Manila Standard - 2023 July 1 - Saturday

SC to Meralco: Keep light on

By Rey E. Requejo and Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Supreme Court has declared that the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) cannot disconnect a consumer’s electric service without a 48-hour notice.

In a decision made available Friday, the SC ruled as violative of due process requirements if Meralco disconnects the consumer’s electric service on the day the notice of disconnection is issued.

The high court said should the power retailer disconnect an electric service on the day the notice of disconnection is issued, “Meralco is presumed to be in bad faith for its failure to follow the due notice requirement under Republic Act No. 7832.”

RA 7832 is the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.

In a statement, the SC’s Public Information Office said the high tribunal “denied the petition of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) assailing a Court of Appeals (CA) decision which affirmed that the electric firm violated RA 7832 … for cutting off the electricity supply of a consumer without prior notice.”

In reply, Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said: "We have not officially received a copy of the SC decision. In any case, we will respect and abide by the said deci sion."

note that

NORTHERN PRIDE. Top military officers led by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino (in gray) stand underneath the flag at the Fishermen's Shelter in Mavulis Island, the country's northernmost island in Batanes province where a naval detachment is also located. They also a visited the naval detachment in Itbayat town and the headquarters of the 10th Marine Company in Basco, the provincial capital. The Chief of Staff and senior officers of the General Headquarters and the Northern Luzon Command later spent the night aboard BRP Tarlac (LD601). AFP Photo

AFP: Centino visits Batanes, vows support for north troop

By Vince Lopez and Rey E. Requejo

ARMED Forces of the Philippines Chief General Andres Centino has vowed to provide all possible support to troops manning and protecting the country's northernmost frontier during his visit to Batanes this week.

Meeting with military personnel at the country's northernmost province on Thursday, Centino appreciated the efforts of personnel stationed in the remote detachments and

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By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Imee Marcos wants the Senate to investigate the mysterious activity of a US Air Force Boeing C-17 in Philippine territory and airspace, stressing it raises questions of sovereignty and air travel safety.

Marcos said the Senate hearing in-

Senators, groups want ‘living wage’ in PH

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

vaccine contribution, Marcos her anywhere

quiry would discuss the US military's possible violation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said the Philippine government should know the plane's mission, the identities of its flight crew and lone passenger, the type of its

SENATORS and labor groups said the P40 wage increase for workers in the National Capital Region granted by the regional wage board was "woefully inadequate." Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said the new minimum wage was not a "living wage" as he filed a bill that sets

a living wage as a standard to determine the minimum wage.

Villanueva's Senate Bill No. 2140 proposes an amendment to the wage fixing criteria in the Labor Code of the Philippines to put a living wage front and center in determining the regional minimum wage.

The bill mandates that a living wage must ensure the employees' and their families’ nourishment, clothing, shelter and education, and general well-being.

LPG price cut by P3.70, fuel rollbacks next

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PETRON will roll back its liquefied petroleum gas prices by P3.70 per kilogram (VAT-inclusive) effective today, the company announced Friday, as consumers can expect some relief in fuel pump prices by Tuesday as the Department of Energy forecasted rollbacks next week.

Napoles, Hagedorn lose Sandigan cases

Maricel V. Cruz

PBBM

By Charles Dantes and Macon Ramos-Araneta

ANALYSTS and civil society groups said the government needs to have more transparency and stronger anti-corruption reforms as the country marked one year

under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Court bars firm from cutting supply to customers sans 48-hour notice Imee: US may have violated VFA via C-17

In an advisory, Petro said the rollback in its LPG prices "is effective 0001H July 1," or the equivalent of a P40.70 reduction in price for a standard 11-kilo tank of cooking gas.

In a roundtable discussion organized by Stratbase ADR Institute and Democracy Watch Philippines, analysts said these measures would benefit the country.

Stratbase ADR President Dindo Manhit said that to enhance transparency and

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"AutoLPG prices will likewise rollback by P2.07/li at the same time. These reflect the international contract price of LPG for the month of July," the firm added.

Meanwhile, industry sources estimate the rollback in fuel prices at P0.70 to P0.95 per liter for gasoline, P0.70 to P0.85 per liter for diesel, and P0.70 to P0.95 per liter for kerosene.

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PBBM assures LGBT of protection

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured members of the LGBTQIA+ community that under his government any forms of discrimination would not be tolerated.

To celebrate Pride Month, the President and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos hosted a meeting in Malacañang Thursday with LGBTQIA+ group LGBT Pilipinas. "I just wanted to say hello and to let

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“There is no sugar-coating the situation of Filipino workers – the minimum wage as [currently] determined is not enough for a family to live decently," he said.

He noted that the NCR minimum wage is only half of the required living wage.

He said this is especially alarming due to the country's 6.6 percent inflation rate in April 2023, which is still above the target inflation rate. This was further exacerbated by the 20 percent global food price inflation, the highest level in two decades, according to the World Bank.

While describing the increase as a "wonderful development," Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri however stressed it is not enough.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada agreed that the P40 increase in the daily minimum wage may not be sufficient to achieve a living wage in the NCR.

However, as a product of a tripartite body where employers, workers, and the government are all represented, he's hopeful this amount serves and protects the interests of all stakeholders.

Still, as soon as Congress resumes its Second Regular Session, Estrada vowed to take up the matter of wages again.

Senator Grace Poe said she considered the P40 increase “woefully inadequate,” since the rising prices of basic goods have hit the poor the hardest, including families that earn the minimum wage.

"We hope employers capable of going the extra mile will do so through additional allowances or non-monetary benefits," she said. "Our workers deserve wages that will help their families live decently.”

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III lamented the very low minimum wages in several regions as he called on regional wage boards across the country to implement reasonable wage adjustments.

Pimentel pointed out the urgency of reviewing and reassessing current wage rates to ensure they are both reasonable and realistic for workers across all provinces.”

“Today’s minimum wage rates across the country are unacceptable,” Pimentel said. “To increase our wage rates in every corner of the nation today is a matter of social justice given the prevailing challenges of inflation and its adverse effects on purchasing power.”

With the P40 increase in NCR, the minimum wage rate in the region now stands at P610 per day. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Imee:...

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"What we know so far is that the plane came from Guam, was on its way to Puerto Princesa, and proceeded to Honolulu," she said.

Marcos has filed Senate Resolution 667 calling for an investigation of the incident.

In response to the senator’s questions, the US Embassy in Manila on Thursday clarified that it has been coordinating with the Philippine government to grant permission for the entry of any US government aircraft into the country.

“The embassy coordinates with the Philippine government to receive diplomatic clearance for all U.S. government aircraft that enter the Philippines. We refer you to Philippine authorities

Napoles,...

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In a decision issued on Friday, the antigraft court's Third Division said Hagedorn, former Puerto Princesa City mayor, was found to have failed to return 13 of the 20 refurbished M-16 rifles issued to him during his incumbency.

The Sandiganbayan Second Division in a ruling also released Friday said Olaño, Napoles, former Technology

you know that we in the Philippines want everybody is treated not for any other thing, not for race, not for creed, not for orientation, but just as Filipinos,” said the 65-year-old President. He added Filipinos were more open-

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the incident in question happened in 1999.

It has been Meralco's policy to serve 48hour prior notice before disconnecting any service to comply with the due process requirements," he added.

In her complaint for damages against Meralco, respondent Lucy Lu alleged that on Dec. 9, 1999, representatives from Meralco forcibly entered the premises of the New Supersonic Industrial Corporation (NSIC) in Valenzuela City, which her family owned.

After the inspection, the Meralco representatives issued a Notice of Disconnection and immediately disconnected the electricity supply of NSIC’s factory and Yu’s residence.

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accountability in the government, Marcos should ensure the implementation of Executive Order No.31, which institutionalized the Philippine Open Government Partnership.

Manhit gave Marcos a grade of 8 out of 10, noting that his government has started many reforms and new policies. And although the current government inherited a bad fiscal situation, Manhit said the economy is recovering quite well.

“The reinforcing link and variable in achieving a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Philippine society pertains to the dynamic relationship between government as the enabler, the private sector as the indispensable actor, and civil society

for further information,” acting US Embassy spokesperson Stephen Dove said in a statement.

Citing a confidential source, Marcos said no prior advisory on the plane’s arrival reached the Airport Integrated Command and Control Center at NAIA.

A provision in Section 8 of the VFA states that "aircraft operated by or for the United States Armed Forces shall observe local air traffic control regulations while in the Philippines."

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the US Embassy had informed the Department of Foreign Affairs and gained diplomatic clearance number DSN-0659-KB-JUN-US-2023 for a US military plane supporting joint Philippine-US activities under Kapit Bisig.

But Marcos emphasized it is crucial for the state to carefully scrutinize the activities of foreign militaries in the country, particularly those which appear question-

Resource Center (TRC) group manager Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development Foundation, Inc. (CARED) president Mylene Encarnacion, and Philippine Social Development Foundation, Inc. (PSDFI) chief Evelyn De Leon, violated Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Olaño was found guilty of allocating more than P7 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, for 2007 to CARED and PSDFI. The two were declared bogus non-

minded compared to other countries when it came to sexual orientation.

LGBT Pilipinas is proposing the creation of an advisory group under the Office of the President to push more visibility and representation in the country.

The group sought support from the First Lady to further push their proposal.

“Knowing my husband, I’m sure he will grant the wish because he knows that you all campaigned for him and he wouldn’t be there without you guys,” said Mrs. Marcos.

For the past years, various LGBT

groups were calling for the passage of legislation against discrimination over sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics (SOGIESC) bill, which is still being deliberated in Congress.

The late Senator Miriam DefensorSantiago and former Akbayan party-list Representative Etta Rosales originally passed the legislation back in 2000.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the country to provide equal protection laws to everyone and full respect for human rights.

Doctors battle impersonators in PH, globally

BANGKOK—A Thai doctor endorsing a dubious diabetes treatment, a Filipino physician touting crotch-enhancing underwear, a US doctor sparking off anti-vaccine conspiracies—they are all victims of identity theft plaguing health professionals.

AFP's fact-checkers have exposed a slew of cases around the world in which fraudsters impersonated doctors, fabricating their comments or endorsements to push out bogus treatments and products or to peddle propaganda.

The trend underscores how medical professionals are often sitting targets for online scammers seeking to profit off disinformation, which leaves their reputations tarnished, provokes harassment, and, in some cases, legal challenges.

For ordinary consumers, the growing wave of impersonation scams poses financial risks and often jeopardizes access to safe and reliable healthcare.

In the Philippines, consumer Marissa David thought she had found the best cure for a benign lump in her body when she purchased a cream that a Facebook ad said was recommended by popular physician Willie Ong.

But the cream that cost $12.50 (Php690), a small fortune for the Filipino mother, was ineffective and not endorsed by Ong. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

IN BRIEF

This prompted respondent Yu to file a complaint for damages before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Valenzuela City, Branch 172. The RTC ruled in Yu’s favor. Meralco elevated the case to the CA, which affirmed the RTC ruling with modification. Meralco then appealed before the High Court.

In denying Meralco’s petition for review on certiorari, the Court ruled that before Meralco can disconnect the electric service of a consumer on grounds cited under Section 4(a) of RA 7832, there must be prior written notice to the consumer to disconnect.

The Court emphasized the prior written notice must be given at least 48 hours prior to the disconnection, pursuant to due process requirements.

“Thus, the act of Meralco in cutting off the respondent’s electricity on the same

as the guardian of societal processes and the commerce of relations,” Manhit said.

Manhit urged the President to use his momentum from the 2022 electoral victory to task different sectors to work together toward a more transparent, accountable, and responsive governance.

He also stressed the need to push the E-Governance initiative to give effect to the people's freedom of information.

Previously, Marcos Jr. called on all branches of government “to genuinely uphold and give effect to the people’s freedom of information,” which serves as the basis of the E-Governance initiative.

Meanwhile, Democracy Watch Philippines Co-Convenor Shanice Espiritu cited Marcos’ lack of strong anti-corruption and reform statements compared to his predecessors, Presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte.

able or are shrouded in secrecy.

The upcoming Senate inquiry will be the second that Marcos has called for in two weeks to discuss the lack of transparency in US military activities in the Philippines.

A previous hearing made public a US government plan to have the Philippines temporarily host up to 50,000 Afghans while they are processed for special immigrant visas to the United States.

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the halfway house that will be built by the United States could be used to house Afghan refugees.

"It would be the US that would finance their construction, " said Zubiri. He said they also have a halfway house in Germany and Qatar. He also emphasized the Afghans are not seeking asylum in the Philippines.

"They will stay temporarily in the Philippines while they await their US visa,” he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

government organizations linked to Napoles.

The anti-graft court said the TRC released P1.890 million and P5.830 million to CARED and PSDFI, respectively.

''The NGOs however did not actually conduct any regular business activity but were only utilized as conduits for the transfer of public funds that ended up being divided as commissions and/or kickbacks among accused Olaño, Napoles, and TRC officials," the the decision, written by Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona, read. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

day the disconnection notice was given to the consumer was violative of due process requirements,” the SC said. The Court further held that Meralco is presumed to be in bad faith for its failure to follow the due notice requirement under RA 7832 during the disconnection of Yu’s electric service.

Hence, the SC denied Meralco’s Petition for Review on Certiorari, and affirmed the Decision dated Nov. 26, 2020 of the CA in CA-G.R. CV No. 111808, as follows:

the award of temperate damages is reduced to P50,000; the award of moral damages is deleted for lack of basis; and the award of exemplary damages is reduced to P100,000.

"The Court ordered that the rest of the CA ruling stands,” the SC statement said.

"The Duterte and Aquino III administrations were met with failing trust in institutions, the Marcos Jr. administration’s main challenge is to recover from the pandemic and build a strong and resilient post-pandemic economy," Espiritu said.

Espiritu recommended that the government should confront urgent issues such as inflation and anti-corruption policies to accomplish long-term development goals.

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri gave the President a grade of 8 out of 10 for doing “a very fine job” in his first year.

Senate finance committee chairperson Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said the President would get 87 percent because there are still a lot of things that he must do, being in office for only a sixth of his term. He has five more years, he said.

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In another development, the Philippines is looking at partnering with Japan through its ongoing Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program.

This came after Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko paid a courtesy call to Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Thursday.

"Both officials explored the possibility of collaboration on the development of the Philippines’ SRDP through research and development on defense equipment, systems, and other related technologies, as well as expertise exchange," DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement Friday.

Koshikawa and Teodoro also agreed to advance the security partnership between the two nations.

Centino told the forces in Batanes in a statement forwarded to reporters Friday: "I appreciate what you are doing for the country. It is because of you that we are able to monitor activities in this area and assert our sovereignty. I hope that you show the true heart of military personnel in this difficult deployment."

The first area visited by the AFP chief, who also led a flag-raising ceremony at a sovereignty marker, was the "Fishermen's Shelter" on Mavulis Island, the country's northernmost island where a Philippine Naval detachment is also located. Charles Dantes (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Marcos to NAPC: Find problematic poor communities

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tasked National Anti-Poverty Commission to engage residents of depressed and remote communities to tackle poverty.

In the first en banc meeting of the NAPC at Malacañang Palace, the President ordered the anti-poverty commission to determine the needs in such areas.

"I think, that the NAPC should be doing. Hanapin natin kung saan talaga ‘yung problematic na area and then engage natin lahat ng ibang departamento para the other departments can come in,” said Marcos.

He also emphasized the importance of coordination between government agencies and local government units.

“I think it all comes down to the same thing...marami tayo, like the NAPC, is a dedicated organization agency to look at the incidents of poverty and what are the things that can be done,” the President said. Charles Dantes (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Taiwan extends PH visa-free privilege

TAIWAN on Friday extended Filipinos' visa-free privileges for another year.

Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Filipinos, except those holding diplomatic or official/service passports, are eligible for the visa exemption program with a duration of stay of up to 14 days effective August 1, 2023.

Citizens of Brunei and Thailand are also entitled to the 14-day visa-free privilege, which will run until July 31, 2024.

''Holders of Brunei, Philippines and Thailand passports must have: A proof of accommodation (hotel) booking, host/ sponsor's contact information and sufficient travel funds,'' Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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"Based on the 4-day trading, there will be a rollback on the prices of petroleum products," Department of Energy director for the Oil Industry Management Bureau Rodela Romero said.

Members of the LPG Marketers Association already implemented a P3 per kilogram rollback in the price of cooking gas last Tuesday.

Other oil companies are expected to roll back LPG prices by July 1.

LPG prices are adjusted on a monthly basis, while petroleum products' pump prices are adjusted every Tuesday.

"Investors point to prevailing pessimism over the interest rates outlook and uncertainties on long-term demand expectations as a global recession looms," Romero said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

PALACE AND PRIDE

MONTH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos (seated, third and fourth from left) are surrounded by officials of LGBT Pilipinas who paid them a courtesy call Thursday to mark the end of Pride Month in the country. PCO Photo

IN BRIEF

NDRRMC eyes better gov’t disaster response

MEMBER-agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Thursday explored ways to enhance the disaster response of the government at the local and national levels.

Department of National Defense

(DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. presided over the second full council meeting of the NDRRMC in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Among those present were Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (PAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. Vince Lopez

Teach comfort women’s exploits in schools—solon

THE Gabriela Women’s party-list has sought the inclusion of the lives and heroism of Filipino comfort women in the elementary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.

In filing House Bill 8564, the group’s nominee in Congress, Rep. Arlene Brosas said: “By acknowledging the sacrifices and struggles of Filipino comfort women, we are giving voice and recognition to their courage and resilience. It is crucial that we educate the younger generations about the brutalities and sexual slavery endured by these women during World War II, as their stories have been cast aside for far too long.”

Brosas said the bill was in line with the recent recommendation of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming the history of Filipina victims/survivors of wartime sexual slavery in educational curricula.

Maricel V. Cruz

Cardiologist warns vs. eating bad cholesterol

THE president of the Philippine Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society has warned the public against having high amounts of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the bad cholesterol or Lechon de Leche.

Speaking during the “Usapang Puso sa Puso webinar on June 28,”Dr. Louella Santos, a cardiologist and lipidologist, told the public to avoid having high LDL which clogs the arteries and could lead to a heart attack or stroke.

LDL is one of the components of total cholesterol which is being checked during a blood test. The two others are triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) Macon Ramos-Araneta

DOTr vacates CAAP for new San Juan office

THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Friday hosted a special flag raising ceremony to honor Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista and commemorate his first year as a Cabinet member in the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The ceremony, according to CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio, also marked the last day of the DOTr’s temporary stay at the agency’s main building and signaled the department’s move to its new headquarters in Metro Manila. Bautista thanked the CAAP for its hospitality, saying it “graciously allowed and welcomed the DOTr to use CAAP main building’s 4th floor as its temporary home.” Joel

E. Zurbano

PNP forms special probe team on Abiad slay bid

By Vince Lopez, Rio N. Araja and Joel E. Zurbano

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has formed a special probe team to look into Thursday’s shooting incident in Quezon City that left eight people, including a photojournalist wounded.

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte denounced the attack on Remate tabloid photojournalist Joshua Abiad in a broad daylight and called for a full investigation into the incident.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) also condemned the attack against a photojournalist and his family in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)

WEAVERS

joined the chorus of condemnations against the latest attack on members of the press.

In a statement, PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said PNP chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. has ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Quezon City Police District to expedite the investigation and identify the suspects in the shooting

of Abiad, a photojournalist of newspaper Remate. Six of Abiad’s relatives and a bystander were also wounded in the incident.

“To ensure a thorough and efficient investigation, the Quezon City Police District created SITG (Special Investigation Task Group) which will meticulously gather evidence and testimonies. We are sparing no effort in our quest to gather substantial evidence and testimonies to shed light on this incident, ultimately leading to the immediate arrest of the perpetrators,” Maranan said.

He also said the PNP was collaborating with the victim’s family and colleagues in Remate newspaper to acquire any information to help in the investigation.

PROTEST MARCH. Militant groups marched from España Blvd. to Mendiola, Manila to air their grievances over various issues, notably high prices amid low wages. The demonstration marks President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first year in office. Norman Cruz

Army heightens relief operations at Mayon’s PDZ

ELEMENTS of the Army’s 9th Infantry “Spear” Division (9ID) continued to conduct humanitarian and disaster response (HADR) operations in collaboration with government agencies to bolster preparations for a worst case scenario on Mayon Volcano.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) reported that a very slow effusion of lava from the crater of Mayon Volcano continued, along with debris on the southern gullies.

The soldiers warned villagers within the 6-km radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) on the dangers of stronger volcanic activities, in coordination with the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO).

The troops provided transportation during the evacuation, as well as security assistance during a medical and dental mission among the evacuees.

They also assisted in transporting 430 sacks of rice from the National Food Authority Warehouse, along with relief goods from the Office of Municipal Welfare & Development.

THE steam-laden plumes from Mayon reached 2,500 meters on Friday, the Philvolcs reported.

The agency said the “very slow” effusion of lava flow from the crater along Mi-isi gully has extended to 2.23 kilometers from 2.1 kilometers during the past 24 hours.

It recorded two volcanic earthquakes over the volcano, which is higher compared to a tremor reported on Thursday.

There was a total of 284 rockfall events and seven dome-collapse pyroclastic density current (PDC) events. A similarly very slow effusion of lava flow from the crater was also observed along Bonga gully extending up to 1.3 kilometers. Vince Lopez, Rio N. Araja

Passengers’ comfort seen as STAR flights revamp at NAIA wraps up

THE Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Saturday completed its Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization (STAR) program with the transfer of Air Asia Philippines’ domestic flights to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 2, ending 12 years of operation in Terminal 4.

On Friday, Air Asia led by its chief executive officer Ricky Isla facilitated a walkthrough from Terminal 4 to Terminal 2. The initiative, in partnership with MIAA, was aimed at familiarizing passengers on the changes in terms of their travel experience at the airport. Isla and MIAA officer-in-charge

Bryan Co inspected the south wing entrance where about 20 check-in counters, all dressed up, are situated.

“Undeniably, NAIA Terminal 2 offers more amenities and levels up the customer experience. It is indeed a winning move for our guests as we aim to expand our route network, and provide Filipinos with a bet-

ter alternative for air travel. Our guests can only expect the best from us,” Isla noted. Air Asia also prepared for other scenarios such as confusion among its guests who may not have looked at the preflight notification sent in advance as early as May via SMS and registered email address. Joel E. Zurbano

MWSS honors top planters of trees

THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Corporate Office (MWSS-CO) and the Million Trees Foundation, Inc. (MTFI) honored various institutional, corporate, civic and individual stakeholders of the Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) on June 27 at the MWSS Multi-Purpose Gym. The event also marked the AMTC pledging session for 2023 commitments.

Now on its seventh year, the AMTC has brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including 30 participating organizations, all united in the goal of protecting and rehabilitating the seven critical watersheds: Angat-Ipo, Kaliwa, La Mesa, Laguna Lake, Umiray, Upper Marikina, and Manila Bay.

MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas, in her welcome remarks, cited the relevance of the AMTC

project started in 2017 by her predecessor, former MWSS C/Administrator retired Gen. Reynaldo Velasco who continues to pursue this noble advocacy through the Million Trees Foundation, Inc. (MTFI) where he now serves as chairman emeritus working along with MTFI president and executive director Melandrew Velasco.

“These watersheds are vital, supporting the water supply for Metro Manila and adjoining provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, and parts of Cavite. Despite the COVID pandemic, AMTC has made substantial progress. From 2017 to 2020, the campaign has contributed to the increase of the closed forest cover in these watersheds by 5,734 hectares. Furthermore, from 2017 to 2022, a total of 6,844,490 seedlings were planted, covering an area of 15,622 hectares,” Cleofas said.

POGO seeks probe on PNP raid

By Jun David and Vince Lopez

XINCHUANG Network Technology said it has requested an investigation on reported PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and NCRPO rescue operation on Monday at the Hong Tai Compound in Las Piñas City.

The PNP on Friday maintained that its operation against the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in the said city was legitimate as it refuted claims of abuse and manhandling of workers rescued from the establishment.

IN BRIEF

Abu leads oath-taking of new Coast Guard officers

More than 2,000 individuals including Filipinos and foreigners were rescued from the alleged illegal POGO operation.

In a letter to the PNP, Ananias Christian Vargas of Vargas Law Office, rep -

resenting Xinchuang, said that the authorities held the victims for more than 72 hours and they failed to file any case which is a clear violation of their rights and is considered arbitrary detention.

Vargas also said that the foreign nationals signed documents without assistance from their lawyers, and added that they also received a report that eight foreign nationals were allegedly abused and assaulted by the authorities and three of them, all Chinese nationals, had major injuries on their bodies.

In a statement, PNP Public Information Office chief Police BGen. Re -

drico Maranan meanwhile said that the 2,714 workers earlier taken into custody during the operation would be released once they have completed their profiling work.

Maranan also denied that human rights violations were committed by the police when the operation was carried out and assured that the police force would conduct a full and impartial investigation into the said operation.

The PNP’s statement came after the legal representatives of Xinchuang Network Technology, demanded an investigation into alleged abuses

PBBM hails nurse who administered 1st COVID jab

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday extolled May Richell Cestina-Parsons, the Filipino-British nurse who administered the world’s first COVID-19 outside of clinical trials.

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) said the guilty plea entered by several inmates at the National Bilibid Prison over the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor strengthen the case against former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and former security deputy officer Ricardo Zulueta.

“We are establishing the link and every step of the way that there was really coordination and communication from Mr. Bantag and Mr. Zulueta to the gang leaders who have now pled guilty to the outside where they were able to find a gunman in Mr. Escorial,” Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said, in an interview.

Clavano made the statement after a Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court sentenced inmates Mario Alvarez, Christian Ramac, Ricky Salgado, Ronnie Dela Cruz, and Joel Reyes after they pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of accomplice to the crime of murder.

The lower court also sentenced Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra, and Joseph Georfo after they pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of accessory.

Last week, a Las Piñas court sentenced Galicia, Labra, and Alfie Peñaredonda after they pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of accessories in the murder of Lapid.

“So we will just finalize the plea bargaining and the plea of guilt of the others which will further lend credibility to our theory of the case,” Clavano said.

State-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) shared in its official Facebook page a short video clip of Marcos’ meeting with Cestina-Parsons at Malacañan Palace’s Study Room.

During Cestina-Parsons’ courtesy

call on President Marcos, a presidential citation was bestowed on her. Cestina-Parsons earned the presidential citation “in recognition of her exemplary contributions, dedication to service, and exceptional leadership” and for “bringing honor and prestige to the Philippines and the Filipino people in being the first in the world to administer the COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials.”

Mr. Marcos also honored CestinaParsons for her “steadfast efforts in promoting and advocating for the Philippines, Filipino nurses, and other healthcare professionals.”

Cestina-Parsons administered the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine shot to 90-year-old Margaret Keenan, the first person in the world to receive the jab, at a hospital in Coventry, England on Dec. 8, 2020.

‘GROUFIE’ WITH IMEE. Graduates of the University of Rizal System take a “groufie” with Senator Imee Marcos (in gray) at the Ynares Center Activity in Rizal. The senator was the keynote speaker during the 22nd Commencement Exercises of the said university.

PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu, graced the donning of ranks and oath-taking ceremony of nearly 200 newly promoted commissioned officers at the National Headquarters, Port Area, Manila on Thursday.

Abu congratulated the 72 commissioned officers who received the next higher rank of “Lieutenant Senior Grade” and 123 public servants who took an oath with their new rank of “Lieutenant Junior Grade.”

In his speech, the Coast Guard Commandant reminded the promoted PCG personnel that their recent milestone is a sign of three critical S’s: Sincerity, Sacrifice and Success. Hence, he challenged them to prepare themselves for greater responsibilities.

“We work, we sacrifice, and we dedicate ourselves to our careers in the PCG, not for fame or fortune, but to provide a better life and better future for Filipinos,” CG Admiral Abu emphasized. Vince Lopez

Pope Francis names bishop for Mindoro

POPE Francis has named the country’s youngest Catholic prelate as the new bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro.

The appointment of 49-yearold Bishop Moises Cuevas, currently the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga, was announced by the Vatican on Thursday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reported on its news website on Friday.

Cuevas, who hails from Batangas City, was ordained a priest of the Zamboanga Archdiocese in 2000. The Holy Father appointed him as the archdiocese’s auxiliary bishop in March 2020.

Cuevas is also the apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga while waiting for the installation of new Zamboanga Archbishop Julius Tonel on August 22.

DFA: Pinoys suffered injuries during Hajj

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said more than 200 Filipino pilgrims have been stranded in Muzdalifah, Saudi Arabia during the observance of Hajj, or the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

Citing reports from the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the DFA also said that 10 Filipino pilgrims “required further medical attention and were taken to nearby hospitals”.

The Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia reported that thousands reportedly suffered heat stress on the Hajj pilgrimage.

“While ten Filipino pilgrims required further medical attention and were taken to nearby hospitals, they were discharged shortly thereafter and returned to their tents in Mina without incident,” the Philippine Embassy said. Rey E. Requejo

Lawmakers OK with new tourism slogan, but urge further improvements

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATORS said if the facilities and services are poor, tourists won’t be enticed to see the Philippines regardless of its new “Love the Philippines” slogan.

Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz”

Zubiri said that while he loves the new campaign slogan recently launched by

the Department of Tourism (DOT), he underscored the need to improve infrastructure and services.

No matter how good the tourism slogan is, Zubiri said that tourists won’t come and visit or return to the Philippines if there are no improvements. He described as clear and concise the message of the new tourism slogan. How-

CIDG agents nab cops for selling firearms

By Vince Lopez

OPERATIVES of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested an active police officer and a former security guard for selling illegal firearms and ammunition in Batangas.

In a statement issued on Friday, CIDG director Major General. Romeo Caramat Jr. identified the suspects as Senior Master Sgt. Carlito Escorsa Jr., assigned at the Sto. Tomas City Police Station, and his cohort Ramil Esperanzate.

The suspects yielded one M16 Rifle (Colt), five pieces of long steel magazine for M16 rifle, two pieces of short steel magazine for M16 rifle, two pieces of ammunition guide

for M16 rifle, 67 rounds of ammunition for M16 rifle, two pieces of cellular phones, and the boodle money in an operation in Barangay San Antonio in Sto. Tomas City on Wednesday.

“These suspects were using social media or online communication to sell unlicensed firearms, which came to our knowledge so we conducted a buy-bust operation which was successfully carried out,” Caramat said. Caramat said that the arrested suspects, who are now facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act -- and confiscated evidence were brought to CIDG Batangas PFU Office for documentation and proper disposition.

ever, he reminded all those concerned that tourism is a convergence of the DOT, DOTr, DPWH, they should have one organization that always meets. “They have to have convergence like Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia,” he said.

Sen. Sonny Angara also finds the slogan “nice” because it really talks about love and that it also says positive things

about Filipinos. He also talked about improving the country’s airports and other infrastructure. With good infrastructure, he said Thailand gets 30 million tourists, while Spain gets 30 million.

For Sen. Grace Poe, she said the Philippines has a lot to offer to become a world-class destination.

POPES IN THE PHILIPPINES. The Manila Cathedral opens the exhibit titled ‘The Popes in the Philippines,’ showcasing memorabilia from the trips of Pope Saint Paul VI, Pope Saint John Paul II, and Pope Francis to the country. The exhibit, which began on June 29 runs until July 2. Norman Cruz

‘Guilty pleas can strengthen Bantag case ‘

TO REVITALIZE PH ECONOMY, FULFILL ITS COMMITMENT

Grab vows to sustain partnership with gov’t

GRAB Philippines, which created more than 35,000 new meaningful livelihoods and digitallyenabled over 7,000 MSMEs in the first half of 2023, will continue to collaborate with the government to fulfill its commitment.

At a time when economic uncertainties loom, livelihood opportunities are the buoy that keeps nations afloat. In the Philippines, this lifeboat can be provided by tech platforms like Grab Philippines—a company known not just for its ubiquitous transport, deliveries, and financial services, but for its earnest commitment to the economic empowerment of every Filipino.

Launched in the Philippines over a decade ago, Grab has been steadfast in creating economic empowerment for Filipinos. Early this year, the company has pledged 500,000 livelihood opportunities to the Philippine government—a tall promise, but one that could prove transformative for the nation as it fights the economic aftershocks of the global pandemic.

Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz says “As a superapp, we are leveraging our scale, expertise, and deep understanding of the needs of our kababayans, to relentlessly create meaningful livelihood opportunities for all.”

Accelerating economic empowerment: Mobility at the helm

In tandem with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Grab has accelerated the onboarding of thousands of new drivers onto its platform, making it more convenient for more passengers to book a ride. This commitment echoes the national agenda of livelihood creation and the DOTr’s priority of providing convenient, safe, and affordable mobility options for all Filipinos.

Following Grab’s meeting with President Marcos, Jr. earlier this year, Grab Philippines has created new livelihood opportunities for more than 35,000 riders, drivers, and operators nationwide. While there is a long road ahead to reach its goal of 500,000 new livelihoods, Grab is fully committed to doing its part to make this happen. The

company continues to work hand-in-hand with all branches of the Government to ensure that driver-, rider-, and deliverypartners have meaningful livelihoods that can transform their lives for the better, and that no one is left behind.

Grab Philippines is optimistic that once the regulatory framework on Motorcycle Taxis is further simplified and enhanced, more livelihood opportunities will be unlocked.

Officially joining the GrabCar fleet this year is 52-year-old Gregorio Garcia. Garcia has been a dedicated GrabCar driverpartner since 2016, initially having to pay a fee to rent a car from an operator.

“Grab has been a tremendous help to me, providing significant support, particularly in terms of finances. It enables us to meet nearly all of our essential needs, such as household expenses, electricity, and water bills. Thanks to Grab, I now have my own vehicle. I’m already making plans to acquire another one in the coming years and be an official TNVS operator. I am sincerely grateful to Grab for all they have done,” Garcia said.

Grab Philippines’ commitment extends

Inflation likely declined further in June, says BSP

By Julito G. Rada

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday inflation in June likely eased to as low as 5.3 percent from 6.1 percent in May on lower prices of meat, fruits and liquefied petroleum gas.

Its month-ahead forecast showed that inflation settled within a range of 5.3 percent to 6.1 percent, representing a sustained decline from a peak of 8.7 percent in January.

“The lower prices of meat and fruits as well as the rollback in LPG prices could contribute to downward price pressures during the month,” the BSP said.

The BSP said, however, the higher prices of several food items such as rice, vegetables and fish, increased domestic oil prices and electricity rates and the depreciation of the peso against other currencies were the primary sources of upward price pressures in June.

Distributors announced early in June a reduction of at least P6 per kilogram of LPG which translated into P67.10 to P68.20 decrease for a regular 11-kg household LPG tank.

The successive decline in inflation in the past four months since January compelled the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to keep the overnight borrowing rate steady at 6.25 percent in its last Monetary Board meeting.

Inflation softened to 8.6 percent in February, 7.6 percent in March, 6.6 percent in April and 6.1 percent in May and averaged 7.5 percent in the first five months. This was above the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

Outgoing BSP Governor Felipe Medalla earlier said the latest baseline projections continued to suggest a gradual return of inflation to the target band over the policy horizon.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will announce the official June inflation next week.

Meanwhile, the PSA said the Producer Price Index for manufacturing in May also eased from the previous months. PPI measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services.

It said the PPI posted a slower growth of 2 percent in May compared to 2.3 percent in April and 7.2 percent in the same period last year.

“The slower annual growth rate of PPI in May 2023 from April 2023 was brought about by the slowdown in the annual increase in manufacture of food products industry division at 3.7 percent in May 2023 from 4.7 percent annual increment in April 2023,” the PSA said in a statement posted on its website.

The manufacture of food products contributed 36.7 percent to the slower annual growth rate of the PPI for manufacturing in May. The manufacture of food products industry division has the highest weight in the computation of PPI out of the 22 industry divisions in manufacturing.

beyond merely providing livelihood opportunities. The essence of its pledge lies in transforming the lives of its partners, by ensuring profitable incomes that redefine futures and transcend boundaries. This distinction is crucial. With a profitable income, a Grab driver can significantly elevate their standard of living, allowing them to provide their families with better healthcare, improved nutrition, and greater financial stability. It’s an income that can help save for a first home, break the chains of intergenerational poverty, or even fund their children’s education - dreams that may have once seemed beyond reach.

In essence, Grab Philippines is doing more than providing a service or livelihood opportunity; it is instigating a socioeconomic transformation. Its mission to ensure profitable income for every partner is a commitment to enhancing lives, enabling dreams, and building a resilient, economically empowered society. This is the transformative power of the Grab platform, the essence of its commitment, and the reason they are a valuable ally in the Philippines’ journey to economic recovery and shared prosperity.

Aiding resilience: MSME empowerment

Grab’s everyday services have become part of the everyday Filipino life - in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. In many cities, GrabFood has turned into a culinary and economic lifeline - feeding families and supporting businesses ranging from sarisari stores and social sellers to mom-andpop stores and big fastfood chains.

Grab’s support stretches beyond the spaces of everyday consumers to the backbone of the Philippine economymicro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Recognizing the vital role of MSMEs in the economic growth of the country, Grab offers initiatives to boost their business resilience and financial sustainability. To further support them, Grab regularly rolls out a healthy cadence of marketing campaigns like Indie Eats, that create awareness and drive discoverability for merchant partners. Amid a lack of access to competitive financing for small enterprises, Grab offers accessible and hassle-free financing support to stimulate business recoveries, such as quick cashouts, cash loans, and flexible schemes.

Eisen Lim, founder of Tapapa, shared that being on the Grab platform enabled his business to successfully hedge uncertainties caused by the pandemic.

“Three months after the pandemic was announced, I had to let go of my staff because the money I had was not enough to keep them. And that is the first reason why I signed up on GrabFood, which surely has been a great help to my business. With GrabFood and the return of dine-in customers, Tapapa was able to grow from a streetside eatery to three branches of full-fledged restaurants.”

These efforts mirror the national strategy aimed at fortifying MSMEs. As per the Philippine Statistics Authority, MSMEs constituted 99.51 percent of businesses in the country in 2020, a figure that has surely risen amidst the digital transformation propelled by the pandemic. Through its user-friendly super-app and cashless transactions, Grab has not only improved convenience for its users but has also encouraged the adoption of digital technology among Filipinos.

From January-June 2023, Grab digitally enabled over 7,000 small and medium sized businesses across the nation. This has contributed to the continued enhancement of digital literacy and financial inclusion in the country. Grab’s commitment to merchantsparticularly MSMEs, open doors to grow their business beyond the confines of their communities. By providing an expansive, digital platform, Grab empowers these merchants to tap into a larger consumer base and significantly scale their operations. This potential for growth not only ensures a sustainable income for these entrepreneurs but also paves the way for livelihood creation within their communities, creating a ripple effect of economic growth.

Staying on course

Grab has also set its sights on expanding its services to more areas nationwide and making significant contributions to national progress. “Grab deeply cares about contributing significantly towards our country’s progress, not only by providing many more transformative, life changing economic opportunities across more regions, but also serving the needs of the Filipino people through our platform. The mission is to serve our stakeholders and enable their economic success,” adds Vera Cruz.

As the Philippines enters a new era of digital adaptability and economic recovery, it is clear that stakeholders like Grab play a significant role in shaping the nation’s economic narrative. Their pledge is not just to the government but to everyday Filipinos - a promise to do its part to bring a better tomorrow for all.

CebPac’s

new aircraft to help reduce flight disruptions

TIANJIN, CHINA—Cebu Pacific on Friday brought home a brand-new Airbus A320NEO aircraft assembled in Tianjin, China which chief executive Michael Szucs said would augment its fleet and help reduce flight disruptions caused by various factors such as engine maintenance issues, supply chain problem and weather-related concerns.

It is the first aircraft received by the low-cost carrier from the Tianjin final assembly line of Airbus, which will be followed by another three this year, according to Szucs who confirmed that the airline grounded 17 percent of its operating fleet mainly due to engine parts maintenance problem and “strange incidents beyond normal wear and tear” as the airline industry had to cope with a dramatic increase in travel demand following the pandemic.

Szucs said a large number of longterm unserviceable aircraft affected Cebu Pacific’s operations this year due to different incidents. “The combination of such incidents…we lost about 17 percent of our operating fleet in terms of availability. That undoubtedly impacted our ability to fly our operations,” he said. He said the global supply chain problem also delayed the delivery of aircraft by manufacturers such as Airbus, with the exception of the first Tianjin-assembled A320NEO which was completed and turned over on time.

“For 2023, we expect 10 NEO aircraft to come straight from Airbus’s factory line. Our

fleet plan calls for us to have an all-NEO fleet of jet aircraft come 2028,” Szucs said.

The newly-delivered narrow-body aircraft features 188 seats made by manufacturer Recaro, providing passengers with more comfort with its slim and ergonomic design. It is also 20-percent more fuel efficient than its previous generation, as it consumes as little as 2.46 kilograms of fuel per seat per 100 kilometers.

“We have also specified the largest overhead storage bins that Airbus makes available for narrow-body aircraft — this added storage space in the cabin adds to customer convenience. Thanks to our efficient seating configuration, we are able to operate the most fuel-efficient and the lowest-emission aircraft in the world,” said Szucs.

It used sustainable aviation fuel with a 41-percent blend on its flight from Tianjin to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Paranaque City, marking a major milestone for Cebu Pacific’s sustainable aviation initiatives.

“We are thrilled to welcome this delivery, which is a major milestone for both Airbus and Cebu Pacific. This is in line with our fleet plan which aims to support our overall growth ambitions as travel demand continues to recover,” said Szucs.

Cebu Pacific placed orders for 10 brand-new Airbus NEO aircraft to support its objective to transition to a more fuel-efficient, all-NEO fleet by 2028. On top of this, the airline is also

receiving five additional aircraft via longterm lease.

Szucs said the airline chose to receive the aircraft from the Tianjin facility because of its proximity to the Philippines. Airbus’ other A320 final assembly lines are in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; and Mobile, Alabama in the US.

“Tianjin is the closest assembly facility of Airbus to the Philippines. It makes sense from environment and economic points of view to accept an aircraft from the place that is closest to our home. Based on what we experienced on this first aircraft, it gives us every confidence to move forward and take some more aircraft from this facility,” he said.

Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center general manager Dr. Christoph Schrempp said the facility had resumed serving the Asian market again after more than four years. He said more than 660 Airbus aircraft had been assembled in Tianjin and delivered to Chinese and other Asian airlines over the years.

Cebu Pacific chief strategy officer Alex Reyes said the choice of all NEO fleet is part of the airline’s decarbonization efforts. “Cebu Pacific has been the Philippine leader in propelling decarbonization in the aviation industry. This aircraft delivery, powered by SAF, demonstrates our commitment to providing safe, convenient and reliable travel for our customers, while building a greener and more sustainable future,” he said. Roderick T. dela Cruz

Cebu Pacific takes delivery of its first Airbus A320NEO aircraft assembled in Tianjin, China.

By Othel V. Campos

THE country’s biggest business group appealed to the government to extend the implementation of the lower tax cuts under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Law until the end of the year as businesses have yet to fully recover from the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Gorge Barcelon said that majority of the enterprises in the last two years were unable to fully enjoy the tax cut since most of them were in strict quarantine and could hardly do actual business.

“I know there’s a deadline set but when you think about it during the last two years of the pandemic, companies have not really been able to take advantage of it. I hope that the government will consider extending it, hopefully within the end of the year so that we can start for the new year,” Barcelon said.

He said most of the companies’ sales dropped while others closed shop, some had to shell out extra expenses, such as providing transportation to its workers.

“The feedback that I had been getting was that the one and a half years when the law became effective, it was not taken advantage of and those deductions have not been maximized,” Barcelon said.

He said the Philippines lags behind its ASEAN neighbors when it comes to lowering the CIT, which is necessary if the government wants to attract foreign investors.

Republic Act No. 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Law lowered the CIT and modernized the country’s tax incentive.

Under the CREATE Law, the 3 percentage tax was lowered to 1 percent from July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023. It also lowered the CIT to one percent effective July 1,2020 to June 30, 2023.

EXCELLENCE

AWARD. Diversified engineering conglomerate DMCI Holdings, Inc. won four prestigious titles at the 13th Asian Excellence Awards, hosted by Corporate Governance Asia in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.(Left to Right): Corporate Governance Asia founder and publisher Aldrin Monsod, DMCI Holdings chief finance officer Herbert Consunji, senior vice president for corporate communications and investor relations Cherubim Mojica and investor relations officer Hannah Cecille Chan.

WB grants $600m loan to agri, fishery sectors

By Julito G. Rada

THE World Bank said Friday it approved a $600-million (around P33.3 billion) loan to the Philippines to strengthen further the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

The World Bank said in a statement the Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up will expand on the implementation of the Philippine Rural Development Project launched in 2014 by the Department of Agriculture. This initiative has been instrumental in strengthening the agriculture and fisheries sectors, bolstering rural infrastructure, and enhancing connectivity.

The expansion aims to stimulate further growth in these critical sectors and strengthen the nation’s rural economy.

“Almost 60 percent of the poor work in agriculture in the Philippines, so accelerating the growth of agriculture and fishery is vital for the country’s development overall and for poverty reduction,” World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand Ndiamé Diop said.

Diop said improving access to markets will help farmers and fisherfolk in rural areas raise their incomes, provide for their families, and elevate their standards of living.

The Rural Development Project is active in 80 provinces, including 640 municipalities and 32 cities, and has reached almost 633,000 farmers, raised incomes, and improved connectivity to

IN BRIEF

Globe bares optimism over declining inflation

GLOBE Telecom Inc. on Friday said it is optimistic about its business outlook in the second half of the year due to the continued downtrend in inflation, which could potentially improve the purchasing power of Filipino consumers.

“The business is doing well. We saw a slight uptick in demand around May this year that seems to have continued on in June. We’re very happy about that,” Globe Group president and chief executive Ernest Cu said in a statement.

Cu said the current business situation may eventually lead to more positive results for the business.

“Of course, inflation has been affecting the lower end of our market, which is the biggest segment of the population in the Philippines. But I’m hopeful with the signs we’re seeing with inflation now going below 6 percent. This will show good results for us in the latter half of the year,” he said.

Due to the aggressive tightening cycle by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the non-monetary policy measures implemented by the national government, inflation cooled to a 12-month low of 6.1 percent in May from 6.6 percent in April.

However, the 7.5 percent average from January to May remains well above the 2-4 percent target range set by the central bank.

BSP now expects inflation to average 5.5 percent instead of 6 percent this year and 2.8 percent instead of 2.9 percent next year. It has also raised key policy rates by 425 basis points since May last year but decided to keep interest rates steady last May 18, 2023 due to an inflation downtrend. Darwin G. Amojelar

Jollibee expects narrow growth in second quarter

markets through construction of roads, bridges, and post-harvest facilities, among other interventions.

The Scale-Up will support access for micro- to medium-scale agricultural and fishery enterprises to resources, knowledge, and income-generating activities. Funding will support inputs, production, procession, marketing, and enterprise management.

The project also aims to increase participation of women in these activities.

World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist Mio Takada said the Rural Development Project concentrated on spurring growth among farming and fishing enterprises.

“The Scale-Up takes this further, emphasizing support throughout the value chain, from production through to marketing, ultimately increasing the competitiveness and profitability of these businesses,” Takada said.

RLC raised P15b from fixed rate bond issuance on strong demand

By Jenniffer B. Austria

INTEGRATED property developer

Robinsons Land Corp.successfully raised P15 billion from issuance of fixed rate bonds on strong demand from investors.

RLC president and chief executive officer Frederick Go said during the virtual bond listing on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. the debt issue drew total orders of P25 billion, or 2.5 times the base offer, making company as the first Philippine corporate this year to exceed the oversubscription amount.

Go said this strong market reception prompted the company to fully exercise

the P5 billion oversubscription option. Robust investor demand also allowed RLC to price at the tightest of spreads, locking in rates of 6.0972 percent per annum for the three-year tenor, and 6.1663 percent per annum for the fiveyear tenor.

“We are grateful to the investor community for their continued trust and confidence in RLC’s brand, reputation, and overall growth prospects,” Go said.

Go said proceeds from the bond issuance will be used to fully repay maturing debt obligations, partially fund the capital expenditure for project development, and support overall business operations.

Aboitiz says PPP to reduce risks, drive nuke energy development

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Aboitiz Group on Friday said private-public partnerships will reduce risks and drive the growth of of new technologies including nuclear energy in the country.

“We understand that the adoption of advanced technologies like SMRs [small modular reactors] is not without its challenges...This is where the importance of private-public partnerships comes into play,” Aboitiz Group chief executive Sabin Aboitiz said during the APEC Business Advisory Council forum.

“Private sector innovation and capital, coupled with public sector regulatory support and risk management, can drive the growth of nuclear energy,” Aboitiz said.

He said governments can create enabling policies such as regulatory streamlining, transition financing, loan guarantees, and market-based incentives that promote nuclear energy and SMRs.

Aboitiz said businesses can provide technical expertise and ensure project delivery on time and on budget.

“In our path towards sustainability, nuclear energy, particularly through small modular reactors, offers a compelling path forward. SMRs are more flexible, less capital intensive, and can be deployed in a wider range of locations than traditional nuclear power plants. They can be crucial components of a balanced, zero-carbon energy port-

folio,” he said.

The company has already started talks with three companies for the possibility of putting up SMR in the Philippines.

“The role of nuclear energy will be pivotal in this journey. It calls for shared learning, private-public partnerships, and an imaginative exploration of new technologies and what they can do,” the executive said.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the Department of Energy aims to complete the nuclear roadmap this year.

“For nuclear, the deliverables of all the efforts shall form part of the finalization of our road map for completion this year,” Lotilla said in the same forum.

He said DOE is committed to work towards a sustainable future through a technology approach, which involves diversification of energy sources to include nuclear power.

“We remain steadfast in taking in calculated and scientific approach, and tapping nuclear energy is a long-term fuel option for power generation, given its technical and economic viability. In developing nuclear power for application, we continue to implement plans and programs to satisfy the competency requirements based on the milestone approach of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” the energy chief said.

Meanwhile, Aboitiz said co-firing coal with hydrogen or ammonia can reduce carbon emissions, and in the long term could even replace coal.

RLC president and chief executive officer Frederick Go

RLC said its active participation in the debt capital markets is an integral component of the group’s strategy to diversify its funding sources.

The bond issuance received the highest credit rating of PRS Aaa, with a stable outlook, from the Philippine Rating Services Corp.

The PRS Aaa rating indicates the company’s stability, healthy balance sheet and strong capacity to meet its financial commitments.

The P15 billion billion fixed rate bonds constitutes the second and final tranche of the company’s P30 billion shelf-registered debt securities program approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2022.

FAST food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. expects growth rates to narrow down starting in the second quarter of 2023 versus the previous quarters due to the high-base effect. Jollibee chief finance officer Richard Chong Woo Shin said during the company’s annual stockholders meeting that while the company expects the strong momentum posted in the first quarter to continue, the growth rates versus 2022 level will decelerate due to record high base. Shin said revenues growth for 2023 will still be driven by the continued recovery of its Philippine business and the accelerating growth of its international businesses.

“We are confident that JFC group is resilient and well positioned to drive near term growth despite macroeconomic challenges. We have clear priorities on profitability while we continue to invest strategically for long term growth and value for shareholders,” Shin said. JFC earlier projected full year system-wide sales to go up by 15 percent to 20 percent, with same store sales growth of 7 percent to 10 percent. Store network is also expected to increase by not less than 5 percent while operating income growth will be in the range of 20 percent to 25 percent. Jenniffer B. Austria

DTI interested to put up pilot coco peats factory

THE Philippine government, through a trade delegation to Europe led by Department of Trade and Industry secretary Alfredo Pascual, expressed keen interest to set up a pilot factory for coco peats, following a visit to the research & development center of the Van Der Knaap in the Netherlands.

“The Philippines is strategically located and our natural geographic resources are among the competitive advantages we can offer, particularly to investments in the agricultural area. Agriculture remains one of the key priorities of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. as we aim to modernize and innovate agricultural processes in the country,” said Trade secretary Alfredo Pascual.

Van der Knaap Group is a 40-year family owned business supplying substrates and growing media for the worldwide professional horticulture. The company is widely known in processing cocopeat, a substrate raw material that is made from the husk of the coconut.

Pascual said that aside from the huge domestic market of the Philippines, its market also extends to more than 600 million people through the country’s free trade agreements.

The FTA with the European Free Trade Association member states of Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein provides the Philippines duty-free market access to all industrial and fisheries products to the member states. Pascual offered the possibility of a partnership between Van der Knaap and the Philippine Coconut Authority, citing the Coconut Farmers’ Industry Roadmap 2021 to 2040 which identifies seven strategies to achieve the goal of creating a globally competitive coconut industry. Othel V. Campos

GENDER EQUALITY.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures was recognized by the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment for promoting gender equality at the workplace.

(From left): AEV assistant vice president for sustainability Mirabel Perez, LIMA Land human resource officer Myzel Plata, Aboitiz InfraCapital reputation management head Arline Adeva, PBCWE program manager Amor Curaming, AEV sustainability manager Yhol Colegado, AEV learning and development officer Crisia Llante, AEV talent optimization and engagement officer Mabelle Santos, Aboitiz Power reputation governance and optimization sustainability specialist Geena Bania, AboitizPower corporate affairs sustainability Specialist Carleen Olap and AboitizPower governance manager of HR total rewards, systems, and analytics Maharany Carin.

THE Board of Investments said Friday it approved Optum Global Solutions (Philippines) Inc.’s new project in Davao City that would generate 1,500 jobs for Filipinos. It said the investment was a result of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s productive visit to Washington in May this year.

“The government’s aggressive investment promotion strategy has been steadily attracting global industry players. Optum Global Solutions, a big player in the US, has once again chosen the Philippines to expand their enterprise. This development aligns with our mission to generate high-quality job opportunities for Filipinos through strategic

investments.” Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said in a statement.

Optum Philippines will open a new site at The Uprise Building-C in Davao City to provide information technology, call center and back-office operations services, primarily targeting the export market, particularly Optum Technology, a US subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group Inc. Its IT-enabled services include coding, testing, maintenance, help desk troubleshooting (hardware and software), transaction processing, clinical processes, analytics and others. Its call center operation will handle health

plan enrollment, benefits and insurance claim status queries.

Rodolfo underscore the transformative nature of the healthcare information management services sector in the Philippines.

“This sector’s evolution enables us to expand our capabilities, supporting the entire healthcare journey of patients with complex, digitalized end-to-end customer experience services,” he said.

“This underscores the Philippines’ competence in providing the necessary infrastructure and talents to fulfill Optum Global Solutions’ objectives effectively,” he said. Othel V. Campos and Roderick T. dela Cruz

Biz groups want tax cut extension up to end of 2023

BOI: US BPO firm to open 1,500 more jobs in Davao City

Iraqis breach Sweden mission in Koran fury

BAGHDAD—Iraqi protesters breached Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad on Thursday, angered by a Koran burning outside a Stockholm mosque that sparked condemnation across the Muslim world.

A crowd of supporters of firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr stayed inside the compound for about 15 minutes, then left as security forces deployed, an AFP photographer said.

“Our constitution is the Koran,” read a message on leaflets carried by the protesters, and a message sprayed on the compound’s gate said “Yes, yes to the Koran”.

The protest came a day after an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, Salwan Momika, 37, stomped on the Islamic holy book and set several pages alight in front of the capital’s largest mosque.

Swedish police had granted him a permit in line with free-speech protections, but authorities later said they had opened an investigation over “agitation”.

“Within 10 days I will burn the Iraqi flag and the Koran in front of Iraq’s embassy in Stockholm,” Momika told a Swedish newspaper late Thursday.

The Koran burning, coinciding with the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha and the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, sparked anger across and beyond the Middle East.

Iraq’s foreign ministry condemned Sweden’s decision to grant an “extremist” permission to burn the Koran and said such acts “inflame the feelings of Muslims around the world and represent a dangerous provocation”.

Late Thursday, the Iraqi foreign ministry said it had summoned the Swedish ambassador to Baghdad to inform her of the country’s “strong protest” over the authorisation decision. AFP

Fresh protests, arrests over teener’s killing rock France

PARIS—Protests over the fatal police shooting of a teenager rocked France for a third straight night on Thursday, with cars burned, buildings vandalised and hundreds arrested in cities across the country.

IN BRIEF

‘Chinese spy balloon did not gather data’

businesses,” a senior national police officer said.

Public buildings were also targeted, with a police station in the Pyrenees city of Pau hit with a Molotov cocktail, according to regional authorities. An Arab face’

WASHINGTON—The Chinese spy balloon shot down by a US fighter jet over the Atlantic in February did not collect intelligence as it flew across the United States, the Pentagon said Thursday.

US

Supreme Court bans race-based college admission

WASHINGTON—The US Supreme Court on Thursday banned the use of race and ethnicity in university admissions, dealing a major blow to a decades-old practice that boosted educational opportunities for AfricanAmericans and other minorities.

One year after overturning the guarantee of a woman’s right to have an abortion, the court’s conservative majority again demonstrated its readiness to scrap liberal policies set in law since the 1960s.

The ruling against “affirmative action,” delivered by a court heavily influenced by three justices appointed by Donald Trump during his presidency, drew cheers from conservatives but was blasted by progressives.

President Joe Biden expressed his “severe disappointment,” and criticized the justices as “not a normal court.”

“Discrimination still exists in America,” he said at the White House. “I believe our colleges are stronger when they are racially diverse.”

However, in an interview with MSNBC he pushed back on liberal demands to reorganize the powerful Supreme Court, including by adding to the nine justices, all of whom serve lifetime appointments.

“That may do too much harm,” he said. “If we start the process of trying to expand the court, we’re going to politicize it maybe forever in a way that’s not healthy.”

‘Not on the basis of race’

The justices broke six to three along conservative-liberal lines in the decision, seen as a heavy defeat to efforts to expand diversity in school admissions and business and government hiring. AFP

The nighttime unrest followed a march earlier on Thursday in memory of the 17-year-old, named Nahel, whose death has revived longstanding grievances about policing and racial profiling in France’s low-income and multiethnic suburbs.

An internal security note indicated authorities were expecting a “theatre of urban violence”, with around 40,000 police and gendarmes—along with elite Raid and GIGN units—deployed in several cities.

At least three cities around Paris had issued curfews, while bans on public gatherings were instated and helicopters

WARNING.

and drones mobilised in the neighbouring cities of Lille and Tourcoing in the country’s north.

Despite the massive security deployment, violence and damage were reported in multiple areas. As of around 3:00 am (0100 GMT) on Friday, at least 421 people had been arrested across the country over the course of the night, according to the team of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

“There aren’t any very violent confrontations in direct contact with the police, but there are a number of vandalised stores, looted or even burned

France has been rocked by successive nights of protests since Nahel was shot point-blank on Tuesday during a traffic stop captured on video.

In her first media interview since the shooting, Nahel’s mother, Mounia, told the France 5 channel: “I don’t blame the police, I blame one person: the one who took the life of my son.”

She said the 38-year-old officer responsible, who was detained and charged with voluntary manslaughter on Thursday, “saw an Arab face, a little kid, and wanted to take his life”. AFP

UNGA creates body to probe fate of Syria’s missing

THE United Nations General Assembly on Thursday created an independent body to “clarify” the fate of thousands of people who remain missing in Syria since war broke out in 2011, overriding objections from Damascus. According to non-governmental groups, some 100,000 people have disappeared since the start of a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. More than half

a million people have been killed.

“After 12 years of conflict and violence in the Syrian Arab Republic, little progress has been achieved in alleviating the suffering of families by providing answers as to the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons,” said the resolution, which passed with 83 votes in favor, 11 opposed and 62 abstentions.

The Independent Institution on Missing

Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic will “clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons” in the country and “provide adequate support to victims, survivors and the families of those missing.”

But Syria, along with Russia, China and Iran, objected to the new body, saying it had not been consulted on the resolution.

AFP

“It’s been our assessment now that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or overflying the United States,” said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. Ryder said the US “took steps to mitigate” intelligence collection by the balloon.

“Certainly the efforts we made contributed” to that, Ryder said, without further explanation.

The huge balloon with a large payload of electronics flew over the United States from Alaska in the northwest to South Carolina in the east from late January to early February this year, crossing above sensitive military installations and prompting concerns Beijing was scooping up vital intelligence. It was shot down on February 4 just off the South Carolina coast, and was recovered from the Atlantic ocean by the US military, which has been studying its contents since. AFP

Extreme heat

kills

over 100 in Mexico

MEXICO CITY—More than 100 people have died due to extreme heat in Mexico in June, the government said, following a series of heatwaves in the Latin American nation.

Scientists say global warming is exacerbating adverse weather, with many countries experiencing record high temperatures.

Over 1,000 heat-related emergencies were reported in Mexico between June 12 and 25, of which 104 resulted in deaths, according to health ministry figures released on Wednesday.

Authorities had already reported eight deaths between April 14 and May 31, bringing the total to 112.

The main cause was heat stroke, followed by dehydration, according to the health ministry.

Mexico’s northern regions reported the most fatalities, with 64 deaths recorded in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon and 19 in neighboring Tamaulipas, bordering the US state of Texas, which has also been hit by extreme heat. AFP

Hun Sen threatens to block Facebook access

PHNOM PENH—Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Friday he could block access to Facebook in Cambodia, after the company said it would remove a video in which he threatened to beat up political opponents.

The warning came ahead of a July 23 election that has been widely dubbed a sham after authorities denied registration to the chief challenger to Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party.

Facebook announced Thursday it would remove one of Hun Sen’s videos in line with a ruling by the Oversight Board for Meta, Facebook’s parent company, which also recommended his account be suspended.

Tech experts characterized the move as a “turning point”.

The ruling said his speech contained “unequivocal statements of intent to commit violence” against opposition politicians.

Long a prolific Facebook user, Hun Sen announced Thursday night he had stopped using

the platform and appeared to have deleted his account.

Speaking to garment workers in Pursat province on Friday, Hun Sen warned that he could block Facebook “for a short period or forever” in Cambodia at any time to prevent exiled opposition politicians from communicating with the country’s citizens.

“Don’t be arrogant, you guys are staying overseas, you are using Facebook for communications, we could block Facebook,” he said, appearing to address exiled opponents.

He then urged Cambodians to download other social media platforms, including Telegram, TikTok, Line, Viber and Meta-owned WhatsApp which are more difficult to police content.

Hun Sen also accused Facebook of turning a blind eye to “insulting” remarks he claimed rivals had made against his wife and eldest son Hun Manet, who is widely seen as being groomed to take over the country’s leadership in the future. AFP

A doll holding a replica of a AK47 gun is

MOURNING

MOTHER. Mounia (center), the mother of Nahel, a teenage driver shot dead by a policeman, raises her fist with attendees as they hold a minute of silence during a commemoration march for her son in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre on June 29. AFP

Determination of asylum seekers

THE request made by the US for the Philippines to accept Afghan refugees constitutes a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

The Philippines, as a sovereign and independent state, has the exclusive right whom to accept its would-be citizens.

No state has the right to tell us whom we are going to accept as our citizens whether as refugees or asylum seekers.

What happened to these people is not of our own making.

If some turned out to become terrorists or religious bigots, it was the US that waged a cruel and nasty war against them only to mold bitterness against countries that unknowingly adopted them.

The acceptance of people classified as refugees is solely for the state to determine.

It is equivalent to self-determination and independence.

To pass on to other states the responsibility of who should be its citizens is to escape the duty of sustaining its own people their basic necessities of life.

The Philippines cannot just lease to Taiwan, Japan or South Korea any of those bases designated under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement

In which case, the primary responsibility of the US is to accept those Afghan refugees irrespective of the circumstances why they were stranded or politically disenfranchised in their own county.

The country that sponsored their terroristic ideology in exchange for the alleged promise of liberation and freedom should stand responsible for the consequences for its action.

The US alone should take the responsibility in absorbing those displaced people now seeking employment and better opportunities abroad.

For the US to arbitrarily allocate 50,000 Afghan refugees for each of its allies that supported the war of aggression as its quota to accepting these asylum seekers, many of whom are of dubious background, is constitutionally untenable.

Principally, the Philippines never supported that US imperialist war in Central Asia.

Logically, the US cannot now collect from us as payment for our support more that it resulted in a shameful debacle.

The President and his favorite lapdog should bear in mind that the country never voted to support American intervention in Afghanistan like voting for the approval of a UN resolution to intervene.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo even sought the immediate pullout of our military contingent then headed by General Palparan with most US embassy personnel seeing the decision distasteful.

As said, the acceptance of people classified as refugees is solely for the state to determine.

To pass on to other states that responsibility is to avoid the requirement that goes with the duty of sustaining the life of its own people.

To demand from a country to impose

PARIS—The Wagner mercenary group’s mutiny has weakened President Vladimir Putin and could affect the course of the war in Ukraine, analysts say.

The aborted weekend revolt led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin—who declared a sudden pull-back after marching towards Moscow—has damaged Putin’s image, boosted morale among Ukrainian troops, and generated confusion.

It marked the biggest challenge yet to Putin’s long rule and Russia’s most serious security crisis since he came to power in 1999. But it’s not clear if it will translate directly onto the battlefield—as Rob Lee of the Foreign Policy Research Institute points out, Wagner no longer had a key role in the Ukrainian theater.

“Wagner forces were replaced in Bakhmut (in eastern Ukraine, the site of the war’s longest and bloodiest battle) at the end of May-early June,” Lee wrote on Twitter.

“I don’t think any Wagner troops are

The changing landscape of PH martial arts

Now you will hear sports like sambo, jiu-jitsu, and even no-gi grappling.

a quota of 50,000 Afghan refugees is to preempt on our right to choose the number Afghans we are obligated to accept with us wondering whether the US is willing to match the number it imposed on us as a lackey.

The whole of Latin America from Mexico to Argentina are watching just how the US have been stringent in holding and detaining questionable immigrants along its border.

Many of them have been languishing for years without the possibility of being allowed entry into the US.

If the US cannot de-clog its swelling number of immigrant applicants, it is with more reason why we should not comply with their dictate of accepting questionable immigrants.

They do not owe an iota of service and gratitude to this country.

Maybe they served as interpreters and/ or spies for the US forces during the occupation, but not for the Philippines.

Examining the records just how we messed ourselves into this interventionist policy of the US, it would seem the country rather promised to accept the 50,000 Afghan as refugees.

Such act is unconstitutional, not to say illegal.

The allocation given to countries constitute a gross interference in our internal affairs by a permanent member of the UN security council.

Right now, there are millions of Mexican immigrants awaiting to have their immigration papers processed.

In their desire to pass this stringent sanitation, many cannot hope to pass through this US policy.

Professor Clarita Carlos, the former national security adviser of the President, is also opposed to the idea of accommodating Afghan refugees.

She said that giving entry to the to the Taliban is risky and an added cost to our security problem.

She added it was the US that provoked the war in the name of democracy and recruited many traitors to defend their cause not knowing they will end up losing the war characterized by their abrupt pullout of its troops like what they did in Vietnam in 1973.

Americans knew that many of these Afghans enlisted themselves as interpreters and have little knowledge about freedom and democracy but are mainly seeking employment hoping they will be absorbed as immigrants after the fall out.

This recommendation by Ambassador Romualdez to allocate potential terrorists is similar to his suggestion of lending some areas we allocated to the US as military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

The fellow does not seem to understand the concept of sovereignty of the State, that foreign military bases, even if they are on lease or for rent, cannot be the subject of further sublease by the state.

Such must comply with the Constitutional requirement.

In which case, the Philippines cannot just lease to Taiwan, Japan or South Korea any of those bases designated under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

(rpkapunan@gmail.com)

In the recent Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, combat sports like boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, judo, jiujitsu, wushu, and even the lesser known vovinam and Kuhn kmer, have contributed heavily to the Philippines medal haul. In the 70s, martial arts were just for the movies.

Action stars like Reye Malonzo, Trobador Ramos, Ramon Zamora, and Roberto Gonzales, to name a few, were either black belt holders in karate or, at least, have trained in the popular Japanese martial arts.

Karate was synonymous with martial arts during that time and boxing was for the hardcore fighters wishing to ply their trade in the professional stage of prized fighting. That was the time when you either

No wonder, Benguet is acknowledged as the martial arts capital of the Philippines

become an actor as a karate artist or a professional boxer. Then in the next decade, came out Monsour Del Rosario who became the face of taekwondo and a popular actor after winning championships in international tournaments.

In the late 80s, taekwondo surpassed the popularity of karate in the Philippines. In fact, these days, taekwondo is arguably the most participated in martial arts tournament among young enthusiasts.

The Ultimate Fighting Championships in the United States has unleashed a new breed of sports discipline—Mixed Martial Arts.

The active growth of martial arts has given Philippine sports a big boost as more athletes join combat sports to represent the country in the international arena.

At the professional level, Philippine MMA history would not be complete without mentioning the name Edward Folayang, who was among the earliest big names in MMA.

The former MMA champion in the One Championship has opened the door for more opportunities for young aspirants.

While he’s still active, Folayang has opened a new gym in Benguet, along with his colleagues from Team Lakay, naming it the Lions Nations. He aims to pass the torch and continue the fire burning for Philippine martial arts. Philippine martial arts have never been more robust and the opportunities a gogo. By the way, Benguet is the only province in the country where the schools offer athletic scholarships for students practicing nonOlympic combat sports like wushu aside from karate and taekwondo.

No wonder, Benguet is acknowledged as the martial arts capital of the Philippines.

Skepticism about Maharlika Investment Fund

THE Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) has been the talk of the country for months now. With the Congress’ approval, the only step remaining for the MIF to become law is Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature. Last June 22, he confirmed, “I will sign it as soon as I get it.”

But what actually is the Maharlika Investment Fund and why are Filipinos worried and skeptical?

The MIF is to be a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) of the Philippines.

It is a pool of funds owned by the state to invest in various assets like foreign currencies, domestic and corporate bonds, and infrastructure projects. Ideally, an SWF is used to boost the economy.

The pool of resources for an SWF in other countries usually comes from either the state’s revenue from natural resources, a budget surplus, or a general amalgamation of a country’s wealth.

In other words, sobrang pera.

The question is, may sobrang pera ba ang Pilipinas? This is answered by the sources of our SWF funding. Instead of using a budget surplus, the MIF will get money from government banks.

In fact, in an earlier version of the bill, they also wanted to source out money from our pension funds in SSS and GSIS. This specifically was a really controversial issue. The citizens were so adamantly against it that the Senate scrapped it.

However, Diwa Guinigundo, former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor, remains skeptical despite the amendments.

According to his statement, since the SWF will come from public money supposedly for the national budget, we will have to raise more money to replace it–either through raising taxes or borrowing even more money.

It appears that we can genuinely afford to source an SWF.

Naming the SWF ‘Maharlika’ has also garnered criticism.

Maharlika was known as the warrior class in precolonial Tagalog society. However, after Marcos Sr.’s elaborate myth-making, it also became closely tied to his image.

Ferdinand Marcos Sr. claimed he led an anti-Japanese guerilla unit during World War II called “Maharlika.”

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has disproved the claim that he was a guerilla leader many times over. Additionally, the U.S. government does not recognize this guerilla unit.

There was also a claim on Facebook in recent years that there used to be a “Maharlika Kingdom” made up of the Philippines, Brunei, South Borneo, Hawaii, the Spratly Islands, and Sabah.

With all of these criticisms, we continue to ask, do we really need the Maharlika Investment Fund? What will it give to the average Filipino?

It was allegedly ruled by the Tallano royal family and Marcos Sr. was their lawyer. According to the post, he was paid in gold popularizing the term “Tallano gold.”

“Maharlika” has been co-opted as a propaganda tool of the Marcoses for a long time.

Semantics aside, people are asking, do we need the bill right now?

A letter from Marcos Jr. dated May 22 was sent to the Senate. It instructs them to expedite the passage of the bill. According to the president, the bill is urgent. However, Koko Pimentel countered that this was unconstitutional as the Constitution states a bill can only be deemed urgent if there is a public emergency or calamity.

Additionally, doesn’t any investment require a lot of waiting time for its return?

Even if the MIF is signed, its return to ordinary citizens will take time.

So really, what is the rush?

Could Wagner’s mutiny help Ukraine?

currently on the front lines, or were pulled from there for this event.

“Wagner is designed for assaults and not for defensive operations. It was never clear what role they would play during Ukraine’s counteroffensive,” he added.

Ukrainian soldiers returning from the front line on Sunday said the Wagner revolt had not noticeably affected fighting around Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine.

Putin’s ‘weakened credibility’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that Wagner’s aborted revolt exposed “real cracks” in Putin’s authority.

Prigozhin’s rebellion marked “a direct challenge to Putin’s authority,” the top American diplomat said.

French President Emmanuel Macron took a similar line, saying the revolt “shows the divisions that exist within the Russian camp, and the fragility of both its military and its auxillary forces.”

Prigozhin’s long-standing feud with military top brass over the conduct of the

Putin accused Prigozhin of treason and vowed to punish the perpetrators, accusing them of pushing Russia to the brink of civil war

Russian operation in Ukraine boiled over on Saturday last, when Wagner forces seized a military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and advanced towards the capital.

In a fiery speech Saturday, Putin accused Prigozhin of treason and vowed to punish the perpetrators, accusing them of pushing Russia to the brink of civil war.

Just hours later, however, he had accepted a deal brokered by Minsk granting an amnesty for the Wagner chief and his men, and exile to Belarus for Prigozhin himself.

“This episode weakens the credibility of Putin, who appeared to be in panic on television on Saturday,” William Alberque of the International Institute for Strategic Studies told AFP.

“Everyone in Moscow is wondering: ‘If it was a five-minute insurrection, why did the president talk about civil war?’

“On the other hand, if Prigozhin stays alive, all the Russian security players will feel they have impunity,” he warned.

The threat from Belarus Kyiv had said the unrest offered a “window of opportunity” for its long-awaited counteroffensive.

But Moscow insisted that the mutiny would not affect its operations in Ukraine. Russian strikes continued Saturday, killing five people in Kyiv, according to the city’s

An inquiry in relation to urgency is its necessity, do we need it at all?

As Sonny Africa from IBON wrote, if we have an excess in budget, then we are better off spending it on public services. Programs that would immediately help citizens. It would be better spent on “urgent ayuda, wage subsidies, small business support, and public schools and hospitals.”

Why can’t we support agriculture and industrialization better too if we do have the budget for it?

Allocating the budget to our different sectors (with matching effective programs, of course) will have more tangible benefits to the average Filipino.

A sovereign wealth fund can also be prone to corruption.

Malaysia has 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), their state-owned investment fund.

Allegedly, a huge amount of the money raised for it was stolen under Prime Minister Najib Razak.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, it has been spent on bribes, a luxury yacht, and fine art.

With a vague plan for the MIF, it remains vulnerable to corruption as well. For one, infrastructure projects which they want to invest on has always been prone to corruption.

Additionally, according to Abrea, the success of an SWF would depend on the absence of corruption.

And. according to the 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), the Philippines ranked 116 out of 180.

With all of these criticisms, we continue to ask, do we really need the Maharlika Investment Fund? What will it give to the average Filipino?

mayor.

On Sunday, Russia said it repelled several Ukrainian assaults in the east and south of the country, where Kyiv had announced gains.

But experts believe the mutiny will be a blow to the morale of Russian troops in Ukraine, who have endured heavy losses in 16 months for marginal territorial gains.

“This must affect Russian morale,” said Pierre Razoux, academic director of the France-based Mediterranean Foundation of Strategic Studies.

“On the Ukrainian side, there is perhaps a momentum to be used to break through the front line, or at any rate to gain positions”.

But he warned Ukraine would “also have to secure the Belarus border because they are not safe from a treacherous blow.

“If 15,000 of Wagner’s men pour in from Belarus, they can do some damage. Maybe that’s what Prigozhin has negotiated with Putin.” AFP

COMBAT sports are becoming the country’s wellspring of golden pride in international sporting scenes.

Almost, but not quite for Gilas Women in Asia Cup

By Peter Atencio

THE Gilas Women’s squad suffered a 78-83 setback to the New Zealand Ferns in their battle for a semifinal slot, but earned the admiration of the world on Friday in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Center.

The loss denied the Filipinas a semifinal slot available to the top four finishers, who in turn can join Olympic qualifiers for the Paris Olympics 2024.

As the Ferns advanced to the semifinals and set up a showdown with Japan on Saturday for a finals’ berth, Gilas Women’s coach Patrick Aquino still beamed with pride as the team fought it out until the final four minutes of the contest.

“We did not fall short this time. It was a good game for us. We felt that we can compete with the best of the best in Asia,” said Aquino.

Getting quality minutes key for Sotto in Summer League

By Randy Caluag

WILL Kai Sotto get

playing time with the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League?

No promises, said his handlers, although Orlando reportedly gave him better options than the rest of the NBA teams that offered slots to the 7’3” Filipino center to show his potential and readiness for the National Basketball Association’s regular season.

A closer look at the 22-man lineup released by the Magic showed that Sotto is the only legitimate center on the team. The only other center in the squad, 6’11” Roy Baker, is even listed as forward-center.

That means Sotto can fully utilize his skills on both ends with less competition in the lineup if Dylan Murphy, Orlando’s designated coach in the summer tournament, decides to use the Filipino’s tall presence inside.

Interestingly, the lineup is loaded with guars as 13 “smaller” players are listed, which might show that Orlando will go for a fast-paced, small-ball rotation on offense.

But if the idea is to see if Sotto can develop to become more potent as he ages, the full-blooded Filipino is definitely a worthy investment.

The NBA 2K24 Summer League is slated from July 7 to 17, with Orlando facing Detroit on Sunday (Manila Time) in its first outing.

Also expected to show their worth are Orlando’s 6th and 11th picks Anthony Black and Jett Howard, respectively, as well as Caleb Houstan and Kevon Harris, who are bidding to retain their slots in the Magic’s regular lineup.

All 30 NBA teams will play at least five games each with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. Orlando will also face Indiana, New York, and Portland in their first four games.

Sotto, who went undrafted last year, became a free agent and played in the NBL in Australia and most recently in Japan’s B.League with the Hiroshima Dragonflies, averaging 9.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game.

Arcilla whips Olivarez, grabs Lanao Open crown

JOHNNY Arcilla recalled his fierce form coming off a recent setback, pounding out a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Eric Jed Olivarez to capture the Lanao del Norte National Open championship at the MCC courts in Tubod last Thursday.

The veteran Davis Cup campaigner and many-time PCA Open champion flashed vintage form in overwhelming Olivarez, breaking his younger rival twice in the opening set and then dominating the next from fourth game on to rule the event, also billed as Gov. Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo Open, and add another ware to his trophy-

filled cabinet.

The victory, worth P50,000, came after he bowed to eventual winner John Bryan Otico in the semis of the Malita Open in Davao Occidental a couple of weeks ago. But he buckled down to work and worked on his stamina, beating John Atay, 6-1, 6-1, holding off Jude Ceniza, 6-0, 5-7, 10-5, and crushing Eric Tangub, 6-2, 6-3, before sealing a championship clash with Olivarez.

The 43-year-old Arcilla, who racked up five Open crowns last year while bundling out younger, stronger rivals, took control of the finals match after

ATENEO Blue Eagles Angelo Kouame, Geo Chiu, Jason Credo, Jacob Lao, Matthew Daves, and JC Fetalvero are set to receive their Ateneo de Manila University diplomas during the graduation rites of the school on Friday evening.

Naturalized Filipino Kouame, 25, finished with a degree in AB Interdisciplinary Studies.

“It’s been an amazing journey in the Ateneo. Made a lot of friends and I found a family here,” said Kouame, a former UAAP Most Valuable Player.

“Thankful to everyone in the community and the people who made it possible for me to be in this position.”

Kouame will immediately join Gilas Pilipinas in Lithuania this weekend.

Chiu and Credo, who will still play for the Blue Eagles in UAAP Season 86 as Master student-athletes, graduated with degrees in AB IS and AB Communication, respectively.

Daves, who is currently playing Makati in the MPBL, also finished with a degree in AB IS.

Lao, currently the team manager of PBA team Converge, received a degree in BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship. Finally, Fetalvero, who is playing for Phoenix Super

scoring a break in the fifth game, held serve twice before breaking Olivarez again in the ninth. He broke Olivarez again in the fourth game of the second set and swept the next three to post another top podium finish after claiming the Escudero Cup crown in San Pablo City last February. With Nilo Ledama, Arcilla completed a double victory as they toppled Olivarez and Vicente Anasta, 6-2, 6-4, in the men’s doubles finals of the 10day event, also held in conjunction with Lanao del Norte’s 64th founding anniversary, and part of the PPS-PEPP circuit of the country’s longest talent-

LPG in the ongoing PBA on Tour, finished with an A.B. Management Economics degree.

Proud is Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin of his now-former wards, confident that they will be successful in whatever path they choose.

“The relationships I have with these players are treasures of my career,” said Baldwin. “I think they bring honor to our team and to the sport with the work that they do. They humble me with their dedication to this university.

“Wish them nothing but success for what lies ahead.”

“Most people tend to walk away from difficulties and adversities in sports or academics. However, there are those exceptional athletes who not only rise above these challenges but also emerge victorious, even during the trying times of the COVID era,” added Blue Eagles team manager Christopher Quimpo.

“Their triumph in the UAAP serves as a testament that overcoming obstacles is possible. It underscores the idea that it is our response to adversity that shapes us into the individuals we ultimately become.”

A total of 46 athlete-scholars are part of Ateneo’s batch of 2023.

search put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Sharing top honors in men’s doubles were Noel Salupado and Arvin Secuya (Legends 30s), Ome Buhat and Marlon Alforo (Legends 40s), Efren Veradio and Bing delos Santos (Legends 50s) and Roy Bautete and Camilo Lascite (Legends 60s).

Meanwhile, action shifts to Marawi City beginning today (Saturday) with the staging of the 64th Lanao del Sur National Open at the MSU courts. For details and listup, contact tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay at 09154046464.

Charlisse Leger-Walker drilled in 34 points, three rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Ferns, while Akiene Tera Reed added 23 points and seven rebounds.

The Filipinas stayed close at 74-76, before Leger-Walker and Penina Davidson turned on the heat in the last four minutes.

Leger-Walker drew Angelica Surada to a foul and split her charity shots, allowing the Ferns to slowly move away, 77-74, in the final 3:31.

The Filipinas, who missed three of four crucial attempts in the closing minutes, slipped further behind as Davidson and Leger-Walker continued piercing through the defense, sending the Ferns ahead, 81-74, with 2:45 remaining.

Afril Bernardino delivered 15 points and eight rebounds for the Gilas Women, who will meet the winner between Australia and South Korea in a clash for fifth place on Saturday.

Jhazmin Joson also shot 15 points, while Jack Animam made 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Newbie Vanessa de Jesus, a Duke University standout, was held to just four points.

F2, Cignal target PVL lead; PLDT, Akari clash

GROUP B leaders clash in a pair of tough matches tipped to go down-to-thewire even as PLDT and Akari kick off their campaign in Group A in the third elims playdate of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City today (Saturday).

F2 Logistics and Cignal slug it out in a key face-off with the winner gaining the edge in what looms to be a wild race to the semis among six teams. The Cargo Movers dispatched the Farm Fresh Foxies in three while the HD Spikers repulsed the Petro Gazz Angels in four in last Tuesday’s opener of the mid-season tournament of the league organized by Sports Vision.

That makes their 6 p.m. encounter crucial in their semis bids with F2 Logistics coach Regine Diego upbeat of their chances to make it back-to-back behind a solid crew reinforced by three ace rookies.

Former middle Ivy Lacsina expects to get better in a new role as open spiker after leading the Cargo Movers’ romp over the Foxies with 13 points while Aby Maraño, Kim Dy, Majoy Baron, who combined for 26 points, have always been ready to provide leadership and support, along with Myla Pablo, Ara Galang and Kim Fajardo.

But what makes F2, which finished fourth in the recent PVL All-Filipino Conference, formidable is the presence of rookies Jolina dela Cruz and setter Marionne Alba, who debuted with seven and five points, respectively.

Against the veteran-laden HD Spikers, however, Diego is likely to go for Fajardo majority of the way to guarantee smoother play as they try to zero in on one of the two slots in the next round.

enough

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

Jack Animam of the Philippines encounters stiff resistance from the New Zealand Ferns in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. fiba.basketball

Kouame, 5 other Blue Eagles receive Ateneo degrees

Ange Kouame

Kai Sotto

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Creating an impact via sustainability

REAL estate developer Neo recently launched its first sustainability report, in a bid to highlight its real estate portfolio in the Philippines, which is the first to be certified with the International Finance Corporation’s EDGE Zero Carbon certification.

Verified by EDGE partner SGSSintali in October 2021, the achievement surpassed the company’s original goal of achieving net zero by 2025.

Final certification is awarded upon completion of the verified retrofit plans within a three-year period. The retrofit designs are projected to yield greater energy savings for the portfolio. Currently, all NEO buildings utilize renewable energy sources, and are aiming to fulfill 41-49% operational energy savings.

“Our sustainability report reflects our dedication to creating a positive impact,” said NEO’s Chief Executive Officer Raymond Rufino (Shown in photo) during the launch.

The NEO Sustainability Report showcases the organization’s sustainability journey, from its initiatives as a green building pioneer to milestones in safety, carbon reduction and resiliency.

Getting lost in the beauty of Panglao

FOREIGN and local tourists can now look forward to the rise of the first-ever 5 star hotel in Panglao, the JW Marriott Panglao Island Resort and Spa, following the recent signing of a memorandum between Cebu-based premier development company AppleOne Group Inc. and JW Marriott in Singapore. AppleOne president and chief executive officer Ray Manigsaca, together with his wife and AppleOne co-founder and Chairman Venus Manigsaca, personally inked the deal with JW Marriott.

“We want to entice them more by

Spotted: RLC Residences in NY Times Square

RLC Residences is one of the digital billboards being shown at the heart of the iconic Times Square in New York (Inset). The 15-second digital billboard showcases RLC Residences and one of its projects in Pasig City, Le Pont Residences.

The residential division of real estate giant Robinsons Land prides itself with its line-up of condominium properties located in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, and Cebu.

These include The Residences at The Westin Manila in Ortigas, SYNC in Pasig City, Woodsville Crest in Paranaque City, Sierra Valley Gardens in Cainta, Rizal, and Mantawi Residences in Mandaue City, Cebu. Present at the first day of the digital billboard airing were members of RLC Residences’ International Marketing team (Shown here) who are in New York to showcase the brand’s portfolio of properties through a series of roadshows in various states of the US.

To learn more about RLC Residences’ properties in the country, visit rlcresidences.com, or follow them on Facebook, and Instagram.

bringing the luxury experience to the regions starting with Bohol which we believe they will enjoy even more because of the experiences and tourist destinations,” said Manigsaca.

JW Marriott is part of Marriott International’s luxury portfolio and consists of award-winning properties and resort locations around the world.

The upcoming luxury property development in Panglao will be added to its roster of over 100 luxury hotels in more than 35 countries.

This is AppleOne’s third partnership

deal with Marriott International, following the Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort and the Fairfield by Marriott Cebu Mactan that is located within the premises of Mahi Center. At the signing (from left to right) were: Continent head, Global Design and vice president, Interior Design of Marriott International Karen Kim; vice president for Hotel Development Asia Pacific, Marriott International Steve Baek; AppleOne president and chief executive officer Ray Manigsaca; AppleOne co-founder and chairman Venus Manigsaca.

To know more, visit www.golfridge.com. ph.

HIMEL TIES UP WITH PDCC. Himel, a global manufacturer and supplier of electrical products, recently announced its partnership with Powerlines Digital Concepts Corporation (PDCC) of the LJ Group of companies. PDCC is a provider of electrical design, electrical construction, and engineering commission works. With this association, both companies aim to amplify seamless access to best-in-class electrical products to panel builders, original equipment manufacturers, electrical system integrators, and resellers. In the Philippines, Himel offers a complete range of power distribution and management, motor control and protection, industrial components, and home electric products.

In 2022, Himel was recognized as the Most Reliable Electrical Products Brand South East Asia by the leading UK-based Global Brands Magazine for its contribution towards safer electrical infrastructure development and education of electrical safety through innovative marketing initiatives. This year, it was recognized as the Most Reliable Final Distribution Products Brand in South East Asia by the World Business Outlook magazine. At the partnership signing were: President Romeo S. Alba and Chairman Loweh Joe M. Tomas of Powerlines Digital Concepts Corporation; with Koon San Ang, Global Head of Himel Business and Rodel Melendres, Country Sales Manager for Himel Philippines.

By Patricia Taculao

THE province of Benguet boasts several sites that tourists and locals enjoy visiting. Yet aside from the abundance of historical landmarks and lifestyle destinations in the area, Benguet is also home to the rich culture of indigenous communities.

One example is the Ibaloi people, an indigenous ethnic group living in the Benguet Province of the northern Philippines.

According to the Cordillera School Groups, Inc., they occupy the southeastern two-thirds of Benguet, particularly the municipalities of Kabayan, Bokod, Sablan, Tublay, La Trinidad, Tuba, and Itogon, and the southern portions of Kapangan and Atok.

Historical records claim traditional Ibalois engage in wet-rice agriculture, swidden farming, mining, hunting, and fishing.

Since many industries rely on agriculture, many Ibalois continue the practice presently.

Take, for instance, Jim ReevesLaguitao. As an agripreneur (agriculture entrepreneur) residing in Bokod, Benguet, he hails from a family of Ibaloi farmers. He and his family established the Oh Wangan Integrated Farm. It aims to deliver quality upland vegetable seedlings in the locality and adjacent towns.

“I was raised by a farming family. Since childhood, I was already engaged in farming. That’s why even my college degree is related to farming, which is Agricultural Engineering,” he said. Laguitao envisions uplifting Philippine agriculture by making it accessible, productive, and profitable. When the pandemic struck, he began working on their farm full-time.

He shared that their farm was already around before he was born.

Young Ibaloi farmer adapts to climate change through integrated farming

However, it practiced conventional farming and used synthetic inputs. It changed in 2016 when Laguitao’s parents shifted to organic farming.

Oh Wangan Integrated Farm naturally cultivates leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, pechay, and more.

“We also have coffee and lemon planted around the steep portion of the farm, and we produce different upland

seedlings, which we sell to farmers,” the agripreneur said. Despite Laguitao’s efforts, he still faces problems regarding the productivity of his farm, especially during extreme weather conditions. During typhoons, some of the farm’s products get damaged from excessive rain or flooding.

While Filipinos are no strangers to typhoons and their impact, many agree that recent weather patterns have become more intense.

Fortunately, Laguitao faces the impact of climate change prepared. As the name of their family farm suggests, the agripreneur applies integrated farming on their land.

“We practice integrated production wherein we try to produce and raise vegetables, coffee, lemon, vegetable seedlings, and swine,” he said. “This practice has been beneficial to us because there is still a possible source of income whenever other crops are damaged by the adverse effects of climate change.”

He added that they share this knowledge with other farmers, young and old, who sometimes work with them on the farm.

The farm uses natural farming methods to grow leafy vegetables

Laguitao ensures that farmers, regardless of age, working on the farm learn some of the practices they implement

Laguitao and the Oh Wangan Integrated Farm continuously encour-

age and employ the youth to generate jobs and to help assure food security for their community and the nation. Although the agripreneur and other farmers have yet to adapt to the impact of climate change, they set an exam-

ple, especially within their Indigenous community, that Filipinos are not helpless in this global crisis. If anything, it proves that they work together and inspires future generations to play their role in protecting the planet.

Livestock, aquaculture expo to center on food security, safety, sustainability

key stakeholders to achieve our goal: a foodsecure, safe, and sustainable livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industry,” said de Mesa, who also chairs the Livestock Philippines 2023 Interagency Steering Committee.

visitors, and stakeholders from the Philippine livestock, poultry, and aquaculture supply chains will participate in this year’s expo.

The 2023 expo embodies the theme “Ecosystem of Livestock and Poultry Production on Food Security, Safety, And Sustainability.” It will occur at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City, from July 5 to 7, 2023.

Attendees of the 2023 Livestock Philippines

THE Department of Agriculture (DA)—through its National Livestock Program (NLP) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)—strengthens its partnership with event management institution Informa Markets for the conduct of this year’s Livestock Philippines and its concurrent event, Aquaculture Philippines.

The Livestock and Aquaculture Philippines are part of the DA’s efforts to forge good relations with the private sector and key industry stakeholders to encourage them to

actively participate in governmentled initiatives toward agricultural and economic development in the country.

During the press conference at the Novotel Manila Araneta City last June 26, DA Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel V. de Mesa assured that the Department would employ various initiatives tapping into every stakeholder’s strengths in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

“This is one of the strategies of the Department to work hand-inhand with the private sector and our

Informa Markets Regional Portfolio Director for ASEAN Rose Chitanuwat introduced the Livestock and Aquaculture Philippines as the largest annual international trade fair for the Philippine livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industries, bringing together about 300 suppliers of agricultural feeds, machinery and equipment, management systems, and solutions from 32 countries.

“It is a trade exhibition, businessto-business, with the aim to [make] the supply chain of the livestock and aquaculture industries grow efficiently, effectively, and sustainably,” Chitanuwat said.

Around 10,000 farmers, traders,

ATI draws up dev’t plan for 2024-2026

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija—The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) is developing a three-year plan that will guide operating units in delivering services to extension clients, following the strategic policies of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The ATI’s development plan for 2024 to 2026 will include programs, projects, and activities geared towards food security, sufficiency, affordability, and a fortified agricultural value chain.

The plan comes from the proposals from the central office and 16 training centers nationwide, all of which were represented during a workshop led by the Policy and Planning Division (PPD) last June 19 to 22, 2023, at the Philippine Carabao Center in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

ATI Central Luzon Center Director Regional Training Center Director Joey Belarmino welcomed the workshop participants. He provided an overview of the region’s landscape, as well as the ongoing partnerships of

their center to support the development of the local agriculture sector.

Meanwhile, in her message, ATI Director Remelyn Recoter underscored the need to maintain the relevance of the Institute by coming up with innovative ways and extension modalities that will cater to modern times.

She also talked about how important it is for the ATI’s training centers to know the profile of their respective areas of responsibility so that they can respond to the needs of their clients.

“We would like our clients to be updated on any recent developments in technologies because our goal is to enhance their productivity and profitability,” she said.

Other priority areas that she mentioned include enhancing the competencies of extension workers and other human resources,

standardizing guidelines on Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSAs) and Private Extension Service Providers (ESPs), and strengthening

President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban will lead the event kickoff.

Experts from the government and the private sectors will present the latest market trends, news, research, and other developments in the Philippine livestock, poultry, and aquaculture subsectors through various conferences, technical seminars, and other on-site activities.

This year’s roster of exhibitors includes the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), the National Dairy Authority (NDA), the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), the International Training Center on Pig Husbandry (ITCPH), the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries

(PCAF), the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS), and BFAR.

Joining them are the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines, the DA’s partners in providing credit support to farmers, fisherfolk, and agricultural cooperatives and associations, at the DA Pavilion.

Another highlight of the threeday event would be the Livestock Philippines Recognition 2023, which honors companies, institutions, organizations, and cooperatives for their invaluable contribution to developing the Philippine livestock, poultry, and feed industries.

Also present during the press conference were NLP Director Ruth S. Miclat-Sonaco, BAI Assistant Director Arlene A. Vytiaco, NMIS Director Clarita M. Sangcal, NDA Administrator Gabriel L. Lagamayo, BAFS Director Karen Kristine A. Roscom, DA Technical Assistant and PCAF National Sectoral Committee on Poultry and Livestock Focal Person Norberto A. Nival, and PCC Animal Genetic Resources Head and Animal Breeding and Genomics Section Supervisor Ester B. Flores. (Krystelle Ymari A. Vergara, DA-AFID)

partnerships with other institutions to provide innovative extension modalities.

Assistant Director Antonieta Arceo also spoke with the workshop participants and highlighted the importance of innovation. She also urged the attendees to tap more LSAs and ESPs to conduct training and other related programs at the community level.

Recoter and Arceo also provided inputs on the proposed three-year development plans of the divisions and units at the ATI central office and the 16 training centers.

Before reviewing the proposed development plans, PPD-National Extension System Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Section chief Gay Ritchel Dianala presented the Draft ATI Corporate Plan for 2023-2028. The plan outlines the strategies of the Institute under its new key result areas as capacity-builder, knowledge bank, and catalyst of agriculture and fisheries extension.

Likewise, PPD-Policy and Standards Development Section representative Roy Son

De La Cruz talked about the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System or PAFES. Budget Officer Leonila Caiz also discussed the 2024 Plans and Proposals of the ATI submitted

Oh Wangan Integrated Farm aims to deliver quality upland vegetable seedlings in the locality and adjacent towns

ATI Western Visayas Senior Agriculturist Vianney Ojerio presents their proposed development plan for 2024 to 2026

Alibaba Cloud: From sports, digital evolution to sustainability solutions

By Riera U. Mallari

ALIBABA Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has been at the forefront of the world’s evolution into the digital age with its cloud computing services, e-commerce ecosystem, data storage and processing, anti-DDoS protection and content delivery networks.

But it is more than just those tech jargons.

Since 2017, it has also become a partner of the International Olympic Committee in its efforts to transform the Olympic Games into the digital era, while better engaging the young generation into its fold. Along the way, it has also helped protect the environment by analyzing carbon emissions, pushing for a greener lifestyle and offering sustainability solutions.

Olympic partner

Six years ago, Alibaba joined The Olympic Partner worldwide sponsorship program as its official cloud services partner. This led to the launching in 2018 of the Olympic Broadcasting Services Cloud, which operates entirely in the cloud and supports the extremely demanding content production and delivery workflows of broadcasting the gaames.

In July, 2020, Alibaba Cloud announced its support for Le Club Paris 2024 Website, the digital gateway for those who are inter-

ested in the Olympics, deploying its services to ensure the digital platform is easily managed with minimal interruption and provides smooth user experience for the various interactive activities via its website.

The following year in June, Alibaba Cloud supported Tokyo 2020 as the first Olympics Games to be broadcast on the cloud. OBS’s content delivery platform

Content+ is fully migrated to the cloud for delivering short-form content, content asset management and content production, offering a new model for content delivery that drives operational efficiency and greater agility.

In February, 2022, Alibaba Cloud supported Beijing 2022 to migrate its core games technology services to the cloud, thereby reducing the time and cost investment on IT infrastructure, hardware and associated management. This aided Beijing 2022 to streamline its planning and man-

agement and deliver a more seamless user experience.

Energy Expert Alibaba Cloud’s AIdriven sustainability solution—Energy Expert—has been trialed to measure and analyze carbon emissions from temporary construction built to host the first Olympic Esports Week in Singapore from June 22 to 25, generating data-driven insights on the choice of materials and equipment. Energy Expert allowed event organizers to identify the sources of the carbon emissions from venue construction and operation, quantify the carbon footprint generated by a venue and visualize a venue’s sus-

tainability performance via an integrated dashboard and online reports.

Esports

VR Table Tennis Match: Experience Eleven Table Tennis, which utilizes Alibaba Cloud for its virtual reality table tennis game that gives players all over the world an immersive gaming experience. The game is powered by Alibaba Cloud Global Network which provides E2E data transmission encryption, global network coverage and ultra-low latency to eliminate security and reliability concerns. Cloudverse: Cloudverse is a one-stop solution that helps businesses design, build and manage a metaverse space.

Alibaba Cloud provides scalable, highly efficient, and secure cloud infrastructure offerings for the provision of the Cloudverse, including computing, storage, database, networking, and intelligent operations platforms.

Health Games for Seniors: Alibaba

technology to be more accessible to the ageing Singaporean population, who can greatly benefit from it.

The hunting bike game turns physical exercise for the user into a fun and engaging activity. By using Advanced Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to translate pedaling motions into in-game actions, it allows the seniors to train their lower limb strength while interacting with the game.

Physio Ping Pong is an innovative motion sensor game that combines both physical and cognitive activities, helping seniors to stay active and stimulate their cognitive function concurrently.

Cleaner, sustainable Alibaba Cloud also partnered in i Light Singapore 2023, where it unveiled its latest sustainability solution with an immersive light experience to put a spotlight on sustainability and encourages greener lifestyle choices.

Energy Expert was also used to analyze carbon emissions at Lightwave: Turning the Tide, an immersive light display at Marina Bay from June 1 to 25, providing actionable insights and energy-saving recommendations for future editions of the event.

Cloud is providing cloud computing support to upscale intergenerational health games, enabling the emerging

i Light resulted in pledges for the green movements and vision for achieving netzero emissions by 2050 online via the i Light i Pledge. For each pledge submitted online, a visual unique to each pledge was generated using Alibaba Cloud’s artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The initiative showed how a small step from an individual can contribute to a more sustainable future for all as each pledge submitted by the public (up to the first 5,000 pledges), 100 grams of waste will be removed from Singapore’s waterways.

AFRICA and ASEAN signed a landmark partnership agreement to promote digital economies, identifying fintech, decentralized assets and fundraising as focus for convergence. The historic signing was done at the

seminal inclusive Fintech Forum in Kigali, Rwanda witnessed by regulators, association heads and leading fintech and technology businesses across the two regions.

The partnership brings together ASEAN

(via the GIFT- Global Impact Fintech ASEAN, the One ASEAN Fintech Movement - OAFM and Digital Pilipinas) and Pan Africa via the Africa Fintech Network. This also sets the stage for the first ever Africa x ASEAN Digital Economies and Fintech month both happening on the week of October 2 to 6, 2023 in Manila, Philippines and Nairobi, Kenya.

Witnessing the partnership signing for the Africa Fintech Network (AFN) were Dr Patrick Saidu Conteh, CEO, Dr Segun Aina President, Premier Oiwoh, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at NIBSS / Nigeria and the various officers of the AFN, the 35 country strong network of digital economies in Africa. For its ASEAN counterpart, witnessing the partnership agreement signing were Singapore’s Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Sopnendu Mohanty and Global Fintech Institute Dr David Lee, Mr Ouk Sarat, Head of Payment Service Department, National Bank of Cambodia, Remi Pell, Chair of Cambodia Fintech Association and Amor Maclang of Digital Pilipinas, Philippine Fintech Association and GIFT/ OAFM.

This landmark agreement marks the

beginning of a collaboration between the two regions in advocacy, fundraising, payments, lending, decentralized assets, start-up development, regulatory exchange and education.

Africa, ASEAN enter into landmark deal to promote digital economies Kaspersky launches new cybersecurity course ‘Suricata’

Both Africa and ASEAN are expected to grow exponentially in the digital economies space with global projections for ASEAN growing by 6 per cent annually, reaching as high as US$1 trillion by 2030. Africa, on the other hand, is projected to top US$712 billion by 2050.

“Africa and ASEAN are uniquely placed to leapfrog digital economic development. The recent signing of a cooperation agreement with our various ASEAN partners as the One ASEAN Fintech Movement/ GIFT / Digital Pilipinas & Africa Fintech Network is a demonstration of the strong emerging partnership among the major digital finance stakeholders in the spirit of sharing innovative technologies, knowledge, and best practices to support the sustainable development of our countries, “ says Dr Conteh.

World Social Media Day: How threat actors are weaponizing social media

THE Philippines is one of the most active social media communities worldwide, according to the Digital 2023 report.

With 72.5% of the population on social media, Filipinos spend an average of 3 hours and 43 minutes on these channels to keep in touch with family and friends, read news stories, and find content.

As social media continues to exert its influence on everyday lives, it becomes increasingly crucial for Filipinos to remain vigilant regarding the evolving dangers associated with its usage. Recent technological advancements, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence, have further exacerbated these risks, necessitating heightened awareness and precautionary measures.

With World Social Media Day around the corner, here are three ways social media is putting individuals and organizations at risk.

Social media preys on psychological weakness

Hackers consistently rely on user behavior to provide the openings they need to penetrate network defenses.

While some look to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in a system or network, often the most efficient way to target a business is through social engineering methods that manipulate users into breaching security policies and giving away information that can be used to steal data or launch an attack.

According to Palo Alto Networks Unit 42’s 2022 Incident Response Report, attackers used phishing, a form of social engineering, 40% of the time to gain initial access to a system. By studying an employee’s social media profile, cybercriminals are able to develop a comprehensive profile of their victim, which they can then use to launch a targeted attack. These attacks appeal to emotions such as fear, curiosity, urgency, and greed and beckon unsuspecting

employees to click on a link or attachment, ignoring basic cybersecurity hygiene. And with the Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report finding that 66% of malware is delivered through PDFs, just one erroneous click of the button can lead to disastrous consequences, enabling malicious macros to infiltrate the system.

From catfishing to AI-cultivated deepfakes

Another risk associated with social media is that it involves people establishing connections without necessarily needing to establish authenticity.

This requires a leap of faith, which can easily be exploited by threat actors. From identity theft to catfishing, cybercriminals use social media to capture information and content from unsuspecting victims, assume their identities, and commit fraudulent activity.

But the breadth of ways impersonations or fake identities are being used in the security space is growing. As technological advancements improve the quality, customisability, and accessibility of artificial intelligence-enabled content creation, malicious actors are using this technology to exploit images and videos—often taken from social media platforms—and manipulate them into content that can be used for extortion, harassment, misinformation, and reputational damage.

When disseminated through social media, convincing fake content—deepfakes—can instantly reach millions. A video altered to make it appear as if a CEO was announcing that profits were down could impact a company’s stock price; similarly, a presidential candidate appearing to confess complicity in a crime could lead to the disruption of an election. Although impersonators don’t necessarily need to be using techniques as advanced as deepfakes to cause havoc, such as the case of a fake account for a US pharma company announced it would be distributing free insulin, causing the company’s stock to plummet.

Malware and ransomware infiltrate the social web

Alongside using social media for intelligence gathering and dissemination, cybercriminals also share malicious links on social media directly. These links, harboring anything from viruses, trojans, spyware, and ransomware, help hackers access devices and networks to steal data and take control of systems.

AN all-new training program developed by Kaspersky’s experts provides necessary knowledge of how to write and implement Suricata rules to detect and block the most advanced threats.

With rapidly evolving threat landscape, businesses should understand it’s more crucial than ever to have a comprehensive security strategy in place. To get clear insight into what is occurring on the company’s network from a security perspective, IT Security professionals should be able to work with different data feeds such as Suricata. It is an open-source detection engine that can act as an intrusion detection system (IDS) or intrusion prevention system (IPS), and is capable of network security monitoring (NSM) and offline packet capture (pcap) processing.

“Suricata for Incident Response and Threat Hunting” is a new course in the Kaspersky Expert Training portfolio covering all the necessary skills to master Suricata - from basic information about network protocols and structure of Suricata rules to more advanced features of how to write them. Within this program students will gain a deep understanding of how to use frameworks for responding to attacks in real-time and also learn to analyze suspicious traffic and identify false positives. In addition to theoretical foundations, the course provides students with practical cases based on real threats.

The course is useful for both companies aiming to power up their security policy and individual learners, looking to advance their career in threat hunting.

The well-structured videos and hands-on virtual labs provide for effective learning, while the on-demand format is great for studying at your own pace. By immediately putting the gained knowledge to practice with guidance from Tatyana Shishkova, Lead Security Researcher (GReAT) at Kaspersky, learners will equip themselves with high-quality threat hunting skills.

ALIBABA Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group

The rst Olympic Esports Week in Singapore

Chris Tung, president of Corporate Development, Alibaba Holding Group, and William Xiong, VP of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence and General Manager of Enterprise Service Cloud

Filipinos spend an average of 3 hours and 43 minutes on these channels to keep in touch with family and friends, read news stories, and nd content

Shown here are (from left) Dr. Patrick Saidu Conteh, CEO of Africa Fintech Network; Amor Maclang, Convenor of Digital Pilipinas and Philippine Fintech Festival, Co-Founder of One ASEAN Fintech Movement, ASEAN Chair of Global Impact Fintech, Executive Director of Fintech Philippines Association; Professor David Lee, Chairman of the Board at Global FinTech Institute; and Premier Oiwoh, Managing Director & Chief Executive O cer at NIBSS / Nigeria