Manila Standard - 2023 June 23 - Friday

Survey: Pinoys optimistic about PH economic outlook

THE latest survey by Publicus Asia Inc. showed that most Filipinos continue to hold a positive outlook on the state of the country and its economic prospects.

The Pahayag 2023 Second Quarter Survey of 1,500 respondents showed that most expressed optimism

regarding the current state (51 percent) and direction (68 percent) of the country as well as the national economy (69 percent) and household financial prospects (70 percent). Notably, government workers

Marcos won’t veto Maharlika

Assures public independent managers to run sovereign fund

By Vince Lopez and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he will immediately sign the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill into law once it reaches his office, noting that proper management of the sovereign fund will be the key to its success.

PBBM raises alarm against digital scams

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday warned the people against the threat and risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI) as the government continues to monitor transactions in the digital space to protect the public against scammers and abusive online lenders.

“We continue to monitor very closely and do all that we can (to prevent scams),” President Marcos said after attending the 85th Anniversary of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the SEC Headquarters in Makati City.

“The SIM card registration (law) I think was a big step, and I think we are getting to the point where we have disposed of or taken out of the system

to allow hiring of

By Maricel V. Cruz

NO PROVISION in the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 would legally allow the issuance of temporary licenses to nursing graduates who have yet to pass

the Nursing Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said Thursday.

PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto

Jr. said Republic Act No. 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 1991 needs

Airline faces sanctions for security breach

“I will sign it as soon as I get it,” the President told reporters covering the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) anniversary event at the SEC Headquarters in Makati City. The Chief Executive, who had certified the MIF bill as urgent,

also stressed that the investment fund, once established by law, will be independent of the government.

"The key to the success of any fund, hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign fund, investment fund is the management,” he said.

"Even I proposed to the House to remove the President as part of the Board, to remove the central bank chairman, to remove the Department of Finance, because it has to operate as an independent fund, well-managed professionally,” Mr. Marcos added.

‘Don’t steal our voices’: Dubbers confront AI threat

VOICE actors around the globe are mobilizing against the unregulated use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate and clone human voices that they fear poses a threat to their livelihoods.

"We're fighting a very big monster," said Mario Filio, a Mexican artist who has done voice overs for Hollywood star Will Smith, the Obi-Wan Kenobi character in Star Wars and the party-loving lemur King Julien in the animated movie "Madagascar."

Campaigning under the slogan "Don't steal our voices," more than 20 voice acting guilds, associations and unions from Europe, the United States and Latin America have created the United Voice Artists coalition.

Jail guards: NBI exec allowed inmate to sneak out

By Rey E. Requejo

JAIL guards have accused an official of the National Bureau of Investigation as having ordered them to "escort" high-profile detainee Jose Adrian Dera on his trips outside of the jail facility.

In an exclusive interview on GMA

News, the guards who spoke on condition of anonymity said NBI Security Management chief Jake Feudo gave orders to allow Dera to leave his cell.

"We just complied with the order as jail guards. We might get fired if we don't follow," one of the guards said during the interview.

The guards appealed to the Public Attorney's Office to help them "fight for the truth" even as Fuedo denied the allegation. He said the only time he allowed Dera to leave his cell was for a trip to the hospital.

Without naming the official, the NBI earlier said it relieved its security

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The President stressed decisions in relation to this fund should not be linked to politics.

"One of the elements that make that happen is that there is very clear independence from the day-to-day government function. Those decisions are not made by political decisions in government, the decisions made for the fund are made by finance professionals," he said.

On Wednesday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he had signed the enrolled copy of the MIF bill at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, where he is currently conducting an official visit to meet members of the United States Congress and government agencies.

Several interpretations on the use of the state pension funds triggered concerns the President might veto the measure, and amid calls for him to return

Survey:...

From A1 demonstrated the most improved views, Publicus Asia said.

On the other hand, the 18-24-year-old and non-working demographic expressed growing dissatisfaction (61 percent in Q1 to 53 percent in Q2) with the country’s state, direction and economic prospects. Limited educational and employment opportunities contributed to their negative sentiments and fostered a sense of disillusionment, Publicus Asia said.

Other demographics that showed a decline in positivity were non-Catholics (71 percent in Q1 to 63 percent in Q2), and vocational workers (75 percent in Q1 to 69 percent in Q2).

The North-Central Luzon region witnessed a decrease in positive sentiment, falling from 71 percent in the first quarter to 66 percent in the second quarter.

There was a significant increase in positive sentiments among the 25-29-yearold age group and government workers, the research company said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was elated over the results of the latest survey.

Marcos obtained high approval and

‘Don’t...

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It represents the faceless voiceover artists and narrators of commercials, movies, audiobooks and video games who fear that their voices will be replaced by machines, or even cloned by artificial intelligence without their consent.

"The undiscriminating and unregulated use of artificial intelligence is a risk that could lead to the extinction of an artistic heritage of creativity and wonder, an asset that machines cannot generate," according to the group, which says its members include the US National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) and Latin America's Organization of United Voices.

"Our voices are our livelihood," NAVA vice president Carin Gilfry said in a statement last month.

"And if we don't have control over how those voices are used, we can't make a living," she added.

Voice artists were already competing with text-to-speech technology that turns written words into synthetic voice.

Now artificial intelligence has brought a new threat.

Thanks to machine learning, software can compare a voice sample with millions of existing ones, identifying patterns that generate a clone.

"It's fed by voices that we've been providing for years," said Dessiree Hernandez, president of the Mexican Association of Commercial Announcers.

"We're talking about the right to use your voice without your consent,"

No...

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government hospitals and believes this temporary measure will help address the current shortage while the government formulates a comprehensive long-term solution.

But Cueto said if RA 9173's provision is not changed, "the percentage lower than 75 cannot be considered."

Earlier, Herbosa said he wants to hire nursing graduates who flunked the board exam but scored 70 to 74% on the test to help fill the 4,500 vacant plantilla positions for nurses in over 70 government hospitals across the country.

However, Section 21 of RA 9173 states that a special or temporary permit may only be issued to the following persons, subject to the approval of the Commission and upon payment of the prescribed fees:

• Licensed nurses from foreign countries/ states whose services are either for a fee or free if they are internationally well-known specialists or outstanding experts in any branch or specialty of nursing;

• Licensed nurses from foreign

the bill to Congress. In particular, the Senate version of the bill, which was eventually adopted by the House of Representatives, included two sections on the prescriptive period for violations of the law. The draft bill passed by the Senate provides a 10-year prescriptive period for crimes punishable under the measure, while another section in the same bill provides for a 20-year prescriptive period.

Several senators, including Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, Senator Francis Escudero, and Senator Risa Hontiveros, asserted that the bill should be sent back to the Senate plenary for lawmakers to fix it. Asked how the Senate addressed the double provisions on the prescriptive period, Zubiri said: “I believe the corrections were thoroughly discussed by the majority bloc in our Viber group, including the correction sent by Senator Mark Villar (the principal author of the bill in the Senate).”

The Senate approved the MIF bill on

trust scores, getting 62 percent and 57 percent, respectively, according to the Publicus survey conducted from June 8 to 12.

In an interview after the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 85thanniversary celebration at its headquarters in Makati City, the President welcomed the poll results, saying it is an indication that Filipinos stand with him as he strives to give them a comfortable life.

“Perhaps, this is a result of unity and our collaboration. That’s why they are saying our economy, the Philippines, is heading in the right direction. That means we stand together. And that’s what we’re really talking about,” Marcos said in Filipino.

The poll found that the “favorable” national issues for the second quarter are the use of renewable energy (87 percent), the nationwide launch of Kadiwa outlets (81 percent), and the establishment of living wages for workers (81 percent).

The respondents also welcomed the implementation of the suggested retail price on basic commodities (79 percent), tax on the rich (76 percent), and digital food stamp program (72 percent).

Pahayag 2023 is an independent and non-commissioned survey conducted by Publicus Asia Inc. between June 7 and 12.

she added.

Platforms offer human sounding textto-speech services for a fraction of what professionals would charge.

One, revoicer.com, says that it does not intend to replace human voiceovers, but to offer a quicker and cheaper alternative.

Although they continued to be hired, voice actors suspect that companies are using their voices to build up their archives.

The artists are seeking tools to track their voices in the face of sophisticated piracy.

They want laws to prevent recordings of their voices being used to develop AI without their consent, and also support setting quotas for human voiceovers, said Colombian voice artist Daniel Soler de la Prada.

In the future, audiences could hear a famous actor's voice in several languages but with the intonation of a dubbing artist, Filio said.

While that could generate employment and benefits for the public, voice artists "need to charge what's fair," he added.

Mexican voice artist Maclovia Gonzalez said that she would only sign a contract with an AI company if it provided enough information about how the content would be used.

"I want to be part of this revolution, but not at any price," she said.

Art Dubbing, a company that has received several requests from clients to use synthetic voices, faces a dilemma: "adapt or disappear," said its Mexican founder, Anuar Lopez de la Pena. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

countries/states on a medical mission whose services shall be free in a particular hospital, center, or clinic; and

• Licensed nurses from foreign countries/states employed by schools/ colleges of nursing as exchange professors in a branch or specialty of nursing.

If the non-board passers are allowed to work in government hospitals, Cueto said they should be under the direct supervision of registered nurses.

“When they are under a registered nurse, they are not covered by the strict provision of the law because they are not into the independent practice of the profession. They will be supervised all the way. There are quality assurance mechanisms wherein they will be watched over and everything that they do must be informed to their supervisor,” he added.

According to Herbosa, temporary licensed nurses will have to render up to four-year return services to a government hospital after they pass their board exam before they are allowed to go abroad as his proposed temporary solution to address the exodus of nurses who are choosing better-paying jobs abroad. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

third and final reading on May 31, with 19 senators voting in favor.

The MIF seeks the creation of a sovereign wealth fund that the government can use to make investments.

Among the significant amendments introduced to the measure was the absolute prohibition of using the funds of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) Corporation, Pag-IBIG, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippines Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) in the capitalization and investments in the Maharlika fund.

Under the MIF measure, an oversight panel composed of seven members each from the two chambers of Congress will be formed to oversee, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the proposed law.

President Marcos also allayed the concerns against the bill, saying that the safety of pension funds was ensured in the adopted version of the measure.

It is a nationwide purposive survey with 1,500 respondents randomly drawn from a market research panel of over 200,000 Filipinos maintained by PureSpectrum, a US-based panel marketplace with a multinational presence with respondents, and distributed across five geographical areas: National Capital Region (NCR), North Central Luzo, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Only registered Filipino voters were included in the sample, ensuring that the results accurately represent the sentiments of the voting population.

Marcos thanked the Filipinos for their continued support for him and his administration, assuring them that the government is exhausting all efforts to improve the economy.

At the same time, the President has institutionalized the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), a multilateral organization of reformers inside and outside of government.

Under Executive Order (EO) 31 signed by Marcos on June 20, the PH-OGP has been institutionalized as a “multistakeholder partnership responsible for overseeing and implementing the country's commitments to the OGP.”

“The Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) has evolved into a

PBBM...

From A1 many of the SIM cards that have not been registered because they have been used for illegal purposes,” he added.

Mr. Marcos also urged the SEC to help his administration promote the Philippines as a “safe and proactive” investment hub.

In his keynote speech, the President vouched for SEC’s competence, saying it has become “a reliable regulator of corporate and capital markets and a staunch protector of our people and their investments.”

“I know that I can count on each of you to help promote our country as an investment destination—one that is safe, that is orderly and proactive; and one that can uphold the rights and welfare of our investors and consumers to their mutual benefits,” he said.

Marcos also called on SEC to help the business sector and transform it as an “agent of social and economic transformation.”

He expressed optimism that more local businesses will reach even greater heights for a “more robust and equitable” economy.

Everybody, the President said, must be “very, very watchful and careful” and be aware of the new technologies being introduced, to prevent them from being duped by scammers.

Mr. Marcos advised the public that when they get a message and a deal is being presented and it sounds too good to be true, they should proceed with caution.

“There is no such thing as 100 percent

Airline...

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excluded, managed to leave the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

The foreign national, identified as Tshapa Guimick Basaga, 31, was denied entry into the country on June 18 after arriving from Ethiopia for being likely to become a public charge.

Following immigration law, he was immediately turned over to the airline for boarding on the next available flight back to his port of origin, and was temporarily held at the airport's day room before his return flight.

However, the airline on-duty security guard informed BI Border Control Intelligence Unit (BCIU) officers Monday evening that Basaga was missing from the airline's custody.

Basaga was able to leave the airport premises and was able to proceed to the taxi bay outside.

He was later found inside the airport terminal again, after attempting to go to the immigration area to retrieve his passports.

"I think most of the changes that were proposed and that were eventually adopted really had to do with the safety and the security of people’s pension funds, that's when people's doubt arises," he said.

According to opposition Sen. Pimentel, the President should veto the bill since there is "a high chance" that it is unconstitutional.

“The enrolled bill being sent to him is not the version properly and formally approved by Congress. There is a provision there that was changed without plenary authority. There’s a high chance that Maharlika Law is unconstitutional,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives condemned Zubiri's signing of the MIF bill.

The group of congressmen took issue with the discussions the senators made over the bill in a Viber group.

"How can this be? Last time we checked, the Constitution does not allow legislation by Viber," they said on Wednesday.

vital platform for introducing governance reforms through harnessing technology, creating synergy with CSOs (civil society organizations), and mainstreaming these innovations in various levels of government,” the EO read.

“To further strengthen the engagement of government and nongovernment champions, there is a need to institutionalize the PH-OGP as a mechanism for the delivery of more effective and sustainable actions to address current social concerns,” it added.

EO 31 forms a steering committee that will be chaired by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) secretary and serve as policy- and decision-making body for the PH-OGP.

The PH-OGP Steering Committee is mandated to ensure that open government values are embedded in government policies and programs.

Members of the PH-OGP Steering Committee include the Executive, Local Government, and Social Welfare secretaries; the National Economic and Development Authority director general; four government sector representatives identified by the chairperson as nonpermanent members; Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines national president; and 10 CSO representatives.

risk-free. There is no way to guarantee these enormous returns on what they are claiming, on the money that you put, that you give them,” he said.

“If the public is aware and knows and is able to spot (a scam) because of the way that these scams are presented, then that is the best defense that we have.”

Asked by reporters about punishing scammers involved in such schemes, the President said anyone found guilty of promoting such scams will be dealt with using the full force of the law.

But the big challenge, he said, is finding these people who do not usually maintain identifiable offices or establishments while they operate.

“These are people sitting in somebody’s basement with a computer, which they can just shut down, sell away, buy a new one, and keep going. So, that’s the trouble we are finding now,” Mr. Marcos pointed out.

“The best that we can do, there are certain instances, especially when they’re very large-scale that we can find exactly where it’s coming from. But again, it’s very movable --- these are not offices, corporate offices in a big building.”

On the SEC, the President said that through its existence, the agency "has helped create an environment that benefits the business and investment sectors.”

“As we are now deep in our efforts to fully transform our economy, it is my hope that your role in our collective growth remains clear so that businesses will not only thrive but will also become agents of our economic and social transformation,” he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

"This is a major security breach as the subject has been denied entry, yet was able to exit airport premises undetected. By law, it is the airline's responsibility to secure him and ensure that he boards his flight back," he added.

Tansingco confirmed that Basaga was able to board his flight back to Ethiopia without informing the bureau.

The BI chief said that their legal team will study sanctions to be imposed against the airline.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Escudero expressed openness to the proposal to pass laws that would institutionalize the air passenger’s bill of rights and impose stiffer penalties on violators amid the growing number of complaints by travelers of poor airline service.

The senator said it is about time Congress look into legislating the air passenger bill of rights, a proposal that was backed up by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) at the hearing conducted jointly by the committee on tourism and the committee on public services chaired by Senators Nancy Binay and Grace Poe, respectively. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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management head for allowing Dera to leave the facility late Tuesday evening, allegedly to go to the hospital.

“The NBI assures the public that our organization will not condone acts of betrayal of public trust. The Chief of the Security Management Section was already relieved from his post pending the investigation of the case,” the bureau said in a statement on Wednesday.

The NBI yesterday filed criminal charges against Dera and six NBI security personnel a day after they were arrested upon returning to the NBI compound in Taft, Manila.

Dera is accused of corrupting public officials under Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), for allegedly bribing the security personnel to allow him to get out of NBI detention facility from 8 p.m. Tuesday until midnight of Wednesday.

The six NBI security personnel, meanwhile, are facing complaints for infidelity in the custody of prisoners/ detained persons under Art. 223 of the RPC, bribery under Art. 210 of the RPC, and for violating Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Dera is also among the co-accused in the illegal drug case involving former Sen. Leila de Lima.

He is also accused of acting as a bagman of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who is suspected of being the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

Teves' camp has denied allegations linking the lawmaker to Dera.

As this developed, Teves' lawyer has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to inhibit itself from investigating the murder charges against his client because of the partiality exhibited by Justice Secretary Jesus Cripin C. Remulla.

In a motion for inhibition filed on Thursday, Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand S. Topacio said the investigation should be turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Teves and several other respondents have been charged with 10 murder, 14 frustrated murder, and four attempted murder charges in the deaths of 10 persons and injuries sustained by 18 others.

The DOJ’s panel of prosecutors has started its preliminary investigation.

Teves, who has been out of the country, has been tagged by Remulla as “one of the masterminds” in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo. Teves has consistently denied the allegations, but has refused to return to the country to face the charges.

Teves did not attend the preliminary investigation conducted on June 13 and the panel of prosecutors set another investigation on June 27.

“Unfortunately, in this case, no prosecutor under the Department of Justice can confidently and honestly say that they can resolve this preliminary investigation with fairness, impartiality, independence, and integrity as demanded by law and jurisprudence,” Topacio said, in seeking for the inhibition of the DOJ. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

PhilHealth...

From A1 under PhilHealth Circular 2023-0009 entitled “Institutionalization of 156 hemodialysis sessions,” which takes effect on June 22. Ledesma emphasized that the expansion of hemodialysis coverage, as well as its institutionalization, were made possible with the help of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

A total of P21 billion from these partner agencies have already been approved for transfer to PhilHealth under the 2023 General Appropriations Act. PhilHealth members and their qualified dependents diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) needing hemodialysis as prescribed by their nephrologists may avail themselves of this benefit package.

The patient should also be registered in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database prior to availing.

The state-run health insurer explained that the new total of 156 sessions is in accordance with the current standards for adequate hemodialysis of three sessions per week for 52 weeks, which is equivalent to one year.

With this benefit expansion, CKD5 patients on hemodialysis can avail of as much as P405,600 per year in savings at P2,600 per session.

However, PhilHealth strongly advocates for peritoneal dialysis (PD) first, as it encourages accredited healthcare providers to recommend PD as the initial line of treatment for CKD5 patients.

On the other hand, kidney transplantation remains the gold standard treatment for patients with kidney failure.

The agency also said it is set to increase financial coverage for its peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation packages in the next two years.

IN BRIEF

Red Cross reinforces relations with PHC

THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is strengthening its collaboration with the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) to boost services to impoverished patients.

PRC chairman and chief executive officer Richard Gordon with the renewed collaboration, the PHC will ensure accessible and stable supply of blood for patients of the medical institution.

“PRC always pursues avenues to reach out and help more people. It is always available when the Heart Center runs out blood supply, and now even more so with this renewed partnership,” Gordon said.

Cagayan honors 10 outstanding citizens

TUGUEGARAO City--The provincial government of Cagayan has announced the names of the ‘Ten Outstanding Cagayano Awardees for excellence and dedication in their respective fields of endeavor.

The Dangal ng Lahing Cagayano 2023 awardees were cited by Gov. Manuel Mamba in a ceremony at the provincial capitol here.

“I am so glad this Dangal ng Lahing Cagayano started years ago and is becoming institutionalized,” Mamba said. Jessica M. Bacud

Bill prohibits sexual inequity in Mariveles

COUNCILOR Susan Madla-Murillo of Mariveles, Bataan has filed a proposed ordinance banning discrimination on the basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) in her town.

The Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Human Rights chaired by Councilor Jeff Penaloza called a committee hearing on Monday to tackle Murillo’s measure titled “An Ordinance Promoting Diversity and Equality Thru Affirmative Action and Prohibiting Discrimination, Ridicule, Vilification, and Harassment of Person in the Municipality of Mariveles on the Basis of their Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression”.

“Nag-akda po ang inyong lingkod ng ordinansang ito para mapangalagaan ang karapatan at maiwasan ang diskriminasyon base sa kasarian ng ating mga kababayang LGBT dito sa Bayan ng Mariveles”, said MadlaMurillo. Butch Gunio

Most PH jails gravely overcrowded—COA

NEARLY 70 percent of the country’s jails are dangerously overcrowded, thanks but no thanks to the law enforcers’ relentless drive against illegal drugs, along with shortage of trial judges and poverty that prevented countless prisoners from posting bail for their temporary liberty.

According to a Commission on Audit (COA) 2022 report, the national jail congestion was at 67.57 percent last year, or 323 out of 478 jails virtually bursting at the seams, to the extreme prejudice of the prisoners also called persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

In its audit on the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the COA said occupancy rates in the socalled correction facilities ranged from 101 percent to as high as 2,739 percent.

The total jail population as of the end of 2022 was 127,031 which was way beyond the “total ideal capacity” of 46,702, the COA said.

“While the agency has been continuously professionalizing the jail services as well as unceasingly providing the basic needs of PDL such as food, drugs and medicines, rehabilitation supplies, etc., congestion has always been one of the biggest challenges in carrying out its mandate in humane safekeeping and development of PDL under its care,” the

audit report stated.

The audit team noted that congestion in Philippine jails violated the United Nations standards on jail management, as well as the BJMP manual itself.

Areas in the country with the highest jail congestion rates were Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Metro Manila, the COA said.

For 2022, there was a net increase of 1,684 PDLs from 125,347 in 2021. Among the reasons were the government’s campaign against illegal drugs and delays in court processes due to a lack of judges.

“Likewise, the non-posting of bail of qualified detainees, who are from below poverty line and cannot afford to post bail, still remained imprisoned,” the COA noted

CULTURAL HERITAGE COMPENDIUM. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas launches its book “Kaban: 50 years of Investing in the Philippine Cultural Heritage” that reflects on the institution’s role in the preservation of the Filipino traditions through a curated collection of representative pieces from its numismatic and arts collection from the pre-colonial to the contemporary periods.

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday announced it will open public utility vehicle (PUV) routes to serve regular commuters of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) to be affected by the closure of the train stations due to the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway.

“The effect of the closure of these select PNR stations on commuters will be quite substantial so through these PUV routes, we hope to lessen the impact of the closure. We appreciate the help of the PNR in identifying the routes, and we know that once the NSCR is completed, its benefits would be truly worth it in terms of passenger mobility along our railways, which is regarded as one of the most convenient and affordable modes of public transportation in the country,” LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said.

The construction of the 147-kilometer urban railway network connecting Metro Manila to Pampanga and Laguna would last about five years or until 2028, and was expected to pose serious daily commuting problems to some 30,000 people. Rio N. Araja

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) seriously considers downgrading the alert level status on Myanmar following an appeal by the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there.

The DFA raised the Alert Level 4 on Myanmar in May 2021 due to political unrest and instability caused by the military’s takeover of the Myanmar government.

“First, I can say most certainly we are considering [lowering] the alert level. We can’t completely lift the alert level and make it back to normal situation where we could deploy Filipino workers,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in interview with ANC.

“But certainly, we can recommend to the DMW (Department of Migrant Workers), which issues the final resolution about it, allowing Filipinos who are already legally working in Myanmar to return to Myanmar if they come to the Philippines,” De Vega added.

The DFA official will leave later this month to meet with Filipinos in Myanmar.

A group of Filipinos in Yangon asserted that while civilian movement was still limited in Myanmar, the general situation had gone back to normal.

De Vega will be in Yangon on June 29. He said coordination between the Philippine Embassy in Yangon and with the Myanmar authorities was in progress.

“The department is now reviewing and it’s only a matter of sending our recommendations, but we want to be absolutely sure that the situation is really safe,” he said.

According to De Vega, the Philippine government was considering the situation of Filipino workers in Yangon, including the human trafficking victims.

Interior chief Abalos promotes ‘best biking practices’ among LGUs

By Joel E. Zurbano

SECRETARY Benjamin Abalos Jr. of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday urged local government units (LGUs) to promote “active transport and sustain best biking practices.”

“We continuously encourage our LGUs to provide means for active

transport, through the establishment of protected bike lanes, to help ease traffic congestion and promote sustainable mobility. We can take great inspiration from the LGU Bike Lane awardees who made it happen in their localities,” Abalos said, addressing the conferment of the National Bike Day Lane Awards.

Last year’s LGU Bike Lane Awar-

dees were Iloilo City, Quezon City, and Mandaue City while those who received exemplary awards were Alaminos City and Pasig City. Also recognized were cities of Baguio and Taguig.

“We thank the LGU Bike Lane awardees for sharing valuable insights on how they were able to establish safe and accessible bike lanes and pedestrian infrastruc-

ture in their areas. This will go a long way in encouraging other LGUs to follow their example,” the secretary said.

The DILG earlier issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-100 encouraging all LGUs to promote and make active transportation accessible as a means to support people’s mobility within their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Phivolcs says Mayon still restive, but shows ‘very slow’ lava gushes

By Rio N. Araja

MAYON Volcano remained restive over the past 24 hours, registering 299 rockfalls and eight dome-collapse pyroclastic density current (PDC) events amid very slow lava effusion.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said zero volcanic earthquake recorded during the same period, but more pyroclastic emissions took place compared to the previous day.

“Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano, which means that it

is presently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible,” the Phivolcs bulletin stated.

Two very slow effusions of lava flow from the crater were observed along Mi-isi gully extending 2.5 kilometers and along Bonga gully reaching 1.8 kilometers. Lava flows on both gullies was also seen within 3.3 kilometers from the crater. A moderate emission of plumes reaching up to 750 meters was observed over the Albay volcano drifting to the southwest direction.

DFA considers lower alert level over Mynmar

Danny Pata

‘Napoles children involved in scam’

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE children of detained businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles helped facilitate the fake liquidation documents for alleged ghost projects using the Priority Development Assistant Funds (PDAF) of former senator and now Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.

This is according to pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy at the continuation of the trial for the 15 graft cases against Enrile and the Napoleses.

Luy was made the admission as he was cross-examined by lawyer Marcelo Rempillo, Jr., the counsel of Jo Christine and James Christopher Napoles-- asking the prosecu -

Panel yet to get proposal on salty food tax

By Maricel V. Cruz

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Thursday said that the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means has not yet received a formal proposal for a tax on salty food from the Department of Finance (DOF) or the Department of Health (DOH).

At the same time, Salceda, chair of the ways and means committee, said his panel is “still studying the best form of a junk food tax, or whether to do it at all.”

“We have not received the proposal yet. But when we do, it will go through the usual tests the committee applies. Who pays for it? What are its macroeconomic impacts? What are the costs and benefits? What are other countries doing? And what do we do if something goes wrong?” Salceda said.

Salceda added the committee has also not received “a formal bill from the DOF on sweetened beverages.”

“The decision of course will depend on data. We are just in the median of obesity rates in the region, while having the highest sweetened beverage levies in ASEAN.”

“As for salt, we do exceed the 2g per day of sodium recommended by the World Health Organization. So, there is cause for government-led efforts to reduce consumption. But, we are also looking at research, and as for salt, it appears that the highest proportion of excess salt in diets come from added salt in food and sauces – so not necessarily ready-toeat junk food.”

“In that sense, taxation might not be the best measure,” Salceda said.

IN BRIEF

Palace declares June 20

National Refugee Day

tion witness if he actually saw the two faking signatures of supposed farmer-beneficiaries.

“Did you actually see with your very own eyes Jo Christine and James Christopher in the act of faking these liquidation documents?” Rempillo asked. “Yes. I was present in the conference room, we did it in the conference room po,” Luy said.

Luy recalled the conference room has a 7-seater table but there were also additional plastic “monobloc” chairs.

According to him, not only Napoles

and her children but there were also other employees doing the task of forging signatures. Luy identified them as Mary Arlene Baltazar and Merlina Suñas.

Luy alleged the practice at the Janet Lim Napoles Corporation was to forge signatures in liquidation documents whenever checks were released to nongovernment organizations.

“How far were you (from Jo Christine and James Christopher)?” Rempillo asked. “There were occasions, magkatabi, arms length,” Luy said.

Malacañang gives orders to develop PH exports

MALACAÑANG has issued a memorandum circular (MC) directing concerned government agencies to implement programs, activities, and projects for the development and promotion of Philippine exports.

The issuance of MC 23 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on June 20 was in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent approval of the Philippine Export Development

Plan (PEDP) 2023-2028.

The PEDP 2023-2028 aims to transform the Philippines into a major exporter of high-value products and services by laying the groundwork for the country to become a dynamic exporting nation by 2028.

Under MC 23, all concerned government agencies are mandated to identify and implement relevant programs, activities and projects in support of the PEDP.

“To ensure the success of the PEDP

2023-2028, it is necessary for all concerned government agencies to support and cooperate in the implementation of the PEDP 2023-2028,” the order read.

Sixty days upon the effectivity MC 23, concerned agencies must submit to the Export Development Council (EDC) and to the Executive Secretary an inventory of relevant programs, activities and projects which are aligned with the strategies under the PEDP 2023-2028.

BIVALENT VACCINES. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora and personnel from the Department of Health (DOH) lead the launching of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for the A1 category, which includes frontline healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses living or working in hospitals in San Juan. The bivalent shot will be considered the third booster dose for the eligible population.

Manny Palmero

MALACANANG has declared June 20 as “National Refugee Day.”

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed Proclamation No. 265 and said the Philippines “has a longstanding humanitarian tradition of opening its arms to those who seek safety, and promoting an environment suitable for people forced to flee their countries of origin, stateless persons, and populations at risk of statelessness.”

According to Mr. Marcos, World Refugee Day is an annual celebration designated by the United Nations every June 20 to honor the strength and courage of people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution, and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.

The President said his administration recognizes the necessity for a national observance of the World Refugee Day to protect and uphold the rights of refugees, stateless persons, and asylum seekers.

LGUs urged on safety checks of storage plants

THE environmental group EcoWaste Coalition urged local government units (LGUs) to conduct safety checks in ice and cold storage plants in their areas of jurisdiction following the ammonia leak and fire in Navotas City last Monday.

The group pushed for safety checks in ammonia-using facilities as National Poison Prevention Week is observed from June 19 to 23, 2023.

“We urge our Mayors to instruct concerned department heads to undertake safety checks in industrial facilities using ammonia as refrigerant such as ice and cold storage plants to prevent ammonia leaks and explosions, which can put the lives of workers and residents at grave risk,” said EcoWaste Coalition national coordinator Aileen Lucero.

“As these facilities are often located near or within residential areas, it is imperative that ammonia poisoning prevention policies and procedures, including emergency response plans, are effectively communicated and complied with,” she added. Othel V. Campos

PCG: Fishing vessel sinks in Davao Oriental

A FISHING vessel sunk in the vicinity waters off Davao Oriental on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

According to the PCG, the fishing boat Genesis 2 had 24 crew onboard when the maritime accident occurred. One crew member died due to the incident while nine crew members remained missing, the PCG said.

Genesis 2 boat captain, Allan Donaire claimed that they encountered sudden change in the sea condition at around 12 am, causing their fishing boat to half-submerge an hour later.

PCG deployed BRP Tubbataha to respond to the maritime incident while fishing boats around the area helped in conducting search and rescue operations and ensured the safety of 14 crew. Charles Dantes

PNP confirms arrest of wanted Abu Sayyaf member in Quezon City

By Charles Dantes

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday confirmed the arrest of a wanted Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member in Quezon City.

In a statement, Southern Police District director Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft said that the apprehended ASG member was

identified as Janhar Abdulhari, 37, also known as “Janjan” or “Julpikar Pendiwata.”

“The suspect was a known member of the ASG operating under Kumander Wanning Abdusallam. The ASG has been implicated in numerous cases of kidnapping and murder in Zamboanga Sibugay over the past several years,” Kraft said.

Abdulhari was nabbed at 6:30 pm on

PH continues to appeal for mercy for OFW on death row in Indonesia

THE Philippine government continues to appeal for a commutation of sentence for Mary Jane Veloso, the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) on death row over drug trafficking charges in Indonesia.

“She’s on death row so we have a request for clemency. Even the Indonesian Human Rights Commission and women’s groups, are supporting us,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said Thursday.

The statement came as he confirmed that the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta helped facilitate the visit of Veloso’s family in Indonesia.

The government continues to bank on the fact that Indonesia as a Southeast Asian neighbor and friend, would be lenient, he said.

“So every day na buhay siya, that means nakikinig

ang Indonesia sa atin. In other words, hindi nila tinutuloy ang execution niya (that means Indonesia is listening to our appeal. In other words, they are not pushing through with the execution),” he said.

De Vega added that the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights is closely monitoring developments in the Philippines with regard to Veloso’s recruiters.

“Ang hinihingi naman ng Indonesian Human Right Commission para makatulong, gumalaw iyong anti-trafficking, illegal trafficking na kaso na nandito (sa Pilipinas). Mayroong kaso against doon sa nag-recruit sa kanya (What they are hoping for is progress on the illegal trafficking case of her recruiters in the Philippines),” he said.

June 21 at Tierra Pura Homes, Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

The police operation was conducted based on the intelligence reports and aimed to execute the warrant of arrest against Abdulhari issued on May 24, 2022, by Judge Anthony Dela torre Isaw of the Regional Trial Court Branch 24 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay in connec-

tion with a murder case under Criminal Case number 1-8776.

Abdulhari was the No. 7 Most Wanted Person (Municipal Level) and No. 5 (Provincial Level) of Zamboanga. The arrested ASG member was immediately brought to SPD’s District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) office for booking and mugshot.

NEW HOSPITAL IN MORONG. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, together with Bataan Governor Joet Garcia and Bataan 3rd District Representative Gila Garcia, led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Morong District Hospital in Morong, Bataan on Tuesday. Villanueva said that affordable and quality healthcare services should be accessible to everyone.

Motion for Bill of Particulars

PLEADINGS in civil cases must contain “in a methodical and logical form, a plain, concise and direct statement of the ultimate facts, including the evidence on which the party pleading relies for his claim or defense” (Section 1, Rule 8, 2019 Rules of Civil Procedure).

The purpose of this provision is to make the parties’ litigants aware of the facts in controversy and the issues sought to be resolved by the courts.

In criminal cases, “[a] complaint or information is sufficient if it states the name of the accused; the designation of the offense given by the statute; the acts or omissions complained of as constituting the offense; the name of the offended party; the approximate date of the commission of the offense; and the place where the offense was committed” (Section 6, Rule 110, Rules of Criminal Procedure).

The requirement of sufficiency of information goes back to the constitutional right of the accused “to be informed of the nature and cause of accusation against him” (Section 14 [2], Article III, 1987 Constitution).

It is the duty of the State in indicting the accused to apprise him or her of the crime allegedly committed, its elements, the manner of its commission, and the jurisdiction of the court to hear, try, and decide the case.

There are instances, however, in both civil and criminal cases, when the drafting of the complaint or information is defective or vague.

If

or if the facts charged do not constitute an offense, the court shall order an amendment of the information instead of quashing it

In such a situation, before responding to a pleading or before the accused is arraigned, a party may file a motion for a bill of particulars identifying the defects in the subject pleading and the details desired. (see Section 1, Rule 12 and Section 9, Rule 116).

To be clear, in civil cases, the Motion for Bill of Particulars points out the defects and the details desired in a Complaint before the filing of an Answer, in an Answer before the filing of a Reply, or in a Reply before the filing of a Rejoinder. This is in contrast to a Bill of Particulars that is submitted by a party whose pleading is being complained about after the court orders the submission of the details requested.

The “purpose of a bill of particulars [is] to amplify or limit a pleading, specify more minutely and particularly a claim or defense set up and pleaded in general terms, [and to] give information, not contained in the pleading, to the opposite party and the court as to the precise nature, character, scope, and extent of the cause of action or defense relied on by the pleader…”(Virata v. Sandiganbayan et al., G.R. 106527, April 6, 1993 citing Tan v. Sandiganbayan).

Put simply, its purpose it to “apprise the opposite party of the case which he has to meet, to the end that the proof at the trial may be limited to the matters specified, and in order that surprise at, and needless preparation for, the trial may be avoided, and that the opposite party may be aided in framing his answering pleading and preparing for trial” (G.R. 106527, April 6, 1993).

“It is not the office of a bill of particulars to supply material allegations necessary to the validity of a pleading, or to change a cause of action or defense stated in the pleading, or to state a cause of action or defense other than the one stated… [nor] to set forth the pleader’s theory of his cause of action or a rule of evidence on which he intends to rely, or to furnish evidential information…” (G.R. 106527, April 6, 1993).

It must be noted that in the 2019 amendment to the Rules on Civil Procedure, every pleading stating a party’s claims or defenses shall state the names of witnesses, summary of the

Current state of PH media

witnesses’ testimonies with their respective judicial affidavits, and documentary and object evidence (Section 6, Rule 7).

Hence, some say that today, a Motion for Bill of Particulars has been rendered toothless.

While this view may be partly true, judicial affidavits and evidence attached to the pleadings may be vague, defective, or completely irrelevant.

The Motion for Bill of Particulars, therefore, remains to be a potent procedural tool to address vague, indefinite, uncertain or general allegations in pleadings, thereby preventing surprises during trial. In contrast, the Motion for Bill of Particulars is submitted in criminal cases before arraignment by the accused or before the reading of the criminal information to him or her.

“The motion shall specify the alleged defects of the complaint or information and the details desired” to allow the prosecution to remove any defects in the information (Section 9, Rule 116).

“During arraignment, the accused is granted the opportunity to fully know the precise charge that confronts him and [is] made fully aware of possible loss of freedom, even of his life, depending on the nature of the crime imputed to him… thus [it] ensures that an accused [is] fully acquainted with the nature of the crime imputed to him in the Information…” (Enrile v. People et al. G.R. 213455, August 11, 2015).

“A concomitant component of this stage of the proceedings is that the Information should provide the accused with fair notice of the accusations made against him, so that he will be able to make an intelligent plea and prepare a defense… the Information must [also] provide some means of ensuring that the crime for which the accused is brought to trial is in fact one for which he was charged…” (Enrile v. People et al. G.R. 213455, August 11, 2015).

“In other words, the Information must permit the accused to prepare his defense, ensure that he is prosecuted only on the basis of facts presented, enable him to plead jeopardy against a later prosecution, and inform the court of the facts alleged so that it can determine the sufficiency of the charge” (Enrile v. People et al. G.R. 213455, August 11, 2015).

“If the Information fails to comply with this basic standard, it would be quashed on the ground that it fails to charge an offense. Of course, an Information may be sufficient to withstand a motion to quash, and yet insufficient [to] inform the accused of the specific details of the alleged offenses” (Enrile v. People et al. G.R. 213455, August 11, 2015).

“In such instances, the Rules of Court allow the accused to move for a bill of particulars to enable him properly to plead and to prepare for trial… [A] bill of particulars details items or specific conduct not recited in the Information but nonetheless pertain to or are included in the crime charged” (Enrile v. People et al. G.R. 213455, August 11, 2015).

“Its purpose is to enable an accused [to accomplish the following]: to know the theory of the government’s case; to prepare his defense and to avoid surprise at the trial; to plead his acquittal or conviction in bar of another prosecution for the same offense; and to compel the prosecution to observe certain limitations in offering evidence” (Enrile v. People et al. G.R. 213455, August 11, 2015).

If there is a defect in the criminal information or if the facts charged do not constitute an offense, the court shall order an amendment of the information instead of quashing it, as is stated under Rule 117 on the Motion to Quash. The Motion to Quash shall be granted only in the event that the prosecution fails to make the amendment or cure the defect despite the amendment (see Section 4, Rule 117).

Hence, “the general function of a bill of particulars, whether in civil or criminal proceedings, is to guard against surprises during trial. It is not the function of the bill to furnish the accused with the evidence of the prosecution… [nor] to include in the bill of particulars matters of evidence relating to how the people intend to prove the elements of the offense charged…” (Enrile v. People et al., G.R. 213455, August 11, 2015)

THERE’S good news and bad news on the state of Philippine media in the 2023 report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

Its assessment of the popularity of the major news outlets and platforms noted that radio and television “remain the most popular media overall,” with GMA Network having the “dominant audience share,” while “many of the longest established media brands, such as GMA Network and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, have relatively high levels of trust.”

The report said trust in the news has been boosted “to some extent” by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many Filipinos coming to rely more on news media. Philippine media as a whole gained an overall trust rating of 38 percent in 2023 from 27 percent in 2020. Based on the trust scores per brand, GMA Network got the highest at 74 percent, followed by newspapers Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, and the Philippine Star and radio stations dzRH and dzBB, and TV5 network all at 68 percent.

However, the report observed that certain independent media outlets, “respected for their reporting” on people in power, were “often actively” distrusted by supporters of powerful politicians. These media organizations were also

The report painted a ‘largely grim’ picture of the overall state of Philippine media. But how will the government’s communications team respond to the report?

subjected to coordinated harassment, the report said.

An example cited was the online news site Rappler, which obtained a trust rating of 47 percent and a distrust rating of 11 percent.

Online sites and social media, the Reuters report added, were the “most popular” sources

Puzzling 180-degree turn

WHAT should we make of Sara Duterte’s recent pronouncement that House Speaker Martin Romualdez had absolutely no part in her decision to run for the vice presidency in the May 2022 national elections?

Here’s what she actually said on June 7: “It was Sen. Imee Marcos who eventually persuaded me to run as vice president—and it was a decision sealed only after President Bongbong Marcos agreed to the conditions I set before running for VP...There was no Speaker Romualdez in the picture.” But in a speech she delivered during the oathtaking of the Leyte congressman in Tacloban last year, Sara expressed her gratitude to Romualdez for being one of her campaign managers: “I made sure that I will be with you today so I can express my thankfulness for your support to my candidacy. And not only that, but for your love, your genuine love of my person.”

And more: I’d like to personally thank, publicly thank, Congressman Martin Romualdez for taking me in (as) Lakas-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) and accepting the challenge to be one of my two campaign managers during the last elections… It was not without irritations and challenges, but you did very well.”

The 180-degree turn on her part a year later is puzzling, to say the least.

Observers believe it has politics written all over it. But let’s not speculate on the reasons for her surprising volte-face.

Rather, we should probably listen to what Romualdez’s colleagues in the House have to say on this issue.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. (Cavite), former president of the National Unity Party (NUP), said Romualdez has “held his horses and remained focused on his job as the leader of the House of Representatives amid this political rift…He never fired back with insults of his own. That shows strength of character.”

The lawmaker also pointed out that Romualdez “never said a bad thing about the vice president despite being the obvious subject of her vicious insinuations,” adding the Speaker “tremendously helped in pushing for the vice-presidential candidacy of Duterte, who was eventually recruited to join Lakas.” House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe (Zamboanga City, 2nd District) also vouched for Romualdez’ leadership of the House and his ability to secure “multi-partisan support” and seemingly rise above political discord.

The lawmaker also hinted at “premature partisanship,” saying these are “distractions” to the efforts of the House super majority to quickly pass all of Marcos’ priority measures. For his part, Rep. LRay Villafuerte (Camarines Sur), also a former president of the NUP, emphasized that “improving the lives of all Filipinos, as committed by President Marcos, is

the priority in the House on the watch of Speaker Martin in lieu of divisive politics, hence the need for greater unity.”

Then there’s also Rep. Dan Fernandez (Sta. Rosa City), who said Duterte, “who ran and won on a platform espousing unity,” should “join the president in translating this call for unity into action.”

Fernandez, chairman of the House committee on public order and safety, said he agrees with Vice President Duterte in expressing full support for the Marcos administration, but that such declaration is “better fleshed out if it is devoid of political bickering…We should instead work together and keep a laser focus on what needs to be done to ensure a vibrant and prosperous future for all Filipinos.”

In a speech she delivered during the oath-taking of the Leyte congressman in Tacloban last year, Sara expressed her gratitude to Romualdez for being one of her campaign managers

Other House leaders, meanwhile, have reaffirmed their support for the Speaker and would rather help him shepherd priority legislation than engage in political mudslinging.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. cited the 33 bills approved on third and final reading by the chamber and forwarded to the Senate. Only nine of the 42 priority bills remain pending, according to the lawmaker.

Gonzales, who replaced former president Arroyo as senior deputy speaker in the House, lauded the Speaker for what he called a very productive legislative output. “We are focused on matters that are important to our people and to the Marcos administration,” he said.

“One thing is clear: Speaker Martin has created an atmosphere of certainty and trust. His strong, compassionate leadership brought all of us together to work on a single vision: to pass measures focused on achieving a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Philippines,” he noted.

Rep. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur reminded both administration and opposition lawmakers that “leadership movements” have

of news in the country while TV and radio news “remain important” to those who were not online.

TikTok has “grown the fastest” among social media platforms, being accessed now by 21 percent of news consumers compared to only 2 percent in 2020.

But there’s also bad news, with the report saying that Red-tagging, killings, and the use of “lawfare” against journalists have not abated in the country even with the change in the country’s leadership.

The country’s media landscape remained “largely grim” despite the change of administration.

“Attacks on journalists, which escalated during the six-year presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, have not let up since Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”

According to the report, dozens of violations of press freedom have been recorded under the current administration, with 75 cases monitored between June 2022 and April 2023.

The “systematic Red-tagging” of journalists also persisted, according to the report, targeting those in mainstream and alternative media organizations.

The use of “lawfare” or legal action against Filipino reporters, has also increased, the report said, prompting journalists to seek help from lawyers’ groups in launching “Project Lawfare” to defend journalists from lawsuits.

defused “tensions” in the chamber.

“Let us not exaggerate this anymore,” he said.

“We have so much work to do in Congress to be able to fulfil the President’s agenda of economic renewal and prosperity for all Filipinos.”

Speaker Martin Romualdez has apparently chosen to keep quiet amid the political tumult and would rather concentrate on the tasks at hand.

He commended the joint efforts of the country’s economic managers, lawmakers, and stakeholders for their contributions to economic and social development.

“As the House amply demonstrated, we remain committed to implementing policies that will further stimulate economic activity, attract investments, and generate employment opportunities for our fellow Filipinos,” Romualdez said, adding distractions would not hamper House efforts to offer appropriate and timely solutions to issues affecting the lives of Filipinos.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

MORE OPINION ONLINE

(www.manilastandard.net)

Why BBM must stay at DA

IT APPEARS the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is wasting millions of pesos of public funds for legal fees paid to private lawyers.

The national government is always represented in court cases by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), particularly when an agency of the national government is sued.

This is manifest in cases filed before the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals where the constitutionality of a statute enacted by Congress or an executive order issued by the President of the Philippines is directly challenged.

I know this for a fact, considering that I have already challenged the constitutionality of many statutes, as well as circulars issued by officials of the government before the courts of law.

With respect to criminal cases, it is the Department of Justice (DOJ), through its prosecutors, that investigates criminal complaints and, upon a finding of probable cause, files criminal cases in court in the name of the People of the Philippines. The DOJ prosecutes the criminal case until the conviction of the accused, or his acquittal, as the case may be.

Facing aging with confident grace

Anomaly: BSP hires expensive, private lawyers to prosecute its cases

If the accused is convicted in the trial court and he elevates his case to the Court of Appeals and, ultimately, the Supreme Court, the OSG takes over the case on behalf of the People of the Philippines.

That’s because the OSG is the counsel of the State in all criminal cases pending appeal before higher courts.

Government-owned and controlled corporations, and a number of specialized administrative agencies are, however, defended in court by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), an agency under the DOJ.

Cases handled by the OGCC are mostly civil in nature, like suits involving civil damages or breach of contract.

As far as I know, the OSG and the OGCC do not charge any professional legal fees, or what lay people refer to as “attorney’s fees” from the national government for its legal services.

That’s because it is their duty under the law to serve as the counsel for the government.

That rule notwithstanding, I understand that lawyers from the OSG and the OGCC who appear in court are given a “representation allowance” for their trouble.

This is where the BSP enters the picture. The BSP is arguably the government agency that enjoys the biggest funding in the country, and

While he’s at it, President Marcos should fire Bruce Tolentino, the BSP Monetary Board member who criticized the president’s Kadiwa project last month, but ended up taking back what he said

the BSP governor is the highest paid government official in the land.

When incumbent Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno was still BSP governor under President Rodrigo Duterte, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported that his salaries and allowances for the year 2020 was a whopping P19.79million. Wow!

That amount more than doubled in 2021 when the COA revealed that Diokno received P41-81million likewise in salaries and allowances. He also has extensive perks and privileges as BSP governor!

Pastilan, Dodong! The BSP governor draws a government compensation higher than the official salaries and allowances the President of the Philippines is entitled to! That is an anomaly by itself!

Here’s the bigger anomaly.

The BSP has an extensive legal department with many well-paid lawyers to represent it in court. It may also be represented in court by either the OSG or the OGCC, depending on the nature of the case.

In the course of its operations, the BSP places erring or failing banking institutions under “prompt corrective action”or PCA.

To all intents and purposes, banks placed under PCA are suspended from operating, and its officers are often made to face criminal charges in court.

To prosecute PCA cases, the BSP hires bigtime, expensive private law firms.

Inevitably, the millions of pesos the BSP pays to these expensive private law firms are taken from public funds, to the prejudice of the taxpayers.

Why the BSP hires expensive private law firms when it can be represented by either its own legal department, or by the OSG or the OGCC, is obviously a waste of valuable public funds.

It is an anomalous practice that must be stopped immediately.

Even assuming that the BSP charter allows it to hire expensive private law firms to do its work, the arrangement is still anomalous because it is a waste of public funds.

The arrangement itself encourages graft, in that the BSP is likely to choose its “favorite” private law firms, possibly in exchange for a “valuable consideration.”

Considering the millions of pesos involved here, why isn’t the BSP’s selection and hiring of expensive private law firms subject to the procurement law?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress should end this anomaly.

While he’s at it, President Marcos should fire Bruce Tolentino, the BSP Monetary Board member who criticized the president’s Kadiwa project last month, but ended up taking back what he said.

Highly-paid BSP officials like Tolentino who make reckless public statements against the government do not deserve to stay in office.

Rescuers in all-night race to save sub crew

BOSTON—A massive search and rescue effort for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic is in a critical stage, with just hours before its oxygen supply for the five people aboard is expected to run out on Thursday.

While coast guard officials insisted they remained “hopeful,” with a surge of assets and experts joining the operation and sonar picking up unidentified underwater noises, the challenge of locating and recovering the crew alive appeared increasingly formidable.

Based on the sub’s capacity to hold up to 96 hours of emergency air, rescuers estimate that the passengers may run out of oxygen in the early hours of Thursday.

Organizers of the multinational response -- which includes US and Cana-

IN BRIEF

Ukraine strike damages Crimea bridge—Russia

MOSCOW—A strike has damaged a bridge linking the annexed Crimean peninsula to a region of southern Ukraine partially occupied by Russia, a Russian official said on Thursday.

“During the night a strike hit the Chongar bridge. There are no victims,” Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-installed governor of Crimea, said on Telegram.

The bridge connects Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, to the Ukrainian region of Kherson.

The Russia-installed governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said that Ukrainian strikes had hit “bridges” near Chongar, next to photos of what appeared to be gaping holes on a bridge.

The strike came as Ukraine wages a counter-offensive to recapture territory occupied by Russian forces.

Crimea has been regularly targeted by strikes, mostly using drones, over recent months.

Meanwhile, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will attend a Ukraine-organized meeting this weekend in Denmark, alongside representatives of multiple countries, including some that have remained neutral on Russia’s invasion, a Western official told AFP on Wednesday.

The meeting in Copenhagen aims to discuss ways of achieving a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, the source said.

The invitees include top security officials of the United States, the European Union, and other countries that have backed Ukraine since Russia invaded last year, as well as those that have not condemned the invasion, the source added, without specifying which states. AFP

Australia watchdog gives Twitter 28 days to clean up ‘toxicity’

SYDNEY—Australia’s internet safety watchdog on Thursday threatened to fine Twitter for failing to tackle online abuse, saying Elon Musk’s takeover had coincided with a spike in “toxicity and hate”.

E-safety commissioner Julie Inman Grant—a former Twitter employee—said the platform was now responsible for one-in-three complaints about online hate speech reported in Australia.

Inman Grant said Twitter had 28 days to show it was serious about tackling the problem or face fines of Aus$700,000 (US$475,000) for every day it missed the deadline.

She said Twitter must come back with a series of concrete steps showing “what it is doing to prevent online hate on its platform and enforce its own rules”.

“We need accountability from these platforms and action to protect their users,” she said.

“And you cannot have accountability without transparency, and that’s what legal notices like this one are designed to achieve.”

Since Musk bought the platform in October 2022, he has slashed more than 80 percent of the global workforce, including many of the content moderators responsible for stamping out abuse.

In November, Musk declared a broad amnesty that allowed tens of thousands of suspended or banned accounts to rejoin the platform. AFP

SETTLERS’ RAGE. A picture shows burnt cars, which were set ablaze by Israeli settlers, in the area of in al-Lubban al-Sharqiya in the occupied West Bank, where four people were shot and killed on June 21, Israeli o cials said, a day after an army raid in the territory left six Palestinians dead. AFP

dian military planes, coast guard ships and teleguided robots -- are focusing their efforts in the North Atlantic close to the underwater noises detected by sonar.

An additional Canadian vessel carrying medical staff and a decompression chamber was en route to the area early Thursday, with Canadian media reporting it was not expected to arrive before midday.

The sounds raised hopes that the passengers on the small tourist craft are still alive, though experts have not been able to confirm their source.

“We don’t know what they are, to be frank with you,” said US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick.

“We have to remain optimistic and hopeful.”

The submersible, named Titan, began its descent at 8:00 am on Sunday and had been due to resurface seven hours later, according to the US Coast Guard.

The 21-foot (6.5-meter) tourist craft lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its trip to see the Titanic, which sits more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the surface of the North Atlantic.

Titan was carrying British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who also have British citizenship.

OceanGate Expeditions charges $250,000 for a seat on the sub.

‘Mr Titanic’ Also on board is the company’s CEO, Stockton Rush, and a French submarine operator Paul-Henri Nargeolet, nicknamed “Mr Titanic” for his frequent dives at the site.

Ships and planes have scoured 10,000 square miles (around 20,000 square kilometers) of surface water—roughly the size of the US state of Massachusetts— for the vessel, which attempted to dive about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

After the noises were detected by a Canadian P-3 aircraft, rescuers relocated two remotely operated vehicles (ROV) that search under the water and one surface vessel with sonar capability.

The ROV searches have not yielded results but data from the Canadian aircraft has been shared with US Navy

STILL MISSING.

A graphic on the Titan tourist submersible used to explore the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic, which went missing with ve people on board.

China eviscerates Biden for equating Xi to ‘dictators’

BEIJING—China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed comments by US President Joe Biden equating Chinese leader Xi Jinping with “dictators” as an “open political provocation”.

Beijing’s foreign ministry termed Biden’s comments as “ridiculous”.

“The relevant remarks by the US side are extremely ridiculous and irresponsible, they seriously violate basic facts, diplomatic protocol and China’s political dignity,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a Wednesday briefing.

“China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this,” she added. The White House tried to ease tensions later on Wednesday, saying Blinken “made some progress” during his trip to China and that Washington still had “every expectation of building on that progress.”

“Diplomacy, including that undertaken by Secretary Blinken, is the responsible way to manage tensions,” a senior administration official said, adding “it should come as no surprise that the president speaks candidly about China and

Restaurant explosion kills 31 in Chinese city

BEIJING—At least 31 people were killed when an explosion caused by a gas leak ripped through a restaurant in the northwestern Chinese city of Yinchuan, state media said Thursday.

the differences that we have.”

Speaking at a fundraiser in California on Tuesday, Biden said Xi had been angered over an incident in February when a Chinese balloon—which Washington says was used for spying—flew over the United States before being shot down by American military jets.

His comments come just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing aimed at reestablishing lines of communication in order to avoid conflict between the two global powers. AFP

experts for acoustics analysis.

“There have been multiple reports of noises and every one of those noises is being analyzed,” said Carl Hartsfi eld, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

He added that the sounds were “described as banging noises.”

The US Coast Guard said the number of surface vessels in the search would double from five to 10 within 24 to 48 hours.

The Navy has sent a specialized winch system for lifting heavy objects from extreme depths, other equipment and personnel; and the Pentagon has deployed three C-130 aircraft and three C-17s. Fears of a leak

Titan’s mission was expected to be the only manned trip to the Titanic this year due to bad weather, Harding wrote in an Instagram post beforehand. AFP

date of this publication.

23, 2023)

The blast occurred on the eve of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, when many in China go out and socialize with friends.

Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed more than a dozen firefighters working at the site as smoke poured out of a gaping hole in the restaurant’s facade.

Shards of glass and other debris littered the darkened street, which is also home to a number of other eateries and entertainment venues.

were living together in Japan; that on February 7, 2019, Hidenori Noto, eventually applied for and cause notification of divorce against Petitioner, as evidence by Certificate of Acceptance - Divorce Registration and Divorce Notification issued on February 7, 2019 executed in Itabashi, Tokyo with official English translation and duly authenticated in the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines at Tokyo, Japan; that the report of divorce was accepted and further certified by the Mayor of Itabashi, Tokyo and was entered in the Compilation of Family Register, all executed in Japanese language with Official English Translation and duly authenticated in the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines at Tokyo, Japan; that the divorce, obtained by Respondents in accordance with Article 763 and 765 of the Japanese Civil Code; that neither common children were born during the marriage between Petitioner and Respondent Hidenori Noto nor personal and real properties acquired either in the Philippines or abroad.

applied for a spouse visa in order to follow respondent in Japan; that Petitioner moved to Japan in order to work out their marriage, however her efforts proved futile when they were living together in Japan; that on February 7, 2019, Hidenori Noto, eventually applied for and cause notification of divorce against Petitioner, as evidence by Certificate of Acceptance - Divorce Registration and Divorce Notification issued on February 7, 2019 executed in Itabashi, Tokyo with official English translation and duly authenticated in the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines at Tokyo, Japan; that the report of divorce was accepted and further certified by the Mayor of Itabashi, Tokyo and was entered in the Compilation of Family Register, all executed in Japanese language with Official English Translation and duly authenticated in the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines at Tokyo, Japan; that the divorce, obtained by Respondents in accordance with Article 763 and 765 of the Japanese Civil Code; that neither common children were born during the marriage between Petitioner and Respondent Hidenori Noto nor personal and real properties acquired either in the Philippines or abroad.

Nine people including the restaurant’s “owner, shareholders and staff” were held by police following the explosion, CCTV said, adding that “their assets have been frozen”.

WHEREFORE, finding the Petition to be sufficient in form and in substance, let this petition be set for hearing before this Court located at Room 604, Sixth Floor, Hall of Justice - Annex, Diliman, Quezon City on August 23, 2023 at 8:30 o’clock

“A leak of liquefied petroleum gas... caused an explosion during the operation of a barbecue restaurant,” state news agency Xinhua said of the Wednesday evening blast, citing the regional Communist Party committee.

Seven more people were receiving medical treatment, the agency said, with one of them in a “critical condition”.

Two others suffered severe burns, two had minor injuries and two had scratches caused by flying glass, Xinhua said. AFP

WHEREFORE, finding the Petition to be sufficient in form and in substance, let this petition be set for hearing before this Court located

PAL eyes other suppliers of engine parts to cut disruptions

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PHILIPPINE Airlines said Thursday it implemented measures to normalize operations and minimize disruptions amid supply chain delays and unexpected technical issues.

“To minimize disruptions and restore normalcy to our flight schedules, we are making adjustments to our flight operations,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

“To enhance efficiency and reduce aircraft servicing time, we are making changes to our maintenance procedures without compromising safety and aircraft reliability,” she said.

Villaluna said PAL is regularly reviewing flight capacity to ensure that maintenance schedules are met. She said one of the measures that PAL is undertaking is seeking more sources of critical parts in the market.

“The airline is also looking at acquiring an additional A321CEO to join PAL fleet in the first week of July and finalizing lease arrangements for additional one Q400 and one A330,” she said.

PAL is expecting an additional A320 to return from storage in the first week of August.

Villaluna said PAL recently signed a purchase agreement for nine A3501000 aircraft from Airbus.

The A350-1000 was selected under PAL’s Ultra Long Haul Fleet project and will fly on nonstop services from Manila to North America, including to the East Coast of the US and Canada.

The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service at the airline.

By Julito G. Rada

THE Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday kept the benchmark interest rate at 6.25 percent as expected on signs of slowing inflation.

The interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were also retained at 5.75 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively.

BSP Governor and MB chairman Felipe Medalla said the latest baseline projections continued to suggest a gradual return of inflation to the target band of 2 percent to 4 percent over the policy horizon.

“Average inflation for 2023 is pro-

jected to settle at 5.4 percent, slightly lower than 5.5 percent previously, while the average inflation forecast for 2024 now stands at 2.9 percent from 2.8 percent. For 2025, inflation is expected to average at 3.2 percent,” Medalla said. Inflation expectations for 2023 were adjusted lower, while those for 2024 and 2025 appeared to have settled firm-

ly within the target range, the BSP said.

Inflation, which hit a peak of 8.7 percent in January 2023, eased to 8.6 percent in February, 7.6 percent in March, 6.6 percent in April and 6.1 percent in May. This brought the average in the first five months to 7.5 percent, above the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

Both headline and core inflation decelerated further in May on slower increases in the prices of food and energyrelated items, affirming expectations of a return to the target range by yearend.

Medalla said, however, the balance of risks to the inflation outlook continued to lean towards the upside because of the potential impact of additional transport

BSP maintains interest rate at 6.25% on slowing inflation IN BRIEF

fare increases and minimum wage adjustments, persistent supply constraints of key food items, El Niño weather conditions and possible knock-on effects of higher toll rates on agricultural prices. Meanwhile, the impact of a weakerthan-expected global economic recovery remained the primary downside risk to the outlook.

“While the domestic growth momentum is expected to remain intact over the near term, recent demand indicators suggest a likely moderation in economic activity over the policy horizon, reflecting the impact of the BSP’s cumulative policy rate adjustments as well as weak global growth prospects,” Medalla said.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

Please be informed that the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of HARBOR STAR SHIPPING SERVICES, INC. (“HSSSI”) will be held and conducted virtually via the Zoom online meeting platform on Wednesday, 12 July 2023, 09:30 A.M. for the following purposes:

1. Call to Order

2. Certification of Notice and Quorum

3. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on 13 July 2022

4. Management Report

5. Approval of Audited Consolidated Financial Statements of HSSSI and its subsidiaries as of 31 December 2022

6. Ratification of all acts, resolutions and proceedings of the Board of Directors and of Management, done in ordinary course of business since the 13 July 2022 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting up to 12 July 2023

7. Election of Directors

8. Appointment of External Auditor

9. Other Matters

10. Adjournment

The record date for stockholders entitled to notice of, participate and vote at the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting is set on 08 June 2023 (“Stockholders of Record”).

Considering the current circumstances, Stockholders of Record may only attend/participate via proxy, remote communication or vote in absentia, subject to validation procedures. Only validated stockholders will be provided access to the Zoom meeting platform and can cast their votes in absentia on or before 04 July 2023 via the Corporation’s secure online voting facility.

Stockholders who wish to participate in the meeting via the Zoom online meeting platform and to vote in absentia should notify the Office of the Corporate Secretary through a Letter of Intent to be sent via e-mail to asm-2023@harborstar.com. ph or fill up the registration form at www.harborstar.com.ph/ asm2023registrationform on or before 28 June 2023.

The Corporation is not soliciting for proxies. Stockholders who are unable to join the meeting but wish to vote on items in the agenda by proxy must submit their duly accomplished proxy forms via email to asm-2023@harborstar.com.ph on or before 28 June 2023.

Stockholders may send their queries and comments to the Management Report and other items in the Agenda to asm-2023@ harborstar.com.ph on or before 06 July 2023.

The Definitive Information Statement containing the attendance, voting and election procedures, along with the Notice, Agenda, Proxy, Management Report, SEC Form 17-A, SEC Form 17-Q and other information related to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting can be accessed at www.harborstar.com.ph/investors/pse_disclosures.

Very truly yours, (SGD.)

BAP vows to work with BSP on new benchmark

THE 44-member Bankers Association of the Philippines on Thursday expressed support to the decision of monetary authorities to put up a new overnight reference rate to establish a credible yield curve.

“The Bankers Association of the Philippines shares the view of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that as a market, we desire to have a yield curve based on actively traded securities that

result in high-volume transactions in the market,” BAP said in a statement.. It said that compared to other markets in the region, the Philippines still strives to have a deeper and more vibrant securities market.

“Presently, we have the 5-year, 7-year and 10-year securities actively traded in the market—with the 12-year, 15-year, and 20-year bonds receiving strong interests from market participants and investors,” it said.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders’ of PHILTOWN PROPERTIES, INC. (“Philtown” or “Corporation”) will be conducted via videoconference on Wednesday, 26 July 2023 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning and information about said meeting can be requested by email at philtown.ssm@gmail. com with the following agenda:

1. Call to Order

2. Certification of Notice and Quorum

3. Approval of the Minutes of the Special Stockholders’ Meeting held on 14 January 2022

4. President’s Report for 2022

BAP said these securities provide the banking industry sufficient support for pricing bank products such as loans, mortgages, investments, and marking-to-market of banks’ own portfolios.

“We are fortunate that the Philippine market is supported by a globally recognized benchmark methodology that is utilized in over 100 jurisdictions. The Philippine BVAL benchmarks, currently administered by the BAP as an SEClicensed administrator, remain credible as it even addresses scenarios of limited market activity,” it said.

email at philtown.ssm@ gmail.com of your intention to attend the meeting for us to send you the Definitive Information Statement, proxy form and Zoom link. All stockholders are requested to state their full name, address, contact number/s and email address. For purposes of verification, kindly attach in said email a scanned copy of a government issued ID with photograph and signature. For your convenience, kindly refer below for the guidelines with respect to attending the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting via videoconference:

1. The Zoom telecommunications platform shall be utilized to conduct the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting.

2. All stockholders who are attending the meeting are advised to enter the Zoom conference at least thirty (30) minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting for the proper registration of the attendees.

3. All stockholders who intend to attend the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting are requested to send through e-mail to philtown.ssm@gmail.com their respective email addresses wherein the Zoom link shall be sent on or before 20 July 2023. Copies of the scanned valid IDs of the stockholders must likewise be sent for purposes of verification. Failure to send your email address shall be deemed a waiver of the right to receive the Zoom link for the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting.

4. All stockholders who will not, are unable, or do not expect to attend the meeting are advised to request for a proxy form through e-mail to philtown. ssm@gmail.com or download the proxy form at the Corporation’s website, philtownpropertiesinc.com. All proxies should be received and validated by the Corporation on or before 19 July 2023. Copies of your scanned valid IDs must likewise be sent for purposes of verification.

5. Verifiable soft copies of the Definitive Information Statement, 2022 Audited Financial Statements and proxy form may be secured from the Corporation’s website, philtownpropertiesinc.com or by request through e-mail at philtown. ssm@gmail.com. Please confirm your availability. Thank you.

BVAL refers to Bloomberg’s evaluated pricing service, which is based on market quotes and traded prices. Julito G. Rada

Oro

Ayala opens cold storage facility in Cagayan de

GMAC Logitech Refrigeration Corp., a joint venture between AC Logistics and Glacier Megafridge Inc., on Thursday opened a new cold chain storage facility in Barangay Tablon, Cagayan De Oro City.

GMAC said in a statement the facility could store up to 5,348 industrial pallets, service the increasing cold storage demand of various industries in Northern Mindanao and help ensure food preservation for the community.

“AC Logistics aims to use technology-driven supply chain solutions in addressing the country’s most pressing problems. We are sincerely proud to be partnering with Glacier Megafridge in helping our stakeholders ensure food security and preservation in Cagayan de Oro,” said AC Logistics president and chief executive Rene Almendras. Almendras said the opening of the facility is just the start of the group’s plan to aggressively expand its cold chain solutions across key areas in the Philippines.

AC Logistics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ayala Corp., serves as Ayala Group’s portfolio company for logistics solutions services. Jenniffer B. Austria

Metrobank top choice for trade finance in

PH METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co. is the top choice for Trade Finance in the Philippines, according to a survey by financial publication Asiamoney where the bank earned the Best Service Award.

Metrobank, the country’s second-largest private bank, ranked first in the Philippines under the Best Services (Asian Banks) category and third under the Best Services category—cementing the bank’s position as a leader in the industry.

The 2023 Euromoney-Asiamoney Trade Finance Survey identifies the leading providers of trade finance products and services in Asia, based on over 12,000 responses from clients across the world.

Clients were asked about the quality of service they received from providers, and those who were given top assessments under several categories were named in the Best Service award.

“We have a strong commitment to support our clients’ trade business. We always aim to deliver best-in-class trade finance products and services that are most suited for their business. After all, our promise has always been to keep them in good hands,” said Metrobank executive vice president and head of institutional banking sector Mary Mylene Caparas.

“We are grateful to be named as the country’s Best Service Trade Finance provider. This attests to our dedication in helping our clients grow their business,” she said.

DOE releases circular on offshore wind permitting

THE Department of Energy said Thursday it issued a new circular that will eliminate unnecessary delays in every stage of the offshore wind project development, specifically streamlining the permitting process of different agencies.

DOE Department Circular No. DC2023-060020 signed by Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla on June 16 provides the policy and administrative framework for the efficient and optimal development of offshore wind resources to all permitting agencies.

The circular aims to remove any duplications and overlapping permitting within and among the attached agencies of the permitting agencies, remove duplications and redundant documentary requirements, reduce signatories and review and rationalize fees for OSW.

It said the new policy and administrative framework defines the agency’s earlier implementing guidelines with respect to the issuance of permits and licenses for OSW projects by permitting agencies. The framework mandates all permitting agencies to submit a complete list of appropriate permits and clearances, including all requirements, fees and a detailed process flow diagram.

This was issued after a series of public consultations and stakeholders’ engagements pursuant to Section 2 of Executive Order No. 21 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on April 19, 2023. Alena Mae S. Flores

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

STRONGER TIEUP. UBX, a leading open finance platform in the Philippines, forges a strategic partnership with Aboitiz Data Innovation to integrate artificial intelligence solutions in its lending platform SeekCap. Sealing the agreement are (from left) UBX president and chief executive John Januszczak and Aboitiz Data Innovation chief executive Dr. David Hardoon. UBX and ADI signed the partnership agreement during the inaugural AI Summit PH 2023 to champion financial inclusion and sustainability through innovation and technology.

SCHNEIDER TOUR. Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Fred Pascual, together with the Philippine delegation, visits the Schneider Electric Industries SAS Company on June 19 at the sidelines of the Philippines-France Joint Economic Committee meeting, which coincides with the three-week European Investment Roadshow. With Pascual is Schneider Electric senior vice president Eric Heitz. Schneider Electric is leading the digital transformation of energy management and automation in homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

Uy snaps 2-year spell, wins Forest Hills crown

ANTIPOLO—Daniella Uy finally flashed the grit and spunk lacking in her previous campaigns and snapped a two-year search for a second victory and three near-title misses this year by clutching the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic crown here yesterday.

It was as tough as it could get but the former Junior World champion endured the day-long test and pressure to prevail by one over Florence Bisera on a final round 74 for a 212 total over 54 holes of the P1 million championship which served as the seventh leg of this year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

“I’m very happy I won this after a lot of misses,” said Uy, heaving a sigh of relief following three failed bids in the first six legs, including a playoff loss to Harmie Constantino at Luisita.

“This (victory) is also very sweet since there will be a two-month break on the LPGT,” added the 2021 Riviera-Langer leg champion, who likewise gained inspiration from the presence of friend Alyssa Valdez, who gamely joined the gallery in

the closing holes and turned from a volley superstar to an adoring fan during awards rites, reaching out with her cell phone at the back of the crowd while trying to get a good shot of the winner.

Bisera and Ababa holed out with pars with the former matching Uy’s closing three-over par card for solo second at 213 worth P86,000 and the latter winding up third at 215 after a 75 and receiving P69,000.

Rookie pro Mikhaela Fortuna carded a 73 and placed fourth at 217 after finishing eighth in her first LPGT tournament at Valley while two-leg winner Constantino ended up fifth at 220 after a 73.

Apple Fudolin shot a 73 while Chihiro

Ikeda struggled with a 75 as they tied for sixth at 221 while Lois Kaye Go skied to an 80 and wound up eighth at 223 while bagging another low amateur honors in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. More importantly, Uy said the victory, worth P120,000, will serve as a big confidence-boost as she embarks on a new mission next month.

“I feel this win will give me more confidence when I play in Japan next month,” added Uy, who also pocketed the top purse at Valley after finishing second to

amateur winner Mafy Singson.

It was indeed a heated final round battle that saw Uy, Bisera and Sarah Ababa change turns at the lead majority of the

Gilas Women get confidence boost for Asia Cup in Sydney

By Peter Atencio

way until Uy regained it for good despite a two-bogey, birdie-less card after 13 holes marred by a missed par-putt from four feet on No. 8.

EXCITEMENT and

confidence

are building as the Gilas Pilipinas Women won their first tuneup game in preparation for next week’s 2023 FIBA

Women’s Asia Cup in Sydney.

National team coach Patrick Aquino said this after Team Philippines got past Keilor Thunder, 93-72, on Tuesday night at the Keilor Basketball Stadium in Victoria.

Their second tuneup match, this time with the Casey Cavaliers, was scheduled to take place Thursday night.

training camp in Melbourne.

Khate Castillo shot a game-high 16 points for the nationals in beating the Thunder, made up mostly by members of the youth league girls and National Basketball League 1 players.

The team’s campaign will start on Monday, with the Gilas women’s squad set to first meet host and world no. 3 Australia on June 26, at 5:30 p.m. (Manila time).

“They’re raring to go. We have been training after the SEA Games,”

added Aquino. Aquino said one of Team Pilipinas’ newcomers, Fil-Am recruit Vanessa De

Jesus, is blending well following her debut game with the national team. The 21-year-old de Jesus, who is now entering her senior year in college at the Duke University, has quickly adjusted to the team’s system. De Jesus, who had 9 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals against the Thunder, is one of the team’s three newcomers, next to Fil-Am Jhazmin Joson and Gilas Girls’ U19 player Fil-French Louna Ozar.

“Medyo malamig dito, but they’re adjusting,” said Aquino, before their next tuneup match with the Casey Cavaliers.

The team is also composed of veterans Janine Pontejos, Jack Danielle Animam, Afril Bernardino, Chack Cabinbin, Mikka Cacho, Khate Castillo, Angel Surada, and Ella Fajardo—all members of the silvermedal winning team in last month’s Cambodia Southeast Asian Games.

Mondilla pads lead to 6, nears title

ANTIPOLO—Unshaken at the top, Clyde Mondilla can perhaps start preparing for the long Philippine Golf Tour break or drawing up his next jaunt on the Asian Development Tour. This after the Del Monte ace stretched his lead to six in the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic despite posting his “highest” score in three days, a 68, and making his first bogey after 50 holes for an 19-under 194 total spiked by an 11-under 60 start and a second round 66 at the par-71 Nicklaus course.

Angelo Que tried to mount an early charge with four frontside birdies and kept rolling at the back to finish with an eagle-aided 33. But his 64 could only thrust him from fourth to second at 200 although he chopped four precious shots off Mondilla’s previous 10-stroke lead over him after 36 holes.

Unfancied Albin Engino bravely held his ground while slugging it out

Rising above adversity the Azkals’ way

comers Gio Pabualan and Jax Peña from the bashing they received after the game.

The two made their senior’s team debut against Chinese Taipei and appeared listless during their stints on the pitch.

with two of the Tour’s multi-titled campaigners in the featured flight but lost his poise at the finish, dropping two strokes on No. 18 and slipping to third at 202 after a 71.

It was, in fact, Tony Lascuña who faltered in the featured group as the Caliraya Springs leg winner and fourtime Order of Merit champion triplebogeyed the last hole and limped with a 75 as he fell with a thud, tumbling from third to sixth at 207.

Aside from Que, there were a couple of players who sizzled in the heat in moving day but Guido van der Valk’s 65 and Dino Villanueva’s 66 could only move them to joint fourth at 205, too far behind to pose a threat with 18 holes left in the P2 million event sponsored by ICTSI.

But Mondilla proved just as resolved as the rest, shooting three birdies on a par-4 (No. 3), par-5 (No. 6) and par-3 (No. 13) to

trolling the ball in the first half. The team was very deliberate in its attack and were able to hold their opponents defensively. The game was very tight the whole time and the Chinese Taipei offense were not given so many chances that they had to resort to long balls.

stay way ahead of the chasing pack then zeroing in on the top P360,000 prize with a pitch-in birdie from the fringe on the last hole that negated his lone miscue in three days of exceptional play at the upand-down layout.

He, however, remained wary of his chances and his pursuers, including Que, who poised himself to duplicating his big rally from six strokes down behind Jay Bayron to snare the crown in the inaugural Anvaya Cove Invitational in 2015.

“I need to toughen up, handle my lead and sustain it to the finish,” said Mondilla in Filipino. “No room to relax since I can’t control the game of my rivals, so patibayan ng loob talaga.”

The way he did when he ripped the 18th fairway with a solid drive and closed out with a pitch-in birdie after his wedge shot from 80 yards spun back and rested on the fringe.

IT will be the triathlon wannabes’ turn to get a dose of top endurance racing in an Olympic-style setup when the Sun Life 5150 Triathlon returns to Bohol on July 9 at the posh Bellevue Resort on Panglao Island.

The sport actually marked its return to the mainstream after the pandemic at the popular triathlon destination in Central Visayas noted for coral reefs and unique geological formations last year with Lanao del Norte’s Satar Salem and Bea Quiambao of The Next Step Tri sharing top honors in the 1.5 km-swim, 40 kmbike and 10 km run distance event.

This time, the organizing The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc., coming off a successful staging of the 70.3 and full IRONMAN in Subic, expects a bigger, stronger cast and keener competition in the 5150 race designed for athletes wanting to embrace multi-sport racing and reach the IRONMAN level.

Jonathan Pagaura of Rider Omega Triathlon team, who finished second overall to Salem, heads the early roster of more than 300 entries that also drew bets from the US, Malaysia, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.

Aside from the overall crowns, agegroup titles are also set to be disputed in the event, sponsored by Sun Life Philippines as part of its continuing commitment to help promote a healthy lifestyle among Filipinos, including 15-to-19, 2025, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64 and 65-69.

Also on tap are relay competitions while the Sunrise Sprint or S2 will spice up the Bohol 5150 race. The short-distance event, a sub-category to the centerpiece 5150 triathlon series, is set over 750-m open-water swim, 20km bike and 5km run for beginners and upcoming athletes to get a feel of the tri-racing. For details, visit www.ironman. com/5150-bohol with social media accounts at Sun Life 5150 Bohol (facebook) and 5150bohol (Instagram). For the Sunrise Sprint, log on to www.goforgold.sunrisesprint.com/

THE Philippine Azkals dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Chinese Taipei last Monday to even their record at one win and one loss in the recently concluded FIFA window.

The Azkals won their first game against Nepal, 1-0 last last week.

The Azkals came back from an early deficit right in the opening minutes when the visitors scored on a deflected ball. Goals by Mike Ott and Patrick Reichelt gave the Azkals a 2-1 advantage after the opening half. The second half, however, saw Chinese Taipei coming back with the equalizer in the 57th minute and the game winner in the 90th.

For Azkals’ Team Manager Dan Palami, the Azkals performed much better, despite the defeat, against Chinese Taipei compared to their game against Nepal.

“The first goal was very unfortunate for us but we got back, managed to score two goals before we were exposed in terms of fitness level of some players and we could not cope with our opponents by the 70th minute. Medyo kinakapos na sa hangin so the coach had to cope and make some changes,” Palami said.

Palami was also quick to defend new-

“I think the young players were overwhelmed by the level of play in the international competitions but I hope they don’t get too disappointed and depressed because of the fans. They should look at these opportunities as learning experiences. These should motivate them even further to show why they were called to play for the national team,” Palami explained.

Palami added that the Azkals youngsters will only get better once given more opportunities to play in the senior team. He said Pabualan and Peña played well during the camp and that was the main reason they were given the chance to play in the Chinese Taipei game. He believed that the newest Azkals’ mental fortitude will only get stronger with experience.

Palami also defended the calls made by comebacking Azkals’ coach Hans Michael Weiss during the friendlies. He says it was expected that Weiss made several combinations, substitutions and tinkered with his line-up.

“These are the best times for the coach to experiment and to check which combinations of players will click. He basically tested the players out. If not there and then, when?” he asked.

Palami said he was quite satisfied with what he saw in the two games. He said that there were a lot of positives in terms of how the Azkals played, especially in terms of con-

“The fact that we came back from a deficit after just two minutes speaks highly of the character of the players even up to the last minute. And we have to understand that some of the Azkals are off season for a while, they are just getting back in shape,” Palami said.

Palami is hopeful that when the next FIFA window comes in September more Azkals will be fit, ready and not burdened by contract negotiations.

Overall, Palami said he was happy with the way things turned out for the Azkals. He is hoping that this will be the start of more positive things to come for the team. He is also glad that more Azkals die-hards came to support the team in the second game.

“I’m quite happy with the crowd turnout. Considering the heavy downpour and it being a working day, I would like to thank the brave fans who came in to support the team,”

Palami added.

At least 3,758 fans watched the game against Chinese Taipei despite the strong rains. Most of them stayed even after the game cheering their favorite Azkals and in some way, even the visiting team.

Speaking of good things, congratulations to Azkals’ keeper Patrick Deyto for signing a new contract to mark his return in the Thai League 1. Deyto is now officially with Chonburi FC after the club formally made an announcement confirming their acquisition of Deyto for the upcoming season.

Special thanks to Bossing Raul Roque, marketing consultant of Forever Healthy Products for supporting the Philippine Azkals with ImunPlus, the team’s official energy drink, during their friendlies against Nepal and Chinese Taipei. Roque assures that their support to the Azkals will not end after friendlies.

“It is just the start. We are hoping for a long-term partnership with the men’s national football team. Basta Azkals todo suporta kami,” Roque said.

ImunPlus is a no-caffeine, no-sugar energy drink and food supplement that boosts performance and enhances muscle recovery not only for athletes but for ordinary people as well.

Speaking of support, my nephew, Jacob Marcus Puno Navarro and his Aspire Football Academy club teammates are on their way to participate in the 2023 Pyrenees Cup International Youth Summer Football Tournament.

Jacob, along with Noah Laus, Xian Chan, Lucas Boquiron, Javi Alano, Jose Bernal, Daniel Guerrero, Miguel Tagarda, Niall Enciso, Nesta Saw, Ryan Moti, Ginji Cruz, Andres Su mpaico, Aki Belza, Francis Desabille, Sef Tomas, Chloe Brillantes, Kavin Boiser, Nicko Enciso, Johan Baguilat and Populi Fortun are set to compete in the Under 11 and Under 13 divisions of the tournament. The coaching staff, on the other hand, include Anto Gonzales, Steven Rivera, Vince Aguilar and Karl Bugayong.

“I’m really excited to play in the tournament. It will be a once in a lifetime experience for me and I hope to learn more and further improve my skills as a football player,” Jacob, an incoming Grade 5 student of Ateneo Grade School, said before leaving for the trip.

But before going to the tournament, Jacob and his team will make a side trip to Barcelona, specifically a visit to Camp Nou and a possible training session with FC Barcelona youth coaches. Barcelona is about 150 kilometers away from the Pyrenees.

Pyrenees is located between France and Catalonia and the Pyrenees Cup, or officially known as Challenge International Du Sud de la France, is an international football competition between Spanish and French clubs based in the region. In the past few years, however, the Pyrenees Cup has been opened to include teams from other countries. Jacob and his teammates will be the first Pinoy side to represent the country in the Pyrenees Cup.

As of today, more than 234 teams featuring at least 3,500 players are expected to participate in the Pyrenees Cup that is set to unfold on June 29 until July 2.

Jacob and the Aspire Football Academy team are great examples on how far a football team can go with the right program, a group of corporate sponsors, supporters and, in their case, loving parents who will move heaven and earth, including their savings, just to support their kids realize their dreams. Parents, like Marc and Ruth Navarro, who would invest in experience to prepare their kids to be better athletes and in general, be better persons. Winning is just a bonus. Good luck Jacob and Aspire Football Football Academy, continue to make us proud! Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!

For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@ yahoo.com or follow his account at Twitter: @erelcabatbat

Daniella Uy displays her trophy after prevailing by one over Florence Bisera on a final round 74 for a 212 total over 54 holes in the P1 million championship. Manny Marcelo

Clyde Mondilla posts “highest” score of 68, but still leads the pack. Manny Marcelo

Vanessa de Jesus

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 125TH ANNIVERSARY

Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya

125 years of championing PH agriculture

THERE’S more to agriculture than food. Throughout millennia, people recognized how agriculture built great cities from the ground up using natural resources, farmed and crafted into necessary products.

In the Philippines, overseeing the local agriculture industry is a responsibility that falls under the Department of Agriculture (DA).

It was first known as the Department of Agriculture and Manufacturing, which began on June 12, 1898, and was one of the first agencies formed by President Emilio Aguinaldo. He later established the agency on June 23 of the same year as among the first in the Philippine government, 11 days after the proclamation of Philippine Independence.

This June 23, the Department of Agriculture commemorates its 125th Founding Anniversary with the theme “Kagawaran ng Agrikultura: 125 taong naglilingkod tungo sa Masaganang Agrikultura at Maunlad na Ekonomiya,” at the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management Convention Center in Quezon City.

The celebration highlights the contributions of the DA employees in the continuous development of the agri-fishery sector and supporting farmers and fisherfolk amid challenges in addressing food and nutrition security.

Convergence to empower farming communities

SM FOUNDATION continues to expand the reach of the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture Program (KSK-SAP) to help build empowered farming communities across the Philippines.

Joined by its partners, Moca Family Farm, TESDA, DSWD, DA, DOST, DTI, DOT, SM City Masinag, and continuing the recent launches in multiple locations across Calabarzon and other regions in the country, the recently launched SMFI’s KSK-SAP in Antipolo, Rizal, aims to produce quality, safe, fresh fruits and vegetables and to prepare farmers in becoming entrepreneurs.

Farming hope together

KSK-SAP trainees will undergo a two-phase program with its partner school. Learning sessions begin with a 14-week training program with topics on modern agritechnology, capacity building, financial literacy, values formation, product development, and market opportunities.

SMFI also assists the farmers in formalizing their respective groups through partner government agencies

to increase their learning capacity and enable them to contribute to economic growth.

KSK-SAP farmers will begin the first phase by joining the SM Sunday Market, an SM Supermalls initiative that helps marginalized farmers. Participants will receive additional training in sales and marketing for their agribusinesses and gain a platform to exhibit their products.

The collaborative effort empowers them to earn a substantial income and enables them to showcase their dedication, talent, and the exceptional quality of their products to a broader market.

Since 2007, KSK-SAP has helped more than 28,500 marginalized farmers from rural and urban areas in the Philippines, fueling their entrepreneurial and farming capabilities. Some of the program’s graduates become seasonal suppliers for the SM group and other local markets and exhibitors at government-led programs such as DTI’s One Town, One Product (OTOP).

SM Foundation’s KSK-SAP is conducted in partnership with SM Supermalls, TESDA, DA, DSWD, DOST, DTI, DOT, and partner farm schools.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is also the concurrent DA Secretary and will be present during the festivities to discuss his highly-promoted Kadiwa program and other agricultural issues.

Local agriculture at a glance

From July to December 2022, the Philippines’ agricultural sector achieved a modest production growth of 0.7 percent, amounting to P931.8B in gross value added (GVA) in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, compared to the same period in 2021.

Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows a 2.2 percent or P9.8B expansion in agricultural GVA at constant 2018 prices during 2023’s opening quarter. The numbers are the highest quarter-onquarter growth recorded for the sector since the third quarter of 2019.

In the meantime, the country’s exports

of agro-based products rose to $7.5B in 2022, posting a 10 percent $678.68M increase compared to the same period in 2021. The increase came from a 32.1 percent or $623.5M expansion in exporting coconut products. However, foreign data on agriculture from January to March this year indicated a $405.2M or 25.7 percent decline in agro-based export values year-to-date.

The DA in action

From July 2022 to April 2023, the DA implemented its plans, programs, and key strategies, which led to significant accomplishments.

High-impact programs and projects were a relevant highlight throughout the Marcos Administration’s formative months. These include the provision of a comprehensive set of assistance services for Filipino rice farmers under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program. These services allowed rice farmers to prevent drastic declines in palay production as the volume of harvests of the crop remained stable throughout the period.

Another program from the agency provides intensified agricultural credit support and services to help farmers and fishermen to finance their activities and capital requirements, along with supporting the recovery and immediate rehabilitation of agricultural and livelihood activities damaged by various disasters.

DA’s KADIWA ni Ani at Kita Program also upscaled with the launching of the KADIWA ng Pangulo initiative to manage food inflation and provide more income opportunities for Filipino farmers, fisherfolk, and MSMEs through direct farm-toconsumer trade, alongside efforts to improve agricultural productivity and strengthen the local agricultural value chain system.

Following the success of the local DA, the World Bank-supported Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) has increased rural incomes and enhanced farm

Turn

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (center, seated), who also sits as Agriculture Secretary, leads the celebration of the department’s 125th founding anniversary.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (right) aims to increase agriculture yield within his term.

and fishery productivity through the provision of infrastructure and a variety of facilities for the sector and the promotion of enterprises and delivery of new technologies and information.

Evidence from impact assessment activities reveals that beneficiaries of the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program increased average on-farm and household income. These have contributed to the reduction of poverty and hunger in program areas. The hunger incidence among farmers and fisherfolk beneficiaries decreased by 2.8 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively, from 2016 to 2020.

The Department has also implemented a program of targeted subsidies and special projects to help farmers and fisherfolk to cope amid demanding circumstances. And to meet the challenges posed by increasing prices of vital farm inputs such as fertilizers and fuel, the Department distributed discount vouchers among qualified farmers and fisherfolk.

Despite challenges and setbacks during the previous year, the DA instituted regulatory policies to stabilize the price and supply of sugar and onion, even as the agency carried out measures to improve productivity in the value chain of both commodities.

Other initiatives from the DA include prioritizing programs that improve the Philippines’ farm and fishery products in the world market. The DA is currently facilitating the export of other high-value agricultural commodities to foreign markets, including fresh and frozen durian exports to China; fresh dragon fruit to Australia; young coconut to Taiwan; corn seeds to Colombia; Hass avocado to Korea and Japan; papaya seeds to India and Ecuador; fresh pineapples to the USA; and fresh pineapple and mango to Israel, among others.

Additionally, Executive Order No. 10, Series of 2022 on Extending the Temporary Modification of Rates of Import Duty on Various Products Under Section 1611 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act,” extends the validity of the reduced import rate duties on various products such as pork, rice, corn, and coal. It aims to boost government efforts to augment domestic supplies, diversify sources of food staples, and temper inflationary pressures arising from supply constraints and external geopolitical conflicts.

As for imports, the DA will continue to fight smuggling, price manipulation, and other unfair trade practices to ensure food safety, promote fair trade, and protect the livelihood and well-being of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.

Last but not least, the DA keeps livestock and poultry health a top priority. The agency stays on top of various health hazards that could threaten the local economy and its stakeholders.

An example is how the government recalibrated strategies toward the recovery of the hog industry with the full-blown implementation of the hog repopulation program to address African Swine Fever (ASF).

In addition, the DA has instituted more stringent and heightened regulations to prevent the spread of the disease and control the outbreak.

On the other hand, prospects for the immediate recovery and eradication of Avian Influenza look promising, with six provinces already regaining AI-free status. The Department reinforced its campaign against the proliferation of smuggled agricultural commodities and strengthened the first border measures with the support and assistance of other national governments and law enforcement agencies.

Without our local farmers and the agriculture industry, the Philippines would remain static in a primitive age. But thanks to the DA, the country has taken all the necessary steps to progress and become globally competitive.

Masaganang Agrikultura, Maunlad na Ekonomiya

Obtaining food security thru urban agriculture

By Patricia Taculao

TWO years ago, when the world was still in the throes of the COVID-19 virus, people turned to farming in their homes to escape the reality of being confined indoors, without much to do. But what was supposed to be a pastime became more than that, because a mere hobby of growing plants in urbanized areas proved practical and healthy.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), urban agriculture refers to the “growing, processing and distribution of food crops and animal products, by and for the local community, within an urban environment.”

Since the rise of urban agriculture among Filipinos, the DA has been promoting it to keep Filipinos’ food secure. The agency has incentivized the practice, providing seminars to raise awareness.

It disproves a longstanding belief that growing food within the metro and urbanized areas is nearly impossible. With the proper materials and imagination, there are endless possibilities on how individuals can grow food and enjoy its benefits.

Bringing food to peoples’ plates

One of the undeniable results of urban agriculture is access to food crops within one’s home. It ensures that people can have various fresh produce within reach and a wide array of nutrients to boost their health and immunity.

Meanwhile, several studies proved that spending a few hours with nature can boost mental health. Recorded results show how food production can elevate mood, concentration, and focus by reducing stress and anxiety.

Yet there’s more to that than meets the eye.

For instance, aspiring entrepreneurs can tap into their gardens and use excess produce to start a business. It helps promote local businesses and Filipino agricultural products while providing extra income for all those involved.

Urban agriculture also has positive effects on the environment. More greenery in the metro helps reduce the carbon footprint, while boosting a location’s natural ecology. When done using organic methods, it also lessens the amount of chemicals in the environment while keeping pests at bay.

Since urban agriculture has different approaches, some implement a community garden to engage everyone in growing food in the metro. It fosters fortified bonds among members and teaches participants necessary values and skills they could use in various aspects of their lives. Urban agriculture methods

Before people can engage in urban agriculture, they must consider various factors to ensure its success. However, space is not a primary issue because a limited area can house enough materials to grow food.

Container gardening is the most popular method most metro residents use in urban food production. It takes used materials, like plastic bottles, tin cans, and more, and turns them into planters, either hanging or firm on the ground, for different crops. It’s among the most manageable approaches to urban agriculture, which also lessens an individual’s environmental impact through recycling.

However, in container gardening, people must consider the location of their urban garden. Since the method relies on a soil-based medium to grow plants, the area must receive sunlight for at least six hours to ensure proper growth. After choosing the garden’s location, selecting the crops is the next step. It’s advisable to pick crops that are locally adapted, high-yielding, and pest and disease resistant.

Another method fit for smaller spaces is vertical gardening. It uses walls or roofs that gardeners can decorate according to their preferences as they can place their planters along the surface to maximize it. It is an alternative method for gardening by expanding the scope of growing plants in a vertical space.

In the meantime, those with more space who want to engage in urban agriculture for beginners can maximize their area as much as possible. Besides food crops, they can grow trees or raise livestock through free-range poultry farming and aquaponics. It may take some time and practice to master, but fortunately, the DA offers free training, online and on-site, to encourage more people to participate.

Urban gardening also has more complex setups for those who prefer a little challenge, but reap better rewards. Hydroponics doesn’t require soil but uses a nutrient-rich solution to provide crops with their nutrient requirements to flourish. There are different hydroponic systems that urban gardeners can learn more about. Urban farmers can grow crops year-round because it eliminates crops’ demands for constant watering, sunlight, fertilizer, and the ideal soil medium to grow in. It also produces more crops than a standard setup using a soil-based medium. Encouraging people to grow food

Since urban gardening has reaped immense benefits for Filipinos, DA encourages it to become a constant practice throughout urbanized areas by strengthening efforts that motivate communities to partake in it.

During the pandemic and global crises in 2020 and 2022, the DA rolled out the “Plant. Plant. Plant. Program” to address challenges faced by local food systems.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., who also heads the DA currently, sees urban farming as a solution to address high food prices and shortages since Filipinos can access fresh, healthy food from their spaces for free. He also believes that urban agriculture can improve the country’s capacity “to address poverty, ensure food security, and protect the environment even at the barangay level.”

Besides its incentives and free seminars, through the DA’s various arms and extended agencies, the DA also fosters partnerships with private groups to create more spaces where people can farm or draw inspiration, like with the SM Foundation.

The SM Foundation introduced the Urban Edible Garden Training in 2015 as part of its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ Training program to enhance food security and provide alternative livelihood opportunities in urban areas.

Some of their initiatives include successfully establishing urban rooftop gardens in SM City North EDSA, SM City Fairview, SM City Sta. Mesa, and SM City East Ortigas. In the years to come, SM aims to further enrich the program by establishing more gardens and increasing its visibility among mallgoers throughout urban areas in the Philippines.

As the DA celebrates its 125th founding anniversary, it continues to champion efforts that improve food quality in the Philippines and empower farmers who are the backbone of any civilization.

With

Many Filipinos engage in urban agriculture to access fresh, healthy food easier

Agricultural products are a good source of income

Surplus from urban gardens can be sold on the market or shared with a community

Some urban farmers explore the possibility of valueadding to increase their

The DA sees urban agriculture as a key to promote food security in the metro

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

LIFE

Renowned gin distillery marks World Gin Day in style

GINEBRA San Miguel Inc. (GSMI), the renowned producer of the world’s topselling gin, is embracing the vibrant spirit of World Gin Day (WGD) in a fresh and dynamic manner, with white taking center stage as the color of enjoyment.

Commencing with a media launch on June 8 at The Westin Manila in Ortigas, a series of captivating events will be organized to emphasize the significance of June as World Gin Month.

WGD, an internationally recognized celebration held on the second Saturday of June, is spearheaded in the Philippines by GSMI, which introduced the inaugural WGD festivities to the Asia Pacific region in 2014. That year, GSMI commemorated the 180th anniversary of its flagship brand, Ginebra San Miguel.

Presently, gin enthusiasts eagerly anticipate GSMI’s month-long activities, which not only honor gin’s enduring impact on our drinking customs but also acknowledge its role in commemorations, festivals, gatherings, and even our everyday achievements.

“We join gin enthusiasts worldwide in celebrating World Gin Day. As pioneers of this event in our country, we aspire to ignite the spirit of greater appreciation for more Filipinos to know gin’s outstanding qualities, as it is a drink that is ‘Cool, Clear, and Versatile,’” says

Three mixologists from the Ginebra San Miguel Bar Academy showcasing their talents for making delicious cocktails

GSMI Marketing Manager Ron Molina GSMI celebrates World Gin Day with its campaign “Gin Is In,” highlighting gin’s cool, clear, and versatile qualities. The campaign features personalities Zanjoe Marudo Basel Manadil, and Herlene Budol, representing gin’s coolness, clarity, and versatility respectively. They will be part of various GSMI

events in June.

The white party to mark the launch of the campaign was highlighted with a showcase by three mixologists from the Ginebra San Miguel Bar Academy. The academy, in partnership with TESDA, provides education and training in bartending and entrepreneurship. Nickie Wang

Gwy Saludes makes school look cool

Popular Wattpad writer is off to law school and Heaven Peralejo

Despite being a newbie in the entertainment industry, Gwy served as the creative consultant for the show and was heavily involved and handson during the entire creative process. She read and reviewed the scripts, constantly gave her feedback, and was part of the decision-making for casting.

Board-certified dermatologist Gaile Robredo-Vitas serves as the Medical Director of dermHQ Makati

Striking the perfect balance between career and family life

AS Dr. Gaile Robredo-Vitas approaches her 41st birthday, she reflects on her medical journey and recognizes that it has been a quest to strike the right balance, with unexpected opportunities shaping her path along the way.

The board-certified dermatologist, who serves as the Medical Director of dermHQ Makati and is a partner at Beautique MD in BGC, aims to balance her time and energy between work and family. She has deliberately limited her practice to a narrow radius, knowing that Manila traffic can easily consume one’s

day. Less time on the road means more time for her family and work.

After obtaining her Management Information Systems degree from Ateneo de Manila University, Dr. Gaile gave in to a lifelong aspiration to pursue medicine, inspired by several close relatives who had done the same.

During her time in medical school, she realized the importance of finding a harmonious balance between work and personal life. Dermatology stood out among the medical specializations as one that allowed for such balance.

Completing her Dermatology Training with Skin and Cancer Foundation, Inc., she went on to establish dermHQ, a specialized dermatology and laser center. The clinic exclusively employs board-certified dermatologists affiliated with the Philippine Dermatological Society, focusing on the treatment of skin, hair, and nail conditions. Additionally, dermHQ showcases a selection of brands and products curated by their in-house dermatologists.

Dr. Gaile has a penchant for teaching; she loves giving lectures and speaking at conferences and lay fora both locally and internationally. She serves as a clinical instructor at a dermatology training institution and is an international speaker and trainer for laser and energy-based devices, injectables, suspension threads, and dermatologyrelated products. Her special interests include aesthetic and procedural dermatology. Additionally, she writes articles and creates informative videos related to her field of expertise.

The pandemic lockdowns presented new opportunities for her. She had to find a way to

be productive within the confines of her condo, so she started a YouTube channel, hoping to share her dermatological expertise on various topics and conditions.

Dr. Gaile’s vlog focuses on beauty and skincare tips, aesthetic procedures, and products, offering practical advice to her online community. She shares information, dispels myths and misconceptions, and allows her more than 80,000 subscribers into her personal experiences. Her online presence provides a wider reach, not limited by geographical boundaries, opening doors for her. Many years ago, Dr. Gaile began lecturing for companies primarily to explain how the active ingredients in their products work on the skin. Later on, she also proved to be an effective host at medical events, as she possesses a deep understanding of the products and can ask the right questions in panel discussions and Q&As.

Dr. Gaile regularly collaborates with foreign companies wishing to expand their reach in the Philippines. These collaborations have afforded her frequent travel for further training, and she shares her knowledge with fellow dermatologists in the country and abroad through workshops and lectures.

She has been approached several times by business people who wish to partner with her to expand the clinic. While Dr. Gaile has not yet seriously considered these offers, she remains open to all opportunities.

For now, her focus lies on the growth of dermHQ and Beautique MD, striving to improve various aspects such as the clinic’s aesthetics, furniture, staff professionalism, marketing, and public relations. Outside of the clinic, she dedicates a significant amount of time to her Instagram and YouTube channels. Dr. Gaile genuinely loves her work, and her only dream is to continue what she is doing as long as opportunities remain available to her. She sees the industry as one with significant potential for growth, not only for herself but also for her fellow dermatologists as colleagues.

Of course, Dr. Gaile is keen on achieving a good balance between work, exercise, food, and leisure.

SHE started writing at 12 years old. Now, ten years after, Gwynette Saludes, better known as Gwy, is already an accomplished writer with a legion of fans. Her work has almost 150 million “reads” on Wattpad, an online platform that allows users to publish and read original stories.

The young writer rose to fame because of her widely popular six-book University Series which started as the Twitter-serye Along España (a fictional series posted on microblogging site Twitter).

“At first, I started with a Twitter series about campus life, focusing on the ‘Big Four’ – UST, Ateneo, La Salle, and UP,” Gwy explained.

Back then, she was a senior high school student at the University of Santo Tomas.

Located along España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila, UST became the inspiration for Gwy’s first installment of the hit university-themed novels. She noticed the growing interest in university culture when her Twitterserye exploded online. This motivated Gwy to write a longer version series while she was already enrolled as a college student at Ateneo de Manila Univeristy.

An eventual Wattpad hit after Book 3 of the series, The Rain in España was published in print by Precious Pages Corporation in 2022 and was adapted to a teen romance-drama series this 2023. The series is currently streaming on Viva One, starring Marco Gallo

“It was just to ensure that the tone of the scriptwriter is aligned with the characters or personalities established [in the book] and that is what should appear in the adaptation,” Gwy shared, detailing how rigorous the process was. She emphasized how teamwork played a large part behind the scenes.

“With Heaven, I saw ‘Luna’ in her during the screen test when she was already bringing out the character and dressed the part.” While she was happy about having Marco and Heaven play her well-loved book characters onscreen, Gwy was open about who the real inspiration was behind the kilig-inducing love story –the phenomenal loveteam ‘KathNiel.’

“I started writing because of She’s Dating the Gangster. That was my inspiration,” Gwy revealed, saying she wrote her own story when felt like she has read almost every title on the platform.

She’s Dating the Gangster is a Wattpad story that eventually became a box-office hit. The movie was topbilled by her favorite love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla

“Before the University Series, everything I wrote on Wattpad was KathNiel fan fiction. It is my dream to work with them!,” Gwy gushed. “If I were to dream big [in terms of collaboration], Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla po talaga!”

When asked if it was safe to tag her as a KathNiel fan, Gwy instantly gave a yes even before the question was over. Read full story on manilastandard. net

Wattpad writer Gwy Saludes

Filipino actor Zanjoe Marudo

Comedienne-turned-pageant queen Herlene Budol

Syrian-Filipino vlogger Basel Manadil