Dilma Rousseff as president of the

‘Horrific’

development bank set up by the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

“Why can’t a bank like the BRICS bank have a currency to finance trade between Brazil and China, between Brazil and other BRICS countries?... Today, countries have to chase after dollars to export, when they could be exporting in their own currencies.” AFP

blast, fire kill 18,000 Texas cattle

AUSTIN -- A “horrific” explosion and fire at a dairy farm in the southern US state of Texas killed about 18,000 head of cattle and injured one agricultural worker, authorities said on Thursday.

“This was the deadliest barn fire for cattle in Texas history and the investigation and cleanup may take some time,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement. The explosion and fire ripped through the Southfork Dairy Farms near the town of Dimmitt in the Texas Panhandle on Monday night.

Firefighters and police rushed to the scene and “determined that one person was trapped inside,” the Castro County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. The person was rescued and flown to a hospital in Lubbock, it said. The cause of the explosion and fire

draws opposing claims on capture

KYIV—Russia said Thursday it had cut off Ukrainian forces inside Bakhmut, while Kyiv insisted supply lines were still open into the town, scene of the most brutal battle of the war.

AFP was unable to verify the status on the ground in the eastern town, which has turned into the longest and bloodiest fight since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

Russian troops have been battling since last summer to capture the town, which had a pre-war population of 70,000, and whose fall would now mostly present a symbolic victory for Russia.

The Russian army said its airborne troops were “blocking the transfer of Ukrainian army reserves to the city and the possibility of retreat for enemy units.”

It also said that Wagner mercenary units were advancing in Bakhmut.

But the Ukrainian army told AFP it had communication with its troops inside Bakhmut and was able to send them munitions.

“This does not correspond to reality,” Sergiy Cherevaty, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern forces said, referring to Russia’s claims.

“We are able to... deliver food products, ammunition, medicines, all that is necessary, and also to recover our wounded.”

The Ukrainian general staff nevertheless acknowledged a “difficult” situation in Bakhmut.

- ‘Nowhere to go’ -

But even as Russian forces say they are getting closer to the town, some residents of nearby areas have no plans to leave. AFP

Jeddah talks put Syria in line for Arab fold return

JEDDAH -- Arab countries will discuss in Jeddah on Friday ending Syria’s long spell in the diplomatic wilderness, as regional relations shift following Saudi Arabia and Iran’s decision to resume ties.

were not immediately clear, said Miller, who described it as a “horrific event.”

“Once we know the cause and the facts surrounding this tragedy, we will make sure the public is fully informed -- so tragedies like this can be avoided in the future,” he said.

Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera told the CBS affiliate in Amarillo that a system to remove manure from the barns may have gotten “overheated.”

He said methane may have “ignited and then spread out with the explosion and the fire,” adding that a probe would have to determine the precise cause.

“Farms must do more to protect animals by adopting commonsense fire safety measures,” tweeted the Animal Welfare Institute, one of the oldest animal welfare charities in the United States, referring to the Texas tragedy. AFP

Ministers and top officials from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -plus Egypt, Iraq and Jordan will gather at Saudi Arabia’s request.

Up for discussion in the Red Sea city is Syria’s suspension from the Arab League, imposed when President Bashar al-Assad’s government launched a bloody crackdown on prodemocracy protests in 2011.

Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, has been shunned by many Middle Eastern countries and is a Western pariah over the 12-year war, which has killed more than half-a-million people and forced about half of Syria’s pre-war population from their homes.

But on Wednesday, in the latest sign of a drawing-down in tensions towards Damascus, Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Jeddah, the first such visit since the war began. AFP

DEFIANT. Former US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he departs Trump Tower in New York on April 13. Trump was deposed Thursday in a $250 million lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleging that Trump and his children fraudulently overvalued the former president’s assets by billions of dollars. AFP

BROKEN BRIDGE. Damaged vehicles lie after the collapse of the Alambrado bridge in Caicedonia, Valle del Cauca deparment, Colombia on April 13. Authorities are investigating the causes of the collapse that left two policemen dead and did not rule out an attack, the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) said Thursday. AFP

FRENCH CLASH. Protesters clash with police officers during a demonstration on the 12th day of action after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution, in Nantes, western France on April 13. AFP

Market ends 3-day slump; SM Prime rises

TOP GAINERS

STOCKS recovered Friday from a three-day slump on fresh data showing continued slowing of inflation, fanning hopes that the Federal Reserve was nearing the end of its longrunning campaign of interest rate hikes.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 33 points, or 0.51 percent, to close at 6,481.91, as five of the six subsectors advanced, with mining and oil leading the way.

TOP LOSERS

MOST ACTIVE

The broader all-share index also went up 14 points, or 0.41 percent, to settle at 3,480.77 on a value turnover of P4.62 billion. Gainers led losers, 99 to 81, while 46 issues were unchanged.

Six of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by SM Prime Holdings Inc. which climbed 2.89 percent to P33.80 and SM Investments Corp. which moved up 2.26 percent to P904.00.

The peso slightly picked up Friday to close at 55.21 against the US dollar from 55.26 on Thursday.

Asian equities rose Friday, with Tokyo leading the way followed by Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei and Jakarta.

The surprise on-month drop in producer prices in March—the biggest since April

2020—came a day after the consumer price index dropped more than expected, suggesting the central bank’s tightening campaign was finally paying off.

A higher-than-forecast reading on jobless claims added to the positive mood, which helped send Wall Street’s three main indexes rallying, including a two percent advance for the Nasdaq.

Investors are now betting the Fed will hike rates 25 basis points at its May gathering but possibly hold after that, with some still clinging to hopes it will even cut by the end of the year.

In a sign of cooling inflation elsewhere, Singapore’s central bank kept rates steady, having previously hiked five times in a row. The move follows

Japan gov’t approves first legal casino in Osaka to draw tourists

TOKYO—Japan’s government said Friday it had approved a controversial plan to build the country’s first legal casino in Osaka, hoping to draw tourists after years of wrangling.

The local governments of Osaka and Nagasaki in western Japan have long sought approval to build “integrated resort” (IR) facilities combining casinos, convention centers, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The Osaka plan, which aims to open the casino by 2029, was approved after “sufficient examination from various perspectives”, land and transport minister Tetsuo Saito told reporters.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

praised the move, saying the complex would help development in the region and “become a tourism base that will disseminate the charm of Japan to the world.”

Japan was long the only developed nation that banned casinos but passed legislation in 2016 paving the way to make the industry legal.

And in 2018, parliament enacted a law allowing the construction of IR facilities. Critics warn that approving legal casinos could worsen the country’s already significant gambling problem.

“We have grave concerns about the decision,” a pair of NGOs that deal with gambling addiction said in an open

statement to government officials.

The groups pointed to a surge in requests for help from young people addicted to gambling via smartphones and illegal online casinos, adding the public would be better served by stronger anti-addiction measures than the casino’s approval. A 2021 government survey found about 2.2 percent of the population, or 2.8 million people, were affected by gambling addiction.

Many are hooked on the pinball-like game “pachinko” or on “pachislo” slot machines, which together annually generate 14.6 trillion yen in revenue as of 2021. AFP

‘Flash drought’ frequency increasing due to climate change—study

WASHINGTON, USA—Dryspells known as flash droughts, with a surprisingly rapid onset and often devastating impact, are becoming more frequent as human activity warms the planet, according to a study published Thursday.

Though droughts are generally thought of as long-term phenomena, some can occur quite suddenly, in a matter of weeks, when the conditions are right.

Global warming is a recipe for increasing those special conditions around the world, creating in certain areas a decrease in precipitation and increased evaporation, which dries out the soil more quickly.

For the study, published in the journal Science, researchers analyzed a combination of satellite data and ground moisture readings from a period of over 60 years (1951-2014).

“Both flash and slow droughts are increasing” as global temperatures rise, lead author Xing Yuan told AFP. But flash droughts are increasing more quickly “especially over Europe, North and East Asia, Sahel and west coast of South America,” he said.

The researcher, based out of China’s Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST), warned that the rapid onset of flash droughts gives humans little time to adapt, such as by diverting water resources or preparing for wildfires.

“The vegetation do not have enough time to adapt either,” he added. Yuan’s team used cli -

critical

mate modeling to forecast how flash droughts will change under several possible greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Even if emissions are moderate, flash droughts will continue to become more frequent across practically all regions. Under higher emissions scenarios, the trend would be more drastic.

Yuan also said the data showed a general increase in drought onset speeds, with his team finding a “robust transition at global scale” of slow to flash droughts.

“We believe the reduction in emission can slow down this transition,”

he told AFP.

The concept of flash drought emerged in the early 21st century, but has received more attention since the summer 2012 drought in the United States, which set in particularly quickly and caused more than $30 billion in economic losses.

A commentary piece by two professors in the Netherlands, also published in Science, said the study’s warning “should be taken seriously” as the threat “may be even greater than they suggest.”

David Walker of Wageningen University and Anne Van Loon of Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam,

similar decisions in Australia, India, Canada and South Korea.

This week’s data has reassured investors that US inflation is coming down and that the country’s economy could be heading for a soft landing, even though minutes from the Fed’s March policy meeting revealed some officials see a mild recession by the year’s end.

“Coming fast on the heels of yesterday’s better-than-expected [consumer prices] reading, today’s [producer price index] print, plus the in-line jobless claims report, reinforces the view that the labour market continues to rebalance and that the post-pandemic inflation scare is ending,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes. With AFP

EU regulator forms taskforce on AI chatbot

PARIS, France—The European Union’s central data regulator said Thursday that it was forming a task force to help countries deal with wildly popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, ramping up the pressure on its US maker OpenAI.

Italy temporarily banned the program last month over allegations its data-gathering broke privacy laws, and France’s regulator said Thursday that it had opened a formal procedure after receiving five complaints.

Spain’s AEPD data protection agency also said it had opened an inquiry into the software and its US owner, saying that while it favored AI development, “it must be compatible with personal rights and freedoms”.

ChatGPT can generate essays, poems and conversations from the briefest of prompts, and has proved itself capable of passing some tough exams.

But it has been dogged by concerns that its talents could lead to widespread cheating in schools, supercharge disinformation on the web and replace human workers.

And the chatbot can only function if it is trained on vast datasets, raising concerns about where OpenAI gets its data and how that information is handled. French regulator CNIL, regarded as Europe’s most powerful, has opened a case after receiving five complaints, one of which was from an MP, Eric Bothorel. He said the bot had invented details of his life, including his birth date and job history. Under Europe’s data protection regulation (GDPR), such systems are obliged to provide accurate personal data as much as possible. AFP

Prime Minister says Qatar right to buy Harrods

DOHA—Qatar’s prime minister insisted Thursday that the Gulf state had been right to buy London department store Harrods and that the gas-driven economy is doing so well that there was no plan to introduce income tax.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also said in his first interview since becoming head of government on March 17 that Qatar wanted its $450-billion sovereign wealth fund to become one of the world’s five biggest. The sheikh was questioned about the Qatar Investment Authority’s foreign purchases in the rare televised encounter between a leader of the Gulf state and an audience from the public.

Qatar bought a 17-percent stake in German auto group Volkswagen in 2009 and paid a reported $1.7 billion for Harrods in 2010.

both of whom were not involved in Yuan’s work, underlined that most of the “hot spot regions” determined by the study were particularly lowincome areas.

“These regions generally have more vulnerable populations and lower financial resources for coping mechanisms,” they said.

The pair also added that current methods for detecting droughts, often month-by-month data analyses, must be updated to “operate on shorter time scales,” due to the increase in flash droughts which “may build and trigger outcomes in just weeks. AFP

Volkswagen is recovering from scandal while the landmark London store was badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, reporting losses for 2020 and cutting hundreds of jobs.

QIA is also the owner of Paris Saint-Germain football club, which has failed to win a European title despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to sign stars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Al-Thani, a key member of the QIA leadership, defended the purchases. “Harrods was bought from the profits of our investment in Volkswagen for only one year and its value is now five times higher,” he said. AFP

DRONE FACTORY. This photo taken on April 13, 2023 shows workers producing drones at a factory in Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei province. AFP

A picture taken on April 4, 2023 shows the dry Chiba dam near the city of Korba in northeastern Tunisia. The North African country’s dams are at

lows following years of drought, exacerbated by pipeline leaks in a decrepit distribution networK. AFP

BUSINESS

By Othel V. Campos

INVESTMENT pledges approved by the Board of Investments surged 155 percent in the first quarter to P463.3 billion from P181.7 billion in the same period last year.

“With investment prospects being very positive, and as we continue to receive serious interest from global investors, we are definitely on track to meeting our new annual investment target of P1.5 trillion,” Trade Secretary and BOI chairman Alfredo Pascual said Friday.

Pascual said the economy continued

DOE approves 64 offshore wind contracts

THE Department of Energy granted 64 offshore wind service contracts with a combined capacity of 50,678 megawatts, reflecting continued strong interest in the emerging technology.

DOE assistant secretary Mylene Capongcol said companies were interested in OSW “because of its huge potentials, new and emerging technology and strong government support for OSW development in terms of policies and renewable energy goals.” OSW are situated in bodies of water which are said to have stronger wind potential than onshore wind projects.

The DOE, with the support of the World Bank, launched the Philippine Offshore Wind Roadmap last year to take advantage of wind power potential of over 170,000 MW.

The move will help DOE achieve its target to bring the RE share in the power generation mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040 from 22 percent. The DOE signed on March 30 three OSW contracts with combined capacity of 2,000 MW and investment value of about $5 billion with Copenhagen Infrastructure New Markets

Fund. Alena Mae S. Flores

Globe to roll out new system to cut downtime

GLOBE said Friday it will roll out a new technology to reduce the downtime of cell sites and ensure business continuity during typhoons and other natural disasters.

Globe said it collaborated with Amazon Web Services to develop G-Climate—a cloud native service which uses predictive analytics on various data points such as weather information, weather patterns, and cell site outage data to identify potential outages specifically during the typhoon season.

G-Climate was developed to address the impact of severe weather disturbances, which roughly causes 10 to 20 percent of outages at Globe’s cell sites.

“Since communications are vital during disasters, Globe is doing its best to minimize the impact of climate-related risks, particularly the downtime of cell sites in typhoon-prone areas.

G-Climate is one of the ways to mitigate the effects of severe weather conditions beyond our control,” said Globe Group chief sustainability and corporate communications officer Yoly Crisanto.

“It is great to see Globe create and use G-Climate App built using AWS Machine Learning services including Amazon SageMaker to drive faster operational decisions in critical situations and natural disasters like typhoons, floods, and earthquakes,” said Stephen Thomas Misa, country head of AWS Philippines.

Darwin G. Amojelar

NGCP conducts skills exhibition at substation

TRANSMISSION operator National Grid

Corp. of the Philippines held a substation operation, maintenance and testing skills exhibition in Pampanga to promote excellence in operations.

The activity, which was last held in 2015, brought together more than 100 personnel from NGCP’s operations and maintenance department for the three-day gathering to display skills, exchange best practices, hone technical competencies and foster camaraderie at Mexico substation.

The event, themed “Kagalingan sa Pagtupad ng Tungkulin” or Excellence in Task Performance, featured technical presentations on current and power transformer testing, transformer differential relay setting, power circuit breaker testing and battery bank testing.

“The talents demonstrated during the Substation Operation, Maintenance and Testing Skills Exhibition are learning experiences which we can use in effectively and efficiently maintaining the country’s transmission grid,” NGCP said in a statement.

Alena Mae S. Flores

DOTr,

By Darwin G. Amojelar

OFFICIALS of the Department of Transportation, San Miguel Corp. and the Quezon City government broke ground on Metro Rail Transit Line-7’s elevated turnback guideway along West Avenue in Quezon City Friday.

DOTr assistant secretary for railways

Jorjette Aquino said the turnback guideway would allow MRT-7 trains to revert directions upon terminating at the North Triangle Common Station on North Ave.

“This portion of the alignment is critical to ensuring that train services would remain on schedule across the entire alignment from North Avenue to San

to perform strongly, with the gross domestic product expected to grow by 7.1 percent in the first quarter, based on latest data on employment and government spending, making the Philippines one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia-Pacific.

“The steady growth is proof of the gov-

ernment’s resolve to further improve the country’s business environment through investment-friendly policies. We shall continue with our aggressive investment promotion campaigns as investments are also set to provide higher quality and better-paying jobs for Filipinos,” he said.

Data released by the BOI showed that foreign investment approvals accelerated to P165.4 billion, up by 3,722 percent from P4.33 billion a year ago. These accounted for nearly 36 percent of the total. Domestic investment approvals amounted to P297.9 billion, represent

ing a 68-percent rise from P177.3 bil

lion a year earlier.

The bulk of foreign investments came from Germany with P157 billion, followed by the Netherlands with P2.7 billion, the US with P1.2 billion, Japan with P524 million and P293 million from the United Kingdom.

Investments in Western Visayas took the top spot with P293.3 billion, followed by CALABARZON with P112.7 billion. Ilocos Region accounted for P38.7 billion; Davao Region, P3.6 billion; and Eastern Visayas, P3.6 billion. The renewable energy sector remained dominant with P440 billion in approvals in the first three months, or

156 percent higher than P172 billion in the same period last year.

Manufacturing is also on the upswing, receiving P17 billion in investment commitments, up by 416 percent from P3.3 billion. Administrative services logged in P3.7 billion; transportation and storage investments, P1.2 billion; and agriculture,P929 million.

The biggest project is German-owned wpd Philippines Inc.’s P392.4-billion offshore wind farms in Cavite, Negros Occidental and Guimaras which will provide greener power solutions to local communities and businesses.

BOI investment approvals surge by 155% IN BRIEF

By Julito G. Rada

FITCH Solutions, a unit of Fitch

Group, expects the Philippine economy to grow 5.9 percent this year, slower than 7.6 percent in 2022 because of elevated inflation and rising interest rates.

Fitch Solutions said in a report Friday the slowdown in the economy would be a key source of fiscal pressure in 2023.

LOWER POWER RATES. Manila Electric Company vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga announces a P0.1180-per-kilowatt-hour decrease in power rates this April. The downward adjustment is equivalent to P24 in monthly savings for a typical household consuming 200 kWh a month. Zaldarriaga says generation charge, the biggest bill component, went down on lower costs from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and Meralco’s power supply agreements.

Consumer confidence improved in first quarter, says BSP

CONSUMER confidence in the Philippines improved in the first quarter of 2023, compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 amid the full reopening of the economy that generated jobs and higher income, according to the latest Consumer Expectation Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Results of the survey showed that while consumer sentiment remained in the negative territory, it turned less pessimistic this year. The overall confidence index improved to -10.4 percent from -14.6 percent in the fourth quarter.

“The less negative confidence index indicates that the number of households with optimistic views increased, but it

was still lower than those with pessimistic views,” the BSP said.

Consumers attributed their improved outlook for the first quarter to their optimism on more available jobs and permanent employment, higher income from wages/salaries, remittances and other sources and positive developments in the country’s COVID-19 situation.

The relaxation of vaccination, testing and masking requirements, fewer COVID-19 cases and post-pandemic recovery of businesses made workers return to offices.

It said that for the second quarter of 2023, the confidence index declined but remained positive at 7.5 percent from 9.5 percent a quarter ago. Meanwhile,

the consumer sentiment for the next 12 months remained optimistic, as the index marginally increased to 22.7 percent from 21.7 percent.

Consistent with the nationwide consumer outlook, consumer confidence was less pessimistic for the first quarter across all three component indicators such as family financial situation, country’s economic condition and family income and low-, middle- and highincome groups.

The consumer sentiment on buying big-ticket items for the first quarter was less pessimistic, as the confidence index turned to -72.8 percent from -74.5 percent in the fourth quarter.

Julito G. Rada

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Friday, April 14, 2023

33.04 PTS.

6,481.91

F oreign e xchange r ate

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2023

“We forecast real GDP growth to slow from 7.6 percent in 2022 to 5.9 percent in 2023, which is a touch below the official projected range of 6.0 percent to 8.0 percent,” it said.

“High domestic inflation, weak external demand and aggressive monetary tightening undertaken by the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] will constrain economic growth and inevitably weigh on the public coffers,” it said.

Inflation in the first quarter averaged 8.3 percent, above the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

Fitch Solutions also said the Philippines would remain on the path of fiscal consolidation over the medium term, but at a more gradual pace.

“Expenditure looks set to remain elevated due to continued emphasis on infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, a combination of slowing economic growth and lower income tax will weigh on revenue growth,” it said.

“These have led us to be less optimistic in regard to Philippines’ fiscal position, and we now expect the shortfall to come in at 6.4 percent of GDP in 2023 which is wider than official projections of 6.1 percent [similar to our previous forecast],” it said.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

TOURISM estate developer Global-Estate Resorts Inc. said Friday net income climbed 40 percent in 2022 to P2.1 billion from P1.5 billion in 2021 on strong recovery of its real estate, hotel and leasing businesses.

GERI said in a stock exchange filing consolidated revenues went up by 47 percent in 2022 to P7.3 billion from P5 billion in 2021.

SHOPEE’S ASSISTANCE. Executives of humanitarian organization World Vision recognize Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asian and Taiwan, for its unwavering and generous support to World Vision’s various projects for vulnerable children and communities in the Philippines via Project Salute. Project Salute is World Vision’s initiative to honor its loyal and corporate partners by bestowing upon them the One for Children Plaque.

Jose del Monte,” Aquino said.

The DOTr expects the completion of the MRT 7 project by the second quarter of 2025. Aquino commended the initiatives of the Quezon City LGU for redesigning West Ave., given the expanse of physical space needed for the pillars of the turnback guideway.

“This pre-construction works’ program will guarantee the least possible disruption in the travel experience of both pedestrians and road users along West Avenue while the MRT 7 infrastructure is in place,” she said.

MRT-7, with 14 stations, will provide a smooth travel experience to about 800,000 daily commuters from San Jose

del Monte City in Bulacan to North Ave. in Quezon City, cutting down travel time from the usual two to three hours to 35 minutes.

“With the completion of other key railway projects such as the Metro Manila Subway, North South Commuter Railway, LRT 1 Cavite Extension and the MRT-4, commuting between Quezon City and the rest of the Metro Manila, and even to and from the nearby provinces will be more comfortable, accessible, safe, sustainable and affordable,” Aquino said.

“Let us all work toward sustaining the exponential resurgence of the Philippine railway industry as we move full speed

ahead and endeavor to Build, Better and More,” she said.

The project will have stations at North Ave., Quezon Memorial Circle; University Ave.; Tandang Sora Ave., Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Dona Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Ave., Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala and San Jose del Monte.

It can accommodate 300,000 passengers in its first year of operations and 850,000 passengers daily in its 12th year.

The project is an integrated transit system undertaken and fully-funded by San Miguel Corp. under a Build-Gradual Transfer-Operate, Maintain and Manage scheme.

“We have finally grown our income past our pre-pandemic level as we successfully positioned our company and captured the growing demand in the tourism and leisure market. In 2023, we look to setting new records for GERI as we continue to expand our offerings in the market,” said GERI president Monica Salomon.

Real estate sales went up by 59 percent last year to P5.9 billion from P3.7 billion as a result of higher construction completion rate.

Reservation sales improved 9 percent to P18.8 billion, boosted by strong sales take-up amounting to P5.2 billion.

GERI noted a strong demand for residential and commercial properties in Boracay Newcoast, Eastland Heights, Southwoods City, Twin Lakes and Arden Botanical Estate.

GERI launched the first phase of its 38.8-hectare Prana Garden Villas, a luxury residential village within the 340-hectare Sherwood Hills township in Trece Martires, Cavite, with a project value of P1.4 billion last year.

It also unveiled Caliraya Springs Residential Estates at The Hamptons Caliraya in Cavinti, Laguna, with a project value of P1.1 billion, The Lindgren Phase 3 at Arden Botanical Estate in Tanza, Cavite with P2.8 billion and Eastland Heights Phase 2H Village at Eastland Heights in Antipolo, Rizal with P377 million.

GERI reported 40% increase in 2022 net profit to P2.1b

Fitch Solutions forecasts 5.9% growth for PH

SMC officials break ground on MRT-7’s turnback guideway along West Ave. in Quezon City

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

Rare Manny Pacquiao ‘gold’ Funko Pop selling for P1.2M

By Randy Caluag

Gilas Youth veteran Romero commits to La Salle

Santi Romero in action

Santi Romero is not going anywhere as he has committed to play for the La Salle Archers in the UAAP. Only 18, the speedy 6’3” Romero is best known for his defense after finishing No. 2 in steals department in the NCAA.

‘Terrible’ Djokovic upset by Musetti

MONTE CARLO (AFP) – Novak Djokovic was knocked out in the last 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters by Lorenzo Musetti in three sets on Thursday after the world number one struggled badly on serve.

Djokovic, a two-time winner in the Principality in 2013 and 2015, was broken eight times before going down 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 to the 21st-ranked Musetti on a wet and chilly day on the Cote d’Azur.

“(The) feeling is terrible after playing like this, honestly. But congrats to him. He staayed tough in important moments, and that’s it,” said Djokovic.

The Serb led by a set and a break against Musetti, but the Italian youngster fought back in a scrappy second set and then prevailed in the decider after rain interrupted the match for an hour.

Musetti advances to a quarter-final meeting with compatriot Jannik Sinner, who saved a match point before beating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1.

Djokovic, the big favourite in the absence of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, surged 5-2 ahead in the opening set. He dropped serve as he tried to close it out before breaking Musetti for a third time.

The top seed again looked in control at 4-2 in the second but was broken easily in a game that started with Djokovic justifiably unhappy over a line call that went against him. Musetti won the next three games, successfully serving for the second set at the second attempt after blowing his chance while leading 5-4.

A rain shower early in the deciding set forced play to be suspended, with Musetti landing the decisive break to go 5-3 up and eventually sealing victory on his fourth match point.

“I am struggling not to cry because it is a dream for me,” said Musetti, who led Djokovic by two sets at Roland Garros in 2021 before having to retire.

“Beating Novak is something remarkable for me.”

Djokovic, holder of a record 38 Masters titles, has not gone beyond the last eight in Monte Carlo since 2015.

ALIMITED edition Manny

The item is a Manny Pacquiao Gold Funko Pop Asia Exclusive, signed by Pacquiao himself and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. What made it so rare is that only 10 pieces were released worldwide since its launch during a Funko Pop event named Mindstyle event in 2015.

“The Pacman was acquired through a friend,” said the seller Darren Khoo, who also collects NBA and WWE Funko Pops.

“(I’m) recently planning for my engagement. I have to reduce my collection to get a new place,” he said.

Khoo, who is a graduate of architecture, is a known Funko Pop collector as vouched by members of the Funko Philippines community.

“I built a reputation already in the Funko industry,” he said.

In the United States, a similar item was put on sale for $15,000, but without the signature of the Pacman, the world’s only eight-division world boxing champion.

This just proves the marketability

Pacquiao

collectible has been put on sale online for P1.2 million by its owner, an avid sports collector and selfconfessed fan of the Filipino boxing icon.

of Pacquiao and anything made in his image.

Other Pacquiao Funko Pops are the regular boxing and basketball figures, with prices ranging from P5,000 to P15,000.

The Funko Pop is a small vinyl figurine, whose design is derived from popular characters from movies and television, celebrities and brands. The figure has a large head and small body, with large, circular black eyes. They have become so popular for collectors, who shell out insane amounts just to get a hold on the most exclusive editions.

The most expensive Funko Pop to date is the Willy Wonka & Oompa Loompa (Golden Ticket), which was sold for $100,000 (P5.5 million). The pair of figurines were characters from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

It is said that only 10 of them were made, although only four were released during the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive toy convention in California.

SBU halts Perpetual’s 32-game run

By Peter Atencio

SAN Beda University, behind rookie Ralph Cabalsa, ended University of Perpetual Help System DALTA’s 32-game winning streak with a 17-25, 25-27, 25-22, 25-23, 15-11 win on Friday in Game 2 of their 98th National Collegiate Athletic Association men's volleyball championship faceoff at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.

Cabalsa had 19 points and took charge during a crucial fifth-set rally that helped tie their title showdown at 1-1.

Cabalsa’s attack during a during a 6-2 run which shattered a 9-all deadlock, allowed the Red Spikers to turn the tables on the Altas in the fifth set.

The three-peat seeking Altas will now engage the Red Spikers to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Sunday.

The last time the Altas lost a game was in Season 93, when they bowed to Arellano University in Game 1. Back then, the Altas still took the crown after ruling the next two games.

Recently-crowned MVP Louie Ramirez led the Altas, who fought their way out of a five-point deficit in the second set. But Ramirez cramped up in the third set and missed the fourth as the Red Spikers battled to a 25-23 verdict.

Meanwhile, Vince Himzon of Letran was named the top rookie and the first Best Middle Blocker.

Barbie San Andres of Mapua University and Joshua Ramilo of Emilio Aguinaldo College were the two best outside spikers, while Jethro Cabillan of Arellano was the other best middle blocker.

Joshua Zareno of Perpetual was the best opposite spiker, while Bhim Diones copped the Best Libero award and Arellano's Adrian Villados claimed the Best Setter honors.

In the women’s side, the DALTA pair of Mary Rhose Dapol and Shaila Omipon copped the two most coveted individual honors, with Dapol named as Season Most Valuable Player, and Omipon getting the Rookie of the Year award.

Del Rosario beefs up LPGT Caliraya casting

PAULINE del Rosario cashes in on the Epson Tour’s three-week break to headline the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship field, keen on stirring up play in the P1 million Ladies Philippine Golf Tour event beginning Tuesday (April 18) at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club in Cavinti, Laguna.

Del Rosario marked her LPGT debut in 2017 in dominant fashion, racking up four victories and topping the Order of Merit. She then capped her prolific season with a victory on the LPGA of Taiwan Tour.

While she has had not much success on the LPGA Tour’s farm league where she is a full card holder – with a best tied for 12th effort in last year’s

Four Winds Invitational in Indiana – del Rosario hopes to re-calibrate and sharpen her skills in the upcoming LPGT event as she builds up for the next

Epson Tour leg, the Copper Rock Championship on April 27-29 in Utah, where ICTSI teammate Dottie Ardina is the defending champion.

“No expectations but I hope to play well and continue to build some momentum when I head back to the US for the Epson Tour,” said del Rosario.

More than the competitive side and enhancing her all-around game, however, del Rosario is using the Caliraya Springs event as a chance to renew her ties with the locals aces, whom she also bested in her last LPGT appearance in 2020 at Riviera in bubble setup.

But she does expect a challenging week with the likes of Bacolod leg champion Chanelle Avaricio, reigning OOM winner Chihiro Ikeda, Harmie Constantino, Daniella Uy, Sarah Ababa and Marvi

Monsalve all geared up for a duel of power, iron game and putting on a well-kept course spruced up to championship condition.

While Rianne Malixi won’t be around to shoot for a follow-up to her big win in Iloilo last month, fellow amateurs Lois Kaye Go, Mafy Singson, Laurea Duque all seek to rise to the challenge in all three days of the championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

A crack five-player Korean crew, made up of Jane Jeong, Kim Seoyun, Kim Minyeong, Yang Juyoung and Hua Nam Eun, is also out to spoil the locals’ bid in the event, which also drew Florence Bisera, Shery Villacencio, Lovelynn Guioguio, Lucy Landicho, Eva Miñoza, Pamela Mariano, Gretchen Villacencio, Kristine Fleetwood, Apple Fudolin and Rev Alcantara.

Get this exclusive, signed Manny Pacquiao Gold Funko Pop for P1.2M.

GILAS Youth veteran and La Salle Green Hills star

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts during his match against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series tournament Round of 16 tennis match in Monte Carlo. AFP

Pauline del Rosario

During last season, Romero made a record by stealing six times in a game during the team’s stunning run to the Finals.

Two other schools have reportedly tried to lure Romero to their folds but failed.

Romero firmly believes he has a great future under La Salle coach Topex Robinson.

Filigree wins big at Asia Pacific Property Awards

HIGH end residential developer Filigree recently bagged back-to-back awards at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2023-2024.

The brand’s flagship project Botanika Nature Residences in Filinvest City in Alabang, its first project outside Metro Manila Golf Ridge Private Estate in Filinvest Mimosa+ Leisure City in Clark, and the Filigree Showsuites, bested other residential developers’ entries from the Philippines in the Architecture Multiple Residence, Residential 20+ Units, and Residential Interior Show Home categories. Vertical village

Botanika Nature Residences brought in industry experts local Architect-ofRecord Leandro V. Locsin Partners, in collaboration with California-based global architecture, planning, and design firm Architecture International, and landscape consultant AECOM, to design the vertical village, an iconic leaf shaped structure, which is intentionally set wide apart with a towering atrium at the core.

Lantern effect

Filigree’s Golf Ridge Private Estate highlighted the development’s exclusivity in an intimate, nature-inspired environment. The low density building, also designed by Leandro V Locsin Partners, constructed an illusion of a floating tower called the lantern effect.

Stately-contoured spaces

Design firm Periquet Galicia was commissioned to take on Filigree Showsuites. The 2,500-square meter property boasts of stately contoured spaces. Reflecting the high aesthetic quality of the planned spaces is a symmetrical and perfect-in-form lobby that sets the tone for the overall experience

“Filigree’s multiple awards at the Asia Pacific Property Awards proved that our brand of crafted communities is a top contender in the luxury real estate market, providing discerning clients with unparalleled living experiences,” said Daphne Sanchez, Filigree business unit head.

Heal Venture Lab opens in Makati

MEDICAL arts facility Centuria

Medical Makati, recently opened the Heal Venture Lab, an incubation hub for medical start-ups, at the Centuria’s new extension at Century Diamond Tower.

The facility aims to help local and foreign healthcare start-ups set up in the Philippines, and take advantage of the growing demand for healthcare.

“Heal Venture Lab is a healthcare investment platform that aims to bridge the gap and promote cross- border collaboration in Asia by bringing technology and capital,” explained Dr. Jaemin Park, managing partner of Heal Venture Lab.

“We aim to address other unmet health needs such as pediatric health, rural health, biopharma, and medical devices through various structures including a venture fund, incubators, and more with Heal Venture Lab as a group platform.”

The incubation hub is located on the 29th floor of the Century Diamond Tower, which will primarily serve as a free co-working space for all clinicians,

medical engineers, pharma/medtech industry professionals, and overseas medical companies who want to enter the Philippines. Centuria has more

New lifestyle township in Davao

than 600 medical experts composed of doctors, dentists, and allied health professionals, and 350 leading health and wellness brands and group

ALSONS Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev) recently launched its first mixed-use development, Northtown Center, in Cabantian, Davao City.

A nine-hectare, mixed-use development that will combine residential offerings with leisure, convenience, reliable institutions, and emergency support all in one address, Northtown Center provides a complete lifestyle by combining the natural beauty of the countryside with the conveniences of a bustling city.

“Our goal is to create an integrated hub that combines the best of nature and modern comforts in one location,” said Rosie Dominguez, Alsons Dev’s Executive Vice President. Alsons Dev is partnering with industry leaders such as DoubleDragon Properties Corp. Through DoubleDragon, Northtown Center will house Davao City’s first-ever branch of CityMall, which offers a diverse range of retail and food options.

“Our partnership with CityMall and DoubleDragon Properties allows us to bring exceptional services to Cabantian residents,” said Miguel Dominguez, Director of Alsons Dev.

LEADING IN THE DIGITAL SPACE. Digital real estate firm Presello Reality Group, Inc., recently bagged the ‘All-Star Digital Presence’ Award during the recently concluded Lamudi Broker Awards Night 2023, further strengthening its position as the top local real estate broker on social media platforms. The company hit 257% sales growth in 2022, or over 600,000,000 digital impressions on its social media pages. To date, Presello has over 2,000,000 social media followers—with close to 800,000 subscribers on YouTube and Facebook, 300k followers on TikTok, and more than 200,000 followers on Instagram. The Lamudi Broker Awards Night is a prestigious awarding ceremony for the Philippines’ top real estate professionals. At the awards night were (from left): Roy Pascual, junior partner of Presello; and Paul Ngo, top performing agent

HAVE MINIMARTS WILL TRAVEL. Eton Properties Philippines recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Alfamart Philippines, one of the fastestgrowing retail chains in the country, for plans to expand the latter’s super mini-marts around the country. Eton has around 36 projects across Metro Manila, offering highend and mid-income high-rise and horizontal residential developments, office projects, commercial centers, and mixed-use

Creating content on YouTube Shorts

INTERNET trends evolve and in the 2020s or in the era of staying at home, short-form video has become king. In 2021, YouTube announced its own take on the format in YouTube Shorts.

YouTube Shorts is an increasingly popular and exciting space that will bring lots of opportunities with audiences. Here are some helpful tips to create great YouTube Shorts content:

Find your voice. From niche to mainstream content, there’s a wide range of topics you can choose from as a creator. Focus on the theme that you’re most passionate about, and build your audience and community.

Open strong. Use the first few seconds of your Short to make your viewers stay. Hook them in with something intriguing or compelling. You may open with a question and make them stick for the answer, or promise them something they would definitely want to see. Get to the point. You can still ramble and lose your way even in a short video. Make sure you edit your script well and quickly get to what people want to hear or see with your content. Use trending music. When you use a sound for your Short, your content gets categorized under it. Naturally, that means using trending audio will increase the chances of more people watching your Short.

Promote your Shorts. To bring your content to more viewers, promote it on YouTube and beyond. Collaborate with other creators or pitch your content to relevant outlets to drive earned media. You may also use pinned comments to direct viewers to additional content on your channel.

Keep on experimenting and uploading content. Like with long-form YouTube videos, if you stay consistent, keep creating, and keep improving your content game, it won’t be long before you thrive in this format. Be patient and remember that even on YouTube, success doesn’t happen overnight. Check this site for more information and create your own YouTube Shorts content now!

TECH

LG OLED TVs bring art to life in Art Fair PH 2023

THE 2023 edition of the much awaited Art Fair Philippines showcased a remarkable display of creativity from various artists, both local and international.

It was a veritable feast for the senses as artworks of different styles and mediums were presented.

For this year, a new section was introduced that focuses on digital media, work that incorporates and engages with computer technology, animation, virtual or augmented reality, the metaverse, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

Among the artists featured were Mark Inducil and Skye Nicolas, whose unique approach to art caught the attention of many visitors.

What made Inducil and Nicolas' work stand out was their use of LG TVs as their canvas.

The two artists took advantage of the sleek and modern design of LG TVs to create their unique pieces. Mark Inducil, a multimedia artist, crafts surrealistic and dreamlike portraits and landscapes, heavily textured and rich in deep, vibrant hues. He presented a series dubbed Homecoming, which reflects his own psyche, a visual manifestation of his personal experiences and trauma.

On the other hand, Skye Nicolas's showcased works from his Walkman Series, a commemoration of music’s vigor, a powerful take on youth culture of a certain era.

The idea and substance of Nicolas’ works lean heavily towards nostalgia, belongingness, explorations, and experiments on pop culture. They transmit data from the artist to the receiver: a burgeoning garden of emotions, memories, and creative intention.

The use of technology in art is not new, but the way in which Inducil and Nicolas integrated LG TVs into their work was innovative and refreshing.

By using a modern and functional object like a TV, they were able to create something that was both visually stunning and intellectu-

Golden Haven mobile app: Ultimate solution for investment management

FOR a couple of decades now, organizations across an entire spectrum of businesses have been benefitting from digitalization, enabling them to improve productivity, hasten workflows, and increase profitability. Memorial property developers are keeping up with the times.

Aware of how digital solutions can transform customer experiences, Golden Haven Memorial Parks now offers the Golden Haven Mobile App to their clients for their investment management needs. With the app’s userfriendly interface, plus a number of helpful features, customers can access a wide range of services and resources from the comfort of their own homes. These include an online payment method, investment options, blogs, and other customer service features.

Through the Golden Haven Mobile App, clients can view their full payment history at any time, as well as retrieve information related to their investments. For those looking to boost their portfolio, the app presents a slew of investment options that clients can avail of with the click of a button. On top of this, informative blog posts provide key insights that help investors make informed decisions.

The Golden Haven Mobile App’s seamless functionality makes it a valuable tool for clients who seek

convenience in their memorialization and investment needs. On the other hand, the app offers a team of compassionate and knowledgeable staff that can readily assist customers in any or all their concerns.

In addition to these features, the app utilizes the same data encryption and secure login procedures that are standard for modern apps. These measures are in place to ensure the privacy and protection of client information, giving clients peace of mind when using the app.

Many clients have professed their satisfaction with the Golden Haven mobile app. Among them is Rommel Campo, who owns a memorial property at the eco-friendly Golden Haven in Amadeo, Cavite. Campo especially appreciates the convenience the app affords its users, calling it a “game-changer” for him as an investor. His experience with the app has been so smooth and stress-free that he has decided to invest in another property very soon.

To sum it up, the Golden Haven mobile app attests to the company's commitment to innovation and excellence in service. Download it now through app store and playstore. and experience the best in memorialization and investment management.

eyes usually miss.

You also get to see every pixel of detail.

The all-new Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro goes deeper to improve the picture.

Previously, it elevated just the frames. Now, the technique hones in on 5000 blocks across the screen for more vivid HDR down to each last detail.

Mark Inducil and Skye Nicolas took advantage of the sleek and modern design of LG TVs to create their unique pieces. LG’s α9 Gen 5 AI Processor enhances objects in the foreground and background to add natural depth, and makes colors spectacularly vivid yet accurate. ally stimulating. LG TVs are fast becoming the canvas of choice to present digital artworks. A lot of features and technological advances work together to provide a stunning display. LG's α9 Gen 5 AI Processor enhances objects in the foreground and background to add natural depth, and makes colors spectacularly vivid yet accurate. With no backlight to dull their impact,selflit pixels achieve the deepest blacks for crisp contrast in every light. Visuals are more defined, so you can make out subtle details your

And of course, the design also plays an integral part. With narrow bezels, you get fully immersed in the picture with nothing to distract

your view. The unbelievably slim design fits seamlessly into your home or gallery. The display of Inducil and Nicolas's work at Art Fair Philippines was a testament to the limitless possibilities of art. It showed that art can be created using any medium or platform, and that technology can be used to enhance the creative process. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more artists exploring new and exciting ways to create art that engages and inspires.

THE VIVO V27E Let there be light: vivo V27e’s Aura Light Algorithm shines

By Riera U. Mallari

THERE are times when one simple idea becomes the starting point of something revolutionary. In vivo’s latest smartphone offering — the V27 series – that idea was this: What if you could compress studio lighting, particularly a ring light, into a smartphone?

A ring light, for those living under a rock, produces soft, direct light on a subject, thereby minimizing shadows. Using a ring light ensures that a subject is lit evenly from the direction of the camera. Ring lights have become a fad to photography enthusiasts, vloggers, and those, who simply want to make their photos well lit, and therefore, better, that they have been a staple in studios and in even simple photography setups at home. Aura Portrait Master

The good news is that vivo has successfully incorporated a ring light into its latest V27 series, the V27 5G and the V27e (our review unit), meaning you now have the ability to take your pictorial skills anywhere with these ‘pocket studios’. The built-in ring light serves as an extra light source, but with a smoother and more polished effect compared to a regular phone camera flash.

But the challenge isn’t just putting a ring light into a smartphone, as vivo has gone a step further with its Aura Portrait Algorithm technology. Combined with the Aura Light (the soft light produced by the said ring light), another aspect in the V27’s camera system, particularly in the V27 5G variant, is the 50MP OIS Ultra Sensing main camera powered by SONY IMX766V sensor (a first in vivo’s V Series history), which has an ultra-large 1/1.56” sensor size, allowing 145 percent more light intake for a stronger picture quality even in low-light surroundings. Our V27e variant has 64MP OIS Ultra Sensing Camera and Super Night View capability to capture HD quality and vivid images.

These two, combined with the perfect synergy between hardware and software, complete the Aura Portrait Algorithm feature of the vivo V27 Series that intelligently adjusts the lighting according to the environment, perfectly capturing studio quality images for portrait shooting day and night. The vivo V27 Series intelligently adjusts the lighting according to the environment, perfectly capturing studio quality images for portrait shooting day and night.

Camera modes

The V27e offers a wide range of camera modes, including night, portrait, photo, video, micro movie, 64 MP, panorama, documents, slo-mo, time-lapse, pro, double exposure, dual view, and live photo — features that impress, making the V27 series an excellent choice for smartphone photography enthusiasts.

Design With its sleek and elegant design, as fea-

The vivo V27 Series intelligently adjusts the lighting according to the environment, perfectly capturing studio quality images for portrait shooting day and night.

tured in the Glory Black or the Lavender Purple options, the V27e is surely one of the most attractive smartphones in the market today, the plastic feel on its back panel notwithstanding. The transparent case cover that is included in the unit, is a perfect complement to showcase its looks.

The slim and lightweight build, measuring about 7.7 mm thick, for the Glory Black, or 7.8mm, for the Lavender Purple, and weighing 185 grams (Glory Black) or 186g (Lavender Purple), makes the device easy to manage, even with one hand.

Display

The V27e’s large 6.62-inch AMOLED screen with moderately sized bezels and a resolution of 1080 x 2400, delivers impressive, vivid colors with great detail and sharpness, even under sunlight.

A standout feature in the display is its 120Hz refresh rate, leading to smooth and seamless scrolling for a great user experience. The device also features a punch-hole selfie camera, an alternative to the traditional water drop notch design.

Performance

Powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset and paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the V27e offers a reliable, almost ‘trouble-free’ gaming experience. This ensures the smoothness of the Android 13 interface, with FunTouch OS 13, allowing the user, or gamer for that matter, to spend hours in Call Of Duty, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and many other games. Just don’t do the hardcore games for extended periods of time if you don’t want a reduction in

graphics’ presets.

But even if you’re not a gamer, the V27e is still a fine choice for everyday use, rendering seamless multitasking, and easy switches between various apps.

Battery

The V27e boasts of a 4,600mAh battery (a bigger 5,000mAh should have been more welcome) that can last all day on a single charge, from light to moderate, to heavy use.

Furthermore, the V27e has 66W fastcharge support, with a 15-minute charge giving the battery a 50% juice — a great feature for those who are always on the go and hate bringing those bulky powerbanks.

Our verdict

The vivo V27e won’t make you go ‘wow’ like the super vivo x90 does. But for an affordable midrange phone, that has a fantastic display, elegant style, a smooth performance for everyday tasks in both work and play, to go with unique and novel camera features such as the Aura Portrait Algorithm, the vivo V27e is a winner on its own.

Price

The vivo V27e retails for P16,999 while the vivo V27 5G is at P24,999. Both variants are now available for purchase in all vivo official stores nationwide. They are also available for purchase on vivo’s official website and Shopee, Lazada and TikTok pages.

GAC Motor concludes record quarter with Emkoo launch at MIAS

GAC

MOTOR

Philippines sustains its growth momentum, capping off the first quarter of the year with a new retail sales growth record of 228% (as compared to the same period last year) and the expansion of its line-up in the country. This growth was driven by high demand for the EMPOW sports sedan, the all-new GS8 SUV, the GS4 compact SUV and the GN6 MPV.

True to its promise of bringing in the best and the latest GAC MOTOR vehicles to the country, the company launched the EMKOO, the brand’s newest SUV, as well as the GE variant of the EMPOW during the opening day of the 2023 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) last Thursday.

The EMKOO: The future, today

The EMKOO is an ultra-modern fiveseater 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, underpinned by GAC’s Global

Platform Modular Architecture and characterized by the brand’s pioneering styling, intelligent driving technologies and high-efficiency drivetrains. Pioneering Styling

The overall design of the EMKOO is bold, captivating, and futuristic. Inspired by Sci-Fi elements, the industrial aesthetic design is defined by sharp feature lines,

Changan CS35 Plus makes waves at MIAS

CHANGAN Auto’s best-selling CS35

Plus once again proves its prowess on its return to this year’s Manila International Auto Show.

Attendees of the annual motor show can catch the full story of the CS35 Plus’ remarkable 100,000-kilometer (km) endurance test and check out the original unit used for the run at its very own “Beyond the Vision” 100,000-km Zone.

“We put up this exhibit to present to the public a ‘body of proof’ to the power and durability of the CS35 Plus,” said CMPI President and CEO Maria Fe Perez-Agudo. The endurance run saw the then-brand new and newly-arrived CS35 Plus driven for seven months through various road and weather conditions from North to South of the Philippines until it racked up a total mileage of 100,000 kilometers, equivalent to five years of usage. That’s approximately 20,000 km a year or 54 km a day.

“It’s like driving non-stop from Laoag City to Zamboanga City 29 and a half times,” added Ms. Agudo.

After the punishing drive and given the recommended PMS, the CS35 Plus emerged in peak roadworthy condition. Major components, like the engine, suspension, air conditioning system and electrical system, did not require replacing. Only the consumable PMS parts were changed--brake pads, oil, tires, wiper blades, and drive belt.

“Proof of durability strengthens the Changan customer promise of LASTING SAFETY,” affirmed Ms. Agudo. “The CS35 Plus’ outstanding performance confirms Changan’s commitment to constantly improve its automotive technology so that the quality and performance of every model that it rolls out keeps on getting better each time.

This is tangible proof that Changan takes care of you and your car.”

angular edges and a dynamic stance that add appeal to the distinct look and headturning presence of the EMKOO. The front face is borderless and adopts a V-shape grille, which is accentuated with sleek LED powered headlights and DRLs. These lights may be programmed to light up individually and sequentially to provide a visual experience.

The futuristic vibe continues on the low-nose, high-tail side profile of the car with power mirrors and windows framed by chrome and black trims, hidden door handles that pop out when activated, and a swooping diagonal angle that cuts across the passenger doors. The avantgarde EMKOO sports a fast-back design, adorned with a uniquely-shaped high-level

brake light, V-shape formation tail lights and dual vertical twin exhaust pipes. The compact five-seater SUV sits well on its 19-inch multi-spoke wheels, perfectly positioned, balanced and reassuring. Inside, the EMKOO is highly sensorial. Intelligent technology is integrated into the cabin’s interior, which was given attention and texture to give passengers an immersive experience while on the road.

A host of Advanced Driving Assist Systems (ADAS) helps to ensure safe drives with the EMKOO, including Adaptive Cruise Control with Integrated Cruise Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Lane Keep Assist, among others.

Pricing, variants and colors of the EMKOO

• 1.5L EMKOO GE - Php 1,413,000

• 1.5L EMKOO GL - Php 1,553,000

Available in five colors: Lagoon Green (launch color), Glacier White, Moon Grey, Starry Silver and Elegant Black. GAC Motor’s finest at the MIAS 2023 Alongside the launches of the EMKOO, the brand’s display at the MIAS 2023 also showcases the muscular and powerful EMPOW, the premium and elegant allnew GS8 SUV, the versatile and reliable GS4 compact SUV, and the spacious and highly comfortable GN6 MPV.

Special pricing during MIAS 2023

For a limited time only, GAC MOTOR Philippines is offering an additional PHP 20,000 discount on top of current promo offers on all vehicle reservations made at the MIAS or in any GAC dealership nationwide up to tomorrow, April 16, 2023. Low-interest financing plans are also offered in partnership with Security Bank. Each vehicle purchased comes with a five-year warranty on parts and services.

JETOUR has officially set its first footprints here in the Philippines as it made its public reveal last Thursday during the kick-off of the 2023 Manila International Auto Show. However, prior to its grand showcase of vehicles, namely the DASHING, X70, X70 Plus, and the Ice Cream EV, a big announcement was made as it inked its partnership with “Team Kramer” power couple Doug and Cheska Kramer – along with their kids Kendra, Scarlett, and Gavin. The family will be the new faces of the brand as it pushes for increased visibility and awareness among Filipinos.

The collaboration specifically features the Kramers in a marketing campaign to represent Jetour’s seven-seater family SUV, the X70.

As successful influencers, Team Kramer embodies the values of elegance, sophistication, and innovation that Jetour Auto stands for. The family is widely recognized for a sense of style and commitment to a good life, making the Kramers the perfect ambassadors for Jetour.

For his part, Doug Kramer shared, “We’ve always been on the hunt for an efficient, sporty seven-seater, while being mindful of our budget. The Jetour X70 Plus ticks all these boxes, and the interior looks amazing. We couldn’t be happier with our decision.”

The partnership between Jetour and Team Kramer will include various digital and traditional marketing campaigns, including social media, out-of-home, and print advertisements.

Next Generation Ford Territory: Fusing strikingly modern designs, intelligently

FORD Philippines is once again setting the benchmark for 5-seater SUVs in the Philippines with the official launch of the Next-Generation Ford Territory, a dynamically-designed and efficientlyengineered Ford SUV that follows the highest global quality standards.

Three years after the first-generation Ford Territory was introduced in the market in 2020 which sold more than 20,000 units, Ford Philippines brings in the latest generation of the highly-popular 5-seater SUV that boasts of a striking design, premium interiors, efficient performance, and smart technologies that are expected to resonate with Filipino customers—particularly first-time car buyers, young professionals, and small families.

Ford Philippines boosts its Territory portfolio with the addition of a premium variant – the Territory Titanium X. Both the Territory Titanium and Titanium X models come with a 5-year warranty or up to 150,000 km, whichever comes first.

‘Progressive energy in strength’ design philosophy

The Next-Gen Ford Territory was envisioned through Ford’s new ‘Progressive Energy in Strength’ design philosophy. It embodies three fundamental design principles: commanding, responsive, and smart. One look at the Next-Gen Ford Territory’s exterior and the Ford DNA is immediately visible. The Territory’s front, consisting of an integrated honeycomb grille, signature daytime running lamps, and

DRIVEN by the brand promise to bring the “power of Allure” to its customers, Peugeot continues to accelerate its momentum into 2023 with an expanded model range.

On the opening day of the 2023 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS), Peugeot Philippines brand head Maricar Parco introduced new model variants, reaffirming the brand’s commitment to offer Filipinos the opportunity to drive a truly European car that provides pure exhilaration.

“I am proud to announce that the Peugeot 3008 SUV and the Peugeot 5008 SUV will now be available in two variants: Active and Allure. With two variants, each with its own character and persona, our discerning Filipino customers will have a wider selection of Peugeot vehicles to choose from to find the best match for their lifestyle needs,” said Parco. The

advanced features

full LED headlights lowered towards the ground to expand lighting coverage, create a more powerful look.

From the front to the back, the Next-Gen Territory’s contemporary design language can be seen. The elements in the body and rear of the vehicle emphasize 3D floating graphics and represent a more youthful energy of the SUV.

The Next-Gen Territory also boasts 18-inch and 19-inch Alloy Wheels for Titanium and Titanium X, respectively. For an added premium feel, the Titanium X variant comes with a Panoramic Moonroof that bathes the cabin in natural light with just a press of a button.

Premium Craftsmanship Inside

The Next-Gen Ford Territory’s interior provides a convenient and sophisticated space that caters to a wide range of customer

needs. The horizontal coast-to-coast design evokes a connecting space in an embracing gesture, creating openness and spaciousness. The cabin is designed with dynamic and well-matched color arrays that highlight the harmony of blue and wood dark tones. The combination of white and other color options also creates a unique aesthetic contrast within the interior design. Comfort and function are maximized through Perforated and Ventilated Leather seats for Titanium X, with a 10-Way Power Adjust for the driver’s seat and 4-Way Manual Adjust for the passenger seat for both variants. Convenient and Connected

The Next-Gen Territory also offers convenience and comfort for customers with a wide range of smart features. A minimalist design in the center cabin with a large 12-inch central touch screen, spread to the sides, incorporating a 7-inch (Titanium) or 12-inch (Titanium X) digital instrument cluster that supports the driver with easier access to controls of all vehicle functions. A rotary e-Shifter helps change gears with ease while providing access to audio and other function controls in just a click.

The hands-free liftgate is also available for the Titanium X variant.

interest financing plans are also offered in partnership with Security Bank. New vehicles purchased will come with oneyear free emergency roadside assistance supported by Ibero Asistencia, a global provider of roadside assistance services.

The brand is also showcasing the Peugeot E-2008 at the MIAS, giving Filipinos a glimpse into the Lion brand’s upcoming electrification initiative for the market with the introduction of new models and technologies to its range.

Also attending the MIAS, Daniel Gonzalez, COO for ASEAN & General Distributors, Stellantis, said “Our goal is to provide more sustainable mobility options for our customers and exceed their expectations. We aim to become an industry leader in the fight against climate change, achieve net zero carbon emissions globally by 2038 and introduce more than 75 BEVs by 2030.”

Globally, Peugeot has bold targets for electrification, aiming to have a 100% fully electric line-up in Europe by 2030.