Manila Standard - 2023 May 13 - Saturday

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

A MUNTINLUPA City court has acquitted detained former senator Leila de

Lima of one of the two remaining drug cases filed against her that alleged she was involved in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison when she still headed the Department of Justice.

In his decision, Presiding Judge Abraham Alcantara of the Muntinlupa City

Regional Trial Court Branch 204 absolved De Lima of drug charges on the grounds of reasonable doubt.

"It's a glorious day. This is the beginning of my vindication," said De Lima, 63, as police escorted her to a waiting bus after the verdict.

Kuwait row a big loss for PH

$600m OFW remittances at stake over deployment ban counter-move

By Julito G. Rada, Rey E. Requejo, and Maricel V. Cruz

THE Philippines stands to lose about $600 million (about P33.5 billion) in remittances by its overseas workers in Kuwait annually after the Middle Eastern state imposed an entry ban on all Filipinos, except those with an “iqama” or residence permit.

The ban was imposed supposedly because the Philippines failed to comply with a labor agree

ment between the two countries.

Data obtained by Manila Standard from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Friday showed that cash remittances from Filipinos working in the Gulf state reached $597.186 million in 2022, 3.7 percent higher than the year before, and accounted for 1.8 percent of total remittances by OFWs last year that reached $32.54 billion.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Paul Cortes told CNN Philippines that the ban took effect May 10 and covers Filipinos, even those issued with visas, who are entering Kuwait.

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Admin managing economy well, Speaker tells IMF

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is managing the economy well, as shown by the higherthan-expected growth in the first quarter of 2023, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said Friday.

He made the statement in reaction to the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that the economy

grew by 6.4 percent in the first three months of this year.

The House leader assured the people that the economy remains on the high-growth path.

Romualdez pointed out that the high-growth quarters and the first quarter of this year represent the first nine months of the Marcos administration.

“The average economic expan-

sion during that period is 7.07 percent, which is a respectable growth rate that is slightly higher than the median of last year’s growth target of 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent. So the economy is in good hands,” he said.

The Speaker added that the government is expected to ramp up spending, especially on infrastructure and social services.

Bersamin: President has power to shuffle Cabinet

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has the power to appoint to his Cabinet candidates who lost in the national and local elections in May last year, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Friday.

The President on Tuesday confirmed he was planning a reorganization of his Cabinet after the constitutional ban on appointing losing candidates to government

MOTHER'S DAY BOUQUETS.

Flower sellers in Dangwa, Manila prepare their wares on Friday for the surge of customers seeking gifts for Mother’s Day this Sunday.

Norman Cruz

End human trafficking ‘scourge,’ PBBM

orders, as 6 Pinoys saved

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the human trafficking scourge in the country eradicated, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Friday.

This developed as at least six Filipinos who fell victim to a human trafficking scheme in Myanmar have returned to the Philippines, after being tortured and forced to pay up to P300,000 each by their employers.

Sixty more Filipinos remain captive in Myanmar, authorities added.

“The statement of the President is

strong, and his desire is to eradicate trafficking in persons as it is another form of slavery,”

Bersamin told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) at the AFP commissioned officers’ clubhouse in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. “So, the PAOCC has been given this task to run after the criminals committing this trafficking in persons, and to rescue the people who were victims of this crime,” he said.

High Court junks Makabayan petition vs. Maharlika bill, says it’s premature

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has junked the petition filed by the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives seeking to declare the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill unconstitutional after "failing to establish the existence of an actual case or controversy."

“(Petitioner Neri) Colmenares et al.’s mere allegation of unconstitutionality of the President’s certification of HB (House Bill) 6608 and the passage of the bill by the House are not sufficient to warrant re-

view by the Court,” the SC said in a resolution released Friday.

The high court stressed that the petitioners did not establish sufficient or concrete facts to enable the Court to adjudicate the issues presented.

“In fact, and by their own admission, the Senate has yet to act on the counterpart bill of HB 6608. To date, no law has been passed and HB 6608 remains pending with the House for further revisions, eliminating petitioners and legislators’ concerns regarding the expedited passage of HB 6608 in the House,” the SC said.

posts one year after the general elections lapsed on May 9.

Cagayan De Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez had appealed to Mr. Marcos not to "recycle" candidates who lost in last year's polls by giving them Cabinet posts.

But Bersamin said: “Appeals like that should not be made. They mean very well, but you know, there are good peo-

ple, and if the President wants to replace some people in the Cabinet right now, he is within his full political power to exercise that choice.”

The Executive Secretary added that the President's discretion on filling vacant government positions extends to individuals who are planning to run in the 2025 midterm elections.

TWO CASES DOWN. Detained former Senator Leila De Lima leaves the Regional Trial Court in Muntinlupa City on Friday after attending the hearing on one of the remaining illegal drugs charges against her, in which she was acquitted.

Danny Pata

ECONOMIC BRIEFING. Speaker Martin Romualdez (second from left) briefs Mission Members from the International Monetary Fund on the ecomomic reforms being implemented by the government. Flanking him are Rep. Stella Quimbo and House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, while the IMF was represented by Mission Chief Jay Peiris; Resident Representative Ragnar Gudmundsson; Senior Economist Yinqiu Lu; and Economist Tristan Hennig. Ver Noveno

PBBM lauds Cerberus investment

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed optimism Friday on the Philippines' chances to regain its footing in the global shipbuilding industry with the aggressive investment and expansion of Cerberus Global Investment LLC.

“We’re all very excited about this project and… we have always tried to find a way to regain our position in the shipbuilding. We were already number 2 for awhile, and then when Hanjin closed (we went down),” President Marcos said during a meeting with Cerberus top executives in Malacañang.

Cerberus is a global alternative investment firm with assets across credit, pri-

Kuwait...

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Earlier reports from GMA News TV said Filipinos already on their way to Kuwait have been kept from boarding their flights following the country’s suspension of their visas.

About 3,000 workers headed to Kuwait are stranded in the Philippines owing to the ban, while those already in the Gulf state were saddened by the development, ABS-CBN reported last night.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said the ban was a way to pressure the Philippines into lifting its deployment ban on first-time Filipino household workers Kuwait following the murder of 35-year-old Jullebee Ranara, whose burned remains were left in a desert in Kuwait by the 17-year-old son of her employer, who confessed to killing her.

The deployment ban was imposed in February to obtain guaranteed protection for Filipino household workers in Kuwait.

De Vega said Kuwait's response to the ban was to "expand" the non-deployment of Filipinos to all other workers, aside from household workers.

"What Kuwait is saying is: well, we won't take other workers then. So that was obviously their response and some measure of pressure, shall we say, for the Philippines to reconsider its decision," De Vega said in a television interview.

De Vega said the effect of the entry ban would not be massive. There are 275,000 to 300,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, almost all of whom have residency. About 5,000 to 10,000 are undocumented, he added.

The DFA official noted there have been two recurring issues the Kuwaiti government is concerned about pertaining to the bilateral labor agree -

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"May I say this to my oppressors: you can never crucify the truth."

The acquittal came after the court found reasonable doubt that De Lima and Ronnie Dayan, her co-accused and former bodyguard, were involved in the illegal drug trade—a case brought against her by the Duterte administration.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte accepted the decision of the court to acquit de Lima, according to Salvador Panelo, presidential legal counsel during his administration.

Panelo said Duterte told him that as a lawyer he should abide by the court ruling on De Lima's case, according to a

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“That is quite bad for us,” he added.

The PAOCC, which helped facilitate the repatriation of the Filipino victims, said they were recruited through social media by false promises of employment in Thailand as customer sales representatives.

Last week, the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) rescued about 1,000 people of different nationalities, who were allegedly forced to work for a cyber fraud outfit in Clark, Pampanga.

Upon arriving in Thailand, the Filipino workers were taken via boat across the Moei River to the border town of Myawaddy in Myanmar, where they were forced to stay in a dormitory building and compelled to work as online cryptocurrency scammers.

In a press conference, the victims, who arrived in Manila on Thursday night, recounted what they went through at the hands of traffickers in Myanmar.

"The first thing we were told was that we would be sales representatives. We were called direct sales. The problem was that what we were doing was scamming people through dating sites in the US," Lovelyn, not her real name, told reporters in an ABS-CBN report.

According to PAOCC director Winston Casio, the scam targeted men from the United States, Europe, and Australia.

"It is a love style in which men, whether European, Australian or American, 35 years old and above, lonely, without emotional support and financially independent. They will entice these men.

vate equity, and real estate strategies.

Former US Vice President and Cerberus chairman James Danforth “Dan” Quayle told the President during the courtesy call that the company isexcited to be a part of the Philippine economic growth story and has been planning more and bigger investments to the Philippines.

Apart from Quayle, the company of-

ment of both countries.

These are an initiative to set up a shelter for runaway Filipino household workers and the effort to reach out to Kuwaiti employers over reports of abuses.

De Vega said these efforts have been identified by Kuwait as violations of its labor laws.

"They say, under Kuwaiti law, there should not be a shelter forrunaway workers but then again under Philippine law, we have to have those shelters and of course it is the obligation of the Philippine government to protect them," he said.

"We are not encouraging them to escape from their employers,” he said.

“But in case of abuses and they have to leave, then they have to have a place to go to.”

De Vega said the second issue they were complaining about was that whenever there is a complaint about labor abuse, the Philippine government asks the worker's foreign placement agency in Kuwait to contact the employer, which is also not allowable under Kuwaiti law.

While these issues are referred to by Kuwait as violations, these are "not clearly defined in the agreement (between Kuwait and the Philippines)," De Vega said.

De Vega said Kuwait was not sending home those who are already there, and those who are visiting the Philippines can still return, as long as they have a Kuwait civil residence ID. But Kuwait is not issuing new visas to Filipinos.

He said Filipino authorities would fight for the interests of Filipino workers in talks this month or June.

“Now, this is up to our people, do we lift the deployment ban while Ranara's case is not yet resolved? Will we lift the ban while giving in to Kuwait's demands?” De Vega said in Filipino, adding that this could last several months.

De Vega said the decision to lift the

GMA News “24 Oras” report.

Duterte also said he was not the one who started the case against the detained former senator, a staunch critic of his anti-illegal drugs campaign. The former chief executive said he never interfered with any decision of the executive departments in his administration.

The court stated that while the prosecution was able to establish the existence of rampant illegal drug trading at the New Bilibid Prison, the retraction of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Rafael Ragos cast reasonable doubt on De Lima and Dayan’s involvement in it.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla welcomed the court’s acquittal of De Lima, saying "the rule of law has prevailed, and it just points out to us that the independence of the judiciary is a basic

Now once they fall for it, that's when it's going to be like, 'Maybe you want to invest in cryptocurrency?' They go slowly until they can get their victim's money," he said.

Aside from Filipinos, other victims of the human trafficking scheme were Pakistani, Indonesian, Ethiopian, Nigerian, and Sri Lankan, and Malaysian, Lovelyn said.

Meredith, another victim, said the physical abuse started when they asked their employers to return to the Philippines.

She said they were told to pay at least US$7,000 or around P300,000 each in exchange for their freedom, and were physically assaulted each day that they failed to produce the required amount.

"When they asked me to send money to the family, on my side, nothing was sent, just a little. So, on the first day, I was hit by a pipe in the head, in different parts of the body, and my back," Meredith said.

“On the second day, the beating came every 30 minutes. When they ask me if I have money — I couldn't really produce anything on my side.

That's when they beat me every 30 minutes in the back. Ten blows, a man was beating me, he was a Chinese man," she added.

A video obtained by the PAOCC showed a Filipina, her hands restrainedby two uniformed Chinese males, being beaten by a third Chinese national who repeatedly hit her back with a stick inside her dormitory. It was unclear whether the Filipina was among the repatriated victims.

Arjay, another victim, also narrated enduring torture from his traffickers.

Vince Lopez (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

ficials who met the President were Cerberus Co-Chief Executive Frank Bruno and Co-head Alexander Benard.

The Cerberus offer came following the President’s success in the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo Indonesia earlier this week.

Cerberus acquired Subic shipyard in 2022 and has invested $40 million to make the shipyard operational again. Currently, the Philippine Navy has a naval operating base in Subic with 800 personnel.

Hyundai, one of the most prestigious shipbuilding companies, expressed interest in using two drydocks in Subic for shipbuilding, which, officials said could

ban will still have to bediscussed by concerned agencies, including the DFA and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

"We have meetings today. We hope to engage the Congress as well, (and then) eventually give recommendations to the President," he said.

De Vega said the Philippines "won't just lift the ban just like that,"as the country is still seeking justice for Ranara.

There will be meetings with Kuwaiti officials this month.

Remittances from Kuwait declined at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching $580 million in 2020 and $576 million in 2021. In 2016, cash remittances from Kuwait hit a record $856 million.

Last year, cash remittances from all Filipinos abroad rose 3.6 percent to a record $32.54 billion from $31.42 billion a year ago on sustained demand for skilled Filipino workers overseas. The full-yearremittances growth, however, missed the official target of 4 percent earlier set by the Bangko Sentral.

The growth in cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia,Singapore, Qatar, and United Kingdom contributed largely to the increase in remittances from January to December 2022. In terms of country sources, the US posted the highest share of overall remittances in 2022, followed by Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

For the month of December alone, cash remittances coursed through banks grew by 5.8 percent to an all-time high, on a monthly basis, of $3.16 billion from $2.99 billion a year ago due to the growth in receipts from land- and sea-based workers.

Philippine remittances from overseas workers have consistently been the fourth largest in the world after India, China, and Mexico, amounting to about $35 billion per year in 2020, a sign of resilience despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

foundation of our democratic system."

"It’s good. It’s good for us. It just proves that things are working in our country," Remulla said. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, reacting to the acquittal, said the country’s justice system is working.

De Lima, who has been detained in Camp Crame since February 2017, was accused of benefiting financially from the alleged illegal drug trade inside the NBP during her stint as Justice secretary to support her senatorial bid in 2016. She has consistently denied these allegations.

In May 2022, Ragos retracted his testimony against De Lima.

Ragos had earlier claimed that he and aide Jovencio Ablen Jr. delivered P5 million in proceeds from the illegal drug trade inside the NBP to De Lima's house

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generate 5,000 to 15,000 jobs. Hyundai eyes to move to the facility by year end.

Cerberus, employing a different approach to investment, wants to ensure diverse economic activity by having multiple companies engaged in various businesses.

The firm also sees value and potential in improving the Subic airport for logistics or cargo and plans to propose to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to convert the airport into a cargo and logistics hub.

Aside from those ventures, Cerberus is also looking to invest in the country’s semiconductors, and energy sectors.

Vince Lopez

The Philippines has been among the biggest suppliers of nurses around the world, accounting for at least 20 percent of the total globally.

The Philippines has also been the biggest supplier of seafarers worldwide, accounting for about 20 percent to 25 percent of the total around the world.

An official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said officials are discussing what should be the best response to Kuwait’s suspension of entry and work visas for Filipinos.

The Kuwait Directorate General of Civil Aviation on May 10 ordered airport personnel to bar Filipinos from entering the country, except for those who are Kuwait residents.

The chairperson of Migrante, Arman Hernando, said the DFA and DMW must act swiftly to find out what the country’s alleged labor agreement violations are.

This is also a good time to see how both the Philippine and Kuwait are complying with agreements to protect migrant workers, Hernando said.

Kuwait hosts from 275,000 to 300,000 Filipinos, most of them household workers while some are in the hotel, restaurant, and healthcare industries, De Vega said.

The DFA said the Philippines remained committed to resolving bilateral issues "in an amicable manner."

"In the case of Kuwait, we are confident that with our friendly relations and strong people-to-people links, we shall be able to find a mutually satisfactory solution that will take into account the need to provide maximum protection and access to justice for all our nationals working in the country," the agency said.

The DMW issued a statement vowing to continue pursuing the track of labor diplomacy to ensure the welfare and safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), while awaiting more details as to why the Kuwaiti government imposed the entry ban.

in Parañaque City in 2012.

The court noted that Ragos was the only one who had personal knowledge of the source of money.

“Under the circumstances of this case, the testimony of witness Ragos is necessary to sustain any possible conviction. Without his testimony, the crucial link to establish conspiracy is shrouded with reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled.

“Ultimately, the retraction created reasonable doubt which warrants the acquittal of both accused,” the trial court declared.

In a statement read by De Lima’s lawyer Filibon Tacardon, said she had no doubt that she would be acquitted in all cases filed against her by the Duterte administration. With AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

The high tribunal pointed out that it has no reason to give due course to the “premature petition” without an actual case or controversy “ripe for adjudication.”

But the asserted that there is already an actual case or controversy because a constitutional provision has been violated.

“By the foregoing consumed and completed actions, the facts are already sufficient to judicially determine whether or not there has been grave abuse of discretion on the part of the President and the lower House in certifying a bill urgent when there is no calamity or emergency being addressed,” it said.

Because of this, the petitioners submitted a motion for reconsideration, seeking to have the petition assigned to a ponencia and be considered for full disposition.

The petitioners include Bayan Muna chairman Colmenares, former Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, ACT Teachers party-list group Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, and the House of Representatives are the respondents to the petition.

The MIF bill was approved on its third and final reading at the House back in December with 279 yes votes, six no votes, and zero abstentions. In March, the bill creating the MIF reached the Senate plenary after the committee ended its hearings on the Maharlika bills.

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“The government will be the lead driver of economic activities and job and income generation,” he said.

Romualdez also said an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation was impressed by the economic performance of the Philippines and government policies meant to ensure sustained economic growth would benefit ordinary Filipinos.

The Speaker met with the IMF mission members and briefed them on the pro-poor reforms being implemented by the administration to ensure that no one

Minority solons push for P64k pay for nurses

ON INTERNATIONAL Nurses Day, the minority bloc in the House of Representatives rallied behind proposed new legislation that would increase by 75 percent the starting base pay of public nurses.

House Minority Leader and 4Ps partylist Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan on Friday moved to formally co-author House Bill No. 5276, which seeks to raise from P36,619 to P63,997 the minimum monthly base pay of government nurses.

Under the bill, the lowest base pay of nurses employed in publichealth institutions would be bumped up by six notches to Salary Grade 21 prescribed under the Salary Standardization Law of 2019.

Libanan expressed his desire to co-author HB No. 5276 in a letter addressed to Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, who first introduced the measure in September last year.

In his letter to Rillo, Libanan said: “I am in agreement with you that we have to provide our nurses working in public health institutions with competitive salary and benefits so as to entice them to continue their service to the Filipino people.”

Libanan cited the heroism of Filipino nurses and other health professionals serving on the frontlines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maricel Cruz

DFA: Top Aussie envoy Wong in PH next week

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said the Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong will visit the Philippines next week.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wong will be in the country from May 16 to 19 for an official visit upon his invitation.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy played host to the navies of SoutheastAsia to formally open the ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise or AMNEX this year in Subic, Zambales.

Seven foreign “gray” ships will participate in the exercises and are currently docked at the Subic Naval Operating Base, the Philippine Navy said.

The two-day sea phase of the AMNEX opens today in the waters nearZambales in the West Philippine Sea, away from the areas disputed by China and other countries.

According to the DFA, Manalo and Wong will meet on May 18 to discuss a broad range of issues of mutual interest, including defense and security partnership, development cooperation, trade and investment, and people-topeople ties. Rey E. Requejo

Bersamin:...

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This was after House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan also called on the President to only appoint those who have no plans to run in the next polls to ensure that they would remain focused and committed to their work for the government.

"Who are we to prohibit someone from running because they want to serve the country? Others want to serve but are not called by the President. That's his wisdom," said Bersamin, a former Chief Justice before Mr. Marcos tapped him to become the so-called “Little President.”

According to the 1987 Constitution, no candidate “who has lost in any election shall, within one year after such election, be appointed to any office in the Government or any government-owned or -controlled corporations or in any of their subsidiaries."

However, the Marcos administration has at least three executive departments without permanent secretaries.

The Department of Health is headed by Undersecretary and Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergiere, while the Department of National Defense is led by Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

The President, meanwhile, heads the Agriculture department as its concurrent Secretary. Vince Lopez (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

will be left behind in the country’s postpandemic economic recovery.

The IMF was represented by Mission Chief Jay Peiris; Resident Representative Ragnar Gudmundsson; Senior Economist Yinqiu Lu; and Economist Tristan Hennig.

“From our discussions, I could confidently say that the IMF mission members were impressed with the Philippines' economic performance and the government's economic agenda. They expressed confidence that the Philippines will continue to grow strongly in the years ahead,” he added.

Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Friday reiterated his call for

the government to undertake a “spending catch-up plan” to “fortify the country’s economy from global headwinds and reap more benefits out of the budget earlier."

"I still believe that we need a spending catch-up plan to release funds for projects faster next quarter,” said Salceda, chair of the House committee on ways and means.

Also on Friday, Senator Christopher Go lauded the administration, saying that the government is on the right track, and reiterated his commitment to support programs aimed at uplifting the lives of the poor. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

IN BRIEF

NPC gets bomb threat through FB account

THE National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Friday received a bomb threat earlier through its official Facebook page.

In a statement, the agency said it took the threat very seriously and implemented “all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of our premises and personnel.”

“Upon receiving the bomb threat, we immediately activated our emergency response procedures and notified the security office of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) where our office is located. We have already coordinated with the relevant authorities and will be working closely with them to ascertain the credibility and origin of the threat,” the NPC said in a statement.

COA also audits PH’s solid waste production

DESPITE the passage of the Solid Waste Management Law, the Philippines’ annual production of solid waste has been increasing over the years due to inconsistent policies and a lack of waste facilities and landfills, the Commission on Audit (COA) lamented.

In its performance audit of the country’s Solid Waste Management Program released last May 3, the COA noted that waste management continued to be a concern, adding that the country’s solid waste reached 16.63 million metric tons in 2020, rising to 19.76 million metric tons in 2030, and 24.50 million metric tons by 2045.

“After two decades of implementation, the program may not be seen as progressively achieving its goals and objectives, as manifested by the steadily increasing volume of generated solid waste, including the many gaps noted in the program implementation. Instead of reducing solid waste generation, it steadily increased through the years,” the COA said.

Solon: PhilHealth lacks health service providers

A PARTY-list lawmaker on Friday disclosed the lack of accredited service providers under the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) package.

Rep. Ray Reyes of AnaKalusugan, vice chair of the House Committee on Health, said the number of healthcare service providers was not enough to cater to PhilHealth members who want to avail themselves of the program.

Citing data from PhilHealth, Reyes said as of March 31, 2023, only 1,931 of the required 5,014 Accredited Konsulta Providers have enrolled in the program. Maricel V. Cruz

Pagadian gov’t inks accord on renewable energy

THE people of Pagadian City looks forward to enjoying a reliable and sustainable supply of renewable energy as a result of the completion of a hybrid power plant by mid-2025.

Pagadian Mayor Sammy Co signed a memorandum of cooperation with executives of the Oltama Development for the construction of the power project in ceremony held at the Acacia Hotel Davao last May 5.

The event was viewed as another milestone in Pagadian’s continuing struggle for economic growth.

Target completion of the project will be sometime in the 2nd quarter of 2025.

The cost of electricity in Pagadian is expected to be significantly reduced with the hybrid power plant in place.

“Renewable energy is our way forward in having consistent access to new sources of energy and maintaining a balance in our environment,” Co said.

GCash forges tie-up with DICT to fight system fraud

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Macon Ramos-Araneta

GCASH , the mobile wallet of Globe Telecom Inc. on Friday said it is ramping up partnership with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) against fraudsters and other cybercriminals.

Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) said it has launched a probe on the GCash glitch which resulted in unauthorized transfers of money from hundreds of accounts.

In a related development, Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada eyes the imposition of imprisonment and as much as P5 million fine against cyber criminals targeting virtual or electronic wallets and

similar platforms. GCash legal and security officials paid a courtesy call on CICC chief Undersecretary Alexander Ramos, days after a system glitch resulting in unauthorized money transfers. Gilda Maquilan, GCash vice president for public affairs and corporate communications, reported earlier that after receiving reports of irregular funds’ movement from the subscriber’s accounts, the

mobile wallet management immediately conducted a probe and detected phishing as the cause of the problem.

She said scammers could have taken advantage of the ongoing SIM card registration and managed to access vital personal information of the victims which were used in the anomalous fund transfers.

Maquilan said the stolen funds were later traced to various accounts registered with Asia United Bank and East West Bank, after which, the full amount were reverted to their GCash virtual wallets.

GCash has signed a memorandum of agreement with the CICC in 2022 in a bid to strengthen collaboration in going after perpetrators involved in phishing, smishing, online fraud and scams, vishing, and other cybercrimes that target GCash users.

PBBM mulling nuclear energy to resolve PH’s power shortage

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

on Thursday said the government considers tapping nuclear energy among other sources of power to meet the country’s growing demand and avert a possible power crisis.

In a media interview on board his flight back to the Philippines, the President stressed the immediate need to ramp up the Philippines’ energy supply.

Marcos revealed that even before he took office, he had been looking at nuclear energy as an option to address the persistent power shortage.

“Even before I took office, we were already talking about looking into that. It turns out there are many nuclear technologies, different ones. We learned a lot in our last visit to Washington and then— even though we are in the EU (European Union), there are many differences,” the President said.

In his recent working visit to the US, the Chief Executive said he was looking at a “cutting-edge” micro nuclear fuel technology as part of his administration’s efforts to solve the country’s power crisis.

While in Washington, DC, Marcos met with officials of the Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC), a USbased firm global leader and vertical integrator of nuclear technologies and services.

USNC officials expressed interest in bringing clean and reliable nuclear energy to the Philippines, describing the move as “probably a very important way for us to enter the (Philippine) market.”

DOLE eyes ‘balanced solution’ to proposed P150-daily wage hike

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has underscored the need for a “balanced solution” on the proposed P150-acrossthe-board minimum wage hike for private sector workers.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep.

Luis Raymund Villafuerte appealed to the Senate to prioritize the passage of a measure that provides protection and relief to over 1.5 million Filipino freelance workers.

In an interview with ANC Friday, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma gave assurance that the DOLE was not sitting on the wage hike petitions

which were being reviewed by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards.

“I would not want to preempt also what the Senate committee would be coming up... The important thing is that they recognized the need for a serious consideration. The fact that they created [and] approved a tech -

nical working group is an indication that they also recognized that there is a need for them to look at a balanced solution,” Laguesma said.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has filed a bill seeking to increase the daily wage rate of private employees by P150, or an adjustment of about P3,000 a month.

DA says PBBM favors use of biofertilizers

PRESDIENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is promoting “balanced fertilization” with the aim of increasing rice growth and production in the country, an official of the Department of Agricultural (DA) said on Friday.

In a press briefing at Malacañang, Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian said the DA recently issued Memorandum Order No. 32 embodying the guidelines on the distribution and use of biofertilizers to boost farmers’ productivity and rice output.

“Our rice production here in the Philippines, we saw last year, we had problems with the high prices of fertilizers, those inputs. And we saw in the Department of Agriculture, we need to find a way that we don’t rely too much on imported inorganic fertilizer,” Sebastian said.

“One more thing, the quality of our soil, when I was looking at it, I was analyzing our situation here in the Philippines, the soil fertility is also failing - the health of the soil. Our farmers know this. Even though we are pouring in... we have fertilizer subsidies, we have certified seeds that are being distributed, we see that it is not improving much because the health of our soil is failing,” the DA official noted.

With the promotion of the “balanced fertilization,” Sebastian said the farmers would be using organic fertilizer as basal with biofertilizer to improve the growth of rice seedlings.

“And the biofertilizer also harvests, you take nitrogen from the air or the soil, and convert it into nitrogen that the plant gets. Then there is still additional urea. So that’s what we call balanced fertilization,” Sebastian explained. Vince Lopez

BLOODLETTING IN GAPO. Olongapo City Philippine National Red Cross chairperson Katherine Gordon oversees a blood-donation event with the participation of volunteers and staff of the local Red Cross chapter.

ANTIPOLO JOB FAIR.

Jobseekers flock to the SM Cherry in Antipolo City to apply during a job fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and SM Mall on Friday. (Inset)

DOLE Provincial Director Engr. Joseph Gacosta (3rd from right) Antipolo City

First District Councilor Enrico De Guzman (middle) (representing Antipolo City Mayor Ynares) and SM

Supermalls Regional Operations Manager Don Edward Vijandre (3rd from left) and other officials lead the ceremonial ribboncutting during the opening of the job fair.

More disciplinary actions vs. Teves

By Maricel V. Cruz

REP. Felimon Espares, chair of the House of Representatives committee on ethics, on Friday shared the view of Speaker Martin G. Romualdez that Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr may face another disciplinary action should he insist on not returning home and continue neglecting his legislative functions.

“(Teves) “is already abandoning his oath of office as a member of the House where he swore to have allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines and to obey the orders of the duly constituted authorities,” Espares said in an interview. Espares was reacting to the decision

DOH detects 3

THE Department of Health (DOH) reported that it has detected three additional cases of the Omicron COVID-19 subvariant XBB.1.16, raising the tally to four.

The DOH further said the three local XBB.1.16 cases were found in Western Visayas, ABS-CBN News reported.

XBB.1.16, also known as “Arcturus,” is a descendent lineage of XBB, a recombinant of two BA.2 descendent lineages. The DOH previously said the strain is capable of evading immunity and appears to be more contagious than previous variants.

The DOH, quoted by ABS-CBN News, added that COVID-19 cases continued to increase, with a daily average of 1,533 cases as of May 10, which is 75 percent higher from last week. This is similar to the number of cases reported on July 11, 2022, with 1,506 cases per day, it added.

The agency also detected 197 new cases of omicron subvariants.

President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. meanwhile said the Philippines has already been on “normal footing” even before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a media interview on board his flight back to the Philippines, Mr. Marcos said there is no need to restore the emergency status in the country concerning the global health emergency downgrade. Vince Lopez

IN BRIEF

Agents seize 5 kilos of poppy pods in Pasay BUREAU of Customs (BOC) agents seized more than five kilos of poppy pods worth millions of pesos and arrested its claimant at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.

In a statement, the BOC said the seizure is part of the agency’s strengthened anti-illegal drug campaign, in coordination with other law enforcement agencies.

The illegal drugs were discovered after the BOC conducted an intensive regular X-ray screening at the CMEC warehouse, and found the parcel declared as “prepared food of cereal corn flakes” which came from Murcia, Spain.

A Customs examiner conducted a physical examination in the presence of the claimant, representatives from XIP, Customs Anti-illegal Drug Task Force, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, Enforcement and Security Service, and PDEA.

“After the physical examination, the subject parcel yielded more or less 5.05 kilos of poppy pods with seeds, a precursor of opium,” the BOC said. Vito Barcelo

of the government of Timor-Leste to reject the request Teves to seek political asylum in the country. Espares however said Teves “should still be considered a member of the House of Representatives despite his seeming abandonment of his oath of office.”

Teves was suspended by the House for 60 days in late March for failure to return to the country and face the Ethics Committee despite the expiration of his US visa.

Article VI, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution provides the House the power to penalize its members for disorderly behavior. The penalty ranges from reprimand, suspension to expulsion.

He added Teves’s privileges and immunities are also suspended, stressing that the Negros Oriental congressman’s status can never be used to evade justice. Nevertheless, Espares said Teves deserves the right to be heard, stressing that “due process” is “fundamental.”

Espares also urged Teves to heed the appeal of the Philippine government authorities led by no less than President Marcos and his fellow legislators to return home “in order to be present and allowed to participate in all deliberations.”

The House has unanimously imposed a 60-day suspension on Teves over his refusal to return home to report for legislative work amid an expired travel authority.

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa meanwhile decided to end the inquiry on the killing of the Degamo and eight others after 80 persons from Negros Oriental faced five hearings. The hearing also tackled political families—and rivals—in the province.

PH AS WELLNESS HUB.

Department of Tourism (DOT)

Secretary Cristina GarciaFrasco and Agora and Hadi Malaeb, CEO of Agora Group sign a partnership positioning the Philippines as an emerging medical and wellness tourism destination in Asia. The DOT and Agora are expected to participate at the First International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress (IHWTC) 2023 in Germany.

Take part in climate plan, DENR chief urges youth

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Antonia Loyzaga has cited the important role of the youth in tackling climate change, urging young Filipinos to take an active role in crafting solutions to the ongoing climate crisis.

She made the call during an event at the DENR central office in Quezon City as part of the agency’s Earth Day celebration with the theme “Invest in our Planet, Invest in our Youth.”

Over 150 high school, college students, and teachers from Metro Manila attended the event.

“Invest in our youth. We are in the middle of an emergency — and that is the climate crisis. What we need to do with you, the youth, is to become part of the solution,” Loyzaga said.

Rio N. Araja

3 Taguig centenarians get P100K cash gifts

THE Taguig City government on Friday named three centenarian awardees for the month of May.

The awardees were Antonia Alano, 100 years old, of Barangay Countryside; Antonia Gavierez, 103 years old, of Barangay Hagonoy; and Maria Quintua, 101 years old, from Barangay North Daang Hari.

The local government through the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs gave the three centenarians a cash gift of ₱100,000.

Alano is a first time awardee while Gavierez and Quinta, received their 4th and second recognition, respectively. Mayor Laarni Cayetano said each centenarian receives a ₱100,000 cash gift when they turn 100 years old and will continue to receive the amount every year while they live.

Joel E. Zurbano

Hontiveros: Revoke ‘misleading’ contracts for OFWs going to Taiwan

SENATOR Risa Hontiveros is calling on the country’s labor officials to rescind misleading contracts signed by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for Taiwan.

In a dialogue, the employees revealed that there are many inconsistencies between the contracts they signed with their recruiters in Manila, compared with the

Affidavits for Wage / Salary and Expenses, which are the contracts they signed with their employers in Taiwan. Though many do not encounter this problem, Hontiveros said those who do had to endure abuse and exploitation by their employers. The dialogue was attended by OFWs from various parts of Tai-

‘Specialty health centers to help medical evacuees’

DEPUTY Speaker and Batangas

Rep. Ralph G. Recto said the recently passed House bill regionalizing heart, lung, kidney, and 13 other specialty centers will help “medical evacuees” who flee to big cities for treatment and medical scholars whose studies are funded by the government to plug the lack of doctors.

Recto said the National Network of Medical Specialty Centers Bill, which the House passed on Monday, seeks to spare the sick and their families from the “financial pain “of going to Manila, Cebu, and Davao where government specialty centers are.

It will also create more “treat-trainteach” hospitals that would complement

the Doktor Para Sa Bayan program, which will fund 3,600 scholars in 32 schools in 15 regions this year, Recto said.

The bill calls for the establishment by the DOH of National Specialty Centers, Advanced Comprehensive Specialty Centers, and Basic Comprehensive Specialty Center in selected DOH hospitals. Maricel Cruz

Authorities intercept smuggled diesel in Pangasinan

By Joel E. Zurbano

GOVERNMENT agents have inter-

cepted a motor vessel loaded with P54 million worth of smuggled diesel in a subport in Sual, Pangasinan.

The operation was conducted by a composite team from Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS),

Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) and the Port Operations Division of the Subport of Sual, in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Navy (PN), and Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Group.

The team seized an estimated 1,350 kiloliters of smuggled diesel fuel from 12 compartments of the vessel MV Veronica-1.

Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio lauded the operation. “I commend the Port of San Fernando and the joint task force for their successful operation against smuggled fuel. This achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting our economy from the adverse effects of smuggling,” Rubio said.

wan, such as Taipei, Taichung, Taoyuan, Tainan, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, and others.

To be a foreign worker in Taiwan, an OFW must sign an Affidavit for Wage/ Salary and Expenses which is also signed by labor brokers and the employer. It is meant to protect the OFW against unfavorable conditions.

However, the senator believes unscrupulous recruiters have found a loophole that enables the exploitation of many Filipinos. For instance, many migrants who applied and trained in Manila as caregivers ended up being farmers of pinyin or betel nuts (nganga), which the workers say is backbreaking work. Macon Ramos-Araneta

more ‘Arcturus’ cases in Visayas

Manny Palmero

‘Drop that grand ambition of a Code of Conduct for navigation in the SCS’

ONLY countries littoral to the South China Sea (SCS) should be allowed to participate, navigate and exercise in the area in the proposed Code of Conduct for navigation.

This should be the basis upon which countries could be made members.

While the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) appears willing to accept as members countries alien or intruder to the region, such cannot be made a criteria.

They are not littoral states to the SCS to rightfully allow them to have a legitimate claim; they being not members of the ASEAN, much that not all ASEAN countries have littoral access to the SCS, and are given access of innocent passage in the SCS.

The members of the ASEAN today are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

On September 16, 1963, the so-called Federation of Malaysia was formed.

The membership of Sabah and Sarawak located in the island of Borneo made these portions of the federation littoral states to the SCS.

Legally, these two federated countries have pending claims in the SCS, and claims that began in 1963.

Prior to that, they cannot be considered legitimate claimants to any of the islands, they not being littoral states or have direct access to the SCS.

such is allowed by the Constitution to have the bases leased or rented to foreign countries

Prior to the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) on December 10, 1982, all countries littoral to the SCS observed the normal and traditional waterline of 12-mile limit from their outermost baseline.

There was confusion on our part because the Philippines adopted the “archipelagic doctrine” understood as the Tolentino Doctrine.

This is found in the 2nd sentence of Article 1 of the 1987 Constitution.

The Archipelagic Doctrine states that “all waters, around between and connecting different islands belonging to the Philippine Archipelago, irrespective of their width or dimension, are necessary appurtenances of its land territory, forming an integral part of the national or inland waters, subject to the exclusive sovereignty of the Philippines.”

The provision emphasizes the unity of the land and waters by defining an archipelago as group of islands surrounded by waters or a body of waters studded with islands.

To emphasize unity, an imaginary single baseline is drawn around the islands by joining appropriate points of the outermost islands of the archipelago with straight lines and all islands and waters enclosed within the baseline to form part of its territory.

As stated, the approval of UNCLOS expanded the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to 200-mile from the country’s outermost base.

Generally, a state’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is an area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea, extending seaward to a distance of no more than 200 nautical miles, 370 km out from its coastal baseline.

The exception to this rule occurs when EEZ

By Melandrew T. Velasco

I AM rather troubled by reports on continued imports of agricultural products—crops, poultry and meat included—although our country is basically agricultural.

I wish by this time we had addressed the problems confronting the agricultural sector embedded for generations.

I wish we were now a self-reliant and selfsufficient country—at par with or even better than our regional neighbors in terms of food.

I had the great privilege of serving as communications and media consultant at the DA during the stints of then Secretary Leonardo Montemayor and former Secretary Arthur Yap with the then Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel Paras. I remain optimistic though that we will get there with the right government policies under the leadership of PBBM who has taken on the role of Secretary at the Department of Agriculture, and with the help of the private sector.

While this is noble, I believe it’s about time President Marcos Jr. appointed a permanent DA Secretary. Over the past week, three reports caught my attention.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported the value of production in agriculture and fisheries at constant 2018 prices in the first quarter of 2023

Essence of victory

THE essence of sports is winning through fair play.

Sadly, some competitions in the Southeast Asian Games currently happening in Phnom Penh, Cambodia is not the best example of this notion.

The Filipino coaches raised a video protest.

For nearly an hour they were pleading their case and insisted on getting the point. Some of the technical committee members, composed mainly of Vietnamese, of course, didn’t budge.

But the coaches, claiming any martial artist worth his salt know it was a scoring punch.

Philippines’ video protest and a succeeding formal written protest.

And here’s the catch.

The gold was awarded to the Vietnamese via raffle draw.

Sheer luck.

would overlap; that is, state coastal baselines are less than 400 nmi (740 km) apart.

When an overlap occurs, it is up to the states to delineate the actual maritime boundary.

Generally, any point within an overlapping area defaults to the nearest state.

A state’s EEZ starts at the seaward edge of its territorial sea and extends outward to a distance of 200 nmi (370 km) from the baseline.

The EEZ stretches much farther into sea than the territorial waters, which end at 12 nmi (22 km) from the coastal baseline (if following the rules set out in the UNCLOS.

Thus, the EEZ includes the contiguous zone.

States also have rights to the seabed of what is called the continental shelf up to 350 nmi (650 km) from the coastal baseline, beyond the EEZ but such areas are not part of their EEZ.

The legal definition of the continental shelf does not directly correspond to the geological meaning of the term, as it also includes the continental rise and slope, and the entire seabed within the EEZ.

Countries that have no littoral right in the SCS should not be accorded the right/privilege to be a member or conduct navigation in the identified area.

They are considered geographically alien or intruder to the SCS. They have no littoral right to the sea, so to speak.

The insistence by the Philippines to ratify the Code of Conduct is rather misplaced.

First, the US is not a member of the ASEAN or is geographically located in the SCS.

Second, its claim of securing the territorial integrity and security of Taiwan is rather a political act of the US or an exercise of hegemony in this part of the globe.

Third, the Philippines has long become independent and is not obligated or duty-bound to defend a foreign county.

The Philippines’ position of insisting in giving equal rights and privileges to countries and foreign ships to exercise its code of conduct for navigation right inside the heartland of South China Sea is akin to giving them right authority to conduct, guide, and give direction to their navies to enjoy such right to enforce its own rules of navigation within the SCS.

Such would only intensity competition and exacerbate conflict among navies allowed to operate in the SCS.

Surely, the US navy or even of its allies from the West would never submit themselves to jurisdiction and be placed under the command of foreign navies indigenously allowed to operate in the SCS.

Our President is therefore advised to drop his grand ambition for a greater Code of Conduct for navies operating in the SCS.

Such ambition might just qualitatively be developed to one of a rules-based principle wholly advantageous to the US which many countries see as rather suspicious and laden with selfish motivations.

The young Marcos should never allow himself as subaltern promoting US hegemonism and unilateralism in guise of promoting peace, freedom and democracy.

The US, as it insists, conducts its foreign relations based on what it calls rules-based principles of international law.

US commitment to Taiwan will not bind the Philippines under EDCA nor such is allowed by the Constitution to have the bases leased or rented to foreign countries.

Moreover, our country’s seemingly closer ties with the US now may destabilize the ASEAN as it could lead to polarization, and the pitting of US and China against each other.

The objective of ASEAN is to remain nonaligned.

BBM’s leaning on the US foreign policy will cause harm to the relationship between the Philippines and other ASEAN countries.

(rpkapunan@gmail.com)

One story that touched the hearts was that of a Filipina athlete who lost what could have been the Philippines’ first ever SEA Games gold in vovinam, a martial art sport that originated in Vietnam more than 70 years ago. Hergie Bacyadan, a former national wushu and boxing player, participated for the first time in vovinam, after learning and training in the sport for three months. She didn’t disappoint as she handily won her first match in the semifinals over a Thai foe. Then it was the final battle against a bet from powerhouse team Vietnam.

Using her sheer power and gifted fighting skills, Hergie matched up well with the Vietnamese and ended the bout, including the extra round at 6-6. But in the final seconds, there was a clear punch that should have been scored and made the difference in favor of Hergie.

THE reading during the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is taken from the Gospel of John, where Jesus assures His disciples that if they love Him, they will obey His commandments.

This statement highlights the inseparable connection between love for Jesus and obedience to His commandments.

Jesus is expressing that genuine love for Him is intimately linked to obedience to His teachings. It implies that love for Jesus should manifest itself through the disciples’ actions and adherence to His instructions.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus promises to ask the Father to send them the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will be with them always.

Jesus also promises to reveal Himself to those who love Him and keep His word, assuring them of the Father’s love and their eternal dwelling with Him.

During the 40 days between His Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus gradually prepares His disciples for His departure.

He helps them understand that His presence will not be the same as before. Although He will always be with them, even until the end of time, He will not physically be by their side to guide them or converse with them face-to-face.

However, God, through the Holy Spirit, will make Jesus Christ present in a new way.

This is the essence of the Easter Season, leading up to Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost is not merely the 50th day of celebrating Jesus’ Resurrection; it signifies the culmination of the Easter Season.

Pentecost represents the joyous celebration of the Holy Spirit’s manifestation, making Jesus present in the world in a new way— through the Church.

The Gospel reading reminds us that God is always with us, caring for us, regardless of our circumstances or location.

In the Gospel, Jesus reassures us that He has not abandoned us but has sent the Holy Spirit to be our eternal companion.

The promise of the Holy Spirit is

When the Vietnamese coach was called, he claimed there was a counter punch that should be scored for his wars.

In an instant, the committee heard and agreed with him, even if it looked like it was just a glancing blow--and a committee member also said it was a blow by the palm.

Both are not scoring hits.

In the end, the committee denied the

Everyone in the venue cheered the Filipino, knowing she should have won. The Philippines did not take it sitting down as they pursued the case. Again, they were denied.

Other participating counties also complained of the inefficient scoring of referees and judges.

Thailand said it will not allow unfair judging when they turn host in the next SEA Games in 2025.

Vietnamese officials of the sport are trying to grow and propagate the sport of vovinam globally.

It should begin with a more efficient scoring system to prevent misjudgment and perception of favoritism so that other countries can be lured to join.

Athletes train for long hours with sweat and blood.

It would be a big injustice to let them lose due to incompetence -- if not undue bias-- of officials.

A gold medal should be won in the battlefield fair and square.

significant, as Jesus assures His disciples that the Spirit will remain with them forever.

This gospel emphasizes the importance of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. The Spirit serves as a guide and empowers us to live out our faith, keeping us connected to Christ.

The promise of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of Jesus to those who love Him are interconnected.

The Holy Spirit serves as the bridge between Jesus and His disciples, making their connection and relationship with Him possible.

The Spirit’s presence empowers believers to love and obey Jesus, facilitating a genuine experience of His presence and the Father’s love.

or destroyed by distance or death. In fact, the Church extends beyond those currently living on earth (the Church Militant) and encompasses those in Purgatory (the Church Suffering) and Heaven (the Church Triumphant).

Even more challenging than physical barriers are the divisions among us. The Holy Spirit helps us love others, even when it seems difficult.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can love others as God the Father loves them, inviting them into His embrace in Heaven.

If we were to encounter our worst enemy at the gates of Heaven, would we refuse to enter due to our lack of love for them? Is our animosity stronger than our desire to be with God?

Likewise, the Holy Spirit empowers us to love others as God the Son loves them.

Specifically, the Spirit helps us love others as Jesus did on Good Friday when He willingly endured crucifixion out of love for all humanity.

This promise of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of Jesus holds great significance for Christians.

It assures them that they are not alone in their journey of faith.

The Holy Spirit, as the Advocate, provides guidance, wisdom, and strength to navigate life’s challenges and remain faithful to Christ’s teachings.

The revelation of Jesus brings comfort and assurance of His love, assuring believers that they are known and cherished by the divine.

Similar to how ligaments hold our physical bodies together, the Holy Spirit binds us together, making us one body in Christ.

Even when physically separated from our loved ones, or when faced with death, the Holy Spirit sustains our relationships.

The Body of Christ cannot be diminished

SMC initiatives to stoke up agri growth

registered P428.69 billion which indicates an annual growth of 2.1 percent.

Another report, this time on employment rate in March 2023, revealed it was higher at 95.3 percent than last year’s 94.2 percent for the same month.

According to the report, by broad industry group, the agriculture sector accounted for 23.5 percent of total employed persons.

Sadly, agriculture and forestry was among the five sub-sectors with the largest drop in the number of employed persons from March 2022 to March 2023.

The third news I found very inspiring was about San Miguel Corporation’s direct corn buying program that provides farmers with a ready market for their corn produce at fair prices.

The program was launched in 2020 and, to date, SMChas purchased P23.9-billion worth of corn. This translates to over 1.3 million metric tons of local corn.

Farmers from 13 areas are the beneficiaries of this program.

These are Batangas, Bicol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Isabela, Ormoc, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Zamboanga. Plans are afoot to expand the number of provinces to be included in the corn buying program this year. Through this program, farmers earn more as middlemen are eliminated.

SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang envisions the program as a means to support local

farmers and increase economic activity.

“Supporting local farmers provides our country multiple benefits—from creating jobs and improving livelihood in the provinces to stimulating local economies and reducing our dependence on imports,” he said.

Likewise, the program will help preserve farmlands. “These can be sustained for food production and remain viable resources for generations to come,” he added.

SMC’s direct corn buying program could be a template for other local food manufacturers who are dependent on imported raw materials for their products.

A program like this ensures a steady supply of raw materials. It could also entice more Filipinos to engage in farming knowing that there is a ready market for their produce.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SMC established the Better World Diliman to provide consumers with fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices.

SMC collaborated with Rural Rising PH to rescue over 1.7 million kilograms of fruits and vegetables from farmers who had difficulty finding market for their agricultural harvests.

This collaboration boosted incomes of about 4,500 farmers from Luzon, prevented crop spoilage and wastage, and ensured the availability of food despite the pandemic.

During the pandemic, SMC subsidiary San Miguel Foods, Inc. purchased 500,000 metric tons of corn from farmers nationwide who were affected by quarantine protocols and supply chain difficulties.

‘We are happy to help bridge the gap between farmers and end-consumers by ensuring farmers get better-than-farmgate prices for their agricultural produce to earn higher incomes while offering these directly to consumers, including our employees,” RSA said.

At the moment of His death, Jesus, in His divine intellect, could see every human sinner throughout history, including the future. Yet, instead of condemning them, He loved them by offering His life for theirs.

Every person we encounter is an essential part of our spiritual journey in the Way of Christ Jesus, whether we acknowledge it or not.

Each individual plays a role in our path. Sometimes, this path is narrow, requiring reconciliation.

The Holy Spirit is not interested in superficial or “cheap love.”

Instead, the Spirit leads us to love as Jesus did on Calvary—self-sacrificial love, embracing the Cross as a gift from the Father. Website: tonylavina.com. Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

The SMC top executive believes food security is a pressing issue. That is why SMC is committed to support the agricultural development of the country. And this commitment goes beyond purchasing excess produce but also providing marketing facilities and supporting communitybased agriculture initiatives.

Other SMC initiatives to help the agriculture sector include sourcing cassava, an important raw material for its business through the cassava assembler’s program. It also has contract growers for its poultry requirements.

Rent-free spaces for farmers are provided by SMC at the Circolo Market in partnership with the Cabuyao Agriculture Office in Laguna. Farmer and fisherfolk relocatees at the San Miguel Christian Gayeta Homes in Quezon province also benefit from rent-free spaces at the San Miguel Market in Sariaya town.

SMC and the Department of Agriculture in 2020 expanded Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita rolling stores located at Petron stations to help farmers sell their produce.

The conglomerate also supports RSA Farmers Association members in their rabbitry and hograising livelihood projects.

Let us help ensure the growth of our agricultural sector, not only to feed Filipinos but to make it a strong driver of economic development.

Let us work to guarantee agricultural productivity and profitability.

Let us be inspired by the example set by SMC and its top honcho Ramon S. Ang.

(The author is president and executive director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc. A prolific writer, he is publisher of biographies and coffeetable books.)

Taiwanese firm investing billions in battery factory in northern France

DUNKIRK, France—Taiwanese

battery maker Prologium said Friday it will invest billions of dollars in building a new factory in northern France for its first European plant.

The group hopes to start production at the end of 2026 and ramp up over several years until it has some 3,000 employees in the factory.

It will invest 5.2 billion euros ($5.7 billion) in Dunkirk by 2030, and produce batteries for hundreds of thousands of cars there once at full capacity.

The group specializes in the development of “solid-state” batteries which are considered more powerful, safer, and quicker to charge than the lithium-ion cells often used in electric vehicles.

“We can charge 80 percent of the battery in 12 minutes... if if we take the Tesla model 3 this 80 percent (will take) 20 minutes,” said Gilles Normand, vice president for international development.

Solid-state batteries are also around 50 kilograms lighter, he added, which makes a big difference to the performance of the car carrying it.

The Taiwanese group decided on Dunkirk because it allows proximity to its customers too, he said, with many electric vehicle factories located in northern Europe.

The plant will also contribute 12,000 indirect jobs in the region, Prologium said.

“Dunkirk is extremely well connected: rail, road, highway; it’s a deep sea harbor so easy for us to import and export some of our products,” Normand said.

“It’s fair to say that there is a developing ecosystem for batteries in northern France”.

Another three projects have already been announced in the region, he said, including a project by China’s Envision group at a Renault factory and a plant for French battery start-up Verkor. AFP

Stock market ends three-day advance; PLDT leads gainers

STOCKS tumbled Friday to end a three-day advance on lingering worries over global economic recovery and banking sector uncertainty.

The PSE index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Exchange, shed 97 points, or 1.46 percent, to close at 6,578.15, as all six subsectors declined.

The index representing all shares also went down by 40 points, or 1.14 percent, to settle at 3,510.95 on a value turnover of P5.51 billion. Losers outmatched gainers, 105 to 62, while 54 issues were unchanged.

Only one of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green. PLDT Inc. rose 2.24

percent to P1,235.00. Asian markets were mixed Friday as traders weighed a range of issues including US debt ceiling hopes and high-level talks between Washington and Beijing. Investors hoping the Federal Reserve will finally take a breather from its longrunning campaign of interest rate hikes have been left feeling a little more confident this week after data showed inflation on both a consumer and wholesale level continued to ease in April.

Their hopes were given a further boost Thursday by news that jobless claims last week hit their highest since October 2021, suggesting the labor market was showing some slack.

The Fed has long said it needed to see a softening in employment as well as a drop in inflation before it could consider ending its rate hike drive and look at a potential cut in borrowing costs.

“US economic data overnight con-

TOP GAINERS

tinued the theme of tentative signs of a softening labor market and room for optimism about the inflation outlook,” said National Australia Bank’s Taylor Nugent.

“Caution on one week’s claims number is always well advised, but the incremental signal looks to be a more compelling trend higher.”

There was also some positive news out of Washington that US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi met in Vienna this week, as the superpowers seek to temper tensions over a number of issues, particularly Taiwan.

The eight hours of talks over Wednesday and Thursday also covered Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and capped an unofficial pause in highlevel contact since the United States shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon earlier in the year. With AFP

Apple to launch first online store in Vietnam to tap its tech-savvy youth

HANOI, Vietnam—Apple will launch its first online store in Vietnam next week, the company said Friday, hoping to cash in on the country’s young and tech-savvy population.

The iPhone maker is among a host of global tech giants including Intel, Samsung and LG, that have chosen Vietnam for assembly of their products.

But up to now, the Silicon Valley giant has sold its products in Vietnam’s market of 100 million people via authorized resellers.

“We’re honored to be expanding in Vietnam,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of retail in an online statement in Vietnamese.

The country’s communist government says it wants 85 percent of its

adult population to have access to a smartphone by 2025, up from the current 73 percent.

Less than a third of the country’s mobile users have an iPhone, according to market research platform Statista. Through online stores, “clients in Vietnam can discover products and connect with our experienced experts,” O’Brien said in the statement.

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The production of accessories and assembly of mobile phones account for up to 70 percent of electronics manufacturing in Vietnam. Products are mainly for export.

Official figures said Vietnam’s mobile phone production industry reported an import-export turnover of US$114 billion last year, a third of the country’s total import-export revenue. AFP

US announces plan to curb power plant emissions to combat climate crisis

WASHINGTON, USA—President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday announced sweeping plans to curb planet-warming emissions from the nation’s power stations, as part of the United States’ efforts to combat the climate crisis.

Starting from 2030, the proposal would target fossil fuel electricity production with increasingly stringent carbon reduction requirements, including compelling some coal plants to directly capture pollution from their smokestacks.

“In every corner of our nation, Americans are seeing and feeling the devastating impacts of climate change,” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan said at an event announcing the draft rules.

“It’s clear that we’ve reached a pivotal point in human history, and it’s on all of us to act right now to protect our future.”

The agency estimated its measures targeting coal and natural gas would prevent 617 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere through 2042, equivalent to reducing the annual emissions of half the cars in the United States.

But the proposals are certain to face legal challenges from Republican-run states that could place them before the conservative-majority Supreme Court, which has previously knocked back efforts to regulate the sector.

US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell denounced the proposals, saying they posed “an existential threat to providers of affordable and reliable American energy.”

US power plant emissions have been declining, thanks to a drop in the cost of renewables.

But they are still responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gasses produced by the world’s largest economy.

That has made it a prime target for Biden, who has pledged to cut emissions from electricity production to zero by 2035.

“I think this rule is important by declaring that the era of unlimited carbon pollution from power plants is over,” Dan Lashof, director of World Resources Institute, United States, told AFP.

The proposed standards “mark a pivotal turning point,” with the EPA “rightfully and necessarily moving to hold coal- and gas-fired power plants to account for their ongoing carbon pollution,” added Julie McNamara of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Carbon capture Under the rules, measures for fossil fuel plants would vary by the type of plant, whether it operates frequently or just to shore up the grid during peak demand, and how long it is planned to remain in service. For example, coal-fired plants that don’t have commitments to retire by 2040 would be required to remove 90 percent of their carbon starting from 2030. On the other hand, coal plants set to retire by 2032 will face no restrictions. Natural gas power stations that run frequently will be required to either implement carbon capture technology or partly switch to hydrogen, which burns without emissions.

Both Lashof and McNamara said they had hoped for deeper and faster reductions for gas plants.

Boosting the use of carbon capture was slammed both by climate justice groups and the fossil fuel industry.

“If we are to combat climate change we must do so with real, viable solutions—not unproven technologies that only promise to continue the legacy of dumping pollutants onto frontline communities,” said Ozawa Bineshi Albert of the Climate Justice Alliance.

The National Mining Association said that although carbon capture was key to the future, mandating its use “before this technology is technically and fully economically demonstrated is nothing more than unlawful showmanship reinforcing a destructive agenda.”

The technology is in its infancy, with only “around 35” facilities globally applying it for industrial processes, fuel transformation and power generation, according to the International Energy Agency.

But the Biden administration is betting on the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers tax credits for carbon capture, coupled with advances in technology to speed up adoption.

Legally defensible?

Former president Barack Obama first tried to regulate the power sector almost a decade ago, but the high court ruled his plans were too broad and exceeded the executive branch’s authority. The new rule limits itself to acting “within the fence line” of an individual power plant, which officials hope will improve its chances of surviving legal challenges. AFP

SAN FRANCISCO, USA—Elon Musk on Thursday said he has hired someone to replace him as boss of Twitter and its newly named X Corporation parent.

Twitter users in December voted to oust owner Musk as chief executive in an unscientific poll he organized and promised to honor, just weeks after he took charge of the social media giant.

“Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter,” Musk said in a tweet, without disclosing the name of his replacement but adding that she would start in the job in about six weeks.

“My role will transition to being exec chair & chief technology officer, overseeing product, software & system operations,” the billionaire added.

Musk’s running of Twitter has been criticized as taking his attention away from his jobs heading Tesla and SpaceX.

However, he appears to be “finally reading the room” regarding “this Twitter nightmare” and the “impossible task” of trying to balance running Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors.

If Musk follows through on the announcement, he will be belatedly fulfilling the promise he made to honor the results of his Twitter poll.

A total of 57.5 percent of more than 17 million accounts voted for him to step down.

“I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job!” Musk tweeted at the time.

Musk has fully owned Twitter since late October and has repeatedly courted controversy as CEO, sacking most of its staff, readmitting far-right figures to the platform, suspending journalists, and charging for previously free services.

NBC Universal head of global advertising and partnerships, Linda Yaccarino, was a potential candidate for the Twitter chief job, according to a Wall Street Journal report. AFP

Elon Musk says he hired new Twitter CEO to replace him

G7 MINISTERS. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (center) and Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki (second from right), along with other finance ministers and central bank governors, break sake barrels during the welcoming reception of the G7 meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at Toki Messe in Niigata on May 11, 2023. AFP

US President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus April 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. Countries that make up the MEF are responsible for roughly 80 percent of both global gross domestic product and greenhouse gas emissions.  AFP

PAL Holdings registered 288% increase in first-quarter income

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PAL Holdings Inc. said Friday its total comprehensive income soared 288 percent in the first quarter from a year ago, driven by higher passenger revenues.

The parent firm of Philippine Airlines said total comprehensive income amounted P5.47 billion from January to March, higher than P1.41 billion it earned in the same period last year.

Consolidated revenues went up by 78.66 percent in the three-month period to P42.21 billion from P23.62 billion in the same period in 2022.

PAL Holdings attributed the revenue growth to the 119.53-percent increase in passenger sales as volume went up

156.20 percent.

The airline said its load factor improved significantly to 81.03 percent in the first quarter from 53.84 percent a year earlier.

It said the positive financial performance in the quarter reflected the continuing strength of the global air travel recovery.

PAL re-introduced routes to several cities in mainland China and launched nonstop flights to Perth, while maintaining regular services to North America, the Middle East, Australia and various

destinations around Asia and the Philippines in the first quarter.

“Once again, we thank our valued customers for their support and for the privilege of serving them during this time of recovery and renewal,” said PAL president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng.

“The stronger recovery brings transition challenges that impact our operations, and we commit to make productive use of our improving revenues to invest in fleet upgrades, product improvements, operational support and above all safety,” he said.

Consolidated operating expenses climbed 58.99 percent in the first quarter to P34.68 billion from P21.83 billion a year ago, coming from the impact of higher fuel prices which increased flying operations by 60.90 percent and

PHINMA’s core income rose 15% to P558m in Q1

CONGLOMERATE PHINMA Corp. said Friday core net income grew 15 percent in the first quarter to P558 million from P484 million in the same period last year, driven by strong recovery of its education and hotel business.

It said that including one-off items, first-quarter net income was flat at P484 million.

more number of flights operated.

PAL said it expects delivery of 13 Airbus 321-231 NEO aircraft between 2026 and 2029.

PAL recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to acquire nine A350-1000 long-haul jetliners.

“We are acquiring additional aircraft so that we can serve our flying public better.

For the long-term, we are ordering new long-range Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to operate our transpacific routes, offering our passengers a premium travel experience on the newest-generation aircraft to fly the Philippine skies,” Ng said.

The flag carrier is the only airline operating nonstop services between the Philippines and North America, and it has the largest network of flights and routes from the Philippines to Japan, the Middle East and Australia.

Higher interest earnings lifted Security Bank’s profit to P2.4b in Q1

SECURITY Bank Corp. said Friday it posted a net profit of P2.4 billion in the first quarter, driven by growth in core businesses.

The bank said that on a sequential quarter-on-quarter basis, net profit increased 18 percent. Net interest margin improved to 4.06 percent, up by 14 basis points from the previous quarter.

Net interest income also increased 3-percent quarter-on-quarter.

Security Bank said revenues grew 6 percent year-on-year to P9.8 billion. Net interest income increased 7 percent to P7.5 billion, while non-interest

income rose 2 percent to P2.3 billion, driven by service charges, fees and commissions.

Operating expenses went up 12 percent from the level a year ago, on investments in manpower and technology.

Pre-provision operating profit was P3.7 billion.

The bank allocated P616 million as provisions for credit losses in the first quarter. Gross non-performing loan ratio was at 3.12 percent, down from 3.65 percent a year earlier.

Gross non-performing loans went down from the previous quarter by

1 percent. NPL reserve cover was at 99 percent, up from 90 percent a year ago. Return on shareholders’ equity was

7.42 percent, while return on assets was

1.15 percent in the quarter.

Security Bank said total deposits reached P525 billion. Low-cost savings and demand deposits as percent of total deposit increased to 62 percent in the first quarter from 58 percent in the previous quarter. The bank shed high-cost deposits, resulting in time deposits decreasing 3 percent year-on-year and 28 percent

quarter-on-quarter.

Net loans went up 5 percent year-onyear to P489 billion, led by retail loans which grew 18 percent and wholesale loans which went up 1 percent. Home loans climbed 18 percent and credit cards increased 36 percent year-on-year.

Retail loans represented 26 percent of total loans in the first quarter, up from 23 percent a year ago.

The bank said it continues to have healthy liquidity, with liquidity coverage ratio of 167 percent and net stable funding ratio of 127 percent as of endMarch 2023.

NGCP calls for better coordination to avoid repeat of power grid alerts

By Alena Mae S. Flores

NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines on Friday called for a holistic solution and better coordination within the energy supply chain to address the country’s power supply situation.

NGCP spokesperson lawyer Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said while the power grid had some “inadequacies”, planning should be well coordinated across all sectors—distribution, generation and transmission.

PHINMA said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues rose 6 percent to P4.78 billion in the first three months.

The company said it expects stronger growth in the coming months as both local and global economies recover. “The strong topline growth we saw in the full year of 2022 has continued in the first three months of this year. We had to address the headwinds but we were also able to ride the tailwinds in our industries,” PHINMA president and chief operating officer Chito Salazar said.

The company expects to sustain its growth momentum across its business units, which is expected to be driven particularly by the large underserved market outside Metro Manila this year. Jenniffer B. Austria

BOC, AmCham discuss common economic goals

THE Bureau of Customs expressed willingness to collaborate with the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, noting the importance of strong partnerships to achieve goals on trade and economic development.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said this during a meeting with AmCham executive director Ebb Hinchliffe that discussed various issues and concerns affecting American and Philippine businesses in the country.

“We believe that through continuous collaboration and dialogue with our partners, such as the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, we can achieve our goals and make significant contributions to the country’s socio-economic growth,” Rubio said.

Rubio cited AmCham’s continuous drive towards achieving a common goal of contributing to the socio-economic growth of the Philippines by promoting American and Philippine businesses.

Rubio also presented the Customs’ Five-Point Priority Program, which aims to improve efficiency, upgrade systems and processes, and promote integrity and professionalism. Julito G. Rada

BPI head wins top award as Communicator of the Year

THE chief executive of one of the biggest banks in the Philippines and a cross-cultural communication strategist from Australia clinched the top honors at the 2023 Communicator of the Year Awards.

Bank of the Philippine Islands president and CEO Jose Teodoro Limcaoco won in the Executive Leader category, while Maryanne Kepui, whose 20-year career spans government, corporate enterprise and the not-for-profit sector, won in the Senior Communication Professional category.

The winners will be honored in person at the 2023 Communicator of the Year Awards ceremony during the IABC Asia Pacific regional conference “Fusion 2023: Making Waves Together” in Bali, Indonesia on September 4 to 5, 2023.

As a leader who routinely calls employees to commend them for a job well done, Limcaoco, or TG, as he is more popularly known in the Philippines, has taken efforts to shape BPI’s culture built on the bank’s core values of being nurturing, acting with integrity, being customer obsessed and pursuing excellence.

“I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award. I have always believed that nothing beats honest and sincere communication no matter one’s position or state of life. One has to listen well and understand where the other party is coming from to be able to communicate with clarity, conviction, and compassion. Banking is a business of trust, and we try our best every day to be worthy of this trust and confidence by living our core values—being nurturing, acting with integrity, being customer obsessed, and pursuing excellence—to truly make a difference in people’s lives,” he said.

Robinsons Land spending P20b on expansion plan

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer Robinsons

BATANES PROJECTS. Department of Science and Technology undersecretary for regional operations Sancho Mabborang, together with regional director Virginia Bilgera, provincial director Nora Garcia and their team and Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. president Nelson Santos visit the Office of Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco for smart and sustainable projects supporting the tourism Industry. Maborang expressed his full support to the tourism projects in the province and their direction towards smart and sustainable development and his appreciation to the province for valuing science, technology and innovation. Among the S&T projects with funding assistance to be launched in the province are shrimp and lobster culture, water desalination and waste management and disposal.

Alabanza said there should be cooperation among generational companies and distribution utilities to avoid a repeat of the yellow and red alerts recently.

“All protection settings of gencos should be checked, together with grid settings,” she said.

Alabanza said NGCP is open to calls for audits from various sectors. “We also opened ourselves to inspections and audits by different government agencies. For so long as covered by

regulatory framework, we are open to it,” Alabanza said.

“As long as it is under the regulatory framework we function in, including our concession agreement, our franchise and all applicable rules and regulations, we are open,” she said.

Meanwhile, NGCP committed to completing several large transmission projects within the next few months to help strengthen the transmission system and better support the power system.

Alabanza said there were many factors that resulted in the delays such as right-of-way, permitting and COVID-19.

“We need to make up for the years of difficulties that we encountered. Even during COVID, we did as much as we could. But we are committed to finishing within the next few months, so we can help strengthen the power system. But again, we can only commit to developing our part, but the whole energy supply chain needs to be resilient,” she said.

DTI chief promotes ‘soft connectivity’ to boost investments in BIMP-EAGA region

By Othel V. Campos

DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual underscored the importance of promoting and improving “soft connectivity” to boost investments in the Brunei Darussalam-IndonesiaMalaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area.

Pascual said during the 15th BIMP-

EAGA Summit in Indonesia the growth in the sub-region is timely as DTI promotes increased engagements and private sector participation in the initiative.

“DTI’s active involvement in the BIMP-EAGA regions is set to come up with a campaign and information drive to initiate a stronger presence of the local private and LGU counterparts in the BIMP-EAGA. We will work

for the development and promotion of sub-regional value chains to enhance the region’s competitiveness. This will likewise provide an opportunity for MSMEs to increase their participation in said value and supply chains,” Pascual said. He said to enhance MSME participation in the initiative, the DTI would link the private sector such as the BIMPEAGA Business Council, Philippine

Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its regional chapters and MSME groups including home entrepreneurs to promote “soft connectivity” through increased investment fora, trade fair participations and business-to-business sessions.

Pascual said the Philippines aimed to expand Philippine Halal trade with key trade partners such as Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Land Corp. budgeted P20 billion for expansion this year as it plans to roll out more malls, hotels, residential and office projects.

RLC president and chief executive Frederick Go said during the annual stockholders meeting Friday the company would fund this year’s capital expenditure budget through internally-generated cash from operation and borrowings.

“After almost three years of navigating through global health crisis, RLC forges ahead with confidence and optimism. In 2023 we will continue to invest in our diversified portfolio, expanding the breadth of our products and introducing customer driven innovations to deliver sustainable value in an ever changing environment ,” Go said.

Go said RLC would open Opus Mall within its mixed-use development in Pasig City this year. The high-end mall will expand its shopping gross leasable area by 3 percent to 1.66 million square meters.

RLC is also increasing its office leasing portfolio this year by 7 percent to 792,000 sq. m. of net leasable area with completion of GBF Tower in Pasig. The Grade A office building will cater to both traditional and multinational corporations and business process outsourcing companies.

The company said that with the resurgence of international travel and tourism, it would accelerate the expansion of hotel and resort business.

The property firm is opening Westin Manila Sonata Place in Ortigas Center and the remaining rooms in Go Hotel Tuguegarao and Fili Hotel Nustar in Cebu. These projects will increase the group’s hotel room count by 18 percent to 4,241.

SHELL’S NEW NAME. Shell Pilipinas Corp.’s board of directors lead the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the SPC wall that signifies the company’s name change from Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. to Shell Pilipinas Corp. Shown are (second row, from left) directors Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Luis La O and Rey Abilo and (front row, from left) Amando Tetangco, Dr. Lydia Echauz, chairman of the board Min Yih Tan, president and chief executive Lorelie Quiambao-Osial, Cesar Buenaventura, Nina Aguas and Randolph Del Valle.

Wushu star Wong fuels 4-gold PH haul

PHNOM PENH – Wushu star Agatha Wong sparked a modest four-gold haul Friday as the Philippines geared up for the final push in what could be an excruciating climb for a decent finish in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here.

Wong, balancing her studies and training, came up with a dazzling performance in the women’s combined taijiquan and taijijian events and won with 19.263 points for her fifth SEA Games gold medal.

“I didn’t expect to win because I’m also a med student. I’m in my first year of medicine,” said Wong, who returned to school after graduating with a Diplomatic Affairs degree from the College of St. Benilde in 2018.

Later in the day, Aidaine Laxa, Joel Ninobla and Nicole Labayne kicked their way to victory in the women’s poomsae event, delivering taekwondo’s first victory here.

Patrick King Perez made it a golden double for taekwondo by ruling the men’s individual poomsae event, injecting life into the country’s sagging hopes.

with 19.263 points for her

PH regains 4x400 meter title; Palaro teen bags javelin silver

By Riera U. Mallari

PHNOM PENH -- The Philippines regained the 4x400 title when nobody was looking, ruling an event it hasn’t won for a decade at the close of the athletic competitions of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Morodok Techno National Stadium here on Friday night.

The last time the Philippines topped the 4x400 was during the 2013 Myanmar edition of the games, with Isidro del Prado Jr., son of athletic icon Isidro Sr., spearheading the team.

This time, it was his younger brother Michael del Prado at the forefront of the attack, as he, together with Frederick Ramirez and Joyme Sequita, built a comfortable lead going into the last 400, where Fil-heritage athlete Umajesty Williams, in the biggest race of his career, was the final runner.

The 23-year-old Williams held the fort from there and had enough gas in the tank to fend of a fast-charging Thawatchai Khongjeam as the Philippines pulled off the stunning win by .1 of a second with its total of 3:07.22.

Thailand, the defending champion, clocked 3:07.23, with Myanmar placing third at 3:08.82

“Unexpected na mananalo kami ngayon, kasi last SEA Games, 4th lang kami. Sulit ang 6 months na training,” said Ramirez, pointing out that the team, which placed only 4th in the Vietnam meet last year, was never expected to win.

But the four were determined to regain the 4x400, even though the Thais launched a last-ditch effort to turn the tables through Khongjeam, who gobbled up the Filipino lead in the stretch.

“I knew he was coming, I know my competition, he’s a very strong athlete. I knew I wasn’t going to get away with it easily. But I’m happy and blessed, that we won the gold for the Philippines,” said Williams, who made his national team debut two months ago in the National Open in Ilagan, Isabela.

A silver that felt like gold in terms of promise came in the women’s javelin, where a 16-year-old Palarong Pambansa standout in Gennah Malapitan, led a 2-3 finish for the Filipinos.

The 5’9” Malapitan, who joined the SEA Games to gain experience, ended up bagging the silver as she hurled the spear to a stunning 49.55 meters, four meters better than her personal best, and some three behind the 52.6 of Thailand’s Jariya Wichaidit, last year’s silver medalist.

Veteran Evalyn Palabrica made 48.31 meters for the bronze. “She’s the future,” gushed national team coach Jojo Posadas. “And she is just sixteen.”

Meanwhile, the Philippine women’s 4x400 squad, led by Robyn Brown and Maureen Schrijvers, settled for the silver at 3:37.70, behind a Vietnamese team, bannered by Thi Anh Thuc Hoang.

Kristina Knott, who finished 4th in the

women's 200-meters on Monday, did not start the 100-m finals, due to a hamstring injury.

"Her coaches may have decided not to take the risk, malapit na kasi ang Asian championships," said Posadas of the 27-yearold Knott, the 200-meter queen in 2019.

Catantan injured, settles for fencing silver

By Peter Atencio

PHNOM PENH —Defending champion Samantha Catantan injured her knee after securing a seat in the finals, thereby settling for a silver medal in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games' fencing tournament at Hall D of the OCIC Wedding Center in Chroy Changvar District here.

Catantan’s woes started when she fell on the mat, moments after securing a point that sent her into the women’s foil finals.

A cartilage seemed to have popped behind the back of her left knee when she moved after she lunged at semis foe Kemei Chung of Singapore.

After a short rest, Catantan still found the courage to continue as she took the last two points to beat Chung, 15-6, and set up a return showdown with her last year’s opponent Maxine Wong, also of Singapore.

Sadly, Catantan never got to play a rematch with Wong, who eventually won the gold medal after the country’s top Filipina fencer conceded on the advice of her coach and medical personnel, who told her to not make her injury any worse.

Catantan, with her knee wrapped in bandage, followed the advice, and no longer fought Wong in what could have been an exciting finals rematch.

Samantha Catantan is attended to by medical personnel and fencing chief Rep. Richard Gomez.

”We’re still not sure about the injury. Pero, may pumutok nu'ng

pag-atras ko Pag-bend ko ng knees ko, may pumutok. So most likely ACL. Pero, kanina, nakatayo pa ako. So, hopefully, it's not something serious. Kasi, very important po itong year sa akin, para mag-qualify sa Paris Olympics,” said Catantan, who fought back tears, after she was wheeled back to the auditorium to meet Wong, and formally concede the gold to the Singaporean on top of the fighting platform.

National coach Ramil Endriano said they were waiting for the showdown with Wong to happen again.

“Inaabangan namin ang rematch nila. Kasi sila rin ang naglaban sa finals last year. Tapos, nangyari ito,” said Endriano, who added that this is the first time for Catantan to have such an injury.

Catantan, who flew from the United States days before her matches, was in good shape when she swept her five-game assignment in the pool stage.

After that, she won over Vietnamese bet Luu Thi Thanh Nhan, 15-2, in the quarterfinals before facing Chung.

Philippine Fencing Association president Richard Gomez, who was in the crowd with Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Wawit Torres, felt heartbroken on Catantan’s situation. They were at her side with her sister Janna Catantan, when Sam was getting medical treatment.

“It’s very heartbreaking for me to see my athletes not able to compete in the finals. It’s painful for me to see our athletes giving up the gold that’s supposed to be ours,” said Gomez.

Tabuena outguns Alido, keeps Luisita trophy

TARLAC – Miguel Tabuena cashed in on a key two-shot swing on No. 12 to wrest control then outgunned Ira Alido in a clash of skills and nerves in the stretch to fashion out a 65 and retain the ICTSI Luisita Championship crown by two here Friday.

On the outside looking in majority of the way, Tabuena even fell by two strokes off Alido with a bogey on the first hole but found his touch and rhythm in time to engage the third round leader in a shootout after the duo detached themselves from a crammed leaderboard with torrid frontside assaults on the Luisita Golf and Country Club course.

When the smoke cleared, Tabuena emerged virtually unscathed and a winner again at the Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed layout the way he did when he repelled Clyde Mondilla in sudden death here last year.

“The turning point was actually when I caught Ira on the ninth hole, we were even after No. 9. But there were still so many holes left,” said Tabuena, who after a bogey start, rattled off five birdies in the next eight holes

and tied Alido, who fired four birdies of his own in the same stretch, at 12-under overall.

But as Alido regained the lead with backto-back birdies to launch his backside bid against Tabuena’s birdie on No. 10, the latter countered with his own feat on the par-4 12th, which Alido bogeyed for a crucial two-shot swing that pulled the recent Asian Tour’s DGC Open winner ahead for the first time.

He never relinquished the lead, hiking it to two with another birdie on the next then after the duo traded bogeys on the tough No. 15, Tabuena birdied the par-5 16th to all but put the outcome beyond doubt.

He parred the last two to cap a brilliant closing 32-33 round for a 72-hole total of 14-under 274 on a course he calls home.

“It’s just something about this course where I feel very comfy. This is my fifth win at Luisita alone,” said Tabuena, who pocketed the top P360,000 purse out of the P2 million total prize in this fourth leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour.

“It’s something about the greens, the

atmosphere, the history, the people watching every year. It feels like home and hopefully, I will have time to come back next year,” said Tabuena, who also saw a lot of promise from

the 22-year-old Alido.

“Ira is a hell of a player, He just won a few months ago and he has big things coming for him,” added the former Philippine Open champion here in 2015, who also thanked ICTSI, Monde Nissin and Lexus for backing his campaign.

Alido birdied the last hole for a 68 and a 276, the runner-up finish still auguring well for the young campaigner, who rallied from five shots down to snatch the PGT Bacolod leg crown last March. He pocketed P236,000.

“Nothing really went wrong. I just had a couple of bad breaks. Overall it went really good. Miguel just played better,” said Alido. “We were going back and forth but there were some shots that I wished I could’ve taken them back.”

Fidel Concepcion likewise enhanced a promising career with a third place finish, charging back with a solid 66 spiked by a threebirdie binge from No. 13 for a 279 total while Mondilla sizzled with a five-birdie splurge in a six-hole stretch from No. 10 to fire a 66 and snare fourth place at 281.

The men’s 4x400m relay team of Frederick Ramirez, Michael Del Prado, Joyme Sequita and Umajesty Williams ended the country’s campaign in athletics with a much-needed victory, clocking 3:07.22 to edge the Thai squad (3:07.23) for the gold.

Athletics also delivered two more silver medals through the women’s 4x400m relay and javelin thrower Gennah Malapit, while wushu also contributed a silver courtesy of Gideon Padua in the men’s sanda event.

What appeared as a sure gold in fencing, courtesy of defending champion Samantha Catantan, turned into silver when she injured her knee in the semifinals while she was in the process of putting Singaporean Kemei Chung away in the women’s foil event.

On the advice of her coach and medical personnel, Catantan later conceded the gold to another Singaporean, Maxine Wong, the same fencer she beat for the title last year in Vietnam.

Counting the solitary gold medals delivered by Joseph Arcilla in the men’s singles event in soft tennis and by Eric Cray in the 400m hurdles in the last two days, the Pinoy contingent, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, improved its gold medal tally to 31 going into the last four days of action.

While Pinoy athletes continued to scrounge for gold medals, Vietnam sustained its drive to retain the overall championship it won in Hanoi last year, with Thailand and Cambodia making it a three-way race.

Indonesia and Singapore were running fourth and fifth, with the Philippines in sixth place, hardpressed to duplicate its fourth-place finish last year in Vietnam where it won 52 gold medals.

Another defeat in basketball, this time by Gilas’ women’s team to the Cambodian squad 68-89, continued to bring down the morale of the Pinoy bets, who watched in horror as Gilas Pilipinas absorbed a 68-79 defeat to Cambodia in men’s play last Thursday.

Gilas returns to action Saturday, favored to clinch a semis berth, against lowly-Singapore. Things are expected to perk up Saturday when four of the country’s boxers – Tokyo Olympian Irish Magno, two-time SEA Games champions Rogen Ladon and Ian Clark Bautista, along with Riza Pasuit – fight for gold medals, well aware they need to deliver to boost the country’s sagging campaign.

Five more pugs – Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam, fellow Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio, Paul Julyfer Bascon, Fil-British John Marvin, and Petecio’s younger brother, Norlan – see action Sunday. Action in arnis, which is being held in the games for only the second time, gets going Saturday, with Pinoy bets favored to stamp their mark.

Pinoy fighters are also expected to contend for majority of the 17 gold medals to be disputed in kick boxing, which also starts Saturday.

President’s Cup Saturday at Wack Wack

WACK Wack Golf and Country Club will host Saturday the highly awaited return of the President’s Cup, one of the club’s premier tournaments honoring its incumbent head with a banner field looking to vie for trophies and fabulous raffle prizes.

Lawrence Tan, Wack Wack President, and the Board of Directors will headline the roster of the 144 members playing morning and afternoon at the East course in the afternoon while the sponsors and guests totaling 180 will tee off in the morning at the West layout.

A wide array of grand prizes is up for grabs in the 18-hole tournament, which is presented by San Miguel Corp., BMW, Boysen and Yakult, that includes P1-million cash, a BMW Motorcycle, Herman Miller Earnes lounge chair and ottoman and a three-day, two-night stay at El Nido (Lihim Resort Luxury Villa) with breakfast for two, airport transfers, 60-minute massage and personalized buttler.

Hole in one prizes are Lexus IS 300h car,Miitsubishi Xpande, Toyota Raize Turbo, Honda Brio, S-Presso, Cherry Tigo 5X, BMC 400 GT, Harley Davidson Nighter Black, Aprilla SR GT200, Getgo golf cart, P100k cash from WFM, P200k worth K&G products,P100k Casino Filipino bet certificate, P100k Cork wine and 2 seaplane tickets.

Lexus and CWC are platinum sponsors while Steel Asia, OKBet and Paragon Trading and Services Corp. are diamond sponsors. Gold sponsors include First Sunday Group, Federal Land, Isuzu Gencars, Go for Gold, Luxury Car Manila, Ascent Development Construction, The Plaza and Aureo.

Agatha Wong, balancing her studies and training, came up with a dazzling performance in the women’s combined taijiquan and taijijian events and won

fifth SEA Games gold medal.

Frederick Ramirez, Umajesty Williams, Michael del Prado and Joyme Sequita

Miguel Tabuena holds his ICTSI Luisita Championship championship trophy. (Manny Marcelo)

C2 SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2023

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com

HOME/DESIGN

Base Bahay builds homes for Davao workers

Tackles housing gap,

BASE Bahay Foundation (Base)

recently partnered with the Don Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. Foundation, Inc. (AOFF), the CSR arm of the ANFLO Group of Companies, to provide sustainable housing for banana workers and their families in Davao. The housing project leverages Base’s expertise and innovations to realize AOFF’s vision of uplifting the local community.

Through the partnership to provide affordable and disaster-resilient housing, Base is constructing two-storey duplex houses that are sturdy and made of high-quality bamboo. Designed to maximize space, the duplex house has one bedroom, a restroom, and a shower on the ground floor, and two rooms on the second floor, with the total floor area of each housing unit at 41.7 sqm and 83.4 sqm for the whole duplex housing.

The houses can resist typhoons with wind speeds of up to 250 kph, as well as earthquakes, based on the values in the National Structural Code of the Philippines. The bamboo is also treated for termites, making it as durable as other conventional housing materials.

Environment-friendly

“This project started with a vision—a vision to build sustainable houses for our employees and their families. One of the most unique features of this house is the use of bamboo in the construction of the houses making it environmentfriendly,” said Maria Cristina Brias, AOFF President, at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“This project involves resiliency,” adds AOFF Executive Director Norman Clemente. “We’ve been planning for the past three to four years, and our dream is now a reality.”

AOFF’s affiliate company, TADECO, has a huge bamboo production that is being utilized for a banana plantation and for housing development purposes. Prior to

effects of climate change by using sustainable materials

starting the housing project, Base built a treatment facility for AOFF in 2020 to elevate the quality of the bamboo material as structural grade for construction purposes with an eye to building the two-storey homes for AOFF’s banana workers and other structures of hospitality purposes.

Mindanao is home to different species of bamboo that can be used for structures, including Dentrocalamus Asper (Giant Bamboo), Bambusa Blumeana (Dentrocalamus Asper) and Guadua. According to the World Risk Report of

2022, the Philippines ranked first among other countries on the disaster risk index. Utilizing alternative materials for construction projects, which provide structural integrity, safety, and reliability with no negative impacts to the environment, is a practical way forward for many communities to address the housing needs of their peoples.

Right technology, right materials

“Our partnership with AOFF demonstrates what is possible when the right technology is combined with materials that are abundant in the

New look showroom for Hyundai

THE Gateway Group recently opened a Hyundai dealership that adopts a newlook design in Pasong Tamo, Makati.

The showroom, built by JAS Design & Build Development Corporation , uses new materials including LED panels for aesthetics, features spacious areas that accommodate four display vehicles, including an electric vehicle, complete with 3 charging stations in the parking, service, and showroom areas (shown in photo), with a comfortable lounge for

CO-WORKING space provider KMC, recently inaugurated SM North EDSA Tower 1 in Quezon City, with plans of opening two more sites at Jollibee Tower, Pasig, and Lexmark, Cebu Business Park this month.

Each offers state-of-the-art tech and business facilities and fully equipped social amenities, making hybrid work more achievable and sustainable for Filipino businesses.

SM North EDSA Tower 1 is KMC Solutions’ first new flexible office development in 2023, with 553 seats across 2,449 sqm of floorspace.

The Jollibee Tower on Emerald Street,

customers.

JAS has been building Hyundai showrooms in the Asia Pacific region.

The Pasong Tamo showroom is the biggest completed project undertaken by the company, and several others are lined up for facilities in Pasay and Camarines Sur, on top of ongoing projects in North EDSA, and Malolos, Bulacan.

“JAS is a combination design, construction, project and property

management and renovation company that offers services through value engineering and state of the art technology,” said JAS President Alvin Lu, who manages the company together with Jean Henri Lhuillier as Chairman,. The latter is also President/CEO of the PJ Lhuillier Group of Companie. On the resorts side of its portfolio, JAS is working on the UNWIND boutique hotels in Makati, Camiguin, Siargao, El Nido and Coron in Palawan.

area,” said Pablo Jorillo, Base Bahay Foundation General Manager. “Our work with AOFF, providing durable and permanent housing, is just the first step toward realizing the community’s goals of providing for education, healthcare, economic upliftment, and preservation of culture. We’re proud to be helping make a significant impact in the lives of banana workers and their families through the AOFF and TADECO.”

Base is a non-profit organization that provides alternative building

technologies and the pioneer in bamboo construction in the Philippines. Through its network of partners, the organization has worked to build over 1,200 comfortable, affordable, disasterresilient, and environment-friendly houses all over the country with some 5,000 individuals sheltered in 14 communities.

Base works with partners, local and international, to help address the growing housing gap and reduce the effect of climate change by using local and sustainable materials.

MEGAWIDE BAGS CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION PLUM. Megawide Construction Corp. recently won a prize for Decorative Concrete at the Philippine Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards (PECCA) for the Sto. Nino Chapel in Cebu City’s 100-year old Carbon District. The Sto. Nino Chapel is part of the Carbon District Modernization, a joint venture being undertaken between Megawide subsidiary Cebu2World (C2W) and the city government of Cebu.  In the last two PECCA ceremonies, Megawide also won the Best Infrastructure category for Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 and the Decorative Concrete category for Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, both in 2021; and the Mid-Rise Structures category for the Plumera Mactan, a project of Johndorf Ventures, in 2022.    The Sto. Nino Chapel is a 378-square meter building located in the historic downtown area of Cebu, offering an attractive view of the city’s waterfront and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway. It can accommodate at least 150 parishioners.    The chapel’s design is inspired by the shape of the Sto. Nino’s crown, and the wave-like roofing element is influenced by the fluid motion of Cebu’s Sinulog dance. Among the project’s most distinctive features is the undulating roof made of reinforced concrete. The use of reinforced concrete special molds and formworks helped the successful application of this material.

ENHANCED MALL EXPERIENCE. Shangri-La Plaza is preparing to welcome a line-up of new brands and concepts to ramp up mall experiences from shopping, dining, and entertainment. The mall makeover roll-out includes a portion of its Level 1 Main Wing to streamline its layout and allow guests to easily navigate and enjoy its brand and services mix.

According to Shang Properties EVP for Retail and Commercial Joy R. Polloso, the refresh has been carefully planned to open up more spaces within the Shang and to properly accommodate all the brands the mall houses. “It’s a good change that we believe will make shopping, dining,

THE Asian Federation of Electric Vehicle Associations (AFEVA) recently visited the Hyundai Motorstudio in South Korea in preparation for the upcoming EV Summit organized by the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP). The visit was led by AFEVA President Edmund Araga and included directors Rommel Juan and Dennis Chuah, as well as Patrick Aquino of the Department of Energy. Hyundai Motors Philippines President Eric Lee was also present during the visit.

Korea’s Hyundai Motorstudio serves as role model for coming EVAP EV Summit

The purpose of the visit was to explore the latest advancements in electric vehicle technology and to learn about Hyundai’s plans for the future of sustainable transportation. During the visit, the group had the opportunity to view some of Hyundai’s newest electric vehicles, including the Ioniq 5 and the Kona Electric.

Eric Lee, President of Hyundai Motors Philippines, said, “We are honored to host the AFEVA delegation and showcase Hyundai’s latest electric vehicles. We believe that electric mobility is the future, and we are committed to developing innovative solutions that can help reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable transportation.”

The AFEVA delegation was impressed by the stateof-the-art facilities at the Hyundai Motorstudio and the level of innovation demonstrated in Hyundai’s electric vehicles. They also expressed their admiration for the company’s dedication to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable transportation.

Edmund Araga, President of AFEVA, said, “The visit to Hyundai Motorstudio was an insightful experience for us. We saw firsthand the innovative technology that

Learning how to drive—safely

THE term “Kamote Riders” is now used to refer to motorcycle riders who act strangely and perform risky maneuvers while driving without any regard for their own safety.These are the dangerous people on the road that are also being despised even by their colleagues (motorcycle riders) and they are also the ones that are always susceptible to accidents. Why these “kamote riders” are still on the roads everyday should be the real concern of the authorities.

For Mel Aquino, the head of the newly-formed Motorcycle Riding School Philippines, this should not be the case if those being given license to ride a motorcycle must first be given the proper schooling on how to properly ride one.

During the recent Eneos Motor Oil Off-Road Experience last Tuesday at the huge KRB Off-Road Track in Antipolo City, coach Mel emphasized the value of undergoing the proper schooling so that our road would be free of these “kamote riders.”

“Who among you here has undergone such proper schooling?” he asked the participants, majority of them know how to drive a motorcycle. Not a single hand was raised.

“Wala naman kasing motorcycle school noon, hindi ba? (There were no motorcycle riding schools yet then, right?),” said coach Mel, a seasoned off-road campaigner during his younger days before he turned to motorcycle safety riding specialist after he retired. He used to compete against the likes of Jovie Saulog and Ernie Tiongson.

Coach Mel addressed his concern for the safety of the motorcycle riders was his primary concern when he formed the off-road riding school seven years ago. After he was sent to various motorcycle plants and facilities in Japan, coach Mel realized that motorcycle riders here in the Philippines have much to learn the basic safety procedures before they should ride their first motorcycle.

“Ang nakasanayan kasi natin dito eh marunong ka lang mag-bike puwede ka nang magpaturo kung paano magmotorsiklo. Madaling magmotorsiklo pero paano mo matutunan ang proper safety para magmaneho eh ibang usapan yan,” he said. “Kaya marami tayong mga ‘kamote riders’ ay dahil sa kakulangan sa kaalaman paano ang safety motorcycle driving.”

The Eneos Motor Oil Off-Road Experience, sponsored by the No. 1 motor oil for vehicles and motorcycles in Japan today, was really an eye-opener to all the participants who were given a 30-minute tutoring by coach Mel about the various safety procedures in riding motorcycles. Then an almost 3-hour experience at the huge dirt track nearby was where the real excitement was experienced by the participants as they were keenly tutored on the basic safety by coach Mel himself together with his able lieutenants. The whole proceeding was followed closely by Eneos Motor Oil Phils. president Kazumasa Imai and his GM for marketing and planning Roscel Isip at the sideline.

Soaking wet from sweat, all the participants expressed amazement from what they learned from off-road experience, aside from the lecture of coach Mel. They were one in saying that they learned several important riding techniques which they haven’t experienced before although they have been riding motorcycles for years now.

That was the same thing I told myself when we underwent a racing driving clinic under coach Vip Isada before we started racing in the Honda Media Challenge Series several years back.

If you think you are knowledgeable enough in driving a motorcycle, or even a vehicle, try to undergo a driving clinic and you would see a huge difference on how your current driving style is compared with what you would learn after the clinic.

Hyundai has developed to create a more sustainable future. This visit is a step towards promoting sustainable transportation in Asia, and we look forward to working with industry leaders like Hyundai to accelerate the transition to electric mobility.”

The visit by AFEVA to the Hyundai Motorstudio is in preparation for the upcoming EV Summit organized by EVAP, which will be held in the Philippines on October 19-21, 2023, at the SMX Convention Center. The summit aims to bring together key players in the electric vehicle industry to discuss the latest advancements in electric mobility and to promote sustainable transportation in the Philippines and the rest of Asia.

The visit by AFEVA to the Hyundai Motorstudio and the upcoming EV Summit organized by EVAP are positive steps towards promoting sustainable transportation in Asia. The innovative technology on display and the commitment to reducing carbon emissions demonstrated by Hyundai and other industry leaders will help pave the way towards a more sustainable future for the region

PH Cold Chain Industry possesses big potential—CFCI

CENTRO Nippon Fruehauf Cooltech

Inc is focused towards the growing cold chain industry in the country - through its brand, “Cooltech”. The company has recognized the immense potential of this industry, which is seeing a significant increase in demand due to the rising need for temperature-controlled transport of perishable goods.

The cold chain industry in the Philippines has been growing steadily over the past few years, driven by the increasing demand for food products such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products. According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global cold chain market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.9% from 2021 to 2028. This growth is largely attributed to the growing demand for processed food, technological advancements in the cold chain industry, and the increasing

need for temperature-controlled logistics in developing countries.

CFCI’s response to this growing industry is the Cooltech brand, which produces quality refrigerated van bodies. These Refvan bodies are designed to meet the specific needs of the cold chain industry, ensuring that the products being transported

are kept at the required temperature throughout the journey.

Cooltech “Refvan” bodies are equipped with advanced cooling technology that maintains the temperature inside the vehicle, even in extreme weather conditions. The company has invested in state-of-the-art equipment and technology to ensure that its Refvan bodies are of the highest quality, with strict quality control measures in place to ensure that each unit meets the highest standards.

In addition to producing high-quality Refvan bodies, CFCI also provides aftersales service and support to its customers. This includes regular maintenance checks, repairs, and replacement of parts to ensure that the Refvan bodies are operating at their optimal level. This commitment to customer service has helped the company build a strong reputation in the industry, with many satisfied customers across the Philippines.

MPTC Highways in full force for Road Safety Month

METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) joins the country in celebrating the road safety month with ‘Mission: Road Safety’. MPTC is undertaking this initiative to reinforce its expressways’ road safety mission based on the 3 pillars of safety –safe self, safe vehicle, and safe roads.

“Mission: Road Safety”

institutionalized road safety awareness seminars and digital information campaigns to educate the general and motoring public, ensuring their safe journey along MPTC expressways in Luzon and Visayas— NLEX, SCTEX, NLEX Connector, CALAX, CAVITEX, CAVITEX C5 Link, and CCLEX (CebuCordova Link Expressway).

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) cited that an average of 345 daily fatalities is caused by transport accidents in the Philippines.

Empowered motorists and commuting public

MPTC units NLEX Corp and Metro Pacific Tollways South (MPT South) have already established their efforts in the road safety awareness scene, through respective flagship programs Biyahero Road Safety Caravan and Drayberks Drive Road Safety Seminars. These programs intensified education on proper expressway driving, traffic rules and regulations, importance of vehicle road worthiness, and preparation of the driver (self) and their passengers.

Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC)’s advocacy program dubbed Istorya Ta Bai! cultivates safe driving habits and orients motorists on key safety features of Cebu’s iconic toll bridge CCLEX. ‘Per stakeholder’ approach

To further strengthen its efforts, business units target various stakeholders that they can tap to amplify MPTC’s safety mission.

NLEX Usapang Driver is a forum aimed at educating drivers from bus and trucking companies on safe expressway driving. To date, over seven bus and 13 trucking companies have participated in this program. The unit also has Kaligtasan sa Daan (KalSaDa) road safety education program targeted for its community partners and neighboring barangays.

MPT South’s Bayani ng Kalsada

(BayaniKa) is a program that teaches kids about road signs and familiarizes them with road safety measures, particularly

on expressways. Since its inception in 2022, over 800 school children from host communities have benefitted from it.

Safety is practiced year round

During peak travel seasons and holidays, MPTC units from North to South intensify their operations under the ‘Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko’ initiative. In anticipation of increased traffic volume, over 1,200 patrol crews, traffic marshals, and security teams are deployed to ensure effective traffic management along its expressways. Emergency medical services and incident response teams are also fielded at strategic areas. Safe roads for all

These efforts are all in line with the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution “Improving global road safety” with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

MPTC echoes UN’s thrust in its corporate Sustainability Strategic Goals by continuously improving its services and providing top notch customer experience to its stakeholders. Aside from its tollways, MPTC created the MPT DriveHub app that brings expressway services to the hands of the customer to bring about a more satisfactory travel experience. The MPT DriveHub app allows easy reloading of RFID accounts, has real-time traffic updates of its seven expressways, and allows users to call for 24/7 emergency roadside assistance.

Securing digital wallets a shared responsibility

By Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky

THE recent multi-million incident involving a top digital wallet provider in the Philippines shows two things: (1) that cybercriminals continue to target fintech institutions and (2) that securing these convenient technologies is really a shared responsibility. A recent report shared phishing attacks were deployed to sneak into the e-wallet accounts of the victims to conduct malicious transfers. Phishing remains one of the most prevalent and damaging threats in the cybersecurity landscape, primarily because it works.

Last year, our solutions blocked 822,536 financial phishing targeting businesses in Southeast Asia (SEA), of which nearly 52,914 financial phishing incidents are targeting users in the Philippines. Clearly, we have seen in this unfortunate incident that the effect of a successful phishing attack can result in identity theft, financial loss, and reputational damage for both individual consumers and businesses.

The good thing is that our study showed Filipino respondents are aware of the phishing dangers in digital payments, and that 48% who were surveyed believed that antivirus software is required to protect their money and data online.

However, when asked if they have installed an antivirus and/or any other security solutions in the devices they use for online financial transactions, only half (25%) said yes.

This data is alarming because, in spite of Filipino respondents’ knowledge of such online threat, the action to install a safety net against this is still lacking.

It's crucial for everyone to understand that everyone has a role to play in cybersecurity.

Users like you and I should acknowledge the fact that we are vulnerable. Cybercriminals always find ways to be creative and be believable. To enjoy the perks of these technologies, we need to also exercise due diligence. We need to arm ourselves with knowledge about phishing attacks, practice good cyber hygiene, BUT most importantly, we need security solutions to serve as a safety net for our digital assets and our devices.

We also continue to urge fintech companies to:

To prevent more implications of a phishing attack, like data breaches, we suggest deploying a comprehensive defensive concept that equips, informs and guides your team in their fight against the most sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks like the Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform.

Remind your employees about the basic signs of phishing emails. A dramatic subject line, mistakes and typos, inconsistent sender addresses, and suspicious links.

Always report phishing attacks. If you spot a phishing attack, report it to your IT security department and, if possible, avoid opening the malicious email. This will allow your cybersecurity team to reconfigure antispam policies and prevent an incident.

Go beyond expectations with new POCO F5 Series

AFTER a successful global launch, the POCO F5 Series has officially arrived in the Philippines. To celebrate, Angus Ng, Head of Product Marketing for POCO, graced the media event to discuss the exciting new smartphone and its hyper-powered features on May 10.

“We are thrilled to bring POCO’s latest flagship smartphones to the Philippines,” Ng said. “With the POCO F5 Series, we aim to elevate the mobile experience to a whole new level, and we cannot wait to share this incredible journey with all our Filipino fans.”

The POCO F5 Series boasts a hyperpower designed to handle hours of gaming or streaming media. It comes in two models: POCO F5 and POCO F5 Pro, both powered with Snapdragon processors that offer top-quality performance that lets users unlock their potential in gaming, and photography, and experience seamless browsing. “Our focus is to ensure POCO’s fans in the Philippines and elsewhere can enjoy flagship-quality phones at affordable price ranges, providing them with an incredible experience,” Ng added.

POCO F5 Pro: Ignite your hyper-powered performance and visuals

The POCO F5 Pro is equipped with the Snapdragon® 8+ Gen 1 processor, which operates at low power consumption while maintaining high performance. It runs on a 5160mAh battery that will last the whole day, and offers a choice of multiple fast charging methods, making this a reliable companion day and night. With its 67W turbocharging technology, the phone will power up to 50% in about 15 minutes; while the 30W wireless charger can do the same within 30 minutes.

The device also delivers incredible visual experiences that go beyond expectations. The hyper clear WQHD+ 120Hz

AMOLED display features 1400 nits (peak brightness) and 68 billion true-tolife colors. It looks almost twice as clear as an FHD+ display and reveals more details than ever, from raindrops on flowers to appetizing food photos and even the subtle details of a bird's feather. On top of that, the self-developed super touch makes gaming steadier and more accurate and ultimately increases the chances of winning.

For users’ photo and video needs, the POCO F5 Pro has a steady, fast camera that produces photos and videos with hyperclarity. Images are made prettier than ever, with high-definition output and a P3 color gamut that is 25% larger than sRGB. Moreover, it supports 8K video shooting, while OIS and EIS ensure video stability, especially when capturing fast and unpredictable subjects like animals, children, sports games, music performances, and busy events.

POCO F5: The origin of speed delivered by market-first Snapdragon® 7+

Angus Ng, Head of Product Marketing for POCO, introduces the POCO F5 Series. The hyper-powered smartphone boasts top-quality performance, perfect for gaming, streaming, and other smartphone activities, offering users an incredible mobile experience at an affordable price point.

Gen 2 As the first smartphone featuring Snapdragon® 7+ Gen 2 in global markets, POCO F5 is explicitly created for techies who love mobile gaming. It delivers a robust and smooth performance even when switching between multiple apps, from scrolling and browsing to video calls and watching live streamings. The brand-new 5G chipset Antutu score is 31% higher than the previous generation. To provide a better gaming experience, LiquidCool Technology 2.0's Vapor Chamber with steam channels comes into play, absorbing the heat generated as the chipset gets hotter and improving heat dissipation by 35%

The device offers users a comfortable visual experience, multitasking amongst apps, even during long gaming sessions or a busy day. In addition, users can enjoy their favorite content on the 6.67inch 120Hz Flow AMOLED DotDisplay. Thanks to the 1920Hz PWM dimming and SGS-certified Low Blue Light Ex eye care, it's also easy on the eyes while immersing oneself in YouTube videos and Netflix series. Taking a break from the excitement of

Say hello to the POCO F5 and POCO F5 Pro. Whether you’re a gamer, content creator, or just looking for a reliable smartphone, the all-new POCO F5 Series will take your mobile experience to new heights with its flagship-level technology and sleek design at affordable price points.

gaming, the POCO F5 has users covered with a 64MP main camera setup with numerous functions and filters. As the advanced camera processing system is supported by the Snapdragon® 7+ Gen 2, the camera's speed on setup and photography is significantly faster. In addition, 4K video shooting benefits from OIS and EIS, which reduce blur caused by moving the phone, and meaningful memories with family, friends, and pets can be captured. For an enhanced user experience, POCO offers a choice of film filters and frames to delight different users' aesthetics and preferences for capturing amazing shots.

With so many functions and apps to use, excellent battery life is a priority for the POCO F5 too, so its users can say goodbye to battery anxiety. It has a superfast charging time thanks to its 67W turbocharging, bringing power back up to 100% within 50 minutes.

Prices

Gamers and techies can copy the POCO F5 Series via POCO’s official online store. POCO F5 Pro will come in two colors: Black and White. It will be avail-

able in three variants: 8GB+256GB, 12GB+256GB, and 12GB +512GB.

8GB+256GB: Recommended retail price at P26,999 via official e-commerce channels.

12GB+256GB: Recommended retail price at P28,999 via official e-commerce channels.

12GB +512GB: Recommended retail price at P30,999 via official e-commerce channels.

POCO F5 Pro will be available for purchase at an early bird price of P23,999, P25,999, and P27,999 respectively starting May 9 via POCO’s Official Store in Shopee.* POCO F5 will come in three colors: White, Blue, and Black. It will be available in two variants: 8GB+256GB and 12GB+256GB.

8GB+256GB: Recommended retail price at P20,999 via official e-commerce channels.

12GB+256GB: Recommended retail price at P22,999 via official e-commerce channels.

POCO F5 will be available for purchase at an early bird price of P18,299 and P20,099 respectively via Shopee.

Android 14 Beta 1 now Available on OnePlus 11 5G

GLOBAL technology brand OnePlus recently announced that its latest flagship OnePlus 11 can now access the Android 14 Beta 1. Developers now can experience an early build of Android 14 on the OnePlus 11.

Supply your employees with basic cybersecurity knowledge. Education should be aimed at changing the behavior of learners and teaching them how to deal with threats.

spot a phishing attack, report it to your IT teaching them how to deal with

Since phishing attempts can be confusing, and there’s no guarantee of avoiding all accident clicks, protect your working devices and your enterprise perimeters with a holistic cybersecurity expert.

Dragonpay partners with Wix

DRAGONPAY, one of the Philippines’ fintech pioneers and trusted payment gateways, has partnered with Wix. com Ltd. (Nasdaq: WIX), a leading global SaaS platform to create, manage and grow an online presence, providing Wix’s Philippine-based merchants access to Dragonpay’s payment gateway, enabling them to accept seamless and secure digital payments.

Through this partnership, Wix merchants in the Philippines can connect to Dragonpay and process credit cards, and a variety of other payment methods including cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT), providing a seamless online shopping experience for their customers. Not only does this power convenience, but this also gives the merchants a wider market reach,

well-accept OnePlus 11 5G x Android 14 Beta 1

“OnePlus has been working closely with Google to provide our signature fast, smooth and steady OxygenOS to our users, which is based on the Android operating system,” said Kinder Liu, President and COO of OnePlus, “By cooperating with Google, we are excited to provide an early build of Android 14 to OnePlus 11 developers.” The core themes of Android 14 are privacy, security, performance, developer productivity, and user customization. Android 14 Beta 1 will be available on the OnePlus 11, a well-accepted flagship benchmark released in February 2023. The OnePlus 11 is equipped with the

latest Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM, a 6.7-inch 2K 120Hz Super Fluid AMOLED Display with LTPO 3.0, the 100W SUPERVOOC Endurance Edition, and 3rd Gen Hasselblad Camera for Mobile, delivering a flagship experience in every aspect.

To get started on the Android 14 Beta 1 on the OnePlus 11, please see: OnePlus forum: https://community.oneplus.com/thread/1311878789566824453

For more information, please visit OnePlus. com or follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ oneplus_phl/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ oneplusphl/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/oneplusphl Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ oneplusphl

to expand digital payment options for PH merchants, customers

ultimately leading to increased sales and revenues. “We are always working to provide Wix merchants with a variety of convenient and innovative payment solutions tailored to local and global business needs. The integration with Dragonpay gives our merchants in the Philippines more choice and flexibility in the payment methods they offer their customers, enabling them to remain competitive, increase conversions and ultimately grow their revenues,” said Amit Sagiv and Volodymyr Tsukur, Co-Heads of Wix Payments.

In addition, with more payment options available, customers are more likely to complete their purchases, reducing the number of abandoned carts and increasing the conversion rate. They can also have peace of mind that their personal and financial data is secure. This builds trust between

Robertson Chiang, Founder & CEO of Dragonpay talks about the strategic partnership with cloud-based website builder, Wix, as part of the company’s goal to empower more Filipino consumers and MSMEs through cybersecure payment solutions

customers and merchants, leading to increased brand loyalty and repeat business.

“Dragonpay has been around for 13 years now, processing over 300 million transactions to date. We know that our job will never be done. We remain steadfast in our commitment to empowering every online Filipino business and consumer through secure, accessible and reliable payments. Hence, we continue to forge partnerships that share the same passion and vision that we have like Wix,” said Robertson Chiang, Founder and CEO of Dragonpay.

Armed with lessons learned from a global pandemic, more and more businesses are shifting their businesses online, making it crucial for them to have a secure and reliable payment gateway. With the rapid growth of the e-commerce market in Southeast Asia,

including the Philippines, this shift aligns with the projected revenues that are forecasted to reach $18.16B for 2023 and balloon up to $29.54B by 2027 as reported by market and consumer data platform, Statista.

This growth presents a significant opportunity for micro, small and medium-sized businesses or MSMEs in the Philippines to establish their online presence and tap into a wider customer base. However, to succeed in the online marketplace, these businesses must have access to reliable payment gateways that can accommodate various payment options.

With these continuous, techdriven leaps, the Philippines is in for a more bolstered e-commerce industry. Learn more about the partnership between Dragonpay and Wix here https://www.dragonpay.ph/ developers/wix/.