PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to explore the possibility of making the application for an Overseas Employment Certificate
(OEC) free of charge. This would benefit an estimated 1.83 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who currently pay P100 each for an OEC, which lasts two months. The President issued the directive
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources has advised village leaders and residents of Metro Manila to reduce activities such as watering lawns and washing cars to avert massive water interruptions in the coming months.
In its Bulletin No. 2, the DENR's Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) told all barangay officials and condominium and subdivision managers to advise residents to conserve water.
The WRMO said residents should also be encouraged to promote rainwatercollection for non-potable use of water and to reuse laundry and dishwashing wastewater for watering plants.
The WRMO also directed all local government units in the National Capital Region to speed up the approval of pipe repairs of water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad.
“As we prepare for even drier conditions due to El Niño, it is, more than ever, important to conserve water in order to prevent massive water interruptions later this year,” the WRMO said.
Earlier, the WRMO issued its first bulletin containing the guidelines for water conservation measures by all government offices, through their building administrators.
In its second bulletin, the WRMO said its team will conduct spotinspections of office buildings for unwarranted use of water, leaks, and faulty bathroom fixtures. The team will ensure that WRMO Bulletin Nos. 1 and 2 are posted in offices accordingly.
The WRMO said that together with
THE Department of Energy expects no power outages despite an expected decline in hydroelectric power due to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
"We do not have potential red alerts for the rest of the year,” Energy Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said.
Guevara said that based on the state weather bureau's forecast, hydro power plants are expected to reduce output by 50
percent starting July and up to 70 percent by the end of the year.
She said there is a potential yellow alert on the third week of July and three weeks in August but no red alerts as a result of the lower hydro power output.
"We can run the more expensive diesel plants if actual demand exceeds the projected demand. So far, the actual demand is less than the projected demand," the official said.
By Macon Ramos-Araneta
SENATOR Imee Marcos on Sunday raised concern over the presence of at least two more C-17 Globemasters of the US Air Force in Manila and Palawan.
While acknowledging the ongoing military exercises between the two countries, she said there is a need to shed light on the activities of US Air Force planes in Philippine air space.
By Vince LopezTHE Philippine Coast Guard will continue to expose Chinese excursions in the West Philippine Sea, as it and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are set
Araja
TRAVELERS continue to flock to the Philippines despite the recent hullabaloo over the country's new tourism slogan, the leader of a group of tour operators said Sunday.
In an interview with TeleRadyo
Serbisyo, the president of the Philippine Tour Operators' Association (Philtoa), Fe Abling-Yu, said the controversy surrounding the country's new "Love
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to increase their joint patrols to the Del Pilar Reef and Escoda Shoal, where Chinese militia vessels were spotted swarming ahead of a suspected occupation. PCG West Philippine Sea spokes-
person Commodore Jay Tarriela said the Coast Guardians’ "transparency initiative" on Chinese incursions is part of its strategy to drive China’s ships away from the WPS islands.
“We realized that for the Philippine
SPEAKER Martin Romualdez on Sunday said the New Agrarian Emancipation Act is expected to boost rice production by 40 percent, or from 70 cavans per hectare to
BURBANK, California -- Aw, gee! The technology driving artificial intelligence sure is swell, but it could never capture the essence of Mickey Mouse, according to the man who voices Disney's mascot.
100 cavans per hectare.
"I have a strong feeling that the new law would pave the way for our farmers to produce more rice, which is our basic staple, and other crops that they grow in between rice planting,” he said.
The new law writes off "all principal
As part of Disney's upcoming 100thanniversary celebration, Agence FrancePresse spoke with animators, archivists and Mickey voice actor Bret Iwan about
government to drive them away is for us to expose them in public, create pub lic awareness, and for them to be criti cized by the international community," Tarriela said.
SILENT
Marcos earlier asked the Senate to investigate the mysterious activity of a US Air Force C-17 that landed at NAIA on June 26 at 8:08 am. and departed NAIA at 6:10 p.m. for Palawan -- or a 10-hour
"Too little is known about ongoing US
‘AI can’t copy essence of Mickey Mouse’
CYBERCRIMES in the National Capital Region (NCR) are on the rise despite the SIM Registration Act, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said over the weekend.
Citing a report from the Philippine National Police, CICC said the cybercrimes in Metro Manila rose exponentially by 152 percent during the first half of the year, partly due to the carelessness of online users and the availability of malware online.
Data from NCRPO showed that the total number of cybercrimes reported to police from January to June 30 reached
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the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System (MWSS), it will review the monthly water bills of all government facilities. Notices on excessive use of water will be issued, it added.
The office also advised the public to report leaks along streets to the MWSS (8929-5691, 8922-2969, 0967-3197144, or cch@mwss.gov.ph), or to the water service providers Manila Water (1627) or Maynilad (1626).
WMRO’s Bulletin No. 2 was issued as the water level in Angat Dam, which supplies potable water to NCR and nearby provinces, continues to drop amid an impending El Niño dry spell.
As of July 8, 2023, the water level in Angat Dam was at 179.99 meters, which is below the 180-meter minimum operating level.
When below operating levels, the allocation for irrigation will be reduced and supply for NCR and the provinces of Rizal, Cavite, and Bulacan will be at the minimum volume. As such, residents could expect lower water pressures main-
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Guevara said the completion of three critical transmission projects by August are also expected to provide additional power supply so thereare no yellow alerts for that month.
These are the Hermosa-San Jose, Cebu-Negros-Panay Project 3 and Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Projects.
Guevera said on Friday the Department of Energy is monitoring severalhydro power plants due to El Nino.
She said these are the 280 MW Angat, 720 MW Kalayaan, 345 MW Magat and 435 MW San Roque hydro facilities.
"We are monitoring their [water] level that will determine their capacity to generate hydroelectric power," Guevara said.
She said DOE conducted a simulation,
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during a meeting with the DMW, Bureau of Immigration, and Department of Information and Communications Technology in Malacañang where the migrant agency presented the DMW Mobile App.
DMW Secretary Maria Susana Ople said they are just waiting for the approval of the DICT for the official launch of the DMW Mobile App to ensure its cybersecurity features.
The app contains the OFW Pass, a digital and secure version of the OEC, which serves as the digital identity of migrant Filipino workers.
After a two- to three-month transition period upon activation, the OFW Pass will completely replace the OEC.
“Hopefully within the week we will be able to launch the app," Ople said.
The OFW Pass and OEC have significant differences.
The OFW Pass, for instance, is a QR code generated and can be acquiredonly through the app, while the OEC requires
From A1 military activity in our territory while we constantly call out the presence of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea," the senator said.
She said the Senate hearing inquiry would discuss the US military's possible violation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Global flight tracker AirNav Systems showed that at 6:03 a.m. on Friday, July 7, a US Air Force C-17 with flight code MC244 / RCH244 landed in Manila from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
It then flew to Palawan before 1 p.m. and headed for the Yokota Air Base in Japan later in the afternoon.
Although the plane's call signal was repeatedly out of coverage during its journey, Marcos said flight tracker Flightradar24 recorded its departure from Palawan shortly before 4 p.m., Manila time.
6,250 up from 2,477 recorded during the same period last year.
Online scams during the same period almost tripled to 4,446 compared to 1,551 last year while illegal access reached 1,063, up 86 percent from 570 during the same period last year.
ATM and credit card fraud also rose during the first semester to 625 which is
ly during the night, and possible interruptions in certain areas serviced by MWSS.
Under Memorandum Circular 22, President Marcos directed the WRMO to monitor the progress of all agencies towards conserving water through the analysis of their monthly water bills, with the aim of reducing their consumption by 10 percent.
Created last April by virtue of Executive Order No. 22, WRMO is mandated to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water resources in the country.
Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, said water interruptions which weregrowing in number and duration were unacceptable.
She said MWSS should take urgent action on the planned water service interruptions affecting almost 600,000 customers of MWSS starting July 12.
"MWSS should not take this matter sitting down as these recurring service cuts will affect over half a million consumers," the chairperson of the Senate committee on public services said.
Maynilad said its customers may experience up to nine hours of nightly water service interruptions starting July 12 due to the decreasing water level of Angat
based on historical data and forecasts of El Niño on power generation where it was revealed that about 300 MW to 500 MW of hydro capacity will be affected.
Guevara said the entry of the Ilijan natural gas power plant will also address demand, estimated at 720 MW.
She also said that National Grid Corp. of the Philippines' ancillary services providers will also provide additional capacity, if needed.
Also over the weekend, the National Economic and Development Authority(NEDA) said the El Niño phenomenon is unlikely to have a significant impact on inflation this year.
NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said the brunt of El Niño is expected at the beginning of 2024 so the preparations must already be started.
Edillon also assured the public that
onsite processing with a P100 charge.
The OFW Pass is valid until the expiration of the OFW’s work contract, while the OEC only lasts for 60 days.
Those who can avail of the OFW Pass are first-time OFWs; Balik Manggagawa OFWs or OFWs going to the Philippines temporarily, but will be returning to the same employer; and OFWs who have transferred to a different employer or whose contracts need to be registered and verified by the Office of the Labor Attaché.
The DMW will integrate its Mobile App with the BI’s eTravel and e-Gate systems, and eventually link it to DICT’s eGov PH Super App.
“The President said this should be free as one way to honor our modern-day heroes. The President underscored the sacrifices and honor that OFWs bring, not to mention their dollar remittances. They are the economic lifeline of so many households across the country," Ople said.
“The President's directive is for us to ensure our OFWs don't pay anything for the mobile app and the OFW Pass," she added.
Passengers on commercial flights to and from Manila's international airport also noticed two US military planes near the runway and shared pictures with Marcos' office.
On Saturday, a C-17 that took off from Tokyo the night before with flight code RCH323 was spotted north of Busuanga past 10 a.m., Marcos said.
It was off the radar until late afternoon when it again appeared in the same vicinity flying toward Polillo Island before exiting the Philippine territory past 6 p.m., she added.
The US Embassy in Manila earlier 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 US government aircraft that enter the Philippines,” acting US Embassy spokesperson Stephen Dove said in a statement after the June 26 arrival of US Air Force C-17.
more than double the 241 cases reported during the same period last year.
Police Lt. Col. Jay D. Guillermo of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit-NCR projected that the exponential growth of cybercrime will continue due to the availability of malware on the internet, ease of doing business of both private and government institutions, technological development, and careless online users.
CICC Division Chief Engineer Norman Ancheta (Cybercrime Monitoring and Public Complaints Coordination) said the group's Inter-Agency Response Center has received 4,615 complaints from January 1 to June 15 this year.
IARC was established on December 27, 2022 following the implementation of the SIM (subscriber identity module)
Dam. Poe said the MWSS should determine whether water utilities likeMaynilad are adhering to their obligations based on their franchise.
"MWSS should be proactive. It can't be just the bearer of bad news to consumers of Maynilad's water cuts," she said.
Poe said Maynilad should have acted urgently in investing and building its supply capacities to avoid being caught flatfooted by increasing demand for potable water.
"They should not be depending only on the strength of rain. If there's a water shortage, Angat Dam has always been blamed," Poe said.
Poe said the MWSS and the water concessionaire must tell the public of its long-term and short-term solutions to the water shortage.
She pointed out that the authority granted to concessionaires to distribute water to consumers carries a serious obligation to deliver efficient service.
She stressed again the need to establish a Department of Water Resources to give focus on water use, management, and sources.
Valenzuela City Rep. Eric Martinez on
the government is taking measures to mitigate the negative effects of long dry spells, citing the reduction of water allocation for irrigation from Angat Dam in favor of residential use.
“The planting season has already concluded, eliminating the need for irrigation water at this point,” she said.
The National Water Resources Board earlier said it will reduce the allocation for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the National Irrigation Administration to 48 cubic meters per second (CMS) and to 20 CMS, respectively, until the end of July if the water level in Angat Dam falls below its minimum operating level of 180 meters.
Angat Dam's water level dropped to 179.99 meters early Saturday morning. After 24 hours, it further dipped to 179.56 meters.
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This would then be followed by maritime patrols by both the PCG and the AFP, he added in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview, noting that the swarms of Chinese ships may be a precursor to an illegal occupation of the resource-rich Recto (Reed) Bank.
Tarriela pointed out that Iroquois Reef is only 128 nautical miles away from the mainland of Palawan province, and thus falls within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The PCG may deploy its 97-meter and 44-meter coast guard vessels in follow-up operations to drive the Chinese vessels away from Philippine territory, he added.
The Philippines and China should come up with an amicable arrangement to prevent the “megaphone war” in the WPS from turning into a violent encounter, international studies analyst Rommel Banlaoi said over the weekend.
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The Philippines" tourism campaign had little to no effect on foreign tourists, who continue to come to the country after three years of lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abling-Yu said the country's tour operators continue to be more aggressive in their approach to attracting tourists to the Philippines, as foreign tourists themselves were just as aggressive in spending money for travel.
She added that while the "Love the Philippines" slogan did somehow help them in their tourism efforts, Phitoa "did not bank on the slogan that much."
Abling-Yu also said it was business as usual for tour operators in the country despite the flak that the Tourism department drew for using a promotional video with stock footage from other countries.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has terminated its contract with the ad agency DDB Philippines, which was responsible for producing and circulating the video online.
registration law. “Despite the ongoing implementation of the SIM Registration Act, cybercrime and cybersecurity-related concerns of the public are on the uptrend,” Ancheta said.
IARC, which receives complaints through social media, website, and telephone hotline 1326, received a total of 3,609 complaints related to SIM registration and 904 cyber complaints from January 1 to June 15.
Most of the cyber complaints are related to online fraud (364), illegal access (192) and online libel (103).
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos has emphasized: “The need for a single portal is necessary to allow the government to have a firm grasp of reality in fighting cybercrimes.”
Sunday urged the public, relevant authorities, and all stakeholders to take immediate action and prioritize preparedness for the impending water shortage crisis.
He cited the alarmingly low water level in Angat Dam which supplies over 90 percent of Metro Manila's water needs, dipping below the minimum operating level of 180 meters.
This serves as a wake-up call for the urgent need for long-term solutions and comprehensive strategies to mitigate the impact of the El Niño episode and ensure the well-being of our communities, he said.
With no rains in sight and the El Niño scenario in effect, Metro Manila should prepare well, he said, adding that “every drop counts."
"A waterless National Capital Region will hamper economic activity. Our actions should be clear, definitive, and quick,” he said.
He cited the necessity for a collective effort to conserve water, implement water-saving practices, and explore alternative sources to ensure sustainability.
“We must face this challenge head-on and strive for long-term solutions that go beyond temporary measures,” he said.
Edillon also said the government must take advantage of frequentrainfall and accelerate the completion of small impounding water projects to help ease effects of El Niño.
The state weather bureau on July 4 announced the start of a "weak" El Niño on the Pacific Ocean. The weather bureau warned that the phenomenon could cause dry spells and droughts in the country in the last quarter of 2023 and the first half of 2024.
National Statistician Dennis Mapa said during a briefing on inflation that if the agriculture sector suffers from El Niño, it would definitely affect prices.
In May, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the El Niño this year will "not deeply" hurt the Philippine economy as agriculture only accounts for "roughly 10 percent of the national income."
“The purpose of coordinated approach is to avoid accidents and prevent actualities in the area. What’s happening on the ground is what’s called a megaphone war… if the situation continues like that, then that will really raise risk of unintended violent encounter at sea,” the professor told ABS-CBN News.
Meanwhile, an Italian Marina Militare ship made a port visit to the Philippines on July 8, as Rome assured Manila its support to freedom of navigation amid the activities of China that are seen as threats to rules-based order.
The Philippine Navy welcomed the Italian vessel ITS Francesco Morosini, a Paolo Thaon di Revel-class offshore patrol vessel.
The ship arrived at the Port of Manila for a five-day stay as the Italian Ministry of Defense and Navy aimed to strengthen its "cooperation with the Philippine Armed Forces and the Department of National Defense," its embassy in the Philippines said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
Amid calls for a congressional probe on the video fiasco, PresidentFerdinand Marcos Jr. said DOT Secretary Christina Frasco still enjoys his trust and confidence.
As of May 2023, there have been 2.38 million international arrivals to the Philippines, Abling-Yu said, citing DOT figures.
Meanwhile, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said she isbatting for a thorough investigation into the recent controversies surrounding the Department of Tourism's new branding campaign.
She cited the need for transparency and accountability as millions of pesos in taxpayers' money are involved in this issue.
Castro raised concern over reports suggesting the involvement of personalities with close ties to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“It is imperative that we shed light on this 'Frasco fiasco' to ensure that public funds are being utilized appropriately and that there is no undue influence from individuals associated with the Marcos regime," she said.
SCREENING for breast and cervical cancer among Filipino women could be the lowest in the world with just 1 percent of eligible women getting themselves screened, the first step to cancer prevention.
Valerie Gilbert Ulep, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said at a presentation of his study last month that “a big portion [of the] country’s cancer burden is preventable” if only more early screening can be conducted among women. Ulep said cancer patients in their most productive age of 40 to 69years old account for most deaths, resulting in untold social and economic costs to the country.
Data show that for breast cancer alone, 27,000 new cases are reported each year while 9,000 women die annually. Low screening has been traced to a lack of funds provided by the government, especially for the poor. This results in very few government hospitals offering this screening service.
Also, many fear finding out that one has cancer, and go for screening only when they are already suffering and it is too late.
A BETTOR from Tondo, Manila became an instant millionaire after hitting the P7.6-million jackpot of the Lotto 6/42 draw on Saturday night.
The winning combination of 03-2812-26-08-21 carried a total jackpot prize of P7,656,441.80, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said in an advisory Sunday.
The bettor can claim the check at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City upon presentation of the winning ticket and two identification cards.
Lotto winnings of more than P10,000 shall be subject to a 20 percent tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.
Prizes not claimed within a year will be forfeited.
Meanwhile, 91 others won P24,000 each for guessing five out of the six winning digits; 3,304 bettors will get P800 each for four correct digits; and 37,574 will settle for P20 each for three correct digits.
The 6/42 Lotto is drawn every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
From A1 loans, unpaid amortization, and interests” of 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries from the time of the late President Marcos Sr. up to the present.
The unpaid obligations are estimated to amount to about P58 billion.
The Speaker said the majority of the beneficiaries of the new law and who are tilling about 1.1 million hectares of land are rice farmers.
“Now that our farmers will soon be free of debt, I hope that they willbe able to increase their produce to at least 100 50-kilo bags per hectare, from the present 60 to 70 cavans. But of course, the government will have to help along the way,” he said.
To erase the agrarian reform beneficiaries’ indebtedness is just the first step in assisting them to attain better productivity and achieve rice sufficiency for the country, Romualdez said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
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the company's past and future, including the potential for AI -- a topic currently roiling Hollywood.
"Gosh, I would say, of course there's amazing technology being developed with AI, and it's so impressive," said Iwan.
"But I don't think anything can replace the heart of a character and more importantly, the heart of storytelling."
Artificial intelligence, and the threat it poses to professions across the entertainment industry, has been a constant source of hand-wringing in Hollywood this summer.
AFP's visit to Disney's sprawling studio near Los Angeles came during the ongoing strike by writers, in part over fears that AI could replace them.
The issue is also among demands being negotiated by Hollywood actors who are worried about AI cloning their voices and likenesses, and who could strike as soon as Thursday. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
50 families moved out of Mayon PDZ
FIFTY families still living within Mt. Mayon six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) were evacuated amid the volcano’s continued unrest, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Sunday.
Social welfare workers from DSWD’s Bicol field office and Disaster Response Management Division found the families in Barangay Anoling, one of the geographically-isolated areas in Camalig town in Albay.
DSWD FO 5 Regional Director Norman Laurio said the evacuated families would be temporarily sheltered at the Baligang Elementary School.
The Camalig Municipal Police Station, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, and the Municipal Disaster Response and Management Office of the Camalig local government unit conducted the forced evacuation.
Mayon registered 26 volcanic earthquakes and 303 rockfall events over the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Sunday.
TO PROMOTE active mobility among Filipinos, Senator Pia Cayetano wants the government to allocate more bike lanes.
The senator, an avid cyclist, is fully supportive of the creation of more bike lanes, not just in Metro Manila, but also in the provinces and other regions in the country such as Central Luzon.
Cayetano aired her full support for the ongoing construction of 37.5 kilometers of bike lanes in San Fernando, Pampanga, a joint project of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The senator said she is very happy that in Central Luzon, there are cities like San Fernando and Angeles which already have bike lanes.
She also said that cycling is also being actively promoted in the province of Tarlac, “I am very happy to hear the news about the construction of several kilometers of bike lanes,” said the senator during a visit to Pampanga.
Macon
THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the Philippine Coast Guard have agreed to enroll Coast Guardians among the priority beneficiaries of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
This was the subject of a memorandum of agreement between DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar and PCG officer in charge Vice Admiral Rolando Punzalan Jr. during the former’s visit to PCG Headquarters in Manila.
The MOA, the first among the country’s uniformed services, formalizes the inclusion of PCG personnel in the 4PH Program initially targeting 2,000 Coast Guard personnel as beneficiaries.
Punzalan welcomed the partnership as a huge boost to the morale and welfare program of the PCG. Rio N. Araja
THE Department of Justice has rendered an opinion that the Commission on Audit can review for audit purposes the gross gaming receipts (GGR) of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) on the request of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR),
In a legal opinion dated June 30, 2023, the DOJ said: “There appears to be basis and sound fiscal reasons for COA to audit the GRR of the POGO, while PAGCOR is still in the process of procuring the services of a qualified
third-party audit platform in accordance with the provisions of RA (Republic Act) 11590 and RA 9184.”
RA 11590 is the law on the taxing of POGOs and amends a number of provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997
(NIRC), while RA 9184 is the Government Procurement Reform Act.
However, the DOJ opinion issued by Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez informed COA Chairperson Gamaliel A. Cordoba that the opinion was issued for COA’s “information and guidance only.
Citing the DOJ’s 1988 opinion, Vasquez said: “This Department will not pass upon any opinion, ruling and/ or actuations of officials/agencies, over which it has no revisory authority.”
“Being an independent constitutional body, this Department does not possess any reviewing authority over the rul-
PHILIPPINE National Police Chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. has met with the Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, to discuss areas of cooperation that will improve the security situation in the area.
Gen. Acorda said Ebrahim’s visit last
Friday at Camp Crame in Quezon City was part of BARMM’s commitment to peace and order in the region, amid the recent incident where several police officers and soldiers were wounded in a firefight with forces under the former vice mayor of Maimbung, Sulu, Pando Mudjasan.
“It was an official visit and at the same time to renew commitment to the path of peace especially in the BARMM area. We in the PNP recognized
all the mechanisms that are in place as far as the peace and order situation in the area is concerned,” Acorda said in a statement.
“We also renewed our cooperation and active coordination. The real purpose for this is the de-escalation of hostilities in Mindanao and if possible, if we can put up some developments there without necessarily the cost of lives and other hostilities in the area,” he added.
ings or official actuations of said agency (COA),” he stressed.
Nonetheless, the DOJ said that COA is “the watchdog of the financial operations of the government and is tasked with the examination, audit, and settlement of all accounts pertaining to the revenues and receipts of, and expenditures, or uses of funds and property, owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the government or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities including government-owned and controlled corporations with original charters.”
NATIONAL SHRINE. Despite a drizzle, the faithful attend Mass at Quaipo Church in Manila on Sunday, as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has approved the elevation of the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Black Nazarene to national shrine status, making it the country’s 29th such structure.
THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday urged all Filipinos in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to “go home” after infighting there between the military and paramilitary forces has claimed the lives of at least 3,000 people.
The DFA made the call amid reports of looting of homes of foreigners in the northeast African country.
“Our advice is still it is time to go home,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said, in an interview over TeleRadyo Serbisyo. The DFA official noted that some 110 Filipinos still remained in Sudan despite earlier repatriation efforts of the Philippine government through the Saudi government.
“Others don’t want to go home because their employers still owe them. They want to be paid first,” De Vega added.
Currently, the Philippines is processing the repatriation of 17 Filipinos who are at the Port of Sudan since two weeks ago.
“We are waiting for commercial
By Rio N. ArajaALBAY Rep. Joey Salceda wants to ensure tax provisions of oil and gas exploration deals in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are “clear, fair and square.”
This is in response to the recent formalization of the Intergovernmental Energy Board that shall manage the extraction of petroleum reserves in the Bangsamoro area.
Salceda said he is working with the national government and will be engaging the Bangsamoro government on the region’s Tax Code as part of the effort.
The Board’s duties would include setting policies for the extraction of oil and gas in the Bangsamoro region, which covers gas-rich areas such as the Liguasan Marsh.
“Liguasan Marsh is suspected to have the largest deposits of natural gas in Southeast Asia. Now, we can’t know for sure, because prospecting has been limited by lack of investments and the peace and order situation, until now. The BARMM government and close collaboration with the National Government give us the opportunity to do that,” he said.
The Liguasan Marsh is a 220,000-hectare wetland with proven reserves of natural gas.
flights to be available again. Before, Saudi (airlines) flies for free but not right now,” he said.
Deadly fighting raged in Sudan since mid-April between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Rey E. Requejo
“It could be the key to energy independence for the Philippines, especially with the shift towards LNG in a transition away from coal.
It could also make BARMM one of the richest areas in the country if we can manage governance well,” Salceda cited.
THE Local Water Utilities Administration said it is ready for the start of El Niño and the possible water shortage across the country.
In an exclusive interview with Manila Standard, LWUA Administrator Vicente Revil shared that the water supply outside Metro Manila remained sufficient.
“For now, we have enough supply due to Agua de Mayo starting early this year, but then, we still have to prepare for El Niño,” Revil said.
He added that to mitigate the possible effects of El Niño, LWUA ordered all water districts outside Metro Manila to follow Memo Circular No. 002.23 which was released last April 11.
In the memorandum, LWUA said water districts must conduct water supply inventory and management, check water quality, follow standard proce -
dures and policies, and conduct communication and information drives in their areas.
The circular also enjoined all water districts to submit their respective El Niño 2023 action plan by May 15, as of the moment, various water districts have complied and LWUA is now compiling and validating the submitted data for monitoring purposes.
When asked about the possible hot spots where possible water shortages would hit, Revil said LWUA is monitoring Mindanao and Visayas.
“We are looking at the side of Mindanao and parts of Visayas or lower parts of the Philippines, but I think it would be the whole country.
That is why I think it is important to conduct water inventory,” Revil said.
In the latest weather projection of PAGASA, El Niño may start around June, July, or August and may persist until the first quarter of 2024.
Salceda vows fair deals for marsh explo
AN INITIAL batch of 3,457 victims from the fisheries sector has so far filed a combined P114 million in financial compensation claims for the economic losses that they suffered due to the MT Princess Empress oil spill, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, a member of the House committee on ecology, said on Sunday.
“Those figures from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds, or IOPC Funds, are very preliminary. Additional claims from capture fishery alone have probably been submitted by now, but have not been aggregated and reported yet,” Pimentel said.
LOCAL government units (LGUs) nationwide will have new firetrucks after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) turned over 56 units to the Bureau of Fire (BFP).
In a news release on Sunday, the DILG said the fire trucks will be distributed to Ilocos Region, six units; Cagayan Valley, three; Central Luzon, five; Calabarzon, seven; Mimaropa, four; Bicol, three; Western Visayas, three; Central Visayas, four; Eastern Visayas, two; Zamboanga Peninsula, four; Davao Region four; Soccsksargen, five; Cordillera Administrative Region, two; and Northern Mindanao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, National Capital Region, and Caraga, one each.
Each truck has a complete set of firefighter’s personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus, hoses and nozzles, foam generating nozzle with alcoholresistant - aqueous film forming foam, and other tools and accessories using the appropriate fire service standards adaptable to the country’s conditions.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the fire trucks are among the 94 units of 1000-gallon capacity fire trucks under the 2022 BFP procurement plan.
Sixty-three more units and other modern equipment are expected to be procured within the year.
“The distribution of these modern and state-of-the-art fire trucks is a testament that President Marcos and the DILG’s top priority is the safety of our communities and citizens),” Abalos said during the turnover ceremony at the BFP headquarters in Quezon City on Friday.
“We understand that the IOPC Funds are now managing the civil liability claims with respect to the oil pollution damaged caused by the incident,” the lawmaker added.
Pimentel also said: “The Philippine Coast Guard and other government agencies involved are also ex-
pected to file their respective claims for costs incurred in cleanup operations and preventive measures as well as sea response.”
Beach resorts, tour boat operators and other tourism service providers hit by the oil spill are also expected to file claims, according to Pimentel.
The 508-ton MT Princess Empress sank in Tablas Strait on February 28, discharging up to 5,600 barrels (900,000 liters) of highly toxic industrial fuel oil into the waters of Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Antique, and Palawan.
Fishing and swimming bans were imposed for an extended period in the areas hit hardest by the spill, thus adversely affecting communities dependent on seafood harvesting and tourism activities.
The London-based IOPC Funds pay compensation to those who have suffered pollution damage from spills of persistent oil from tankers in a member state, such as the Philippines. Claimants may be individuals, partnerships, companies, private organizations, or public bodies, including states or local authorities. Rio Araja
THE offices of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and Tingog partylist Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre have once again responded to help people in need, this time to victims of a recent fire in Cotabato City. At least 200 families were affected by a fire that took place last July 5 in Purok
Tadman, Poblacion 7, Cotabato City.
Some 80 homes were damaged. The Tingog party-list in Cotabato brought to the evacuation center in Datu Siang Elementary School a total of 250 hot meals and 80 gallons of purified water. The assistance the said groups provided was the victims’ first meal following the fire.
Romualdez is eyeing the distribution of
relief goods to the fire victims on Tuesday. To further help the fire victims, Romualdez and his wife chairperson of the committee on accounts, along with Acidre, have coordinated with Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian for the conduct of the assistance to individuals in crisis situations (AICS) distribution possibly on Wednesday.
CSR EXPO. League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) board members (from left to right) Edric Calma from Knowledge Channel Foundation; Geoffrey Garcia from Pfizer Philippines Foundation; Marie Angeles from McDonald House Charities Phils.; Shem Jose Garcia from Vivant Foundation; Owen Cammayo from BPI Foundation; and Sebastian Quiniones Jr. from Pilipinas Shell Foundation during the 2023 CSR Expo held in Makati City. Manny Palmero
THE town of Carmona in Cavite is now officially a city.
In a plebiscite over the weekend, an overwhelming majority of residents voted ‘yes,’ ratifying the municipality’s conversion into a city.
Officials said 30,363 residents voted “yes,” while a mere 1,016 voted “no.”
Police reported that there were no untoward incidents or criminal activities while the plebiscite was ongoing. Carmona Mayor Dahlia Loyola thanked those who voted and unveiled the new seal of Carmona City.
The results were announced by Atty. Morales Castro of the Board of Canvassers at around 9:30 pm. Commission on Elections chair George Garcia also thanked everyone who helped in the plebiscite.
A mini-concert was held at a covered park outside the municipal hall to tell the public the results, officials said, and for the last time, the old hymn of Carmona was sung as a municipality.
Leptospirosis downs
4 QC residents
FOUR residents have died in Quezon City due to leptospirosis.
Mayor Joy Belmonte urged QC citizens to observe preventive measures to fight leptospirosis as well as dengue infection amid the rainy season.
Those who died were from barangays Payatas, Old Balara, Pasong Tamo and Talipapa from Jan. 1 to June 24.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by contact with water contaminated by rat urine. The Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit reported 1,160 cases of dengue from Jan. 1 to June 24 with Barangay Tatalon being the highest number of cases in the city.
The city tallied a total of 32 leptospirosis during the same period.
Belmonte said citizens must seek consultation in the nearest hospital or health center if they are experiencing leptospirosis symptoms, such as high fever, red eyes, abdominal pain, headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and yellowed skin or eyes. Rio N. Araja
Community pantry launched in Bukidnon
BUKIDNON Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores has successfully launched a community pantry for victims of recent flooding in the province.
“We started the community pantry last Saturday (July 8) in Barangay Managok. This is the hard-hit barangay during the flooding,” he said.
“On behalf of my constituents, I give my heartfelt thanks to House Speaker Martin Romualdez; his wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, and Rep. Jude Acidre for their assistance that made this community pantry possible. We will not forget your compassion,” he added.
He said he has asked the assistance of the city’s agriculturist to source the produce from local farmers. Rio N. Araja
THE Commission on Audit (COA) wants the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to address various reasons for project delays worth P96.218 billion.
In a 2022 report, state auditors cited 2,395 locally funded projects that were
delayed or non-implemented due to inadequate planning, detailed engineering, supervision, and monitoring. At least P60.077 billion in projects were not completed within the specific contract time.
Another P27.473 billion in projects were suspended, while P5.114 billion were either terminated or set
A COMMISSION on Audit (COA) report gave a favorable response to the action of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) on its modernization program.
According to the COA report, there is nothing wrong with the action taken by the BFP in placing the technical requirements that the bureau needs to keep up with modern times.
The COA report further stated that in 2010, the BFP launched its modernization program following the government’s Comprehensive Fire Code of 2008.
The main goal of the modernization program is for the bureau to upgrade its firefighting capability with adequate personnel and adequate firefighting equipment.
The COA report further noted that the total funds of the BFP modernization program amounted to P13.17 billion from the year 2011 to 2017.
In 2019, Senator Bong Go filed a bill in the Senate requiring the BFP to implement the modernization program which includes the purchase of modern fire equipment, hire additional personnel, and conduct specialized training programs.
The COA report also said that there was no mistake in the technical requirements in the modernization program because it is in line with the COA’s performance audit of the BFP.
A probe conducted by Congress did not find anything wrong with what the BFP modernization based the technical requirements stated in the COA.
The COA further said that the main objective of the audit report is to identify the gap between the programs target and the achievement of the BFP in order to assess it.
The COA also believes that the government should strengthen its fire suppression campaign in conjunction with its ongoing modernization program.
for termination.
Among the reasons were the delay included incomplete preliminary engineering studies, obstructions by electric and telecommunication poles, absence of construction workers and equipment, projects abandoned by the contractor, and natural calamities.
“Except for the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse weather conditions, the other identified causes of the delay in the implementation of infrastructure projects reflect the inadequacy of planning, supervision, and monitoring of Management relative to the project implementation,” the report read.
BENJAMIN Magalong, a former PNP officer elected mayor of the summer capital twice over, has just turned the heat on Congress.
While other soldiers and retirees have chided the finance secretary for wanting to “reform” a fiscal problem called the MUP, and many more contemplate early retirement from the active service, whether as soldier or policeman and “others,” Magalong has brought the battleground where it ought to be—the House and Senate of Pork.
Ben Diokno was DBM secretary and BSP governor during the previous government which decided to double the salaries of uniformed personnel whose lives were laid on the line to defend and preserve the republican democracy which is actually feudal in practice.
Now, as the finance secretary, in charge of raising the ways and means to sustain the government’s operations, and amid a legacy debt of P12.3 billion now almost P14 billion after a year, he warns of “fiscal collapse” unless the pension system for active and retired personnel of the military, police, fire protection, our jail system, the coast guard and even the mapping agency called NAMRIA, is appropriately reformed.
Diokno”s reform plan specifically wants to remove the automatic indexation of pension to the salary of active personnel, limit the receipt of pensions only when the pensioner reaches 57 years and not after 20 years as provided by the current law.
Furthermore, mandatory contributions similar to those that civilian government employees contribute to the GSIS shall be henceforth required.
Because the current MUP is non-contributory, the national government, through the annual appropriations act (GAA), funds it fully.
And our economic managers find the burden too huge, and it’s sustainability too difficult.
Since Diokno called for reforming the current MUP, both houses of Congress have been holding hearings on the matter and, to date, no consensus has been reached between our legislators and the executive, for that matter, the active and retired recipients.
turned congressmen, mostly from the party-list, has become the clearing house for the allocation of pork, and with so many neophytes, mostly second or third generation dynasty members, wonder whether there is “tong-pats” in who gets what better than the rest.
In the Senate, after Ping Lacson and the late Joker Arroyo, everyone takes a slab of “juicy” meat from the GAA, which starts when the President’s budget is seen by its “august” members.
“I had a chance to talk to several contractors.
I asked them assuming that I will take cuts from infrastructure projects, how much will it be? And they said about 10 percent to 15 percent or 20 percent to 25 percent, depending on the decision of the mayors or the lawmakers,” Magalong said.
Tell you what, Mayor Benjie: some lawmakers demand as much as 40 percent, sobrang takaw.
The result, as everyone knows, is sub-standard projects, or the favorite “flood control” systems that are out-flooded each time the rains pour.
“The way they dispose of it is institutional.
Some congressmen have several projects and roads but the bidding was rigged. You can check the profile of some legislators and LGU executives—many of them are contractors and suppliers. They get a percentage and they also get the projects as contractors,” he pointed out.
En punto, Senor alcalde!
Pero damay-damay naman, Magalong suggests. “We, in the uniform service, are willing to give up a small amount of our pension just to help the national government, just to address this huge deficit, just to address this big national debt. Let’s wait to see what our brave legislators have to say,” Magalong said in his speech during a virtual flag raising ceremony on July 3 at Camp Crame.
And added: “It is about time that legislators should also give a big contribution to address national government issues, especially on our financial debts.”
So bad is the stand-off that a sizeable part of our active military and police personnel are now planning to retire early, so as to get their pensions and entitlements before the MUP is reformed, aware that legislation cannot be retro-active in effect.
But wait!
Will our legislators ever “reform”? Mend their ways and atone for the “happy days” just as kings of yore wore sackcloth? Will the executive find the courage to stand up for the people and finally abhor the abominable pork barrel insertions, looking at Congress eye to eye and fight mano a mano for the public interest against greed and entitlement?
THE crackdown on smuggling of agricultural products ordered by President Marcos Jr. is timely and appropriate considering that prices of onion, among other crops, remain abnormally high.
The president’s directive to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the smuggling of onion and other agricultural products comes close on the heels of the recent hearing of the House of Representatives committee on agriculture and food that confirmed the existence of an onion cartel.
Committee head Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo herself relayed the outcome of the panel’s hearings to the Chief Executive, who promptly issued the order. Quimbo told the President the cartel has been operating through Philippine VIEVA Group of Companies Incorporated (PVGCI). This company is also alleged to be engaged in farming, importation, local trading, warehousing, and logistics.
How come this cartel has been allowed to continue operating by authorities? The public deserves a clear answer.
The President believes there is sufficient ground for an investigation as the operation of the cartel constitutes economic sabotage.
order for the NBI and the DOJ to go after agricultural smugglers as it showed the government’s resolve to clamp down on unscrupulous businessmen preying on hapless Filipino consumers.
“The House of Representatives is ready to provide our authorities with the data uncovered from our committee hearings to provide them a head start in their own investigation,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez also assured President Marcos the House will continue to monitor the prices of agricultural commodities.
“The President’s directive should be enough to deter further supply manipulation of agricultural products and help stabilize prices, especially amid reports that prices of onion are on the rise again.”
In oblique manner, former senator Panfilo Lacson months ago drew a similarity between Diokno’s multi-million salary in the BSP as compared to what a retired general receives as monthly pension.
Others have pointed at the gross disparity between civilian employees and those of the military: one which contributes monthly deductions to gross pay but receives far less than one who contributes nothing at all.
Similarly, a retired justice, or a retired official of the constitutional commissions receives even more, although some have served as such only for a few years through mostly political patronage.
Comes now the mayor of Baguio City who trounced political hegemons in the summer capital after leaving the police force with unsullied reputation and brilliant career, who waded into the debate, unfortunately lost in the welter of copy-cat confusion spawned by the tourism department’s LOVE the Philippines.
Magalong says active and retired military personnel would be willing to contribute their share to avoid Diokno’s “fiscal collapse,” provided “lawmakers do their share by shunning corrupt practices like getting kickbacks from government projects.”
Touche! Pork barrel, which the Supreme Court declared as “unconstitutional” after the massive scandal where practically every lawmaker colluded with Napoles in the scam of the century with ghost projects exposed a decade back, still exists, Magalong charged.
Indeed, sanitized from congressional “earmarks” to “insertions,” thence “identification” and now “built-in” exists in our budget, and bigger, more humongous than ever before.
Pork barrel funds are the raison d’etre of most congressmen, whether district representative or party-listed.
And the executive, realizing that, without the pork, its desired legislation will not see the light of day, has played along, with legislators now slicing their “meat” from DPWH, DA, and other agencies budget. In the current HoR, a cabal of contractors
Not on your life. Not now, and perhaps not ever, given the political system we have, given the depravity of our moral standards as a society. Which reminds me of what once upon a time happened, not in EDSA, but in Portugal.
For far too long after the monarchy was dethroned, Portugal and its colonies were under the grip of an authoritarian regime, the Estado Novo, headed by Antonio de Salazar, who after his death in 1968, was replaced by Marcelo Caetano, in a long reign that lasted more than 40 years.
But on April 25, 1974, the military revolted, surrounding the National Assembly, and the people rallied behind them, placing flowers in the muzzle of their guns, thus the event is immortalized as the “Carnation Revolution.”
What followed were two years of a military junta which later gave way to elections that established a constitutional government led by Mario Soares and the Portuguese Socialist Party.
Despite early transitional bumps, Portugal, now relieved of its former colonies most of which have become economic powerhouses in their continents, has become one of the most stable polities and economies in Europe.
Similar to the Philippines, Portugal’s authoritarian Estado Novo was an economy under the control of oligarchs disguised as corporations, which led to unequal wealth distribution and distorted economic policies.
These families kept the dictator Salazar in power from pre-war to post-war, just as Generalissimo Franco controlled Spain from civil war till 1975.
Now fast forward to our country, which oughtto-be National Artist Lea Salonga decries in heartfelt terms, “Pilipinas, kay hirap mong mahalin,” and a mis-placed LOVE wants to entice.
We had several opportunities in the past for meaningful change.
But always, the leaders we choose, who the electorate thought were the “best,” have become the “least among us.”
And slowly, we have come to endure the system and the leaders, seemingly inured to how the corruption and inefficiency has pauperized the economy, save for the few who profit from it.
Will we ever see real change in our lifetime?
Sir Benjie, what say you?
IT’S 68 minutes before sunrise today, but the 78-year-old retiree is already up, with only a little over six hours sleep – without any change in lifestyle since he has always operated a family business.
The only change has been, the Manila-born Aristeo Lat Jr., former general manager at LBP Insurance Brokerage, Inc., admitted in an interview, he no longer stays behind the steering wheel every day to Makati since “our office has always been in Quezon City since 1986.”
The brokerage firm is a 100 percent subsidiary of LandBank, a government-owned bank in the Philippines with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers and fishermen.
The liberal arts degree holder from the old San Beda College in Mendiola, Manila admits to taking maintenance medicines since 2008 when he was diagnosed with diabetes which triggers his irregular heartbeats when his blood sugar level shoots up.
The father of four—three daughters and a son, all medical practitioners—and grandfather of 10 grandchildren, is now only allowed to work part time, so he goes to office only on Mondays and Thursdays.
“That is why we are going to be very, very strict about finding these people and making sure they are brought to justice,” he pointed out.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez has stated the lower chamber of Congress is ready to cooperate with the authorities who are investigating agricultural smuggling. Romualdez welcomed the president’s
ONE of the more positive side effects of the three-year pandemic is that many people all over the world shifted to bicycles and motorcycles to get from point A to point B.
The deadly first variants of the COVID 19 virus forced strict mobility restrictions, paralyzed the public transportation system, and disrupted the whole ecosystem, thereby creating a demand for a viable mode of getting around to do essential errands.
A 2021 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found that approximately 25 percent of households use bicycles and one in five households use their bikes for necessary trips such as commuting, shopping for groceries and other needs, and to get them to wherever they wanted to go.
SWS data also showed that 20 percent of households owned at least one bicycle compared to only 5 percent who owned four wheeled vehicles. This means cycling households outnumber those that own cars by a 4:1 ratio. The surge of bikes on the road because of its accessibility to the masses has sparked a move to build a sharing infrastructure in the existing road system.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced in May 2023 they are going to expand the building of a protected bike lane network from the current 564 kilometers in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao to 2,400 kilometers by 2028.
Now that the pandemic is over, the traffic jams and air pollution from all the fossil fuelpowered vehicles in Mega-Manila are back. However, the mass transportation system of the metropolis is still in disjointed state and the commuting public must struggle with inconvenience and sit out precious hours of their lives going to work and back home.
The rising price of fuel is another factor that is pushing more Filipinos to shift to electric-powered vehicles (EV) that has the appeal of having zero emissions which works well for addressing climate change of the planet and no more expensive top ups in the gas station.
Last year, Republic Act 11697 or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) was enacted to promote the development of e-vehicles industry that will serve this clear trend towards zero-emission
vehicles.
Complementing this law is the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI) that government regulators are now crafting.
This will spell out the guidelines for incentives to attract investors and importers, and the prospective users of electric vehicles.
This is indeed an important policy move to align with the administration’s pronouncements of transforming the country into a green and blue ecosystem, which is commendably aligned to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions causing temperature rise and extreme weather and the destructive consequences of climate change.
The government is on the right track in conducting an honest-to-goodness probe of agricultural smuggling.
The President has issued clear and unequivocal orders to start the investigation and to stop smuggling and hoarding activities of unscrupulous traders.
The NBI and the DOJ should step up to the plate and give the smugglers and hoarders their comeuppance and send them to jail.
friendly transportation, as well as create incentives for them to make this shift and that all the indications point to the increased use of electric two-wheeled vehicles.
The data is clear on how many more Filipinos are using two-wheeled transports compared to four wheeled vehicles that only the well-off can afford.
So, it really does not make sense to penalize the majority of our working population for opting to invest their limited and hardearned resources in e-bikes as their main mode of transportation. Is there such a strong lobby from the motorcycle industry to keep the tariff barriers for e-bikes to protect market demand?
Given this global trend for zero-emissions, a more logical strategy would be to aggressively develop an e-bike industry that can transform a huge motorcycle riding population to shift.
I am sure even cyclists (like me) will seriously consider e-bikes, especially for longer and hilly rides. Imagine the cleaner air and quieter streets when this happens. There is also some confusion on the Land Transportation Office Administrative Order 2021-039, which is supposed to set guidelines on the use of electric-powered vehicles in the Philippines.
Apparently, there are some e-bikes being sold in the grey market that can exceed the 50kph speed limit and have become a serious safety hazard and questions on whether users of these should be registered and if driver’s license should be required.
However, there is some misalignment in policy that needs to be rectified as pointed out by our convenor in CitizenWatch Philippines, Atty Christopher “Kit” Belmonte regarding tariff policies on the importation of electric vehicles that need to be amended.
In particular, Executive Order 12 provides a five year temporarily exemption from tariff duties for the importation of electric powered vehicles excluded two or three-wheeled vehicles, or the more affordable e-bikes from the 30 percent import tax. In a published statement, Atty Belmonte said government should encourage more Filipinos to invest in more environment
The LTO needs to study this carefully and come up with a new order with safety as a priority.
Another challenge that needs to be anticipated is how we can develop a road sharing culture that will make our existing roads safe fall two, three, four or more wheeled vehicles.
The biggest brands of vehicle manufacturers are already investing heavily and are actually producing their new models of hybrid and pure electric powered vehicles. Though costs will initially be high for early adapters, the prospect of developing an EV industry in the Philippines is an exciting economic and environmental prospect.
But he can always be reached at home every now and then by phone, the man whose philosophy in life revolves around “honesty at all cost (and) help anybody who needs help and you can help.”
Lat, managing editor of The Bedan, his college news publication in his time, acknowledges he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and has since received radiation therapy.
He owns up to having more stress now since he is handling the family business, adding “while in my old job, I worked only within parameters and let other officers handle what went beyond the parameters.”
His meals have remained the same, but stopped short of identifying his menu, although he concedes he drinks eight glasses of water every day and a popular drink, sugar free if possible, but has a checkpoint for alcohol since he develops vertigo if he did.
Lat has signed off on being active in community activities, saying “I have learned that when you perform better, you gain more enemies.”
As from March 2020, when the global health emergency hit the country, he started to feel weak physically after missing his daily exercise “and before I knew it I could not just lift what I used to
Lat says ‘Live and let live. Do unto others what you want others do unto you’
be able to do.”
Then he gets big on falling off a tourist bus in Japan in 2022 when he had eight stitches on just about the right eyelid.
The lens-wearing Lat, who has been wearing glasses since grade 2, has confessed his right eye “had been replaced by an implant from cataract operation (and his) left eye due (due for replacement).
Let’s read his lips.
GG: How do you address biological aging?
AL: I have always been interested in martial arts. I started learning judo at the NBI in high
school, then karate during summer and finally Chinese martial arts.
I joined Chin Wu Athletic Association of the Philippines, learning the Wu style of Tai Chi. Unfortunately as I said, during the pandemic, I practically stopped doing my daily exercises.
I just have to accept growing old, i.e., people addressing me “Lolo” or helping me get on the sidewalk or reminding me to be careful, because I experienced it in Japan. I fear (as my wife does) that time will come when I cannot drive my car anymore; when I have to depend on my children to go where I want to go.
GG: Are there things you now remember as an elderly that you should have done when you were younger?
AL: I never looked back. I always moved forward and met what was there. My father used to tell me when I was still very young: “Once you get married, never look at other girls again.”
GG: Do you let your children make their decisions on their own, or do you try to influence their decisions?
AL: I let them make their own decisions unless I am asked about my opinion. They have their own children now and I know they have not forgotten
what we taught them.
GG: Your philosophy in life.
AL: Live and let live. Do unto others what you want others do unto you.
GG: What are your thoughts on people who still work after retirement?
AL: I will encourage them but of course no more manual jobs. Make their brains work to avoid dementia.
GG: Do you think early retirement affects an elderly person’s health?
AL: Definitely. That is my experience during this pandemic.
GG: Now that you have retired, your view backward and forward on life.
AL: As I said I don’t look back because it might have a negative result; I don’t look at my neighbor’s grass. As my father’s old partner in the stock brokerage business always said: “Sige lang ng sige.”
Then he talked about his friend who worked in a Japanese-owned firm in Los Angeles in the 1990s. His friend’s Japanese boss was scared of him, because the latter thought the former was a better decision maker.
As some say—intolerant of corporate competition.
The President believes there is sufficient ground for an investigation as the operation of the cartel constitutes economic sabotage
Slowly, we have come to endure the system and the leaders, seemingly inured to how the corruption and inefficiency has pauperized the economy, save for the few who profit from it
Another challenge that needs to be anticipated is how we can develop a road sharing culture that will make our existing roads safe for two, three, four or more wheeled vehicles
KYIV, Ukraine—President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed “brave” Ukraine on the 500th day of Russia’s invasion on Saturday, as the war’s toll mounted with eight deaths reported in Russian rocket fire.
Zelensky published on social media an undated video clip of a visit to Snake Island in the Black Sea -- a symbol of Ukraine’s defiance against Russia.
“Today we are on Snake Island, which will never be conquered by the occupiers, like the whole of Ukraine, because we are the country of the brave,” he said.
“I want to thank from here, from this place of victory, each of our soldiers for these 500 days,” he said in the video, which showed him arriving on the island by boat and leaving flowers.
The UN has documented 9,000 civilian deaths since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, including 500 children, although it estimates the real toll could be significantly higher.
That toll rose again on Saturday as Ukraine’s interior ministry said eight people were killed and 13 injured by Russian rocket fire in the eastern town of Lyman.
Russian news agencies reported two civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian-held town of Oleshky in the south.
Noel Calhoun, deputy head of the UN’s Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said the 500th day of the conflict marked “another grim milestone in the war that continues to exact a horrific toll on Ukraine’s civilians.”
‘Act of desperation’
Zelensky on Saturday completed a visit to Turkey in which he secured backing for his country’s NATO aspirations after winning a US pledge for cluster munitions that could inflict significant damage to Russian forces on the battlefield.
On his return to Ukraine, Zelensky also brought back five Ukrainian commanders who were supposed to have remained in Turkey until the end of the conflict under a prisoner exchange deal.
Russia denounced the release of the men, members of the crack Azov regiment celebrated in Ukraine for their stiff resistance at the Azovstal factory during the months-long siege of the port city of Mariupol.
“The return of Azov commanders from Turkey to Ukraine is nothing but
a direct violation of the terms of existing agreements,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
He said Ukraine and Turkey had violated the terms of the agreement and claimed their return was linked to the “failure of the counter-offensive” launched by Ukraine.
Washington’s decision to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs -- banned across a large part of the world -- dramatically ups the stakes in the war.
US President Joe Biden admitted that supplying Ukraine with weapons that are capable of covering several football fields with hundreds of multiple small explosives was “a difficult decision”.
Humanitarian groups strongly condemned the decision to supply cluster munitions, which can go undetonated and potentially endanger civilians for years to come.
Russia, which itself uses cluster munitions in Ukraine, also criticised the decision, saying it was an “act of desperation” that would have “no effect” on the conflict.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said Ukraine’s assurances it would use the ammunition responsibly “are not worth anything”.
‘Contact is possible’
Various international efforts to mediate in the conflict have so far failed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried to portray himself as a neutral mediator, substantially boosting wartime trade with Russia while supplying Ukraine with drones and other weapons.
But while reaffirming his longstanding call for both sides to enter peace talks, Erdogan risked drawing Russia’s ire by delivering unequivocal support for Ukraine’s NATO aspiration.
“There is no doubt that Ukraine deserves membership of NATO,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.
Erdogan also said he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next month on what would be the Kremlin chief’s first visit to Turkey since the invasion. AFP
SEOUL—North Korea has slammed the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog for approving Japan’s plan to discharge treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency approved Tokyo’s plan to release treated water from the tsunami-hit nuclear plant into the sea over the next few decades.
The plan has raised concerns in neighboring countries, prompting China to ban some food imports and sparking protests in South Korea.
The release of the treated water will have a “fatal adverse impact on the human lives and security and ecological environment,” an official from Pyongyang’s environmental protection min-
BEIJING—US Treasury Secretary
Janet Yellen said Sunday her talks with top Chinese officials have helped put ties on “surer footing,” as she wrapped up a trip aimed at stabilizing fraught relations between the two biggest economies.
During her four-day trip—which came on the heels of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit— Yellen stressed the need for healthy economic competition and improved communication, and urged cooperation on the “existential threat” posed by climate change.
“We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive,” she told journalists at the US embassy in Beijing on Sunday. “Both nations have an obligation to responsibly manage this relationship: to find a way to live together and share in global prosperity,” she added.
While it did not produce specific breakthroughs, Yellen’s trip furthers a push by President Joe Biden’s administration to steady ties with China. Beijing’s official Xinhua news
agency said Saturday that Yellen’s meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng yielded an agreement to “strengthen communication and cooperation on addressing global challenges.”
Both sides also agreed to continue exchanges, the readout added.
Yellen said Sunday that while there are “significant disagreements” between the countries, her talks had been “direct, substantive, and productive.”
“My bilateral meetings—which totalled about 10 hours over two days —served as a step forward in our effort to put the US-China relationship on surer footing,” she said.
“I feel confident that we will have more frequent and regular communication.” Sources of tension
Topping the laundry list of disagreements are Washington’s trade curbs, which it says are crucial to safeguard national security.
On Sunday, Yellen said she had stressed that Washington’s measures “are not used by us to gain economic advantage.” AFP
istry said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
“What matters is the unreasonable behavior of IAEA actively patronizing and facilitating Japan’s projected discharge of nuclear-polluted water, which is unimaginable,” the statement added.
Some 1.33 million cubic metres of groundwater, rainwater and water used for cooling have accumulated at the Fukushima nuclear plant, where several reactors went into meltdown after the 2011 tsunami overwhelmed cooling systems.
The plant operator treats the water to remove almost all radioactive elements except tritium, and plans to dilute it before discharging it into the ocean over several decades.
The statement comes as IAEA head Rafael Grossi is wrapping up his threeday visit to Seoul with a meeting with opposition lawmakers, who have criticized the planned release.
On Saturday, Grossi met with South Korean foreign minister Park Jin to brief him on his agency’s findings, Seoul’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Park requested “active cooperation from the IAEA for safety verification and public reassurance,” it added. Following that meeting, Grossi said the IAEA will remain at the Fukushima plant to ensure safety “every step of the way”, tweeting: “What starts now is even more important than the work done so far - the continuous monitoring of the plan’s implementation.”
PARIS—Around 2,000 people defied a ban to join a weekend memorial rally in central Paris for a young black man who died in police custody, while marches took place throughout France to denounce police brutality.
This, as tensions run high after days of rioting engulfed the country.
Nationwide, around 5,900 people took to the streets, according to the interior ministry.
Seven years after the death of Adama Traore, his sister had planned to lead an annual commemorative march north of Paris in Persan and Beaumont-sur-Oise.
But fearful of reigniting recent unrest sparked by the police killing of 17-yearold Nahel M. at a traffic stop near Paris, a court ruled the chance of public disturbance was too high to allow the march to proceed.
In a video posted on Twitter, Assa Traore, Adama’s older sister, denounced the decision.
“The government has decided to add fuel to the fire” and “not to respect the death of my little brother”, she said.
She instead attended a rally in central Paris’s Place de la Republique.
“We are marching for the youth to denounce police violence. They want to hide our deaths,” she said at the rally, also attended by several lawmakers. “They authorise marches by neoNazis but they don’t allow us to march. France cannot give us moral lessons. Its police is racist and violent,” she said.
Worried about a resurgence of rioting as France celebrates Bastille Day on July 14, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told the daily Le Parisien that the government would deploy “massive means to protect the French” during the national holiday. While she said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin would give specifics, Borne announced a ban on the sale of fireworks, which had been used by rioters to target police.
The Paris rally for Traore had also been banned on the grounds that it could disrupt public order and a legal case has been opened against Assa Traore for organising the event, police said.
Youssouf Traore, another of Assa Tarore’s brothers, was arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of violence against a person holding public authority, public prosecutors told AFP. AFP
ANEW strategy will set global shipping on an ambitious path towards phasing out greenhouse gas emissions, top UN officials said at the opening of the latest session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in London last week.
“Humanity is in dangerous waters on climate,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message at the start of MPEC’s latest session.
“Science tells us it is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C, but it requires an immense and immediate global effort, and shipping, which accounts for almost three per cent
of global emissions, will be vital.”
The decisions “you take over the coming days could help us chart a safer course,” he said, urging committee members to agree on a strategy forward.
Tasked with addressing environmental issues under the scope of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the committee tackles concerns such as the control and prevention of ship-source pollution covered by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), including oil, chemicals carried in bulk, sewage, garbage and such emissions from ships as air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
The committee last week adopted a greenhouse gas emissions strategy in response to climate change and threats to biodiversity, following meetings with IMO.
“This is a historic moment in which all of you have a role to play,” IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said, encouraging states to help roll out the new strategy by forging ambitious targets that will put shipping on a “clear trajectory” to phase out greenhouse gas emissions.
“The 2023 strategy will be your legacy, for which your children and grandchildren will be grateful,” he said. “The time for IMO to demonstrate its global leadership is now.”
The revised strategy is expected to set out the way forward for possible technical and economic measures to be further developed by IMO.
Underlining the importance of concrete legal measures to project biodiversity, he recalled that nearly two decades of discussion had led to the landmark Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), adopted at the UN headquarters on June 19, 2023.
Together, with the KunmingMontreal Global Framework for Biodiversity, adopted last December and ongoing negotiations for a new legally binding instrument to tackle plastic pollution, he said “there is no doubt that your Committee’s efforts to ensure a greener, more equitable and more sustainable maritime future is of greater importance than ever before.” UN News
THE Philippines has officially submitted its bid to the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to host the 2025 women’s indoor world championships, Philippines National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara announced on Sunday.
“The PNVF would like to officially announce that we have submitted a bid to host the women’s world championship in 2025,” Suzara told a press conference during a break in the Volleyball Nations League Week 3 men’s tournament on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The FIVB invited Poland to discuss on the bid process for the world championship during the VNL finals in Gdansk, Poland, next week.
“We’ll be able to get a clearer picture of our intention to bid, and win, in that meeting,” said Suzara, who added that Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Vietnam are also interested as hosts.
Hosting the women’s worlds, according to Suzara, would mean that the country would be privileged to field its national team in the biennial championship whose participation has been increased by eight countries to 32 teams in 2025.
“If we are hosts, that means we’ll be in the women’s world championship for the first time since 1974, the last time we had a team in the prestigious tournament in Mexico,” he said.
Suzara said he intends to apply the same formula of co-hosting that’s been granted the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas in hosting the FIBA 2023 World Cup in August.
By Randy Caluag
FILIPINO basketball fans expressed their disappointment with the Orlando Magic for not fielding Kai Sotto in the team’s 78-89 loss to Detroit Piston on Sunday morning (Philippine time) in the NBA Summer League 2023.
The 7’3” Sotto, believed to be the Philippines’ best homegrown prospect to play in the NBA, sat out the entire game, along with six others aspiring to show their skills in the hopes of landing a roster spot in the regular season.
The game stats marked Sotto’s boxes with DNP (Did Not Play)- Coach’s Decision while 10 players were fielded, including first-round picks Anthony Black and Jett Howard.
Some Filipino fans who managed to get tickets inside the Thomas & Mack Center
in Las Vegas, Nevada were seen shouting “Let Kai play” at the Orlando bench.
Filipino fans also expressed their sentiments on major social media platforms and had Sotto’s supposed debut trend on Twitter.
Orlando Magic’s Facebook page was likewise rained with negative comments.
Some, however, still believe that Kai will get his chance to see action when the Magic play Indiana Pacers on Tuesday morning (Filipino time).
Comments at the Orlando Magic page
FIRED UP by a loud Filipino crowd that cheered them, Slovenia got into a fighting mood and put the Netherlands out of playoff contention on Sunday with a 25-20, 32-30, 25-22 verdict in the final day of the Volleyball Nations League men’s tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Two things were on coach Gheorghe Cretu’s mind after they were done with the Dutch spikers as they formally advanced to the Grand Finals in Gdansk, Poland in two weeks’ time.
Their qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024 through rankings was the first thing that got Cretu excited, along with their coming games in the final round.
And all these happened because of the energy that the Slovenians from the big adoring fans which came to watch their game.
Team Slovenia celebrates after beating the Netherlands.
“Both teams showed quality in their games. We need the fans. This is energy for our movements,” said Cretu,
BOHOL—John Leerams Chicano and Erika Nicole Burgos flashed enduring strength and energy then uncorked furious runs to crown themselves the new Sun Life 5150 Triatlon champions at the Bellevue Resort beachfront on Panglao Island here on Sunday.
Chicano, a multi-gold medalist in the SEA Games, posted a best 00:35:41 time in the closing run stage and went on to dominate the men’s field and clinch the overall championship in a fast 2:00:04 clocking in the 1.5 km-swim, 40 kmbike and 10 km run race under the Olympic-style setup at one of the country’s top triathlon hubs.
Popularly known as “Rambo” in the triathlon community, Chicano came out of the waters in 00:20:33, just behind Penong’s 5150 winner Joshua Ramos’ 00:20:12, yielded to last year’s champion Satar Salem in the bike event, 00:59:4800:58:52, but beat the rest in the run to
win by over four minutes in near-ideal conditions.
Salem, who placed joint third in swim, 00:21:07, timed 00:39:53 in the run and settled for runner-up honors in 2:04:44, while Ramos slowed down in the bike (01:00:09) and finished in 00:42:30 for third in 02:07:30.
Burgos, on the other hand, took control early in her side of the battle, clocking 00:21:20 against Leyann Ramo’s 00:23:40 in swim, gave up the lead in bike (01:15:09-01:11:10) but, like Chicano, put up a strong finishing kick (00:43:18) to claim the women’s overall title in 02:24:28 in the event organized by The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc.
Ramo failed to keep pace with Burgos and faded in 00:50:09 for second in 02:30:10 while Katrina Salazar clocked 02:32:09 for third place in the race sponsored by Sun Life Philippines for the
adding that the defensive moves gave them opportunities to win every set.
Six-foot-seven Tine Urnaut, who
John Leerams Chicano and Erika Nicole Burgosthird time and held in conjunction with the Sandugo Festival celebrations, a project of the Province of Bohol under Gov. Aris Aumentado. Chicano (30-34) and Burgos (20-24) also topped their respective age group divisions with Salem and Ramos ruling the male 25-29 and 20-24 classes, re -
helped Slovenia win the 2019 FIVB Challenger, made a team-high 14 points in 12 attacks and two aces.
Teammate Klemen Cebulj scored 13 points behind eight hits for the Slovenians, who ended up in seventh place with their 8-4 win-loss card.
With the Dutch spikers staying close, 22-21, Urnaut’s placement shot to the backline, followed by Rok Mojic’s long hit from the net allowed Slovenia to move to within matchpoint in the final set of their 93-minute encounter.
Alen Pajenk’s block in the second set allowed the Slovenians to claim matchpoint, 32-30.
Earlier, Canada drew 20 points on four blocks and 16 aces from Stephen Anthony Maar in stopping China, 2325, 25-21, 25-17, 25-18.
This allowed Canada to avoid getting relegated to the Challenger Division with its 3-9 slate.
A LOT of effort has been put in assembling Team USA, which will be known for its youth and versatility. Head coach Steve Kerr said this as they get ready to see action in the coming 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Kerr said he had consulted with youth coach Sean Miller over the formation of the squad, which is made of 12 young NBA players.
“It’s really a fun experience with Sean in putting this roster together. It’s an exciting mix of young players who we think will really play well together,” said Kerr.
Miller has been advising Kerr, given his experience in serving as the head coach of the USA men’s Under-19 junior national team, which competed at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
With Miller calling the shots, USA team ended up with a perfect 7–0 record and a gold medal.
“We put a lot of effort into putting up a versatile team on the floor. Sean in particularly has a history and background on how basketball in the world stage is played,” added Kerr.
Discussions with former head coach Greg Popovich also helped Kerr make up his mind on the final composition of Team USA.
Popovich handled Team USA at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where they finished in seventh place Paolo Banchero, this season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, was one of the many young players named in the final roster of Team USA.
With the 20-year-old Banchero are Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn), Jalen Brunson (New York), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) the roster with Josh Hart (Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).
Five team members have Nike Hoop Summit experience, namely 2021 NBA champion Portis (2013), Brunson (2015), Ingram (2015) and Jackson Jr. (2017).
spectively. Ramo also claimed the women’s 30-34 trophy while Salazar reigned in the 15-19 category of the event backed by Sun Life, Go For Gold, The Bellevue Resorts, Province of Bohol, Municipality of Dauis, Municipality of Panglao, Sandugo 2023, Rudy Project, Sante, Active, Manila Bulletin and Tempo.
Kessler, who earned NBA AllRookie honors last season, was picked for the 2020 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team before it was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic. He has participated in USA minicamps and training camps. Peter
AtencioBARANGAY Ginebra looms as the favorite to repeat as leg winner in the resumption of the PBA 3x3 Season 3 First Conference on Monday at the Ayala Malls Circuit.
Behind the young yet experienced quartet of Donald Gumaru, Kim Aurin, Ralph Cu, and Ralph Salcedo, the Kings swept their way to the championship of Leg 1 behind a dramatic 19-17 overtime win over upset-conscious San Miguel Beer last week.
All four have been playing together under coach Kirk Collier since Season 2 and are part of Barangay Ginebra’s lineup in the ongoing PBA On Tour.
The constant exposure obviously worked to their advantage and paved the way for the Kings to win.
the P100,000 prize money and drew first blood in the half-court game’s new season
The Kings open their repeat bid against the Meralco Bolts as the top seeded team in Pool A.
The Beermen on the other hand, leads Pool B, and are expected to contend anew behind On Tour regulars Marvin Lee, John Apacible, and Chester Saldua, together with the immovable Ken Bono.
Pool C meanwhile, will have Cavitex Braves on top.
Grand slam winner TNT, which failed to advance in the semis after being ambushed by San Miguel in the quarterfinals, meanwhile activated Samboy De Leon in lieu of Gryann Mendoza and joins Almond Vosotros, Lervin Flores, and Ping Exciminiano in the Leg 2 roster.
The Triple Giga will be coming into the games fresh from their stint in the FIBA 3x3 Macau Masters.
TNT is bunched with Ginebra and Meralco in Pool A.
With San Miguel in Pool B are guest teams Wilcon Depot and Pioneer Elastoseal, together with Northport, while completing Pool C with Cavitex are Terrafirma, Blackwater Smooth Razor, and Purefoods TJ Titans.
Terrafirma and Blackwater kick off the 13-game hostilities on opening day at 10:30 a.m., with the Smooth Razor parading Fil-Am Patrick Jamison for Monbert Arong.
The top two teams in Pool A and top three teams in Pools B and C will advance to the knockout stage to be played on Tuesday.
IN a country obsessed with beauty pageants, basketball and boxing, the Philippines women’s team hope to ignite interest in football when they make the nation’s World Cup debut.
Long minnows in the sport, the Philippines, to be represented by a team collectively known as “Filipinas”, have never played at a FIFA World Cup, either the men’s or women’s.
All that will change on July 21 when the women’s side under their Australian coach Alen Stajcic play Switzerland in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Stajcic calls their journey from “almost ground zero” to the World Cup “miraculous”.
Half of his players do not belong to a professional club and some have been “running around the block on their own” for training, he said.
“It’s been a meteoric sort of rise for the team,” the 49-year-old told AFP via Zoom.
“The challenge for us is to somehow maintain and sustain that improvement, not be happy with where we got to.”
Since Stajcic’s appointment as coach in late 2021, the Philippines have jumped from 68 in the FIFA rankings and are now a best-ever 46th place.
It began with the Women’s Asian Cup
in early 2022 when they made the semifinals, losing to South Korea but securing a historic World Cup berth. They followed it up with bronze at the Southeast Asian Games last year, then won the regional AFF Women’s Championship on home soil.
‘We don’t have fields’
The Philippines are in Group A at the World Cup alongside co-hosts New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.
They will not be expected to get out of the group, but defender Hali Long said: “I would like to think we’re going to go in there and do more than just participate.
“We’re going in there to compete with everything we have to show.”
The team hope getting the Philippines to their first World Cup can be a game-changer for football in the country.
Long was born in the United States -- most of the players on the national team have been recruited from the Philippines’ large diaspora.
“It’s not the most popular sport
MULTIPLE national junior record holder Jamesray Michael Ajido and World Junior Championship campaigner Amina Bungubung secured spots in the national team competing in the 35th Southeast Asia Age Group Championship slated August 24 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Both part of the Quezon City Buccaneers Swim Club under coach Sherwin Santiago, Ajido and Bungubung broke the qualifying time standards in their respective classes on Friday at the close of the national tryouts organized by the World Aquatic-backed Philippine Swimming Inc., headed by president Miko Vargas and secretary general Batangas Rep. Eric Buhain.
The 14-year-old Ajido, a double goldmedal winner in last year’s SEA AgeGroup tilt in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, proved to be a force to reckon with,
TOUGH choices were made in finalizing the composition of the 23-member Philippine national women’s football team, which will make its historic FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance in New Zealand.
Coach Alen Stajcic said this after he and the coaching staff completed the team roster, which is led by co-captains Tahnai Annis captain Hali Long.
Other members of the team are goalkeepers Kiara Fontanilla,Kaiya Jota, Olivia McDaniel; defenders Alicia Barker, Angela Beard, Reina Bonta, Malea Cesar, Jessika Cowart, Sofia Harrison, Dominique Randle; midfielders Ryley Bugay, Anicka Castañeda, Sara Eggesvik, Quinley Quezada, Jaclyn Sawicki; forwards Sarina Bolden, Isabella Flanigan, Carleigh Frilles, Katrina Guillou, Chandler McDaniel, Meryll Serrano and reserves Inna Palacios, Maya Alcantara and Isabella Pasion.
The final list was drafted following the conclusion of their four-week camp in Sydney.
here,” Long told AFP at a practice session with the Manila club she and national goalkeeper Inna Palacios play for.
“It’s not the beauty pageants, boxing and basketball; we don’t have a ‘B’.”
Palacios, one of the few players born in the Philippines, said more investment was needed to find and develop young talent in the poverty-plagued country.
“We don’t have the fields or a place to play,” said Palacios.
“It was tagged as a... sport for people who are rich and can afford fields and shoes, but in reality you just need your feet and a ball.”
Playing catch-up
Stajcic is a major reason for the Philippines’ improvement.
He brings a wealth of experience in a playing and coaching career in Australia.
He coached Australia at the 2015 World Cup and took the Matildas to as high as fourth in the FIFA rankings, but was dumped despite guiding them to the 2019 tournament.
Stajcic says that being able to get the squad together for extended periods, including a 10-week training camp in the United States before the Asian Cup, has been another reason for their dramatic upturn. AFP
“Over the last 18 months, we’ve given a lot of players their opportunity and grown the depth of this squad to a substantial level. In a positive way, we’ve got such a pool of players that made the final 23 (selection) even more difficult than I thought it would be,” said Stajcic.
The Filipinas are slated to depart for New Zealand on Monday morning and resume their final preparations for their first encounter against Switzerland on July 21 in Dunedin.
After that, the Filipinas take on host New Zealand on July 25 in Wellington, before finishing their Group A campaign against Norway on July 30 in Auckland.
“It was such an extremely tough choice, but these players were ultimately the ones who put their hands up and impressed the most in recent times,” added Stajcic.
The Filipinas’ pre-World Cup camp took place at the Western Sydney Wanderers Complex.
“We congratulate the 23 players selected for the Philippines in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and express our gratitude to the players, who have committed and sacrificed to make themselves available throughout the selection process,” said Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, Philippine Football Federation president.
with victories in the boys’ 14-15 200m Individual Medley and 100m butterfly, clocking 2:14.33 and 57.46 seconds, respectively. He broke the QTS of 2:14.83 and 58.43.
The FINIS brand ambassador and holder of national records in the boys’ 13-under 50m butterfly (26.52), 100m fly (58.13), 50m backstroke (29.20) and 100m back (1:02.42), also claimed the gold in the 100m backstroke, clocking 1:01.73, but failing to surpass the QTS (1:01.30).
Bungabung, 16, member of the 8-man PH team in the world tourney last year in Lima, Peru, meantime, got another chance to don the Philippine colors as she topped the girls’ 16-18 50m freestyle in 27.58, breaking the QTS of 27.69. She is also part of the team in the Jakarta edition.
Their QBSC teammates Mishka Sy
and Jalil Taguinod also shone in the event supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Speedo, with the latter shattering the QTS in the girls’ 16-18 200m fly (2:29.07) and 200m back (2:29.86) via impressive times of 2:24.36 and 2:29.54, respectively, while the former ruled the boys’ 16-18 50m breast (29.88), bettering the QTS of 29.89.
“We have 15 young swimmers who surpassed the QTS in their respective events. We’re hoping, marami pa tayong mag-qualify from the three remaining tryouts. But for sure, we will send the best of the best in Jakarta, quality over quantity tayo,” said PSI president Miko Vargas, who awarded the medals to all the winners, along with secretary general Eric Buhain, event organizer Chito Rivera and technical head Richard Luna.
CHAZ Limketkai and Rafa Anciano hacked out close victories in driving competition but ruled their respective sides in contrasting fashions in Round 2 of the Junior PGT 2023 Series at the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club in Laguna yesterday.
Limketkai scored 54 points in the long game of the three-part skills challenge in the 13-14 age category as he edged Sebastian Saycon (52 points) after emerging on top in chipping (35 points) and finishing joint third with Ramon Fabie (37 points) in putting.
He pooled 126 points to dominate Saycon, who assembled 98 points, while Juan Benedicto Angeles placed third overall with 97 points in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. that also features competitions in 9-10, 11-12 and 15-18 age brackets conducted in separate dates. Angeles took the putting honors with 42 points, nipping Bien Luis Fajardo, who posted 40 points, with Limketkai and Fabie sharing third place.
Limketkai bested Gabriel Handog (31 points) in chipping while Angeles settled for third with 27 points.
Anciano totaled 103 points, barely edging Maria Monserrat Lapuz, who assembled 102 points, while Levonne Talion placed third with 76 points in the girls’ side of the series put up by ICTSI to boost junior golf and at the same time discover talents from the ranks.
Anciano netted 45 points in driving with Lapuz placing second with 41 points and Chloe Rada finishing third with 15 points under the PGTI’s scoring system.
Lapuz flashed top form in chipping and finished with a top-scoring 35 points with Rada and Anciano ending up second and third with 31 and 21 points, respectively.
But Anciano scrambled to finish third worth 37 points in putting topped by Rianna Rodrigo, who came away with 55 points, while Talion wound up second with 46 points.
Meanwhile, action to Lubao, Pampanga on July 30 with an 18-hole tournament at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club.
TAPE, Inc. has debunked the fake news circulating on social media that the recently relaunched Eat Bulaga will go off the air on July 29. The show is currently celebrating its 44th anniversary and will reach its peak on July 29 with a special “Big Day” episode.
In a press statement sent to Manila Standard Entertainment, Atty. Maggie Garduque, TAPE’s legal counsel, stated that there is no reason for the show to end and clarified that although the show’s ratings were initially low on July 1 due to anticipation for the launch of new shows, it has been picking up since then.
The new hosts of Eat Bulaga have been facing criticism on social media and have become the target of fake news. However, TAPE’s top executives expressed their satisfaction with the new hosts’ performance, the show’s ratings, and the influx of commercials.
Matter of fact, on July 8, main hosts
Paolo Contis and Yorme Isko Moreno signed a long-term contract with TAPE.
Paolo expressed gratitude for TAPE’s trust in him and Yorme Isko, emphasizing their commitment to providing help and entertainment to viewers for a long time. He added that Eat Bulaga will continue as long as its audience is there, highlighting that the show is about the viewers and not just the hosts. Yorme Isko echoed similar sentiments, thanking the creative and production staff and emphasizing the viewers as their top priority.
“Both of us are committed to deliver help and fun to our viewers for a long time so we consider this an important day. Like what we always say, Eat Bulaga will stay as long as its audience is there. They are Eat Bulaga, not the hosts,” Contis stated.
“Thank you very much to the Creative and Production staff of ‘G sa Gedli.’
Paolo and I share the same goal of the new Eat Bulaga – to give out help and fun. This time, the viewers are our
priorities,” Moreno said in turn.
Atty. Maggie Garduque further clarified that the news of Eat Bulaga ending on July 29, is untrue. Instead, it will mark the end of the 43rd year of the show, as the 44th anniversary will be celebrated on the same date.
TAPE’s contract with GMA extends until 2024, ensuring that the show will continue to provide fun, entertainment, and assistance to its Kapuso viewers until its 45th year and beyond.
The company is also professionalizing its operations under the directive of President and CEO Romy Jalosjos, including implementing contract signings with employees and talents to secure their terms and conditions.
“With the directive of our President and CEO Romy Jalosjos, we are starting to professionalize everything also, like doing contract-signing with employees and talents as this does not only benefit the company but more so the talents and employees who will be secured of the terms and conditions of their engagements,” Atty. Garduque added.
Jalosjos expressed confidence in the new hosts and was pleased with the show’s progress. The fun and enjoyable nature of the new Eat Bulaga show is evident in its ratings, reflecting the audience’s positive reception. Therefore, long-term contracts will be executed with all the hosts, starting with Yorme and Paolo, and the remaining hosts will also sign their contracts next week.
“The new EB show is fun, and the rating would speak for itself... This is a testament that people like the show. Thus, apt for the execution of long-term contract with the hosts, starting with Yorme and Paolo, the other hosts will also be signing the long-term contract next week,” concluded Atty. Garduque. The contract signing event was attended by TAPE, Inc. President and CEO John Jalosjos, Chief Finance Officer Mayor Bullet Jalosjos, and Sparkle VP Joy Marcelo
FROM August 4 to 13, the center of
the Philippine cinematic universe is at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) as it becomes the new home of the most prestigious independent film festival, Cinemalaya.
AWARD-WINNING journalist Korina
Sanchez-Roxas inked a co-production deal with ABS-CBN for the news magazine and lifestyle show Rated Korina on Wednesday (July 5).
“I always knew na I was going to be back.
I was never not a Kapamilya anyway. You can take the girl away from the birthplace, but you can’t take the birthplace away from the girl. In this case, you can’t take away the ABS-CBN in Korina because this is where I grew,” she said during the contract signing.
Korina also shared the reason why her show Rated Korina stood the test of time.
“The thing about Rated Korina, its longevity, is based on the fact that hindi kailanman tayo’y mawawalan ng kwentong totoo mula sa mga tunay na tao and I’ve always maintained, which was my very first campaign promoting the show in ABSCBN, that these are the big stories and small lives,” she explained.
Present at the contract signing to welcome Korina were ABS-CBN chairman Mark L. Lopez, ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo L. Katigbak, COO of broadcast Cory V. Vidanes, OIC of finance group Vincent Paul O. Piedad, and Global Resource Creative Exchange president and talent manager Girlie Rodis
Korina served as Chief Correspondent for the Integrated News and Current Affairs Division of ABS-CBN for over two decades.
She has been the face of some Kapamilya programs such as Hoy Gising, Bandila, Balitang K, Rated K, and TV Patrol
As a news magazine and lifestyle show, Rated Korina features inspiring stories of Filipinos from all walks of life. It airs every Saturday at 6:15 p.m. on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z, while it airs at 9:45 p.m. on TV5. The show is also available for streaming on iWantTFC and TFC.
Now in its 19th edition, the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival highlights short and full-length films that illuminate our culture, present contemporary times and its morality, reminisce the past, and promise to deliver the best narratives that will open minds and make hearts bounce and scream.
CCP President Margie Moran-Floirendo revealed that due to the ongoing rehabilitation of the CCP Main Building, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation have decided to hold the festival at the PICC within the CCP Complex. This decision aims to maintain the festival’s unique community spirit. The PICC has a history of hosting film screenings, including the Manila International Film Festival in
the 1980s, Moran-Floirendo noted. According to Cinemalaya Festival Director Chris Millado, this year’s screening venues will be Cinema Rizal (Meeting Room 1), Cinema Bonifacio (Meeting Room 2 and 3), and Cinema Felipe (Meeting Room 4). Fringe events and talkbacks will take place at Cinema Palma (Meeting Room 5), while exhibitions and filmmakers’ profiles will be showcased at the Executive Lounge.
Cinemalaya Monitoring and Competition Chairperson Jose Javier Reyes announced that the festival will feature 10 full-length films and 10 short films in competition. These emerging filmmakers represent the
new hopes of Philippine cinema.
The film Jedis in the 10 competing fulllength films are: Ang Suyan ng Magiting by Dustin Celestino; As If It’s True by John Rogers; Bulawan Nga Usa by Kenneth De la Cruz; Gitling by Jopy Arnaldo; Huling Palabas by Ryan Espinosa Machado; Iti Mapukpukaw by Carl Joseph E. Papa; Maria by She Andes; Rookie by Samantha Lee and Natts Jadaone; Tether by Gian Arre; and When
This Is All Over by Kevin Mayuga
The young Short films Padawans are: Ang Kining Binalaybay Kag Ambahanon Ko Para Sa Imo by Kent John D. Desamparado; Golden Bells by Kurt Soberano; Hinakdal by Arvin Belar-
mino; Hm Hm Mhm by Sam VillaReal and Kim Timan; Kokuryo: The Untold Story of Bb. UNDAS 2019 by Diokko Manuel Dionisio; Makoko sa Baybay by Mike Cabarles; Maudi Nga Arapaap by Daniel Magayon; Sibuyas ni Perfecto by Januar Yap; Sota by Mae Tanagon; and Tong Adlaw Nga Bag-Snow sa Pinas by Joshua Caesar Medroso
Aside from the films in competition, Cinemalaya enthusiasts and fans can look forward to the yearly staples such as: Retrospective, lookback to winning films of past Cinemalaya editions; Best of the Festivals, which showcases the best films from local festivals; Visions of Asia, featuring award-winning Asian and Netpac films; Premieres, featuring never-beforescreen films; and Dokyu, which screens award-winning documentaries.
During the press conference held at the PICC, aside from Floirendo, Millado, and Reyes, Cinemalaya Foundation President Laurice Guillen, CCP Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan, and CCP Administrative Services department manager Tess Rances were also present.
Some of the artists who are in the films namely Dolly de Leon, Khalil Ramos, Ashley Ortega, Micoy Morales, Cedrick Juan, and Jay Gonzaga, graced the PICC press conference.
All the Cinemalaya full length and short films will also be for viewing at the Ayala Malls by the Bay, Glorietta, and Trinoma cinemas.
THOUSANDS of diehard Taylor
Swift fans erupted in screams
Friday as a Philippine drag queen impersonating the American music megastar strutted on stage in a Manila shopping center.
For many Filipino “Swifties”, as Taylor Swift’s fans are called, this is the closest they will get to the singer’s The Eras Tour after the Philippines was left off the Asian leg next year. As fans across the region scrambled Friday to get their hands on tickets for her six shows in Singapore, one of only two stops in Asia, Filipino Swifties flocked to a mall to see the next best thing: Taylor Sheesh
Wearing a long blonde wig and gold sequined and tasseled dress, Sheesh shimmered across the floor as
she imitated Swift’s dance moves and lip-synced songs from her 2010 Speak Now album.
Mostly young fans sang along to the lyrics they first heard as children, bouncing up and down while filming with their smartphones.
Fans began lining up in the tropical heat more than four hours before Friday’s concert celebrating the release of Swift’s re-recorded Speak Now album. Many wore cat-ear headbands featuring Swift’s face and the color purple to match her dress on the album cover.
Sheesh, whose real name is Mac Coronel, began impersonating Swift in 2017. The 28-year-old has seen her popularity explode in the Philippines after footage of her performing her
own version of The Eras Tour in May went viral.
“She’s so very popular here,” Coronel told AFP backstage, describing the Philippines as “Taylor nation”.
In Singapore on Friday, hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up at post offices across the city-state hours before tickets went on sale to the public.
Many of the fans, mostly young people, had queued overnight for prime spots, bringing food, mats, and foldable chairs. With 338,000 seats up for grabs in Singapore, many Swifties across the region have been left disappointed and pleading on social media for more Asian countries to be included in the tour. AFP
CALATAGAN, Batangas is an upscale and laidback beach destination known as the haven of the elite. It features Landco BeachTowns – Playa Calatagan (78 hectares) and CaSoBe (15 hectares), the latest additions to this nature and beach paradise.
Just three hours from Metro Manila, Calatagan provides a peaceful escape for city dwellers. The beach community offers tranquility and a sense of seclusion.
In the special Calatagan episode of Metro Channel’s EIC on the Move, Atty. Rene Puno and his wife Ann, along with neighbor Basti Lacson, welcomed back Metro Society EIC and EIC on the Move host Raul Manzano – a former Calatagan resident himself – to their lovely abode over a hearty potluck of sumptuous meals and colorful conversations on why Calatagan is such a beautiful place to stay in.
Art Hyndman, a resident of Playa Calatagan for more than two years, shared with Raul how he experiences quiet luxury at the Landco BeachTowns.
“After more than 20 years in the liquor industry, handling events in bars and restaurants, I realized that I can’t do this for the rest of my life. I chose Playa Calatagan as the best place to slow down. I retired from corporate life but I am actively doing things on the side,’ Art said.
“I opted to relocate to Playa Calatagan for its proximity to Metro Manila. It’s an easy drive and you can stop by Tagaytay before heading to the beach. I return to Manila about once or twice a month,” he added.
To explore the beauty and charm of Calatagan, Art appreciates that there is no traffic jam and it’s safe to go on a motorbike around town and visit places nearby.
He shared that for those who love marine life, there is plenty to discover.
Calatagan Peninsula faces the Verde Passage, declared by a team of marine conservationists as a “Center of Marine Biodiversity” in the world, and
Verde Island Passage as the “Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity.”
“Living at Playa Caltagan is very relaxing. There is no certain time to wake up. It’s also like living inside a resort. It’s not just a hotel room, your whole house is inside a resort,” he observed.
He added that there are two clubhouses: Hilltop View offers a scenic sea perspective, while Oasis is a pool illuminated by
hundreds of underwater LED lights, creating a starry experience. The beachfront offers ample space for watersports like kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling. It’s a hub for various outdoor recreational activities.
Art highlighted Landco Beachtowns’ sustainability focus with a water recycling facility and a bamboo park for residents to connect with nature. It is an ideal place during the pandemic, offering outdoor
TAKING
advantage of the surge of “Relief
Travel” (I prefer to use this phrase instead of that very negative “Revenge Travel”), the Department of Tourism (DOT) cooked up its latest project of promoting new destinations in the country that have the potential to attract both domestic and foreign tourists. Our friends at the DOT call it The Philippine Experience.
Since Mindanao has been wrongfully branded by a number of foreign embassies as “unsafe” for their citizens to travel to, the DOT thought it best to do the pilot of this project in Davao, to prove to one and all there is no threat at all to the safety of tourists in that area.
The Philippine Experience also highlights the various regions’ heritage, culture, and unique arts and crafts.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco declared that this project is patterned after Gov. Gwen Garcia’s highly successful Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbu which provided tourists the opportunity to discover the province’s new and exciting destinations and their products, putting underrated attractions on equal footing with the more popular points of interest in our country.
This initial salvo of Philippine Experience brought us to Davao where we were treated like royalty by the various LGUs. Upon arrival at Davao’s Francisco Bangoy International Airport, we were whisked off immediately to the Malagos Garden Resort, 32 kilometers or 45 minutes away from the city center.
There, I had the chance to really “commune with nature” as I had tiny colorful birds feeding from my palms, and attractive parrots perched on my shoulders and on my forearms, while feeling ticklish with their claws on my skin. I also had the chance to watch up close a beautiful butterfly sucking nectar from a flower. Management also gave us a Tutorial on Chocolates, the main product the resort is known for.
After lunch, we were brought to the Philippine Eagle Center which is home to over 30 Philippine Eagles, half of which are captive-bred. Looking very majestic with a wing span of approximately 6.5 feet, our eagle ranks only 9th in size, among all the eagles in the world.
Later in the afternoon, we were shipped on a speedboat to Samal Island for the Welcome Dinner hosted by Mayor Al David Uy and for our princely accommodations at the Pearl Farm Beach Resort. I had a villa right on the beach with a spacious patio perched over the sea. The following day brought us to Panabo, the Banana Capital of the Philippines, in Davao del Norte. 32 kilometers or an hour-and-a-half away from Davao City, this city is home to the biggest banana plantations in the country. We were given a tour of a banana planta-
tion and learned the processes involved in nurturing the fruit and how it is prepared for export to many countries around the world.
the city, yet all its facilities are top-of-the-line luxurious and their service, caring and warm.
I stayed in a super de luxe category suite, with a spacious living room and an even more spacious bedroom which led to a patio that had my own private pool fronting the well-manicured garden and the refreshing sea. Even my bathroom had an open air annex that had its own bathtub and shower, in case one feels like taking an invigorating shower under the sun. Too bad I didn’t have the luxury of time to enjoy these facilities.
spaces and a strong internet connection.
In contrast, Playa Calatagan is a private beachfront community offering privacy and exclusivity. Resort Estate CaSoBe is a mixed-use development for tourism, providing a vibrant tourist hotspot for residents to enjoy their dream beach house, second home, or business venture.
Playa Calatagan residents can access CaSoBe’s leisure and hospitality amenities managed by Millennial Resorts. Accommodations include Cocoons and Crusoe Cabins, EDGE-certified rustic container vans with modern interiors. Additional facilities include Aquaria Water Park, Captain Barbozza restaurant and bar, and Canopy for corporate events and weddings.
“You don’t even have to cook at home, simply head to the restaurants to partake of your meals or entertain visitors and guests,” Art noted.
Since it’s a connected community, Raul was also able to bump into one of his good friends, journalist Stephanie Zubiri who spent most of her childhood here on beach holidays. Calatagan gave them the chance to catch up on their lives over barbecue and cocktails amid the majestic Calatagan sunset by the beach.
“From its gorgeous scenery to the affluent community, and down to the priceless beachside lifestyle, Calatagan is truly an understated paradise that you can come home to, a quiet luxury worth rewarding yourself with,” Raul concludes.
THE Manila Hotel, a symbol of elegance, grandeur, and Filipino hospitality, celebrates its 111th anniversary. Since 1912, this iconic landmark has reflected the rich history and heritage of the Philippines. To mark this milestone, The Manila Hotel presents exciting offers to valued patrons.
The Manila Hotel invites guests and patrons to share their cherished memories at the hotel over the years, whether it’s a captivating photograph of their celebration or a memorable keepsake with a heartwarming story. Participants can submit their entries on the hotel’s official website until July 18.
The first 111 entries will each receive a regular Prestige card, while the Top 11 entries, selected by a set of judges, will each receive a staycation voucher and an exclusive The Manila Hotel coffee table book.
As part of its anniversary celebration, The Manila Hotel is offering a luxurious stay in its Presidential Suite. From the spacious living area to the elegantly designed rooms and breathtaking views of Manila Bay and Intramuros, every corner of the Presidential Suite exudes elegance and comfort.
For a special rate of P111,000+++ per night, guests can enjoy an overnight stay, buffet breakfast in Café Ilang-Ilang for six persons, complimentary mini bar, and a 24-hour butler service. Booking period is from July 4 to 31, while stay period is from July 5 to December 30.
Discover the captivating story of The Manila Hotel through its exquisite coffee table book. This visual journey showcases nostalgic photographs, architectural splendor, fascinating anecdotes, and remarkable stories that celebrate the Grand Dame’s 111 years of history and heritage.
Available for purchase at The Manila Hotel’s gift shop, the coffee table book serves as a treasured keepsake for guests, history enthusiasts, and admirers of the hotel’s enduring charm.
“The Manila Hotel has been an integral part of Philippine history, and it is an honor to continue our tradition of providing exceptional experiences to our valued guests. We are thrilled to share this momentous occasion with our patrons and invite them to join us in celebrating our cherished memories and timeless heritage,” Marvin Kim Tan, The Manila Hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing, expresses his gratitude to guests for their unwavering support throughout the years.
For more information about The Manila Hotel’s 111th anniversary offers, call 632 527 0011, email info@themanilahotel.com, or visit www.
After lunch, we drove 22 kilometers north, or half an hour away, to visit the famous Tagum Historical and Cultural Center where you can easily immerse in the city’s art, music, and history. From there, we drove back to Davao City and hopped on another speedboat to our “heavenly” accommodations at the Dusit Thani Lubi where a lavish dinner awaited us, hosted by the LGU.
My room at this resort was out of this world. First of all, Dusit Thani Lubi has earned the reputation of being the “Paradise in the middle of nowhere” as it is on its own island, away from the dizzying hustle and bustle of
The following day found us back in Davao City as Mayor Sebastian Duterte prepared a sumptuous lunch for us at the Waterfront Insular Hotel. More of the native Mindanao dances made very attractive by the dancers’ colorful costumes were on stage. Mayor Duterte and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco thanked those of us who joined the Philippine Experience Pilot Project by presenting us with a trophy in the shape of the Philippine eagle.
What a great experience it was for me – The Philippine Experience-Davao proved to me once more that there really is much more to LOVE in THE PHILIPPINES!
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com
