Manila Standard - 2023 July 17 - Monday

Maynilad shelves water interruption

Monsoon rains refill Angat Dam; Firm to tap old deep wells, make new ones

By Rio N. Araja, Othel V. Campos and Macon Ramos-Araneta

MAYNILAD Water Services Inc. suspended indefinitely its planned water interruption in six cities as the water elevation at Angat Dam in Bulacan has increased slightly due to southwest monsoon rains.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said at 6 a.m. yesterday, the dam’s reservoir water level at Angat was at 179.06 meters or up by 0.58 meters from the 178.48 meters on Saturday.

‘Bagong Pilipinas’ set

as new governance,

leadership brand

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the adoption of a new brand of governance and leadership campaign characterized by a "principled, accountable and dependable government."

In a three-page memorandum circular dated July 3, 2023, the President also approved the “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines) logo.

Mr. Marcos directed all national government agencies, including governmentowned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) and

state universities and colleges (SUCs), to adopt the "Bagong Pilipinas" campaign in their programs, activities and projects.

"Bagong Pilipinas is the overarching theme of the administration's brand of governance and leadership, which calls for deep and fundamental transformations in all sectors of society and government, and fosters the state's commitment towards the attainment of comprehensive policy reforms and full economic recovery," read the memorandum.

SolGen: PH can’t appeal ICC ruling on drug probe

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Philippines has no more available appeal in case the International Criminal Court decides on Tuesday to deny Manila’s plea to stop the ICC prosecutor’s investigation of the killings arising from President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs.

“In case our appeal is denied, the ICC prosecutor will be authorized to resume his investigation into the Philippine situation. There is no further appeal available to the Philippine government,” Solicitor General Menado Guevarra said in a text message to Manila Standard on Sunday.

“Depending on the evidence he may able to gather, the ICC prosecutor may seek the issuance of summonses or warrants of arrest against certain individuals,” Guevarra added.

As a judicial institution, the ICC does not have its own police force or enforcement body.

On its website, the ICC said it "relies on the cooperation of countries worldwide for support, particularly for making arrests, transferring arrested persons to the ICC detention center in The Hague, freezing suspects' assets, and enforcing sentences."

senators: PH must tell world how China violating SCS ruling

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja

THE government should not stop citing the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) but tell the world how China is violating the decision that invalidated its expansive claims in the South

DOH: Herbosa not endorsing diabetes cure via Facebook

By Gabriellea B. Pariño

THE Department of Health warned the public against false news circulating online claiming Health Secretary Ted Herbosa was endorsing a cure for diabetes.

In its advisory, the DOH denied the false information posted on the Facebook page called "Journey to get rid of diabetes."

“The Department reminds everyone that non-communicable diseases and comorbidities such as diabetes can be prevented by practicing healthy habits such as proper diet and exercise among others,” the DOH said.

China Sea, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Sunday.

In blatantly defying the arbitral ruling, China has been bullying the Philippines and other countries involved in territorial disputes over WPS, Zubiri said.

Because of this, Zubiri said he strongly supports the move to present to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) the repeated

incursions and violations of China of the Hague arbitral ruling.

Zubiri also said most senators supported this stand, although only he and opposition Senators Risa Hontiveros and Koko Pimentel have publicly stated so.

In an informal poll conducted by the Standard of the senators' chiefs of staff, at least 20 said their bosses approved of the

measure and would come out with their own statements this week.

"We should show the video and photographic evidence of their creeping invasion towards our country and our neighbors with their continuous reclamation of territory within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and areas that are considered

wish

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and

Maricel

V. Cruz

SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Sunday stood his ground to push for a P150 legislated wage hike across the country.

"I know many businessmen will be mad at me, but share-share lang. They also need to share their blessings with workers," Zubiri said. “We need to focus on this and that's my promise." He guaranteed the Senate will make

MARIAN PROCESSION. Workers prepare the float of an image of the Virgin Mary in preparation for the Manila Grand Marian Procession on Sunday, in connection with the 14th anniversary celebration of the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Parish. The local government of Manila led the procession that began at the Kartilya ng Katipunan. Norman Cruz

KNIVES ON DISPLAY. Speaker Martin Romualdez (center) joins (from left) Executive Director Marievic Bonoan of BDTP, Libyan Minister Abdunaser Aturki, Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman, DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Jude Tiotuico, and

Center Executive Director Maria Rita Matute

PNP: Missing activists not with us

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine National Police on Sunday denied the claims that two Cordillera activists who have been reported missing are in the custody of the police.

The PNP issued the statement after the Court of Appeals 13th Division ordered the military and the police to present the two missing activists, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil de Jesus.

"The PNP strongly and categorically denies the allegation that the subjects of the writs, Capuyan and De Jesus, were arrested by the PNP," the PNP said.

The PNP said when the two were first reported missing, police were dispatched

Maynilad...

From A1

The dam's normal high water level or spilling level is 210 meters.

In a July 16 advisory, west zone concessionaire Maynilad announced that the scheduled daily water interruptions in portions of the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Manila, Navotas, Quezon City, and Valenzuela will be suspended indefinitely.

“The rains brought by tropical depression ‘Dodong’ over the watershedsincreased the water level in Ipo Dam, enabling us to get our required 2,400 million liters per day from the portal despite lower releases from Angat Dam,” it said.

Angat Dam provides 97 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water.

The level of water in La Mesa Dam, Binga Dam, San Roque Dam, Pantabangan Dam, and Magat Dam increased, too, PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, Maynilad said it is tapping into 60 idle deep wells acrossits service area and constructing new ones to generate an additional 32 million liters per day (MLD) water supply in time for the El Niño dry spell.

“The number of deep wells we can

SolGen:...

From A1

Thus far, there have been 31 cases before the ICC, and ICC judges have issued 40 arrest warrants, including one against Russian President Vladimir Putin in March for his part in the war in Ukraine.

With the cooperation of memberstates, 21 people have been detained in the ICC detention center while 16 remained at large. Charges have been dropped against five people due to their deaths, the ICC said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier maintained that the government will not cooperate with the international body’s investigation.

Zubiri,...

From A1 international waters, hampering freedom of navigation,” he said.

Earlier, Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution 659, calling on the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), to sponsor before the UNGA a resolution that calls on China to stop its harassment of Filipino vessels in the WPS.

"As far back as 2016, through the landmark arbitral ruling, it hasbeen established that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights over Filipino resources. It has also been proven that China breached its obligations under international law when it violated our sovereign rights over our continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. This is a clear and unequivocal decision," Hontiveros said.

She added that the Hague ruling will never be diminished by China's antagonistic and perpetual non-compliance.

Also, she said that although a UN General Assembly Resolution is not legally binding, it carries significant political weight and serves as an expression of the will and consensus of the international community, with the potential to shape in-

DOH:...

From A1

Aside from Herbosa, the post also named the UP-Philippine General Hospital as the site where to buy the "fabricated" diabetic cure.

“The DOH clarifies that no such scenario or statement has been made by the department officials," the department added.

The department reminded the public to be vigilant of misinformation online.

A study by the World Health Organization earlier showed incorrectinterpretations of health information, which increase during outbreaks and disasters, often negatively impact people’s mental health and increase vaccine hesitancy,

in a bid to locate the activists.

Human rights groups said Capuyan and De Jesus were nabbed at the Golden City Subdivision in Taytay, Rizal on April 28 by men who introduced themselves as agents of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

"Records would also show that there were certifications issued by various units of the PNP stating that Capuyan and De Jesus are not within their cus-

reactivate in the West Zone islimited because our proximity to Manila Bay makes groundwater reserves salty and unusable in some areas. However, we have found some viable deep wells and their yield will add to our water supply should El Niño further affect the availability of water from traditional sources,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

The west zone concessionaire is spending P1 billion to reactivate deepwells in Caloocan, Quezon City, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Bacoor, Cavite City, Kawit, and Imus. The expected 32-MLD additionalsupply from this project is enough to supply the water requirements of some 175,000 customers.

To date, Maynilad has rehabilitated eight deep wells. By the end ofJuly, the water utility is expecting the total yield from deep wells in 19 locations to increase to 12.38 MLD.

It is closely coordinating with the relevant government units andseveral homeowners’ associations so the firm can reopen more deep wells in the succeeding months.

While groundwater is not a sustainable source of water supply, the reactivation of deep wells is allowed during times of con-

"We cannot cooperate with the ICC considering the very seriousquestions about their jurisdiction and about what we consider to be interference and practically attacks on the sovereignty of the republic," Mr. Marcos said in March.

The ICC Appeals Chamber is expected to make its decision on July 18 on the government’s plea against the resumption of the probe on the killings linked to the drug war.

The Solicitor General said persons "who may be indicted will have to engage their own defense counsel."

He said the Office of the Solicitor General “only represents the state.”

Nonetheless, the chief state lawyer assured the public and the international community that the Philippine government will continue its own investigation

ternational norms, influence national policies, and provide guidance for the work of other UN organs, specialized agencies, and regional organizations.

Gabriela Women's party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Sunday joined Zubiri’s call for the Philippines to present China's repeated violations of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations.

She said President Marcos Jr. should openly condemn China's military aggression and the United States' intervention which has put the Philippines in the middle of Washington and Beijing's increased jostling for global superiority.

“We fully support the call to bring the issue to the UN and provideevidence of China's incursions and violations of the Hague Arbitral ruling,” she said.

“It is crucial that the international community is made aware ofChina's continuous reclamation of territory within our exclusive economic zone and its impact on the freedom of navigation in the region," she added.

The ruling in 2016 affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone and invalidated China's claims over almost the entire South China Sea. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

and can delay the provision of health care.

“Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are critical in disseminating the rapid and far-reaching spread of information,” the WHO systematic review explained.

The repercussions of misinformation on social media include suchnegative effects as “an increase in erroneous interpretation of scientific knowledge, opinion polarization, escalating fear, and panic or decreased access to health care."

The authors concluded that the effects of infodemics and health misinformation online can be countered by “developing legal policies, creating and promoting awareness campaigns, improving health-related content in mass media and increasing people’s digital and health literacy.”

tody. They are neither among the list of Persons Under Police Custody nor can they be found within any PNP facilities" the PNP said.

Capuyan is a member of the BontocIbaloi-Kankanaey indigenous group while De Jesus is the information and networking officer of the Philippine Task Force on Indigenous Peoples Rights.

Meanwhile, Eastern Visayas police chief Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga said the PNP "will not tolerate any form of misconduct" within its ranks as he assured a fair investigation into an incident in Pastrana on Friday involving two cops and three local journalists.

Leyte Police Provincial Office officerin-charge Lt. Col. Ricky Reli on Saturday announced the relief from their posts

tingency, such as during expected supply shortages due to El Niño.

Harvesting water from deep wells is one of Maynilad's mitigatingmeasures for a possible supply crunch due to El Niño. Its other supply augmentation measures include the commissioning of modular treatment plants that will draw supply from rivers, the sustained production of potable reused water, and the recovery of water from repairing pipe leaks and replacing old pipelines.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base in the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, composed of certain portions of Manila and Quezon City, west of South Super Highway in Makati City, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.

In other developments:

• Senator Loren Legarda called on local government units to seriously consider ways to conserve the water supply. "We cannot expose ourselves to the risk of seeing it dry up completely — it will becatastrophic," warned Legarda, who also welcomed the administration's move

and prosecution of individuals involved in so-called extra-judicial killings during the campaign against illegal drugs by the previous administration.

“Regardless of the outcome of our appeal, the Philippine government will continue to focus on its own investigation and prosecution of alleged abuses in connection with the war on drugs,” Guevarra said.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla downplayed the impact of the ICC upcoming decision.

“Well, they can decide in the Hague where the ICC is. But that does not affect us here. They cannot enforce anything that they want in our country because we are not members of the ICC,” Remulla said on Friday.

“We’re just trying to work with them

Senate...

From A1

“It remains unwavering in its commitment to increase the wages for all daily wage workers nationwide through a legislated wage hike,” the Senate leader said.

Zubiri also acknowledged that he said he was amenable to a P100 wage hike for workers in the National Capital Region -- which got a P40 daily increase starting Sunday -- in response to a query from a television presenter last week.

But he stressed that his original stance was a uniform P150 salary increase for laborers throughout the country.

He said he is confident that with the release of the most recent Pulse Asia nationwide survey a few days ago where there is an overwhelming clamor for wage increases, the Senate will listen to the Filipino people and fulfill its mandate of advancing their welfare.

The latest Pulse Asia survey conducted from June 19 to 23 shows that the most urgent national concern overall, increasing the pay of workers, ranked second among the top issues at 44 percent after controlling inflation, which stood at 63 percent.

Pulse Asia also surveyed Filipinos on how much they spend on regular monthly household expenses such as housing, food, electricity, water, communications, transportation, and the like. Some 38 percent of the respondents answered P15,001 or more, while 17 percent answered P14,001 to P15,000 and only 13 percent said they spent lower than P8,000.

Also in the same survey, respondents were asked whether or not theyare in favor of the proposal to increase by P150 the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector.

A whopping 97 percent said they agree with the proposal.

This question, Zubiri said, was actually a “rider” that his office pushed for inclusion in the Pulse

of the two cops—Rhea May Baleos and her husband, Ver Baleos who is assigned in Pastrana.

The National Union of Journalists said three reporters from San Juanico TV — Lito Bagunas, Noel Sianosa, and Ted Tomas — were interviewing farmerbeneficiaries of a land reform program in Pastrana when Baleos, in plainclothes, told them to leave the area.

"Baleos reportedly grabbed Sianosa's cellphone while the latter was taking videos, and pushed him away. A few minutes later, the three journalists heard gunshots," the NUJP said.

Calanoga urged witnesses to come forward and shed light on the incident for a swift and fair result of the investigation.

to release an El Niño mitigation plan to help the country brace for its adverse effects.

• The state weather bureau said the southwest monsoon continues toaffect the country even as Tropical Storm Dodong has exited the Philippine areas of responsibility. Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and the northern portion of Palawan will experience widespread rains, while Metro Manila, Western Visayas, La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, and the rest of Mimaropa will have occasional rains, the 4 a.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

• Some 1,419 individuals or 400 families were evacuated due to the combined effects of the southwest monsoon which was enhanced byTropical Storm Dodong, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday. The agency said36 evacuation centers in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas were opened to temporarily house the evacuees. Eighty-nine people or 54 families, meanwhile, were staying outside of evacuation centers.

in the spirit of comity. But if things happen as they do—if they will be adverse against us, so be it. But we are not members of the ICC,” the Justice Secretary said.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte pulled the Philippines out of theHaguebased tribunal in 2019 after it began a preliminary probe into his drug war, followed by the launch of a formal inquiry later that year.

Duterte has since continuously dismissed the ICC investigation.

Under the Duterte administration's controversial drug war, at least6,200 suspects were killed in police operations based on government records.

But human rights groups claimed the actual death toll could be anywhere from 12,000 to 30,000.

Asia survey questions. He said the results were “astounding,” as almost 100 percent agreed with the proposal.

According to Zubiri, he will use the recent Pulse Asia survey as an “Exhibit A” to convince his colleagues to support the measure when the Senate resumes deliberation on the legislated wage hike.

The idea, he said, is to have a uniform P150 minimum wage increase nationwide, and they are eyeing several proposals on how to accomplish this.

“We can make it graduated. For example, in the NCR, we will add P100.

In Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, let's make them P150 so it will be equal for everybody. Or let's make it P110 in Metro Manila and P150 for all,” Zubiri said.

The regional wage board approved last June a P40 increase in theminimum daily wage for private sector workers in Metro Manila. The order takes effect today, July 15. The wage order is expected to directly benefit 1.1 million minimum wage earners in NCR but is widely seen as being inadequate.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, said the government should aggressively move to bring down the cost of basic goods as a complement to a wage hike.

"Our efforts to improve workers' quality of life should not stop with a wage hike. We also need to aggressively move to lessen the cost of commodities to increase workers' purchasing power," Nograles said.

With the latest wage adjustment, the daily minimum wage rate in Metro Manila would be raised to P610 from P570. There are also 10 other wage hike petitions that are pending with various wage boards, the Department of Labor and Employment announced in May.

Nograles hailed the wage increase, though he admitted that workers might consider it a pittance considering the soaring prices of goods.

SC orders RTC to re-arrest, jail ex-Palawan gov

THE Supreme Court (SC) First Division has ordered a regional trial court to immediately re-arrest and detain former Palawan governor Mario Joel Reyes in connection with the killing of environmentalist and broadcaster Gerardo "Gerry" Ortega in 2011.

In a resolution dated March 29 but only made public on Sunday, the High Court directed Regional Trial Court Branch 52 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan to also continue “with utmost dispatch” the proceedings in Criminal Case No. 26839, in which Reyes is accused in Ortega’s murder.

This came after the SC denied Reyes’ petition to reverse and set aside the amended decision by the Court of Appeals in November 2019 and its resolution in February 2021 in connection to the case. In 2019, the appellate court reversed its January 2018 decision to dismiss the case and directed the Puerto Princesa City RTC to issue a warrant for Reyes’ arrest and continue with the prosecution.

“We do not find that the CA committed reversible error when it affirmed the trial court's Orders,” the resolution read.

The SC pointed out that Reyes “failed to present any convincing evidence to show how the RTC abused or acted in capricious and whimsical exercise of judgment amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in denying the motions filed by petitioner and ordering the continuation of the criminal proceedings against him.”

“There is likewise no showing that the trial court's power was exercised in an arbitrary and despotic manner. Petitioner's disagreement with the conclusions reached by the trial court, without more, is not sufficient to warrant the issuance of the extraordinary writ of certiorari,” it added. Rey Requejo (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Obiena bags gold at Asian Track Championships

FILIPINO pole vaulter EJ Obiena ruled his event in the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships on Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand defending his title after clearing 5.91 meters, which also became the new record in the event.

Obiena, the world's no. 3-ranked vaulter, tried to clear 6.02 meters in three attempts but failed to do so. The Olympian had joined the exclusive six-meter club earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia's Hussain Asim Alhizam finished second with 5.56 meters, while China's Huang Bokai placed third due to countback with 5.51 meters.

The Filipino Olympian and Asian record holder also previously held the competition record at 5.71 meters in getting the gold medal in 2019.

Obiena already punched his ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics early this month after meeting the 5.8-meter qualifying standard.

This is the Philippines' second gold medal in this year's edition of the tournament after Robyn Brown ruled the women's 400-meter hurdles on Saturday.

‘Bagong...

From A1

Mr. Marcos also ordered that the campaign logo must be on the letterheads, websites, official social media accounts, and other documents and instruments pertaining to flagship programs of the government.

For her part, House deputy minority leader ACT Teachers party-listRep. France Castro said funding for the rebranding campaign must be scrutinized.

Castro underscored the need to "ensure the responsible use of public funds and to safeguard against the rewriting of history."

"Rather than being fixated on the form and other superficialities,Pres. Marcos Jr. should focus on the substance," she added.

Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas also called on the government to address high prices of basic goods and low wages instead of "wasting government resources on rebranding projects."

"The administration must cut its obsession for rebranding projects and buckle down to work to address mounting calls for decent jobs, higher wages, and lower prices," she said.

Past administrations, however, have adopted slogans as well, including "Change is Coming" during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, "Daang Matuwid" of the late President Benigno Aquino III, and "Strong Republic" of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz

Release cash aid to health workers—Go

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Christopher Go on Sunday renewed his call for the immediate release of COVID-19 allowances to health workers.

He said the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) should expedite the release of COVID-19 allowances for healthcare workers who have been at the forefront of the battle against the ongoing pandemic and other health threats.

Recognizing the dedication and sacrifices of healthcare workers, Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, cited the urgent need to provide health workers with their well-deserved benefits in accordance with the law.

“Right now, as the declaration of a state of public health emergency has not been officially lifted, whatever has been allocated to health workers should be given to them,” Go said.

Under the 2023 budget, the government has allocated P19.962 billion for public health emergency benefits and allowances for healthcare and nonhealthcare workers.

“There is also P52.962 billion unprogrammed funds which can be used by our health workers. This is also in the law,” Go said.

Go is also the vice chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee.

Even if the state of public health emergency due to COVID-19 is eventually lifted, he noted that the government must ensure that allowances due to healthcare workers are provided to them.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte announced on March 8, 2020, a state of public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The declaration requires mandatory reporting, quarantine measures, and disease control prevention efforts.

According to DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has expressed his intention to lift the state of public health emergency related to COVID-19. Herbosa said they are awaiting a formal order regarding this decision.

Hontiveros: Pagcor logo is worth investigating

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATE Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said the controversial logo of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor)—worth P3 million—“is possibly worth an investigation.”

She said lawmakers in the minority “are fully aware of this issue.”

The gaming regulator drew flak for the rebranding of its logo which critics said could have been done “in-house” instead of hiring an outside firm to do the project.

The contract was awarded to Printplus Graphic Services, an entity enrolled in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) just

last June and registered in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in March 2021 with “only a barangay scope for its business name.”

Hontiveros assured that the Minority Bloc in the Senate which also includes Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III will join a Senate probe that will look into the controversial logo.

Senator Grace Poe meanwhile said she wants to know if the creation of the new

Pagcor logo underwent proper bidding. The logo, which is worth P3 million, is being likened by many netizens to the logo of petroleum company Petron, and e-sabong, among others.

Pagcor chairperson and CEO Alejandro Tengco shared that the new logo is incorporated with the symbol of fire to represent “energy, inspiration, passion, and transformation” symbolizing the “flame that ignites change and drives progress.”

Pagcor unveiled the new logo during the regulator’s anniversary. The logo received negative feedback from internet users. The term ‘Pagcor’ quickly trended on Wednesday morning as netizens criticized the logo, claiming it resembled the logo of a gasoline brand and a local noodle brand.

ENGINEERING BRIGADE

ANNIVERSARY. The Philippine Army’s 51st Engineer Brigade (51EBde) unveiled its new facilities and engineering equipment as part of the celebration of its 57th founding anniversary on July 14 at Camp General Atienza, Libis, Quezon City. Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. graced the ribboncutting and blessing ceremony of the new facilities, including the Brigade Headquarters Building, OG2 Office Building, and 51E Barbershop, Billiard Hall, & Coop Building. AFP

Gatchalian says PH in GSP+ to boost exports

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian remains optimistic that the proposed renewal of the Philippines’ participation in the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) will boost the competitiveness of the country’s exports and increase investment prospects.

“We are elated to find out that the European Commission (EC) has proposed to renew the country’s participation in the GSP+ scheme as this would surely provide a wider market for our exports and consequently greater employment opportunities for our people,” Gatchalian said.

He is also hopeful the members of the EU Parliament were able to appreciate their discussions and initiatives toward building strong partnership between the Philippines and the EU.

He hopes they will vote favorably for the EC’s proposed renewal of the grant of EU GSP+ privileges to the Philippines.

THE country’s positivity rate, or the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has decreased to 5.6 percent as of July 15.

Over Twitter on Saturday night, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David noted that the figure was a 0.8-percent decline from last week’s (July 8) 6.4 percent.

“The Department of Health (DOH) reported 283 new cases, two deaths, 431 recoveries. About 56 of the new cases are from the National Capital Region, projecting 200 to 300 new cases the next day (July 16),” he said.

To date, the country’s overall tally of COVID-19 infections has reached 4,169,644 with 5,879 active cases.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths stands at 66,510.

The DOH’s latest bio-surveillance report showed 850 samples were sequenced on June 30 to July 7 by the Philippine Genome Center. It logged that 92 percent of cases were XBB types.

“The XBB 2.3 or Acrux is the most dominant nationwide 30 percent followed by XBB 1.16 or Arcturus at 24 percent,” David said.

The two were followed by XBB 1.9.1 or Hyperion at 16 percent or 135 cases; XBB 1.5 at 8 percent or 65 cases; XBB 1.9.2 at 4 percent or 35 cases; and BA 2.3.20 at 2 percent or 20 cases.

Meantime, the remaining 11 percent or 90 cases were other XBB types.

The senator was part of the Philippine Congressional Delegation who visited the European Parliament in October 2022 to discuss with their counterparts the status of the GSP+, among other things. He commended the work undertaken by Senator Sonny Angara for leading the delegation.

As proposed by the EC, the country’s participation in the GSP+ scheme will be allowed for another four years or until December 2027 as soon as it expires by the end of this year.

A special incentive arrangement for low and lower-middle-income countries, the GSP+ is a unilateral trade arrangement offering zero tariffs on 6,274 products or 66% of all EU tariff lines.

Following its initial participation in 2014, the country’s export revenues grew to EUR 7.7 billion in 2021 from EUR 5.7 billion in 2014.

Coast Guard reports maritime distress off the waters of Romblon

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has responded to a maritime incident involving M/V Maria Helena that was reported to be approximately 100 meters from the shoreline of Barangay Nasunugan, Banton, Romblon early morning Sunday.

According to Captain Elmo Sumocol, the distressed passenger vessel of the Montenegro Shipping Lines Inc. had 50 passengers (including drivers), 32 crew members (including the captain), and 16 rolling cargoes on board.

He said the listing occurred after a tire of one of the rolling cargoes blew

up, which broke the lashing.

At around 3 am, the passengers started disembarking MV Maria Helena using its lifeboat.

The PCG team and local passenger boats in the vicinity waters also assisted in the safe disembarkation of the passengers. They were brought to the Barangay Nasunugan to check their condi-

tion and for further assistance.

At around 4:35 am, Sumocol reported that all 50 passengers were safe. However, MV Maria Helena already listed 10 degrees portside due to an imbalance of cargo and seawater that entered the distressed vessel.

He also confirmed no signs of cracks or holes on the ship’s hull.

New brgy. hall rises in Bangsamoro village

By Nash B. Maulana

MIDSAYAP, Cotabato—The Bangsamoro autonomous government is constructing a two-layer barangay hall building to be equipped with modern facilities unlike the smaller, already congested old government hall in Barangay Tumbras.

The new hall is symbolic of peace in the surrounding communities, Bangsamoro Transitional Parliament Member Mohammad Kelly Antao said.

Barangay Tumbras and six other villages comprising Midsayap Cluster I of the 63-barangay Special Geographic Area (SGA), now make up a “community of peaceful coexistence between Muslim and Christian residents.”

These communities would also be setting the goals through the future of governance, said In-

terior and Local Governments Minister Naguib Sinarimbo of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Sinarimbo said the BARMM barangay clusters in majority Christian settlements in Cotabato Province will set the “future of governance” with innovative setups that would enhance local communities with “enterprising governance/” given their inherent “corporate powers.”

He said this will bring about changes and results in the affairs of LGUs “different from the usual governance.”

“As we operationalize the SGADA (Special Geographic Area Development Authority) you will receive more” (assistance package), Sinarimbo assured recipient-residents of farm and fishery equipment machineries gathered Thursday in Barangay Tumbras.

OCTA: Positivity rate for COVID declines to 5.6%

HALL. A new Bangsamoro barangay hall is being constructed in Brgy. Tumbras, across the village’s community chapel of Senor San Isidro Labrador Patron in Midsayap, Cotabato. Nash Maulana

COA:

P1.42B MEANT FOR DRIVERS, OPERATORS

DoTr flagged for unused SCP fund

By Rio N. Araja

THE Commission on Audit has called the attention of the Department of Transportation for an unused P1.42 billion out of the P16.97-billion budget for the service contracting program (SCP) in 2022.

In an audit report, state auditors said P1,426,466,534.86, or 8.41 percent, of the total fund allocation for the SCP, was not used.

At least P619,709,794.77 or 3.99 percent of the total obligations of P15,543,533,465.14 remained unpaid to SCP participants as of Dec. 31 last year.

COA cited overpayments to participants worth P21,872,365.50 had not yet been collected as of Dec. 31, 2022.

Under the service contracting program, the participating operators and drivers in the government’s free ridership program would receive a one-time payout and weekly payments based on

Salceda thanks PBBM for EO32, eyes Building Code amendments

ALBAY Rep. Joey Salceda on Sunday thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the issuance of Executive Order 32 to expedite the permitting process for telecommunications tower infrastructure to those mandated by existing laws and regulations and preventing the imposition of requirements, such as a resolution by the local councils or Sanggunian.

“The expedited tower permitting policy boosted internet speeds between 2020 and 2022 by 140 percent while reducing prices by as much as 41 percent. Rarely do we do something right by way of policy. And it’s an excellent move on the part of PBBM that he saw the wisdom in reviving it,” he said.

Salceda is pushing for the amendment of the National Building Code to require telecommunications facilities in condominiums and major commer-

Poe commends

MORE Power’s service in Iloilo

SEN . Grace Poe has applauded the efficient service of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), the distribution utility in Iloilo City, which was able to address the electricity shortage and high electricity bill in Iloilo City in just a span of three years following the grant of its legislative franchise.

Poe commended MORE Power during the continuation of the joint investigation of the Senate Committee on Energy and Committee on Public Services in relation to the frequent brownout experienced in different parts of the country due to the poor management of electric cooperatives.

The senator believed that the entry of private players like MORE Power is the key to improving the power services and preventing frequent brownouts.

kilometers traveled per week with or without passengers.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board would tap operators of public utility vehicles under an agreement.

Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, RA 11518 or the 2021 General Appropriations Act, and RA 11639 or the General Appropriations Act allocated P16.97 billion for the implementation of the SCP.

This would provide monetary subsidies as a temporary livelihood for workers in the transport industry who were recovering from the impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic and the continuous implementation of the program.

According to COA, the LTFRB failed to fully utilize the SCP phase 1 funds despite the extension of its utilization until June 30, 2021.

It cited a total cash in bank balance as of Aug. 5, 2021 in the amount of P4,007,491,117.58 that was fully refunded by the LTFRB to the DOTr.

It recommended to the LTFRB to facilitate the immediate payment of all unpaid obligations to the SCP participants and their corresponding liquidation to the DOTr to determine the exact amount of unutilized funds as of Dec. 31, 2022.

“With bigger capitalization from the private sector and a responsibility to their shareholders, they can provide better service. In Iloilo City, when MORE Power’s franchise was approved, the service definitely improved,” said Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services.

It was in 2020 when MORE Power started its operation, but within three years, its five-year development plan for improving power services in Iloilo City was almost completed.

MORE Power President and Chief Executive Officer Roel Castro said that since the company took over the power supply in Iloilo City from Panay Electric Company (PECO), it has invested P1.5 billion worth of investments dedicated to the modernization of the power distribution facilities. Macon Ramos Araneta

COMMUTERS between Novaliches, Quezon City, and Valenzuela City and vice versa do not have to worry about being stranded during the planned transport strike in Metro Manila on July 24 to 26, to be led by public utility jeepney (PUJ) operators and drivers protesting the government’s modernization program.

A total of 84 air-conditioned minibuses or modern jeepneys belonging to two transport cooperatives and plying the Gen. Luis St. (formerly Novaliches-Polo Road) route from the former Novaliches town proper to MacArthur Highway in Malinta, Valenzuela City are not joining the “tigil-pasada” (stop operation) spearheaded by the Manibela ransport group.

Fifty-two of the units are operated by the Novaliches-Malinta Jeepney Transport Service Cooperative (NMJTSC) and 32 units by the Novaliches Development Cooperative Inc. (NOVADECI).

cial and government establishments.

EO 32, which was signed on July 4, provides that applications of telecommunications service providers within the prescribed period shall be deemed automatically approved.

Cities and municipalities are also tasked to set up one-stop shops for construction permits for telecommunications facilities.

A zero-backlog policy for applications with government offices shall also be in effect.

“It’s an accomplishment he can certainly tout during the State-of-the-Nation Address,” Salceda said.

He filed House Bill No. 8534 seeking to amend the National Building Code to require condominiums to reserve spaces for telecommunications facilities.

Rio N. Araja

Speaker, Tingog party-list provide relief to flooded Zambales areas

By Rio N. Araja

THE offices of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Tingog partylist Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre have come together once again to provide timely relief to Filipinos stricken by disastrous floods.

From July 15 to 16, volunteers from

these offices braved the rains brought by tropical storm “Dodong” to turn over relief packs to affected families in Masinloc and Palauig in Zambales.

Once in the area, they linked up with the office of Zambales Rep. Doris Maniquiz to facilitate the distribution of the aid.

“There is practically no time to lose during disasters like typhoons and floods.

We will do our best to help respond to your needs as we monitor the situation with other authorities. This assurance is not only for the people in Zambales but also for Filipinos affected by Dodong in other areas,” the Speaker said.

To ensure relief operation, 441 relief packs were distributed to six barangays in Masinloc, while 1,217 relief packs were

distributed to eight barangays in Palauig.

The relief drive was arrived at in coordination with Vice Mayor Doris Ladines-Botolan.

In Masinloc, the most populated evacuation centers were Collat Integrated School in Barangay Collat (1,324 families) and Sta. Rita Elementary School (1,063 families).

DILG lauds outstanding ‘Sanggunian’ practices

By Vince Lopez

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has announced that it will honor all outstanding city and municipal “Sanggunian” (councils or boards) who demonstrated innovation and exemplary practices in local legislation through the 2023 Local Legislative Award (LLA).

“Innovative local legislation is a conduit to excellent public service. Through the 2023 LLA, we hope to recognize the exemplary contribution of our city and municipal legislative bodies and the enormous role they play in local governance and ultimately, in public service,” DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos said in a statement Saturday night.

He added that the 2023 LLA seeks to honor the exemplary performance of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Bayan for legislating measures that help build impactful local government units’ (LGUs’) administration and development from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2022.

SPECIAL DELIVERY. A purple stuffed bear—apparently a gift for a lucky child—is sandwiched by a pair on a motorcycle traversing EDSA Guadalupe northbound and trying to beat the looming rains on their way home on Sunday. Manny Palmero

WITH CPR. Volunteers have fun practicing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in ‘ZapPinas: AED sa Pamamayan, Dugtong Buhay yan’ at the Baguio City National High School on Sunday. The activity was spearheaded by Dr. Bernadette B. Valdez of the Philippine Heart Association Baguio-Benguet Chapter, the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, and the ROTARACT Club of Baguio SLU-School of Medicine headed by its President Angelica Lee A. Villanueva. Dave Leprozo

Purging bureaucratic barriers

THE President’s issuance of Executive Order 32 to streamline the bureaucratic gauntlet of permitting processes that, for decades, has stymied the construction of telecommunications and internet infrastructure may be one of the most important and will hopefully be a game changing policy reform that will enable our potential of becoming a competitive player in the evolving global digital economy.

The EO was one of the first recommendations of the digital infrastructure group of the Private Sector Advisory Council and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

The recommendations are intended to sustain and enhance the expiring Joint Memorandum Circulars that resulted in the quickening of tower builds with the drastic reduction of permitting timelines that had to go thru so many national agencies and local government requirements.

We look forward to the DICT’s fast action on the Implementing Rules and Guidelines of EO 32 and the strict compliance of all government agencies and LGUs as this is critical infrastructure that we all need ASAP

It used to take four to six months and in some cases could delay a project by almost a year before construction could start.

EO 32 now requires all government agencies and local government units to comply with the set of guidelines for the issuance of permits, licenses, clearances, certifications, and authorizations of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure projects.

The following construction activities are included: setting up, fixing, operating, and maintenance of Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (PTTIs); and, putting up poles, laying down aerial and underground cables and facilities, underground fiber ducts, ground terminals, and other telecommunications and Internet infrastructure and facilities that transmit digital data and telecommunications signals.

The EO spells out the list of permits that will be required and explicitly directs that, “No other national or local permit or clearance shall be required in the construction, installation, repair, operation, and maintenance of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure.”

A clear warning to some LGUs imposing their own set of permits, licenses, and fees delaying telco projects to the actual disadvantage of their constituents who have been waiting for fast internet services.

Streamlining these requirements shall benefit key digital infrastructure stakehold-

ers such as: Public Telecommunications Entities that are holders of Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity or Provisional Authorities granted by the NTC, Cable TV operators registered as ValueAdded Service (VAS) Providers and authorized to provide internet services, registered VAS Providers under the DICT Free Public Internet Access Program, ICT Technology Providers or Physical Infrastructure Contractors, Independent Tower Companies registered with the DICT, Distribution Utility Owners, and all contractors authorized by these enterprises. All cities and municipalities are also mandated to set up a One-Stop Shop for Construction Permits and to implement a Zero Backlog Policy in all applications for permits and clearance covered by EO 32.

DICT Secretary Ivan Uy said in his published statement, “The issuance of EO 32 is a crucial step in our goal of attaining a digitally inclusive nation” and that this measure “will be a vital component in ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind in this digital age through the deployment of shared PTTIs and other ICT infrastructure, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.”

EO 32 will hopefully speed up the DICT’s digital infrastructure programs one of which is the 240-kilometer Luzon Bypass Infrastructure project which is a fiber line that will link the cable landing stations in Baler, Aurora East of Luzon and Poro Point in La Union in the West.

This was targeted for completion by June this year.

This is a key component of the 12,800-kilometer undersea cable system project under the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) which is envisioned to significantly lower the cost of internet services and improve broadband speed in the country.

When activated the plan was to light up 28 nodes of the national fiber backbone located in 12 provinces in Luzon.

This will be a game changer as the enabling effect for both the government and all the end users of this network will be on a national scale.

Digital infrastructure is a key driver for innovation and economic growth. Like power and water utilities, it is now considered as critical infrastructure that has become indispensable for enabling all business models to compete and seize new opportunities in the fast growing and borderless digital market.

According to a report by McKinsey, digital technologies could add up to $2 trillion to global GDP by 2025. Moreover, a secure, robust, and accessible digital infrastructure is a requisite for a systemic and societal digital transformation that will effectively harness the power of technology in developing sustainable and inclusive ecosystems.

This is indeed a laudable move by the President that should also give impetus for prioritizing the allocation of more government resources to be invested in strategic digital infrastructure projects as what other states in the region, which enjoy much faster broadband services, have been doing for so long.

We look forward to the DICT’s fast action on the Implementing Rules and Guidelines of EO 32 and the strict compliance of all government agencies and LGUs as this is critical infrastructure that we all need ASAP.

E cient service makes power consumers pay on time

EVERYMAN

By Victor Caballero

“PRICE is what you pay. Value is what you get. Providing quality service builds value and clients don’t mind paying when they see the value they receive”.—Warren Buffet

This quote exactly befits what is happening now at MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), the distribution utility in Iloilo City.

Indeed, quality service deserves appreciation.

To reciprocate MORE Power’s effort in modernizing and rehabilitating the power services in Iloilo City, many of its customers are willing to pay their electricity bill on time

One good thing leads to another because as a result of consumers paying their electric bills on time for 36 months, in return they stand to benefit more.

Apart from quality power services, many MORE Power consumers are eligible for the bill deposit refund stipulated under the Magna Carta for Electric Consumers.

One of those who received a bill deposit refund is Kagawad Keiffer Espinosa, a resident of Molo, Iloilo City. He said, in exchange for the good service he receives from MORE Power, he pays his electric bill on time.

The principle of “good service leading to proper payment” really depends on the reliability of the company and this is demonstrated by MORE Power which recently implemented the second round of Bill Deposit Refund to their eligible consumers.

Last May and June, about 23 consumers received refunds.

AFP modernization on sked

THE Philippines will pursue the modernization of its armed forces to “address present dangers.”

That was the latest pronouncement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the matter of procuring equipment and supplies, apart from enhancing training, to bring the AFP closer to the goal of securing national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as mandated by our Constitution.

For far too long, the country depended on the protection provided by American military bases—mainly Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base—until the Philippine Senate decided to terminate the RPUS Military Bases Agreement in 1991.

We relied as well on hand-me-downs from the US military arsenal, from jet fighters to naval ships and firearms.

That served us well in the post-WWII era, and later, when we had to fight two armed insurgencies from the 1970s onwards.

But current geo-political realities in the region compel us now to strengthen our military capability even as we have been given no less than an “ironclad” guarantee by the United Sates that they will honor the Mutual Defense

Treaty we signed back in 1951.

This is not the first time, of course, that the President stressed the importance of modernizing the Philippine military.

Can we afford all this while our resources are focused on economic and social priorities?

Last year, upon assuming office, he promised to support the AFP modernization program, citing geopolitical tensions and challenges facing the country brought about by terrorism and natural calamities. He even described the AFP modernization program as “crucial” to make the military “ready for all eventualities.”

The AFP’s modernization program began in the mid-1990s during the Ramos administration.

In fact, part of Fort Bonifacio, the headquarters of the army, was even sold to the private sector to jump-start the modernization effort.

Since then, as the economy improved and the government managed to save funds, we began to gradually purchase

military equipment from other countries to upgrade the capability of our Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard.

But the first horizon of AFP modernization from 2013 to 2017 was for the acquisition of equipment mostly for internal security operations.

What is now known as Horizon 2 of the modernization program is aimed at making the AFP “mission capable for territorial defense in the West Philippine Sea” by the end in this year, but COVID-19 delayed its completion.

Its third and final phase, or Horizon 3, was supposed to start next year and last until 2028.

But the lack of adequate funds could further delay the acquisition corvettes, offshore patrol vessels and combat utility helicopters to achieve what is called a “minimum credible defense posture.”

The acquisition of “game changer projects” such as missile systems, and multirole jet fighters and advanced C4ISTAR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, targeting acquisition and reconnaissance) would definitely be a huge leap to enhance the country’s external defense capabilities in the years ahead.

The question is: Can we afford all this while our resources are focused on economic and social priorities?

Loco over logos

WITH one brouhaha after another, and judging by public reaction to DOT’s new slogan LOVE the Philippines and Pagcor’s new logo, it’s been raining cats and dogs on the “parade of achievements” unveiled by some government agencies.

Besides, nothing of consequence happened on the national scene last week other than the flood in Bicutan that tied traffic for hours in the southern “super” highway.

So as the flak on LOVE started to wane, here came Pagcor and its new logo, giving netizens and traditional media going loco over another logo.

What the agency officials intended to be accomplishment sweeteners for the second State of the Nation address by the President have turned out to be magnets for public opprobrium over their own record of “nada.”

In the case of LOVE…, the DOT immediately canceled their contract with DDB Philippines and insisted they have not paid a centavo of public money to the beleaguered agency, which took the sword for a “mood” board that was truly a product yet to be finalized.

So don’t worry, the DOT says, and following the current government attitude of “A basta!,” they will continue with the embarrassing slogan that has attracted worldwide ridicule.

So don’t fret about the P49 million price tag for the concept and initial footages, even if DDB has every right to collect the milestone accomplishments already delivered. That’s peanuts.

Besides which, how can DOT use the slogan and concept which is an intellectual property of DDB, unless they pay?

The money that will be spent is not in the slogan, but in its use through several vehicles for promotion, from expensive advertising on international media, to printed brochures and give-aways, to LOVE events, outdoor advertising, and so on and so forth.

even Hong Kong. An active nightlife, competitively priced international culinary fare, numerous fiestas, apart from year-round sun and sand, and a musically-inclined people quick to laughter, all rolled into one, made “more fun” a truly Filipino travel experience.

Yet the DOT thought it best to change the come-on from more fun to LOVE. A basta!

Pagcor for its part unveiled the new logo on their 40th anniversary, with the President no less extolling the contributions to the national economy of state-sponsored gambling, in much the same way that DOT rushed their thing for their 50th birthday.

“A basta!” Never mind if it looks like Petron’s “gasul” logo vis-à-vis Pagcor’s “sugal” logo. And that’s probably the kindest meme on social media after the much maligned logo was unveiled.

Going ga-ga over logos but forgetting the real causes of their continuing despair

Or is it because the old Pagcor logo was a pale yellow (parang dilawan na kumukupas) and green (Sara’s color)?

They might as well just change the colors to red and blue, and the yellow sun to gold coins if there is an orchestrated effort to rewrite history’s colors.

Recall too that Malacanang’s insistence on Maharlika bulldozed through all the trepidations and criticisms of the UP School of Economics and so many others on what we thought was a humpty-dumpty idea?

Sabi nang “A basta!”

And did public opinion and the Supreme Court’s disbarment of Larry Gadon affect Malacanang at all, even with a former chief justice as executive secretary?

Pulse Asia’s latest survey tells us that people are most concerned with inflation, wages unable to match the rising prices, and lack of employment.

All of these are politics of the stomach.

Yet, economic issues do not stoke so much public anger until it becomes unbearable.

Filipinos are known to be “matiisin,” the “masa” specially.

Unlike the French, who create mayhem when retirement age is adjusted a few years more, or go on crippling nationwide strikes when they demand better wages, the Filipino, in the words of Erap’s favorite song, are lulled by “Kahit na Magtiis.”

Recall the lyrics, sung by Basil Valdez: “Kahit na magtiis ng matinding dusa/ kahit apihin mo ang aking pagsinta…//”

An example is the saga of Janet Napoles and the ghost PDAF projects.

The public was so incensed at larceny most grave, theft of public funds most brazen, and the legislator-participants so numerous.

They went to the streets, until the Supreme Court proscribed the pork barrel, and the Ombudsman hastily filed cases against some of the legislators and their cohort Napoles. Pero que pasa, despues de algun tiempo?

The public elected two of the accused legislators back into the halls of the “august.”

Meanwhile, one staff member of one legislator died in prison after conviction, with none but his family in grief. Another staff member of the other senator is still hiding from the extremely long arms of Philippine law.

And while Madam Janet, toast of Congress 10 years back, still languishes in jail, the people have lost interest in the saga of Napoles and her ghosts.

Meanwhile, too, and despite the Supreme Court’s legal proscription, the never-ending practice of legislators enriching themselves through another mutation of the pork has become more brazen, with a trillion or so of our budget being divided annually by their undiminished greed.

For this month of July, 65 consumers will be given bill deposit refunds and until the end of the year, it is expected that about 777 customers will be eligible for the program.

In total, the bill deposit the company is ready to return to their eligible customers in 2023 is P5 million.

MORE Power President and CEO Roel Castro explained the bill deposit refund is not a reward but a right of consumers under the Magna Carta for Residential Consumers which the company strictly complies with.

That is in the billions.

Don’t think about potential corruption, because most of these, particularly placements in international media, do not give commissions, not like the pork barrel.

Think about wasted money, wasted time, and international embarrassment. Those bring more damage than price tags.

Neither does Pagcor’s new logo over which many are making loko-loko fun, which cost the gambling agency a paltry P3 million.

No, P3 million is also peanuts, most especially for Pagcor.

The money in the printing of new office stationery, signages, or maybe gambling chips would still be peanuts to the gambling regulator, so don’t look at the money wasted, which some netizens decry.

Ask instead—whatever is so important about logos? Why go loco over these?

It’s like the slogan change of the DOT. As the aphorism says, “if ain’t broke, why fix it?”

But fix it every newly-appointed secretary wants, regardless.

Truth to tell, the Mon Jimenez (of respected memory) brainchild of “It’s more fun in the Philippines” was quite appropriate because more and better fun was what distinguished us from the regional competition.

This product differentiation captured what a tourist experience in the Philippines would be compared to Vietnam or Malaysia, and now

Neither. Instead, the President himself administered the oath of office to the disbarred lawyer in the halls of Malacanang, no less.

They probably call that “political will,” a hallmark of “strong leadership.”

Against all odds, or the “odds” are not strong enough?

Issues like these have had mere 72 hours to a week of shelf life in media attention.

And the criticisms come mostly from alert netizens, while the political opposition is limited to a solitary voice in the Senate, and the four or five progressive party-list congressmen in the HoR.

The thinking public gets entertained momentarily, forgetting the rising cost of living, the traffic, the water shortages even, happy to poke fun at these examples of “good” governance.

Except of course, if the Senate holds investigations “in aid of legislation.”

Only such well-publicized hearings, which star clownish inquisitors sparring against clueless resource persons, can prolong the shelf life of such “fiascoes” as LOVE and Maharlika.

In the case of the prolonged decision on Maharlika, the public got tired of hearing what to most was incomprehensible to begin with, such that surveys later showed people thought it was a bright idea, that it would help bring good tidings to their dreary lives.

But instead of ghost projects, we have a plenitude of river-dredging, which COA cannot fathom enough even if their auditors dived into murky waters.

Plus flood control projects which cannot control flooding.

And sub-standard roads and bridges, culverts, and worst of all, those landslide-prevention rip-raps made of coir and mesh wire with a thin layer of cement, which will crumble with the rain, and make pre-planned repairs necessary.

And the “cuts” have increased tremendously, from 10 percent in the past, to 25 percent, and now, allegedly as high as 40 percent of project cost. Madre mia!

A basta ya! “Porque estamos en poder?” So what? What are we in power for?

Even many media practitioners without Google’s help are no longer able to identify the man who flaunted that statement three generations ago.

What a country!

Going ga-ga over logos but forgetting the real causes of their continuing despair.

If Mao said “religion is the opium of the people,” here in our benighted land, logos and slogans, memes and “kantiyawan” are our opium.

As we drown our problems with beer for the middle class, gin bulag, ‘ador-‘ador and tuba for the poor.

Ay Pilipinas, “kay hirap mong mahalin”!

MORE Power’s initiative to voluntarily return the bill deposit to eligible consumers has received commendation and recognition from various stakeholders.

Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Atty. Monalisa Dimalanta said More Power deserves to be commended for being a good example to other distribution utilities. She added, transparency and consumer

welfare is really evident in the management of MORE Power.

The Iloilo City local government is also satisfied with the efficient service provided by MORE Power. It was only in 2020 when MORE Power began its operation in Iloilo City. It managed to reform and rehabilitate the many years of poor

management and service of the former distribution utility MORE Power’s significant progress in terms of service, which it has implemented in just three years, is a brazen message to other distribution utilities to shape up and provide good services to its consumers, because in return, customers will reciprocate and pay their

electricity bill on time. This is something more power retailers, especially in the Davao area where I live, will adopt in time.

(The author is a civil engineer and a longtime resident of the Davao area, with his own small construction business.)

MORE Power’s significant progress in terms of service, which it has implemented in just three years, is a brazen message to other distribution utilities to shape up and provide good services to its consumers

SEOUL – Rescuers battled to reach people trapped in a flooded tunnel Sunday in South Korea, where at least 33 people have died and 10 are missing after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides.

South Korea is at the peak of its summer monsoon season, and there has been heavy rainfall for the last four days, causing a major dam to overflow.

The interior ministry reported that 33 people had been killed and another 10 were missing in the heavy downpours, mostly buried by landslides or after falling into a flooded reservoir.

Rescue workers were still struggling to reach more than 10 cars trapped in a 430-meter underground tunnel in Cheongju, North Chungcheong province, the ministry said.

The tunnel was inundated on Saturday morning after floodwaters swept in too quickly for the people inside

BEIJING – US climate envoy John Kerry will head to China on Sunday to meet with his counterpart Xie Zhenhua and restart stalled talks between the world’s two biggest emitters of planet-warming gases.

Kerry’s trip to China—his third as President Joe Biden’s climate emissary—follows weeks of recordsetting summer heat that scientists say is being exacerbated by climate change.

Bilateral climate talks stalled last

to escape, according to the Yonhap news agency.

As of Sunday, seven bodies have been recovered from the tunnel and divers were working around the clock searching for more victims, the interior ministry said.

“I have no hope but I can’t leave,” a parent of one of those missing in the tunnel told Yonhap.

“My heart wrenches thinking how painful it must have been for my son in the cold water.”

Images broadcast on local television showed a torrential stream of water from a nearby river that had burst its banks flooding into the tun-

year after Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited self-ruled Taiwan and infuriated Beijing, which considers the island its territory.

But Kerry, a former secretary of state, has enjoyed comparatively cordial and consistent relations with China despite Washington and Beijing locking horns over Taiwan and a number of other thorny issues, including advanced semiconductors.

nel, as rescue workers struggled to use boats to get to people inside.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently on an overseas trip, held an emergency meeting with his aides on the government’s response to the heavy rains and flooding, his office said.

Earlier, he ordered Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to mobilise all available resources to minimise casualties.

The majority of the casualties—including 17 of the dead and nine of the missing—were from North Gyeongsang province, and were largely due to massive landslides in the mountainous area that engulfed houses with people inside. AFP

Heavy rains, flooding leave 33 dead, 10 still missing in South Korea US envoy Kerry heads to China for climate talks

His trip to Beijing also comes after two other high-profile visits by US officials—first Secretary of State Antony Blinken, then Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen—aimed at stabilising US-China ties.

Kerry was scheduled to depart for China on Saturday, according to the US State Department. The Biden administration has identified climate as an area for potential cooperation with Beijing, despite the tensions elsewhere. AFP

Spain vote may change govt, not foreign policy

MADRID – From defending Spain’s interests within the EU to its tortuous relations with Morocco, there will be no shortage of foreign policy challenges for right-wing leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo if he wins the July 23 election.

But the main challenge will undoubtedly be more personal, according to analysts: to assert himself on the international stage to ensure Spain’s voice continues to be clearly heard.

At the helm of the right-wing Popular Party for the past year, Feijoo, 61, “doesn’t have a great track record in international politics,” said Ignacio Molina, senior analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute, a Madrid think-tank.

And judging by his campaign, “he is not going to take any decision which will involve any big change in foreign policy, whether that be within the EU, NATO or in the defence of Spain’s interests,” he told AFP. AFP

White House hopeful DeSantis struggling with image

WASHINGTON, DC—Long viewed as the most formidable challenger to Donald Trump in the Republican US presidential nominating contest, Ron DeSantis boasts a record of ultraconservative legislative wins and a pile of campaign cash. Yet the self-styled tip of the spear in what he says is the struggle against the creeping imposition of “cultural Marxism” hasn’t been looking all that sharp of late.

So where has Florida’s pugilistic governor gone wrong?

DeSantis’s long-awaited entry into the 2024 presidential campaign in late May descended into a fiasco as the launch event, carried live on Twitter with the platform’s billionaire owner Elon Musk, was derailed by glitches.

The conversation repeatedly crashed, and many of the 400,000plus users who were hoping to listen

in missed the 44-year-old conservative throwing down the gauntlet to Trump.

DeSantis finally began speaking after almost half an hour of confusion and chaos that thoroughly overshadowed what should have been an exultant launch.

The governor had been targeting a younger, white male “tech bro” demographic that has aligned itself with Trump. AFP

KOREAN TRAGEDY. This handout photo taken and released by National Fire Agency shows South Korean emergency workers searching for survivors at a house destroyed by landslides after heavy rains in Yeongju. At least 33 people have died and 10 missing, with thousands more ordered to evacuate their homes. Handout/AFP

CONDOLENCES. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) extends his and his countrymen’s condolences to visiting South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol while shaking hands after their statements following the talks in Kyiv on Saturday. Sergei Supinsky/AFP

IN BRIEF

Trading to consolidate on profit-taking this week

TRADING at the Philippine Stock Exchange is expected to return to consolidation after last week’s strong rally as investors are expected to cash in on recent gains.

ChinaBank Capital managing director Juan Paolo Colet said some traders are expected to take profits this week after the index climbed by as much as 3.85 percent last week.

Colet said a technical correction could provide opportunity for some investors to accumulate on dips as they position ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address and the US Federal Reserve’s policy rate announcement later this month.

“It is also important to keep a close eye on foreign fund flows as sustained net foreign buying would be crucial for the market’s strength,” Colet said. Colet said index may retest the durability of the 6,530 to 6,580 support zone this week. He said that if prices hold above those levels and close atop 6,600 by the end of the week, the market could build a base for further bullish action heading toward the end of July. The index gained 245.76 points weekon-week to close at 6,624.79 last week after the latest the US June inflation rate eased to 3 percent from 4 percent in May.

Jenniffer B. Austria

BOC stops P240m fake goods shipment at Subic

THE Bureau of Customs - Port of Subic recently intercepted two 40-foot container shipments carrying counterfeit goods with an estimated value of P240 million.

Included in the shipments are Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Under Armour, Lacoste, GAP, Nike, Zara, Reebok, and other brands, in violation of Intellectual Property Rights regulations.

“This operation demonstrates ongoing efforts to combat the infringement of intellectual property and protect the rights of legitimate businesses,” the Customs said in a statement over the weekend.

Port of Subic District Collector

Carmelita Talusan immediately issued consecutive Pre-Lodgment Control Orders after she received intelligence reports on the shipments.

Customs officers identified the containers carrying merchandise suspected of infringing upon protected intellectual property rights through a 100-percent physical examination and cross-referencing of documentation.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido

Rubio, together with Talusan and in partnership with other authorities acted on the report and discovered 1,269 boxes of counterfeit products bearing trademarks and copyrighted materials without the required authorization from the rights holders.

The shipments were initially reported to contain T-shirts but were later found to contain assorted brand-new apparel with logos and designs of branded goods.

Julito G. Rada

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Cosco Capital to raise P30b from planned REIT offering

By Jenni er B. Austria

COSCO Capital Inc. of businessman Lucio Co is preparing for a big real estate investment trust offering, which could raise between P15 billion and P30 billion, according to Philippine Stock Exchange president and chief executive Ramon Monzon.

Monzon said in an interview at the sidelines of a forum sponsored by the Securities and Exchange Commission over the weekend that Cosco is ready to fi le its REIT offering application either this month or next month.

“They (Cosco) are suppose to file their application this month or next month. They are just finalizing the list of underwriters,” Monzon said.

An official from Cosco confirmed that the company is studying a possible REIT offering. However, the planned offering may not be finalized this year.

“We are studying a REIT offering but I don’t think it will be finalized in 2023. We are still studying proposals from investment bankers,” the source said.

Monzon also reported that SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s planned huge REIT offering, which was initially scheduled this third quarter, would be pushed back to next year.

Meanwhile, Monzon remains confident of hitting the P160 billion total capital raising target for 2023 despite the dearth of share sales in the second half of the year due to volatile market conditions.

“People are saying that our market is bad but if you look at it in the context of the Asean region, as of yesterday only Vietnam and Philippines are positive all the others are down,” Monzon said.

Monzon also said the low trading volume happening in the local equities market is also happening in other regional markets.

“As of June 30, we are down 4.8 percent from average of last year versus average of fi rst six months of this year. Again, if you look at it at the context of the region, Vietnam is down 31 percent trading volume,” Monzon said.

Two fi rms are slated to conduct equity offering For the second half of the year, namely ACEN Corp., which is looking to raise P25 billion from issuance of preferred shares and Repower Development Corp., which is planning to raise P1.15 billion from initial public offering.

Approval of new economic zones to bring in P40b

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority is optimistic that the remaining 27 new economic zone development proposals will be approved and proclaimed by Malacañang before end2023 with initial investment value of over P40 billion.

PEZA director general Tereso Panga said over the weekend the P20 billion Felcris Centrale IT Park in Davao City and 19 more projects are still for review by the Office of the President with combined investments of P20 billion.

“The President instructed the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), PEZA and OP-DESGA (OP-Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration) to streamline and harmonize the requirements to speed up the presidential proclamation process for ecozones,” he said.

The PEZA board has approved the revised guidelines for registration of ecozones including endorsements to the Office of the Secretary at the DTI and OP for the proclamation, he said.

The remaining ecozone development projects are IT parks which are not yet for endorsement to the OP but have submitted their proposal to PEZA. The projects will still undergo assessment by the PEZA board.

PEZA approved P80.58 billion worth of projects In the first half of 2023, up 258 percent from P22.48 billion during the same period in 2022.

The premier investment promotion agency said PEZA investments grew by 232.81 percent to P198.79 billion during the first year of the Marcos Administration from July 2022 to June 2023 compared to P58.73 billion a year ago.

PEZA is ramping up its investment promotion and facilitation initiatives to bring in much-needed FDIs to the country.

This is ahead of the anticipated influx of investors to the country as PEZA conducts follow-through on the outbound missions initiated by the President.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING

NOTICE

POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. reported a 3.4 percent sales volume growth reaching 24,458 gigawatthours during the first half of the year, driven by the strong performance of its commercial segment.

Meralco senior vice president Ferdinand Geluz said June sales alone grew four percent compared to the same period last year.

“Our June sales (for Meralco distribution utility only) is at 4,582 GWh, four percent increase versus June 2022 (4,405 GWh). This is the all-time highest month’s sales for Meralco,” Geluz said.

Commercial sales went up by 8 percent while residential also grew 6 percent in June.

“The usual drivers are retail and restaurant and hotels. Real estate also went up as BPOs continue to shift towards onsite,” Geluz said. He said residential sales increased due to hotter temperatures and humidity experienced last month.

Industrial sales, however, declined by 4 percent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, commercial sales volume grew 10 percent in the first half due to the full face-to-face operations of businesses and school openings.

Residential sales went up by one percent but sales to industrial customers declined by two percent in the first six months.

Meralco posted a 2 percent sales volume growth in the first quarter.

Meralco’s consolidated core net income rose by 40 percent to P9 billion in the first three months from P6.4 billion in the same quarter in 2022.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Stockholders' Meeting (ASM) of the aforementioned Corporation will be held virtually or via remote communication on 10 August 2023 at 2:00PM via Zoom webinar. Stockholders can register at https://bit.ly/SoldivoFundsASM2023 Webinar password will be sent via email after registration.

The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows:

I. Call to Order

II. Certification of Notice and Quorum

III. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on 14 October 2022

IV. Management Report V. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of 31 December 2022

VI. Ratification of the Corporate Acts of the Board of Directors since the last annual stockholders’ meeting

VII. Election of Directors for 2023 to 2024

VIII. Delegation of Authority to the Board of Directors to Appoint External Auditor for 2023

IX. Other Matters

X. Adjournment

Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on 15 June 2023 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting.

Given the current circumstances and in order to ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders in light of the COVID -19 pandemic, the Corporation will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication and by voting in absentia or voting through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy.

Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2023 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before 31 July 2023. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary by 03 August 2023. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting.

The procedures for participating in the me eting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

aforementioned Corporation will be held virtual ly or via remote communication on 10 August 2023 at 3:00PM via Zoom webinar. Stockholders can register at https://bit.ly/SoldivoFundsASM2023 Webinar password will be sent via email after registration. The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows:

I. Call to Order

II. Certification of Notice and Quorum

III. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on 14 October 2022

IV. Management Report

V. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of 31 December 2022

VI. Ratification of the Corporate Acts of the Board of Directors since the last annual stockholders’ meeting

VII. Election of Directors for 2023 to 2024

VIII. Delegation of Authority to the Board of Directors to Appoint External Auditor for 2023

IX. Other Matters

X. Adjournment

Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on 15 June 2023 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting. Given the current circumstances and in order to ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders in light of the COVID -19 pandemic, the Corporation will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication and by voting in absentia or voting through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy. Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2023 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before 31 July 2023. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary by 03 August 2023. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting.

The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

Makati City, Philippines, 19 June 2023

Meralco reported 3.4% power sales growth in rst semester

TORONTO EXCHANGE. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman join the closing ceremony at the Toronto Stock Exchange on July 14, 2023, wrapping up the Philippine economic team’s first investor roadshow in Canada.

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

UNCTAD: Poorer nations left out of renewable energy investments

AGREEN future will remain out of reach if the world does not help developing countries close a $2-trillion gap in investment towards an energy transition, the UN Conference on Trade and Development warned.

A new UNCTAD report said developing countries actually face a staggering $4-trillion gap in sustainable development investments.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said a “significant increase” in material support for renewable energy in developing countries was “cru-

cial” for the world to reach its climate goals by 2030.

While investment in renewables has nearly tripled since the adoption of the Paris Agreement almost eight years ago, poorer nations have been largely left out.

Grynspan said over 30 developing countries had not registered a single international investment in utility-size renewable energy generation since the landmark climate change treaty was adopted in 2015.

According to UNCTAD, the amount of foreign direct investment in clean energy attracted by developing countries in 2022 stood at $544 billion–well below needs.

But the report has some good news— energy companies among the top 100 multinationals have been increasingly turning towards renewables and divesting fossil fuel assets at a rate of about $15 billion a year.

However, the report also shows an

overall slower pace of investment in renewable energy in 2022 “as international project finance deals declined.”

In developing countries, the largest gaps in Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs)-related investments were in energy, water and transport infrastructure, UNCTAD said.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is also on the decline, according to UNCTAD, as global flows fell 22 percent in 2022 to $1.3 trillion. In Least Developed Countries, the vast majority of which are in Africa, FDI inflows dropped by as much as 16 percent.

The UNCTAD report attributed the slowdown to“overlapping crises”—the war in Ukraine, high food and energy prices and debt pressures.

With these factors are still in play during 2023, the agency said it expects “downward pressure on global FDI” to continue this year.

The report called for a series of poli-

MONDELEZ SUSTAINABILITY SESSION.

Attended by more than 100 students, Mondelez Philippines holds a plastic collection and sustainability learning session for Parañaque Elementary School Unit II on June 26 as part of the former’s global sustainability advocacy. The event is also in celebration of the snack company’s 60 years in the Philippines and particularly sixth decade in the City of Parañaque. Together with social enterprise The Plastic Flamingo, the event gathered 35 kilograms of waste collected by the participating students, which will be diverted properly to avoid becoming marine litter.

Senate readies public hearing on bamboo bill

THE Senate has calendared Senate Bill 605, or “Bamboo Bill,” on July 19 for public hearing amid the government’s plan to speed up economic development, create livelihood and cushion the vulnerable poor population from climate disasters.

Authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, SB 605 or an “Act Institutionalizing the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Program” will create among the biggest agriculture industries in the country. Up to 55,000 hectares are currently planted with bamboo across the islands, Zubiri said.

Six other bamboo development-related bills will be deliberated in the Senate on July 19. The bills, which aim to strengthen

AS PART of the Paris Agreement, countries are adopting climate pledges–known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)–to reduce GHG emissions and increase resilience against extreme weather and natural disasters. By ensuring circular economy approaches are embedded into these pledges, countries can accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, protect the natural environment, and create green, decent and dignified jobs as well.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), if the world implemented more circular activities such

Studies cite influence of microbes on soils, nutrition

ROME―All evidence suggests that the microbiome, an emerging concept referring to the complex ecosystems made up of and by bacteria and other microorganisms, has powerful explanatory value for matters related to human, plant and planetary health.

To contribute to the scientific debate, and to stimulate and guide more of it, experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have produced four new publications, and one focusing on soil health, and three scientific reviews of how micro plastics, pesticide residues and veterinary medicines may impact the safety of our food supply.

“The reviews that were done on pesticides and veterinary drugs, as well as on micro plastics reveal that from a methodology perspective, a lot still needs to be done to strengthen and systematize the way research is structured so that this promising field can indeed be integrated in the way we shape food standards,” said FAO Senior Food Safety Officer Catherine Bessy.

cies and financing mechanisms to be put in place to help developing countries attract the necessary investments.

UNCTAD stressed the importance of debt relief for developing economies to provide them with the fiscal space needed for clean energy spending and to help lower country risk ratings, a prerequisite for attracting private investment.

The agency also recommended reducing the cost of capital for clean energy investment through partnerships between international investors, the public sector and multilateral financial institutions—a measure that can reduce the spread on borrowing costs for energy investment projects in developing countries by up to 40 per cent.

Grynspan said investment played a “huge part” in achieving the SDGs. She said they were simply “too big to fail,” calling them “the only game in town,” which requires collective action and global solidarity. UN News

Broadly, a microbiome is the community of bacteria, fungi, archaea and other microorganism and their theater of activity, which includes their interactions with each other and their respective environments. Microbiomes exist within and across all ecosystems, in plants, animals, soils, forests, oceans and, importantly, in humans. All vary enormously in composition and functions and over space and time but research, aided by technological advances in genomic sequencing, points to some broad patterns that may correlate to health or dysfunction for their hosts and host ecosystems. A growing corpus of evidence suggests that gut microbiome may be associated with many health and nutrition outcomes, including child stunting, obesity and overweight, cognitive functions, immune functions, among others.

Establishing causation is elusive, not least as so many domains and functions of the microbiota in any given habitat or intestine remain unknown. One common theme to the new FAO reports is that microbiome research needs a more harmonized framework. FAO News

ICTSI starts to decarbonize, launches initiative to fight climate change

Manila International Container Terminal at the Port of Manila

functions of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council, are expected to be consolidated with SB 605.

The bills are SB 615 (Senator Cynthia Villar), SB 1044 (Sen. Joel Villanueva), SB 1145 and SB 1552 (Senator Lito Lapid), SB 1118 (Senator Loren Legarda), SB 1145 (Win Gatchalian) and SB 2172 (Senator Jinggoy Estrada).

The bamboo is a unique Filipino cultural symbol because of the “bahay kubo” and the innovative industrial design works of Bobby Manosa and Kenneth Cobonpue.

The Philippines has the world’s fifth biggest bamboo industry. Yet, it has to keep up with the huge bamboo industries of China

and Vietnam, said Zubiri. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimated the local market at $17 billion. SB 605 fortifies PBIDC’s policy-making role in creating community-based enterprises that will have sufficient supply of quality materials and produce new products from research and development-inspired technologies. Manufacturers under the bill are mandated to use bamboo on at least 25 percent of their raw materials inputs for furniture, lumber (wood processed into uniform sizes such as beams and planks), and manufactured products that can use bamboo as an alternative to wood.

INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), the biggest port operator in the Philippines, is making significant progress towards a more sustainable future with the launch of its Climate Change Action Initiative. The undertaking underscores ICTSI’s efforts to decarbonize and contribute to global efforts in addressing climate change.

Recognizing the urgent need to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the initiative will develop a comprehensive roadmap for ICTSI to align its business strategy with the goals of the UN Climate Change Paris Agreement.

The roadmap will set decarbonization targets for the entire ICTSI Group to include all terminals, covering Scope 1–direct emissions and Scope 2–indirect emissions from generation of purchased electricity. ICTSI will announce a decarbonization target for Scope 1 and 2 by the end of 2023.

What is circular economy and why does it matter? (Part 2)

as recycling, repair, rent and remanufacture, it would create 6 million jobs globally by 2030. Challenges

A more circular world is possible, but the transition isn’t a simple one. Several challenges exist.

The first challenge is limited knowledge. Not every country knows about the potential of circular economy or has a strategy in place for creating it. A

better understanding of the benefits and impacts of circular economy measures, particularly for climate and biodiversity, is needed.

Businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as other organizations and actors, often struggle to access adequate finance to transition from linear to circular business models or systems. For example, it is estimated that it

takes approximately three years for a smallholder farmer to shift from conventional cotton production to organic cotton production, and shifting to circular, regenerative practices can take equally long, if not longer. This transition, therefore, requires not only adequate investment and finance, but also knowledge transfer, community-building, and training throughout the transition period.

ICTSI is also working towards accounting for the full GHG emissions footprint of the entire value chain including Scope 3 emissions. An inventory is expected to be established by 2025, followed by a review of relevant targets.

“Through the launch of our Climate Change Action Initiative, we are demonstrating our commitment to a sustainable future. By decarbonizing our operations and addressing the challenges of climate change, ICTSI aims to contribute significantly in the global efforts towards a greener and more resilient world,” said ICTSI executive vice president, compliance officer and chief sustainability officer Christian R. “We believe that by embracing innovative solutions and fostering collaboration, we can create a positive impact on both the environment and our industry. Together, we can build a future that is both economically prosperous and environmentally responsible,” he added.

Even if implementing or mainstreaming circular economy practices were easier, assessing their impact may prove to be a challenge. Hence, tracking and reporting progress can often be complex. For example, tracking reductions in “scope 3” emissions (the indirect emissions that an organization or company is responsible for up and down its value chain) presents challenges due to issues such as lack of transparency of supply chains, lack of direct connections with different tiers of suppliers, and complex accounting, among others.

A picture taken on December 23, 2022 shows an aerial view of the solar power tower at Atlantica Yield solar plant in Sanlucar La Mayor, Spain. AFP

Department of Agriculture photo

Hubby Simek’s tears of joy cap

Vondrousova’s fairytale victory

LONDON—Marketa Vondrousova

said her husband’s unexpected show of emotion after Saturday’s shock Wimbledon final victory against Ons Jabeur was the perfect end to her “impossible” triumph.

Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon as she stunned the Tunisian world number six on Centre Court.

The 24-year-old held her nerve in a tense 6-4, 6-4 win, securing her first major title four years after losing her only previous Grand Slam final at the French Open.

So unexpected was her Wimbledon run that the world number 42 told her husband Stepan Simek to stay at home in Prague to look after their cat Frankie, until a pet sitter was found to allow him to travel to London for the final.

Twelve months after their wedding, Simek cried tears of joy when he saw Vondrousova after the match.

“I think when I came to the box, he cried. I saw him after and he cried a lot,” Vondrousova said.

“It’s amazing, tomorrow is our first wedding anniversary.

“That’s the first emotion I saw from him over eight years. I think he cried on the wedding day also, but that was it!”

With the family cat clearly a major figure in the Vondrousova household, the champion said her pet would get a reward after missing out on the party at the All England Club.

“I’m going to buy her some good fish. She’s with the cat sitter now. My mom is coming tomorrow to watch her,” she said.

“She has to wait for us. She doesn’t really care what’s happening.”

The outpouring of emotion from Vondrousova’s family was triggered by her unlikely journey to Wimbledon glory.

She had endured two serious wrist injuries that stalled her promising career since losing the 2019 French Open final.

Hampered by her injuries, Vondrousova was reduced to watching her best friend Miriam Kolodziejova attempt to qualify for the Wimbledon main draw last year.

“I had a cast last year at that time. I was a tourist here. When I was coming back, I didn’t know if I can play at that level again. This seems impossible,” she said. AFP

CUP STINT IN DOUBT

Back spasms derail Sotto’s NBA Summer League stint

BACK spasms bothered Kai Sotto when he suited up for the Orlando Magic against the Boston Celtics in the 2023 NBA Summer League at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Sunday (Manila time).

Sotto’s pain on his back hampered his movement during the game as he registered just two rebounds, an assist, and a pair of turnovers, leaving the game after just eight minutes of action. He was 0 of 3 from the field.

The Magic fell to the Celtics, 94-77.

It was a far cry from his 6 point-4 rebound-3 block-1 assist performance during his Summer League debut three

days ago against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Because of his situation, Sotto said after the game that he may not be able to play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup with the Gilas Pilipinas.

Sotto, who saw action with Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B. League before coming to Las Vegas, said he is not yet sure of joining the

Gilas team in the FIBA tournament, to be hosted by the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan from August 25 to Sept. 10, 2023.

Sotto said he has not had a break from playing since the start of the year. He was supposed to join Gilas’ practices on July 18, but his back injury may have deemed this not possible.

“Pag-iisipan ko pa. Aalagaan ko likod ko ngayon, mag-rehab ako as soon as I get back, so we’ll see,” added Sotto in an interview with spin.ph.

The 7’3” Sotto is bidding to become the Philippines’ first homegrown basketball player to make it in the regular season of the NBA.

Grant grabs 6-shot lead over Corpuz, 4 others

WASHINGTON—Sweden’s Linn

Grant shrugged off a near four-hour weather delay to torch Highland Meadows for a nine-under par 62 that gave her a six-shot lead in the US LPGA Dana Open on Saturday.

Grant had an “amazing” hole out for eagle and eight birdies, but her hopes of joining compatriot Annika Sorenstam as the only players in LPGA history to shoot 59 evaporated with a bogey at the 16th hole.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old was more than impressive on a long and demanding day in Sylvania, Ohio, where she said the weather delay actually helped her.

“I played really well those first seven holes, but at the same time I felt like I didn’t really have control over my swing,” she said.

“So coming in and then getting to go to the range again and warm-up

and sort of get focused again, that really helped,” added the Swede, whose 18-under par total of 195 put her six ahead of a group of five players on 201.

Allisen Corpuz, who captured her first major title at the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach on Sunday, headlined that group after a 68.

Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou carded a 65 for her share of second while Finland’s Matilda Castren, Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen and Mexico’s Maria Fassi all carded 67s to reach 12-under.

Grant, who started the day two off the lead held by Annie Park, was unfazed by steady rainfall as she birdied four straight holes from the second through the fifth.

Amazing eagle She had a two-shot lead through seven holes when play was suspended. She stretched her lead with a birdie

at the ninth and at the par-four 11th her second shot from the fairway bounced softly on the green and spun back into the cup for an eagle.

“Eleven was amazing,” she said.

“I hit a really good drive and a really good second shot, it just took one bounce pretty much and went in. Just really cool.”

She added birdies at 12 and 13 to reach nine-under for the day with five to play -- two of them par-fives.

Linn said she tried not to think too much about the prospect of a 12-under 59 -- although one spectator made sure it was on her mind.

“He just came up to me and he said, ‘Do you think you have a 59 in you?’

“And then all of a sudden I was like, ‘Oh, God.’”

Linn missed her first green of the day at the 16th and ended up with a bogey. AFP

Japan wins 6 of 8 titles; Breaks go against Caluag, Coo

By Peter Atencio

TAGAYTAY CITY — Japan won six of eight titles at stake, with Tokyo Olympic veteran Sae Hatakeyama claiming her second stint in the Olympics at the close of the Asian Cycling Confederation BMX Championships at the Tagaytay City BMX Park on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Hatakeyama had a great start AT the start of the 800-meter women’s elite race and reached the finish line ahead of China’s Liao Wan Yi in 35.29 seconds.

Liao settled for the silver in 35.68 seconds, while Hatakeyama’s teammate Kanami Tano took the bronze in 36.29 seconds.

“I had a great start. I was able to go fast. It was good overall,” said Hatakeyama, who seeks to redeem herself after suffering an injury during her first run in the Tokyo Olympics.

After misfortunes fell on Filipino bets Daniel Caluag and Patrick Coo, Thailand took home the gold medal in the men’s elite race, with Komet Suprasert quickly pushing himself in front.

The 23-year-old Suprasert, who trains in Switzerland with Coo, went full blast in his last run to reach, going toe to toe in final stages with Indonesian foes Rio Akbar and Fasya Rifki, who landed second and third.

“I told to focus into going into the finals, and go full blast when in the finals,” said Suprasert’s coach Ath Chaimayo.

Coo, who was outjockeyed by his Indonesian rivals and could not get in position to overtake, clocked 36.52 seconds to land at eighth place during the finals.

Caluag, the Philippines’ lone gold medalist at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games, fell behind after back his wheel slipped at the starting ramp and did not finish the race during semifinals.

The competitions were calendared by both the International Cycling Union and Asian Cycling Confederation and hosted by the PhilCycling and Tagaytay City, led by Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

Tuesday thriller up as 5 teams dispute 3 semis seats in PVL

THE single round eliminations phase of the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference comes down to an expected wild finish Tuesday, with four teams knocking each other out for the two semifinal berths, and the other seeking to formalize its advance against a squad going all-out to stall its drive.

Only Creamline is assured of a spot in the next round, which will feature foreign guest teams from Japan and Vietnam, after the Cool Smashers completed a sweep of Pool A play in the two-group qualifying among 11 teams, leaving the final eliminations playdate a guaranteed scramble for the remaining three semifinal spots.

Among the five, however, F2 Logistics appears to have the inside track for the other Pool B slot as it faces a Foton side which fell short of its semifinal bid (1-3) but is eager to make things a lot tougher for the Cargo Movers and, at the same time, prime up for the Classification round.

They clash at 12 noon, with F2 Logistics hoping to erase the stigma of their tough five-set defeat to the Petro Gazz Angels last Thursday and make their stint in the semis of the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision official.

The next two matches, meanwhile, validate a pair of cliffhangers as resurgent Choco Mucho and a peaking Cignal collide at 4 p.m. for the other berth in Pool B. But while the HD Spikers will go to the crucial game in high spirits following 3-0 romps over Foton and Farm Fresh, the Flying Titans will be coming into the match physically and emotionally drained after a grueling but morale-boosting five-set escape over the Angels last Saturday.

Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova kisses the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy during the prize ceremony after winning the women’s singles final tennis match against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur on the 13th day of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. AFP

PSC starts Asian Martial Arts Games preparations

THE Philippine Sports Commission, through the offi ce of

Commissioner Olivia “Bong’’ Coo, formally opened the Women’s Indoor & Para Games Festival on Sunday, as part of the agency’s early preparations for the 2024 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. With a slogan “123 Dash to the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games,” the 10-day, all-female sports event, gathered over 400 athletes and technical officials from multiple

sports in the opening ceremonies at Philsports Complex in Pasig City.

“This event was conducted to strengthen and unite our female athletes from every sport as early as today, in preparation for the AIMAG.” said Commissioner Coo in her opening message.

The Women’s Indoor & Para Games Festival features five events including athletics, bowling, chess, fencing and netball, plus two events for our para athletes which are para chess and para athletics.

The lady commissioner also believes that “the national team can utilize the sudden rescheduling of AIMAG to their advantage, in terms

of their training and preparations.”

Competitions for bowling already commenced in Starmall EDSA Shaw on Friday, June 14. Chess and para chess tournaments also started on Saturday July 15, with fencing, netball, athletics and para-athletics events happening from July 16 to 21, at the Philsports’ Dining Hall, Fencing Hall, Multi-Purpose Arena and Track Oval, respectively.

Officiating of these games will be manned by its respective national sports associations.

Chef de Mission for AIMAG and Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation, Inc. president Richard Lim, Philippine Commission on Women Exec.

Alvarez delivers statement with victory over Ghasemi

CARLOS “The Limitless” Alvarez delivered a massive statement as he imposed his will on Sadegh “Kurdish Warrior” Ghasemi as he earned a second round submission victory at ONE Friday Fights 25 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Team Lakay stalwart was aggressive from the get-go and tapped his Iranian foe with a D’Arce choke at the 1:23 of round two.

It was an absolute showcase for Alvarez, displaying his impeccable submission game paired with the signature striking from the Baguiobased stable.

He scored a quick takedown on round one and attempted a bevy of holds, punishing Ghasemi as the fight went to the ground.

The same was the case in round two, that even after being rocked with a right hook, Alvarez was relentless as he caught Ghasemi’s right leg and worked his way to lock in the D’Arce.

“I was surprised that he was so tough,” Alvarez said. I didn’t submit him in the first round, but in the second round, I kept [my submission holds] tight.”

It’s an impressive follow up from Alvarez after scoring a technical knockout win over Reza Abasi at ONE Friday Fights 13 last April that he believes he deserves to be part of The Home of Martial Arts in the long run.

“Of course, I want a contract to be part of the ONE Championship roster and I know I can perform well,” he said.

Alvarez’ teammate Jhanlo Mark Sangiao returns to action next month when he takes on Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian where Sangiao looks for his fourth straight win in The Home of Martial Arts.

Director Atty. Kristine YuzonChaves, National Chess Federation of Philippines president Prospero Pichay, President Netball Federation, Inc. President Atty. Charlie Ho and Philippine Pole and Aerial Sports Association President Ciara Sotto were also in attendance to grace the opening ceremonies. Meanwhile, chess rising talent NM Nika Juris Nikolas, who was recently recognized as the youngest National Master in Chess, was also awarded in the opening her numerous achievements at a young age. This event was sponsored by Milo Philippines and Pocari Sweat.

Pasig MCW, Caloocan, clip MPBL opponents

PASIG MCW Sports fended off Bataan’s final assault to prevail, 7067, on Saturday and bolster its playoff bid in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika PIlipinas Basketball League)

Fifth Season at the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga City.

The Bataan Risers bunched seven points to threaten at 67-69, but Ryan Paule Costelo canned his second free throw with 12 seconds left to preserve Pasig’s 13th win against 7 losses.

Bataan had one final chance to force overtime, but Yves Sazon missed his triple attempt with only 2 ticks to go, plunging the Risers’ record to 7-12.

Belying his 5-foot-5 frame, Costelo posted 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists to earn best player honors. The former San Sebastian Stag was supported by Michael Maestre with 12 points okys 4 rebounds, Kenny Roger Rocacurva with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists plus 3 blocks, and Jason Ballesteros with 14 rebounds to go with 6 points and 3 blocks.

Bataan, which trailed, 47-60, early in the foruth quarter, got 15 points from Robbi Darang and 11 from Sazon.

Earlier games, saw Caloocan subdue Imus, 80-71, and Quezon Province dump Pasay, 64-49.

Caloocan rose to 14-5 through Ervin Palencia, Gabby Espinas and Reil Cervantes.

Espinas wound up with 14 points and 10 rebounds, Palencia finished with 14 points, 4 assists, plus 3 rebounds and Cervantes ended up with 13 points plus 7 rebounds.

Imus skidded to 7-11 despite the 28-point, 8-rebound, 3-assist effort of Jimboy Estrada and the 14-point, 13-rebound, 3-assist, 2-steal output of Jaymar Gimpayan.

The Quezon Huskers clustered 24 points, the last 11 by RJ Minerva in the second quarter, to surge ahead, 35-24, and cruise to their 13th win against 5 losses.

Minerva tallied 13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, plus 2 steals, followed by Alfrancis Tamsi with 13 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds, Ximone Sandagon with 11 points plus 6 rebounds, and Lucena City Mayor Mark Alcala with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

Not one Pasay player was able to score twin digits, pulling the Voyagers down to the season-low output and a 12-7 card.

The MPBL returns to the Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan City on Monday with a triple bill pitting Paranaque against Zamboanga at 4 p.m., Valenzuela against Muntinlupa at 6 p.m., and Bacoor against Nueva Ecija at 8 p.m.

Shown here are (from left). Ciara Sotto, Elma Muros-Posadas, PSC Commissioner Olivia Coo, Atty. Kristine Yuzon-Chaves (Executive Director, Phil Commission on Women), Richard Lim (CDM for AIMAG), Cong. Prospero Pichay (President of the Chess Association), Atty. Charlie Ho (President of the Phil. Netball Federation), Rica Aquino (Sports Boxer/Host) at the opening ceremony in PhilSports Complex, Pasig City

Ryan Paule Costelo of Pasig

Carlos ‘The Limitless’ Alvarez is declared winner.

Fandom frenzy Fans celebrate Alden and Maine’s 8th year as love team

By Angelica Villanueva

FANS celebrated the AlDub anniversary as the hashtag trended on Sunday, marking the eighth year of the unexpected love team formed by former Eat Bulaga! hosts Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza. AlDub Nation, the devoted fandom of the AlDub love team, took to Twitter to commemorate the first interaction between Alden and Yaya Dub (Maine's character) using the hashtag #ALDUBatADN8Years.

Back in 2015, AlDub became the talk of the town when the duo appeared in “Kalyeserye,” a seg-

ment of the longest-running noon-time show, “Juan For All, All For Juan.”

Alden and Yaya Dub's initial meeting on July 16, 2015, during the live episode of Eat Bulaga! was an accidental meet-cute that captivated audiences worldwide, making history in the process.

The love team's success extended to social media, where it was hailed as a "social media phenomenon," regularly securing the top spot on the trending list. In 2019, AlDub achieved a Guinness World Record for the "Most used hashtag in 24 hours" on Twitter, with the #ALDUBEBTamangPanahon receiving over 40,000,000 tweets during Kalyeserye's

afternoonRevitalizingviewing

AFTERNOON television in the Philippines is about to experience a remarkable transformation as two new co-production projects, Pira-Pirasong Paraiso and Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin , are set to captivate audiences with “gripping storytelling, powerful performances, and dramatic twists.”

Banking on its long history of producing iconic and memorable programs that have left an indelible mark on the country's television landscape, ABS-CBN, introduced the cast of the drama series who came together in full force to introduce their programs to the media.

Held on Thursday, the backto-back press conference served as a tantalizing glimpse into the enthralling narratives and stellar performances that await viewers when the shows air on July 25.

Produced in collaboration with TV5, these programs mark ABS-

CBN Entertainment's commitment to providing top-notch content that enlivens the afternoon viewing block.

Pira-Pirasong Paraiso brings together a stellar cast, featuring Loisa Andalio, Charlie Dizon, Alexa Ilacad, and Elisse Joson with KD Estrada, Ronnie Alonte, and Joseph Marco.

The compelling drama is helmed by Raymund B. Ocampo and Roderick Lindayag and is produced by Dreamscape Entertainment.

The series revolves around the complicated journey of long-lost sisters who were separated from one another at a very young age.The eldest sister, Diana (Charlie), makes it her life’s mission to

“Voltes V: Legacy” makes history as first PH TV program in Comic-Con International

LIVE-action series Voltes V: Legacy continues to dominate the entertainment world as it becomes the first Philippine TV program to participate in this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), known as the biggest annual comics convention in California, USA.

According to Dogu Publishing CEO Jerry Blank, they aim to expand the reach of international panels from around the globe, driving the way for a more diverse comic book industry.

SDCC 2023 will take place from July 20 to 23 and will be attended by GMA Senior

Vice President Lilybeth G.

Rasonable, Assistant

Vice President for Drama

Helen Rose S. Sese, Assistant Vice President for Post Operations

Vincent C. Gealogo, and Telesuccess Productions

Executive Producer Larson Chan

The highlyanticipated event will also be attended by Voltes V: Legacy lead cast members including Miguel Tanfelix (Steve Armstrong), Ysabel Ortega (Jamie Robinson), Gabby Eigenmann (Commander Robinson), and the show’s director Mark Reyes GMA will formally make its Comic-Con debut on July 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Marriott Marquis

San Diego Marina. Afterward, the cast will be signing a limited-edition poster on the convention floor.

Produced by GMA Network in collaboration with Telesuccess Productions and Toei Company, Voltes V: Legacy airs weeknights at 8:00 p.m. on GMA Telebabad and at 9:40 p.m. on GTV.

reconnect with her sisters, Amy and Beth, no matter what it takes. However, their personal motives for their dreams, family, revenge, and money spiral into calamitous events that threaten to ruin their lives.

Completing the cast are Sunshine Dizon, Markus Paterson, Epy Quizon, and Art Acuña, with the special participation of Snooky Serna Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin, on

'Tamang Panahon' episode, where Alden and Yaya Dub finally met in person on October 24, 2015. The historic event gathered around 55,000 people at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. Currently, Alden and Maine have stated that they remain good friends and are pursuing solo projects. Alden is hosting the Battle of the Judges and working on his Metro Manila Film Festival entry, A Mother and Son's Story, alongside Megastar Sharon Cuneta. Meanwhile, Maine is hosting the TVJ-led noontime show, E.A.T., which premiered on July 1 on TV5 and is also preparing for her wedding with actor and Quezon City representative, Arjo Atayde

the other hand, showcases a riveting rivalry between JC de Vera and Tony Labrusca, with Jane Oineza and Ria Atayde adding intensity to the narrative. As secrets unravel and emotions ignite, the series takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster supported by a talented ensemble cast, including Joko Diaz, Kim Rodriguez, Maila Gumila, Carla Martinez, Aya Fernandez, and Nico Antonio.

Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin promises to be “an intricate teleserye filled with twists and turns.” The series is directed by the renowned duo of FM

Reyes and Benedict Mique and is produced by JRB Creative Production. The drama centers on the rivalry of two men, Philip (JC) and Lucas (Tony), the lies involving the women in their lives Olivia/ Claire (Jane) and Melinda (Ria), and Philip’s quest for revenge for the death of his parents.

Pira-Pirasong Paraiso and Nagaapoy na Damdamin will air Monday through Friday on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, TFC, A2Z, and TV5 beginning July 25 at 3:00 p.m. and 3:50 p.m., respectively. Pira-Pirasong Paraiso will also air every Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

THE real value of something can only be judged from practical experience and results and not just from the appearance of theory, this is what the phrase “the proof of the pudding is in These words became my guide as I tried BlancPro, the skin care products made affordable for all. It took its inspiration from the success of premium beauty and wellness brand Beautéderm, with the astute and congenial Rhea Anicoche-Tan She is hands and heart as she introduces the brand that promises to make their us-

Pro”.

Dantes. This

Banking on Marian Rivera’s star power and credibility

complexion and genuine belief in con cept of self-care for a diverse audience.

During its recent official launch, what struck me the most was how the Beautéderm president and CEO honored her word and commitment to the only BlancPro ambassadress, Marian Rivera"palabra de honor" gesture is truly commendable and inspiring. As the sole ambassador, Marian's radiant persona perfectly aligns with the brand’s mission to provide effective and budget-friendly skincare solutions to all. With her flawless complexion and genuine belief in the brand, Marian inspires confidence and redefines the concept of self-care for a diverse BlancPro's skincare line, backed by Marian's endorsement, sets new standards in the beauty world and promises to transform the way we care for

our skin.

boasts skin re-

What I have experienced so far are the Milk Whitening Soap and Milk Body

The soap dark areas and

generation. Having naturally brown skin all over, with some

of my body parts experiencing more friction and rubbing, this milk soap is amazing. Shaving the hairs on my armpits has made its skin a darker shade of brown. Thanks to the soap and its mild formulation, there is indeed noticeable lightening of this problematic body area. The Milky Wash, which I use for my evening bath, smells clean and divine. The micro-exfoliating beads do not irritate and give that overtly dry feel. The immediate effects after a week of use are, skin feels supple and smooth, with a fresh fragrance that calms and soothes. Raves go to the Exfoliating Charcoal Whipped Foam, Clarifying Toner, and Vita Complex Sleeping Mask. Yes, cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, the most basic of facial beauty care has never been this good!

With just a pea-size of foam, it covers your face. With a circular motion, the foam feels totally refreshing, skin

so smooth to the touch. Eye puffiness is reduced. Closed pores. Fine lines become almost invisible.

The toner has this most pleasant smell, does not sting, pores do get smaller, and being clean is its best gift to your face.

The Vita Complex Sleeping Mask is light, with no greasy feels, and its sky blue color is so inviting you cannot help but slather it on your face, with upward strokes of course. The next day, when you look in the mirror, your skin is soft to the touch, with a natural glow and totally fresh.

With these skin care products that I used, the BlancPro experience is something that people who put a premium on their skin a try, and for sure it will be a habit. Hard-earned pesos well spent for healthy skin that brings confidence, a positive outlook, and beauty that shows and wows. Have not tried the Sakura Body Scrub and Phyto-Emerald Moisturizing Soap, for sure they will also be fabulous skin treats.

Businesswoman Rhea Anicoche-Tan (left) and actress Marian Rivera

From left: 'Nag-aapoy na Damdamin' stars Tony Labrusca, Jane Oineza, JC De Vera, and Ria Atayde

Charlie Dizon

Elisse Joson

Alexa Ilacad

Loisa Andallo

Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza of the AlDub fame in their iconic ‘pabebe wave’

LIFE Conrad expands in Asia Pacific with new luxury hotel in Shenzhen

HILTON has recently announced the opening of Conrad Shenzhen in the city’s Qianhai business district, expanding the brand’s global portfolio of elevated luxury offerings.

Artfully imagined by world-renowned design firm YABU Pushelberg to embody “A Story of a Dreamer,” the 300-room hotel takes guests on a reflective journey through modern art and calming aesthetics – lending a reprieve from the surrounding urban bustle. These distinct details are designed to engage the senses, which are further enhanced by Conrad’s purposeful and intuitive service.

“We are thrilled to introduce Conrad Shenzhen, our first luxury property in China’s thriving technology hub and a breathtaking addition to our portfolio of hotels in Asia Pacific,” said Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton.

“Travel demand remains strong and is only expected to rise as international travel to China resumes. As the country’s fastestgrowing hotel company, Hilton stands ready to welcome even more guests here in Shenzhen and other key destinations,” the hotel executive added.

Situated in the heart of the city’s financial center, only 25 minutes from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and steps away from Guiwan metro station, the hotel offers unparalleled views of the mesmerizing Qianhai Bay as well as proximity to international shopping centers, world-class restaurants, and more.

Alexandra Jaritz, senior vice president, Brand Management, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said, “Conrad is committed to creating impactful experiences through the brand’s

purposeful service and bold design, and we believe this incredible addition will redefine luxury and enhance the hospitality offering in Shenzhen for business and leisure travelers alike.”

Owned by Horoy Group, Conrad Shenzhen is poised to usher global travelers to the Chinese gateway city.

Lai Julin, president of Horoy Group, said, “Conrad Shenzhen represents an exciting partnership that blends our nuanced understanding of the local market with that of Hilton’s expertise in luxury hospitality, setting a new benchmark in Shenzhen.” Conrad Shenzhen is located at No. 5001 Tinghai Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518066, Guangdong Province, China. For more information or hotel reservations, visit www.conrad.hilton.com/shenzhen.

This fine neighborhood kitchen is

Rockwell’s hidden gem

ROCKWELL in Makati has always been a haven for foodies with discerning palates, but there’s one resto where locals usually retreat for elevated comfort food from around the world: Prologue.

Consider it as one of Rockwell’s best-kept secrets that’s often a hotspot for satisfying meals and weekend brunches. Located outside the hustle and bustle of the commercial centers, Prologue in Rockwell is nestled inside the cozy Aruga Apartments. Lovingly regarded as a “fine neighborhood kitchen” among the regulars, it offers a curated selection

MICECON Clark revs up for next year’s

IF you ask our local tourism stakeholders which segment of the tourist market they would like to have, I’m sure they’ll choose MICE, the acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions.

Everybody runs after this segment because it is very lucrative. When somebody travels for MICE purposes, chances are the person’s expenses abroad are shouldered by the company he works for or by the organization he belongs to. This means, more often than not, that his choices for the various components of his trip are the more expensive ones – Business Class flights, de luxe hotel accommodations, meals in expensive restaurants, etc.

This is why every country in the world spends more on advertising, geared towards potential MICE travelers. Here in Asia, Thailand has the biggest share of the MICE business, thanks to its having the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau that was established by royal decree solely to promote the country as the main destination for MICE.

Although our Tourism Promotions Board is doing great in winning bids for major international events to be held here in the Philippines, maybe we could even have more MICE bookings if we can have a similar agency as that of Thailand, which focuses only on continuously getting MICE business for our industry’s coffers.

As for domestic tourists, our country’s big cities also vie for MICE business, depending on the type of venues they can offer the delegates.

Bustling Clark in Pampanga is now in a frenzy of preparations to host the highly anticipated MICE Conference (MICECon) 2024. MICECon will bring together from July 10 to 12 next year MICE professionals from all over the country.

At colorful and elaborate launching ceremonies the other day, host Clark Development Corporation succeeded in delivering the message that a fun, exciting, and colorful three days are waiting for friends and visitors who are interested to be updated with the latest in MICE business.

SMX Clark will be the main venue with over 4,000 sqm. of MICE space – three halls, three function rooms, and 14 meeting rooms, that can cater to over 1,000 expected attendees. This event will be a collaboration with Park Inn by Radisson Clark and SM City Clark as well as the nearby hotels

and key locators of the city.

Strategically located within the SM City Clark Complex, Park Inn by Radisson Clark is 11.3 km from Clark International Airport (CRK) and centrally located near major tourist attractions, and historical landmarks. It is directly linked to SMX Clark and boasts of 254 rooms, three meeting rooms, and two dining restaurants.

During the press conference held after the launch ceremonies, Mike Albaña, Vice President – General Manager of SMX Convention Center said “We at SMX Convention Center Clark are very privileged to be part of this event in 2024, that will ultimately inspire transformative change in the MICE industry. We are looking forward to being part of this success and forging connections with every one of you as we embark on this journey to MICECon 2024.”

In addition to shaping the MICE landscape and networking opportunities, the attendees will have the chance to experience the unique charm of Clark. From its vibrant culinary scene to its breathtaking natural landscapes, Clark offers an array of leisure activities that make it an ideal destination for both business and pleasure.

For the younger set looking for new and exciting things to do, there is the popular Clark International Speedway or CIS, a motorsport venue, with a Grade 4 accreditation level from the FIA. This 4189-kilometer circuit features 18 turns and runs in a counterclockwise direction. More information on MICECon 2024 is available at www.tpb.gov.ph

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@ gmail.com

of recognizable favorites from different cuisines to satisfy a world of flavors. This means you can find not only a single kind of dish here. Rather, you can travel the world through food at Prologue and explore different flavors with every visit.

With a strong foundation and proficiency in fine dining standards and techniques, Prologue isn’t like your usual go-to brunch spot as each dish is uniquely and expertly interpreted and made lovingly from scratch with the freshest ingredients, offering an unforgettable luxe casual culinary experience.

To develop this distinct gastronomic repertoire, Prologue has tapped acclaimed Chef Hiroyuki Meno who’s trained in classic French cooking—that’s been a reference in many contemporary cooking—and has mastered the intricacies of Japanese cuisine—which is known for bringing out the natural flavors of every ingredient.

Meno’s tenure at Michelin-starred restaurants and food destinations in France and Japan—and Indonesia, too—equipped him with a unique skillset that allows him to marry the best practices from different culinary foundations, and improvise to cook up every Prologue dish with his own signature creative touch.

One of the must-try dishes at Prologue is Iberico Cabecero Risotto, which uses Spain’s highly prized iberico pork known for its incredible marbling and nutty, complex flavor to elevate a simple yet comforting Italian rice dish. Then, there’s Beef Rendang

that’s made from Australian wagyu brisket for that buttery flavor and extra tender texture and dished up with fragrant jasmine rice as well as French beans, broccoli, and carrots.

Prologue also has its own irresistible version of Chicken Tandoori that’s whipped up with Indian spices and yogurt and plated with turmeric rice, French beans, and a special cream sauce.

True to its promise of serving an assortment of ‘round-the-globe flavors right in your neighborhood, this Rockwell food spot also serves up some go-to European picks with

pizzas like Margherita and Quattro Formaggi as well as pasta like Pancetta Carbonara and Vongole, and appetizers like Gambas and Escargot Bourguignon.

For flavors closer to home, the resto has a selection of mouthwatering Asian picks like Japanese Gyudon, Nasi Goreng Prawn, and Pad Thai, and even Filipino recipes such as Pork Adobo and Arroz Caldo that’ll never fail to make you smack your lips and beam.

This Rockwell haunt is part of a restaurant portfolio that includes branches in Quezon City and San Juan City. What’s more admirable about Prologue is its attention to detail, as each branch adapts the experience to its own neighborhood. Each restaurant has a different persona and ambiance as well as special menu offerings, creating a distinct experience at every location. At Prologue, no restaurant is being replicated. Its only benchmarks are its meticulous fine dining standards that you can expect at all three.

“We’re proud to bring fine dining expertise and techniques to a casual everyday dining setting, and serve familiar flavors from different parts of the world with the guidance of an amazing chef like Chef Meno,” Prologue owner Alyanna Uy states.

“With this brand ethos, we can assure that everything we offer at

Prologue owner Alyanna Uy (left) taps Chef Hiroyuki Meno (right) to establish distinct gastronomic repertoire

Prologue boasts a curated selection of menu of different cuisines to satisfy a world of flavors