Manila Standard - 2023 June 27 - Tuesday

DOJ’S REMULLA GOES ON 10-DAY WELLNESS LEAVE

PH SIGNS $1.14-B WORLD BANK LOAN TO SPUR RECOVERY

End of COVID state pushed

Herbosa to ask President to lift public health emergency

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SAYING that the coronavirus pandemic no longer posed an emergency, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Monday said he will recommend the formal lifting of the COVID-19 state of public health emergency in the country.

Declaring the end of the emergency state would have an impact on the use of emergency funds for the use of vaccines, and the Department of Health’s

current marching orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that health workers continue to receive their COVIDrelated allowances, even though the state

of calamity has expired. Herbosa said COVID-19 could be treated as any other disease that the DOH monitors like influenza, cough, and cold.

“Actually, there is no longer an emergency. I think I would actually ask the lifting of the public health emergency in the country,” he said.

Last February, President Marcos said he would no longer extend the state of calamity that expired Dec. 31, 2022, sign-

in

PH

aling that the government believes the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Three months later, the President said there was no need to change the country’s status on COVID-19 after the World Health Organization lifted the global public health emergency status on the disease.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency in the country during the onset of

DOH planning nat’l advisory panel for nurses

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

HEALTH Secretary Ted Herbosa said he will establish a national advisory council to address the concerns of Filipino nurses, particularly their departure for better-paying jobs abroad.

At a press conference Monday, Herbosa said he would issue an administrative order to create a National Nursing Advisory Council with a de facto chief nursing officer who will function at the level of an undersecretary.

Herbosa added that he would also ask Congress to pass a law to make the appointment of the chief nursing officer legal.

Herbosa recently drew fire for his plan to hire unlicensed nurses to fill 4,500 vacancies in over 70 government hospitals nationwide and to address a severe shortage in three to five years.

But the Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC) has pointed out that there is no provision in the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 that would legally allow the issuance of temporary licenses to nursing graduates who have yet to pass the Nursing Licensure Examination.

His plan has also been criticized by senators, who view the hiring of unlicensed nurses as dangerous.

Herbosa said the proposed national advisory council would be made up of nurses from the private and public sectors, including the heads of the

FOR THE FUTURE. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. plants a Molave tree seedling at the compound of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Monday in celebration of the 160th Anniversary of the Philippine Forestry Service Philippine Environment Month. With Mr. Marcos are (from left) Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr., House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, and Senator Cynthia Villar. Ver

Rumors of Senate coup to unseat Migz swirl; Jinggoy, Loren deny it

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

RUMORS continued to swirl Monday about an alleged leadership coup at the Senate, which came as Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri was still in Washington DC, on an official visit.

Marcos returns Galvez to peace adviser post

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. back to his former post as the chief of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU).

Galvez was the peace adviser in the Duterte administration, but Mr. Marcos tapped him as officer-in-charge of the Department of Defense until the President named Gilbert Teodoro

The persistent speculation in the upper chamber was that Zubiri would be ousted during the opening of the 2nd Regular Session of the 19th Congress on July 24 and that he would be replaced by Senator Jinggoy Estrada or Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda.

Zubiri, who has yet to return from the United States, said previously: “I serve at the pleasure of my colleagues.” Both Legarda and Estrada denied the rumors, calling them mere gossip. Estrada on Monday said there was no such thing as a coup against Zubiri.

PBBM appoints Gadon as poverty counselor

By Charles Dantes

CONTROVERSIAL lawyer Lor-

enzo “Larry” Gadon has been named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday as the Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation, Malacañang said. The Palace said Gadon’s appointment reflects the government’s commitment to addressing “one of the most pressing challenges” in the country.

In a media briefing, Estrada said he does not know where the rumor came from. He said the “supermajority” in the Senate is very supportive of Zubiri. He also described Zubiri’s leadership as “good.”

CdO’s Rodriguez files bill to shelve Cebu Pacific’s legislative franchise

By Maricel V. Cruz

CAGAYAN de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Monday made good on his promise to file a resolution seeking the suspension of airline Cebu Pacific’s legislative franchise as punishment for its “terrible” service.

In a still unnumbered resolution filed at the House of Representatives last Saturday, Rodriguez said the principal

reason for the grant by Congress to a private company “is for the benefit of the public.”

However, he said Cebu Pacific “has a history of unsatisfactory service to the public.”

In a statement, the Gokongwei-owned airline said: “We are aware of the Congressional resolutions which have been filed at the House of Representatives.”

Mudjasan ‘armed and dangerous’ as cops chase 50-plus men in Sulu

FUGITIVE former Maimbung, Sulu vice mayor Pando Mudjasan is “fully armed and very dangerous,” the Philippine National Police said Monday, as the Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was placed on

TESDA gets top approval, trust rating in survey

THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) emerged as the top-ranking agency for approval and trust ratings among government offices in the recent Pahayag second quarter survey, the research firm Publicus Asia said Monday.

the highest security alert status as part of their pursuit of the leader and around 50 cohorts of the suspected private armed group.

Mudjasan and his men figured in a gunfight with government troops over

TESDA received the highest level of approval at 72 percent and trust at 58% among the 1,500 persons surveyed from June 7 to 12, the firm added. They said the agency’s commitment to providing quality technical education and skills training “garnered widespread support.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) saw a slight decline in its approval rating to 66% and trust rating

Noveno

Carlito Galvez Jr.

Lorenzo Gadon

PBBM: Protect country’s forestland

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday urged Filipinos to protect the country’s forestland in addressing the problems caused by climate change.

Mr. Marcos stressed during the celebration of the 160th anniversary of the Philippine Forestry Service that taking care of the environment redounds to the benefit of the present and future generations.

The President led a tree-planting ceremony at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office where he planted a molave sapling at the compound.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez,

DOJ: Up to 95% of cases shelved on technicalities

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice on Monday said most criminal complaints filed by law enforcement agencies before government prosecutors are dismissed “due to lack of documents or technicalities.”

“We found that 90 to 95 percent of cases filed with the prosecutors are dismissed… because the inadequacies would make it difficult for prosecutors to reach the threshold of finding probable cause to properly file the cases in courts,” DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano said.

Clavano also said there is a low conviction rate among the criminal cases that are filed in courts.

“We found that 80 to 90 percent of cases filed by the prosecutors in courts are dismissed by the courts due to the complaint being filed without adequate evidence or due to technicalities,” he lamented.

Because of this, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla was prompted to initiate moves for closer collaboration between prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.

As part of this initiative, the DOJ held on Monday its first symposium on capacity development for officials and personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Metro Manila.

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at 56%, now sharing the second and third positions with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). However, DOST’s approval rating remains stable, showcasing the public’s continued trust in its scientific initiatives and technological advancements. Publicus said.

The Pahayag Q2 Survey Results findings indicate that while the overall approval ratings for certain agencies and departments are sustained, there have been some shifts in public opinion for specific organizations, the firm added.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secured the fourth spot with an approval rate of 65%.

While the majority of government agencies have maintained a stable approval rating, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) have seen a decrease in their approval ratings, landing in fifth and sixth spots respectively.

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Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), the Philippine Board of Nursing, and the Association of Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines.

“[This is] so we could always make them address all these issues not only the exam, but also life-work balance, and other reasons to motivate them to stay and fight the brain drain of Filipino nurses to other countries,” he said.

PNA president Melvin Miranda welcomed this plan, saying it will help address the nurses’ issues on wages, working conditions, migration, and job security.

In the same press conference, Carl Balita said his 180 review centers nationwide are now offering free reviews for nursing board eligibles.

“We’re starting now. We already have a QR code that they can register on. No requirements needed. All you have to do is to prove you are employed by any

Defense Chief Gilbert Teodoro, and Environment Secretary Antonia Loyzaga were also present during the event.

The President lamented the centuries of “mismanaged” resources and people’s neglect of the environment.

“We have had many warnings over decades by scientists and saying that unless we change our habits, unless we change our lack of sensitivity to our environment, there will be global warming, there will

End... From

the pandemic in March 2020.

Under Proclamation 922, the state of public health emergency would remain in force and effect until lifted or withdrawn by the President. Mr. Marcos has yet to do so, even after his comments last May.

However, Herbosa said the COVID alert level system will stay “because that’s a system like the typhoon signal (raised by the state weather bureau).”

Also on Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a certificate of product registration (CPR) for the Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, signaling these will be commercially available soon.

“The FDA is pleased to announce the approval of the application and grant of CPR for Toziameran + Famtozinameran

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As the rating (performance) of Zubiri is high, Estrada said this has a huge positive impact on the Senate.

In fact, he said the Senate ranked No. 2 when it comes to performance rating among government institutions.

Estrada admitted that somebody told him about the rumor and that he would replace Zubiri. However, he declined to say who it was.

Asked if he is ready to be the Senate President, Estrada replied, “I’m not thinking of it.”

Estrada, who has served as Senate Pro Tempore for six years, said he is prepared to work and file more bills.

He also strongly denied rumors that he was aiming for a higher position and

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the weekend which left five dead, including a policeman, as authorities continued to pursue him, the PNP said in a briefing yesterday at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Meanwhile, the Sulu Provincial Dis-

healthcare institution, private or government, and you’re boarded,” he said.

In a separate news conference, Senator Jinggoy Estrada opposed Herbosa’s proposal to hire nursing board exam flunkers to work in government hospitals.

“I do not agree with hiring flunkers. This involves the life of a person, and then, you will ask a flunker to take care (of a patient),” Estrada said.

Although they studied nursing, Estrada pointed out that the mere fact that they failed means they still lack knowledge and skills.

To address the brain drain, the government needs to convince board passers to stay in the country, Estrada said.

In fact, he noted that 18,000 nurses just passed the board exams. He said they did not leave the country.

“Why don’t we convince them and hire them?” said Estrada, who chairs the Senate labor committee.

He vowed to immediately file a bill to give scholarships to those who want to become nurses or doctors.

be climate change,” said Marcos.

“Unfortunately, we did not listen. And now, we are resigned to the oneand-a-half degrees Celsius increase in our global temperature. And perhaps that might even reach two degrees Celsius if we do not do something about it,” he added.

The President said that the country should be conscious of the importance of the environment as the Philippines is vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

“The world that we have today and that we face is a very different world from what we came into. And the importance of the environment, the importance of biodiversity has become

(15 mcg/15 mcg)/ 0.3 mL Dispersion for Injection with a brand name, Comirnaty Original/ Omicron B.A. 4-5,” it said in a press statement.

“The FDA has granted the CPR with five years validity after a comprehensive evaluation process, extensive clinical trials, and thorough assessment of all available scientific data and information provided by the vaccine manufacturer and comprehensive evaluation process,” it added.

FDA Director General Dr. Samuel Zacate encouraged pharmaceutical firms to apply for the issuance of CPR or market authorization for their vaccine shots.

The Department of Health (DOH) previously said bivalent vaccines provide protection against the original COVID-19 strain SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.

As this developed, the DOH logged a

clearer and clearer,” said Mr. Marcos.

The Chief Executive suggested that the answer to this problem is the country’s forestland. He said that the monetization of forest will allow people to preserve the environment.

“This is a kind of new concept being developed so that we can be very clear and make it easy to those who are taking care of our forest lands to feel not only a benefit for doing the right thing but also an economic benefit,” said Marcos.

“I continue to call on the DENR, other agencies, the private sector, and even the public to work together in connecting, preserving, and managing our limited resources,” he added.

total of 325 serious and critical COVID-19 cases admitted in hospitals on June 25.

Of the 1,564 ICU beds for COVID-19 patients, 204 (13 percent) were occupied while 2,274 (17.7 percent) of 12,855 non-ICU COVID-19 beds were also being used.

More than 78 million people or 100.44 percent of the target population were vaccinated against COVID-19 while 23 million individuals got their booster shots.

On the other hand, 7.1 million senior citizens, or 82.16 percent of the target A2 population obtained their primary series.

From June 19 to 25, there were 3,442 new cases recorded in the country.

The average number of new cases a day was listed at 492, which was lower by 20 percent compared to new cases last June 12 up to June 18. Of the new cases, 37 are serious and critical.

IN BRIEF

‘LTFRB needs more transpo adjudicators’

ADVOCATES for the protection of passengers on Monday urged the Department of Transportation to incorporate transport adjudicators into the structure of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to speed up the resolution of franchise cases and other complaints against erring public utility vehicle operators.

Ariel Inton, Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection founder, said both the DoTr and the LTFRB must adopt other means to ease the backlog of cases at the LTFRB, instead of just allowing its three board members and the chairman to resolve all the cases and petitions.

“The LTFRB has quasi-judicial functions under Executive Order No. 202, just like the National Labor Relations Commission and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development’s Human Settlements Adjudication Commission. These two agencies have their own adjudicators or arbiters that solely look into all cases that need immediate actions,” he told the Manila Standard. Rio N. Araja Kerosene leads oil price hikes

LOCAL oil firms implemented pump price hikes of as much as P1.20 per liter effective 6 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

The oil firms raised the price of kerosene by P1.20 per liter, diesel by P1.05 per liter, and gasoline by P0.20 per liter.

“Petron will implement the following price increases effective 6 a.m. on June 27: P0.20 per liter for gasoline; P1.05 per liter for diesel and P1.20 per liter for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” the company said in its advisory.

PTT Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, PetroGazz, Flying V, Jetti Petroleum, and Chevron Philippines also adjusted pump prices. Alena Mae S. Flores

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challenged reporters to ask every single senator if he had ever talked to them about the Senate leadership.

“You can ask the senators here,” he said.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito, Estrada’s half-brother, also denied the rumor, saying the senators are very satisfied with Zubiri’s leadership.

“In all honesty, SP Migz, shoes will be too big to fill. That’s why I don’t think anyone will even attempt to wrest the Senate’s leadership from him,” Ejercito said.

He said the performance of the Senate under Zubiri speaks for itself.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the finance committee, also denied any move to oust Zubiri, who he said was “well-liked.”

He added that Zubiri leads in a very professional and consultative manner.

Senator Robinhood Padilla said noth-

aster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said 1,174 families or 6,674 individuals in three barangays were evacuated due to the clashes.

PNP Public Information Office chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said Mudjasan is reportedly employing armed civilians and keeping loose firearms and explosives in his possession.

The former vice mayor has standing

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as his Defense Secretary this month.

Mr. Marcos also named Isidro Purisima, the erstwhile acting peace adviser, as senior undersecretary of the OPAPRU to work with Galvez.

Galvez was chief of the Philippine Army, then Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte.

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“He will play a pivotal role in advising the President on strategies and policies aimed at combating poverty and improving the lives of the most vulnerable sectors of society,” Malacañang said in a statement.

ing is lacking in the leadership of Zubiri. In fact, he sees him as strict with his fellow senators, especially if there are laws that need to be discussed and passed.

Although many see Zubiri as very kind and diplomatic, Padilla said he is somehow “authoritative” as Senate President when it comes to their job as senators.

“So he gains the respect of all of us,” he added.

Senator Nancy Binay said intrigues such as these should not be entertained because they won’t help the Senate.

“All I can say is that we are all happy and pleased with the current leadership, and we all attest that SP Migz has the trust and confidence of the members of the Senate,” Binay said.

Three days ago, Zubiri dismissed the rumors of a coup to replace him at the Senate, saying that “no senator ever confirmed such rumors.”

warrants of arrest for double murder, multiple murder, two counts of frustrated murder, and violating the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regular Act.

The Area Police Command-Western Mindanao (APC-WM) said Mudjasan’s group is a potential private armed group that may be utilized in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on Oct. 30. With Vince Lopez

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Galvez also served as the country’s vaccine czar and chief implementer of the government’s national policy against the disease.

In a statement issued by the OPAPRU over the weekend, Galvez said he was told by the President that he was being reappointed to help in pushing forward the Bangsamoro peace process because “this is where his heart is.”

Galvez acknowledged the remarkable economic progress in the Bangsamoro Au-

But progressive groups led by Anakbayan opposed the appointment, as the group’s National Spokesperson Kate Almenzo said Gadon has “no love” for the poor and oppressed.

The Palace said that Gadon must work closely with different government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to implement programs addressing the root cause of poverty.

“Following the recent Senate hearing, we have taken serious note of the issues raised therein and are currently in the process of implementing various measures in support of our passengers,” Cebu Pacific spokesperson Carmina Romero said.

“We look forward to sharing these (notes) to our lawmakers in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration so that the industry can continue to contribute its share to the overall effort in accelerating tourism and economic growth in our country,” Romero added.

“We remain committed to providing access to safe, affordable, and reliable flights to all our passengers,” she said.

Last week, senators chided local airlines following complaints by airline passengers about overbooking, offloading, and booking glitches.

At a hearing of the Senate tourism committee, senators took turns in attacking Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, among others for the inconveniences and damage being caused to passengers.

They also bewailed the apparent inaction of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to sanction violations committed by airlines against their passengers.

Senator Nancy Binay, the committee chairperson, said passengers face inconveniences on multiple fronts on account of flight delays, cancellations, offloading, and overbooking.

tonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as he recommended the revival of what he described as “a sea lane of commerce” in the southern portion of the country.

Galvez previously served as commanding general of the Western Mindanao Command where he played a significant role in ending the five-month siege of Marawi City in 2017. He was conferred the Order of LapuLapu (Kamagi Medal) for his “outstanding performance as the unified commander during the liberation of Marawi City.”

The President believes Gadon’s wealth of experience as a corporate executive and legal counsel in diverse sectors will help in the formulation of sustainable strategies. Gadon received his law degree from the Far Eastern University in Manila.

The abrasive lawyer has been known for his use of profanities, particularly in a viral video in which he hurled expletives against journalist Raissa Robles.

Juan Miguel Zubiri

Loren Legarda

Jinggoy Estrada

Remulla goes on 10-day leave; appoints Vasquez as DOJ OIC

By Rey E. Requejo

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Remulla’s leave will be effective immediately.

“We kindly ask for your understanding and respect for the Secretary’s privacy during this time. We look forward to the Secretary’s return and his continued service to the DOJ and the Filipino people,” the DOJ said.

The DOJ said it remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served.

“Rest assured that the DOJ will continue to carry out its vital functions and responsibilities, including the protection of the rights of every Filipino citizen, without any interruption,” it said.

Remulla designated Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez DOJ’s officerin-charge while he is on leave.

Meanwhile. Justice Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes Andres gave assurance that “nothing is serious about the 10-day wellness leave” of Secretary Remulla.

3 evacuees test positive for COVID as Mayon shows no signs of letup

By Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz

AT least three Mayon Volcano evacuees who fled their homes to safer ground have contracted COVID-19, a local official said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the government has so far released P101.1 million worth of assistance to families affected by Mayon’s continuing unrest.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) recorded 102 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

In a related development, the Ako Bicol party-list spearheaded the construction of a water supply system at a school temporarily converted into an evacuation center in Albay.

Eugene Escobar of the Albay Public Safety and Management Office (APSEMO) said the three evacuees who tested positive for COVID were isolated together with their close contacts.

Escobar gave assurance however, that none of the affected evacuees were in critical condition, and were being closely monitored and given medicines regularly.

A total of 2,242 evacuees have sought medical consultation for cough, colds,

fever, sore throat, wounds and bruises, and high blood pressure, among others, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.

“Doon po sa health surveillance, nakita po na isa sa pinakamataas na bilang ay yung mga sipon, ubo, o yung mga respiratory-related illnesses, again expected natin ito dahil po sa mainit po pero umuulan pa rin dito sa amin, nakaexpose din po sila sa environment,” Escobar said.

“Although nasa loob po sila ng mga building, medyo mainit din po kaya isa yun sa dahilan po,” he said.

Escobar also noted that poor ventilation in the evacuation centers could also have caused illnesses among the evacuees.

He noted that there were around 5,700 families or some 20,000 persons in evacuation centers in the province.

Efforts were being exerted bring more drinking water to the evacuees, he said.

The assistance included distilled water, drums, family food packs, kits, tents, financial and fuel assistance, animal feeds, hygiene kits, knapsack sprayer, laminated sacks, modular tents, malongs, nets, rice, sleeping kits and tarpaulins.

“It’s an offshoot of a normal medical check-up,” Andres said, adding that the Secretary will be back soon.

But Andres did not give details about Remulla’s medical condition. “It’s something the Secretary would prefer not to discuss publicly,” he said.

Remulla, 62, was given the DOJ portfolio on June 30, 2022, thereby relinquishing his election as Cavite congressman in the May 9, 2022 polls.

“Every person of that age should have a regular check-up and adjust lifestyle in accordance with his age. But this guy won’t stop. He is too energetic for his own good,” Andres said.

He said that Remulla will be holding video conferences with DOJ officials even while on leave.

Army rallies behind President’s call for speedy passage of ROTC measure IN BRIEF

8,462 DAR workers get bonus this week

AT least 8,462 workers of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will get their performance-based bonus this week, Secretary Conrado Estrella III on Monday announced. He thanked all DAR employees who worked hard, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

“With this bonus, we hope to inspire the best performers to continue their exemplary work in DAR, be a model to their colleagues, and prod others to work even harder to serve agrarian reform beneficiaries better,” he said. The bonus was an incentive mechanism given to reward government employees for good governance and meritorious performance of a government agency.

Ninety-two percent of the 8,462 DAR employees will receive the performance-based bonus, following a stringent evaluation of their performance at work for year 2021.

For this, DAR received P141.31 million from the Department of Budget and Management.

“This evaluation tool, the PBB, will help strengthen the accountability of DAR offices and DAR public servants to perform their mandated duties,” the DAR chief noted. Rio N. Araja

BI eyes wider space for counters at NAIA

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has requested the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for additional space to put up more counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals to accommodate the growing number of arriving and departing passengers at the country’s premier airport.

Immigration Deputy Commissioner Daniel Laogan said the limited immigration space allotted to the bureau has led to long lines at the arrival and departure areas at the NAIA.

Laogan said the BI needed a wider space and more immigration counters to address long passenger queues at the immigration areas.

The BI deputy commissioner said the surge in arriving and departing passengers at the NAIA has increased to 10 percent.

“The daily departure and arrival count at NAIA Terminals has doubled from 30,000 to almost 60,000 daily,” he said, adding “to accommodate this influx of travelers, additional space should be given to ensure smooth and hassle free immigration service.” Vito Barcelo

Solon flags growing child labor problem

DAVAO City Rep. Paolo Duterte has raised concerns over Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 2021 data showing nearly a million working children in the country.

Citing the PSA report, Duterte said the total number of working children considered engaged in child labor was estimated at 935,120 in 2021. This was higher than the 596,919 reported number of child laborers in 2020.

“The incidence of child labor in many parts of the globe, including the Philippines, has tremendously increased over the years. This is an alarming trend. Children should be in classrooms to learn, and not in factories or out in the fields to earn,” Duterte said.

“We can help save the future of kids trapped in unsafe work environments by joining forces to provide livelihood opportunities to their parents and strictly implementing laws against child labor,” he added.

Duterte said these include the Anti-Child Labor Law (Republic Act 9231), the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 10364), and the Domestic Workers Act (RA 10361), which prohibits the employment of children below 15 years of age as kasambahay or house helpers. Maricel V. Cruz

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine Army (PA) says it strongly supports the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for legislators to prioritize the passage of a bill calling for mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program for senior high school students.

Meanwhile, a total of 122 student officers have successfully hurdled the Command and General Staff Course Class (CGSC) Class 72, meant to provide the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with its next generation of leaders.

In another development, 1,310 donors from various military units and other sectors responded to the call to donate blood, resulting in the collection of 601 blood bags last June 24.

“The PA supports the national defense strategy of our Commander in

Chief, which includes the revival of the mandatory ROTC program for our youth. Moreover, the organization trusts the wisdom of our legislators for the program’s revival,” Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement.

Trinidad noted that the ROTC program was anchored on the constitutional provision on national defense.

He also said the ROTC was a crucial part of the military’s long-term reserve force development plan that “instills discipline, patriotism, and nationalistic values in the youth who are considered the future of the nation.”

“The Philippine Army, as part of the AFP reaches out to the youth by providing them with another perspective on nation-building. The proposed revival of mandatory ROTC program will be instrumental in the development of a capable, committed, and well-trained

reserve force that will serve as an expansion base for the regular force in times of war, rebellion, or other national emergencies,” Trinidad said.

In his State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the need to renew the ROTC program as a mandatory component of senior high school programs (Grades 11 and 12) in all public and private tertiary-level educational institutions.

“The aim is to motivate, train, organize, and mobilize the students for national defense preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations,” Marcos said.

In a statement, AFP public affairs chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto said the new batch of officers graduated from the prestigious CGSC last June 23 during rites held at Camp Aguinaldo, Qu-

THE Sandiganbayan has tossed out a civil case against a brother of former First Lady Imelda Marcos over the forfeiture of his alleged ill-gotten wealth, including investments and real estate properties supposedly amassed during the President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. era.

In a resolution dated June 23, the Sandigan Third Division dismissed the civil case against Alfredo Romualdez, citing inordinate delays on the part of the petitioner, the Republic of the Philippines.

The anti-graft court said the petitioner admitted its failure to file full compliance to avoid the dismissal of the case as it claimed that the “oversight was solely due to voluminous workload consisting of hearings and preparation of pleading in other equally important cases.”

The court also said it dismissed the case against Romualdez in 1996 for violating respondent’s constitutional right

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Cynthia Villar exalts over

the recognition given by the World Bank to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or Republic Act No. 11203 as a “strategic policy reform.”

The WB lauded the RTL, enacted in 2019, as “indicative of the true spirit of this strategic shift.”

Villar’s RTL was cited during the launch of the “Agriculture Public Expenditures Review” with special focus

on the implications of the Mandanas Ruling for the agri-food system.

The WB was represented in the highlevel forum by its operations manager, Achim Fock, and the European Union (EU) by head of cooperation EU delegation to the Philippines Christoph Wagner.

WB senior agriculture economist Anuja Kar and WB practice manager Dina Umali-Deininger also attended the event and presented their findings on the review.

Philippine Institute for Development

Studies (PIDS) senior research fellow

Dr. Roehlano Briones and Bangko

Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board Member Dr. V. Tolentino gave their positive assessment of the RTL, They said the law generated P10 billion yearly Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) from tariffs collected on imported rice.

The earnings were given to farmers listed in the Registry System of Basic Sectors (RSBSA) as assistance in the form of machineries, high quality in-

ezon City.

“The CGSC is a course taken by AFP officers which aims to equip them with necessary skills for higher responsibilities and to become effective military commanders, leaders, and managers,” he added.

The guest-of-honor for this event was AFP chief Gen. Andres Centino who expressed confidence that these newly-graduated CGSC-qualified officers will uphold the professionalism and excellence of the Armed Forces.

“Remember that the knowledge and skills you have acquired come with a responsibility to serve our country with honor, integrity and dedication. Each of you is part of the proud legacy of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, joining the ranks of leaders and visionaries who have come before you and served our nation with distinction,” Centino said.

to speedy disposition of cases against him.

“In the present case, we find that the petitioner has failed to prosecute its action for an unreasonable length of time, and, has failed to comply with the orders of this court,” the court said in the resolution penned by Associate Justice Ronald Moreno, with the concurrence of Division chairperson and Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang and Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez.

The Sandigan also noted that complainant Presidential Commission on Good Government was still awaiting response from the National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Immigration, Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue regarding information about respondents Storton Investments and Halston Investments.

Law

bred rice seeds, training and loans. The Agriculture Public Expenditures Review of the World Bank aims to help the government evaluate the direction of spending policies under the government’s priority strategy and consider the best way forward in devolving agricultural services to LGUs. The event recently held at the Bonifacio Global City was attended by stakeholders from the government, donor community, development partners and the academe.

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla will take a 10-day “wellness leave for personal reasons.”

Senator Villar excited over WB recognition of PH’s Rice Tariffication

Sandigan junks 27-year-old ‘ill-gotten’ wealth civil suit against PBBM’s uncle

SEAMEN’S SUMMIT. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. graces the seafarers conference dubbed “Shaping the Future of Shipping—Seafarer 2050 Summit” at Conrad Manila in Pasay City on Monday (June 26, 2023). The meeting tackles the risks to shipping and global trade inherent in industry transformation, and the investments and changes needed to ensure that sufficient numbers of skilled seafarers are available in meeting the shipping demand by 2050. Joey O. Razon

OATH-TAKING. Mayor Francis Zamora administers the oath to Councilor Angelo Agcaoili as the new Vice Mayor of San Juan City. Manny Palmero

ROAD WARRIORS. Tricycle drivers wait for passengers in their terminal along Road 10, Port Area, Manila. They can look forward to the enactment of House Bill 8357 or Magna Carta of Tricycle Drivers and Operators meant to ensure their general welfare. Norman Cruz

GOING STRONG.

One of six couples who renewed their vows after 50 years of marriage exchanged kisses at the main lobby of San Juan city hall on Monday. Mayor

Francis Zamora (inset) o ciated the golden wedding event and gave each pair a cash gift of 50,000 under the Golden Wedding Anniversary Incentive Ordinance.

Joan Bondoc and Manny Palmero

PH signs $1.14b loan with WB for economic recovery

By Julito Rada

THE Philippine government signed a loan agreement with the World Bank (WB) to finance various initiatives aimed at accelerating economic recovery, strengthening climate resilience, improving the quality of education, and developing the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno and WB Country Director for the Philippines Ndiamé Diop signed the four loan agreements amounting to $1.14 billion.

project-supported areas, namely Regions IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

PBBM: Maritime industry needs to adapt to change

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that the country’s maritime industry needs to adapt to new technologies and secure emerging opportunities through the upskilling of the country’s seafarers.

During the “Shaping the Future of Shipping-Seafarer 2050 Summit,” the President stressed that the Philippines is at a “turning point” in the maritime industry.

“To facilitate this shift, there is a need for the shipping industry to adapt and integrate new developments into their fleets, starting with the retooling of existing ships and the building of newer and more modern ships equipped with these new technologies,” Mr. Marcos said.

He also claimed that investing in

the improvement of the country’s shipping workforce would work wonders in opening new opportunities in the maritime sector. He added that to make this improvement, all stakeholders of the industry must work together.

“With all hands on deck, we must come together to envision and shape the future of the industry and global trade for the next 25 years,” he said.

The President also reiterated his directive to the Maritime Industry Authority and the Commission on Higher Education to work closely with the shipping industry on the upskilling and reskilling of Filipino seafarers to prepare them for the shift from the use of conventional fuel sources to green ammonia.

Filipino seafarers remained the back-

Filipinos in Russia are ‘safe’ amid Wagner armed rebellion, DFA says

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Foreign Affairs

(DFA) on Monday said Filipinos in Russia are safe and in good shape following the armed rebellion staged by a private mercenary group over the weekend.

Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said there are around 10,000 Filipinos in Russia and 9,000 of them are in Moscow, which the mercenary group Wagner did not enter.

“The Wagner group entered Rostov, which is 1,000 kilometers away. And the embassy in Moscow contacted the Filipinos there. There are 11 Filipinos there,” De Vega said, in an interview with GMA News “Unang Balita”.

“They are in good condition and the mini-rebellion has already ended so the situation in Russia is getting back to

normal,” he added.

But authorities remain vigilant in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to De Vega.

De Vega stressed that no Filipinos in Russia, including those in Rostov, have expressed interest in leaving the country or being evacuated.

“Even the people in Rostov, when the embassy talked to them, said they are safe despite the presence of tanks in the city,” he said.

The Philippine Embassy over the weekend asked Filipinos in Russia to remain vigilant and take precautions, and cautioned them against putting out political opinions on social media.

This was after Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had already taken control of Rustov-onDon as part of an attempt to oust the military leadership.

bone of the global maritime industry with more than 489,000 Filipino sailors working on ships across the world.

Last December 2022, Filipino seafarers were placed on edge after the European Maritime Safety Agency said that the Philippines is not complying with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for seafarers.

In March 2023, the European Union said that it will continue to recognize the certificates of Filipino sailors as the Philippines had serious development in complying with international maritime safety standards.

Marcos enjoined all national government agencies, multilateral organizers, and private stakeholders to work together in identifying strategies to ensure the availability of skilled workers.

Some $276 million will support projects of the Department of AgricultureBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), specifically the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP) and the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project.

The MIADP aims to sustainably increase the agricultural productivity, resiliency, and accessibility to markets and services of organized farmers and fisherfolks in selected ancestral domains and for selected value chains in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, FishCoRe aims to improve fisheries management, enhance the value of fisheries production, and elevate incomes in selected coastal communities.

To improve the quality of education, a $110 million loan agreement was signed for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project (TEACEP).

The TEACEP aims to improve equitable access to quality teaching in Kindergarten to Grade 6 (K-6) in

LPA in Eastern Samar unlikely to turn into cyclone: PAGASA

THE low pressure area (LPA) last tracked 500 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar is unlikely to develop into a tropical cyclone, the weather bureau said Monday.

“This LPA is embedded along the ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone) and has a slim chance to develop into a tropical cyclone,” said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Adminis-

tration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Obet Badrina.

PAGASA is expecting the LPA to become cloud clusters. No other LPA is being monitored outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Badrina said. The ITCZ will cause scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over the Visayas, Region 4-B (Mimaropa), Bicol Region, Aurora, and Quezon.

Moderate to at times heavy rains may result in flash floods or landslides in these areas.

Badrina said the rest of the country will experience isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms. Severe thunderstorms, however, may also cause flash floods or landslides.

Light to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas will continue to prevail across the archipelago,

PAGASA said.

Kabacan town in Cotabato meanwhile was placed under a state of calamity due to widespread floods brought about by inclement weather.

The Sangguniang Bayan approved the declaration last Friday following the deep floods that marred the ten barangays in the municipality. PAGASA earlier said ITCZ spurred the heavy rains in the province.

Gov’t to back Japanese soldiers’ repatriation

By Joel E. Zurbano

DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. has assured Japanese officials that the Philippine government will support and cooperate in the repatriation efforts of the remains of Japanese soldiers who perished in the Philippines during World War II.

In his meeting with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan headed by Minister for Economic Affairs Nihei Daisuke of the Embassy of Japan, Abalos said his agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are ready to assist the Japanese government and will be closely working with them to ensure that the recovery and repatriation of the Japanese war-dead remains will be carried out smoothly.

“Japan remains one of the closest partners and allies of the Philippine

government and we are ready to assist them in the recovery of the remains of their fallen soldiers,” he said.

Abalos said as the lead of the repatriation effort, the DILG is in a strategic position to ensure that the repatriation process will be well-coordinated at the local government unit (LGU) level where some of the remains lie.

He also said the DILG is ready to activate its resources and manpower to assist the Japanese government in consonance with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed between the Philippine and Japanese governments to facilitate the proper collection, handling, storage, and shipment of the remains of Japanese soldiers.

In May 2018, the Philippines and Japan signed an MOC to facilitate the proper collection, handling, storage, and shipment of the remains of Japanese soldiers who died during World War II in the Philippines.

Finally, budgetary support amounting to $750 million under the Philippines First Sustainable Recovery Development Policy Loan (DPL) will support the country’s policy reforms aimed at boosting environmental protection and climate resilience. Diokno meanwhile expressed optimism that the government will exceed its target revenues for this year.

The finance chief, during his weekly press chat, said: “On the fiscal side, I am pleased to report that our revenue collections for the first five months of the year improved to P1.6 trillion, up by P155.6 billion or 10.8% compared to the same period last year.”

DOF data show that revenues from January to May 2023 stood at P1.592 trillion, 10.83% higher than the P1.437 trillion collected last year.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee is expecting government revenues to reach P3.73 trillion for 2023. Broken down, tax collections accounted for the bulk of the state revenues amounting to P1.41 trillion, up 9.71% from P1.3 trillion year-on-year.

IN BRIEF

GenSan school bans use of ‘lato-lato’

THE popular toy “lato-lato” has been banned by the Dadiangas South Central Elementary School in General Santos City.

The school said it has prohibited its students from playing “lato-lato” due to noise and dangers it poses, according to a report on BaliTanghali Monday. The school’s principal likewise conducted a surprise inspection and confiscated the toy products. For its part, the General Santos City Schools Division supported the institution and urged other principals to take action for the sake of their students.

The Department of Trade and Industry earlier said the sale of the popular toy “lato-lato” should be stopped as it has yet to secure proper documentation from the concerned government agency.

Cops rescue 4 minors from online abuse

THE Taguig City government on Monday announced the rescue of four minors who were victims of online sexual abuse. Combined elements from the Philippine National Police and the city’s Social Welfare and Development Office saved the minors during an operation in Barangay Upper Bicutan.

But the perpetrator, whom the minors only met on social media, managed to escape and now the subject of a police manhunt.

The minors were accompanied by social workers to Camp Crame in Quezon City for their physical and medico-legal examination. They are also set to undergo counseling and psychosocial intervention.

The rescue operation came less than a month after the local government and the National Bureau of Investigation rescued another 12 minors in three separate operations. Joel E. Zurbano

Caloocan conducts HR program for LGU staff

THE city government of Caloocan, under the leadership of Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan, initiated a re-echoing program for its employees through the Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO).

The participants of the program, aptly called as HR-Partner Employee Presenters (HR-PEPs), were recognized in an awarding ceremony on Thursday, June 22 at the Bulwagang Katipunan.

The said program aims to assess the effectiveness and impact of the training received by city hall employees by inviting them to act as resource persons and share what they have acquired to their colleagues.

Malapitan praised the HRMDO for the program and expressed his appreciation towards the positive effects of re-echoing in employee development. He also affirmed that this is part of the city government’s objective to provide effective and streamlined services to his constituents. Jun David

DRONE FLIGHT PRACTICE. Members of the Manila Police District (MPD) practice drone maneuvers using hoola hoops inside the MPD headquarters in Manila on Monday. Norman Cruz

JOBSNEXT PROGRAM. Executives from Philippine Business Education, Citi Foundation Local Government of Quezon City, and Quezon City Youth Representative pose for a photo during the launching of the JobsNext program held at Quezon City Hall on June 26.  Executives present include (from left to right) Florence De Castro, Program Manager for Workforce Development, Philippine Business for Education; Denie Leanne Fruto, Quezon City Youth Representative; Alex Macabulos, Assistant PESO Manager, Quezon City LGU;  Dr. Bradford Antonio Marquez, Vice President for Academic A airs, Quezon City University; and Atty. Rene Grapilon Assistant City Administrator.

Revert to old school calendar system

THERE’S logic in the move of Makabayan lawmakers to revert to the pre-pandemic school calendar of June to March, following complaints about “intolerable heat” in classrooms during the summer days. This shift to the old school year calendar has in fact, Santa Banana, gotten the support of teachers and students!

There is also logic in the move to reschedule the school calendar to enable students in far flung areas to help their farmer families in the agricultural sector to plant and to harvest in line with the planting and harvest season.

This bill had been proposed in House Bill 8550 which proposed that schools should start in the first Monday of June, but not after the last day of August, with a particular provision for a June opening for school year 2024 to 2025 which will ensure the urgent return to the pre- pandemic school calendar. Along this proposal, the proponents for the “early” closing of the calendar year 2023-2024 and the granting of an appropriate number of service credits to teachers, which would reduce by a few days the last 180-day “non-negotiable contact time” set by the Department of Education.

Considering that this proposal has the backing and support of teachers and students, and hopefully, also the support of all legislators in both chambers of Congress, it would also do well for Vice President Sara Duterte as Department of Education secretary to fully support this move considering that both teachers and students are supporting it, my gulay!

And I would hope that this move would also have the full support of President Marcos Jr, in his capacity as agriculture secretary because students in far flung areas and engaged in agriculture would be able to help their families during planting and harvest time.

An infrastructure milestone

NO DOUBT, many were all ears when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged to adopt his predecessor’s vision for a “golden age of infrastructure” to enhance mobility and connectivity in this country.

work that nurses have to undergo,

If “flunkers” are hired in government hospitals, it will set a very bad precedent.

Soon, my gulay, even “flunkers” in bar exams, engineering, and medical exams will soon be hired. Santa Banana, the Philippines will be known as a country of “flunkers.”

The need for a DDR

The President may have gone to Albay to look into the evacuation of some 20,000 residents living within the six-kilometer danger zone of the Mayon Volcano, but he could not see that evacuees had occupied school buildings where the amenities are sub-standard. My gulay, now the evacuees are complaining of lack of potable water and clamoring for food and other relief goods, which, more often than not, are not enough and often come in late.

Yes, Albay has its Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council (PRRMC), an ad hoc body which acts only when there’s a calamity or disaster, but obviously that’s inadequate.

And once again, for the nth time, I call on the Office of the President on the urgent and imperative need for the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience which can focus and strategize needs of people affected by calamities and disasters which happen often in the Philippines, a country prone to calamities and disasters, like those evacuees affected by the Mayon Volcano’s unrest.

My gulay, to think that a volcanic unrest is just one disaster and calamity.

The country is often victim of super-typhoons, floods, landslides, typhoon surges, earthquakes and other calamities destroying infrastructure, livelihood, not to mention the loss of lives.

Despite all these calamities people have to rely on the NDRRMC, an ad hoc body under the Office of Civil Defense.

Speaking during the 125th anniversary celebration of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Port Area, Manila the other day, the President was up-and-coming when he acknowledged the importance of infrastructure development in nation-building.

He underlined that putting a premium on the infrastructure sector was the “basic element” in bringing progress to this country of 114 million people. And he told his DPWH audience: “That is why you have a long and celebrated history, stretching back many centuries. The department’s accomplishments have not only changed our landscapes but defined our society as a whole.”

It was reassuring for the president to say that the “golden age of infrastructure will not end,” adding “let us continue the golden age of infrastructure because it would benefit our countrymen.”

Then President Rodrigo Duterte’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program ushered the country into the so-called “golden age of infrastructure.”

From July 2016 to May 2021, DPWH was able to deliver the construction, maintenance, improvement, and widening of a total of 29,264 kilometers of roads composed of 13,294.54 kilometers of projects in Luzon, 5,427.06 kilometers in Visayas, and 10,542.88 kilometers in Mindanao.

The DPWH said 5,950 bridges were completed included in the works those have widened (1,366); retrofitted (1,805); rehabilitated (1,389); replaced (297) and some 738 local bridges have been constructed. Under the Marcos administration, the infrastructure development plan has been rebranded as “Build, Better, More” program. The President, as chairperson of the National

Economic and Development Authority Board, approved in March this year 194 high-impact infrastructure flagship projects worth P9 trillion.

He attributed the success in implementing flagship infrastructure projects to the DPWH, citing the department’s “very long list of accomplishments” since its inception 125 years ago. “From the majestic government buildings, the large projects such as dams and irrigation systems, bridges, highways connecting our many islands, the Public Works [department] has been at the front and center of the planning and construction of it all,” he said.

“You should be proud for each of you has contributed not only to the building of these structures but to the building of the nation as a whole,” he added.

Mr. Marcos said the DPWH personnel’s hard work has resulted in the establishment of several structures that “produce opportunities, facilitate commerce, increase mobility and protect the lives of our people.”

He urged the department to take advantage of the new technologies and techniques to ensure the timely completion of critical infrastructure projects.

In celebrating the milestone, the President was resonant in his hope that everyone in the Department of Public Works will remain steadfast in its mandate as well as stay committed to fulfilling his administration’s 8-point socioeconomic agenda “by committing to construct and finish critical infrastructure projects on time, on schedule and under budget.”

The DPWH, established on June 23, 1898, is mandated to undertake the planning of infrastructure and the design, construction, and maintenance of national roads and bridges, and major flood control systems.

desaparecidos, surface Dexter and Bazoo!

desaparecidos under Marcos Jr.’s regime.

As I said, there is a lot of logic in this move to reschedule the school calendar year to prepandemic school year since it would be greatly beneficial and suitable to education given the detrimental impact of summer classes on the quality of education and even on the health welfare of both students and teachers.

Survey

Based on an online survey in March, 86.7 percent of public school teachers said their students were unable to focus on their lessons because of the “intolerable heat” in classrooms.

I can believe that since at home I hardly go out of my air conditioned bedroom because of the “intolerable heat.”

The online survey also showed 37 percent of the respondents said the heat had triggered existing medical conditions among teachers and students.

Four in 10 teachers had reported more students had been missing classes since the start of summer months.

The current calendar year has a detrimental effect on the country’s agricultural productivity because of the inability of the older students of families involved in agriculture to help their families during the planting season.

It was because of the COVID-19 health protocols that the school calendar was moved.

It is for all these reasons that I have cited that Vice President Duterte as education secretary should and must revert to the old calendar school year.

Similarly, President Marcos Jr. should consider all the factors to also revert to the pre- pandemic school calendar. Crazy and stupid

A proposal to correct the shortage of nurses working in hospitals as a result of thousands of Filipino nurses going abroad to seek greener pastures, higher pay and better living conditions. has created a conundrum.

There are proposals for government hospitals to hire “flunkers” of the nursing board exams.

Santa Banana, I call this crazy and stupid.

In the first place, “flunkers” obviously do not qualify to do the things a nurse has to do in the hospitals.

In that case, if government hospitals start hiring “flunkers” who will get the blame when something goes wrong? And would people go to government hospitals if the nurses hired are “flunkers?”

If ever the government allows “flunkers” to become healthcare givers, the country will be known as a country where nurses in hospitals are “flunkers,” and clearly unqualified to work since nursing students need to pass board exams to qualify them, Santa Banana, for the strenuous

MUMBAI, India—India’s first population clock, made up of 10 white numbered cards on a large green metal board, attracts curious passersby who watch it record the story of the world’s most populous nation.

The clock—manually updated every day according to projected estimates and akin to a cricket scoreboard in appearance—was first erected in 1982 when India was home to more than 684 million people, according to the 1981 government census.

That figure more than doubled in the following decades.

India grew rapidly to overtake China at the top of the population ranks with more than 1.42 billion people, according to a United Nations projection in April.

“An extra slot had already been made in the clock, expecting that we were going to cross one billion,” said Professor Chander Shekhar at the International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai, where the

And more often than not, the country had to depend not only on local aid from the private sector and foreign aid, and still the administration cannot see the imperativeness of a DDR. There had been outcries for a department with its own budget that should handle all these, including suitable evacuation centers in places where there is need for them, instead of school buildings which are often destroyed. The Albay evacuees are lucky that it is schoolbreak.

But, you can never predict the recurrence of calamities and disasters. Santa Banana, it looks like the government can never learn.

Delayed, canceled flights

Last week’s Senate investigation of some 3,000 complaints against the Gokongwei Cebu Pacific Air for delayed and canceled flights, mostly due to alleged lightning and bird strikes or maintenance problems brings to fore a second look at the “Air Passengers Bill of Rights.”

I have always maintained that when you buy an air ticket from the airlines, it is some kind of contract between the airline and the passenger to guarantee the proper time of departure and arrival.

Thus, when that contract is not observed, the airline must pay the penalty and when there are delays and cancellations, the airline must pay for not observing a contract of a carrier.

Unless, of course, the delays and cancellations of flights were due to some fortuitous event or some kind of force majeure like inclement weather or the inability to land or depart which could cause delays and cancellations.

The complaint against the Cebu Pacific is nothing new.

It also has happened with Philippine Airlines and also with another budget airline like Air Asia.

At most, delays and cancellations of flights are due to overbooking in which a ticketed passenger would be bumped off. This happened to my wife and myself years ago when we had a confirmed flight from Hong Kong to Manila via Cathay Pacific. We were bumped off because our flight was overbooked.

I was even told that Cathay Pacific bumped us off because they had to accommodate some Chinese bound for Manila.

I sued and won, getting a free flight from Cathay Pacific.

But, going back to delayed and canceled flights, there is an urgent need to take a second look at the “Air Passengers Bill of Rights” to make airlines pay for the meals and hotel expenses for delays and flight cancellations. Air flight can be risky.

Flight delays and cancellations could mean loss of business or even life and death. Thus, there’s a need for that second look at the “Air Passenger Bill of Rights.”

CASES of enforced disappearances in the Philippines are not at all new.

In fact, we have been dealing with the same experience, the same tale for decades now. The term ‘desaparecidos’ is Spanish for ‘disappeared.’

It was eventually used in Latin America during the Cold War to refer to their people who were forcibly disappeared.

To call a case an enforced disappearance, a prerequisite is for the perpetrator to be from the state force.

This ploy is often seen as a form of political repression.

Two months ago, two former student leaders in UP Baguio–Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil “Bazoo” de Jesus–were abducted in Taytay, Rizal.

Bazoo de Jesus, 27, is from Bulacan.

He is currently an information and networking officer of the Philippine Task Force on Defending the Rights of Indigenous People.

Meanwhile, Dexter Capuyan, 57, and a Bontoc-Ibaloi-Kankanaey, was part of the list of alleged leaders of the CPP-NPA according to the Department of National Defense and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

This list initially had 600 people in it but it was cut down to eight.

Capuyan was one of the many removed from the list.

People also discovered that Capuyan was in a “Wanted” poster made by the Philippine National Police, stating Capuyan had a P1.8 million bounty on his head, making his family more concerned about his safety. Their case is seen as enforced disappearance since their family and colleagues believe the state was involved in their abduction.

The involvement of the state is not new when it comes to activists’ abductions after all. According to Beverly Longid, an IP rights advocate, the two were taken by men who identified themselves as part of the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group using three vehicles.

Individuals who were suspected to be state agents were also seen in close proximity to the two victims days before they went missing.

After two weeks though, the PNP ‘categorically denied’ any involvement in the disappearance of the two.

Just one year in, Capuyan and De Jesus are counted as the seventh and eighth

Ironically (or not so), the day they disappeared, April 28, 2023 was also the 16th anniversary of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

Jonas was a peasant activist who also completed his undergraduate studies in Baguio, specifically in Benguet State University.

He was abducted in Ever Gotesco Mall in 2007 and put in a maroon Toyota Revo with the plate number TAB 194; a plate number tracked to be in the military’s possession.

His disappearance is one of the most publicized cases in the Philippines.

In 2013, the Court of Appeals ruled the military and the government responsible for his disappearance. But there remained no accountability from the AFP.

The pattern

silence

silence

serve the people

Since then, a lot has changed— administrations, laws, the political landscape.

One good change being the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act signed into law in 2012.

According to Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND), this is the first and most comprehensive anti-enforced disappearance law in Asia.

The problem with it is that it is not implemented at all.

Since then, even more activists have disappeared and those who have been abducted continue to be missing.

The Commission on Human Rights has also called on the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance following the abduction of Capuyan and De Jesus.

The commission even stated the phenomenon of enforced disappearance affirms the continued vulnerability of activists

Indian clock tells story of most populous nation

clock is located.

Overpopulation has long been a concern, with the government establishing a nationwide family planning program in 1952.

But it was a controversial enforcedsterilization push in the 1970s that sparked public debates and spurred the institute to create the clock, Shekhar said.

Every day, security guards change the numbers using projections of the natural growth rate—the difference between the number of births and the number of deaths per 1,000 a year—derived from government and UN estimates.

“We feel good when we update the board, as passersby can also see the growing population numbers,” 56-year-old security supervisor Salunkhe V.V. told AFP.

The current projections estimate that India’s population increases by just under 41,000 people a day—one every two seconds—or about 15 million a year.

Boon or bane?

India’s current fertility rate is two births per woman, just under the replacement threshold of 2.1, and down from government estimates of 4.8 in 1981.

The fertility rate varies across the country, with poorer states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar—boasting a combined population of

more than 325 million—having the highest rates, according to a 2019 government survey.

In contrast, the two wealthiest states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have fertility rates of 1.56 and 1.54 respectively, far below the average, according to the survey.

Family planning has largely been left to women, with less than one in 10 men using condoms, while female sterilization was at nearly 38 percent, according to the government’s 2019-2021 National Family Health Survey. Shekhar, 49, was drawn into studying population from a young age, fascinated and “agitated” by large crowds of people everywhere he went.

“I used to hate these numbers,” the fertility and social demography expert said.

“But after I got my Master’s in Statistics, I thought, ‘Let us understand this, is it a problem? Or can it really be solved?’”

Shekhar believes the large numbers don’t

to human rights violations.

The CHR appears to agree that even with supposed ‘safety measures,’ activists continue to be unprotected and violated. As my colleague Bernardine de Belen and I have written, it is not difficult to find a pattern.

And this pattern too, with the thousands of desaparecidos, is hard to deny.

It is simple, really—many desaparecidos are activists, state forces are often found to be the perpetrators of their cases, the families are denied justice either by state forces themselves or the court.

Authorities even add salt to injury often by red-tagging the victims, trying to justify their disappearance. This is seen in Capuyan’s case most recently.

It is a simple and ‘effective’ way of political repression.

It is one of the tactics of fascists. Justice and truth are elusive in these cases.

The surfaced are the exception, not the rule.

And even then, the surfaced suffer through navigating their trauma their entire lives.

The pattern is done over and over again to silence those who call for change and justice, to silence those who truly serve the people.

It is old, perpetrators might call it a ‘classic,’ but victims and their families would call it tired.

Not all patterns, even when they are a ‘classic’ are meant to continue.

We call on the government, especially those who lead the state forces, to finally break the pattern. Steer away from the perversion of your role.

Those who were tasked to protect should actually protect, especially the most vulnerable.

We call on the government to attend to Capuyan and De Jesus’ case.

Surface Dexter and Bazoo. Break the pattern of enforced disappearances! Surface all the desaparecidos!

Website: tonylavina.com. Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

have to be a ticking time bomb if authorities focus on raising people’s quality of life.

Education and health outcomes—such as falling infant and maternal mortality rates —have improved since 1982, and India’s economy has grown to become the fifthlargest in the world.

But in many cities, residents battle for resources while facing water shortages and air and water pollution.

Youth unemployment for the ages of 1524 stood at 23.2 percent last year, according to the World Bank.

The overall jobless rate was 7.7 percent in May, data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy showed.

Shekhar said a key concern was that “India will become older before it becomes richer.”

“For that (not to happen), we need to have people be skilled, and have employment opportunities for a huge, young, bulge of population.” AFP

No more

In celebrating the milestone, the President was resonant in his hope that everyone in the Department of Public Works will remain steadfast in its mandate

Putin’s grip questioned after revolt

MOSCOW—Wagner mercenaries headed back to their base on Sunday after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to allow their leader to avoid treason charges and accept exile in neighbouring Belarus.

The agreement halted an extraordinary crisis -- a private army led by Putin’s former close ally Yevgeny Prigozhin trying to storm Moscow -but analysts said Wagner’s revolt had exposed Putin’s rule as more fragile than previously thought.

Security measures were still in place in Moscow on Sunday, though fewer police were visible, and passers-by said they

were unconcerned, despite Prigozhin’s exact whereabouts remaining unclear.

“Of course, I was shaken at the beginning,” Ludmila Shmeleva, 70, told AFP while walking at Moscow’s Red Square.

“I was not expecting this.”

“We are fighting, and there is also an internal enemy who is stabbing you in the back, as President Putin said,” she said. “But we are walking around, re-

laxing, we don’t feel any danger.”

Prigozhin was last seen late Saturday in an SUV leaving Rostov-on-Don, where his fighters had seized a military headquarters, to the cheers of some local people. Some shook his hand through the car window.

Trucks carrying armoured vehicles with fighters on them followed his car.

From assessing geolocated footage, Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said Wagner forces came as close as 330 kilometres from the Russian capital, while Prigozhin himself claimed that “in 24 hours we got 200 kilometres from Moscow”.

The mutiny was the culmination of his long-standing feud with the Russian military’s top brass over the conduct of the Russian operation in Ukraine.

Putin had on Saturday denounced the revolt as treason, vowing to punish the perpetrators. He accused them of pushing Russia to the brink of civil war.

Later the same day, however, he had accepted an agreement brokeredby Belarus to avert Moscow’s most serious security crisis in decades.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden discussed the revolt on Sunday, ahead of a NATO summit in Lithuania next month. AFP

MOSCOW—Russian state television on Monday broadcast footage of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspecting Russian troops, in his first public appearance since a failed mutiny by Wagner forces.

Shoigu -- the target of fierce criticism by the mercenary group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin -- went to a command post for Russian forces in Ukraine and held a meeting there with the leader of one of the units, according to images shown by the broadcaster.

During the meeting, the minister highlighted “great efficiency in the detection and destruction” of Ukraine’s weapons systems and soldiers, the ministry of defence said in a press release.

The footage shows Shoigu listening to a report being presented on the area’s military situation, studying maps and taking a helicopter ride to inspect Russian positions.

Wagner mercenaries headed back to their base on Sunday after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to allow Prigozhin to avoid treason charges and accept exile in neighbouring Belarus.

The agreement brought an end to an extraordinary crisis after the private army, led by Putin’s former close ally, tried to storm Moscow.

Prigozhin has repeatedly blamed Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, for his fighters’ deaths.

Prigozhin was last seen late Saturday in an SUV leaving Rostov-on-Don, where his fighters had seized a military headquarters, to the cheers of some local people. AFP

Russia suffers legal setback in Australian embassy standoff

CANBERRA—Russia’s bid to build a new embassy near Australia’s parliament suffered a legal blow on Monday, with a top court backing the government’s effort to seize the land.

Australia has blocked Russia from building a new embassy in Canberra, after intelligence agencies warned it could be used as a base to spy on lawmakers.

Russia last week launched a lastminute injunction to hold on to the land, while despatching a mystery diplomat to squat there as the legal

tussle played out.

But Australia’s high court ruled on Monday morning that Russia had to vacate the site, at least until the case returns to court for more detailed legal arguments.

The squatter-diplomat was seen exiting the site soon after the ruling, before being whisked away in a diplomatic vehicle.

“The court has made clear that there is no legal basis for a Russian presence to continue on the site at this time,”

Australian Prime minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

“We expect the Russian Federation to act in accordance with the court’s ruling.”

Russia bought the lease to the land from the Australian government in 2008, and in 2011 was granted approval to build its new embassy there.

But the Australian government announced last week it was tearing up that agreement.

Australia’s parliament passed

laws specifically aimed at stopping a Russian embassy from being built on the site, which sits about 400 metres (440 yards) from the parliamentary precinct.

“The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk posed by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House,” Albanese said.

“We are acting quickly to ensure the lease site does not become a formal diplomatic presence.” AFP

Mitsotakis back as Greece PM in poll landslide

ATHENS—Kyriakos Mitsotakis embarked Monday on his second term as Greece’s prime minister with a vow to accelerate institutional and economic reforms, after voters handed him a huge election victory for the second time in five weeks.

Crediting Mitsotakis and his New Democracy party for bringing economic stability to the erstwhile EU debt laggard, voters gave the conservatives their widest winning margin in almost 50 years on Sunday.

Hailing the “strong mandate”, Mitsotakis said that “major reforms will proceed rapidly”, adding that he had “ambitious” targets for his next four years in power that could “transform” Greece.

Among his pledges is pouring money into Greece’s public health system -- which was stretched to its limits by the Covid-19 pandemic -- and improving railway safety after the deaths of 57 people in a February train collision that was Greece’s worst rail disaster.

WASHINGTON—The US Coast Guard said Sunday it had launched an investigation into the cause of the underwater implosion that destroyed the small submersible Titan, with the loss of all five people aboard during a dive to the Titanic wreck. The Coast Guard said it had created a marine board of investigation (MBI), its highest level of probe, for this drama and ultimately tragedy in the North Atlantic that drew worldwide attention.

“My primary goal is to prevent a similar occurrence by making the necessary recommendations to enhance the safety of the maritime domain worldwide,” Jason Neubauer, the Coast Guard’s chief investigator and leader of this probe, told a press conference in Boston.

“The MBI is already in its initial evidence-collection

phase, including debris salvage operations at the incident site,” he added.

Neubauer said the US probe could also make recommendations on the possible pursuit of civil or criminal sanctions “as necessary.”

Titan was reported missing last Sunday and the Coast Guard said Thursday that all five people aboard the submersible had died after the vessel suffered a catastrophic implosion.

A debris field was found on the seafloor, 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, which sits more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the ocean’s surface and 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Canada, which helped in the search for the submersible, said Saturday it was carrying out its own probe. AFP

The 55-year-old former McKinsey consultant and Harvard graduate said Sunday that he “constantly strove to improve and learn from my mistakes”.

Mitsotakis, who steered the EU nation from the pandemic back to two consecutive years of strong growth, had already scored a resounding win in an election in May.

But having fallen short by five seats in parliament of being able to form a single-party government, he refused to try to form a coalition, in effect forcing 9.8 million Greek voters back to the ballot boxes. AFP

A man surfs in the St-Lawrence river with the smoke caused by the wildfires in Northern Quebec in the

Fed exec calls for independent review of bank failures this year

WASHINGTON, USA—A senior Federal Reserve official has criticized proposals to increase bank capital requirements and called for an “independent and impartial” investigation into the rapid failure of US banks earlier this year.

Fed governor Michelle Bowman said Sunday that a recent report into banking failures put together by the US central bank’s vice chair for supervision, Michael Barr, was “not reviewed by the other members of the Board prior to its publication.”

“Troublingly, other Board members were afforded no ability to contribute to the report’s content,” she told a conference in the Austrian city of Salzburg in prepared remarks.

“There is a genuine question whether these efforts provide a sufficient accounting of what occurred,” she added.

Barr’s report called for greater banking oversight while admitting to the Fed’s own failures in its oversight of the failed California lender Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).

Bowman’s comments highlight the division at the top of the Fed over the best path forward on bank regulation following the swift collapse of regional lenders including SVB, which failed following a bank run by concerned depositors in March.

‘Unintended consequences’

Speaking in a Congressional hearing on Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell addressed reports that regulators are considering raising capital requirements for some US banks by as much as 20 percent.

“The capital requirements will be very, very skewed to the eight largest banks,” he said, adding that there may also be some capital increases for other banks.

But he said that “none of this should affect banks under $100 billion (in assets).”

On Sunday, Bowman said there was “room to improve bank supervision for large banks,” adding that such reform efforts should be “informed by an impartial and independent review of what led to the failures.”

“We must be circumspect about what went wrong, deliberate about what to fix, and cognizant of unintended consequences,” she said.

“Misperceptions and misunderstandings about the root causes,” of the bank’s failures could cause “real harm to banks and their customers, to the financial system, and to the broader economy,” she added. AFP

PH stocks surge after five-day slump

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark of the Philippine Stock Exchange, surged by 129.54 points or 2.03 percent to close at 6,523.09 Monday, halting a five-day slump as all major sub-indices ended in the green.

Maybank Securities Philippines head of retail equities Michael Macainag said the volume picked up in the afternoon trading as funds took advantage of low liquidity to push the market higher.

The broader all-shares index was also up by 55.71 points, or 1.63 percent, to settle at 3,470.46 on a value turnover of P5.13 billion.

All of the most active stocks ended in the green

except for BDO Unibank Inc. which remained unchanged. Universal Robina Corp. climbed 9.09 percent to P138.00. followed by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. which rose 3.7 percent to P4.75. Ayala Corp. went up 3.25 percent to P635.

Meanwhile, the ruble and most equity markets sank Monday as traders kept watch on Russia following an aborted mutiny at the weekend that stoked concerns about stability in the nuclear-armed country.

While the advance by the Wagner mercenary force led by Yevgeny Prigozhin was called off before it reached Moscow, analysts said the rebellion showed President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power was more fragile than previously thought.

It also added to unease on trading floors, where investors last week reversed a recent rally in stocks owing to concerns about ever-rising interest rates aimed at fighting stubborn inflation.

The ruble sank to 87 to the dollar—its weakest level since March last year in the early days Putin’s invasion of Ukraine—as traders reacted to the developments in Russia.

Bloomberg said banks had priced it as much as 100 to the dollar at one point Saturday before coming back as Prigozhin halted his advance on Moscow.

On equity markets, traders appeared to take the events in stride, though most major indices were in the red.

Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Shanghai, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Mumbai and Wellington all slipped though Seoul and Jakarta rose.

London, Paris and Frankfurt all fell in opening trade.

Oil prices rose as Russia is a major producer, but concern about demand owing to the impact of rate rises kept gains limited, while futures for European natural gas jumped soared.

The revolt came afer Prigozhin had railed for months against the Russian military’s handling of the war in Ukraine.

But Wagner mercenaries returned to their base Sunday after Putin agreed to allow Prigozhin to avoid treason charges and accept exile in neighboring Belarus.

However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the events exposed “real cracks” in Putin’s rule. With AFP

TOP GAINERS

BRITISH-INDO

TIES. This handout

photo taken by Yedija Luhur and released by the British Embassy Jakarta on June 26, 2023 shows Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden (L) and Indonesia’s Minister for the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan (R) exchanging gifts during their meeting in Jakarta. AFP

Australia to fine big tech for failure to tackle disinformation

SYNEY, Australia - Tech giants could face billions of dollars in fines for failing to tackle disinformation under proposed Australian laws, which a watchdog on Monday said would bring “mandatory” standards to the little-regulated sector.

Under the proposed legislation, the owners of platforms like Facebook, Google, Twitter, TikTok and podcasting services would face penalties worth up to five percent of annual global turnover — some of the highest proposed anywhere in the world.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority, a government watchdog, would be granted a range of powers to force

companies to prevent misinformation or disinformation from spreading and stop it from being monetized.

“The legislation, if passed, would provide the ACMA with a range of new powers to compel information from digital platforms, register and enforce mandatory industry codes as well as make industry standards,” a spokesperson told AFP.

The watchdog would not have the power to take down or sanction individual posts. But it could instead punish platforms for failing to monitor and combat intentionally “false, misleading and deceptive” content that could cause “serious harm”.

TOP LOSERS

The rules would echo legislation expected to come into force in the European Union, where tech giants could face fines as high as six percent of annual turnover and outright bans on operating inside the bloc.

Australia has also been at the forefront of efforts to regulate digital platforms, prompting tech firms to make mostly unfulfilled threats to withdraw from the Australian market.

The proposed bill seeks to strengthen the current voluntary Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation that launched in 2021, but which has had only limited impact. AFP

German economy bids goodbye to years of plenty, hard times ahead

BERLIN, Germany—On his many visits to semiconductor factories and electric car plants, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz bangs the drum for an economy at the forefront of an industrial transformation.

But the picture painted by business leaders and experts is less rosy, predicting hard times to come for Europe’s largest economy.

Having dipped into recession at the beginning of the year, Germany looks set to finish the year in the red -- and at the back of the pack among its eurozone competitors.

The government is the only one left still predicting GDP will grow this year, while the main economic institutes and the IMF are looking at a drop of 0.2 to 0.4 percent.

Soaring inflation, painful interest rate rises, a sluggish recovery in its key export market China, and high energy costs are all weighing on activity.

The malaise might be more than temporary, some analysts warn.

“We currently see the country faced by a growing mountain of challenges,” said Siegfried Russwurm, head of the influential BDI industry lobby.

A growing number of businesses, including small and midsize companies, are working on “moving part of their activities out of Germany”, Russwurm said at the BDI’s annual conference.

In the newspapers, the spectre of Germany as the “sick man of Europe” is back, harking back to the period before 2000 when the country struggled to compete on international markets and faced high levels of unemployment. New era

Scholz, who became chancellor in late 2021, prefers to point to a different economic era.

In an interview with German media in March, he said the push to achieve climate neutrality by 2045 would bring back “levels of growth like in the 1950s and 1960s”, the age of West Germany’s postwar “economic miracle.”

For the Social Democrat chancellor, the massive spending needed to install new wind turbines, build electric vehicles, make steel production less polluting or produce heat pumps will create a virtuous economic circle.

But the vision of a new economic golden age thanks to the transition to green energy leaves some experts sceptical.

The switchover will first of all see billions of euros sunk into “replacing the existing stock” of fossil-fuel technologies with renewable ones “with significantly elevated costs”, Russwurm said.

“That will not lead to extra economic growth in the short term.”

“We will only reap the reward of this investment in the distant future, when we have effectively managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Timo

Wollmershaeuser of the economic think-tank the Ifo institute told German media this week.

Relatively sluggish growth of less than one percent awaits Germany over the next few years, the country’s main economic institutes predict.

“Growth could be significantly weaker over this decade than in the 2010s, years of supposed prosperity,” said Marcel Fratzscher, head of the DIW think-tank. No longer attractive?

The country is likewise held back by structural weaknesses that are stymieing economic performance: slow bureaucracy, low levels of digitization and an ageing population that could lead to labor shortages.

“If the population sinks, GDP will not grow either,” Wollmershaeuser said.

With the economy heavily reliant on manufacturing, Germany looks to suffer from energy costs that

MOST ACTIVE

have risen in the wake of the war in Ukraine, even though they have fallen from their early peaks.

Russia was long the main source of gas for Germany, supplying huge volumes at relatively low prices to the country’s biggest industrial groups.

“Energy costs, labour shortages, bureaucracy —for us, producing in Germany is no longer attractive,” Ingeborg Neumann, head of the German textile industry association, said at the BDI event. AFP

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) together with Head the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) Yasmin Fahimi (2ndL) and President of the German Nature Conservation Ring (DNR) Kai Niebert (L), President of German Confederation of Skilled Crafts and Small Businesses (ZDH) Jorg Dittrich (2ndR) and President of the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management Marie Luise Wolff (R) address a press conference following a meeting of the ‘Alliance for Transformation’ in Berlin on June 2, 2023. AFP

Group of major banks launches dollar-peso cross currency swap

By Julito G. Rada

THE Bankers Association of the Philippines, the lead organization of universal and commercial banks, said Monday it launched the dollar-peso cross currency swap market in line with its commitment to promote market development in the country.

The 44-member BAP said in a statement the initiative, spearheaded by the BAP Open Market Committee, enables its members to utilize hedging instruments critical to them and in response to the needs and requirements of their customers to better manage foreign exchange and interest rate risks.

“The BAP Open Market Committee, with the strong support of the Money Market Association of the Philippines

and ACI Philippines, ensures that the USDPHP CCS market is guided by the rules and regulations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as well as the adoption of the ISDA Master Agreement and Foreign Exchange Global Code,” BAP said.

Market makers in the dollar-peso cross currency swap market include BDO Unibank Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., Philippine National Bank, Security Bank, Ci-

tibank, DB, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., ING Bank, JP Morgan and Standard Chartered Bank.

Banks that signed up as regular participants include China Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Robinsons Bank, Union Bank of the Philippines, ANZ, Mizuho and MUFG.

Voice-broker participants in the market include Amstel, GFI, Tradition and Tullet Prebon.

A cross currency swap is a transaction between two authorized parties that involves an exchange of principal amounts and interest payments in one currency for principal and interest payments in another currency at an agreed upon exchange rate and at an agreed schedule.

The USDPHP CCS market involves a Philippine peso fixed rate and a US dollar floating swap with standard tenors of

IN

BSP may cut interest rates in first half of 2024—BMI

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will likely cut the key interest rates by the first half of 2024 after holding on for the rest of 2023 on the back of falling inflation, a unit of Fitch Group said in a report Monday. BMI said for the next month alone, the BSP might continue keeping the overnight borrowing rate unchanged at 6.25 percent.

1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 7 years and 10 years. This will use the US dollar Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or SOFR, as the floating rate benchmark for the US dollar leg.

The USDPHP CCS market is supported by Bloomberg, a globally-recognized trading platform provider for various financial products.

BAP is comprised of 20 local banks and 24 foreign bank branches.

The group earlier endorsed the use of BVAL (Bloomberg Valuation) methodology as a reference rate. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas agreed to create an overnight rate initially based on the 28-day BSP bill rate and later on six-month yield curve that would serve as reference rate for various financial transactions in the country with the scheduled phase-out of the London Interbank Offered Rate or Libor on June 30.

“We think that the BSP will leave interest rates on hold once again at the next meeting on Aug. 17 given falling inflation,” it said.

“Given that inflation is falling faster than what we originally anticipated, economic activity is starting to soften and the US Fed is nearing the end of its tightening cycle, we now think that policy rates will be kept on hold for the remainder of the year, and only be cut in 2024,” it said. The Monetary Board kept the policy interest rate steady at 6.25 percent last week due to the successive deceleration in inflation since its peak in January 2023 at 8.7 percent. Inflation slowed to 8.6 percent in February, 7.6 percent in March, 6.6 percent in April and 6.1 percent in May. Julito G. Rada

Retail sector yet to see changes under new law

THE country’s retail sector has yet to see the changes promised by the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act of 2000 and the investments the sector expected when the law was enacted in 2022.

Philippine Retailers Association chairman Paul Santos said the anticipated change had not yet happened. “What we’re seeing would be existing foreign retailers already doing business in the Philippines expanding their presence. But according to my knowledge, this has already been planned long before the epidemic but was just postponed,” he said. He said the PRA believed that investment in Philippine retailing was not just about liberalizing the market, and a big part of the decision had to do with economic motivations.

He said a foreign retailer investing in the Philippines would want to see for himself if the Philippine retail economy and Philippine consumers could support or buy goods and services he was trying to sell.

“So liberalization in and of itself, is not a guarantee that businesses would invest in the Philippine market,” he said.

Philippine retailers, however, expect annual retail transactions to hit pre-pandemic growth levels in 2023, as more retailers turn to omnichannel and online platforms to maximize growth potential, while those who are in the virtual marketplace are also trying to set-up physical presence. Othel V. Campos

Security Bank eyes P8-b fixed-rate bond offering

SECURITY Bank Corp., one of the country’s largest private domestic universal banks, plans to raise at least P8 billion from the issuance of fixedrate peso bonds to fund lending activities and expand funding base.

the

of its

under

Repower Energy commissions 5.8-MW hydropower plant in Quezon

By Alena Mae S. Flores

REPOWER Energy Development Corp. said Monday it successfully commissioned its 5.8-megawatt Tibag run-ofriver hydropower plant in Mauban, Quezon.

“We are pleased to mark the successful commissioning of our newest hydropower plant as this is another milestone for us in expanding our footprint in the renewable energy sector,” REDC president Eric Peter Roxas said.

“The Tibag hydropower plant will be

a key asset in our goal towards uplifting the living standards of rural and under electrified communities through clean, renewable energy,” he said.

REDC expects the new hydro facility to contribute P215 million in earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization annually.

The company said the plant was expected to be a significant driver to REDC’s year-on-year growth in net income for the year. The Tibag hydropower plant’s annual energy generation will be over 40 giga-

watt-hours, equivalent to the generation of a 40-MW solar farm or a 20-MW wind farm.

Meanwhile, REDC said it ensured that the 15-kilometer access roads and a bridge it built for the Tibag hydropower plant would be used by the indigenous communities living in the area.

This will help the Dumagat tribe bring copra, fruits and livestock to the market. They can also bring their children to school safely compared to crossing the river by raft.

“Our commitment to sustainability is

not just about clean energy nor limiting the possible adverse impact of our operations to stakeholders. It also extends to ensuring that communities will get to benefit from the farm to market roads we have built,” Roxas said.

The facility is the seventh hydro project of REDC. It will be followed by the 1.4-MW Lower Labayat plant, which will come online as soon as transmission operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines energizes the transmission line from the powerhouse in the next few weeks.

Grab vows to create 500,000 jobs in PH despite regional restructuring

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GRAB Philippines said Monday the regional restructuring exercise of its parent firm has no impact on its commitment to the government to provide livelihood opportunities to 500,000 Filipinos.

“The Philippines has always been an important market for Grab. We remain steadfast in our promise to create 500,000 livelihood opportunities in the Philippines and will continue to make progress on this by creating meaningful opportunities for everyday Filipinos and small businesses to earn a livelihood on our platform, whether as a driver-partner, delivery partner, or merchant partner,” ” Grab Philippines country head Grace Vera-Cruz said.

“Grab is committed to equipping them with tools, training, and technology to be more productive,” she said.

The company said that since it was launched in the Philippines in 2012, the platform had created income opportunities for millions of micro-

entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises.

Grab co-founder and chief executive Anthony Tan in his recent courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., expressed Grab’s intention to generate 500,000 livelihood opportunities for Filipinos.

“The restructuring exercise neither changes our investment commitment to the government, nor does it affect our ability to ably serve Filipinos. We are accelerating our efforts to ensure that this will come to fruition, as we unlock further economic empowerment through our robust ecosystem,” Vera Cruz said.

Tan recently announced in a letter that Grab is letting go of 1,000 of employees, also called Grabbers, across the different markets in Southeast Asia to combine its scale with agile execution and cost leadership. This, in turn, allows Grab to sustainably offer even more affordable services and serve its drivers and merchant partners better.

IFC, First Balfour sign deal to develop electric vehicle system in Batangas industrial park

THE International Finance Corp. and First Balfour Inc., an engineering and construction company owned by the Lopez Group, signed an agreement to ramp up efforts to decarbonize the transport sector.

IFC, a member of the World Bank, will help First Balfour conduct assessments and viability studies to develop a robust electric vehicle system in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Batangas province, including charging infrastructure targeted

to be powered by renewable energy.

“Aligning with our mission towards decarbonization, we are actively exploring opportunities in the electric vehicle space to be able to provide an integrated infrastructure and services to our customers, such as FPIP. In this context, IFC’s expertise will help us develop highly relevant market solutions that will ultimately help us to contribute to our country’s resilient future,” said First Balfour president and chief oper-

ating officer Anthony Fernandez.

IFC said many businesses were looking to explore EV adoption to help green their operations, but technical expertise was lacking and successful business cases were few.

“A huge investment opportunity over the next decade, electric vehicles are critical in the fight against climate change and can help reduce emissions, lower transport costs, and create thousands of green jobs. So, developing an

efficient and thriving e-mobility ecosystem is crucial for the Philippines to meet its climate commitments,” said IFC country manager for the Philippines Jean-Marc Arbogast.

“The project will also help diversify FPIP and First Balfour’s infrastructure services and hopefully bring in new market players and spur the evolution of the local electric vehicle segment in the country,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores and Othel V. Campos

The bank said on a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday the bond offering carries an oversubscription option, meaning the price could be adjusted upward or offer more securities to reflect higher demand.

“Proceeds will be used to support the bank’s lending activities and expand its funding base,” it said. The bonds will have a tenor of 1.5 years and will be marketed at a fixed-rate of 6.4250 percent per annum. The public offer period will be from June 26 to July 7, 2023. Minimum denominations were set for P1 million and increments of P100,000 thereafter.

Security Bank will list the bonds on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. on July 13, 2023 to provide secondary market liquidity to investors who would like to trade the instruments. The bonds will be issued out of the bank’s P100-billion peso bond and commercial papers program. Julito G. Rada

Ayala Land raises P15b from issuance of fixed-rate bonds

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. said Monday it raised P15 billion from the issuance of five- and 10-year fixedrate bonds as part of the company’s fundraising program to finance 2023 capital spending.

ALI chief finance officer Augusto Bengzon said in an interview following the bond listing on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. this could be the last bond offering for the company this year.

“In terms of accessing the debt capital market, we will probably take a pause already. The next phase of our fund-raising activity will be the banks,” Bengzon said.

Bengzon said the company signed a P10-billion term loan facility with one of the country’s universal banks. Net proceeds from the borrowing will also be used to fund this year’s capital spending program, he said.

ALI earlier earmarked P85 billion for 2023 capital expenditures primarily to roll out more residential, office, hotels and resorts across the country.

Bengzon said the company remained positive about the property market as its residential, office and mall businesses were now close to pre-pandemic levels.

He said the company was prepared to launch over P100 billion worth of residential projects this year. The actual launches would depend on market demand, he said.

“We do track our inventory levels, and we would like to move our inventory.

Once we get it to certain levels, then we will launch. But we are prepared to launch depending on demand,” Bengzon said. PDEx president and chief executive Antonino Nakpil welcomed ALI’s return to the debt market.

Nakpil said ALI’s P15-billion bond listing is the sixth on PDEx in 2023, bringing the year-to-date total admissions to P75.45 billion.

Repower Energy Development Corp., a subsidiary of Pure Energy Holdings Corp., announces the successful commissioning of its 5.8-megawatt Tibag run-of-river hydropower plant in Mauban, Quezon. The plant represents

7th

kind

REDC’s hydropower portfolio. Attending the inauguration of the plan are executives and engineering team of REDC led by (sixth from left) Pure Energy shareholder Harald Tomintz, REDC president Eric Roxas, REDC independent director Antonio Carag, Pure Energy chairman Dexter Tiu and Pure Energy shareholder Joseph Lee (right).

PORT LINK. Rail Cargo Group launches a new regular common user train service linking the Croatian port of Rijeka via the Adriatic Gate Container Terminal to Budapest in Hungary. The new rail service is a common user service which enables freight forwarders and individual clients to book the landside service directly with RCG. Shown is the Adriatic Gate Container Terminal’s intermodal facility at the Port of Rijeka. AGCT is International Container Terminal Services Inc.’s Croatian subsidiary.

McDaniel: From former substitute to squad star

WITH less than a month before the FIFA Women’s World Cup unfurls in Australia and New Zealand, let’s get to know our history-making Filipinas, who are looking to push their luck and boost their stock even more.

On the spotlight is Olivia Davies McDaniel, the squad’s heroine, who converted the crucial penalties and made the key defense during the team’s shootout against Chinese Taipei, handing the Philippines a historic trip for the first time in the World Cup.

China’s Yin takes PGA title; runner-up Saso $.8M richer

NEW YORK—China’s Yin Ruoning sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole on Sunday to win the Women’s PGA Championship for her first major title.

The 20-year-old from Shanghai fired a four-under par 67 to finish 72 holes at Baltusrol on eight-under 276 and defeat by one stroke Yuka Saso, now representing Japan after spending her amateur years playing for the Philippines.

Yin took the $1.5 million top prize and became only the second woman from China to win a major title after Feng Shanshan, who captured the 2012 Women’s PGA crown.

“It’s amazing,” Yin said. “It’s just unreal.

Saso, a 22-year-old Philippine-born Japanese star who won the 2021 US Women’s Open, birdied the par-5 18th to match Yin for the lead at 7-under on the rain-soaked layout at Springfield, New Jersey.

Saso received a runner-up purse of $875,130, a whopping P48 million.

Yulo hopes to inspire teammates

By Peter Atencio

FILIPINO gymnastics’ phenom Carlos Yulo hopes to inspire his teammates Juancho Miguel Besana and John Ivan Cruz whenever they train with him.

The 23-year-old Yulo said he should not be alone in the country’s quest for excellence in international competitions in gymnastics.

Yulo believes that the time is coming for Besana, Cruz, Justine Ace de Leon and Jan Timbang to finally step up and shine as well.

“Nandito lang po ako. Kapag nagpapa-praktis po, ini-inspire ko sila sa mga ginagawa ko,” said Yulo, who has been holding practices with the men’s team in Intramuros before leaving for Japan.

Yulo is set to return to Tokyo at the end of the month and resume his training with Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya.

He is set to compete from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 in Antwerp, Belgium, and seek qualification for the Paris Olympics.

In preparing for the Olympics, Yulo said he has refined his techniques in the parallel and high bars as well.

And this makes him more ready to qualify in more events in the Olympics and move higher in the world rankings as well.

“Mahirap sabihin na maka-No. 1, maybe top 5 sa worlds. Dapat dumaan sa proseso,” added Yulo.

During the Asian Championships in Singapore, Yulo claimed three golds, a silver and bronze.

On the other hand, Besana managed to place eighth in the vault, along with Cruz in the floor exercises.

In the recent Southeast Asian Games, Besana grabbed a gold in the vault, while Cruz topped the floor exercises.

Yin answered by landing her approach 10 feet from the hole and rolled in the tension-packed birdie putt for the victory in the year’s second women’s major tournament.

“After the tee shot I saw Yuka make an incredible birdie here, I knew I had to make birdie at this hole to win the championship and I’m glad I did it,” Yin said.

An early afternoon storm halted play for almost two hours, but after play resumed Yin birdied the 13th and 14th to grab a share of the lead, parred the next three holes as rivals faltered, and won at the last after hitting every green in regulation in the final two rounds.

“For last couple days, my ball striking was perfect,” Yin said. “I only missed six greens in four days so I think my ball striking was pretty good.

“My goal for today, just no three-putts. And I did it too. I didn’t think too much. Just no three-putts Because last few days I made five bogeys and four of them were three-putts.”

A third-place pack on 278 included Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, China’s Lin Xiyu, American Megan Khang and Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow.

Japan’s Ayaka Furue, South Korean Jenny Shin and

American Rose Zhang shared eighth on 279.

Yin had joined Feng as the only Chinese women to win an LPGA title when she captured the LA Open in April.

Among those unable to match Yin down the stretch was Lin, who shared the lead when the storm struck.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Lin said of Yin’s victory. “She’s young and she’s so talented. She’s definitely really good at dealing with pressure. It’s great to see that.”

Yin rents a house in Orlando from Lin and said she hadn’t thought about how her rent might now get higher.

“Actually, I’m thinking about buying her house right now,” Yin said.

‘I’ve got goosebumps’

Shin and Lin were deadlocked atop the leaderboard when play resumed after the storm but seven others were within two strokes.

Lin held the lead alone after Shin made a bogey at the eighth and kept it until Yin birdied the 13th and 14th and Saso made her fourth birdie in six holes at 15 to share the lead on 7-under, although Saso stumbled with a bogey at 16.

Lin found water off the tee at the par-5 18th and closed with a bogey to leave Yin alone in the lead. AFP

“Olivia had her start with the Filipinas’ scene when she came on as a substitute in the final moments of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers against Hong Kong in 2021. Since then she has made 29 appearances and is credited with 10 clean sheets for the Philippines,” said the post on the official page Philippine Women’s National Football Team.

“Between international duties, the 25-year-old goalkeeper stays focused with American club So Cal Union FC.”

In an interview with Isabel Cootes of Optus Sport, McDaniel shared how she felt in that winning moment.

“It came to the PK where I had to save it, I saved it and I was just like, ‘Let’s go. We’re in this, we’re not out yet. I think that was basically what was going through my head the whole time like we’re not losing here,” Davies-McDaniel was quoted by Optus Sport. Randy Caluag

Olivia Davies McDaniel PFF

Zaragosa dominates Junior PGT Round 2

PRECIOUS Zaragosa flashed fine form in chipping and putting and ripped the girls’ field with 110 points while Stefano Bautista topped the boys’ side in Round 2 of the Junior PGT 2023 Series at the Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas last Sunday.

Zaragosa bounced back strong from a third-place effort in driving (13 points) by ruling the next two skills contests, netting top-scoring points in chipping (55) and putting (42) for a 110-point output in the 11-12 age-group side of the tournament that also featured competitions in the 9-10 category.

Tiffany Bernardino garnered 23 points in clinching the driving honors but placed second and third in chipping and putting worth 27 and 35 points, respectively, as she finished second with 85 points, while Althea Bañez pooled 78 points (17-drive, 25chip and 36-putt) to place third in the one-day tournament that showcased the participants’ talent and skills in three keys aspects of the sport.

Bautista, on the other hand, produced 50 points in putting after 30-point and

21-point efforts in driving and chipping, respectively, as he assembled 101 points to capture top honors in his side of the competitions organized by Pilipinas Golf

Tournaments, Inc. He edged Matthias Espina and William Sulit, who matched 94 points.

Espina put in a best 50-point score

in chipping but settled for 14 and 30 points in driving and putting, respectively, while Sulit took the scoring honors i n driving and putting (34 and 55 points, respectively) but ended up with five points in chipping.

Georgina Handog and Race Manhit, meanwhile, shared top honors in the 9-10 side of the tournament held under ICTSI’s junior golf program with the former barely winning with 78 points, just a point better than Makayla Verano’s 77-point total.

Handog drew a best 37 points in chipping and scored 10 points in driving and 31 points in putting, while Verano recovered from an 11-point output in driving with second-best 31 points in chipping and third-best 35 points in putting.

Quincy Pilac, who topped the driving contest with 23 points, placed third with 72 points. Manhit, on the other hand, posted 27 points in driving but shone with a second-best 41 points in chipping before ruling the putting side with 55 points for 123 points.

What can PH learn from Germany to become sports power?

By Randy Caluag

GERMANY, currently with an estimated 83 million population, has an effective sports program that the Philippines can learn from and emulate to become a sports power in Asia.

Airnel Abarra, a Filipino volunteer in the recent 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin Germany, shared on social media his observation of Germany’s vigorous sports scene, where the private sector takes an active participation.

“I always see in all German sports clubs the involvement of the community. In Germany there are more than 91,000 sports clubs that are self-sustaining,” said Abarra.

While he noted the discrepancy in economic conditions between the Philippines and

Germany, he stressed though the need to work for “teamwork” among stakeholders.

“Of course, the socio-economic status of Germany and the Philippines are way different from each other. But there’s one thing that matters. Environment and the people that harnesses the potential in every athlete,” he said.

Since participating in the first Olympics in 1869, Germany has won a total of 902 medals, 305 of which were golds, 305 silvers, and 312 bronzes.

Germany is a sports power in canoeing, equestrian, rowing, athletics, cycling, gymnastics, and shooting, to name a few.

In the Philippines, the grassroots sports program and national sports program for national team members are mostly, if not all, funded by the government.

Yuka Saso of Japan hits from the 17th fairway during the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. Inset shows China’s Yin Ruoning displaying her championship trophy.

Shown here are (from left) 9-10 age-group division winners Georgina Handog and Race Phoenix Manhit, and Precious Zaragosa and Javier Bautista, who topped the 11-12 category.

LONDON—Carlos

Alcaraz believes he is capable of winning Wimbledon after claiming his first title on grass on Sunday by beating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 in the final at Queen’s Club.

The Spaniard’s fifth title of the season also takes him back to the top of the world rankings, but he said Novak Djokovic remains the favourite to win Wimbledon for an eighth time next month.

Alcaraz was playing on the grass for just the third tournament in his career and showed an impressive development through the week at Queen’s after nearly falling to French lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech in the first round.

The US Open champion won his next four matches without dropping a set and is confident of going beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time.

“I have quite a lot of confidence heading into Wimbledon. I ended the week playing at a high level, so right now I feel one of the favourites to win Wimbledon, but I have to get more experience on grass,” said Alcaraz.

“Novak is the main favourite to win Wimbledon, but I will try to play at this level to have chances to beat him or make the final.

“I saw a statistic that Novak has won more matches at Wimbledon than the other top 20 players (combined). What can you say about that you know? Novak is the main favourite to win Wimbledon. That’s obvious.

“But I will try to play at this level, to have chances to beat him or make the final at Wimbledon.”

Djokovic has reigned supreme in SW19 since 2018. He has not lost on Centre Court in 10 years since losing to Andy Murray in the final.

But Alcaraz is hoping to have the crowd on his side should the top two seeds meet in the final.

“I saw that Djokovic has never lost a match on Centre Court since 2013

when he lost against Andy so it’s ten years without losing a match on centre court, it’s crazy. But I hope to have the crowd behind me to change that stat.”

De Minaur had dumped out Murray and world number six Holger Rune on his route to the final.

But the Australian was left to rue Alcaraz’s ability to win the big points in a tight contest.

“I’m content because I know I left it all out there and I try to play the way

right quad.

that I want to play,” said De Minaur. “So that’s a big positive for me coming into Wimbledon.”

De Minaur had two break points for the chance to serve for the first set when he led 4-3.

Alcaraz responded, though, to hold serve and immediately break the world number 18 in the next game before serving out for the set.

He then needed lengthy treatment as he had strapping applied to his

No. 1 Alcaraz: Djokovic still Wimbledon favorite KBA Stars stun UAAP champion La Salle

Alcaraz’s movement did not seem affected as he again pounced on his only break point to move ahead 3-2 in the second set.

Two rare errors gave De Minaur some hope in the final game as Alcaraz found himself 0-30 down.

But the Spaniard’s booming serve dug him out of trouble as four straight points secured the title and a return to world number one. AFP

Creamline, Chery Tiggo clash as PVL meet unwraps

THE Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference unfolds today (Tuesday) in a gathering of talents of varying forms and styles setting out with the same goal— win at all costs.

And while Creamline remains the yardstick given its intact, tested roster, there is a slew of reasons for the other teams to be optimistic about their respective chances but forbears to make any promises at this early stage.

One thing is certain though—the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. is in for a record run.

Thirteen teams, including three new members and two foreign guest squads —the most in any conference since the SVMGI revived the sport in 2004— will slug it out for the coveted crown in a single elimination format with the 11 local teams divided into two groups.

Group A is made up of defending champion Creamline, a souped-up Chery Tiggo, a solid PLDT, unpredictable Akari and Gerflor, one of the three new teams, while Petro Gazz, F2 Logistics, Choco Mucho, Cignal and newcomers Farm Fresh and Foton banner Group B. Multi-awarded Alyssa Valdez, the heart and soul of Creamline, summed it all up when she said: “The level of competition will definitely be higher this conference.”

Three months after retaining the All-Filipino Conference, formerly the Open, the Cool Smashers never stopped dreaming and preparing for another title run with the team’s core anchoring the national women’s team’s campaign in the recent SEA Games in Cambodia.

THE Katayama Baseball Academy scraped past powerhouse De La Salle, 4-3, in the opening game of the 1 United Philippines Baseball Tournament at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium over the weekend.

Stars’ player/coach Keiji Katayama utilized his three pitchers against Green Archer batters as starter Raymond Nerosa lorded it over the mound in 5 innings, Diego Lozano pitched in the next 2, while Alvin Herrera held the rallying sluggers until the final frame highlighted by a strikeout to prevent an equalizer and a winning run.

This sealed the first victory by the KBA in the first post-pandemic tournament sanctioned by Philippine Amateur Baseball Association at the Rizal Baseball Diamond in Malate, Manila.

“National team players (Mark) Beronilla had 3 hits and (Ignacio) Escano did a good job offensively. We had a good start in this tour-

nament,” said Japanese baseball expert and sports patron Keiji Katayama, who is based in the Philippines.

The KBA Stars team is composed of Kyle Villafania Jr., Escano, Beronilla, Clairon Santos, Boo Barandiaran, Danric Catativo, Carl and Luis Miñana, Dino Almonte, Anton Rosas, Marion Gonzales, Allan Jay Dimal, Javi Macasaet, Gerard Riparip, Sean Jeremy Salaysay, Gino Tantuico, Alwen Nicole, Jason Salamida, Marco Mallari, actor/ sportsman Gary Ejercito, Nerosa, Herrera and Lozano.

After the curtain raiser of the tripleheader was a colorful opening ceremony graced by PABA secretary general Jose ‘Pepe’ Munoz.

The tournament is divided into two groups, with KBA Stars and DLSU in bracket A, along with National University, University of Santo Tomas, Thunderz and Philippine Air Force. In bracket B are ADU, IPPC, ADMU, Tanauan, UP-A and

Pilipinas Live to bring unrivaled sports viewing experience

SET to revolutionize the way fans consume the most in-demand sporting events, Cignal TV unveils its newest sports powerhouse app Pilipinas Live.

Unlimited sports entertainment is now available at your fingertips with Pilipinas Live. Enjoy the thrill of live broadcasts including behindthe-scenes action, sports news and updates, interactive fan experiences, and other exclusive features.

To kick things off, Pilipinas Live will stream the 2023 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational Conference starting on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

It’s all systems go for the PVL as it opens with 13 teams—including two foreign squads joining in the semifinal round—as teams clash for the midseason crown that will be streamed live and on-demand via the all new Pilipinas Live sports app.

The Complete Game Experience

Pilipinas Live is the go-to app for the ultimate sports fan: it will allow users to embark on an unparalleled and personalized viewing journey. This one-of-a-kind OTT streaming platform promises to give subscribers the complete game experience.

Get to watch the match commercialfree as Pilipinas Live comes with extended pre- and post-game coverage.

Pilipinas Live also offers a first: the power of multiple screen viewing. Witness extraordinary plays from various camera points, ensuring not a single pulse-pounding moment eludes the fans’ undivided attention.

Meanwhile, its advanced interactive functions will allow subscribers to join the lively discussions. Gain fresh insights from special hosts and guests. Hear fellow sport fans’ perspectives and share your own thoughts with other like-minded viewers on the app. A Commitment Towards Innovation

“Pilipinas Live was created to reshape the landscape of sports viewing. It offers the ultimate digital experience to Filipino sports enthusiasts wherever they may be. The innovation behind the app’s development and rollout represents our steadfast commitment to providing only the best to the Pinoy sports fan,” says Jane Jimenez Basas, President, and CEO of Cignal TV.

“It will also stream this year’s most anticipated basketball event, the FIBA World Cup 2023 which will feature the best teams around the world. With Pilipinas Live, you can watch not just all the games that will be played in the Philippines, but also

innovative

live and on-demand via the all new Pilipinas Live

all the games in Japan and Indonesia. Of course, fans of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) will also enjoy watching their favorite games on the streaming platform.”

For a limited time only, sports fans in the Philippines can seize the op-

portunity to be among the privileged early subscribers, gaining exclusive access to Pilipinas Live with an introductory subscription for only PHP 99 per month.

To download the app, go to the Google Play or the App Store. You can also visit https://pilipinaslive.com to know more.

They also enlisted all-around open hitter Bernadeth Pons to complement Tots Carlos and Jema Galanza’s games, along with those of Jia de Guzman and Kyla Atienza’s, although Creamline fans are as much eager and thrilled as the rest over the return to competitive play of Valdez, who missed the All-Filipino conference due to a knee injury.

“Yung team na healthy all throughout the season will make a big difference this conference—lahat pantay-pantay na talaga, including yung support ng mga teams,” said Valdez.

They kick off their campaign against the Chery Tiggo Crossovers at 6:30 p.m.

Chery Tiggo signed UST’s Eya Laure and Imee Hernandez, and the National U trio of Princess Robles, Jennifer Nierva, and Joyme Cagande to backstop a team led by seasoned campaigners Mylene Paat, Buding Duremdes, Ponggay Gaston and EJ Laure.

“We are very excited if you may say so but it really entails a lot of responsibilities to match and manage the expectations of many,” said Chery Tiggo head coach Aaron Velez.

PSA Forum tackles MILO Sports Clinics

IT’S all about the coming MILO Sports Clinics in Tuesday’s resumption of the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Heading the guest list in the 10 a.m. session is Carlo Sampan, head of MILO Sports.

Sampan will be joined in the weekly public sports program by Monica Jorge and Marilyn Jorge (BEST Center), Chris Guerrero (golfmix), Joy Ong (swimtech), Ral Rosario (swimtech) and Ricky Lim (karate).

The session is presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

The Forum is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which also shares it on its official Facebook page.

UP-B.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz holds his trophy after winning against Australia’s Alex de Minaur at the end of their men’s singles nal match at the Cinch ATP tennis Championships at Queen’s Club in west London. AFP

The KBA Stars, headed by player/coach Keiji Katayama, are shown during the teams’ parade ceremony at RMBS.

Cignal TV, the Philippines’ top provider of premium and exclusive content, has launched Pilipinas Live, an

OTT streaming platform made for the love of sports. The PVL, for instance, will be streamed

sports app.

Rex Orange County announces dates for ‘Live in Asia 2023 Tour’

ENGLISH singer Alexander James O’Connor, known professionally as Rex Orange County, returns to the road this fall for the Live in Asia 2023 Tour, which includes a show in Manila on October 8 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The tour kicks off on September 15 and runs through October 21 with Rex performing in New Zealand, Australia, and various Asian cities, including Manila on October 8 at Araneta Coliseum. Other shows are in Hong Kong on October 10 at Star Hall, Taipei on October 12 at Zepp New Taipei, Jakarta on October 14 at Beach City International Stadium, Singapore on October 17 at Star Theatre, Kuala Lumpur on October 18 at Zepp KL, and Bangkok on October 21 at Moonstar Studio 1.

Promoted by AEG Presents Asia & Insignia Presents, tickets for Rex Orange County Live in Asia 2023 Manila are priced from P3,180 to P4,770 (excluding online fees). The general on-sale started on June 16 through www.InsigniaPresents. com or at TicketNet outlets nationwide.

This tour marks Rex’s first headline shows across Asia and includes highly anticipated dates in some of his biggest streaming markets.

These dates follow Rex’s multi-city run in North America in 2022, where he performed sold-out shows at iconic venues such as The Hollywood Bowl, Forest Hills Stadium, Red Rocks Amphitheater, and a soldout hometown performance at Gunnersbury Park in London for 20,000 people.

Last year, Rex released his latest album, Who Cares?, which reached #1 in the UK, #2 in Australia, and #5 in the US. The record features standout songs like “Amazing,” “The Shade,” “Keep It Up,” and “Open A Window” featuring Tyler, The Creator. The collaboration marked their first since Tyler’s 2017 album Flower Boy Complex praised the album in their ‘Best of 2022 So Far’ list, describing it as “sobering, uplifting, fun, and honest all at the same time, making for a great addition to his expanding catalog.” Rex followed up with the release of his single “Threat,” which was hailed by The New York Times as “a tender take on self-doubt.”

Tickets to Rex Orange County

Live in Asia 2023 Tour Manila are priced between P3,180 and P4,770 (excluding online fees).

Piolo Pascual takes on riveting role in horror thriller ‘MALLARI’

REFLECTING on his upbringing, Piolo Pascual recalls the deep-rooted respect he held for priests during his time in a Catholic society and school. They were revered as the guiding figures, with the Rector serving as a pillar of authority. Weekly Masses at school and Sunday services at the church further reinforced the influence and representation of the clergy.

Intriguingly, Piolo reveals a childhood dream that once consumed his thoughts. At the age of 18, he attended the Parish Renewal Experience (PREx) seminar, where he had a profound conversation with a priest. Filled with aspirations for a simpler life, Piolo confided, “I wanted to be a priest. I thought it would make things easier.”

However, fate had different plans.

The priest advised him that to pursue the priesthood, he would need to be a college graduate or return to college to study theology. Undeterred, Piolo later embraced Christianity and sought counsel from his pastor, hoping for an alternative path as a pastor.

To his surprise, his pastor recognized the unique qualities Piolo possessed and urged him to remain in the realm of entertainment, declaring, “No, we need people like you in show business.”

Thus, Piolo’s dreams of donning the sacred vestments of priesthood or becoming a pastor faded away, and the vibrant world of acting embraced him instead.

In an intriguing twist, the A-list actor takes on the challenging role of a Catholic priest harboring a dark secret as a serial killer. Titled Mallari, this horror thriller is directed by Derick Cabrido and produced by Mentorque Productions.

After exploring Mallari, reading the script, and uncovering the authenticity

behind the character he will be playing, Piolo discovered that the film is based on a reallife story. Intrigued by this revelation, he took the initiative to research Mallari further.

“I have a great fondness for supernatural horror films and enjoy watching them. These stories have been passed down through generations and are based on extensive research.

It’s the enchantment of cinema that truly captivates me, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing the magic unfold during the filming process,” the 46-year-old actor alluding to his decision to do a horror film for the first time.

“This is going to be really hard for me. Physically exhausting, and emotionally draining. I’m portraying three roles but I’m up for the challenge and I’m happy to be given the privilege to be acting in this film. It’s quite an interesting story,” he carried on. The film promises to immerse audiences in a spinetingling journey. With hopes of securing a coveted spot in the upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival in December, this film is poised to captivate viewers with Piolo’s riveting portrayal of a conflicted Catholic priest-turned-serial killer.

From rivals to friends

IN a recent television interview, Judy Ann Santos was asked about the real status of her off-screen relationship with arch-rival Claudine Barretto Judy Ann candidly shared their lack of closeness during their younger years. She explained that they never had the chance to form a strong bond due to their respective affiliations, Claudine with Star Magic and herself with the late Alfie Lorenzo.

Adding to the complexity of their relationship, they were constantly pitted against each other, creating an atmosphere of rivalry. Despite these circumstances, Judy Ann emphasized that they were not enemies but rather friends. She clarified that while they hadn’t been given the opportunity to connect truly, they were on good terms with each other.

“Our supporters were behind us all the time. I guess it was a very healthy competition back then,” said Juday who still believes that having a rival in the industry is necessary. “You need competition so that you’ll know in what

areas you can still improve. In this way, you can elevate your stature.”

How about a film collaboration between them? Is it possible?

“A project with Claudine? Of course, why not? I think, it’s not because the public clamors for it, but it would be an interesting project. It could be something that could have happened before,” Judy Ann explained. Furthermore, Judy Ann expressed her

* * *

Arron Villaflor revealed that he is currently relishing his life as a single man. It’s worth noting that he was previously romantically linked to actresses Jane de Leon and Yen Santos, as well as Miss Chinatown 2020 candidate Camille Buenaventura “I enjoy being single,” he says. “I’ve already put my heart into my acting craft. I’m turning 33 so I need to prioritize what needs to be prioritized in my life already. My priority as of now is work.”

Speaking about his work, Arron mentioned that he is currently quite busy. He expressed gratitude towards Viva, as signing with them has brought him numerous projects. Amid the height of the pandemic, he signed a contract with them, which included a lineup of 15 movies. As of now, he has completed five of them.

When asked if all the movies are for Vivamax, Arron confirmed, saying that he feels it’s the right time for him to take on more mature roles. He believes that, given his age, he is ready for such projects and has made a personal commitment to accept daring roles as long as the story is compelling.

Regarding how he prepares for these sexy portrayals, Arron shared that he focuses on working out to maintain awareness of his physique and muscles.

In terms of limitations on doing sexy roles, Arron stated that as long as they are necessary and significant for the film, there would be no issue. However, he emphasized that he is not confining himself to this genre alone and also has the desire to explore dramatic roles with Viva.

Christi Fider unveils powerful EP championing body positivity, LGBTQIA+ support

MANIC Media artist Christi Fider considered quitting the music industry due to a health condition. She is dealing with Adenomyosis, a hormonal imbalance that makes her weight loss efforts ineffective no matter what she tries.

Christi found inspiration from this struggle and channeled it into creating music that she truly loves. Her personal experiences became the foundation of her musical creations.

“I should have given up, but I was nominated for my work, and then I won. So it’s like this might really be

meant for me, and maybe I needed to go through this to become even stronger,” she revealed in an interview.

Christi was honored by the PMPC at the recent Star Awards for Music as the Best New Female Recording Artist for her song “Teka, Teka, Teka,” written by Joven Tan

With renewed interest in music, Christi recently released Sorry Not Sorry I Took My Time, a new EP that includes singles “Breakthrough,” “3rd Street,” “Fake,” and “Reyna,” which is fast becoming an anthem of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I’m overjoyed because when the drag queens approached me and heard the song, they said, ‘Let’s perform this,’ and Mudrakels from ABS-CBN made it their theme song. I’m very happy because I have many friends from the LGBTQIA+ community, and they support me tremendously. Even the Philippine Drag accounts, share it. I’m grateful that they are part of my journey,” Christi shared.

In addition to her music career, Christi has been blessed with various acting projects. One notable project involves working with the renowned

Superstar Nora Aunor. Although she felt nervous about it, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t let slip away. Adding to the pressure, Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo will also be part of the project.

On a different note, Christi is also involved in a series for Netflix, directed by Chris Pablo who is known for his work on several romance and queer films. Nickie Wang

Claudine Barretto is known for her notable characters such as ‘Carla’ in the highly-commended 2000 movie ‘Anak’

Judy Ann Santos reveals that she’s open to work with fellow actress Claudine Barretto

belief that the present moment could be the ideal opportunity for her and Claudine to collaborate on a movie. With both actresses now in a mature phase of their lives and being mothers themselves, Juday emphasized that the timing feels different.

Rex Orange County is heading to Manila as part of his Live in Asia 2023 Tour

Heartthrob actor Piolo Pascual stars as a Catholic priest and a serial killer in ‘Mallari’

Papa P finds his character in the film intriguing especially that it is based on a real-life story

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

LIFE

A Thai Affair

Conrad Manila launches ‘Legendary Chefs Series’ with acclaimed guest chef from Bangkok

CONRAD Manila introduces the much-awaited debut of its Legendary Chefs Series, an exceptional culinary event that features celebrated guest chefs from across the globe. This series promises an extraordinary dining experience that will delight and captivate food enthusiasts.

Kicking off the series, Conrad Manila welcomes Juthakorn Suraraksa popularly known as “Mink,” Assistant Executive Sous Chef from Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, who will showcase his exceptional culinary skills and present his signature dishes exclusively at

Brasserie on 3.

Chef Mink, a culinary maestro with extensive experience and expertise, brings the rich flavors of Thailand to Manila, delighting food enthusiasts with his distinctive creations. This month, guests can indulge in an exquisite dining experience featuring Chef Mink’s culinary masterpieces.

Chef Mink is an accomplished culinary professional with an impressive background in the hospitality industry, particularly in renowned Thailand hotels. With 14 years of culinary experience, he currently holds the position of

Your furry friend could be the star of the EDSA LED screen

DO you know that your adorable furry friend could be the next highlight of SM Megamall’s EDSA LED screen for a month?

Yes, you heard it right.

For the month of June, get ready to take your fur baby in the spotlight and share their irresistible charm because SM Megamall is hosting yet another fun challenge, the #MegaPupStar, where your dog is the main character.

To join, register your pet at the Super Pets Club online or QR Code. For new registrants, make sure to click ‘SM Megamall’ as the preferred mall upon sign-up. While giving their best poses, take a photo of your dog in front of SM Megamall’s 3D LED billboard, located at the Time Man Sculpture along J. Vargas corner EDSA.

Finally, upload your pets’ photo at Super Pets Club ID on Facebook or Instagram in one

carousel post, and share why your pets deserve to be on SM Megamall’s big screen. Use the hashtag #MegaPupStar and make your post public.

Submission of entries runs until June 30 and take note: strictly one entry per dog only, so submit the best carousel entry possible.

Aside from the exciting 3D-fied visuals of your fur baby at the SM Megamall’s LED billboard in September, the winner will also receive P50,000 worth of SM Gift Certificates.

The announcement of the winner will be made through SM Megamall’s official Facebook and Instagram pages and will be confirmed via private message.

What makes this event truly exceptional? It’s not just about the prize - it’s about the joy of celebrating the unconditional love and happiness dogs bring into our lives.

Follow @smmegamall on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more updates.

Assistant Executive Sous Chef at Waldorf Astoria Bangkok. He has been an integral part of the hotel’s pre-opening team since February 2018, when he initially joined as a sous chef for banqueting.

Chef Mink followed his passion for cooking after leaving his academic studies at Thammasart University’s Faculty of Political Sciences and completed a Certificate in International Cuisine from The Oriental Hotel Apprenticeship Program (OHAP) in 2009. He has gained culinary expertise through his experiences at various es-

tablishments including Evason Phuket and Six Senses Spa in Phuket, Elements at The Okura Prestige Bangkok, and the award-winning The House on Sathorn, where he served as a preopening junior sous chef.

Brasserie on 3 will offer a variety of rates during the promotional period, allowing guests to savor Chef Mink’s delectable dishes: Weekday Lunch Special Buffet Rate, P1,799 nett (Monday to Friday, not valid in conjunction with any other discounts); Weekend Lunch, P2,650 nett; Dinner Buffet (Sunday to Thursday), P2,850 nett; and Dinner Buffet (Friday and Saturday), P 3,250 nett.

During the Legendary Chefs Se-

ries, guests can savor a range of sumptuous delicacies, including the renowned Mixed Seafood Spicy Salad, the delectable Prawn Cake, and the irresistible Mango Sticky Rice-signature dishes meticulously crafted by Chef Mink.

To enhance the dining experience, Conrad Manila offers optional add-ons for guests to choose from: Unlimited Non-alcoholic beverages, P480 nett; and Unlimited Alcoholic beverages (House White or Red / Local Beer), P980 nett. For inquiries and reservations, guests are invited to contact +63 917 650 3591 or +632 8833 9999, or email MNLMB.FB@conradhotels.com.

Dr. Glam’s true colors

By Robbie Pangilinan

DR.

Shideh

L. Nik-

bin, also known as “Dr. Glam,” takes pride in her personal growth and transformation. As a half-Filipino, halfPersian orthodontist, she has come a long way since graduating with a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at the age of 21.

From experiencing the joy of transforming her patients’ lives in her private practice, she has expanded her expertise to become an aesthetic medicine specialist and established her own businesses and brand.

But Dr. Shideh’s greatest source of pride goes beyond her educational achievements and professional success. What truly fills her with pride is the love she has discovered. It is a love that has liberated her, accepting her for who she truly is and embracing all her colors.

“In high school, I felt no butterflies and lacked interest in the opposite sex. I tried dating a boy from school, but I realized I wasn’t into boys. But at that time, I didn’t put any labels on myself,” recalls the founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Creative Entrepreneur behind Fashion Smile Dental Health Spa, Aramesh Wellness, and Aramesh Aesthetic. She knew then that she has discovered her true SOGIE (an acronym for sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression). But, it would be a long way for her to embrace the truth and come out.

“Initially, I disregarded my truth and prioritized my academics instead. Being a scholar and achieving top grades held great importance for me. That period of my life was immensely challenging because back then, societal attitudes were far less accepting than they are today,” Dr. Shideh adds.

It did not help that she was raised in a family that upheld high standards which were deemed acceptable by society and that religion was the predominant influence in her environment. She felt incredibly isolated and disheartened to hear religious teachings calling her true self a sinful existence. In her vulnerable teenage years, as she was navigating her personal growth and exploring her aspirations, she felt that there was something inherently wrong with her, a deep-seated confusion that cast a dark shadow over her life at that time.

In college, however, the moment arrived when she mustered enough courage to embrace her true self.

“There was a girl I genuinely liked. It was in that vulnerable moment, standing before the mirror, that I spoke the profound L word aloud, acknowledging my identity as a lesbian. It was a transformative experience, as I not only accepted and loved myself, but also realized that being a lesbian was just a part of who I am, not the entirety of my being,” says Dr. Shideh, who recognized that by ignoring her authentic self, she was neglecting a vital part of who she was.

“I recognized that I was so much more than any label society placed on me. With this newfound understanding, I began to nurture that aspect of my identity, opening up to my close friends and brothers who provided an incredible support system during this journey,” she adds.

So then embarked on a journey to accept and embrace her true iden-

tity. She opened up to her brothers whose love and support proved to be invaluable in this journey of discovery.

Dr. Shideh discovered a profound sense of peace and authenticity, not only within herself but also in her interactions with others. Being true to herself has been transformative.

“Initially, losing friends who couldn’t accept the real me was painful, and facing judgment from others was equally difficult. However, as I progressed, the path ahead became clearer. I found myself surrounded by a loving circle of people who genuinely care about me, including my family who loves me unconditionally. By staying true to myself, I gained the ability to make decisions that align with my true desires and aspirations, both in my career and in my relationships. My life has become a beacon of love and fulfillment,” shares the doctor who advocates for love and equality.

She is proud of her business partner and life partner for 14 years, Dr. Far Shamsi. Dr. Shideh and Dr. Far have the love and support of their family and friends. They did not let their sexual orientation define them, dictate their career, or determine their worth.

Dr. Shideh aspires to be a source of assistance and inspiration for individuals who, like her, lacked guidance during their formative years and now face challenges in coming out. The 5’6” beautiful vlogger openly shares her experiences regarding her relationships and her SOGIE with her 1.6 million audience and followers on social media. Her aim is to connect with others who share similar struggles, ensuring they never feel isolated.

“I want them to know they are not alone and, most importantly, that they are perfectly natural and deserving of acceptance, even if society may not conform to their version of normal,” she declares.

For those out there who are experiencing the same, Dr. Shideh’s advice is to first and foremost embrace yourself with love, recognize your significance, and cherish every aspect of who you are.

“Prioritize self-acceptance and be genuinely proud of yourself. When you feel ready, confide in those you hold dear - your loved ones, family, or friends. However, ensure you do so within a safe and supportive environment, prioritizing your own well-being,” says Dr. Shideh. She recommends nourishing one’s soul by immersing in uplifting literature, podcasts, and inspiring stories of individuals who have triumphed

through similar struggles.

However, she warns us to be prepared for the possibility of encountering judgment from others or even losing friends and family members along the way. She says to remember to forgive them and, most importantly, forgive yourself.

“Above all, remain steadfast in your commitment to being true to yourself and practicing self-love,” ends Dr. Shideh. Indeed, the glamorous doctor’s life experiences are a source of inspiration and light to everyone around her. Her true colors shine through – and they are immensely beautiful.

Dr. Shideh L. Nikbin, popularly known as ‘Dr. Glam,’ is a half-Filipino, half-Persian orthodontist

Chef Juthakorn Suraraksa, popularly known as “Mink,” Assistant Executive Sous Chef from Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

Chef Mink brings the rich flavors of Thailand to Manila

Conrad Manila guests can indulge in an exquisite dining experience featuring Chef Mink’s culinary masterpieces

Brasserie on 3 allows guests to savor Chef Mink’s delectable dishes

The winner of SM Megamall’s #MegaPupStar will also receive P50,000 worth of SM Gift Certificates