Manila Standard - 2023 August 3 - Thursday

Social infra, agri top 2024 budget Spending plan handed to Congress

By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is seeking to increase the funding for his administration’s infrastructure and agricultural programs next year, the P5.768-trillion spending plan for 2024 submitted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to Congress shows.

In his budget message, the President said that under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the “Build Better More” program would focus on social infrastructure.

TURNOVER. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (left) submits the 2024 National Expenditure Plan to Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, who promised next year’s proposed national budget would go through the House’s quick scrutiny, deliberation and approval.

“This program, which seeks to continue and expand the Golden Age of Infrastructure of the country, will receive a total of P1.418 trillion.

This is equivalent to 5.3 percent of GDP (gross domestic product),” Marcos said.

This includes the public sector infrastructure budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), amounting to P176.4 billion

Senate hearing to zoom in on flood problems

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Rio N. Araja and Julito G. Rada

AS THE country absorbs the impact of a third typhoon this month, senators are seeking hearings on the perennial problem of flooding and plan to summon officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other concerned agencies.

Calls for hearings came as the Department of Agriculture said that the agricultural and fisheries sector in Northern Luzon suffered losses of P3.17 billion from the damage wrought by Typhoon “Egay,” affecting

Supply of 7m tons of rice sufficient—DA

THE country has a sufficient supply of rice at over 7 million metric tons (MT), an official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported on Wednesday.

DA Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Leocadio Sebastian said the harvest during the dry season was “good,” with a total yield of 5.7 million metric tons. The country’s supply of imported rice is at 1.9 million metric tons.

HARVEST FESTIVAL. Despite the recent inclement weather, children join the ‘ginoyudan’ tag-of-war events with gusto along Hapao River as the town of Hungduan in Ifugao celebrated the Punnuk (Harvest) Festival. Authorities and volunteers were on hand to secure the games, which went smoothly amid strong river currents. Dave Leprozo

College students to tutor Grade 2 pupils on reading

By Maricel Cruz

THE Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development launched Wednesday a program to help grade school students who are struggling to read.

In the “Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program,” college students will teach in-

coming Grade 2 students how to read.

This developed as the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Culture is set to approve for plenary consideration the substitute bill seeking to enhance the existing K-12 basic education program.

The measure is a substitute for House Bill 7893 authored by Deputy Speaker

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which seeks to amend the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.

The effectiveness of the Senior High School under the K-12 Program in terms of job readiness and college readiness of students was also raised during the congressional hearing.

WELCOME VISITOR. Former President Rodrigo Duterte (center) chats with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace in this selfie taken by Senator Christopher Go on

Wednesday. According to Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil, Duterte went

DENR: Consider ‘Big One’ earthquake, tsunamis in Manila Bay reclamation

Manila Bay. In a press briefing in Malacañang, Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said there is a need to observe ecological changes during the reclamation projects.

PBBM visiting Vietnam in Jan. ‘24

RESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will go on a state visit to Vietnam in January 2024 as the two nations seek to reinvigorate their strategic partnership formed in 2015.

In his opening remarks for the 10th Philippine-Vietnam Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation meeting on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the visit would provide an opportunity for both Marcos and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong “to discuss how to raise our bilateral ties to even greater heights”.

NCR mayors eye rain catchment system Zamora

By Joel E. Zurbano

METRO Manila mayors have proposed the installation of a rain catchment system in anticipation of possible water shortages in the National Capital Region.

Members of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) made the proposal Wednesday after its meeting with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

According to MMC president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, the structures may be built at city and village halls and public schools, among others.

“The rainwater caught by our roofs and gutters will flow to drums so we can store and use them,” he said.

He added the MMDA can provide tanks for the catchment system.

MMDA acting chairman Romando Artes said his agency researched about modular rain catchment systems.

In July, the government floated an idea to regulate water usage in Metro Manila.

Zamora said local chief executives have the autonomy to decide on the matter, saying not all cities in Metro Manila have establishments that need large amounts of water.

The issue of water usage regulation surfaced following the appeal of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to business establishments and those consuming massive volumes of water tovconserve and limit their usage.

State weather bureau officials said earlier at least 30 provinces may experience a dry spell while at least two provinces may suffer from drought due to the El Niño phenomenon.

PAGASA climate monitoring chief Ana Solis said the possibility of El Niño is high.

\She said rainfall is expected to decrease next month and may drop further from October to December this year.

Zamora urged fellow local officials to “conserve and recycle water as much as possible, and implement a rainwater catchment system to collect rainwater that could be used for other purposes.”

College...

From A1

“Eighty percent of our cohorts in 2018 graduates went to higher education, and then 10 percent of them got employed, and then the remaining percent are not in education, employment, and training,” DepEd Director

Samuel Soliven III said.

The “Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program” was firmed up through a memorandum of agreement signed by DepEd Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

According to Gatchalian, three groups would benefit from the program: some 63,000 incoming Grade 2 students; their parents or guardians who will receive P235 per day by assisting their children with the reading sessions and other related activities; and about 6,000 third and fourth-year college students who will receive P570 per tutoring day as a form of cash for work.

The program will be tested in Metro Manila for 20 days from August 15 and may be extended depending on the feedback.

In her speech, Duterte-Carpio thanked those who made the program possible. She said this was one of the ways by which DepEd is fulfilling its promise to provide students with modern and quality education.

“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently finished his first year in office, and we have seen a remarkable display of trust and confidence between our two countries,” he said.

During a meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia, Marcos and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed to strengthen

the strategic partnership by expanding engagement in various areas of cooperation, including defense and security.

The Chief Executive also sought to craft an agreement to avoid any untoward incident in the South China Sea.

“And that’s why, I have asked our foreign ministers, our Foreign Secretary and then the Foreign Minister of Vietnam to begin, develop the talks so that we can have an agreement to avoid any problem,” he told reporters in a May 11 interview on board PR001.

The upcoming state visit will come

as Manila and Hanoi cap their five-year Plan of Action in 2024.

“[O]ur Plan of Action will end its five-year course in 2024 so we would need to negotiate a new plan and reinvigorate it, and this will guide our strategic partnership for another five years,” Manalo said.

Among the areas Manila hopes to further strengthen with Hanoi are maritime cooperation, trade and investment promotion, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation in ASEAN and other multilateral fora, among others.

Sandiganbayan affirms dismissal of coco levy case

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE Sandiganbayan has affirmed its dismissal of a civil case involving companies alleged to have been established using coco levy funds.

In a resolution promulgated on July 31, 2023, the anti-graft court’s second division denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the government.

Social...

From A1

and P801.2 billion respectively, he said.

“With Congress’s approval of the proposed FY 2024 national budget, we will be one step closer to achieving our transformative vision for the country, the Agenda for Prosperity,” the President said.

He added that further cooperation with the private sector and various government agencies would be a vital piece in building a “better future.”

Among the priority sectors in the 2024 national budget, the Department of Education has the highest allotted budget of P924.7 billion, followed by the DPWH with P822.2 billion.

The DOTr will double its previous budget to P214.3 billion, as part of the country’s plan to improve the transport system.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Migrant Workers would receive a combined budget of P40.5 billion, P7 billion lower than their allocation for 2023.

The departments and their allocations are as follows:

* Department of Education – P924.7 billion

* Department of Public Works and Highways – P822.2 billion

* Department of Health and PhilHealth – P306.1 billion

* Department of Interior and Local Government – P259.5 billion

* Department of Defense – P232.2 billion

* Department of Transportation –P214.3 billion

* Department of Social Welfare and Development – P209.9 billion

DENR:...

From A1

The United States Embassy in Manila earlier raised concerns over the possible environmental impact and the “ties” of a Chinese firm to the ongoing Manila Bay reclamation projects.

However, Loyzaga acknowledged the reclamation projects would be crucial in reviving the country’s economy.

The reclamation projects were approved during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“On the geological hazards: So far what we see in terms of the studies I have looked at for reclamation projects is the reference on the 7.2 movement sa

Senate...

From A1

146,260 farmers and fishers, and 170,843 hectares of agricultural areas, with a total production loss of 106,453 metric tons.

The affected commodities include rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries. Damage was also incurred in agricultural and fishery infrastructure and facilities.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Majority Floor Leader Senator Joel Villanueva, and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda raised different longstanding issues with the country’s flood control system.

Senator Bong Revilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works and Highways, vowed to conduct hearings on the massive flooding in Metro

High Court clears ex-PRA execs in Macapagal case

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has cleared former board members of the Public Estates Authority (now the Philippine Reclamation Authority) and its private contractor of graft charges filed against them in connection with the alleged P532-million overpriced construction of the President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard (PDMB) in the cities of Pasay and Parañaque.

In the same resolution, the anti-graft court granted the motion to dismiss filed by the Coconut Producers Federation Inc. (COCOFED), Coconut Investment Co. (CIC), and Cocofed Marketing Corp. (COCOMARK) on May 16, 2023, due to “inordinate delay in court proceedings.”

“In view of the foregoing, as the plaintiff (Presidential Commission on

* Department of Agriculture (and attached corporations) and Department of Agrarian Reform – P181.4 billion

* Department of Justice – P57.8 billion

*Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Migrant Workers – P40.5 billion President Marcos also set aside a P1 billion budget for the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Program to provide aid to around 12,000 Marawi siege victims.

A total of P20 billion has been allocated for the compensation and allowances of COVID-19 healthcare workers that would be used for health emergency allowances and compensation packages.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman submitted the 2024 National Expenditure Plan to Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, who promised that the House would act swiftly to scrutinize, deliberate, and approve the 2024 budget. The 2024 NEP, equivalent to 21.7 percent of GDP, is 9.5 percent higher than the P5.268 trillion 2023 budget.

Anchored on the theme, “Agenda for Prosperity: Securing a Future-Proof and Sustainable Economy,” the proposed national budget is ed based on the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda and will continue to support the goals of the Philippine Development Plan 20232028, Pangandaman said.

Significant budgetary support will be provided for social infrastructure development, which includes school buildings with P40.59 billion; hospitals and health centers with P15.31 billion; as well as water and power supply systems with a combined allocation of P9.01 billion.

A total of P543.45 billion has been earmarked for climate change mitiga-

West Valley Fault,” Loyzaga said. Local seismology experts have been warning the country for the longest time of a possible major earthquake or the “Big One” along the West Valley Fault that could cause massive damages and casualties in Metro Manila.

Loyzaga said the rising sea level and various geological changes should be monitored when it comes to the said reclamation projects.

“There is what we call the Manila Trench that is located in Manila Bay. That is the geological event we are looking at in terms of the generation of a potential tsunami,” she said.

She said the DENR is also assessing the cumulative impact of the reclamation projects.

Manila and other parts of the country. Despite the billions of pesos the government has been spending on flood control programs, widespread flooding still occurs with every downpour, he said.

Revilla said he would summon DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Romando Artes and question them about the effectiveness of their flood control programs.

In a TV report, officials of Bulacan said most of the province would continue to be flooded for the next few days as the waters from nearby provinces were still running down toward their lower-lying areas before reaching their rivers, plus the effect of the high tide in general.

Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando pre -

Good Government) did not raise any new argument to convince this court that its ruling is erroneous or contrary to the law or evidence, its motion for reconsideration must be denied for lack of merit,” the court said in the resolution written by Associate Justice Arthur Malabaguio; and concurred by division chairman Oscar Herrera, Jr. and Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona.

tion and adaptation. This is equivalent to 9.4 percent of the total proposed budget, exceeding the country’s commitment of 8 percent share under the Philippine Development Plan.

The bulk of climate change expenditures will be allocated for water-sufficiency projects worth P294.46 billion to benefit communities all over the country.

The Philippine Space Agency will be provided with P1.7 billion to better monitor the country’s land and marine resources, as well as terrestrial ecosystems, to ensure both agricultural productivity and environmental integrity. Of this allocation, P1.2 billion will be used for the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) Satellite Development’s secondyear funding requirement.

The government will continue to provide financial assistance for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) amounting to P80.6 billion, which includes the Annual Block Grant of P70.5 billion, and P1 billion for the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Program.

Pangandaman said, “Every peso of the P5.768 trillion 2024 national budget was optimized so we can remain on track with our Agenda for Prosperity.”

“It is the administration’s fervent hope that this budget will continue to lay the groundwork for future-proofing the economy and making the country’s growth inclusive and sustainable, not just for the Filipinos of today, but also for the future generations,” she added.

Romualdez assured President Marcos and the nation that the House of Representatives would approve the proposed P5.768-trillion 2024 national budget before the October congressional break.

The US Embassy said they are concerned that the projects have ties to the China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC) “which has been added to the US Department of Commerce’s Entity List for its role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea.” US Embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay said the company “has also been cited by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for engaging in fraudulent business practices.”

“We continue to support high-quality, sustainable, and transparent investments to benefit the Filipino people and will continue to engage with the appropriate authorities on this matter,” the US official said.

viously said he was talking to his neighboring provincial leaders to push through with mega-dike projects that would be funded by the private sector.

Also, Sta. Fe village in San Marcelino, Zambales continued to be cut off from the rest of the town for the fourth straight day after the swollen Santo Tomas River broke the dike protecting it.

Cayetano flagged the unfinished flood control dams of the DPWH.

He said it has been 12 years since the unfinished flood control dams were revealed in a Senate hearing, but apparently – with the continuous flooding in Bulacan and surrounding areas – nothing has been done to fully address it.

“It was discovered during the hearing that there were still unfinished flood control projects of the government.

And this was more than 10 years ago and after that, I thought everything was

In a 69-page decision penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez, the SC’s Second Division reversed and set aside the September 16, 2015 ruling of the Sandiganbayan which sentenced the petitioners to a maximum of eight years in prison.

The Sandiganbayan decision found the petitioners Cristina AmpostaMortel, Theron Victor Lacson, Leo Padilla, Manuel Berifia, Jr., Jaime Millan, Bernardo Viray, Raphael Pocholo Zorilla, Daniel Dayan, Frisco Francisco San Juan, Elpidio Damaso, Carmelita Chan, and contractor Jesusito Legaspi guilty of violating the provisions of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The High Court, in reversing the ruling, even lauded the timely completion of the project, saying this has benefitted the government with “the increase in value of the land surrounding the area, as well as the public who continue to reap the benefits of having alternate routes that would let them avoid traffic congestion.”

In acquitting the former PEA board members and Legaspi, the SC noted the findings of the Commission on Audit that there was no overpricing in the implementation of the said project.

“Considering that the COA, the constitutionally bound auditor of government funds, declared that no overpricing occurred, such findings should be given considerable weight,” the SC said.

Supply...

From A1

“Our rice supply is more than enough for our needs for the next few months,” Sebastian said at a Laging Handa briefing.

“We are at the peak of planting, we expect that this month there will be harvests, and in September there will be many harvests. We have a sufficient supply of rice,” he added.

The country also has a buffer stock good for 39 days, nearly five times the minimum 9 days required by law, Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla said in another press conference in Malacañang.

“The DA has already prepositioned ways by which we could increase production. The biggest rice production will still come sometime end of September or October,” she said.

But Sebastian explained that the buffer stock of rice of the National Food Authority (NFA), is different from the stocks of rice for the whole country.

He said the government used to get its rice supply from the NFA, but now the agency maintains only a small stock for emergencies.

“The private sector is now allowed to import rice,” he said.

At the same time, Sebastian urged farmers who were affected by Typhoon Egay to seek assistance from the DA, as they are ready to supply them with seedlings.

He also urged them to maximize food production during this period by growing vegetables.

fixed,” he said.

Cayetano said he will scrutinize the DPWH’s proposed budget for 2024 to make sure its budget – the second highest among all government agencies – is allocated to the right infrastructure projects.

He said to be able to mitigate flooding effectively, the DPWH must take a more comprehensive approach, pointing out that 25 percent of the department’s budget this year was put into flood control instead of being used for the building of new roads.

Calling the Senate’s attention to the perennial flooding in his home province of Bulacan, Villanueva urged fellow senators to inquire about the plans and programs of the government regarding the country’s urban drainage system and flood protection for Metro Manila and other vulnerable areas.

Senators grill PNP group on POGO raid

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATORS on Wednesday grilled members of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) due to alleged lapses during a raid in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Las Piñas City last June. Authorities meanwhile report another raid in an establishment in Pasay City on Tuesday evening over alleged cyber scams and held 650 persons of interest including foreign nationals.

During a Senate committee hearing, Sen. Raffy Tulfo pressed PNP-ACG Director P/Brig. Gen. Sidney Hernia on their failure to arrest the foreigners involved in the illegal POGO operations despite carrying a search warrant.

Tulfo said they could have repeatedly kicked the doors of the POGO hub or even destroyed them to get the POGO workers out of the premises. Tulfo also rebuked Hernia and his group for failing to coordinate with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT)led by the Department of Justice (DOJ), unlike in previous raids.

Hernia however said authorities “were just being careful in dealing with foreigners.” Hernia also said Jonathan Lledo, chairman of the National Inter-Agency Task Force Against Trafficking (NIATFAT), was part of the meeting before the raid.

“In fact during the operation, the members of the IACAT, led by the prosecutor of IACAT were with us. The team of Prosecutor Jonathan Lledo was in that meeting,” Hernia said.

The senator also noted it took time before PNP-ACG called concerned agencies like the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the National Bureau of Investigation after the raid.

Pag-IBIG allots

P3b in loans for typhoon victims

PAG-IBIG Fund has allocated P3 billion in calamity loan funds to help members affected by Typhoons Egay and Falcon.

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Rizalino L. Acuzar said Pag-IBIG Fund has allocated calamity loan funds to help affected members in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, and Cavite, recover from the devastation caused by typhoons.

“We are also working closely with local government units in these areas, as we heed the call of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to provide our fellow Filipinos in these calamity-hit areas with all the necessary assistance,” Acuzar, who is also chairperson of the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said.

Under the Pag-IBIG Calamity Loan, eligible members may borrow up to 80% of their total Pag-IBIG Savings, which consist of their monthly contributions, the counterpart employer’s contributions, and accumulated dividends earned.

And in consideration of the plight of the members, the loan is offered at a rate of 5.95% per annum, which is the lowest rate in the market. The loan is payable over a period of up to three years, with a grace period of three months so that the initial payment is due only on the fourth month after the loan is released.

Qualified borrowers may apply for the calamity loan within 90 days from the date when an area has been declared under a state of calamity.

Marcos: PH needs better digital links, cybersecurity

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed the need to boost the country’s digital connectivity and cybersecurity infrastructure to catch up with its Asian peers.

The President recently held a meeting with executives of satellite operator Kacific Broadband Satellites to discuss the need to enhance the Philippines’ technological capabilities.

During the meeting, the President and Kacific discussed the latter’s forthcoming launching of its satellite project and the ways to use the project in the long run.

“It’s just an improvement on what we have now. Make it more permanent. But this is not, this is on [the] long term. We

have to keep up. We are always looking for additional capability when it comes to all these communications, especially with the problems of cyber security,” the President said.

The President also directed the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to work with Kacific to improve digital connectivity in the Philippines.

Mr. Marcos issued the directive to

IN BRIEF

Ammonia leak downs

50 persons in Casiguran

LOCAL officials reported that 50 residents were brought to a hospital following an ammonia leak in an ice plant in Casiguran, Aurora.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy and DOST Secretary Renato Solidum (DOST) during the said meeting.

“It’s really the capability that the Philippines needs. So yes, let’s set it up and let’s see what’s the specifics… so that we can see how this can fit us, this new system,” the President said, referring to Kacific’s upcoming project.

Kacific, a broadband satellite operator based in Singapore, is aiming to launch its Kacific 2 to add capacity to its existing satellite, Kacific1 to provide affordable internet service to the public.

In the latest Speedtest Global Index last June 2023, the Philippines showed a median download speed of 92.84 Megabits per second (Mbps) for fixed broadband and 26.98 Mbps for mobile broadband.

DRINKING FOUNTAINS FOR QC SCHOOL.

Photo shows (from left to right) Manila Water

East Zone Business Operations Group Director Shoebe Caong; MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas; Manila Water

President and CEO Jocot De Dios; Quezon City

Mayor Joy Belmonte; Quezon City Schools

Division Superintendent Carleen Sedilla; and Manila Water Foundation

Executive Director Reginald Andal during the  turnover ceremony of refrigerated drinking fountains in Balara Elementary School in Quezon City on Wednesday.

Manny Palmero

COA flags ‘excessive’ youth commission spending

STATE auditors flagged the National Youth Commission (NYC) for its training and traveling expenses worth more than P36 million.

The Commission on Audit (COA) in a 2022 audit report on the NYC noted that the validity and propriety of the expenses could not be ascertained due to “lack of proper planning of the various activities of the commission, lack of docu-

Korean firm signs JV on Quezon dam project

SOUTH Korean firm Hydro Zeal Energy Development Corp. is proposing to build a 150-megawatt hydroelectric project in Nakar town in Quezon province.

Hydro Zeal Energy and the local government unit (LGU) of Nakar have signed a memorandum of agreement for a joint venture to construct and operate a hydro-electric plant in Kanan River, which is within the LGU’s jurisdiction.

Hydro Zeal Energy president Evangeline T. Patanao and Nakar Mayor Eliseo R. Ruzol signed the joint venture agreement According to the agreement, both parties have made a covenant to “maximize utilization of the town’s

labor force and prime up local employment opportunities; reduce the power costs of the municipality’s households through subsidies and preferential pricing scheme; provide adequate safeguards for the protection, maintenance and development of watershed surrounding the project site; and, develop road networks leading to the project site, thereby uplifting the economic opportunities and social benefits of the affected barangays,” among other terms.

The two-pronged joint venture seeks to address the need to ensure ample water supply and households’ electricity in the LGU, the MOA stated. It has a 25-year life span but may be renewed subject to mutual talks, according to the MOA.

mentation and improper processing.”

The COA said included in the flagged expenses were P1.28 million in “excessive” payments for hotel room reservations for NYC and Sangguniang Kabataan leaders in various parts of the country including Boracay, Baguio City, Bohol, Batangas, Ilocos Norte.

The NYC said unoccupied hotel rooms including participants not show-

ing up for various reasons including testing positive for COVID-19 were a factor in the expenses.

“Although plausible the above-justifications could not be validated and accounted for since these were unsubstantiated for lack of proof such as medical records and letters from the participants,” the COA’s audit team said. Rio Araja

Officials, quoted by reports, said the residents experienced headaches, sore throat, and blurry vision after being exposed to the chemical Around 44 families were also transferred to evacuation centers. The management of the ice plant said they were already addressing the problem that led to the ammonia leak.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said that exposure to high levels of ammonia in the air may be irritating to a person’s skin, eyes, throat, and lungs, and can cause coughing and burns.

“Ammonia is used as a refrigerant gas, for the purification of water supplies, and in the manufacture of plastics, explosives, textiles, pesticides, dyes, and other chemicals. Most people are exposed to ammonia from inhalation of the gas or vapors,” the DOH said.

Joy welcomes P50m donation to QC hospitals

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte

on Wednesday welcomed the P50million donation from Senator Joel Villanueva to 10 hospitals to benefit not only the city residents but other patients across the country.

“This is the gift of the good senator not only to our residents in Quezon City but also to all Filipinos in the whole Philippines because all of these hospitals are catering to everyone,” she told reporters.

On his 42nd birthday, Villanueva turned over P5 million each to the 10 large hospitals — the East Avenue Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Orthopedic Hospital, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, and Quezon City General Hospital. Rio N. Araja

DOLE issues new warning on recruitment scams

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reiterated the warning to prospective Filipino jobseekers abroad against social media or other online recruitment schemes promising high-paying jobs.

The department issued the warning following several Filipino travelers being offloaded by Immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for presenting dubious and fake travel documents.

“Illegal recruiters frequently offer promising jobs and facilitate faster processing of papers on the OFW’s behalf. Regardless of what form of assistance these recruiters can offer, their primary goal is to charge clients as high as possible,” the DOLE said.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma issued Labor advisory No 16, warning the public against illegal recruiters who victimize Filipinos wanting to work abroad, particularly those individuals with poor financial standing. Vito Barcelo

SCAM PHONES? A member of the raiding team from the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police looks at cellular phones during a raid in an alleged cyber scam operation at the SKK Building in Pasay City on Wednesday where more than 600 Chinese and Filipino employees were reportedly rescued in. Norman Cruz

HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT IN QUEZON. Hydro Zeal Energy Development Corp. president Evangeline T. Patanao (right) and Nakar Mayor Eliseo Ruzol sign a memorandum of agreement for a hydroelectric joint venture project in Nakar, Quezon province.

Missing Cessna plane found in Cagayan—CAAP

By Joel E. Zurbano

SEARCHERS have found the Cessna 152 plane that went missing in Cagayan province on Tuesday, but authorities recanted an earlier statement that the bodies of the pilot and his student were found dead.

“The Cessna 152 training aircraft (RP-C8958) that was reported missing yesterday, 1 August 2023, has been found by the search team at barangay Salvacion, Luna, Apayao today, 2 August 2023,” said Eric Apolonio, spokesman of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). Apolonio, however, confirmed the plane’s wreckage was located. Meanwhile, the CAAP said it has suspended operations of the Echo Air, owner of the ill-fated plane.

CAAP investigators have been dispatched to conduct a probe of the accident following retrieval of the fatalities’ remains.

IN BRIEF

MMDA: Stay out of EDSA bus lane

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has warned motorists and motorcycle riders to stay out of the EDSA Bus Carousel Lane.

“The MMDA strongly warns private motorists and motorcycle riders not to pass through the EDSA Bus Carousel Lane. This is not a fast lane, but only for passenger buses, ambulances, and marked government vehicles that respond to emergencies,” the agency stated in its advisory.

The advisory was issued following reports that another accident involving a motorcycle rider happened on the southbound lane of EDSA-Ortigas.

The accident caused heavy traffic along EDSA.

“For motorcyclists, it is good to wear safety gear and obey traffic laws to avoid accidents,” the MMDA stated.

Two months ago, a motorcycle rider died after he figured in a hitand-run incident at the southbound bus lane of EDSA Shaw Blvd.

“It is with profound sadness that this incident happened. We express our deepest condolences to the family of the rider,” said MMDA chairman Romando Artes. Joel

E. Zurbano

Agents seize P45-m shabu in Pasay City

GOVERNMENT agents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have seized a shipment of shabu worth more than P45 million from Africa.

A composite team from the Bureau of Customs - Port of NAIA, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG) seized the parcel from a bonded warehouse in Pasay City.

The contraband was consigned to one Wilbert Dee, a resident of 289 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Quezon City and ostensibly sent by Michael Mobida of 28 Krombek Street, Van Reibeeck BIR, Kempton Park, Johannesburg.

Aside from the 6.7 kilos of shabu, the authorities also found six plastic bags of nuts and three pouches of pumpkin seeds inside the parcel.

The shipment went through the initial inspection using the X-ray machine and placed under 100 percent physical examination by Customs examiners resulting in the discovery of the prohibited substance.

Joel E. Zurbano

Smuggled frogs

Seized at NAIA

GOVERNMENT agents on Wednesday confiscated a shipment of exotic wildlife at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay.

The shipment, falsely declared as “accessories” consisted of five heads of Pacman frogs from Malaysia.

The seized shipment has an estimated market value of more than P80,000 and consigned to an addressee in San Pedro Laguna.

“The unlawful trading of exotic wildlife is a serious offense and a direct violation of both Republic Act (RA) No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and RA No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act,” NAIA district collector Yasmin Mapa said.

Mapa cited the recent interception of the illegal wildlife shipment adds to BOC-NAIA’s track record in combatting wildlife trafficking. Vito

Senators to sit with Marcos over contentious WPS issue

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATORS are set to brief President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue Wednesday night with a view to making the Philippine government adopt a stronger position on the matter particular on China’s persistent harassment of Filipino fishermen in the contested territory.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said they will brief the President about Senate Resolution 718, condemning China’s oppressive acts against the Filipino fishermen.

“It is a private dinner, but we will mention it to the President. Of course, we understand that he has to do a balancing act. He has to be firm and practice diplomacy at the same time,” Zubiri told reporters ahead of the meeting.

“That said, the Senate has to be the bad cop here, so we can give the President more ammunition, that this is the unified voice of the Philippines, so he can say look, I’m getting pressure from the senators. We have to push back [on these Chinese aggression]. Otherwise, we just might wake up and find them in Palawan already,” Zubiri said. The resolution urges China to stop its “illegal activities” in accordance with the

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and with the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).

Zubiri clarified that the senators’ meeting with the President has long been set and was not in response to the Senate Resolution 718.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has said they were looking at the possibility of bringing the issue of Chinese aggression in the WPS before the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Chinese aggression has been a grave ccern of the Philippine government even if the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration upheld the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the WPS, outlawed Chinese aggression in common fishing ground areas, and rejected China’s expansive nine-dash-line claim of the entire South China Sea.

Teves weighs options to counter ‘terrorist’ label

SUSPENTED Negros Oriental Rep. Ar-

nolfo Teves Jr. is weighing options to counter a move by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) declaring him as a terrorist.

Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said they expected the designation since it was already mentioned before by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

“We are just waiting for a formal declaration of the ATC so we can file appropriate remedies either administrative or

in court,” Topacio said. Topacio has also said their camp seeks to appeal Teves’ terrorist designation before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or the Regional Trial Courts.

“We are carefully weighing our options. We are also trying to reach out to the lawyers of the others because sometimes what stops us from reaching out to these lawyers might be accusations of collusion,” Topacio said.

He ruled out however, the idea of filing an appeal before the ATC, saying “it will be futile.”

“Because those people have already made up their minds,” he stressed. Approved on July 26, ATC’s Resolution Number 43 tagged Arnie, his brother former governor Pryde Henry Teves, and 11 others as terrorists over several alleged killings and harassment cases in Negros Oriental.

Apolonio said there was no distress signal prior to the disappearance of the Cessna training aircraft.

The plane left Laoag airport at 12:16 p.m. Tuesday and was supposed to arrive at Tuguegarao Airport three hours later.

The aircraft with two persons on board, a pilot instructor and a student pilot, was bound for Caua an Airport for a touch and go activity, then to the Tuguegarao Airport.

Apolonio said another aircraft with registration number RP-C9062 left Laoag minutes earlier and “was able to successfully land at Tuguegarao Airport at 1:09 p.m.”

The Cessna 152 is an American two-seater, fixed-tricycle-gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use. CAAP officials said there was no distress signal on the time when the Cessna training aircraft went missing in Cagayan last Tuesday.

Boat skipper in lake mishap has no license

By Vince Lopez

THE captain of the ill-starred motorized banca Aya Express, does not have a valid Boat Captain 1 license, according to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

Meanwhile, the MARINA) suspended the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate (PSSC) of M/B Aya Express after the incident on Sunday off Barangay Kalinawan, Binangonan, Rizal which claimed 27 lives.

“Investigations revealed that the boat captain involved in the tragedy did not possess a valid license, as per records maintained by Marina,” MARINA’s lead lawyer Sharon Aledo said in a statement.

“There will be administrative proceedings pursuant to MARINA’s rules and regulations,” she added.

The Aya Express capsized in Laguna de Bay amid Typhoon Egay on July 27. The boat, with a seating capacity of 42 but which had 70 passengers at the time, was en route to Talim Island when it started to tilt to one side and its outrigger snapped.

The incident in Binangonan, Rizal resulted in the deaths of 27 passengers. MARINA met with Talim Island Passenger Motorboat and Patron Association (TIPMOPA) representatives to discuss the duty of Aya Express’ insurance provider.

“As of this writing, there is no showing that the insurance providerhas accepted or assessed any claim or has settled reasonable claims. Officers of TIPMOPA are currently in negotiations with the insurer to secure the necessary assistance,” the MARINA said.

Single ticketing execution starts next month

STARTING next month, traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR) will implement the single ticketing system (STS).

MMDA chairman Romando Artes made the announcement following a meeting with members of the Metro Manila Council (MMC), the agency’s governing and policy-making body composed of the 17 NCR mayors.

During the meeting, the MMDA turned over the 150 handheld ticketing device units to the local executives of Valenzuela, San Juan, Caloocan, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa.

The handheld gadgets will be used for the implementation of the STS. The devices could print citation tickets, validate

and authenticate driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations, check if the driver has incurred demerit points or if his/ her license or the vehicle registration is suspended, canceled, or has an existing alarm, accept cashless payments of fines, among others.

“With the delivery of these servers, handheld ticketing devices, we will be able to roll out within this quarter, by September to all local government units in NCR,” Artes said.

The MMDA chief said full implementation of the program was delayed due to a delay in the delivery of the devices and that the pilot operation was subjected to some customization.

“We will provide more depending on the need and request of the LGUs,” he said. Joel E. Zurbano

Commuters line

Norman Cruz

U.S. SENATOR INTERACTS WITH PH LAWMAKERS. American Senator Rick Scott and U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson pose for posterity with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez; Senators Imee Marcos, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Grace Poe, and Francis Tolentino; House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. and House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe during a dinner meeting at Raffles Makati City on Tuesday night. Red Santos

STREET FLOOD. Some streets in Valenzuela City remain underwater following incessant rains by typhoon Egay over the past days. Andrew Rabulan

Top-heavy

IN HIS first SONA, the President declared in very firm tone that he wanted the huge bureaucracy right-sized.

Right-sizing means having an organization that is both service-effective and cost-efficient. If we were in the private sector, it would mean getting the best returns for every peso spent.

Thus, every government employee should be doing work commensurate to his pay grade.

Yet in the first year of this administration, it seems the palace itself has been violating the President’s first SONA dictum, part of a 19-point legislative agenda.

“Expenditure priorities will be realigned, and spending efficiency will be improved…,” he began, and the first in his legislative proposal, met with loud applause, was for a National Government Right-sizing Program, “that seeks to enhance the government’s institutional capacity to perform its mandate and to provide better services, while ensuring optimal and efficient use of resources.”

The President further explained that “compared to previous government reorganization efforts, the NGRP will entail a comprehensive strategic review of functions, operations, organization, systems and processes…”

Was there a mention of the progress of the NGRP in the second SONA? No.

Has the palace in the performance of the president’s appointing power, complied with the president’s first SONA dictum?

No. Recently, online publication Politiko exposed the top-heavy bureaucracy of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with 10 undersecretaries and 21 assistant secretaries.

This USec list does not include those attached agencies headed by USecranked officers, such as the NACC, NCIP and NAPC, the last two having been down-graded from salary-grade 31 to 30 recently.

To be fair, Sec. Rexlon Gatchalian did not ask for top-heavy assistants, having inherited the officials from his predecessor, now party-list congressman Erwin Tulfo, on top of career service officers with the appropriate CESO entitlement.

Gatchalian brought in only one USec and two ASec-ranked personnel when he took over the department, but was swamped with Malacañang-appointed officers, with the latest one a Mindanao political family’s scion, appointed just last week.

One USec-ranked official is related to a senator. One USec is also related by affinity to another senator. Another is a cousin of a congressman.

Relationship with high officials is not per se a disqualification, but former secretaries like Alma Jose, Cabral and Soliman were not saddled with much baggage yet the department functioned quite well. Go through the list, and even at first glance, with their “pilit na pilit” titles, you can glean who are “undersecretaries for nothing.”

To be sure though, some of the USecs and ASecs are quite effective in their work, especially the career officers who have been there since PGMA’s time and who bring experience and institutional memories to the job.

One Asec, a journalist who was brought in by Tulfo and was retained by Rex has been quite effective, especially in explaining DSWD’s pro-active relief work.

I underscore this bloated and topheavy bureaucracy after reading the Politiko expose, which it described as “Execs baggage” to demonstrate how the President’s pronouncements are violated by his own office.

USecs get a basic pay of P189,199 monthly at salary grade 30 (PFRM Jr. is Grade 32), while an ASec is grade 29.

Apart from basic pay, they get additional emoluments such as RATA, and other benefits. They are given service vehicles, with free fuel and a driver to boot.

It should be quite interesting also to look at the department’s DBM-approved staffing pattern.

How many are plantilla employees and how many are contract workers or joborder employees, and what is the ratio of permanent to contractual?

You will be astonished.

But then again, the practice of overloading the bureaucracy is true in almost every department and agency of government.

National Government Right-sizing Program. Words, words, words only?

***

The President, after seeing for himself the destruction wrought by the rains in Northern Luzon, rued its impact on our rice supply, stating further it is now imperative that we import our staple food. The decision comes too late.

NFA warned him three months ago that government supplies were down to just about a day’s consumption, when ideally, as we enter the monsoon season, there should be 30 days supply or in the area of rice tarrification, where the supply is handled by the private sector, at least 15 days. This column wrote about that Malacañang meeting in the middle of May. The President and the economic managers did nothing, hoping that the

Disaster-prone

roads, 19 bridges, 112 schools, and six government facilities damaged.

summer harvest, where the price of palay was as high as P23 to P24 in Central and Northern Luzon, was assurance enough till the major harvest in September/ October.

Now that India has banned rice exports other than the pricey basmati, and Thailand and Vietnam have increased their price to around $500 per ton, up from May’s $430 along with export volume limits, we could be in serious trouble.

If Egay and Falcon did not make landfall in Luzon, but brought much rain and flooded our food baskets in Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordilleras, think of the incalculable damage it wrought on the farms of China where Egay made landfall, and Falcon is on its way to making another.

China’s rice import requirements will certainly go up.

And who do you think the giant will go to for its rice needs?

Why, Indo-China, of course.

The cross-border trade between China and Vietnam will flourish immensely with both socialist governments looking the other way.

Last Monday, I wrote we could be looking at P50 per kilo come the “ber” months, double what Kadiwa prides as release price, which we collectively subsidize to the tune of a P13 loss per kilo.

Oil came in with its own hefty pump price increase, along with LPG. And even our energy spokesperson says the price is likely to go further upwards.

High oil prices plus high food prices are a deadly cocktail.

Take note: 50 percent of our price index is accounted for by food price movements, with rice as its principal component.

Oil prices impact on most every item in the basket, from transport to production costs.

Even if the government allows imports now, and as we write this article, the President is meeting his agriculture officials, the Viet and Thai sellers will demand much, much more.

Fifty pesos per kilo by the last quarter of this year may even be an under-estimate.

To the teeming poor, that would be a disaster.

As for those who can afford more than P50 per kilo, easy availability of desired varieties would become more difficult.

For the very rich, there’s always Calrose or the local Dona Maria, both priced at about P100 per kilo. The rich, as F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “are different from you and me.” Aside from having more money, they eat less rice.

PAG-ASA warns us that there should be 11 more typhoons before 2024 barrels in. Pray these do not hit us when harvest time comes.

Farmers of Northern Luzon, even the Mindoro provinces which bore the brunt of the floods brought by Egay and the habagat rainfall sucked by Falcon, are now hard put to re-plant their inundated palay fields.

Assuming DA supplies them with seeds and other inputs, they would be devastated if stronger typhoons hit in September when the palay is pregnant with grain, or October-November when they are about to harvest their delayed crop.

Huwag naman sana.

The good Lord gave us rain after a sweltering summer, with the capital region experiencing rations of tap water from Angat.

Pray He does not give us stronger typhoons as El Niño arrives.

By Josep Borrell Fontelles

ON JULY 17, nearly one year after it was signed in Istanbul, Russia decided to not renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) that allows Ukraine to export agricultural goods to global markets.

As underlined by the Secretary General of the UN, this initiative has been ‘a beacon of hope in a world that desperately needs it.’

Before Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a critical global food supplier, a fifth of the world’s barley came from Ukraine, as well as a sixth of the maize and an eighth of wheat.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, attacking grain fields and silos and blocking Ukrainian ports, global food prices spiked to record levels and endangered much needed food supply for many importer countries.

The BSGI aimed to re-establish a vital route for agricultural exports from Ukraine and to lower global food prices.

Despite challenges, it achieved its key purpose.

Since August 2022, the export of almost 33 million tons of grains and food from Ukraine to 45 different countries played an instrumental role in reducing global food prices by some 25 percent since the record high reached shortly after Russia’s attack.

As public trade data shows, over half of the grain, including two thirds of the wheat, went to developing countries.

In addition, the BSGI ensured continued access to grain for the World Food Program.

In 2023, Ukraine supplied 80 percent of the wheat procured to support humanitarian

Typhoons spawned in the Pacific Ocean batter our shores at the rate of around 20 per year, causing floods, landslides and widespread destruction of agricultural crops, homes, and public infrastructures.

We are also located in the Pacific ‘ring of fire’ consisting of active volcanoes that may not violently erupt on a regular basis, but nonetheless cause destruction of homes and massive evacuation of people to safer places when they do.

There are also earthquakes that topple buildings and residences as well as damage infrastructure such as roads and bridges. And we’re not even talking of man-made disasters such as massive displacement of people from their homes due to armed conflict especially in the countryside.

Typhoon Egay left 25 dead and over 2 million people affected by strong winds and rains that destroyed homes and crops and flooded many low-lying communities across its path.

Moreover, the typhoon left at least 252

THE International Criminal Court investigations of the anti-drug war waged by the Duterte administration continues to bedevil the country. This is because, by the looks of it, the ICC is nearing the end of its investigations or may have already finished it and is about to make its findings public.

The expectation is the issuance of arrest warrants is imminent to former and current public officials who were directly involved in the anti-drug campaign. The DOJ has even advised the former President and Senator de la Rosa not to travel to any country that the ICC has strong influence as if it is a given that the two will be issued arrest warrants.

In times like this, sometimes the better thing to do is wait, prepare and avoid saying more than what is necessary.

Issuing warnings left and right is not helpful.

Announcing that ICC officials who will come here to conduct investigation will be charged with usurpation of authority after saying that no ICC official will be allowed into the country will also just make us look ridiculous.

Can you imagine the reaction of the international community if we will indeed arrest and charge these ICC officials that we allowed into the country?

Since the DOJ has stated it is still open to talks under certain conditions, the wise move is to continue talking or keep the communication lines open. Completely shutting the door will not end our worries and, furthermore, it may not the best course of action to take.

We also have to ask the question why we allowed this issue to reach a point wherein the ICC may now have to issue arrest warrants.

Could the government have prevented the problem from reaching this stage?

Were the steps taken the right ones?

Let us look at some of the bones of contention that have brought the issue to this point.

First is the issue of jurisdiction.

The government is always saying since the country has withdrawn from the Rome statute, the ICC no longer has any jurisdiction to investigate the country. This is true if the ICC is investigating

operations in the most food insecure countries like Afghanistan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Without the Black Sea route, the WFP has to get its grain elsewhere at higher prices and with a longer lead-time at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented food crisis.

Russia’s decision was taken despite the UN Secretary General’s renewed proposals to work to address its concerns.

In order to shift blame, Russia claims its own agricultural exports were not sufficiently facilitated. This is not borne out by publicly available trade data, which shows that Russia’s agricultural exports are thriving.

Russia gained also important benefits from the Memorandum of Understanding with the UN on fertilizer exports, which had been brokered in parallel to the BSGI.

The UN has worked relentlessly to clarify regulatory frameworks and engage with the private sector to find dedicated solutions across banking and insurance sectors. These efforts have been conducted in close collaboration with the EU and its partners. Contrary to the lies spread by Russia, the EU has indeed ensured that our sanctions have no impact on global food security. There are no sanctions on Russian export of food and fertilizer to third countries and the EU has provided extensive guidance to economic operators, clarifying that these transfers to third countries are permitted.

We have also worked with the UN to allow related payments. Despite these well-known and verifiable

Initial infrastructure damage, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), could well go over P3.5 billion.

At least eight more tropical cyclones are likely to hit the country before the end of the year, based on projections of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), with the strongest typhoons expected to hit the country by September and October this year.

But not everything is doom and gloom amid our constant exposure to natural disasters.

Despite the expected weather disturbances, the agency explained that

complaints filed after the country withdrew in 2019.

The ICC, however, is saying the investigation is over cases that happened before the country’s withdrawal and we are, therefore, still obligated to cooperate.

Even our own Supreme Court agreed with this in a decision promulgated in 2019.

This is something the government cannot explain nor deny.

The second is the government’s contention that we have a perfectly functioning judicial system and we should be left to deal with the problem.

If the President can accept that abuses were committed, then that should be a signal and an incentive to act

True enough, but it is also true that our judicial system has many problems and is not perfect. Although we Filipinos are so familiar with our system and take everything in stride like alleged judicial corruption, judicial independence and court cases that last forever, it is hard for foreign observers to accept or understand it.

A good example of this is the case of former Senator Leila de Lima who has been in jail for more than six years without any resolution in sight that the Supreme Court had to intervene and ordered the case must be resolved before the end of the year. Outside observers take the De Lima case which has been so internationalized as an example of a politicized justice system.

Third is the stalled and slow conduct of investigations.

The DOJ has always wanted all complainants to go the agency so that an investigation can be conducted.

This invitation was again renewed last week with assurances of protection to complainants. Since the DOJ must be in possession of information regarding all of the so-called suspicious police operations, the better step is

facts, Russia decided to pull out of the BSGI, using food as a weapon and endangering the global food supply. Hours after withdrawing from the initiative, Russia started also to destroy Ukraine’s grain storage facilities and port infrastructure with daily targeted attacks, not only in the Black Sea itself but also in the Danube.

As an immediate reaction, wholesale wheat and maize prices saw their biggest increase since the start of Russia’s war of aggression.

The increased food price volatility is likely to persist as long as Russia puts global food supply under deliberate stress, aggravating the global cost-of-living crisis and most acutely for food-insecure people in import-dependent countries.

This is unacceptable and should be resolutely condemned.

As the world deals with disrupted supplies and higher prices, Russia is now approaching vulnerable countries, notably in Africa, with bilateral offers of limited grain shipments, pretending to solve a problem it created itself.

This is a cynical policy of deliberately using food as a weapon.

typhoons can have a beneficial effect as these can bring more rains and help ensure sufficient water supply for households and farms amid the looming El Niño phenomenon.

The water supply from various dams can be enough for the rest of the year despite the expected reduction of rainfall by the last quarter as a side effect of El Niño.

The national government and LGUs appear to be in a better position now to respond to natural disasters.

The NDRRMC, the coordinating body of various departments and agencies, has been doing a good job in disaster response.

The Department of Social Work and Development has in fact prepositioned relief supplies such as water, canned food, rice and other basic necessities in disasterprone areas.

In a recent media forum, Director Edgar Posadas of the Office of Civil Defense was asked if the agency agreed with the proposed law creating a separate Department of Disaster Resilience that has yet to be passed by both chambers of Congress. His reply: The various government agencies are already doing their part in disaster preparedness and disaster response, but we leave it to Congress and the Chief Executive and his Cabinet to decide on the matter.

to start the investigations to show good faith.

After all, the DOJ can initiate an investigation on its own even without the initial presence of the complainants. And if the victims will see the sincerity of the investigations, then perhaps they will go to the DOJ.

The problem why many of the complainants chose to go to cause-oriented groups for assistance instead of the police was because of their belief they will not be given a fair deal.

Proof of this as far as they are concerned is that only two of the cases have ended in convictions.

The several hundred cases being reviewed are still in limbo after all these years.

It is no wonder the complainants went outside the system to seek justice.

A new approach is needed.

The fourth is the issue of sovereignty.

The country signed and ratified the Rome statute voluntarily without any outside coercion.

By that action, we agreed to abide by all the articles of the treaty.

To say now that this violates our sovereignty when we knew exactly what we were getting into when we signed the treaty is, therefore, disingenuous.

Could there be another reason the government just does not want to admit?

The better approach for the DOJ is to forget the confrontational rhetoric and fast track the investigation and filing of cases in court to convince local and international skeptics including the ICC that we are capable of dispensing justice as we are claiming.

The ICC is not the whole and only problem.

Part of it is our slowness and refusal to accept that there were indeed abuses committed during the anti-drug campaign that needs investigating.

Even PBBM accepts this.

If the President can accept that abuses were committed, then that should be a signal and an incentive to act.

As they say, the truth will set us free.

In response to Russia’s irresponsible actions, the EU is active along three main lines.

First, we will continue to support the tireless efforts of the United Nations and Türkiye to resume the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Second, we continue to strengthen our “Solidarity Lanes” as alternative routes for Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach global markets through the EU.

These lanes have allowed the export of more than 41 million tons of Ukraine’s agricultural goods so far, and we are increasing this as much as possible to mitigate the consequences of Russia’s termination of the BSGI.

Third, we increased our financial support to countries and people most in need, providing €18 billion to address food security until 2024.

We call on the international community and all countries to step up their own assistance in support of global food security.

We ask all our partners to urge Russia to return to negotiations as the African Union already did, as well as to refrain from targeting Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure.

With a clear and unified voice, we can get Russia to resume its participation in the BSGI.

The world has a shared interest in responsible stewardship of global food security.

We owe it to the people most in need.

(The author is High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission)

THE Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in this part of the world.

Invasion would have ‘disastrous results’

TAIPEI—A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would have “disastrous results” for the world, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told AFP in an interview Wednesday, citing the island’s strategic importance for the semiconductor industry and global shipping lanes.

Wu’s warning comes as democratically ruled Taiwan heads towards a presidential election next year, while facing increased military and political pressure from China across the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed repeatedly to take it one day -- militarily, if necessary.

Wu said any act of force against Taiwan would have global reverberations.

CRIMINAL COUNTS. Members of the media outside the Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

In a major development in the documents probe, Special Counsel Jack Smith alleged that Donald Trump, scheduled to go on trial at the height of the campaign in March and May next year, asked a worker at his beachfront estate in Florida to delete surveillance footage to obstruct investigators. AFP

“What we need to do is to explain to the international community that if there’s any conflict involving Taiwan, it’s going to have disastrous results for the rest of the world,”

Wu said, pointing to the food and fuel shortages, and spiraling inflation, that resulted from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The consequences of a cross-strait conflict are largely commercial -- more than 50 percent of the world’s shipping

containers pass through the 180-kilometer wide waterway separating Taiwan from mainland China.

Freedom of navigation is therefore one of the “crucial elements of international security and prosperity.”

Taiwan also holds a near-monopoly on producing semiconductors, the microchips that are the lifeblood of the modern economy and power everything from simple coffee machines to complex weaponry such as missiles and defence infrastructure.

“Think about the disruption of the supply chain,” he told AFP in a wideranging interview.

“We hope that the Chinese govern-

IN BRIEF

ment will not resort to the use of force against Taiwan, because the impact is going to be too serious for the world.”

As Taiwan gears up for January’s presidential election, Wu said the island was seeing a “more sophisticated” disinformation campaign to influence its 23 million-strong population.

“What China has been doing in engaging in cognitive warfare is to change the thinking of the critical minority here in Taiwan -- to vote the other way so they can change the outcome of the election,” he said.

Wu is part of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), perceived as more pro-United States than the opposition Kuomintang Party. AFP

Trump indicted for trying to overturn 2020 US polls

WASINGTON, DC—Donald Trump was indicted on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) over his efforts to upend the results of the 2020 US election -- the most serious legal threat yet to the former president as he campaigns to return to the White House.

It is the third criminal indictment of the 77-year-old Trump since March and charges him with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction.

Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is already scheduled to go on trial in Florida in May of next year for allegedly mishandling top secret government documents.

The new charges, two of which carry maximum sentences of 20 years in prison, raise the prospect of Trump being embroiled in more legal proceedings at the height of what is expected to be a bitter and divisive presidential campaign.

The indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith accuses Trump of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding -- the January 6, 2021 joint session of Congress held to certify

Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.

Trump is also accused in the 45-page indictment of seeking to disenfranchise American voters with his false claims that he won the November 2020 presidential election.

“Shortly after election day -- which fell on November 3, 2020 -- the Defendant launched his criminal scheme,” the indictment, handed down by a grand jury in Washington, said.

“The purpose of the conspiracy was to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election by using knowingly false claims of election fraud,” it said.

Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor at the Hague, said the January 6 attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters was “an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.”

“It was fueled by lies,” Smith told reporters in brief remarks.

“Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the US government -- the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” AFP

More than 10 Russian drones downed over Kyiv KYIV, Ukraine—More than 10 Russian drones were downed during an overnight attack on Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said early on Wednesday.

“Groups of drones entered Kyiv simultaneously from several directions. However, all air targets -- more than 10 unmanned aerial vehicles -- were detected and destroyed in time by the forces and means of air defense,” said Sergiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration.

He said Russia had used a barrage of Iranian-made Shahed drones, with debris hitting several areas. Kyiv’s mayor said previously on Wednesday that the attack on the capital had caused damage in multiple districts, including the busy Solomyansky, which hosts an international airport.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that no one was killed or wounded in the attack.

In Golosiivsky district, “parts of a drone fell on the playground” and a fire broke out in a non-residential building, the Kyiv city military administration said, adding that emergency services were on the scene. The administration had earlier issued an alert for drone attacks and warned residents to stay in shelters.

An AFP correspondent heard at least three explosions in Kyiv at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT). AFP

33 killed in 5 days of Brazil police raids

SAO PAULO, Brazil—At least 33 people have been killed in police operations against drug gangs in two Brazilian states since last week, authorities said Tuesday, triggering calls for independent investigations.

In the southeastern state of Sao Paulo, Governor Tarcisio de Freitas said police had killed 14 suspects after coming under fire during a massive anti-gang operation launched after an officer was shot dead Thursday in the port city of Guaruja.

In the northeastern state of Bahia, officials meanwhile said 19 suspects in three different cities had been killed since Friday in clashes with police.

In all the cases, authorities said police had returned fire after coming under attack.

However, the killings drew criticism from rights groups in Brazil, where accusations of abuses by security forces are frequent.

The Sao Paulo operation was launched Friday, a day after a 30-yearold police special forces officer was shot dead while on patrol in Guaruja, one of several ports that feed the Brazilian economic capital. AFP

DEATH-DEALING RAINS. People look at garbage accumulated Wednesday in a river in a flooded area after heavy rains on the outskirts of Beijing, in the border area between Beijing and Hebei province. The rains that pounded China’s capital in recent days were the heaviest since records began 140 years ago, officials said. AFP

Beijing rains heaviest since records began 140 years ago

FANGSHAN, China—Deadly rains that pummelled China’s capital in recent days were the heaviest since records began 140 years ago, Beijing’s weather service said Wednesday, as a massive cleanup operation began.

Millions of people have been hit by extreme weather events and prolonged heatwaves around the globe in recent weeks, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change.

And the Beijing Meteorological Service said the capital has just experienced the “heaviest rainfall in 140 years, when city authorities started keeping records.

“The maximum (amount) of rainfall recorded during this storm, which was 744.8 millimeters, occurred at the Wangjiayuan Reservoir in Changping,” the service said, adding the largest volume previously recorded was 609 millimeters in 1891.

At least 11 people have died in the rains in Beijing, state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday, with more than a dozen missing.

The epicenter of flooding shifted to neighboring Hebei province on Wednesday.

In Beijing’s Fangshan district -- on the border between the capital and Hebei -- an AFP team saw a park that had been completely flooded, with tons of rubbish that had been washed away by torrential rains stuck near a bridge. AFP

Stocks plunge on US credit downgrade

Fitch lowers US credit rating on debt limit draw

WASHINGTON, United States—

Fitch downgraded the United States’ top-notch credit rating by a step on Tuesday, citing a growing federal debt burden and an “erosion of governance” that has manifested in debt limit standoffs.

The decision to downgrade the US from AAA to AA+ sparked a fiery rebuttal from the White House, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying the move “defies reality.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a separate statement that she “strongly” disagreed with Fitch as well, calling the change “arbitrary and based on outdated data.”

It is the first such downgrade by a major ratings company in more than a decade. A debt ceiling impasse in 2011 saw S&P lower Washington’s AAA rating, drawing bipartisan outrage.

“The rating downgrade of the United States reflects the expected fiscal deterioration over the next three years, a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance” relative to peers, said Fitch Ratings on Tuesday.

It added that there was a stable outlook assigned.

Yellen said Fitch’s quantitative ratings model declined between 2018 and 2020, but the agency was only announcing its change now despite progress seen in indicators.

She argued that US “Treasury securities remain the world’s preeminent safe and liquid asset, and that the American economy is fundamentally strong.”

While the lifting of the US debt ceiling—a limit on government borrowing to pay for bills already incurred—was often routine, it has for several years become a contentious partisan issue. AFP

By Jenni er B. Austria

LOCAL stocks plunged Wednesday, tracking the movement of Asian markets after Fitch downgraded the US credit rating.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 110.52 points, or 1.68 percent, to close at 6,483.28, while the broader all-shares index fell 52.09 points to 3,463.86.

“Philippine shares along with the while region plummeted as independent rating agency Fitch cut US rating from top level AAA to a notch lower at AA+,” Reginal Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said.

Fitch cited the growing US government debt and “steady deterioration” in governance over the last 20 years as factors behind the downgrade.

Asian and European markets followed Wall Street lower Wednesday, as the wind came out of the latest rally, with traders jolted by the downgrade of US sovereign debt, soft economic data and concerns about elevated valuations.

However, high hopes that the Federal Reserve was at or near the end of its interest rate hiking cycle and a stillresilient economy meant the mood on trading floors re-

mained broadly upbeat, analysts said. Investors shifted away from riskier investments after Fitch cut the US debt rating by one notch from its AAA level, citing a growing federal debt burden and an “erosion of governance” that has manifested in debt limit standoffs.

The move follows a long, drawn-out row between Republicans and Democrats earlier this year over raising the US borrowing ceiling, which had fueled fears of a devastating default by the world’s top economy.

While a deal was eventually struck, the saga rattled markets and reinforced the sense of long-running deadlock on Capitol Hill that has seen the gears of government jammed up.

Though the lifting of the US debt ceiling -- a limit on government borrowing to pay for bills already incurred -- was once routine, it has for several years become a contentious partisan issue.

The downgrade is the first by a major ratings company since a similar debt impasse in 2011 saw S&P lower its topnotch classification.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the move “defi es

Meta starts blocking access to news of Canadians on FB

on the two platforms.

reality”, while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement that she “strongly” disagreed with Fitch, calling the change “arbitrary and based on outdated data”. With AFP

SEC MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 10 SERIES OF 2023 TO : ALL CONCERNED SUBJECT : SEC FEES AND CHARGES FOR CERTAIN IT RELATED SERVICES

WHEREAS, Section 179(0) and (p) of Republic Act (RA) No. 11232, otherwise known as the “Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines” (RCC), grants the Commission the power and authority to (i) formulate and enforce standards, guidelines, policies, rules, and regulations to carry out the provisions of the RCC; and (ii) exercise such other powers provided by law or those which may be necessary or incidental to carry out the powers expressly granted to it;

WHEREAS, Section 180 of the RCC shall provide for the development and maintenance of the electronic filing and monitoring system, in order to facilitate and expedite the registration, incorporation, and the submission of reports, notices, and other documents for the Commission;

WHEREAS, Section 7 of Republic Act No. 11032, otherwise known as the EASE of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, requires that government agenCies, including LGUs adopt a zero-contact policy;

WHEREAS, as part of the Commission’s thrust to digital transformation, as well as in keeping with RA No. 11032 or the “Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018” the Commission continually adopts digital innovations to streamline its processes;

WHEREAS, to improve the quality of services to the transacting public, the development of system application is necessary in order for the Commission to strengthen and deliver its mandate;

WHEREAS, the implementation of the SEC Application Program Interface (SEC API) and the Company Investment and Financial Statistical Systems (CiFFS eSEARCH) are consistent with the sustainability efforts of the Commission;

WHEREAS, the development of IT-related systems and the delivery of these services entail costs; and as a matter of policy, fees and charges must sufficiently cover these costs;

NOW THEREFORE, the Commission hereby promulgates the implementation of the applicable fees for IT related services and increase in fees in securing official documents from the Commission:

1. SEC API Service. This is a software interface that enables the Commission to provide company profile information, financial information, and other data to our clients and stakeholders through application-toapplication communication. APls are based on a programming pattern or best practice that defines the rules by which applicationto-application, and not application-to-user, communications may be conducted over remote network connections such as the Internet. Through this system, it allows direct transfer of data streams without the need for user intervention, allowing real time data transfer in a secure way.

ALMERIA, Spain—Ongoing droughts and an over-exploitation of land for both agriculture and industry have stoked fears in Spain over the creeping spread of “sterile soil” which could devastate Europe’s kitchen garden.

“There used to be a holm oak forest here.. but now the land is barren,” says Gabriel del Barrio, pointing to a hill where only stunted shrubs remain.

Wearing dusty trainers and with a canvas hat on his head, this specialist in desertification has been worriedly monitoring the daily degradation of the landscape in Almeria, in the southern Andalusia region.

“Spain is not going to be a desert with dunes like in the Sahara, that’s morphologically impossible,” explains del Barrio, a researcher at EEZA, the experimental centre for research into arid zones.

But desertification, which is characterized by a severe “degradation of the soil” causing it to lose its productive capacity, “is worrying”, he says.

In the dock are the usual suspects: global warming, which is driving rising temperatures leading to water evaporation that causes more wildfires, but also human activity, which is the biggest culprit, notably due to intensive farming.

Despite its very dry climate, Almeria has transformed itself into Europe’s vegetable garden through its 40,000 hectares of greenhouses—its “Sea of Plastic”—which produce thousands of tonnes of tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and cucumbers all year round.

But these vast crop-producing areas are exacerbating the problem by using groundwater and “depleting the aquifers,” says del Barrio.

‘Complicated position’

Although the situation is extreme, it’s not only happening in Almeria.

According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, 75 percent of Spain’s land is battling climatic conditions that could lead to desertification, making it the European nation most threatened by the problem.

“This puts us in a complicated position in which the combination of extreme temperatures, droughts and other factors aggravate the risk of erosion and the loss of soil quality,” Spain’s Ecology Minister Teresa Ribera warned in June.

According to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), to which EEZA reports, soil degradation has tripled over the last 10 years, creating a problem which is “irreversible on a human scale”.

And that means soils which are unable to retain water or organic matter, that cannot support crops or nourish livestock -- a matter of huge concern in a country where agriculture accounts for annual exports of some 60 billion euros ($66 billion).

“Soil erosion is now the main problem for most farmers in Spain,” said UPA, which represents small farmers and stockbreeders, warning the situation was “serious” and could have a significant “economic cost”.

Soil regeneration

In Andalusia, the situation has prompted some to roll up their sleeves and get down to work.

“We have to act on our own wherever possible... and not give in to fate,” says Juan Antonio Merlos, 40, who owns a 100-hectare almond farm in the hills above Velez-Blanco.

Together with a handful of farmers from an association called AlVelAl, Merlos has introduced new “regenerative” practices since taking over his parents’ farm three years ago, which has now been certified as organic, in a bid to “halt the soil erosion” in the region.

These farmers now use manure instead of chemical fertilizers, don’t use pesticides “which kill insects,” limit use of ploughing “which damages the soil” and use plant matter to cover the soil in order to conserve moisture on the rare occasions when it rains. AFP

OTTAWA, Canada—Meta on Tuesday started blocking Canadians’ access to news on Facebook and Instagram in response to a new law requiring digital giants to pay publishers for such content.

Google, another critic of the Online News Act, has said it is considering a similar move, among an ongoing global debate as more governments try to make tech firms pay for news content.

“News links and content posted by news publishers and broadcasters in Canada will no longer be viewable by people in Canada,” Meta said in a statement.

News posted on foreign sites will also not be viewable by Canadian Facebook and Instagram users, and they will no longer be able to share articles

Meta noted that the changes starting Tuesday would be implemented “over the course of the next few weeks.”

An AFP reporter was still able to see news on Facebook Tuesday, but some users reported already getting messages saying such content was being blocked.

The Online News Act builds on similar legislation introduced in Australia and aims to support a struggling Canadian news sector that has seen a flight of advertising dollars and hundreds of publications closed in the last decade.

It requires digital giants to make fair commercial deals with Canadian outlets for the news and information that is shared on their platforms, or face binding arbitration.AFP

2. CIFSS e-SEARCH. The Electronic SEC Education, Analytics, and Research Computing Hub (eSEARCH) is the main eCommerce service channel of the Commission for the transacting public’s purchase and download of submitted documents to the SEC. It is mainly a research tool and discovery as

Spain fears ‘lifeless land’ amid soil ‘desertification’

TOKYO SHARES. A man walks in front of an electronic board showing a share price of the Tokyo Stock Exchange along a street in Tokyo on August 2, 2023. AFP

Sagittarius Mines secures permit

from Tampakan

By Othel V. Campos

SAGITTARIUS Mines Inc. obtained a business permit from the municipality of Tampakan after a legal battle which saw the Court of Tax Appeals granting a preliminary injunction in favor of the company after being incorrectly assessed by the LGU for nearly P400 million in alleged deficient taxes, a top executive said Wednesday.

SMI legal and compliance manager

Stella Joy Segocio highlighted CTA’s initial findings that SMI did not employ “fraud and misrepresentation” when it applied for a business permit as a manufacturer.

“SMI has and will always comply with the law and will continue to do the right thing in all of its activities,” she said. She said the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. identified mining as a strategic investment and a “key driver in our recovery and long-term growth.”

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of

town

South Cotabato declared as ultra vires and onerous the numerous provisions of Tampakan’s Revised Municipal Revenue Code of 2022 that would have imposed new or increased business taxes on companies operating in Tampakan.

It also asked the LGU “to stop the enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance declared invalid.”

Tampakan issued SMI’s 2023 business permit after the company paid P24,579 in regulatory and other fees, below what the LGU previously taxed the mining firm.

The business permit is a significant document that will allow SMI to commence construction and to operate the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in the world.

SMI said it continues to invest in the development of stakeholders and host communities, in addition to honoring and respecting the rights of the B’laan Indigenous Peoples in the area.

INSURANCE PAYMENT.

Government Service Insurance System president and general manager Wick Veloso (left) turns over the P100-million check to acting Postmaster General and chief executive Luis Carlos representing initial payment for the insurance claim damage su ered by the Manila Central Post O ce in May 2023. The payment is intended to cover the urgent needs of Philpost in rehabilitating the MCPO building. The full compensation will be paid by GSIS after evaluation of the adjuster’s report and approval of the nal settlement o er.

Aboitiz buying 40% stake in Coca-Cola bottler

By Jenni er B. Austria

ABOITIZ Equity Ventures Inc. teamed up with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC to acquire beverage bottler Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. for $1.8 billion. AEV will take 40 percent in CCBP under the agreement.

AEV and CCEP said in a joint statement they signed a non-binding letter of intent with The Coca-Cola Company to acquire the latter’s 100-percent stake in CCBP on a debt-free cash-free basis

The deal is consistent with TCCC’s stated intent to divest its bottling operations. CCBP is engaged in the bottling and distribution of Coca-Cola products in the Philippines.

AEV said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Wednesday it is in advanced discussions with CCEP on a potential joint acquisition of CCBP

under a 60:40 ownership structure between CCEP and AEV.

“AEV’s proposed acquisition of CCBP, with CCEP, offers a great opportunity to co-acquire an established, well-run business with attractive profitability and growth prospects,” the conglomerate said.

Once completed, the proposed acquisition would enable AEV to expand into branded consumer goods space and further diversify its business portfolio which includes power generation, banking, property, infrastructure and agriculture sector.

“AEV would be well positioned to support CCBP’s growth ambition given the synergies that can be generated from AEV’s other businesses,” the company said.

CCEP, for its part, said the proposed acquisition of CCBPI with AEV “offers a great opportunity to co-acquire an established, well-run business with attractive profitability and growth prospects”.

CCEP said the deal would enable it to build on its successful expansion into Australia, Pacific & Indonesia in 2021, positioning it as the world’s largest CocaCola bottler by both revenue and volume. CCBI operates 19 manufacturing plants and about 50 sales offices and distribution centers across the Philippines.

AEV said it was expecting the deal to close by end of 2023, subject to a number of conditions including satisfactory completion of confirmatory due diligence receipt of AEV and CCEP’s

board approvals, parties signing the definitive agreements and certain governmental and regulatory approvals, including clearance from the Philippine Competition Commission.

AEV said, however, there was no certainty at this stage that the proposed acquisition of CCBP would be completed, and as such, further updates would be provided in due course.

The share price of AEV fell 4.5 percent Wednesday to close at P52.05.

AEV said first-half net income declined 11 percent to P10.5 billion on non-recurring losses of P656 million linked to foreign exchange losses.

Power accounted for 72 percent of the total income contributions in the first half, followed by financial services which contributed 25 percent.

Income contributions from real estate, food and Infrastructure were at 3 percent, 1 percent and -1 percent, respectively, it said.

PSE INDEX CLOSING

Wednesday,

PAGCOR’S

British rm acquires 60% of CATS Group

BRITISH automotive company Inchcape Plc. is acquiring a 60-percent controlling stake in CATS Group of Companies, a leading distributor of luxury vehicles in the Philippines. Inchcape, the leading global automotive distributor, formed a joint venture with CATS Group which includes the acquisition by Inchcape of a controlling 60-percent stake, with the remaining 40 percent held by the CATS’ founding Ang family. Inchcape Philippines, the joint venture, combines Inchcape and CATS’ commercial resources, advanced digital capabilities, global insights and local market knowledge with the goal to power better mobility in the Philippines.

The expansion into the Philippines further builds on Inchcape’s well-established presence in the AsiaPacific region of over 10 markets.

SPNEC secures over 4,000 hectares of land in Luzon

SP New Energy Corp. said Wednesday that together with its subsidiaries, it secured more than 4,000 hectares of land, mostly in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac and Batangas.

SPNEC said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange that it secured over 3,000 through deeds of sale or contracts to sell and another 1,000 hectares through contracts to lease. It said more than 2,000 hectares were

approved for conversion into industrial use.

SPNEC has been increasing its land holdings as large solar power projects require vast areas.

“We thank all who have helped us grow SPNEC’s assets, from its initial 352 hectares, to over 4,000 hectares, and from a single project, to a portfolio of projects operating, under construction, and under development. It is time for us to build upon what we have so far, and work on turning these hectares into megawatts,” Solar Philippines founder Leandro Leviste said.

SPNEC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Solar Philippines which is part of the SP Group, an integrated developer, owner and operator of solar power projects. Alena Mae S. Flores

LandBank’s pro t rose

2.7% to P20.9b in rst half

LAND BANK of the Philippines said Wednesday net profit hit P20.9 billion in the first half, exceeding its target for the period by 19 percent or P3.3 billion.

LandBank said in a statement the six-month income was 2.7 percent higher than P20.3 billion it earned a year ago and represented almost 60 percent of its P35-billion full-year target.

“We are very much on track in meeting our financial targets for the year, as income from loans and investments continue to expand,” LandBank president and chief executive Lynette Ortiz said.

“LandBank is in a prime position to sustain our intensified support to the agriculture sector and other key industries,” she said.

The bank attributed the net income growth in the first semester to earnings from loans and investments, which increased by 49.8 percent and 43.5 percent, respectively. Julito G. Rada

SUPPORT. Vice President Sara Duterte stands in the background as Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairman and chief executive Alejandro Tengco and OVP chief of sta Atty. Zuleika Lopez display the memorandum of agreement on state-run gaming and regulatory rm’s commitment to release P120 million worth of nancial grant, in support of the OVP’s pro-poor advocacies.

SPORTS

USA looking anything but a World Cup champion

AUCKLAND—The United States came into the Women’s World Cup as favourites to win a third title in a row but they head into the last 16 looking anything but champions after limping through the group stage.

There were already doubts about Vlatko Andonovski’s side after an unimpressive 3-0 win over Vietnam in their opening game was followed by a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands.

Andonovski and his players put a positive spin on those displays but there were very few redeeming features about their performance on Tuesday, when they held on for a 0-0 draw with World Cup debutants Portugal to scrape through to the knockout phase.

Ana Capeta’s shot that hit the post in injury time very nearly won the game for Portugal, which would have condemned the holders to an unthinkable group-stage exit.

But aside from surviving that scare, the underlying numbers are concerning for the Americans.

They had less of the possession at Eden Park and failed to score for the first time in 15 World Cup games, since a 0-0 draw with Sweden in the 2015 group phase.

They also had less of the possession in their draw with the Dutch, while their finishing has been poor since the tournament started.

“I don’t think that was a good performance all together, starting from the back,” admitted Andonovski.

“I don’t think we were able to solve the problems that the opponents presented. There were moments where we did and it looked good, but those moments were very few and not enough to be able to walk out of here with several goals.” Has the world caught up?

The 46-year-old Andonovski is in the firing line.

It was always going to be a huge task for him to succeed Jill Ellis, who led the team to back-to-back World Cup triumphs in 2015 and 2019 before stepping down.

Andonovski brought a 23-player squad to New Zealand that featured 14 World Cup debutants, with injuries and retirement ruling out several veterans of recent successful campaigns.

There were high hopes placed in many of the novices, and the likes of Sophia Smith, Andi Sullivan and Trinity Rodman have impressed in moments. AFP

Makati swimmer smashes 2 of 7 Palaro new records

By Peter Atencio

COLEGIO San Agustin’s Ava Krystal David enjoyed competing among friends, grabbing three golds and breaking her second meet record along the way in swimming on Day 3 of the 2023 Palarong Pambansa Wednesday at the Marikina Sports Complex.

The 12-year-old David, who finished her campaign with three gold medals, clocked 36.51 seconds in the elementary girls’ 50-meter breaststroke, erasing the 36.03-second mark of Raissa Gavino set back in 2018 and establishing the seventh Palaro record here.

“The second one was really nice. Because I had competitors and they’re close friends. And it made everything light hearted,” said David, a sixth grader from Colegio San Agustin in Makati.

David ended up with her third gold medal when she topped the 200-meter

individual medley, submitting a time of 2:37.32, with Liv Florendo of Region 1 and Anika Matiling of Region 6 in second and third, respectively.

Four meet records fell on Wednesday and a total of seven records have tumbled down in the aquatics competitions, with David claiming her first one on Tuesday in the 100-meter breaststroke.

David erased the 100-meter breaststroke mark of Gavino in 2018 of 1:19.35 with an improved 1:17.98 clocking.

Bicol bet Albert Amaro II, Yzabel de los Santos and the National Capital Region’s

4x50-meter freestyle relay team also erased a meet record, with Amaro, an 11th grader from San Beda, making his mark in the secondary boys’ 50-meter butterfly.

The 16-year-old Amaro, who is also celebrating his first outing in the Palaro, claimed a gold medal for the Southern Tagalog Region, with a 26.14-second performance shattering the 2018 feat of Jules Mirandilla of Calabarzon (26.34 seconds).

De los Santos, a 15-year-old studentathlete residing in Malanday, Marikina, swam the secondary girls’ 50-meter breaststroke for the gold in 34.46 seconds, surpassing the five-year-old clocking of 35.63 seconds by Sophia Manantan.

Beatriz Mabalay (Region V) settled for second and also had a record finish behind De los Santos (35.08 seconds).

Later, the NCR squad of Cesar Nazareno, Victoriano Tirol, Jared Cheng and Arbeen Thruelen ruled the 4x50 meter freestyle relay, with its time of 1:40.64, better than the NCR team’s in 1:41.45 in 2016.

Baatarkhuu eyes decisive win vs. Sangiao

ENKH-ORGIL Baatarkhuu believes he’s up for an interesting night when he takes on the young and dynamic Jhanlo Mark “The Machine” Sangiao in a crucial bantamweight MMA bout this Saturday.

The pair look to better their positions in the ONE bantamweight division when they clash at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on 5 August inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Mongolian had nothing but nice things to say for the secondgeneration martial artist, noting Sangiao’s well-roundedness and potential.

“I’ve done my research on my opponent and watched some of his previous fights. He’s a highly skilled and promising young athlete, known for his speed and agility in the ring,” he said.

“Studying his fighting style has

given me a better understanding of what to expect in the upcoming bout.”

The 21-year-old has been nothing short of fantastic in his stint in The Home of Martial Arts, finiszing all three of his opponents in the first round through his impressive grappling.

In his matches against Paul Lumihi, LA Lauron, and Matias Farinelli, Sangiao overwhelmed those guys with his combination of speed and explosiveness, allowing him to take down his opponents with ease and work from there.

It’s something that Baatarkhuu isn’t taking lightly.

“My opponent’s strengths lie in his impressive speed and agility, which can be challenging to counter. To cope with this, I’ll focus on maintaining my composure and staying sharp throughout the fight,” he said.

“I’ll leverage my own strengths

Sotto undergoes strength training under noted Filipino fitness coach

By Randy Caluag

WHILE taking what his team claimed as a much-needed rest before joining Gilas Pilipinas in preparation for the World Cup, Kai Sotto is undergoing strength and conditioning training, under a noted Filipino noted fitness coach.

Basketball experts and fans alike have noticed Sotto’s lack of aggressiveness and physicality, which are musthaves for players seeking a place in the National Basketball Association.

In a Facebook post on the Fit Twenty One page, Sotto undergoes training with Mel Lantin, strength and

conditioning coach of rising professional boxing star Carl Jammes Martin and the basketball team of the UP Junior Maroons Martin was also the former coach of the Perpetual Help Altas basketball squad and UAAP teams De La Salle University, Far Eastern University and Ateneo de Manila University.

For those familiar with Lantin’s methods, they believe Sotto is in good hands.

“This one is for sure. Excellent choice of S&C coach” said Eduardo Lim in a Facebook comment. Sotto has yet to join the Gilas team in full practice after arriving from

Las Vegas, where he saw action with the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League.

While not making any public announcement, reports from Gilas officials said Sotto’s team is asking for more time to rest his back, which sustained a minor injury during his second game with the Magic. Sotto’s absence has caused Gilas coach Chot Reyes to worry. He took a swipe at Sotto, comparing him to NBA Jordan Clarkson and saying that the 7’3” Filipino center is no superstar and needs to practice more with the national team preparing for the World Cup set to start on Aug. 25.

and use strategic techniques to neutralize his speed advantage.”

While he sang Sangiao praises, Baatarkhuu believes that he’s still at an advantage against “The Machine,” especially with all the wars that he’s gone through in the past.

“My biggest advantage in this fight will be my well-rounded skill set and the experience gained from previous competitions. I’ll strive to play to my strengths and execute my game plan effectively while remaining unpredictable and adaptable in the ring,” he said.

“This fight is undoubtedly going to be intense, and I anticipate it will be a hard-fought battle. I’m confident in my abilities and determination to prove myself as a formidable opponent.

“While it’s challenging to predict the exact outcome, I’m focused on giving my best performance and aiming for a decisive victory.”

Overall, athletes from the Southern Tagalog Region are ahead with 17 golds, 16 silvers and 11 bronzes, with NCR trailing with its 16-17-13 gold-silver-bronze tally and Western Visayas at third (9-10-9).

In athletics, Teo Papel of Region 10 topped the secondary boys’ 5000-meter run in 16 minutes and 54.53 seconds, with Jholan Arbijas (17:04.84) and Francis Japa of Region V (17:31.07), placing second and third, respectively.

Winnie John Paclibar dominated the elementary boys’ javelin throw, John Dianito topped the secondary boys’ side and Rhain Baladsay (Region 6) claimed the top honors in the elementary boys’ triple jump.

Mark Jay Bacojo and Rigil Pajamtang of Region IV-A ruled the secondary boys’ team blitz competition in chess with 36.50 points, while NCR’s Lloyd Andres and Travis Cu placed second with 32.75 points. Region 10’s Mary Tan and Lila Serina tallied 13 points in the elementary girls’ team blitz event.

Clarkson arriving on Aug. 8

UTAH Jazz cager Jordan Clarkson will be in Manila next week to join the practices of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team Clark, who will skip Gilas Pilipinas’ stint in the 2023 Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament, will be in the country by Aug. 8. Gilas head coach Chot Reyes confirmed the arrival of Clarkson as Team Philippines prepares for the FIBA World Cup 2023.

Team Philippines will be made up of 14 players when they see action in China.

The roster in China includes June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Kiefer Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Roger Pogoy, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., CJ Perez, T hirdy Ravena, Chris Newsome and Jamie Malonzo, Calvin Oftana is also listed Rhenz Abando with AJ Edu.

Poy Erram will be there, but he won’t play. Erram just had surgery to remove bone spurs. Peter Atencio

USA’s forward Megan Rapinoe shoots the ball during the Women’s World Cup Group E football match between Portugal and the United States at Eden Park in Auckland. AFP

Jordan Clarkson

Jhanlo Mark Sangiao

Kai Sotto does the leg raise exercise, under conditioning coach Mel Lantin. Photo from Fit Twenty One

Shang nips Shelton to reach ATP 3rd round

WASHINGTON—Chinese teenager

Shang Juncheng defeated Ben Shelton for the second time in two weeks on Tuesday, downing the 14th-seeded American 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the third round of the ATP hard court tournament in Washington.

“I’m definitely very happy right now,” the 18-year-old Shang told ATPTour. com. “Ben is not an easy player to beat. I think I’ve got a game that kind of suits me to playing him.”

Shang, who ousted Shelton 6-4, 6-4 at the Atlanta Open last week, converted five of his nine break point chances on Tuesday and polished off the victory in one hour and 42 minutes.

“In the past two weeks, I’ve been returning really well,” Shang said. “So I think that was the key today, to break a few service games from him.”

The left-hander from Beijing posted his fourth victory in as many days, including two qualifying victories and a first-round triumph over Emlio Gomez.

He had started his year by qualifying for the Australian Open and winning a first-round match but was then slowed by

Woods joins PGA Tour policy board in transparency move

MIAMI—Tiger Woods is joining the PGA Tour’s newly expanded policy board, the tour announced Tuesday, in a move aimed at cooling player tensions over secrecy surrounding merger talks with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.

The 15-time major champion, a long-time supporter of the PGA Tour in its fight with upstart LIV, will have a direct say in approving any eventual deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the framework of which was unveiled in June to the shock of tour players.

“I’m honored to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods said in a statement from the tour.

“This is a critical point for the tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in tour operations are in the best interest of all tour stakeholders,

Dembele poised to join PSG, leave Barca

LAS VEGAS—Barcelona boss Xavi

Hernandez confirmed on Tuesday that Ousmane Dembele is poised to leave the Spanish giants after receiving an offer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Dembele, 26, was left on the bench on Tuesday as Barcelona wrapped up their North American pre-season tour with a 1-0 win over AC Milan in Las Vegas.

Afterward, Hernandez told Spanish television that French international Dembele -- who scored in last weekend’s victory over Real Madrid in Dallas -- had been left out after informing Barcelona he wanted to leave.

“I will be very clear,” Hernandez said. “He has asked us that he wants to leave, he has been very direct, that he has a proposal from Paris Saint-Germain, that they have called him from there and here we cannot do anything. It is his personal decision.

“To me, it hurts me because I think we have taken great care of him here so that he is happy and content and continues to make a difference for us.

“But he says that he has this proposal and that he has decided to leave. That is why he has not played today.”

Dembele, who joined Barcelona in 2017, has one year left on his contract with the La Liga giants.

Barcelona’s victory on Tuesday came courtesy of a spectacular second-half strike from Ansu Fati.

A lackluster game at Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium was settled in the 55th minute after a counter-attack launched by Barcelona’s teenage left back Alejandro Balde.

The 19-year-old Spanish international passed to Fati just inside the Milan area and the forward cut in from the left before curling a superb shot into the top corner. AFP

including fans, sponsors and players.”

PGA commissioner Jay Monahan, under fire from many players over handling of the LIV talks since he made the announcement, said future rule changes will require the involvement and approval of the six player directors from the board, including Woods and Rory McIlroy.

That gives player representatives an upper hand on the 11-member board and the power in all decisions regarding any final agreement with the Saudis.

The special advisor to the player directors, Colin Neville, will be fully

aware of the state of talks on the “framework agreement” with LIV, which the board must approve by the end of the year in order for the controversial merger to oc cur.

“The players thank commissioner Monahan for agreeing to address our concerns and we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game that we all love,” Woods said.

“He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”

The Washington Post reported that 41 PGA Tour players -- including stars McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler -sent Monahan a letter on Monday asking Woods be added to the policy board and the tour’s governance structure be reviewed immediately.

PGA player Charley Hoffman said Woods pushed for a place among the decision makers and Monahan had little choice than to agree.

“Tiger has done more for golf than arguably anybody,” Hoffman said. “To have him sit in those meetings now is very powerful and I think his voice will be listened to.”

And, he added, it will begin rebuilding the trust between Monahan and players.

“It’s a start. This is the best move we’ve made in the past few months,” he said. “It’s Tiger coming up with it and I think he wants to be part of the PGA Tour going forward.”

Woods, 47, has been limited in his ability to play in recent years by severe

mononucleosis.

Once back on court he qualified for the French Open, but didn’t make it out of the first round.

Shang’s reward for Tuesday’s win will be a meeting with American second seed Frances Tiafoe, who opened his campaign with a 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) win over Russia’s Aslan Karatsev.

“Unbelievable match tonight. It was so tight all the way through, he really made me earn it,” Tiafoe said afterward.

“I’m just happy to get through. He’s a tough player, he’s made the semis of a Grand Slam and he’s very, very dangerous. Very tough first round.”

Elsewhere Tuesday, former world number four Kei Nishikori of Japan withdrew with a left knee injury before his scheduled first-round match against South Africa Lloyd Harris.

Nishikori, 33, returned to competition from a 20-month injury absence in June, winning a low-tier Challenger Tour title in Puerto Rico before reaching the quarter-finals last week in Atlanta in his first ATP tournament since 2021. AFP

leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash. Monahan said having the leadership and voice of Woods is “welcomed and impactful” as he tries to complete the PGA-LIV deal.

“I’m committed to taking the necessary steps to restore any lost trust or confidence that occurred as a result of the surprise announcement of our framework agreement,” Monahan said. “Any agreement we reach must be shaped by our members’ input and approval earned through our player directors.” AFP

La Salle, UST clash in semis after contrasting wins

LA Salle and University of Santo Tomas forged

a highly-anticipated semifinal duel, coming away with contrasting wins in the 2023 Shakey’s Super League National Invitationals knockout quarterfinals Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Lady Spikers hardly broke a sweat against Mindanao bet Jose Maria College Foundation (JMCF), 25-18, 25-14, 25-19, as the Golden Tigresses needed four sets to fend off Luzon qualifier and NAASCU champion Enderun Colleges, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 25-14.

La Salle and UST collide on Friday in the first Final Four pairing, three months after their semis battle in the UAAP Season 85 eventually won by the spikers from Taft.

Proving that they’re the UAAP champions for a glaring reason, the Lady Spikers just would not be stopped even in the SSL featuring champions from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with yet another sweep in 67 minutes.

The twin towers of Shevana Laput and Thea Gagate once again ran roughshod both on offense and defense to lead La Salle’s third easy win in a row without a single set yielded in the 12-team SSL presented by Eurotel as the offi-

cial hotel and Victory Liner as office transport provider, and in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education. “Marami pa rin kaming dapat ayusin heading into the semis. Ibang labanan na doon,” said deputy mentor Noel Orcullo, who believed his wards have more to offer despite equally big wins against University of the Perpetual Help System Dalta and CESAFI runner-up University of Southern Philippines Foundation in Pool A play.

Later, Angeline Poyos pumped in 18 points on 12 attacks, two blocks and four aces as UST recovered in time to buck a scare from Enderun, which banked on a 12-5 start to snatch a 21-25 win in the fourth set.

Regina Jurado and Athena Abbu added 10 and nine points, respectively, with Xyza Gula, Jonna Perdido and Maribeth Hilongo chipping in eight points each in the match that lasted one hour and 36 minutes.

“Ice-credit mo rin ‘yung kalaban mo kasi hindi naman kami ‘yung pinakamagaling na hindi pwedeng matalo kaya nga kami nandito. Ganoon din ‘yung Enderun, trinabaho nila,” said coach Kungfu Reyes.

Bacoor, Batangas maul rivals, keep share of lead

BACOOR and Batangas notched breezy victories and kept their lofty spots in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at the Bacoor Strike Gym in Cavite. Flaunting the depth of their roster, the Bacoor Strikers smothered the Bicol Volcanoes, 113-75, in the nightcap to duplicate Batangas City Embassy Chill’s 105-74 drubbing of Bacolod City of Smiles in the opener. Both the Strikers and the Athletics raised their records to 17-4 and shared the lead in the South division of the 29-team tournament staging its round-robin elimination phase.

Cheered on by another big crowd, the Strikers decided the

outcome early in the fourth quarter, 87-43, before easing off a bit in burying the Volcanoes to a league-worst 1-21 card.

Bacoor Coach Alex Angeles took the chance to juggle his 15 players, all of whom scored after being given over 11 minutes of exposure each.

Homegrown Rocky Acidre and James Kwekuteye fired 14 points each for the Strikers, who also drew 12 points from Salvador Galit and 11 each from Alwyn Alday and Jhan McHale Nermal.

The hapless Volcanoes got 24 points and 10 rebounds from Alfren Gayosa and 20 points from Redel Fabro.

Batangas Coach Cholo Villanueva employed the same ploy, but two of the 14 players fielded were unable to deliver in the game that saw the Athletics

build a 100-66 spread.

Juneric Baloria fired 20 points for Batangas, which also drew 17 points from MJ Dela Virgen, 13 from Jeckster Apinan, 12 from Rhaffy Octobre, 11 from Levi Hernandez and 10 from JohnRey Villanueva.

Bacolod, which tumbled to 9-13, got 15 points from Chris Menguez, 14 from Dom Matillano and 10 from Andretti Stevens.

Sarangani subdued Valenzuela, 107-98, and revved up its playoff drive with a 9-13 slate.

Alex Desoyo and Jeff Comia powered the Marlins with 18 and 17 points, respectively. They were supported by JC Escalambre with 15 points, Reggz Gabat with 13 and JP Cauilan with 11.

Valenzuela fell to 3-8 despite the 22-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist, 5-steal effort of AJ Benson.

OFFICIAL BALL. KELME, the o cial out tter of Filipino athletes in the 2021 World University Games in Chengdu, is also the o cial ball of the Philippine University Volleyball League. Shown here holding KELME balls are Edwin C. Fabro (center), the president of the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines; Joseph Sy (right), the Secretary General of the Philippine Inter-School Sport Association; and Mapua University student-athlete representative Al S. Quiza. The PISSA Juniors Volleyball Championship will also use the brand in the high school competition.

Tiger Woods

La Salle: All for one, one for all

Celebrities, politicians gather at 'Lanao’ movie event

By Nickie Wang

MAYOR Marcos Mamay’s remarkable and challenging life experiences have inspired him and his family, to bring his biopic to the big screen, with the film Lanao:

The Marcos Mamay Story Apart from his role as a public servant, Mayor Mamay is also the producer of his own story with Neal 'Buboy' Tan directing, and Jeric Raval and Ara Mina headlining the project. Jeric portrays Mayor Mamay in the movie and, as he mentioned, he had to meticulously study the mayor's mannerisms and way of speaking. He expressed the importance of accurately portraying the mayor's character to avoid any misrepresentation.

The film is expected to be exceptional as it vividly portrays the colorful life of

as it vividly portrays the colorful life of

Mayor Mamay. "While there might not be many action scenes, the intensity of the movie is gripping. Mayor Mamay is truly a kind-hearted individual," said Jeric.

On the other hand, Ara got to know Mayor Mamay's wife and was personally taught by her how to dress and carry herself. During the shooting, she even wore clothes from the mayor's wife, ensuring authenticity in her portrayal.

Both Ara and Jeric have remarkable onscreen chemistry and are a perfect match as a couple in the film. Their timeless appearances give the movie a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of a journey to the past.

To celebrate this endeavor, celebrities and politicians joined forces at Mayor Mamay's birthday party, held recently at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City.

Among the notable guests at Mayor Mamay's birthday party were Congress-

man Pantaleon Alvarez, Honorable Samira Gutoc, and several other politicians.

From the showbiz industry, notable figures such as Ricky Davao, Julio Diaz, Katrina Paula, Andrea del Rosario, Alma Concepcion, Kelvin Miranda, and many others were also present, showing their support and appreciation for the remarkable story being brought to life on the silver screen.

Mamay is widely respected in the Philippines as one of the country's most influential and inspiring figures for promoting peace and development among Christians and Muslim communities.

Beyond the numerous awards he has received for his public service, he fearlessly advocates for the rights and dignity of all people, particularly in resolving family feuds and ridos (clan conflicts).

There’s something more about Sahara

ENCOUNTERING an American woman singing in Tagalog is already a rarity, but it becomes even more impressive when she demonstrates versatility by effortlessly handling songs across various genres.

lane,” she said, figuratively.

singer popular Jaya

OPM (Original Pilipino Music) intact. I love different kinds of music,” said Sahara in a face-to-face chat we had when I visited her and her husband Michael Todd Glazier in their resplendent home.

They are a sweet couple of dedicated professionals, blessed with a state-of-the-art home recording studio specially built to deliver Sahara’s music in crisp and radiant form.

Asked about what she appreciates most in Filipinos, she mentioned how we rightly channel our energy to express proper emotions and display pleasant outward behavior. She shared, “Filipinos are friendly, kind, and very nice people. The food, the culture really resonate strongly with me.”

Sa

born-and-raised Filipinos lin ex pression. route

Back in 2021, Las Vegas-based Sahara amused Filipino listeners with her debut cover of “Dahil Ba Sa Kanya,” a pop ballad popularized by Philippines’ Queen of Soul . Five songs later, she had given us two Christmas songs, a stunning cover of Alicia Keys' “If I Ain’t Got You, an acoustic Tagalog gem called “Kabiyak,” and her latest output released just last June – a modern pop ditty coolly titled “Pakyut.” If being able to sing in Filipino makes Sahara interesting for most born-and-raised Filipinos and those with Pinoy lineage at least, that she can handle a variety of song types gives her an extra edge that equates to respect from the eclectics. It’s always an advantage when you have a broader sense of identity in terms of musical taste and ex“I first fell in love with Jaya’s song, and then I went my own route while keeping my appreciation for

Lady Gaga recalls 'magical' partnership with crooner Bennett

LADY Gaga, who was Tony Bennett's friend and collaborator in the final years of the hitmaker's life, over the weekend hailed their "magical" relationship and urged others not to "discount your elders."

Bennett died at 96 on July 21, having lived with Alzheimer's disease for years. In 2014 he became the oldest person ever to reach number one on the US album chart through a collection of duets with Lady Gaga, with whom he also won a Grammy in 2022 for their album of Cole Porter standards.

"With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing

duo," Gaga posted in a lengthy ode to Bennett on Instagram."But it wasn't an act. Our relationship was very real. Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight."

Among Bennett's many gifts was his stage presence: with a welcoming smile and dapper suit, he sang with gusto and a smooth vibrato in a strong, clearly enunciated voice.

His death prompted an outpouring of gratitude for his life and work, with Elton John calling him "irreplaceable" and President Joe Biden saying "he himself was an American classic."

Gaga's partnership with the legend was seemingly improbable – she the boundary-pushing

pop star and he the aging crooner – but in her homage to Bennett she said "our age difference didn't matter."

"We were from two different stages in life entirely -- inspired. Losing Tony to Alzheimer's has been painful but it was also really beautiful," she said.

"An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a person's life. There's such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity."

In her message Gaga urged people to keep their elders close: "Don't leave them behind when things change," she said.

"And pay attention to silence – some of my musical partner and I's most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all." AFP

A big help to their cause is the omnipresence of Dennis Quila, a seasoned Filipino musical arranger, and songwriter whom they found to have relocated to Las Vegas. He regularly teaches Sahara, who is a linguist, by the way, the nuances of the Filipino language. He spelled the word pa-cute as “pakyut,” or in a way a Pinoy taho peddler or a candy vendor would prefer to.

Sahara noted, “I just want to show that side of me, that I can be serious but I can be cute.”

With a fun track that opens with the words, “One day isang araw/ I saw you nakita kita,” she has shown that she is a multi-faceted talent.

“There’s more to me than just one

Sahara plans to visit the Philippines soon, perhaps next year in time for the release of an album she’s working on with her superb support system. She’s committed to recording originals, some of these she is happily writing herself, and a couple of carefully picked covers for good measure. In the meantime, fans can savor her cuteness in “Pakyut.”

Just like the global appeal of Nevada's premiere city Las Vegas, Sahara is someone to really look into and see what happens. The day I dropped by to say hello to her and Mike, and Dennis, the so-called Sin City was baking under a heat dome. Thus, the super cool vibe I felt while in their presence was a welcome atmosphere.

Media giant widens reach with 101 stations nationwide

ing experience.

GMA Network further widens its reach across the Philippines, providing an unparalleled viewing experience for Filipinos through its 101 stations nationwide.

tion in San Pablo, Laguna. This brings the network’s combined analog and digital TV transmitter stations to a new total of 101.

Further, through the network’s

digital receivers, GMA Affordabox and GMA Now, more Kaclearer and more vibrant TV view-

puso viewers are able to have a

Earlier this year, the network, through its regional arm GMA Regional TV, also launched GMA Ilocos Norte station – its 12th regional station to date.

GMA also made all its shows available in widescreen format, where favorite Kapuso programs are in a wider scope in terms of what can be seen on screen. The 16:9 widescreen format is now available on GMA and GTV, as well as on digital channels Heart of Asia, Hallypop, I Heart Movies, and Pinoy Hits. These latest developments further complement the network’s cutting-edge shows, which include the primetime hits Voltes V: Legacy, Royal Blood, and Unbreak My Heart, and other upcoming Kapuso shows to watch out for.

Sahara, the Las Vegasbased American artist who sings in Tagalog, drops a pop single specially made for Filipinos called 'Pakyut'

Multi-awarded singer Lady Gaga pays tribute to hitmaker and her friend, Tony Bennett

Nunungan, Lanao del Norte Mayor Mamay Marcos together with ‘Lanao: The Marcos Mamay Story’ cast led by Jeric Raval and Ara Mina

Nickie Wang Editor Angelica Villanueva , Writer E-mail:

LIFE

A vibrant celebration of makeup and beauty

COLORS bring joy and vibrancy to our world, and SM Beauty has embraced this concept by introducing the Color Play Festival, a delightful event that runs until August 4. This festival is a celebration of diverse hues, featuring SM Beauty's remarkable collection of makeup, skincare, and hair care products.

On July 31, the festival kicked off at the Mall of Asia Main Atrium with a grand launch attended by content creators, influencers, and media representatives. The event encourages everyone to explore the playful side of colors and take pride in expressing themselves through makeup and beauty products.

In store for shoppers are games, freebies, entertainment, and even a digital beauty pageant.

After the formal launch, the Color Play Festival was opened to the public, who got to enjoy different activities such

as a makeover area exclusive for SM Advantage Card members. Also, an SMAC member exclusive is the hair braiding and flower crown area, where a limited number of customers can enjoy free flower crowns and braids done by professional artists.

As part of the Color Play Festival, SM Beauty launched an engagementdriven, digital pageant to help spread awareness about SM Beauty products while emphasizing on the idea of "Create Beauty." Participants are urged to post their most dazzling Coachella Festival look on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook. The post must include #SMBeauty and #ColorplayFestival2023 in the caption. Entries will be judged based on the following criteria: Makeup, Hairstyle, Originality, and Engagement (likes, comments, and shares). The top 10 win

ners will receive exclusive hair, makeup, skincare, and other SM Beauty products. Throughout the Color Play Festival, there will also be a "ferris wheel" gondola and photo booth. Customers can have a chance to win SM Beauty products with Ferris-Win, and a snapshot of them with their friends and family members in the photo booth. To have the chance to win the contest, consumers just need to buy any variant of SM Beauty lipstick and show proof of purchase.

The participating brands include MAC, NARS, Drunk Elephant, Shiseido, LOOK At Me, Tsubaki, Extra Care/GOT2B, Tressemme, L’Oreal Hair,

Shaping the future of patient care in dental medicine

By Robbie Pangilinan

IN the past three years, while the whole medical field scrambled to control COVID-19, many advances are also taking place in dental medicine.

“Introduction of many tissue-friendly materials, advancements in metalfree materials, lasers, ultrasonic machines, and digital dentistry all happened in the past couple of years. These give both patients and dentists more options in treatment planning. They are less invasive and more conservative approaches, and there is more focus on the preservation of natural structures,” says FilipinoPersian dentist Farzaneh

Jimenez Shamsi

At Fashion Smile Dental Health and Wellness, a premium cosmetic dental center co-founded and coowned by Dr. Shamsi, patients receive the utmost care using state-of-the-art technology. But these new tech are not brought in to automate processes.

Dr. Far says these are advanced tools and machines that help the operator be more precise and get better results. Dr. Far uses advanced machines and technologies during surgery to make it less traumatic and promote faster healing.

Dr. Far, a dental surgery and cosmetic dentistry specialist who obtained her Doctorate of Dental Medicine from Centro Escolar University, explains that their practice employs videos and various tools to help patients understand their current condition.

“We use videos and

Mitsukoshi Beauty offers a wide array of high-quality Japanese beauty products

other tools needed to explain to patients their current condition. We offer them different options based on their condition, requirements, and goals. For major procedures, we usually do one or two sessions of discussion and treatment planning. We assess patients, and try as much as possible to control their level of fear about various procedures,” shares Dr. Far.

Regarding her aspirations for the future, Dr. Far looks forward to incorporating stem cell technology into dentistry. While acknowledging the promising potential of stem cells for addressing various health issues, she points out that, at present, the use of stem cells to grow complete, viable teeth is still under investigation.

Nevertheless, she remains hopeful that this remarkable option will eventually become available in dentistry in the coming years.

“Stem cells are being studied for treating a lot of health issues. I cannot say if in 10 years we will also be able to use it in the field of dentistry because as of now the studies using stem cells for teeth have not yet generated a complete, viable tooth. But I do hope this amazing option will be available soon,” ends the dental surgery and cosmetic dentistry specialist.

A holy grail destination for unique, under-the-radar Japanese beauty finds

J-BEAUTY, the Japanese beauty trend, gains global popularity. Emphasizing minimalist routines and natural ingredients with meticulous research and technology, it has captivated beauty enthusiasts.

Mitsukoshi Beauty in BGC now offers sought-after Japanese skincare and makeup brands, including exclusive ones. Explore the beauty and wellness zone for a curated selection of Japanese products, from skincare to hair care, delighting makeup lovers.

Mitsukoshi BGC is located along 8th Ave. in North Bonifacio Global City and at the podium of The Seasons Residences, a residential development that offers a unique Japanese way of life.

Under-the-radar Japanese beauty brands you need to know

Level up your beauty game with some of Japan’s well-kept secrets, now accessible to you! Debuting in the country and available only in Mitsukoshi Beauty are the sophisticated and high-quality Japanese brands Waphyto, E Standard, and La Casta.

Waphyto. Atsuko Morita, a former flight attendant, developed asthma and skin issues while working. Introduced to phytotherapy techniques by a French friend, she found relief and decided to

Addressing mothers’ woes: Three common breastfeeding challenges solved

FROM your mother to her mother and her mother’s mother too, generations of women have been told that breastmilk is the best food to give to a baby.

“Safe, clean, natural, and free, breastmilk contains the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fats, plus essential vitamins, minerals, and antibodies needed for your baby’s development and protection against diseases,” says Patricia Florestine Kho, MD, from the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of the top hospital in the Philippines, Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed).

Breastfeeding’s benefits also go a long, long way—for infants and their mothers. Kids who were breastfed are less likely to be obese, diabetic, asthmatic, or experience ailments like ear infections, respiratory tract infections, and upset tummy. They also grow up smarter, as evidenced by their high scores on intelligence tests. As for moms, breastfeeding lowers their risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and breast and ovarian cancers. And because it burns calories, breastfeeding contributes to post-pregnancy weight loss.

Yet for all its advantages and the numerous laws in place to encourage breastfeeding, the exclusive breastfeeding rate in the Philippines is a mere 34 percent, according to a report by the University of the Philippines.

Breastfeeding advocates are not giving up, and with government support through the promotion of breastfeeding programs and maternity protection in the workplace, plus the expertise of breastfeeding counselors within reach, they hope to bring the number up to at least 50 percent by 2025. That is the goal set by the World Health Assembly.

For its part, MakatiMed encourages the practice of this most natural, nutritious, and beneficial means to nourish your infant by offering solutions to mothers’ most common breastfeeding challenges.

“I don’t produce enough breastmilk.” Polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes, and thyroid or hormonal problems have been known to interfere with the production of breastmilk, as do stress, dehydration, weight loss,

study medicine and botanical therapy in Paris. Back in Japan, she excelled in plant biology research, leading her to create Waphyto, a skincare brand blending phytotherapy, biotechnology, and herbology. Designed for all ages, Waphyto products are sourced from vitamin-rich soil in Mikawa, Japan. E Standard. The brand offers a unique concept of "hair care is also skincare" with a comprehensive range of hair and scalp care solutions. Their five-step routine, including shampoo, hair serum, two hair treatments, and hair oil, aims to pamper your hair just like your skin, promoting luscious, healthy, and beautiful hair. Using nine plant extracts and three essential oils, E Standard's organic products are enriched with Hita Tenryosui natural mineral water for nourishing and revitalizing effects on the hair.

La Casta. Beloved by professional stylists, La Casta emphasizes natural aromas and botanical ingredients, focusing on "vitality and healing from plants." The award-winning brand offers shampoos, conditioners, and specialized treatments for various hair and scalp concerns. Expert Beauty Advisors provide personalized consultation services to find the best products for individual needs.

obesity, and certain medications (contraceptives, cold medicine).

Otherwise, health experts describe the production of breastmilk as a matter of supply and demand. “The more you breastfeed or pump, the more milk you produce,” Dr. Kho explains. “Try breastfeeding every two to three hours, or at least eight times a day. This way you empty your breasts to encourage milk production and sustain lactation. Nurse baby from one breast to the other and compress your breast as baby suckles to facilitate milk flow.”

“Breastfeeding hurts.” Nursing a baby may be a unique bonding experience between mother and child, but when your nipples end up painful, sore, and cracked, the last thing you want is to spend time with your little one. “Consult your doctor or a lactation specialist on the proper way for your baby to latch,” Dr. Kho advises. “Inverted or flat nipples may pose challenges in breastfeeding and can lead to breast pain, and these health experts can advise you on how to ease the pain.”

To relieve sore nipples, gently massage the sensitive area and place a warm heating pad or washcloth on your breast before feeding. Put a cool compress over it after feeding. “Also, find a place and position where breastfeeding is comfortable for you and baby,” adds Dr. Kho. Use pillows and footstools for extra support.”

“I’m tired.” After a long day at work or managing your household, you deserve some “me” time. “It’s perfectly normal for moms to want to check out temporarily from parenting duties to rest and recharge,” says Dr. Kho. “But they can still feed the baby on time by pumping or hand expressing their breastmilk then storing what they collected until it’s time to feed.”

According to the MakatiMed health expert, breastmilk lasts up to eight hours at room temperature, from 1-8 days at 2°C-4°C in the fridge, and for three months inside a 2-door freezer.

“While you are producing breastmilk, take advantage of its many health benefits for your baby,” is Dr. Kho’s message to moms. “We only want what’s best for our children, and they have everything to gain from nature’s ‘perfect food.’”

SM Supermalls’ Color Play Festival at the Mall of Asia Main Atrium runs until August 4

Dr. Farzaneh Jimenez Shamsi offers dental care using state-of-theart technology

Fashion Smile Dental Health and Wellness owners Dr. Farzaneh Jimenez Shamsi and Dr. Shideh L. Nikbin

Kids who were breastfed are less likely to be obese, diabetic, and asthmatic, or experience ailments like ear infections, respiratory tract infections, and upset tummy

Liese, Hairfix, Y.O.U, QuickFX, Barenbliss, Dazzle Me, Flormar, BYS, KISS New York, Maybelline, Happy Skin, Shiseido, Drunk Elephant, BLK, Chic Bobbie, LA Girl, Vice Cosmetics, and Issy & Co.